Osogbo

Many adolescents do not meet recommended guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep, which increases their risk for various chronic diseases. This risk is particularly high in urban areas where vulnerable life situations affect lifestyle choices. The YoPA project aims to develop, implement, and evaluate social and physical environmental interventions tailored specifically for adolescents living in disadvantaged urban settings across Denmark, the Netherlands, Nigeria, and South Africa. Using a youth-centered co-creation approach, the project involves adolescents and local stakeholders in shaping interventions that promote healthier lifestyles. The interventions to be implemented will be designed collaboratively by adolescents and local stakeholders at each site, focusing on social and physical environmental changes. The project spans three years, during which participatory meetings will guide the mapping of local needs, tailoring of interventions, and their implementation. The approach follows the SUPER-AIM framework, which integrates assessment of local systems, user perspectives, co-creation processes, intervention effects, reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Participants aged 12 to 18 years living in disadvantaged neighborhoods will be actively involved in the study. Researchers will measure 24-hour movement behaviors including physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep before the intervention, immediately after, and 3 to 6 months later. Environmental characteristics of outdoor spaces will also be evaluated at these time points. Throughout the project, adolescents and stakeholders will engage in ongoing evaluation and adaptation of the interventions to support sustainable health improvements in their communities.