A meta-analysis was conducted on school-based interventions to reduce obesity in children. Sixtysix (k = 66, N = 31,059) comparisons from 40 published studies from 1997 through 2008 were included in analyses. Results indicated a significant effect for school-based interventions with an overall weighted effect size of r = .05. Several moderating factors were examined to explain the heterogeneity in study outcomes. Interventions that were universal (k = 37, r = .07), conducted in elementary schools (k = 41, r = .06), implemented collaboratively (k = 19, r = .12), primarily included children of Asian ethnicity (k = 5, r = .30), encouraged nutritional change (k = 28, r = .13), and sought to reduce sedentary behaviors (k = 17, r = .15) were identified as more successful in reducing students' obesity-related outcomes. Factors that resulted in negative effects for school-based programs included interventions of short duration (k = 11, r = −.04) and those that implemented system-wide changes in nutrition (k = 15, r = −.03). The variability in study effect sizes is discussed, and recommendations are made for future school-based interventions targeting children. C
Objective: The objective of this research was to examine the evidence for delivering yoga-based interventions in schools. Methods: An electronic literature search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed, published studies in which yoga and a meditative component (breathing practices or meditation) were taught to youths in a school setting. Pilot studies, single cohort, quasi-experimental, and randomized clinical trials were considered. Research: quality was evaluated and summarized. Results: Twelve published studies were identified. Samples for which yoga was implemented as an intervention included youths with autism, intellectual disability, learning disability, and emotional disturbance, as well as typically developing youths. Conclusion: Although effects of participating in school-based yoga programs appeared to be beneficial for the most part, methodological limitations, including lack of randomization, small samples, limited detail regarding the intervention, and statistical ambiguities curtailed the ability to provide definitive conclusions or recommendations. Findings speak to the need for greater methodological rigor and an increased understanding of the mechanisms of success for school-based yoga interventions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.