A systematic review of interventions targeting physical activity and/or healthy eating behaviours in adolescents: practice and training

ABSTRACT

Despite the many health benefits of physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE) most adolescents do not meet current guidelines which poses future health risks. This review aimed to (1) identify whether adolescent PA and HE interventions show promise at promoting behaviour change and maintenance, (2) identify which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are associated with promising interventions, and (3) explore the optimal approaches to training deliverers of adolescent PA/HE interventions. Nine databases were searched for randomised controlled, or quasi-experimental, trials targeting 10–19 year olds, with a primary aim to increase PA/HE, measured at baseline and at least six months post-intervention, in addition to papers reporting training of deliverers of adolescent PA/HE interventions. Included were seven PA studies, three HE studies and four studies targeting both, with two training papers. For PA studies, two were promising post-intervention with two promising BCTs, and five were promising for maintenance with two promising BCTs. For HE studies, three were promising at post-intervention and four at maintenance, both with four promising BCTs. There is preliminary evidence that interventions support adolescents to improve their PA and HE behaviours over a period of at least six months.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescents
• physical activity
• healthy eating
• behaviour change techniques
• behaviour change interventions

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Kim Roberts for her helpful comments on the first draft of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data

All data used in this review is available in primary and supplementary tables.

Additional information

Funding

Review completed as part of HA-W’s PhD programme funded by a Hertfordshire Knowledge Exchange Partnership grant from the Local Enterprise Partnership, European Regional Development Fund, University of Hertfordshire and HENRY, awarded to NH and NT.