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

Abstract

Background: High body mass index is a common well-known issue among adolescents, its related morbidity 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 interventions 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 individual 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 interventions among adolescents. Numerous studies are needed for evaluation to determine long-term intervention effectiveness targeted on adolescents.