Dr. Evans has had multiple National Institutes of Health and Foundation funded grants involving the design and evaluation of digital health interventions, primarily in non-communicable disease prevention including cancer and tobacco control, and nutrition and physical activity promotion. He is currently principal investigator (PI) of the National Cancer Institute grant entitled Digital Media for Cancer Control: Randomized Controlled Trial and Dose-Response Effects (CA253013). This 5-year study (2020-2025) will refine existing digital media exposure and dosage measurement techniques and conduct a series of studies to evaluate the effects of anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital messages on young adult tobacco use behavior.

Dr. Evans is also PI of a study to promote COVID-19 vaccination among health care workers (HCW) in Nigeria, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BGMF). This study aims to use digital media and a social norms approach using online and in-person community influencers to promote uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals in Nigeria. This intervention applies social norms as strategy to promote widespread population-level acceptance of the vaccines by encouraging emulation of HCW. Dr. Evans leads an evaluation of this initiative using a virtual laboratory online survey platform that tracks exposures to the social norms messaging on social media and surveys a panel of HCW.

Dr. Evans also designed and evaluated the BeFAB mobile app to promote healthy weight management among postpartum African American women. He was PI of an NIH-sponsored R21 feasibility trial to evaluate the app among patients in a large hospital facility and to assess the suitability of the app as an adjunct to clinical care. The study demonstrated high degrees of engagement with the intervention, showed an increase among app users in physical activity compared to control, and demonstrated clinically meaningful weight loss among app users.

Previously, Dr. Evans led a quasi-experimental nation-wide evaluation of the Saleema initiative to eliminate FGM in Sudan using a novel monitoring system that collects data on Saleema implementation from all 18 states across Sudan and uploads data to a central repository for analysis. A 5-year evaluation demonstrated Saleema was effective in promoting anti-FGM social norms. This effective program has been adopted by the WHO and African National Congress for implementation across the continent. 

Dr. Evans also led a randomized pilot evaluation of HPV vaccination promotion in Rwanda, which demonstrated that an edutainment approach increased knowledge and positive attitudes and beliefs about vaccination. He also led a study on modern cookstove demand generation under funding from the UK Department of Foreign Investment and Development (DFID). This project evaluated 4 interventions to generate demand for modern cookstoves, such as those using liquid propane gas (LPG), in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria. Demand generation techniques from this project, such as point-of-decision promotions and educational entertainment, are examples of the intervention strategies employed in Dr. Evans’ research.  

Dr. Evans also evaluated the text4baby program, which was an early example of mobile health and among the largest SMS text messaging interventions to change health behavior implemented in the US. In two RCTs, text4baby was shown to improve a wide-range of maternal and child health beliefs, social norms, intentions, and behavioral outcomes. In a large trial at a military hospital, text4baby exposure produced a significant reduction in alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and also demonstrated a dose-response effect (i.e., greater exposure to text4baby reduced alcohol consumption and other measured health outcomes to a greater degree).