prevention

The Portuguese study (Coelho et al., 2023) found a significant increase of the intervention group’s assertiveness (F(1,81)=6.448, p=0.01,η2=0.074) and sociability (F(1,81)=5.60, p=0.02,η2=0.07). Effect sizes were small to moderate, and no effects were found for self-regulation, self-control and emotional control. Concerning the classroom peer relationships, the results showed a significant difference between the control and intervention group for levels of comfort, conflicts, mutual affection and innovation. The Intervention group had lower levels of conflicts (F(1, 191)=5.045, p=0.02,η2=0.026)and higher levels of cooperation (F(1, 191)=4.643, p=0.003,η2=0.024).Coelho et al. (2023) emphasises that more research is needed, before generalising the results of their study to other contexts

The evaluation study by Cremaschini (2015) is a controlled, non-randomised, quasi-experimental evaluation of this intervention package. The intervention group are workers of the companies having selected to implement a specific sub-programme (i.e. on tobacco). The control group are workers of the companies involved in the WHP programme, but without having selected that specific programme (i.e. companies having selected a sub-programme for alcohol and other substances, physical activity etc). Exclusion criteria: companies with a low response rate among workers. Analysed were only data from workplaces,
1) where >70% of workers filled in the risk factor questionnaire at T0,
2) and >70% at T1,
3) which participated for 12 months and
4) which are health promoting workplaces. 

There were significant results for smoking cessation and for healthier food intake, i.e., 4 fold increase in smoking cessation rates among exposed workers (and no among controls); 10% increase in consuming 5 portions of fruit/vegetable a day among exposed (and 4% among controls). 

There are positive, but non-significant effects for alcohol use and physical activity. No effects on personal relationship and road injury risk were detected.
There are some concerns about validity, e.g. the appropriateness of the outcomes that were measured and the overall quality of the study, such as: a) unlinked pre-post questionnaires (it is not a cohort design but two prevalence surveys on the same population), b) no randomisation (selection bias), c) contamination of the control group, given that they are involved by an intervention, even if with different objective (this could underestimate association). 

Nevertheless, this intervention is a crucial piece in the puzzle of the health promotion strategies in the workplace, and the impact shown on tobacco cessation and alcohol abuse are very promising. 

Pericas and colleagues (2022) evaluated this intervention in a stratified RCT using a sample of 2625 in a total of 37 schools in Barcelona (Intervention Group: 1291, 17 schools; Control Group: 1334, 20 schools). The researchers used a linear multilevel regression model with repeated measures (beginning and end of school year). Individual student scores on emotional competence were nested at school-level that in turn were stratified by type of school and neighbourhood socio-economic status. The newly designed Emotional Competence Assessment Questionnaire (ECAQ) was validated (Bartroli et al. 2022) and used to register (teacher registration) the level of emotional competencies of each child.

In boys, the mean change in the scores for Preschool year 3 (P3) was 24.51 points for those in the Intervention Group and 13.77 for those in the Control Group. In girls, the mean change in the scores for P3 was 24.40 points for those in the Intervention Group and 13.83 for those in the Control Group. Generally, a negative gradient was observed, as the change became smaller as the school year became higher, suggesting that the intervention may be more effective in the first year of pre-school.

San Pio and colleagues (2023) analysed the outcomes with nested linear regression models in a sample of 1586 children in 35 Barcelona schools. Considering sociodemographic variables and implementation outcomes, they compared 3 groups in the same data: 1) participated in 1, 2, 3, Emoció! during the three years of preschool: P3, P4, and P5, (= Complete Programme: CP); 2) participated in the programme for only one year (P5, Partial Programme - PP); and 3) did not participate in the programme (Comparison - C). The measured emotional competence level increased significantly after one year (4.1 in boys; 5.6 in girls; P < 0.05) and after three years of intervention (5.5 in boys; 8.0 in girls; P < 0.01), compared to comparison group. The level of emotional competence was the highest for the 3-year intervention group: obtaining an average ECAQ score of 131.1 (95% CI 126.9e135.2) for boys and 141 (95% CI 137.2-144.9) for girls. Completing the programme with high fidelity increased the level of emotional competence at the end of the school year by 20.5 points (95%CI: 15.9-25) for boys and 24.3 points (95%CI: 18.7-29.9) for girls, in comparison to 4.6 (95% CI: 1.5e7.7) and 5.9 (95% CI: 3.1-8.7) points for boys and girls, respectively, who receive the programme with low fidelity.