The COMPASS Study: a Longitudinal Hierarchical Research Platform for Evaluating Natural Experiments Related to Changes in School-level Programs, Policies and Built Environment Resources

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2014 Apr 10

PMID 24712314

Citations 140

Authors

Scott T Leatherdale

K Stephen Brown

Valerie Carson

Ruth A Childs

Joel A Dubin

Susan J Elliott

Guy Faulkner

David Hammond

Steve Manske

Catherine M Sabiston

Rachel E Laxer

Chad Bredin

Audra Thompson-Haile

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Few researchers have the data required to adequately understand how the school environment impacts youth health behaviour development over time.

Methods/design: COMPASS is a prospective cohort study designed to annually collect hierarchical longitudinal data from a sample of 90 secondary schools and the 50,000+ grade 9 to 12 students attending those schools. COMPASS uses a rigorous quasi-experimental design to evaluate how changes in school programs, policies, and/or built environment (BE) characteristics are related to changes in multiple youth health behaviours and outcomes over time. These data will allow for the quasi-experimental evaluation of natural experiments that will occur within schools over the course of COMPASS, providing a means for generating "practice based evidence" in school-based prevention programming.

Discussion: COMPASS is the first study with the infrastructure to robustly evaluate the impact that changes in multiple school-level programs, policies, and BE characteristics within or surrounding a school might have on multiple youth health behaviours or outcomes over time. COMPASS will provide valuable new insight for planning, tailoring and targeting of school-based prevention initiatives where they are most likely to have impact.

Citing Articles

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Association Between Diet and Mental Health Outcomes in a Sample of 13,887 Adolescents in Canada.

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Inequities in sleep duration and quality among adolescents in Canada.

Mitchell J, Magier M, Duncan M, Chaput J, Carson V, Faulkner G BMC Public Health. 2024; 24(1):2644.

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Income inequality and comorbid overweight/obesity and depression among a large sample of Canadian secondary school students: The mediator effect of social cohesion.

Were J, Hunter S, Patte K, Leatherdale S, Pabayo R SSM Popul Health. 2024; 28:101710.

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Public health unit engagement in school mental health programs and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: COMPASS, 2018-2022.

Benny C, Smith B, Patte K, Leatherdale S, Pabayo R J Public Health (Oxf). 2024; 46(4):469-476.

PMID: 39113652 PMC: 11637606. DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdae179.

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