Exploring adolescent & youth worker perspectives in co-creating a smoking prevention intervention
- Author
- Babette Demeester (UGent) , Sara Willems (UGent) , Dr. Kenji Leta (UGent) , Lieve Bradt (UGent) , Emelien Lauwerier (UGent) and Maïté Verloigne (UGent)
- Organization
- Project
- Abstract
- Background Smoking initiation disproportionately affects certain population groups, including adolescents experiencing societal vulnerability. Co-creation, an innovative approach, contributes to developing tailored interventions that address smoking initiation disparities. For this study, a smoking prevention intervention was co-created with adolescents and youth workers from two youth social work organisations. This paper analyses the perspectives of participants engaged in this co-creation process. Methods Data were collected sequentially throughout the process of co-creative intervention design and involved two focus group discussions with seven adolescents each (of which six participated in both focus groups) and semi-structured interviews with five youth workers. A reflexive thematic analysis was performed. Results Three main themes emerged from the data, capturing the co-creation process: active involvement and engagement, creating meaning, and capacity building. These themes were influenced by specific contextual factors (i.e. the physical environment of youth social work organisations and the social context, such as group dynamics) and demonstrated dynamic interactions, rather than existing independently. Conclusion This study gives insights into the collaborative dynamics and processes that emerged throughout our co-creation process, enabling us to give recommendations for future co-creation projects. Incorporating innovative and creative methods into the co-creation process, such as the co-creation camp, appeared to be particularly impactful in fostering collaboration, trust, and a safe space for sharing opinions. Key recommendations include prioritizing inclusivity, adapting methods to participants’ needs, considering contextual influences, and ensuring the process is both enjoyable and meaningful.
- Keywords
- Co-creation, Participatory, Adolescents, Social work, Health inequities, Smoking prevention, Health promotion, Youth worker, PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH, SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS, RISK, IMPLEMENTATION, INEQUALITIES, CHILDREN, SCHOOL, FAMILY, IMPACT
Downloads
-
(...).pdf
- full text (Published version)
- |
- UGent only
- |
- |
- 2.68 MB
-
(...).pdf
- full text (Accepted manuscript)
- |
- UGent only (changes to open access on 2026-06-19)
- |
- |
- 861.94 KB
Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01JY11121WZX305E8X702WD76B
- MLA
- Demeester, Babette, et al. “Exploring Adolescent & Youth Worker Perspectives in Co-Creating a Smoking Prevention Intervention.” CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW, vol. 176, 2025, doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108409.
- APA
- Demeester, B., Willems, S., Leta, Dr. K., Bradt, L., Lauwerier, E., & Verloigne, M. (2025). Exploring adolescent & youth worker perspectives in co-creating a smoking prevention intervention. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW, 176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108409
- Chicago author-date
- Demeester, Babette, Sara Willems, Dr. Kenji Leta, Lieve Bradt, Emelien Lauwerier, and Maïté Verloigne. 2025. “Exploring Adolescent & Youth Worker Perspectives in Co-Creating a Smoking Prevention Intervention.” CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108409.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Demeester, Babette, Sara Willems, Dr. Kenji Leta, Lieve Bradt, Emelien Lauwerier, and Maïté Verloigne. 2025. “Exploring Adolescent & Youth Worker Perspectives in Co-Creating a Smoking Prevention Intervention.” CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW 176. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108409.
- Vancouver
- 1.Demeester B, Willems S, Leta DrK, Bradt L, Lauwerier E, Verloigne M. Exploring adolescent & youth worker perspectives in co-creating a smoking prevention intervention. CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW. 2025;176.
- IEEE
- [1]B. Demeester, S. Willems, Dr. K. Leta, L. Bradt, E. Lauwerier, and M. Verloigne, “Exploring adolescent & youth worker perspectives in co-creating a smoking prevention intervention,” CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW, vol. 176, 2025.
@article{01JY11121WZX305E8X702WD76B,
abstract = {{Background
Smoking initiation disproportionately affects certain population groups, including adolescents experiencing societal vulnerability. Co-creation, an innovative approach, contributes to developing tailored interventions that address smoking initiation disparities. For this study, a smoking prevention intervention was co-created with adolescents and youth workers from two youth social work organisations. This paper analyses the perspectives of participants engaged in this co-creation process.
Methods
Data were collected sequentially throughout the process of co-creative intervention design and involved two focus group discussions with seven adolescents each (of which six participated in both focus groups) and semi-structured interviews with five youth workers. A reflexive thematic analysis was performed.
Results
Three main themes emerged from the data, capturing the co-creation process: active involvement and engagement, creating meaning, and capacity building. These themes were influenced by specific contextual factors (i.e. the physical environment of youth social work organisations and the social context, such as group dynamics) and demonstrated dynamic interactions, rather than existing independently.
Conclusion
This study gives insights into the collaborative dynamics and processes that emerged throughout our co-creation process, enabling us to give recommendations for future co-creation projects. Incorporating innovative and creative methods into the co-creation process, such as the co-creation camp, appeared to be particularly impactful in fostering collaboration, trust, and a safe space for sharing opinions. Key recommendations include prioritizing inclusivity, adapting methods to participants’ needs, considering contextual influences, and ensuring the process is both enjoyable and meaningful.}},
articleno = {{108409}},
author = {{Demeester, Babette and Willems, Sara and Leta, Dr. Kenji and Bradt, Lieve and Lauwerier, Emelien and Verloigne, Maïté}},
issn = {{0190-7409}},
journal = {{CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES REVIEW}},
keywords = {{Co-creation,Participatory,Adolescents,Social work,Health inequities,Smoking prevention,Health promotion,Youth worker,PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH,SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS,RISK,IMPLEMENTATION,INEQUALITIES,CHILDREN,SCHOOL,FAMILY,IMPACT}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{10}},
title = {{Exploring adolescent & youth worker perspectives in co-creating a smoking prevention intervention}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108409}},
volume = {{176}},
year = {{2025}},
}
- Altmetric
- View in Altmetric
- Web of Science
- Times cited: