title: GoWell: the challenges of evaluating regeneration as a population health intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Urban regeneration can be considered a population health intervention (PHI). It is expected to impact on population health but the evidence is limited or weak, in part due to the difficulties of evaluating PHIs. We explore these challenges using GoWell as a case study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 10-year evaluation of housing improvement and urban regeneration in 15 deprived areas in Glasgow, Scotland (2005-2015).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Challenges faced include: definition and changing nature of the intervention; identifying the recipients of the intervention; and constraints of study design affecting capacity to attribute effects. We have met these challenges by: adapting the evaluation to take account of changing intervention plans and delivery; making pragmatic choices about which populations to focus on for different parts of the study; and taking advantage of delayed delivery of some components to identify controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Commitment to a long-term evaluation by the Scottish Government and other partners has enabled us to develop a package of studies to investigate health and other outcomes, and the processes of a PHI. GoWell will contribute to the evidence base for interventions focused on tackling the wider determinants of health and help policymakers to be more explicit and realistic about what regeneration might achieve.
authors: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow, UK. Electronic address: lyndalbond@ceips.org.au.
authors: Lyndal
authors: L
authors: Bond
authors: Matt
authors: M
authors: Egan
authors: Ade
authors: A
authors: Kearns
authors: Carol
authors: C
authors: Tannahill
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D004779:Environment Design; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012606:Scotland; D014506:Urban Renewal
keywords: Evaluation methods; Population health intervention research; Urban regeneration