OBJECTIVES

Co-adaptation is a collaborative process to adapt existing interventions to new contexts and offers a promising way to scale (co-created) public health interventions. However, there is limited understanding of how co-adaptation processes are experienced. This study examined whether a robust co-creation process can be maintained when adapting a previously co-created intervention to promote adolescents' healthy sleep. Adolescents' experiences during this co-adaptation process were explored, using five key dimensions of co-creation (1) multistakeholder collaborative action, 2) co-learning towards innovation, 3) contextual knowledge production, 4) generating meaning, 5) open, trustful, and inclusive dialogue) as the guiding framework.

STUDY DESIGN

Qualitative observational study.

METHODS

Qualitative data were collected from a co-adaptation process with an action group of adolescents (n = 8) and researchers (n = 2). Over eleven sessions (50 min) following Intervention Mapping, a needs assessment was conducted, and the original intervention's goals and materials were adapted. Data sources included session transcripts, facilitator reflections, adolescent evaluations (n = 5), and focus group transcripts (n = 3), elaborating on adolescents' experiences during sessions, and were analysed using Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA).

RESULTS

All five dimensions of co-creation were reflected in adolescents' experiences of co-adapting the healthy sleep intervention. They enjoyed collaborating, committed to the project, reported ongoing possibilities for learning, and produced contextual knowledge from their lived experiences. The process felt meaningful, with a respectful atmosphere. However, challenges like the exclusion of students outside the group and time constraints were also encountered.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of the five dimensions of co-creation in this study demonstrates that robust co-creation research can be maintained also when co-adapting a previously co-created intervention to a new context with a new group of stakeholders.