Targeting what matters in health promotion evaluation

Abstract

This article¹ examines the RE-AIM evaluation framework, first expounded by Glasgow, Vogt and Boles (1999) as an approach that can establish the public health impact of a health promotion program. The article presents the practical application of RE-AIM in evaluation of multi-project, multi-setting health promotion programs, illustrated by the evaluation of three statewide programs: a three-year older adult health promotion program, a three-year diabetes prevention program, and a one-year health promotion program in public sector aged care, all set in Victoria, funded by the Department of Human Services. It considers how the RE-AIM approach can be employed to provide insights into real-world program domains of interest to funders, policymakers and health promotion practitioners that are frequently overlooked in conventional impact evaluations. The article concludes that RE-AIM is an adaptable, easy-to-use evaluation approach suited to multi-project program evaluations that can be used in a range of settings and sectors.