Exploring meso- and macro-level contextual factors associated with inequalities in program adoption during statewide scale-up of TransformUs Primary, a whole-school physical activity intervention.

Background: Contextual influences on program implementation exist across micro (individual), meso (organization), and macro (government/environment) system levels, yet macro factors are less frequently explored in implementation research. This retrospective study explored differences in adoption across meso- and macro-system levels using data from the 2018-2022 state-wide hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of TransformUs Primary, a whole-school physical activity intervention. Aims were to: (1) assess differences in contextual characteristics between adopting and non-adopting schools and implications for equity, and (2) assess associations between macro-level events and dissemination events with program adoption over time.

Methods: Descriptive statistics (number and %) and chi-squared tests were used to assess differences in contextual characteristics between adopting and non-adopting schools (Aim 1). A time-series analysis of daily data was used to explore associations between the number of dissemination events promoting program awareness (e.g., media, newsletters), macro-level policy events (e.g., education department policies), COVID-19-related remote/on-site learning periods, school term dates (i.e., during/outside of school term) and program adoption (i.e., the number of TransformUs Primary registrations per day) (Aim 2).

Results: No differences in either school type (i.e., primary, combined, or special) or community level socio-educational advantage between adopting (n = 519) and non-adopting schools (n = 1,423) were identified. A higher proportion of adopting schools were located in major cities (71.7% vs. 54.5%; chi-square p < 0.001) and were government (public sector) schools (80.0% vs. 63.1%; chi-square p < 0.001). Time-series analysis results indicated that the likelihood of adopting TransformUs Primary decreased from the date of program launch to the end of the scale-up period (IRR 0.999, 95% CI 0.999-1.000; p < 0.005). Both school term date (IRR 5.95, 95% CI 4.78-7.41; p < 0.001) and dissemination events (IRR 3.30, 95% CI 2.67-4.06; p < 0.001) increased the likelihood of adopting TransformUs Primary. Results provided little evidence of an association between the number of policy events or COVID-19-related remote and on-site learning periods and adoption.

Conclusions: Select meso- and macro-level factors had an impact on TransformUs Primary adoption. Findings inform the need to work with stakeholders in scale-up to prioritize dissemination strategies that have a discernible impact on adoption above others and consider targeted efforts to reach regional/rural and non-government schools.