Dropout Prevention and Intervention Programs for Improving School Completion Among School-Aged Children and Youth: A Systematic Review

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is essential for disease prevention and health promotion. Emerging evidence suggests other intensities of physical activity (PA), including light-intensity activity (LPA), may also be important, but there has been no rigorous evaluation of the evidence. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the relationships between objectively measured PA (total and all intensities) and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Online databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies that met the a priori inclusion criteria: population (apparently healthy, aged 5–17 years), intervention/exposure/comparator (volumes, durations, frequencies, intensities, and patterns of objectively measured PA), and outcome (body composition, cardiometabolic biomarkers, physical fitness, behavioural conduct/pro-social behaviour, cognition/academic achievement, quality of life/well-being, harms, bone health, motor skill development, psychological distress, self-esteem). Heterogeneity among studies precluded meta-analyses; narrative synthesis was conducted. A total of 162 studies were included (204 171 participants from 31 countries). Overall, total PA was favourably associated with physical, psychological/social, and cognitive health indicators. Relationships were more consistent and robust for higher (e.g., MVPA) versus lower (e.g., LPA) intensity PA. All patterns of activity (sporadic, bouts, continuous) provided benefit. LPA was favourably associated with cardiometabolic biomarkers; data were scarce for other outcomes. These findings continue to support the importance of at least 60 min/day of MVPA for disease prevention and health promotion in children and youth, but also highlight the potential benefits of LPA and total PA. All intensities of PA should be considered in future work aimed at better elucidating the health benefits of PA in children and youth.

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Evidence of an Overweight/Obesity Transition among School-Aged Children and Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0092846 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. e92846 ◽

Cited By ~ 67

Author(s):

Stella K. Muthuri ◽

Claire E. Francis ◽

Lucy-Joy M. Wachira ◽

Allana G. LeBlanc ◽

Margaret Sampson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Children And Youth ◽

School Aged Children ◽

Sub Saharan

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A systematic review of gene-by-intervention studies of alcohol and other substance use

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579420000590 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Zoe E. Neale ◽

Sally I-Chun Kuo ◽

Danielle M. Dick

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Substance Use ◽

Outcome Measurement ◽

Genetic Research ◽

Intervention Programs ◽

Prevention Science ◽

Prevention And Intervention ◽

Differential Effectiveness ◽

Ethical Implications ◽

Polygenic Scores

Abstract Alcohol and other substance use problems are common, and the efficacy of current prevention and intervention programs is limited. Genetics may contribute to differential effectiveness of psychosocial prevention and intervention programs. This paper reviews gene-by-intervention (G×I) studies of alcohol and other substance use, and implications for integrating genetics into prevention science. Systematic review yielded 17 studies for inclusion. Most studies focused on youth substance prevention, alcohol was the most common outcome, and measures of genotype were heterogeneous. All studies reported at least one significant G×I interaction. We discuss these findings in the context of the history and current state of genetics, and provide recommendations for future G×I research. These include the integration of genome-wide polygenic scores into prevention studies, broad outcome measurement, recruitment of underrepresented populations, testing mediators of G×I effects, and addressing ethical implications. Integrating genetic research into prevention science, and training researchers to work fluidly across these fields, will enhance our ability to determine the best intervention for each individual across development. With growing public interest in obtaining personalized genetic information, we anticipate that the integration of genetics and prevention science will become increasingly important as we move into the era of precision medicine.

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