Evaluation and implementation of obesity prevention programs

Preventing obesity is an international health priority. However, few prevention programs have been conducted and of those very few have included a formal comprehensive community evaluation. This thesis describes the design of a multi-level evaluation with application to a large weight gain prevention program, which aims to prevent weight gain in women living in rural Victorian communities. The embedded mixed-methods evaluation was guided by the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance), generating new knowledge in program implementation practices and processes, across stakeholders, researchers and consumers. This thesis advances knowledge through the identification of strategies to optimise prevention program implementation and informs scale-up to improve population health outcomes.