Promoting Wellbeing: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Five Ways to All Intervention

Background:

The need for effective, low-cost and evidence-based tools to prevent illness and promote health in the population is paramount. Norway, along with other countries in the Western world, is currently facing major health and welfare-related challenges. Demographic changes, lifestyle related diseases and work absence are threatening the sustainability of the Norwegian welfare state. Non-communicable diseases, including mental illness, currently account for 65% of the total disease burden in Norway and 50% of Norwegians are likely to meet diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder some time during their life span. Traditional treatment and care options tend to be costly and time consuming, and to depend on highly skilled specialist human resources. Systematic findings also indicate that population-based (i.e., universal, targeting the general population) measures often result in larger population health gains than selective and indicated measures targeting only those with excess risk. According to the paradox of prevention, when disease risk is common, universal interventions directed towards the whole population before illness occurs, are more effective than interventions targeting high risk groups after symptoms have emerged. The Covid-19 pandemic and associated social distancing measures have corroborated the need for digital solutions. Web-based interventions may reach a large number of participants, utilizing a very modest amount of both human and financial resources.

The aim:

This study aims to test a potentially effective low-cost health and wellbeing promotive web-based intervention targeting the general population in Norwegian municipalities. The intervention is based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing framework developed for British health authorities in 2008. This framework, and the intervention to be tested, provides participants with knowledge on simple, sustainable activities that may strengthen their subjective wellbeing (SWB), mastery, health and social relations, thereby also reducing the risk of common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The study will be conducted in close collaboration with municipal stakeholders and important user groups. Thus, the principal investigator (PI) will investigate effects of a low-cost health and wellbeing promotive public health tool based on the evidence-base of Five Ways to Wellbeing. To date, nobody has tested the Five Ways-concept in such a format. Proved effective, this web-based 5WaysA intervention, may have a significant impact on the public health of inhabitants in the municipalities.

Main hypothesis: