Life Skills Program Research Articles

The effects of life skills of Korean college student athletes on adaptation and satisfaction in college life

Objective To investigate the effects of college student athletes’ life skills on adaptation and life satisfaction. Participants 246 college student athletes (Mage = 20.24 ± 1.11; 75% of males) who were registered in the Korea Sports Association in South Korea. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used. College student athletes completed self-reported surveys in 2019. Study variables include life skills, adaptation to college, and life satisfaction as performed by bivariate analysis, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. Results Life skills, adaptation to college, and life satisfaction were partially correlated to each other and differed by gender and sport types (p < .05–.01). College student athletes’ life skills were significant predictors of adaptation to college life and life satisfaction. Conclusions Developing and establishing life skills programs in and outside of campus may help promoting college student athletes’ well-being.

Effect of Implementing a Life Skills Program on the Perceptions of Aging and Self-efficacy in Postmenopausal Women: A Field Trial.

Background:Complications experienced by women during menopause affect their self-efficacy and can cause a negative attitude toward this period and lifestyle changes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a life skills program on the perception of aging and self-efficacy in postmenopausal women.Materials and Methods:This study was performed as a field trial on 70 postmenopausal women referring to Imam Ali and Navaab Safavi health centers in Isfahan, Iran, in 2018–19. The eligible subjects were randomly divided into experimental and control groups using a number table. The experimental group received the life skills program in five sessions and the control group shared their experiences in two sessions. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics form and the Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire (APQ) and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests in SPSS software.Results:The results revealed that the mean score of aging perception immediately and 1 month after the intervention in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in the self-efficacy score in the experimental group immediately (F1,67 = 121.89, p < 0.001) and 1 month after the intervention (F1,67 = 121.89, p < 0.001) compared to the control group.Conclusions:This life skills program was able to reduce the perception of aging and physical complaints during menopause and improve self-efficacy in women. Therefore, the implementation of this intervention is recommended in women.

TEACHING LIFE SKILLS THROUGH VOLLEYBALL PASSING SKILL TO CHILDREN 9-11 YEARS OLD

The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of teaching life skills through the volleyball passing skill, of 44 primary school female children and their perceived satisfaction with the program. The sample was randomly assigned into two groups. The life skills group (LSG, n= 23) and the control group (CG, n= 21). All participants followed a six-week practice program aiming the passing skill learning. For the participants of LSG the program was combined with the components of goal setting, problem-solving and positive thinking. The control group received typical teaching and feedback provided by the PE teacher. All participants were evaluated in three measurements: pre-test, post-test and retention test. A qualitative evaluation (five main elements) of the passing technique, which was recorded by the digital camera, was used. Also, a common format for evaluating life skills knowledge perceptions and transfer (10-item questionnaire), which was developed in the Greek population by Papacharisis (2004) based on the work of Hogan (2000), and also a questionnaire for the perceived satisfaction of the students was used (Alexandris, Tsorbatzoudis &amp;amp; Grouios, 2004a, 2004b). Anova repeated measures show that participants of the LSG improved passing skill (p&amp;lt;.05) and showed a positive reception of the program by the students who learned interesting and useful things for their life in general, transferable to other aspects in their life, besides sports. The results of the study support the effectiveness of the life skills program that integrated volleyball passing skill learning, life skills improvement and participants’ perceived satisfaction of the program.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0915/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Model Life Skill Berbasis Potensi Ekonomi Lokal Bagi Mantan Penderita Kusta Sebagai Upaya Pengentasan Kemiskinan

Today there has been found 69 leprosy colony at 21 province in Indonesia. This reflects that discrimination is still high. “The settlement of Leprosy is exist because they are afraid return to their society, so they will feel saver if they colonize and live in the community. They are increasingly underdeveloped, abandoned and discriminated. Unfortunately, there are a lot of society living in poverty, so this disease still emerges. Socioeconomic has the main role that’s why this disease is more experienced in poor people than the rich.The study want to review comprehensively about Life Skill Implementation Model based local economy in effort to poverty alleviation for former leprosy in East Java and review the relationship causal factors which influence either related to life education/ability problem or poverty one.The result of the study in the first year are: giving chance and increasing the ability of poor people to former leprosy concerning: the easiness to obtain resources, increasing life skill, the utilization of technological process, utilizing the market continuously, and getting services from other financing process.Life Skill Implementation Model based on Local Economic potential as following: insight, paradigm and mental attitude of learning resident is increased so they able to optimize their own potential, change the challenge to increase their living. The increasing of quality facilitation toward the education program implementation of life skill is to supervise the program so the purpose will be achieved, accompaniment model is developed to support life skill education program, optimize the role in every department to implement and develop life skill program as with characteristic and region potential.

Model Life Skill Berbasis Potensi Ekonomi Lokal Bagi Mantan Penderita Kusta Sebagai Upaya Pengentasan Kemiskinan

Today there has been found 69 leprosy colony at 21 province in Indonesia. This reflects that discrimination is still high. “The settlement of Leprosy is exist because they are afraid return to their society, so they will feel saver if they colonize and live in the community. They are increasingly underdeveloped, abandoned and discriminated. Unfortunately, there are a lot of society living in poverty, so this disease still emerges. Socioeconomic has the main role that’s why this disease is more experienced in poor people than the rich. &#x0D; The study want to review comprehensively about Life Skill Implementation Model based local economy in effort to poverty alleviation for former leprosy in East Java and review the relationship causal factors which influence either related to life education/ability problem or poverty one.&#x0D; The result of the study in the first year are: giving chance and increasing the ability of poor people to former leprosy concerning: the easiness to obtain resources, increasing life skill, the utilization of technological process, utilizing the market continuously, and getting services from other financing process.&#x0D; Life Skill Implementation Model based on Local Economic potential as following: insight, paradigm and mental attitude of learning resident is increased so they able to optimize their own potential, change the challenge to increase their living. The increasing of quality facilitation toward the education program implementation of life skill is to supervise the program so the purpose will be achieved, accompaniment model is developed to support life skill education program, optimize the role in every department to implement and develop life skill program as with characteristic and region potential.

Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Life Skills Program for Depression: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundDepression is a common mental health problem with significant personal and social consequences. Studies have suggested that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety when delivered one-to-one by an expert practitioner, but access to this talking therapy is often limited, and waiting lists can be long. However, a range of low-intensity interventions that can increase access to services are available including guided CBT self-help materials delivered via books, classes, and online packages.ObjectiveThis project aimed to pilot a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an online CBT-based life skills course with community-based individuals experiencing depression.MethodsIndividuals with symptoms of depression were recruited directly from the community via newspaper advertisements. Participants were remotely randomized to receive either immediate access (IA) or delayed access (DA) to a research version of the Living Life to the Full online CBT-based life skills package (3rd edition) with telephone support provided by nonspecialist, charity-based workers while they used the online intervention. The primary end point was at 3 months postrandomization, at which point, the DA group were offered the intervention. Levels of depression, anxiety, social functioning, and satisfaction were assessed.ResultsThere were effective recruitment, randomization, and uptake, with 19 IA and 17 DA control participants entering the pilot study via newspaper advertisements and 13 of the 19 participants taking up the intervention. Overall, 72% (26/36) were not currently under the care of their general practitioner. The online package was acceptable to participants; the mean satisfaction score on the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire was 21 out of 32 (SD 8.89). At 3 months, data collection was achieved from 78% (28/36) of the participants. The efficacy and retention data were used for a power calculation indicating that 72 participants in total will be required for a future substantive RCT.ConclusionsThe research design successfully tested the recruitment, data collection, and intervention delivery. The pilot study has provided data for the required sample size for the full RCT.Trial RegistrationISRCTN registry ISRCTN12890709; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12890709International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.1186/s13063-016-1336-y

Engagement With a Mobile Phone-Based Life Skills Intervention for Adolescents and Its Association With Participant Characteristics and Outcomes: Tree-Based Analysis.

BackgroundMobile phone–delivered life skills programs are an emerging and promising way to promote mental health and prevent substance use among adolescents, but little is known about how adolescents actually use them.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine engagement with a mobile phone–based life skills program and its different components, as well as the associations of engagement with adolescent characteristics and intended substance use and mental health outcomes.MethodsWe performed secondary data analysis on data from the intervention group (n=750) from a study that compared a mobile phone–based life skills intervention for adolescents recruited in secondary and upper secondary school classes with an assessment-only control group. Throughout the 6-month intervention, participants received 1 SMS text message prompt per week that introduced a life skills topic or encouraged participation in a quiz or individual life skills training or stimulated sharing messages with other program participants through a friendly contest. Decision trees were used to identify predictors of engagement (use and subjective experience). The stability of these decision trees was assessed using a resampling method and by graphical representation. Finally, associations between engagement and intended substance use and mental health outcomes were examined using logistic and linear regression analyses.ResultsThe adolescents took part in half of the 50 interactions (mean 23.6, SD 15.9) prompted by the program, with SMS text messages being the most used and contests being the least used components. Adolescents who did not drink in a problematic manner and attended an upper secondary school were the ones to use the program the most. Regarding associations between engagement and intended outcomes, adolescents who used the contests more frequently were more likely to be nonsmokers at follow-up than those who did not (odds ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.76-0.98; P=.02). In addition, adolescents who read the SMS text messages more attentively were less likely to drink in a problematic manner at follow-up (odds ratio 0.43, 95% CI 1.29-3.41; P=.003). Finally, participants who used the program the most and least were more likely to increase their well-being from baseline to 6-month follow-up compared with those with average engagement (βs=.39; t586=2.66; P=.008; R2=0.24).ConclusionsMost of the adolescents participating in a digital life skills program that aimed to prevent substance use and promote mental health engaged with the intervention. However, measures to increase engagement in problem drinkers should be considered. Furthermore, efforts must be made to ensure that interventions are engaging and powerful across different educational levels. First results indicate that higher engagement with digital life skills programs could be associated with intended outcomes. Future studies should apply further measures to improve the reach of lower-engaged participants at follow-up to establish such associations with certainty.

Rural Migrant Women’s Informal Learning of Life Skills in Social Networks in Urban China

Life skill programs have been widely provided for vulnerable women in Third World Countries but not for the deprived rural migrant women in China. This study explored the way these women informally learned life skills in urban China and their primary sources of learning, in hopes of providing insights into possible life skill programs targeting them. A basic interpretive qualitative research was conducted by interviewing seventeen migrant women in Northwest and Central China. Findings show that these women learned certain core life skills informally as they adjusted to the urban life. They regarded rural migrant social networks as the main source of learning. Yet, their aspirations to acquire better communication and occupational skills remained mostly unfulfilled and a few of them demanded extra emotional support. This study strongly suggests life skill programs provided for rural migrant women in China to enhance their capability for self-protection, empowerment and social integration.

Workshop Compiled

Good mental health is critical to children’s happiness and success in school life. It has been proven through research that students who receive social-emotional and mental health support achieve better academically. Health and well-being as a developmental goal is well articulated in National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The covid-19 pandemic has impacted the psychosocial wellbeing of children and adolescents across the country. The WHO (2016) report on mental health estimates nearly 20% of children and adolescents are suffering from disabling mental illnesses worldwide. Suicide rates and self-harm attempts of Indian adolescents are one of the highest in the world, accounting for 25% of deaths in boys and 50-75% of deaths in girls aged 10-19 years. In recent times of Covid-19, a large spectrum of mental health issues affecting young minds and families have been reported. Schools are most impactful agents of change when it concerns the mental health and well-being of the students as these are the critical periods of student’s lives. It is the need of the hour to design a program for adaptive and positive behavior that enabling children and adolescents to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Developing core life skills from the early years in school through the Life Skills Education Paradigm is such a program which helps in evolving their awareness and creates responsible and empowered citizens for the country. Here students as ‘Life Skills and Wellbeing Ambassadors’ can play a vital role in creating a participatory climate for behavioral change and adapt to strengthen their inclusive environment. ‘The Adolescent Peer Educators Leadership Program for enriching Life Skills, Holistic Health and Wellbeing of students’ by Expressions India, has been a model of implementation in many parts of the country.The workshop will provide an opportunity to learn the methodology and implementation of Life Skills Training program. Establishing a life skills initiative at national level requires an infrastructure capable of developing a life skills program of widespread relevance and acceptability as well as managing the implementation and evaluation of the program over time. The hands-on training workshop for School Mental Health in India shall go a long way in promoting positive climate of psychosocial well-being in the school and minimizing the impact of mental health conditions.Name of proposed session speakers:a) Dr. Rushi, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Clinical Psychology, ABVIMS, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New DelhiContact number: 9910457770Email: rushi_arshad@hotmail.comb) Dr. Jitendra Nagpal, Sr. Consultant Psychiatrist and Incharge, Institute of Mental Health and Life Skills Promotion, Moolchand Medcity, New Delhi, Program Director - Expressions India: The National Life Skills, Values Education & School Wellness Program.Contact number: 9810054860Email: jnagpal10@gmail.com

A life skills intervention for school-going adolescents in India

BackgroundYoung people face many stressors in their day-to-day lives. Life skills programmes are designed to help young people to cope better with stressors and deal positively with difficult situations. AimThe major objective of the present study was to explore the effect of a life skills intervention on depression, anxiety and stress among adolescents in India. MethodsThe study followed a quasi-experimental research design using a multistage random sampling technique, and 970 adolescents were included in the study. The study was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, pre-testing was done using the Punjabi version of the Depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS) to assess for depression, anxiety and stress among Indian adolescents. The life skills intervention was conducted during the second phase of the study, among students in class IX in Government Secondary Schools located in 11 districts of Punjab, India. Post-testing was done in the third phase, at the end of the life skills intervention. Analysis of covariance was conducted for data analysis. ConclusionsThe results of the study indicated that the life skills intervention was associated with a significant reduction of depression, anxiety and stress among the study participants. Our findings suggest that such life skill programs should be researched further, in view of integrating them into the school curriculum.

Adolescent pregnancy, public policies, and targeted programs in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review.

ABSTRACTObjective.To present and assess evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) on public policies and targeted programs which may have influenced variations in adolescent pregnancy or its proximate determinants, and to identify knowledge gaps that require further research.Methods.A systematic review was performed based on the 2015 PRISMA protocol. Five databases were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2019 that refer to at least one country in LAC. The outcomes of interest were adolescent pregnancy or its proximate determinants (sexual behavior, contraceptive use, and/ or abortion). Only studies exploring correlations between the outcomes of interest and public policies or targeted programs were included in the analysis.Results.Thirty studies spanning 14 countries were selected for analysis. Twenty-three of these (77%) were not included in prior systematic reviews on adolescent pregnancy. Public policies related to conditional cash transfers and compulsory education have the strongest evidence of correlation with adolescent pregnancy prevention. Emerging research points to the potential positive impact of life-skills programs for adolescents. Evidence from public health policies and programs was limited.Conclusions.Further research which incorporates an intersectional analysis is needed to better understand which policies and programs could lead to steeper declines in adolescent pregnancy in the region. Evidence on effects of expanded family planning services and secondary school attainment upon adolescent pregnancy are particularly absent.

Promoting Personal Growth in Young People Experiencing Homelessness Through an Outdoors-Based Program

Outdoors-based youth development programs demonstrate the efficacy to improve indicators of personal growth and mental health in a range of disadvantaged young people. However, the most marginalized young people in society, who stand to benefit the most from such initiatives, remain underrepresented in the research. My Strengths Training for Life (MST4Life) is a positive youth development (PYD) intervention for young people experiencing homelessness that incorporates a life skills program and an outdoor adventure education (OAE) course. The current study presents a qualitative investigation of the OAE course to understand its role in promoting positive changes for participants. Reflexive thematic analysis led to the development of inductively driven themes which were conceptualized based on relevant theories (e.g., relational developmental systems) and models (e.g., 5 Cs of PYD). Findings highlight the benefits of a preceding life skills program to psychologically prepare participants to thrive in the unfamiliar setting of the outdoors and related challenges. During the course, adaptive developmental regulations supported participants’ basic psychological needs and fostered personal growth. Improvements in social competence was a common theme across participants and played a pivotal role in facilitating balanced development across the 5 Cs. In addition, experiences during the course promoted indicators of mental health and intentions to make positive lifestyle changes. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to making outdoors-based youth development courses more accessible for marginalized young people, as well as how OAE and PYD programs can add value to the youth homeless sector.

Important skills for elementary school children: Implementing the preschool life skills program in Iceland

AbstractTransition from preschool to elementary school can be difficult, especially for children that have not acquired important life skills. The preschool life skills (PLS) program was developed as a class‐wide program to teach typically developing preschool children important social and communication skills. PLS is an effective method for teaching children social skills as well as reducing problem behavior. However, there is a need to further evaluate the feasibility and generality of the program across different cultural contexts. The aim of this study was to evaluate an abbreviated version of the PLS program in a typical Icelandic preschool, with a preschool teacher as the primary implementer. PLS increased the likelihood of the occurrence of instruction following, functional communication, and decreased problem behavior for most children.

A 10 Day Tooth Brushing Pilot Study- Report

A major dental problem in persons with mental retardation/developmental disabilities is poor dental hygiene resulting in poor plaque control which leads to gingivitis, periodontal disease and dental caries. The most obvious reason for poor oral hygiene of such persons is their inability to clean the oral cavity adequately. Caregivers face many challenges in providing good oral care for such individuals. The electric toothbrush has been shown to be effective in plaque removal and gingivitis in both healthy and disabled/ special needs people. They are more superior at removing plaque and reducing gingivitis in both short- and long-term clinical trials. This study assessed the effectiveness of using electric toothbrushes as a means of plaque control in a 10-day pilot program. It was implemented as part of a life skills program at a special needs school in South Auckland. A total of 11 children participated in the program. Informed consent was obtained from parents/caregivers prior to the study. Electric toothbrushes and toothpastes were provided by the author of the study along with and oral hygiene instructions to the teachers/caregivers. The study was evaluated by comparing photos of the teeth before and after the pilot study. Plaque disclosing tablets were used to aid this process as it dyes the plaque making it visible to the eyes. Evaluation /feedback forms were also completed by teachers/caregivers of the special needs unit to ascertain the efficacy of the program. The findings of the study showed that using electric toothbrushes improved both the general plaque distribution and boosted children’s motivation to brush their teeth. The conclusion drawn from this study indicates that while electric toothbrushes are effective at plaque control, a longer intervention period is postulated to obtain clinically significant results or see a significant change in behavior.

Decider Life Skills training as a method of promoting resilience with mental health student nurses on clinical placement

AimThe aim of this study is to explore mental health student nurses’ perceptions and application of a CBT-orientated training programme – the Decider Life Skills programme. BackgroundThe undergraduate nursing degree programme is a challenging one and places high demands both professionally and personally on students. Mental health nursing students are faced with particular stressors including working with people in significant psychological distress, which can result in students feeling overwhelmed and emotionally burdened. There is a requirement for student nurses to be supported to cope with professional and personal difficulties while on practice placement. The Decider Life Skills is a one-day training programme that aims to build resilience and increase effective coping skills. This programme was offered to internship mental health nursing students with the aim of providing them with a toolbox of skills to maintain their wellbeing while on clinical placement. MethodsA qualitative descriptive design was used, and data were collected through two 45-min focus group interviews with mental health students (n = 10) on their internship placement. These students had received a one-day training in Decider Life Skills prior to their clinical placements. Full ethical approval was achieved for this study. ResultsParticipants reported that they found the skills imparted in the training easy to understand and apply in both their professional and their personal lives. ConclusionsThe findings from this study that the Decider Life Skills helped students cope in stressful situations and become more mindful of protecting their own mental health is important, as there is a need to safeguard the emotional well-being of mental health nursing students and support them to become resilient practitioners.

The effectiveness of life skills training on emotion regulation strategies and sports self-efficacy of children / adolescent athletes

The aim of this study was the effectiveness of life skills training on emotion regulation strategies and sports self-efficacy of children / adolescent athletes. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all student-athletes in Rasht in the academic year 2009-2010, from which 30 people were selected by available sampling and randomly replaced in two experimental groups (15 people) and control (15 people). They answered the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Garnowski et al.2005) and the Sports Self-Efficacy Scale (Kerel et al. 2007). The participants in the experimental group received 8 sessions of life skills program. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The results showed that life skills training had an effect on emotion regulation strategies and sports self-efficacy of students in disadvantaged areas. They had more and less maladaptive emotion regulation. It seems that the use of life skills training increases athletic self-efficacy and adaptive emotion regulation, as well as decreases maladaptive emotion regulation in athlete students.

Developing and evaluating the Teen-Strong life skills programme in Southern Thailand

Risk sexual behaviours are known as a threat to health and wellbeing of adolescents. Although there are standard sexual education curriculums in Thai schools, most schools use traditional teaching methods rather than participatory teaching activities. This study aimed to (i) develop 'Teen-Strong' programme by combining the concept of the World Health Organization's life skills programme with Thai sexual education curriculum and (ii) investigate the association of Teen-Strong programme with knowledge and decision-making regarding risky sexual behaviours and teenage pregnancy in Thai adolescents. The Teen-Strong programme was developed by means of experts review and cognitive interviewing process and evaluated in 66 adolescents in Grades 7-9 from six schools in southern Thailand. Twenty-six students were assigned to the experimental group (attended Teen-Strong programme and standard sexual education) and 40 to the control group (attended only the standard sexual education). A pre-post-test quasi-experimental design was used and the Teen-Strong questionnaire (TSQ) was administered to measure knowledge and decision-making at three time points: before (T1), immediately after (T2) and 1 month after (T3) attending the programme. A 2 × 3 mixed-design ANOVA was used to analyse the data. TSQ scores in the experimental and control groups were higher at T2 and T3 as compared with T1. Mean increase in TSQ scores at T2 and T3 compared with T1 were significantly higher in the experiment than the control group [T2 vs. T1: t (64) = 4.07, p-values < 0.0001; T3 vs. T1: t (64) = 3.32, p-values = 0.017]. This study showed that Teen-Strong programme could increase adolescent's knowledge and decision-making skills regarding risk sexual behaviours.

Thriving in adversity: Do life skills programs work for developing world children? A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

The severe adversity experienced by millions of children in the developing world leads to failure to thrive associated with cognitive deficits, emotional management problems, and social impairment. In this pragmatic randomized controlled trial, 909 children (aged 8–15 years) in India with disadvantaged backgrounds took part in a semistructured program involving sports or creative arts activities. The Life Skills Assessment Scale was used to assess the children's life skills before and after taking part in the program. Children who took part in the program showed significant increases in life skills following participation, compared to a control group. This study demonstrates the impact of simple, low-budget programs on cognitive, emotional, and social life skills that are typically delayed by severe adversity. The findings have clear implications for children in other adverse environments, such as conflict zones and settlements for displaced children resulting from war, natural disasters, and emergency events.

Stay in the Game: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Sports and Life Skills Program for Vulnerable Youth in Liberia

Over the past two decades, sports programs have proliferated as a mode of engaging youth in development projects. Thousands of organizations, millions of participants, and hundreds of millions of dollars are invested in sports-based development programs each year. The underlying belief that sports promote socioemotional skills, improve psychological well-being, and foster traits that boost labor force productivity has provided motivation to expand funding and offerings of sport-for-development programs. We partnered with an international nongovernmental organization to randomly assign 1,200 young adults to a sports and life skills development program. While we do not see evidence of improved psychosocial outcomes or resilience, we do find evidence that the program caused a 0.12 standard deviation increase in labor force participation. Secondary analysis suggests that the effects are strongest among those likely to be most disadvantaged in the labor market.

Age-Specific Life Skills Education in School: A Systematic Review

Strengthening life skills is a popular approach for prevention and health promotion in schools. It aims to empower students to deal effectively with the demands of everyday life by improving self-regulation, making informed decisions, and building supportive social relationships. By addressing various health-related topics such as friendship, sexuality, violence, or substance use, life skills education has the potential not only to teach students how to act responsively regarding their health and well-being, but also to build a comprehensive understanding of the biological, psychological, and social factors influencing their individual development. However, little is known about whether the contents of life skills programs differ depending on student age, either in terms of the set of skills promoted or the influencing factors on health that are the focus. This systematic review addressed this gap by analyzing evaluated school-based life skills programs regarding age-specific targeted life skills, underlying theoretical frameworks, and effectiveness. The analysis, following the PRISMA guidelines, was based on longitudinal evaluation studies published between 2007 and 2020, which were retrieved from six electronic databases, and referred to eighteen programs. Results showed that programs were mostly implemented in adolescence and that the targeted life skills shifted from a more behavioral-affective focus in childhood to a broader set of life skills targeted in adolescence which emphasized social and sociocultural influencing factors on health. Little evidence was available on the effectiveness of the programs on life skills development. Ultimately, life skills education promotes health-related self-regulation, especially in adolescence. However, further research is needed to clarify how to achieve sustainable effects in the development of life skills, both in childhood and adolescence.