title: Designs and methods used in published Australian health promotion evaluations 1992-2011.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the designs and methods used in published Australian health promotion evaluation articles between 1992 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a content analysis approach, we reviewed 157 articles to analyse patterns and trends in designs and methods in Australian health promotion evaluation articles. The purpose was to provide empirical evidence about the types of designs and methods used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common type of evaluation conducted was impact evaluation. Quantitative designs were used exclusively in more than half of the articles analysed. Almost half the evaluations utilised only one data collection method. Surveys were the most common data collection method used. Few articles referred explicitly to an intended evaluation outcome or benefit and references to published evaluation models or frameworks were rare.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first time Australian-published health promotion evaluation articles have been empirically investigated in relation to designs and methods. There appears to be little change in the purposes, overall designs and methods of published evaluations since 1992.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More methodologically transparent and sophisticated published evaluation articles might be instructional, and even motivational, for improving evaluation practice and result in better public health interventions and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Victoria.|Rural Health Academic Centre, University of Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Alana Hulme
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.affiliation: School of Community Health, Charles Sturt University, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Kylie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Victoria.|School of Community Health, Charles Sturt University, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolbe
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012107:Research Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Australia; evaluation; health promotion