Implementation and evaluation of the Y-Check comprehensive adolescent health check-up intervention in…

StudyNature medicine· Feb 2026

Implementation and evaluation of the Y-Check comprehensive adolescent health check-up intervention in Zimbabwe: a pre-post mixed-methods study.

Aoife M Doyle, Farirai Nzvere, Salome Manyau … Rashida A Ferrand

Adolescent MedicineStudyQ1IF 22.6

Y-Check adolescent check-ups achieved appropriate care/referral for most identified issues

Implementation and evaluation of the Y-Check comprehensive adolescent health check-up intervention in Zimbabwe: a pre-post mixed-methods study.

Aoife M Doyle … Rashida A Ferrand

Nature medicine · Feb 2026 · Q1 in General Medicine

Background

Routine adolescent health check-ups can support healthy development and well-being, but evidence on the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of contextually relevant comprehensive check-ups in low- and middle-income settings is limited.

Methods

We conducted a hybrid implementation-effectiveness study incorporating a mixed-methods pre-post design of Y-Check, a comprehensive health check-up intervention in Zimbabwe, as part of a multicountry study developed and coordinated by the World Health Organization.

n = 1,865 participants

70.8%

Results

70.8%

most adolescents with a health issue got proper care or referral

n = 1,865 participants

More results

Eligible participants were 10-19-year-old adolescents attending school or community venues.

We used self-administered digital questionnaires, provider-led clinical tests and nurse reviews to screen for 25 conditions/behaviors.

Y-Check cost US$47 per participant.

More results

Through Y-Check, we identified untreated conditions and risk behaviors and successfully treated and linked adolescents to services.

“

Conclusion

Here we provide evidence on the potential of the intervention to positively impact health and well-being.

Implementation and evaluation of the Y-Check comprehensive adolescent health check-up intervention in Zimbabwe: a pre-post mixed-methods study.

Implementation and evaluation of the Y-Check comprehensive adolescent health check-up intervention in Zimbabwe: a pre-post mixed-methods study.

Related papers