Mat Walton

Applying complexity theory: a review to inform evaluation design.

Complexity theory has increasingly been discussed and applied within evaluation literature over the past decade. This article reviews the discussion and use of complexity theory within academic journal literature. The aim is to identify the issues to be considered when applying complexity theory to evaluation. Reviewing 46 articles, two groups of themes are identified. The first group considers implications of applying complexity theory concepts for defining evaluation purpose, scope and units of analysis. The second group of themes consider methodology and method. Results provide a starting point for a configuration of an evaluation approach consistent with complexity theory, whilst also identifying a number of design considerations to be resolved within evaluation planning.

Young people's food practices and social relationships. A thematic synthesis.

Food practices are embedded in everyday life and social relationships. In youth nutrition promotion little attention is awarded to this centrality of food practices, yet it may play a pivotal role for young peoples overall health and wellbeing beyond the calories food provides. Limited research is available explicitly investigating how food practices affect social relationships. The aim of this synthesis was therefore to find out how young people use everyday food practices to build, strengthen, and negotiate their social relationships. Using a thematic synthesis approach, we analysed 26 qualitative studies exploring young peoples food practices. Eight themes provided insight into the ways food practices affected social relationships: caring, talking, sharing, integrating, trusting, reciprocating, negotiating, and belonging. The results showed that young people use food actively to foster connections, show their agency, and manage relationships. This synthesis provides insight into the settings of significance for young people where more research could explore the use of food in everyday life as important for their social relationships. A focus on social relationships could broaden the scope of nutrition interventions to promote health in physical and psychosocial dimensions. Areas for future research are discussed.

Expert views on applying complexity theory in evaluation: Opportunities and barriers:

Interest in evaluating complexity appears to be on the rise. Increasing application of systems thinking and complex systems methodologies to evaluation can be seen in contents of journals and evaluation conferences. To date there has been little systematic examination of experiences of this application. This research considers the experience of 41 key informant participants with experience of complexity and systems approaches in evaluation. The results highlight institutional, political and social science factors that provide opportunities for further application. The following are identified as barriers to application: multiple definitions of complexity, the dominance of existing approaches, the purpose of evaluation and perception of resources required to apply complexity and systems approaches in evaluation. Where increasing the use of complexity and systems methodologies is a desired goal, this research suggests action regarding: how these methodologies are communicated; and evaluation training.

Public Policy to Promote Healthy Nutrition in Schools: Views of Policymakers.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify policy options to support nutrition promotion in New Zealand primary schools. In achieving this aim, the study sought to identify framing by policymakers regarding child diet and obesity; views on the role of schools in nutrition promotion; policy options and degree of support for these options. Issue framing by policymakers and policy option support are important considerations in policy design. Setting: New Zealand policymakers within the health and education policy community. Method: A qualitative study involving 16 semi-structured interviews with New Zealand policymakers. Results: Informants identified multiple drivers and complex causation of childhood obesity. Informants supported the role of schools in promoting nutrition, but recognized that issues external to schools such as poverty and availability of food placed limits on the effectiveness of actions within schools. Most informants agreed state policy was required across settings to encourage and support school nutrition promotion; however, there were some differences expressed in the degree to which state policy should regulate food options and marketing. Conclusion: New Zealand policymakers identify schools as a legitimate focus for policy development and commonly identify environmental contributions to child diet and obesity causation. This suggests a starting point for further policy deliberation and offers the possibility of further cross-sector policy development. The study provides an example for research elsewhere, and for international comparison.

Building school connectedness through shared lunches

Purpose – School connectedness is a well-established protective factor for young people’s physical, mental, and social health. The purpose of this paper is to explore the promotion of school connectedness through the practice of shared lunches within a secondary school context in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach – An ethnographic methodology was used to explore in-depth the mechanisms by which food practices included indicators of school connectedness, and used interviews and observations with teachers and 16-18-year-old students in a New Zealand secondary school. Findings – The results describe six key mechanisms by which shared lunches fostered school connectedness: showing common humanity, creating an informal setting, encouraging sharing, enabling inclusive participation, demonstrating sacrifice for the communal good, and facilitating experiences of diversity. These mechanisms contributed to increased social interactions in which people got to know each other better and were able to gain insig...

‘Show me what health means to you!’–Exploring children’s perspectives of health

School health promotion aims to empower children to gain control over and improve their health. In contrast to many health promotion activities in schools focussed on predefined health issues, giving children a voice to define their own health needs is in itself an empowering process. Utilising a photography methodology, this research aimed to capture children’s perspectives of health in a New Zealand primary school by giving them an active voice. This qualitative research inquiry included participant-generated photographs, individual interviews, and a focus group, with six participants aged 8-10 years of mixed gender. Results showed that children held a variety of health concepts, but centred on ‘healthy’ activities and food. Energy and fun were key motivators, and availability of ‘unhealthy’ food was the main barrier to being healthy. Teachers engaged in ‘healthy’ activities, and school policies prompted ‘healthy’ actions from participants. This research suggests that children are competent and knowledgeable in expressing their views, and can be involved in the development of school programmes and policies. This bottom-up research inquiry was consistent with a democratic, participatory approach in health promotion, with the children in this study feeling empowered to reflect on what health meant to them.

Food practices and school connectedness: a whole-school approach

Purpose – The health-promoting schools (HPSs) framework has emerged as a promising model for promoting school connectedness in the school setting. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential for food practices to promote school connectedness within a HPSs framework. Design/methodology/approach – This study explores food practices within a New Zealand secondary school by using an ethnographic methodology, with interviews and observations, to explore in-depth the range of food practices that occurred within the school across a whole school year. Thematically the data were ready for school connectedness indicators across the recorded events, and categorically the practices were coded according to their level of occurrence within the HPS framework. Findings – The findings showed that food practices occurred across class- and school-level organisation, ethos, environment, and community partnerships, and indicated that they may be valuable assets for a HPS approach to school connectedness. By integrat...

Process, pitfalls and profits: lessons from interviewing New Zealand policy-makers

Little has been written about interviewing policy-makers in health promotion and public health research. This article explores the process, pitfalls and profits of semi-structured interviews with policy-makers in 10 research projects conducted in New Zealand. Key members of each research team were surveyed about their research and findings verified against research publications. Key aspects of the process of policy-maker interviews include gaining ethical approval, navigating gatekeepers, using personal contacts and multiple research dissemination methods. Pitfalls of interviewing policy-makers include interviewers not having enough knowledge of the topic so efforts were made to use knowledgeable researchers or up-skill others. Interviews provide access to specialist knowledge of the policy process which cannot be obtained by other methods. While this study was conducted in one jurisdiction, it has implications for other countries. Effective policy-maker interviews in health promotion policy research could contribute to improvements in the quality of data collected and uptake of research by policy-makers.

Fostering social relationships through food rituals in a New Zealand school

Purpose – Food practices, including associated routines, rituals, and habits, are an unexplored area in school health promotion. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap through exploring how food rituals act as vehicles for young people to establish, maintain, and strengthen social relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Through an ethnographic inquiry, including observations and interviews with teachers and 16-18 years old students in New Zealand, everyday practices were explored in-depth across one school year. Findings – The findings include three food rituals as significant for young people in managing their social relationships, including the lunch walk, ritualised sharing, and gifting food. The findings highlight the importance of everyday food rituals for young people’s social relationships. For instance, gifting cake mediated care to friends, showed trust in the relationship, and allowed to reciprocate; the lunch walk encouraged social interaction and was a means by which young people c...