Educating teenagers to improve their heart health and that of future generations

Assessment of LifeLab Southampton: engaging teenagers in increasing their interest in science to improve their health behaviours

Heart and circulatory disease causes a significant number of deaths, every year in the UK. New ways to encourage people to follow a healthy lifestyle in the long term could have huge benefits for health, and that of future generations. LifeLab Southampton is a purpose-built educational laboratory in Southampton General Hospital, visited by over 4,000 secondary school students each year. They learn how parental and childhood nutrition influences health, about the impact of their current lifestyle on their future heart health, and experience modern science so they may be inspired to become the researchers of the future. LifeLab is popular with schools and pilot sessions have been a success, but more solid evidence that such an initiative could change attitudes is needed. The BHF have awarded a grant to BHF Prof Mark Hanson and colleagues to formally evaluate LifeLab. In around 2,500 students, they will assess sustained changes in health literacy, behaviours, lifestyle and interest in health and science before and after the LifeLab experience, and also compare this with children not attending LifeLab. They will find out if it improves teenagers' knowledge, attitude and behaviours to their own health and their future children. If this research reveals that LifeLab has an impact, the researchers will seek funding to maintain LifeLab permanently, and may develop a virtual LifeLab so students from a wider area can benefit from the experience.