Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2019
Meta Analysis Comparative StudyInterventions promoting active transport to school in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
The systematic review investigated the effectiveness of active travel (AT) interventions on physical activity and fitness in primary school children. The review assessed intervention effectiveness, design, complexity, and study quality. Searches were conducted in five databases on 30/08/2018. ⋯ The review found walking school buses and educational strategies most effective for increasing relevant outcomes, although overall study quality was weak. Effect size did not associate with the complexity of an intervention, therefore supporting efforts to promote active travel through interventions may be easier to scale. Further intervention studies of greater methodological quality are necessary to confirm these findings due to the limited evidence available.
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Preventive medicine · Jun 2019
Meta AnalysisDisparities and reverse disparities in HPV vaccination: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Studies disagree about whether racial and ethnic groups have lower or higher human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake, an important issue given large disparities in some HPV cancers. We sought to characterize and explain racial and ethnic differences in HPV vaccination. We systematically searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science to identify US studies through mid-2017 reporting associations of race and ethnicity with HPV vaccination. ⋯ More recent studies found larger advantages for racial and ethnic minorities in HPV vaccine initiation and smaller disparities in follow-through. In summary, high-quality studies found racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to initiate but less likely to follow-through with HPV vaccination, a clear finding that self-report studies obscure. Higher HPV vaccine initiation among minorities suggests potential reductions in HPV cancer disparities.
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2019
Review Meta AnalysisWorthy of further consideration: An updated meta-analysis to address the feasibility, acceptability, safety and efficacy of thermal ablation in the treatment of cervical cancer precursor lesions.
Treatment of preinvasive lesions is critical to the success of secondary prevention of cervical cancer. In many settings, however, excision or ablation of preinvasive lesions can prove challenging. Thermal ablation (TA) is a form of treatment for cervical precancer that may present fewer logistical challenges in resource limited settings. ⋯ The overall response rate for TA treatment of biopsy proven CIN2+ was 93.8%. Consistent with the wide variety of settings and patient populations, there was significant heterogeneity between studies. TA appears to be an effective treatment for CIN2+ across a variety of settings, including in LMICs.
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Preventive medicine · May 2018
Meta AnalysisBehavioural incentive interventions for health behaviour change in young people (5-18 years old): A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption are key determinants of morbidity and mortality. These health behaviours often begin at a young age and track into adulthood, emphasising a need for interventions in children and young people. Previous research has demonstrated the potential effectiveness of behavioural incentive (BI) interventions in adults. ⋯ Findings suggest that behavioural incentives may encourage uptake and initiation of healthy eating and physical activity in young people. However, this is a limited evidence base and a wide range of incentive designs have yet to be explored. Future research should further investigate the acceptability of these intervention approaches for young people.
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Preventive medicine · Apr 2018
Meta AnalysisThe effect of multifactorial lifestyle interventions on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of trials conducted in the general population and high risk groups.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of premature mortality and disability accounting for one third of all deaths worldwide with considerable impacts on economics and on the quality of life. The evidence suggests that a multifactorial lifestyle intervention might have a role in the CVDs risk reduction, especially in the risk populations, nonetheless the effects on modifiable CVDs risk factors have not been completely explored. Our work aimed at evaluating the impact of multifactorial lifestyle interventions on cardiovascular risk modification, both in the general and risk population. ⋯ Compared to a usual care, the multifactorial lifestyle intervention is able to lower the blood pressure, total cholesterol, BMI and waist circumference, at both 6 and 12months, and to increase physical activity at 12months. Better results were obtained in primary prevention and in moderate and high risk groups. Multifactorial lifestyle interventions clearly represent a valid tool for reducing the cardiovascular risk factors and should be implemented in the risk groups and in primary prevention.