Intervention Schools Research Articles

A systematic review and meta-analysis of eating disorder preventative interventions in schools.

Adolescents are particularly susceptible to developing an eating disorder (ED). Therefore, schools are in a unique position to assist in the prevention of EDs for this vulnerable group. To ascertain the current evidence-base for school-based ED prevention efforts, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials that delivered a school-based ED prevention intervention and assessed the impact these interventions had on ED symptomatology. Electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus and CENTRAL) were searched for published randomised controlled trials of school-based ED prevention interventions from inception to 2024. Twelve studies from 11 articles were identified with 7935 participants (mean ages ranging from 12 to 17). Of these studies, six were included in meta-analyses. Media literacy and dissonance-based interventions reported small to medium effects for ED symptomatology compared to controls at post-intervention. At three-to-six-month follow-up, intervention groups reported small negative to medium-sized positive effects compared to control groups on eating disorder symptomatology. While school-based ED prevention interventions can effectively reduce ED symptomatology post-intervention, the programs analysed in this review do not reliably demonstrate effectiveness across groups and time. Future research should build upon current interventions to increase effectiveness and include long-term follow-ups.

Examining Emotional Regulation's Impact on Academic Procrastination in High School Students

This study investigates the relationship between emotional regulation and academic procrastination among Muhammadiyah 3 Reinforcement High School students. Utilizing a correlational quantitative approach, data from 193 students in grades 11 and 12 were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. The findings indicate a significant negative correlation (rxy = -.823, p < 0.05) between emotional regulation and academic procrastination. Lower levels of emotional regulation are associated with higher procrastination tendencies, while higher emotional regulation corresponds to lower procrastination tendencies. The results underscore the importance of promoting emotional regulation skills among high school students to mitigate academic procrastination, with implications for parental involvement and school interventions. Future research should expand the sample and consider additional variables to further explore these dynamics. Highlight: Negative correlation: Emotional regulation inversely related to academic procrastination (rxy = -.823). Intervention importance: Enhancing emotional regulation crucial to reduce academic procrastination. Research expansion: Larger sample size needed, explore additional variables for comprehensive understanding. Keywoard: Emotional Regulation, Academic Procrastination, High School, Correlation, SPSS

The Relationship Between Cognitive Distortions and School Bullying in Jerusalem Suburbs’ Schools

Objectives: The study identifies the relationship between cognitive distortions and bullying in schools in the suburbs of Jerusalem. Methods: The study used a stratified sample of 250 students who study in schools located in the suburbs of Jerusalem and whose ages range from 15 to 18 years old. The Cognitive Distortions Scale and the School Bullying Scale were used as instruments for data collection after verifying their validity and reliability. Results: The results indicated that the mean score for cognitive distortions is moderate whereas the mean score for school bullying is low. Statistically significant differences were observed in the levels of cognitive distortions based on gender, with higher levels in males. Additionally, the results showed statistically significant differences in the levels of cognitive distortions and school bullying based on students’ grades, favoring students with lower grades. However, there were no statistically significant differences based on the grade level of participants. The study also identified a weak positive correlation between cognitive distortions and school bullying. Conclusion: By shedding light on the intricate relationship between cognitive distortions and school bullying, the study stresses the significance of developing educational and psychological strategies to address these challenges. Hence, it emphasizes the need for customized interventions in schools to deal with cognitive distortions and bullying, focusing on gender differences.

An Exploration of The Influences of Childhood Socioeconomic Status on Neural Development and Functioning

The review of literature examines the relationship between socioeconomic status and neurological development according to current studies. This article specifically investigates how the socioeconomic status of childhood influences the development of the brain and cognitive functioning even into adulthood. The measurements of socioeconomic status like education, household income, and neighborhood demographics are each found to independently influence neural development, thus affecting cognitive functioning. This article investigates how factors of socioeconomic status affect specific brain structures and cognitive functions. Low socioeconomic status was found to negatively impact neural development and hinder cognitive abilities and growth. High parental education specifically is linked to greater cognitive functioning and skills as it contributes to greater cognitive enrichment in the home and healthier habits like nutrition. The volume of brain structures like the amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, overall surface area, and cortical thickness of the brain are all impacted by socioeconomic measures. Socioeconomic stressors are associated with poor behavioral outcomes, attention deficits, poor language, and weakened executive functioning. Neighborhood quality contributes greatly to socioeconomic stressors which have an impact on brain reactivity, behavioral intensity, and selective attention. Racial and ethnic minorities are often disadvantaged in neighborhood quality and overall socioeconomic status. Various studies expound upon the significant relationship between the socioeconomic status and neurological development of racial and ethnic minorities. Journal articles, empirical studies, etc. propose home, school, and policy-based interventions to bridge the developmental gaps between low and high-socioeconomic standing children and adolescents. Such studies can be applied to educational modifications and other forms of cognitive enrichment.

Narrative Communication of Teachers’ Support Needs for Violence-Based Trauma in the Schools

Community violence is a serious public health problem, and research on community violence consistently documents a relationship between exposure to community violence and adolescents’ psychological and behavioral challenges, which, when considered cumulatively, can be understood as collective trauma. Preventing and mediating exposure to community violence by local schools is, thus, an important part of efforts to promote healthy adolescent development. As a societal problem, community violence and its socio-psychological effects lend themselves to an interdisciplinary approach for researching the problem and possible intervention and mitigation in local schools. The integrative, interdisciplinary approach to problem analysis in this study provides a framework for addressing trauma due to community violence as it affects the school environment. Narrative analysis, as a method of discovery, reveals the struggles of high school teachers dealing with the effects of violence-based trauma on their students. Policy recommendations and implications for future research are included.

Building A Research Culture: Interventions And Innovations

This study explored the promotion of research-based strategies and practices in Philippine public schools. The Department of Education supported this initiative by encouraging teachers and school leaders to engage in research to develop evidence-based solutions. Using a phenomenological approach and action research design, the researchers examined the concepts of ”building” and ”research culture.” The research culture emerged as a way of life and part of the teacher’s identity, involving five key actions: becoming, experiencing, feeling, sustaining, and developing. These actions encompassed the elements of forming a teacher-researcher identity, navigating challenging and positive experiences, investing emotions in research, and maintaining the culture through various support mechanisms. The ’developing’ action highlighted the dynamic nature of research culture and continuous learning. The study introduced the MOVERS (Moving Research through Blended Learning Space) intervention in different schools, providing coaching and mentoring to teachers’ as they craft their concept paper presentations. This programme also addressed the challenges of conducting research during the new normal. Future research should consider measuring MOVERS’ impact after multiple iterations.

Special Education Teachers’ Perspectives on Race and Restorative Justice

Restorative justice has become a widely used intervention in urban schools to address the ways that students of color and students with disabilities disproportionately face punitive disciplinary action. As such, understanding the perspectives of teachers of these students is of the utmost importance. Using Dis/ability Critical Race Studies as a theoretical framework, this interpretivist interview study centers the perspectives of three special education teachers as restorative justice is implemented at a predominantly Black urban school. This work has implications for more culturally relevant implementation of restorative justice. It also highlights the ways that race and disability impact school culture.

Human papillomavirus vaccination with other health interventions in schools

Human papillomavirus vaccination with other health interventions in schools

Effectiveness of environmental nutrition program on student dietary intake in boarding schools

Background The Environmental Nutrition Program (ENP) as an environmental intervention offers voluntary involvement with students, but persists in exposure. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ENP on students’ dietary intake and nutritional knowledge. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted with a control school. ENP comprises four activities: the use of uniform food serving tools, nutrition fact displays, food and nutrition information displays, and body weighing awareness. The ENP emphasized voluntary involvement with students but persisted in exposure for over 8-weeks. Multiple passes of 24-hour food recall and validated questionnaires were used in the assessments by a nutritionist. Multiple linear regressions were performed to analyze the effectiveness of ENP. Results A total of 113 female high school students, with a median age of 16 years, were recruited. At baseline, all students had a lower dietary intake than the national recommendation. Except for the stipend, no differences in the characteristics were found among the students. The students’ carbohydrate intake and nutritional knowledge significantly increased after the ENP in the intervention school (p < 0.001). Total energy, protein, and fat intake also improved after ENP. Conclusion ENP activities effectively increased students’ daily carbohydrate intake and nutritional knowledge. Thus, ENP may be appropriate for enhancing nutrition literacy among female students. Future studies with a longer time frame are encouraged to yield sustained, favorable dietary practices.

Overweight and Obesity and Associated Factors among Adolescent Students in Public Day Secondary Schools in Machakos County, Kenya

Background: Overweight and obesity have increased significantly worldwide, placing major economic problems on health systems. This study aims to determine socio-economic characteristics, dietary practices, physical activity levels, nutrition status, predictors of overweight and obesity, and their relationships among adolescents. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional analytical study design. 401 adolescents were randomly selected from five secondary day schools using a proportionate-to-size sampling method. Results: Based on the findings, one third (36.3%) of the adolescents were between ages 17-18, with more girls (55.9%) than boys. The number of meals consumed per day among adolescents was 3.34±1.24. Individual dietary diversity score among adolescents was 4.21±1.61. Based on Body Mass Index (BMI), the prevalence of overweight and obesity among boys was 5.2% and 1.8%, respectively, and for girls, it was 7.3% and 3.6%, respectively. Using bioelectrical impedance analysis, the prevalence rates for males were 8.8% and 4.1%, respectively, while for females the rates were 10.1% and 5.1%. Regression analysis revealed that the most significant predictors were energy intake and physical activity, with P˂0.05 based on BMI and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between nutritional status and energy intake, the number of meals, dietary diversity score, and physical activity. Physical activity and dietary practices were the most important predictors of overweight and obesity among adolescents. The study recommends nutrition education and public health interventions in schools’ curricula.

WASH recommendations for improving disaster preparedness and recovery in schools in Indonesia

Access to functional and clean toilets which maintain privacy and dignity and support girls’ Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) plays a crucial role to getting girls back to school post-disaster. This could also help in managing feelings of shame and disgust experienced when using toilets in schools in post disaster settings. In this paper, we report on our assessment of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools three-years post the 2018 multi-hazard event in Indonesia. We used a mixed-methods approach using visual observations, interviews with school principals, surveys with schoolgirls and focus group discussions with schoolgirls and teachers to understand the lived experiences of students using toilets at school. Our results highlight that across schools descriptive and injunctive social norms were supportive of littering, inadequate toilet facilities for girls to manage their menstruation and bullying and antisocial behaviour by opening toilet doors while the facilities were occupied. Based on these results, we developed two types of interventions, physical and behavioural, piloted in three schools to increase WASH and MHM awareness and the safety of sanitation facilities. Our interventions showed that approaches for WASH interventions in schools can only be designed if we understand the local barriers to carrying out interventions that integrate maintenance plans. We provide recommendations to support practitioners in mitigating risk and improving circumstances for girls in schools in Indonesia, which have the potential to address SDG 4 on inclusive and equitable education and SDG 5 on gender equality and girls’ empowerment.

School Poverty Level Moderates the Effectiveness of a Physical Activity Intervention.

To explore whether school poverty level and funding modified the effectiveness of an evidence-based Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program called Health Empowers You! implemented in elementary schools in Georgia. Secondary data analysis of a multi-level, cluster-randomized controlled trial. 40 elementary schools in Georgia in 2018-2019. 4th grade students in Georgia. Intervention schools implemented the Health Empowers You! program to increase school-day physical activity. The outcome was average daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, school free-reduced price lunch (FRPL) percentage and per pupil expenditures were effect modifiers. Separate linear mixed regression models estimated the effect of the intervention on average daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, with interaction terms between intervention status and (1) school FRPL percentage or (2) per pupil expenditures. The effect of the intervention was significantly higher in schools with higher FRPL percentage (intervention*school % FRPL β (95% CI): .06 (.01, .12)), and was modestly, but not statistically significantly, higher in schools with lower per pupil expenditures. Findings support the use of the Health Empowers You! intervention, which was effective in lower income schools, and may potentially reduce disparities in students' physical activity levels.

“Water First” School Water Promotion and Access Intervention: A Cost Analysis Study

BackgroundAdequate water intake is associated with improved cognitive and physical performance, prevention of dental caries, and overweight and obesity. However, access to free drinking water in schools remains inadequate. Water First, a school-based intervention promoting water consumption, was shown effective in preventing overweight, yet its costs have not been quantified. ObjectiveTo evaluate the costs of Water First from the school's perspective over one academic year. DesignSecondary analysis of a cluster-randomized clinical trial assessing the cost of Water First. Participants/SettingSix public schools in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 2018-2019 academic year, with an average of 578±69 students per school and 110±2 fourth-grade students in intervention schools, and 508±190 students per school and 101±5 fourth-grade students in control schools. InterventionSchools were randomized to receive water dispensers and stations in cafeterias and high-traffic areas and a schoolwide water promotion campaign (school-level intervention). Fourth-grade students and teachers received reusable water bottles, lessons, and materials for school and home (class-level intervention). Main outcome measuresActivities, resources, and the value needed to implement the school- and classroom-level intervention were systematically captured over one academic year, including labor, materials, and utilities costs. Statistical analysisThe intervention costs per school and per student were estimated by summing the component-specific costs. Results are presented for both school- and classroom-level interventions in 2023 USD. ResultsThe Water First intervention costs $20 per student for the school- and $131 per student for the classroom-level intervention over one academic year. Accounting for the useful life of the installed water stations and dispensers beyond one year, the annualized cost of the school-level intervention was $11 per student. ConclusionsThese cost estimates provide useful insights for schools and stakeholders to plan and implement effective school-based interventions that promote access to drinking water.

Health promotion intervention in at-risk South African primary schools

Background: Interventions to promote health have been implemented in some urban settings. However, school-based health promotion interventions in at-risk urban schools have not been thoroughly investigated. Objective: This article investigates teachers’ perceptions regarding health promotion interventions with the main goal of establishing social change in at-risk school communities. Design: The study used phenomenology as a theoretical lens supported by the use of a qualitative research approach. As a theoretical framework, the researchers utilised Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Setting: The investigation used a descriptive case study design to select 17 teachers from 2 at-risk urban primary schools in Pretoria. Methods: Visual data including participatory reflection action posters and photographs, and field notes were part of the data collection techniques. Findings: Teachers’ responses informed how school-based health promotion interventions can be developed in the foundation phase of education. Themes relevant to this included recognition of the importance of education in bringing about social change; involving the whole community in developing health promotion projects; working closely with parents; promoting physical activity; and advocating for nutritional literacy. Goals can best be achieved through a focus on nutritional needs, physical health and social needs of at-risk communities. Conclusion: Findings from this study can be used to inform at-risk communities about food consumption, optimum physical activities and positive socio-emotional actions. Beyond this, young professionals entering the field of education should be encouraged to develop awareness of how school-based health promotion programmes can benefit the health and well-being of children.

A Positive Psychological Group Intervention (PPI) in School for the Enhancement of Well-Being of Children whose Parents are Experiencing Psychological Economic Hardship

A Positive Psychological Group Intervention (PPI) in School for the Enhancement of Well-Being of Children whose Parents are Experiencing Psychological Economic Hardship

Effects of the informed health choices secondary school intervention after 1 year: a prospective meta-analysis using individual participant data

BackgroundCritical thinking about health choices is essential to avoid being misled by unreliable information and to use reliable information appropriately. The aim of this prospective meta-analysis was to synthesize the results of 1-year follow-up data from three cluster-randomized trials of an intervention designed to teach lower secondary school students to think critically about health choices. Only one other randomized trial has evaluated a school-based intervention to teach adolescents to think critically about health choices. That trial compared two teaching strategies to teach statistical reasoning. It did not assess long-term learning-retention.MethodsWe conducted the trials in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. The intervention included providing a 2–3-day teacher training workshop and digital resources for ten lessons. The intervention focused on nine key concepts. We did not intervene in control schools. The primary outcome was a passing score on a test (≥ 9 of 18 multiple-choice questions answered correctly). We performed random effects meta-analyses to estimate the overall intervention effects. We calculated learning retention as the test results in the intervention schools after 1 year relative to just after the intervention, adjusted for chance.ResultsAltogether, 244 schools (11,344 students) took part in the three trials. Follow-up data was collected for 8298 students (73%). The overall odds ratio for the primary outcome after 1 year was 3.6 (95% CI: 1.9–7.1; p = 0.0001) in favor of the intervention, whereas it was 5.5 (95% CI: 3.0–10.2) just after the intervention. This corresponds to 25.6% (95% CI: 21.1–30.0%) more students in the intervention schools passing the test after 1 year versus 33.3% (95% CI: 28.7–37.8%) just after the intervention. Overall, 2273 (52.6%) of 4324 students in intervention schools had a passing score after 1 year compared to 3397 (58.1%) of 5846 students just after the intervention, indicating 88.3% learning retention.ConclusionsOne year after the intervention, we still found a positive effect on the ability of students to think critically about health choices, but 5.5% fewer students in the intervention schools had a passing score. The certainty of the evidence was also lower due to 27% of students being lost to follow-up.Trial registrationThe protocol for this prospective meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO May 31, 2022, ID 336580. The three randomized trials were registered in the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry February 15, 2022, PACTR202203880375077; April 5, 2022, PACTR20220488391731; and April 14, 2022, PACTR202204861458660.

Replication in educational interventions: developing a tool to measure and promote fidelity

ABSTRACT The impact of many interventions weakens during the scaling up process and low fidelity of implementation (i.e. delivering an intervention but not as it was intended) may explain why. In this paper we introduce, discuss, and exemplify the use of a framework for developing fidelity tools that aim to measure and promote fidelity of implementation. The framework includes four steps that are typical of the development of new psychological and educational measures: conception, piloting and revision, implementation, and evaluation. We exemplify the use of the framework by describing the activities we carried out and the reasons for the choices we made in each stage to develop a tool to assess and promote fidelity in the scaling up of the Improving Working Memory Plus Arithmetic (IWM+A) intervention in a randomized controlled trial, involving 201 schools. In the scaling up process we used the train-the-trainer model. Twelve teacher leaders, who were trained by the programme developers, trained teaching assistants (the end users) who then delivered the intervention to children in the intervention schools (N = 100). We describe the intervention, the training model, and the process of developing, piloting, implementing, and evaluating the tool.

Effects of a classwide reading intervention on reading fluency and comprehension of content area text with students in middle school

Partner reading with paragraph shrinking has been shown to be an effective classwide reading intervention in elementary school, but has yet to be studied with eighth-grade students or with content area reading such as science and social studies. The current study examined the effects of implementing the classwide intervention for 3 wk with 86 students in eighth grade that were randomly assigned to the treatment or a control group. The intervention led to significantly higher oral reading fluency (η2 = .49), and higher scores on a researcher-created maze test for science (η2 = .10) and social studies (η2 = .13). Student variables (i.e., receiving English as a second language services, special education, or a free or reduced-price lunch) did not predict student outcomes and added negligible to small amounts of variance. Therefore, the effects seemed to be positive regardless of student-level factors. Potential implications for practice and research are included.

Comprehensive sexuality education: indicators to evaluate interventions in Italian schools

Abstract Background Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is globally acknowledged as the most effective approach to promoting sexual health and preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). However, in Italy, CSE is not consistently part of the school curriculum. The EduForIST project, funded by the Ministry of Health, introduced and tested a unique CSE model in a sample of secondary schools across six Italian regions, aiming to develop an evaluation model for potential nationwide implementation. Methods The EduForIST partnership, comprising experts from various institutions, devised a framework for monitoring and evaluating CSE interventions. Through monthly focus group discussions from April 2023 to February 2024, they established indicators for short-, medium-, and long-term evaluation of clinical and behavioral outcomes, as well as process indicators to assess intervention implementation. Results A total of 35 indicators were developed, including clinical and behavioral ones for medium and long-term outcomes, short-term behavioral outcomes, and process indicators. Data for clinical and behavioral indicators can be obtained from administrative sources like the Ministry of Health and Regional Health Authorities. The National Institute of Health provides data from relevant surveillance programs. However, many process indicators require specific data collection and calculations. Challenges such as under-reporting and underestimation persist, especially in regions with limited CSE implementation. Conclusions Creating an effective monitoring system for CSE interventions necessitates integrating diverse data sources, including health records, administrative data, and behavioral assessments. The proposed model’s effectiveness will be fully assessed by comparing pre- and post-intervention after widespread implementation in secondary schools. Meanwhile, the selected indicators serve as a foundation for evaluating baseline status of STIs and behaviors in Italy. Key messages • The EduForIST project establishes a robust framework for evaluating Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) interventions in secondary schools, addressing gaps in nationwide implementation. • By devising indicators encompassing several measures, the project lays the groundwork for a comprehensive monitoring system, vital for assessing the effectiveness of CSE interventions in Italy.

Navigating Co-design in Children’s Health Literacy Interventions in Schools

Abstract Today’s society exposes children to vast amounts of health-related information, presenting significant challenges in navigating this content. European health literacy (HL) research underscores the primary school’s role in educating children’s HL. Several HL interventions have been developed for a school setting and few have used co-design with adolescents. However less is known about co-designing HL activities with children. Therefore, this study aims to identify barriers and facilitators for co-designing HL activities with 9 to 12-year-old children in school settings. We use 4 phases of design-based research for the process of co-designing learning activities with multiple teams of 6-8 children in school settings. First, children Reflect on HL and empathize and define skills they want to design activities for. They Design activities through ideation and prototyping. We use a variety of creative methods for the sessions and analyses, such as body mapping and affinity mapping. The evaluation of the effectiveness regarding HL and learning outcomes will be performed in Test and Evaluate phases. Our preliminary results show that children need short and clear assignments for the sessions to reach the goals. Children are enthusiastic to participate and like the methods used in the session, although the concept of HL is sometimes difficult to comprehend. It is challenging for children to come up with creative and appropriate elements for activities without correct health information. We are awaiting results from Test and Evaluate phase on the effect on HL levels and learning outcomes. Children are able to co-design HL activities together with HL and health promotion researchers. By giving children a voice and hands-on experience in the design process, we are able to create activities that are suitable for the target population. This co-design process will be evaluated and adapted to an intervention for the “healthy school” program in the Netherlands. Key messages • By co-designing HL activities children actively learn about health literacy. • Children are important and capable co-designers for HL activities when working together with HL researchers.