P013 Healthy from the start: using participatory co-design as a novel approach for developing health resources for young shiftworkers

Abstract Young adults are increasingly joining shiftwork professions, exposing them to elevated health risks. To mitigate these risks, tailored, evidence-based resources on health areas most affected by shiftwork - sleep, nutrition, and physical activity – are essential. To ensure such resources are tailored and engaging, lived experience must be embedded in their design. To date, such participatory, co-design approaches are yet to be implemented in resource development for shiftworkers. A participatory approach engaged co-designers (young, experienced, and former shiftworkers, workplace health and safety specialists, science communicators, and academic experts) in a series of online workshops and surveys, aiming to create sleep, nutrition, and physical activity resources for young shiftworkers. Following resource development, co-designers assessed their participation and the resulting resources through an online questionnaire, which included the Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool (PPEET). Co-designers (n=48) successfully participated in the development of sleep, nutrition, and physical activity resources for young shiftworkers. Co-designers evaluated the participatory approach positively, with a mean rating across all PPEET items of >4.8 on a 5-point Likert scale, also providing positive ratings for the resources, with the majority (91.9%) either agreeing or strongly agreeing that they were user-friendly, valuable, and informative for young shiftworkers, serving as a credible source of health information. By adopting a novel participatory approach, we successfully co-designed sleep, nutrition, and physical activity resources for young shiftworkers. Participatory approaches, including co-design, should be considered when developing health interventions for shiftworkers, given their unique lifestyle challenges and the value of embedding lived experience.