title: Shaping the Social: design of a settings-based intervention study to improve well-being and reduce smoking and dropout in Danish vocational schools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The social environment at schools is an important setting to promote educational attainment, and health and well-being of young people. However, within upper secondary education there is a need for evidence-based school intervention programmes. The Shaping the Social intervention is a comprehensive programme integrating social and educational activities to promote student well-being and reduce smoking and dropout in upper secondary vocational education. The evaluation design is reported here.
  
  
  METHODS
  The evaluation employed a non-randomised cluster controlled design, and schools were selected to either implement the intervention or continue with normal practice for comparison. In the baseline survey conducted 2011-2012, 2,329 students from four intervention schools and 3,371 students from six comparison schools answered a computer-based questionnaire during class, representing 73% and 81% of eligible students, and 22% of all technical/agricultural vocational schools in Denmark. Follow-up assessment was conducted 10 weeks after baseline and at the same time teachers of the intervention classes answered a questionnaire about implementation. School dropout rates will be tracked via national education registers through a 2-year follow-up period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Shaping the Social was designed to address that students at Danish vocational schools constitute a high risk population concerning health behaviour as well as school dropout by modifying the school environment, alongside developing appropriate evaluation strategies. To address difficulties in implementing settings-based interventions, as highlighted in prior research, the strategy was to involve intervention schools in the development of the intervention. Baseline differences will be included in the effectiveness analysis, so will the impact of likely mediators and moderators of the intervention.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN57822968. Date of registration: 16/01/2013.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Intervention Research in Health Promotion and Disease, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. sua@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. jst@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Janne Schurmann
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Tolstrup
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. mhj@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Morten Hulvej
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rod
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. ake@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Annette Kjær
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ersbøll
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. bbso@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Betina Bang
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. tho@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Holmberg
authors.affiliation: The Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark. christof@cancer.dk.
authors.forename: Christoffer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Niels Bohrs Vej 9, DK-6700, Esbjerg, Denmark. cstock@health.sdu.dk.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. bla@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Bjarne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. lizi@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Line
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zinckernagel
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. annlouse@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anne Louise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Øllgaard
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, DK-1353, Copenhagen, Denmark. liin@niph.dk.
authors.forename: Liselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ingholt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012574:Schools; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012931:Social Environment; D013332:Student Dropouts; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014829:Vocational Education; D055815:Young Adult