Effect of School-Based Interventions on Body Mass Index Among Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

• Main Authors: Gomathi Munusamy (Author), Ramesh Shanmugam (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Medsci Publications, 2022-09-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.55489/njcm.130920222266; 0976-3325; 2229-6816
• Keywords: Adolescent; Body mass index; Diet; Physical activity; Schools; Sedentary behavior; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: National Journal of Community Medicine, Vol 13, Iss 09 (2022)

Background: High body mass index is a common well-known issue among adolescents, its related morbid-ity track to adulthood life and decrease life expectancy. The review aims to derive a consensus on school-based intervention on body mass index. Objective: This review evaluates the effect of school-based inter-ventions in reducing or preventing high body mass index for adolescents. Method: A literature search was performed in six electronic databases: Pubmed, Science Direct index, Sci-Hub, HINARI, and Google Scholar to identify published studies between January 2010 and December 2020. Only randomized controlled studies evaluated the effect of physical activity and/or physical education and nutritional education and/or dietary behavior, sedentary behavior outcome reporting on body mass index among adolescents were included. The Standard Cochrane tool was used to assess the risk of bias for indi-vidual studies. An evaluation of the effects of included interventions on body mass index was done using a random effects model. Results: There were 6 trials included. 2503 adolescent partakers met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed there is a significant difference between length of intervention between 3 to 12 months were MD -0.44 kg [95% CI: 1.06, 0.18], p-value = 0.04, with evidence of substantial study between heterogeneity (I2 = 61%). Discussion: Intervention less than three to twelve months more effective with multiple school-based inter-ventions among adolescents. Numerous studies are needed for evaluation to determine long-term interven-tion effectiveness targeted on adolescents.