Resources for planning No. 2 - Adolescent health

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Executive summary

The purpose of this review was to ascertain the efficacy of health promotion interventions targeted at adolescents (defined as 12*18 year olds). Program evaluations were organised according to the health promotion strategy represented. Health promotional strategies identified in this review included parent training, family intervention, school-based health education, school organisation and management, mentorship, peer intervention, recreation, health service reorientation, community based education, employment and training, legislative reform and enforcement of legislation, social marketing and community mobilisation. Interventions included in the review addressed six adolescent health outcome areas: depression, suicidal behaviour, alcohol and drug use, tobacco use, antisocial behaviour and sexual risk-taking behaviour.

Published papers describing program evaluations were identified through electronic abstraction services, previous review work conducted by the study authors, and consultation with systematic review teams internationally. Articles were initially screened for key details, including their adolescent focus, relevance to the outcomes of interest and method. Studies were included only if they accorded with the highest level of evaluation evidence (that is, randomised allocation or matching of controls to intervention and longitudinal outcome evaluation in community settings). A few studies that did not conform to these standards were included because either they clearly indicated null intervention effects and thus did not require more elaborate designs, or they evaluated Australian intervention data using adequately controlled designs. The inclusion criteria left 178 studies, which the study team systematically reviewed and presented as Technical Summaries (available on request from the Health Development Section, Public Health Division, Department of Human Services).

The study team reviewed the 178 research articles according to three areas of evaluation: process evaluation (practical implementation), intermediary outcomes (the impact on risk and protective factors) and health outcomes (effectiveness). This report considers each of the articles with reference to the main health promotion strategy adopted and the adolescent health outcome targeted for prevention. The study team completed an integrative review, systematically exploring for each strategy the available evidence of practical implementation, outcome effectiveness and, where possible, dissemination and cost effectiveness. Key conclusions and recommendations following from the above process of research review are detailed in this report.

Contents

• Recommendations for investment in adolescent health promotion interventions
• General recommendations
• Specific intervention recommendations

1. Introduction

• 1.1 The importance of adolescent health promotion
• 1.2 A risk and protective factor approach to adolescent health promotion
• 1.3 Epidemiological trends in six health outcome areas in Victoria
• 1.4 Effectiveness in adolescent health promotion
• 1.5 Scope of the current review

2. Methods

• 2.1 Article review procedure
• 2.2 Information search and acquisition
• 2.3 Information classification and analysis
• 2.4 Integration of individual program evaluations

3. Adolescent health promotion interventions in six health outcome areas

• 3.1 Tobacco use
• 3.2 Alcohol and drug use
• 3.3 Sexual risk-taking behaviour
• 3.4 Crime and anti-social behaviour
• 3.5 Adolescent depression
• 3.6 Adolescent suicidal behaviour

4. Recommendations and conclusions

• 4.1 Recommendations for implementing adolescent health promotion interventions
• 4.2 Conclusions on evidence-based strategies for adolescent health promotion interventions

References

Appendix I:

• Summary of evidence base for 13 adolescent health promotion
• Strategies targeting six adolescent health outcomes

Appendix II:

• Summary of intervention strategy impacts on risk and protective factors

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Resources for planning: No. 2 - Adolescent health (140kb, pdf)

Related information

http://www.rch.org.au/cah/research/index.cfm?doc_id=1018 (external link)
A database of articles relating to adolescent health promotion. The articles included in the database have been reviewed through a rigorous process by the Centre for Adolescent Health to develop an evidence-based resource for health promotion planning.

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