Stress Management Interventions Among U.S. High School Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent ineffective stress management has been associated with negative health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression. Comprehensively evaluating the effects of stress management interventions is needed. AIMS: The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the effects of stress management interventions on mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety, depression, and positive and negative affect) and perform moderation analysis to identify moderators of intervention effects on stress, anxiety, and depression among U.S. high school adolescents. METHODS: Four databases (CINAHL, ERIC, PubMed, and PsycINFO) were searched. After literature screening, 24 articles describing 25 studies were retained. Hedge's g was calculated using random-effects models. Exploratory moderation analyses were performed to identify moderators. RESULTS: The pooled effects on reducing stress were -0.36. The interventions had small effects on decreasing anxiety (g = -0.31) and depression (g = -0.23). Long-term follow-up effects were -0.77 on perceived stress, -0.08 on anxiety, and -0.19 on depression. Mind-body and cognitive-behavioral interventions had moderate effects on reducing anxiety (g = -0.51). Interventions with longer duration (>8 weeks) were more effective in reducing anxiety (-0.39 vs. -0.26) and depression (-0.36 vs. -0.17). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the short-term effectiveness of stress management interventions in improving mental health among high school adolescents in the United States. Subsequent research efforts should focus on sustaining long-term effects.

Motivational Interviewing in Pediatric Obesity: A Meta-analysis of the Effects on Behavioral Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Currently, the effects of motivational interviewing (MI) on children's behavioral changes remain obscure. PURPOSE: This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of MI on children's lifestyle behavioral changes (fruits and vegetables [F/V], dairy, sugary beverages, calories, snacks, fat intake, moderate vigorous physical activity [MVPA], and screen time). METHODS: Six databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Sciences) from 2005 to 2022 were searched. Thirty-one intervention studies with a comparison group met the criteria. Random-effects models were performed to estimate the pooled effects; exploratory moderation analyses with mixed-effects models were used to explore potential intervention moderators. RESULTS: The pooled effect size was 0.10 (p = .334) on ↑F/V, 0.02 (p = .724) on ↑dairy, -0.29 (p < .001) on ↓calories, -0.16 (p = .054) on ↓sugary beverages, -0.22 (p = .002) on ↓snacks, -0.20 (p = .044) on ↓fat, 0.22 (p = .001) on ↑MVPA, and -0.06 (p = .176) on ↓screen time. The effects of MIs were moderated by ↑MI sessions regarding ↓snacks (B = -0.04, p = .010). Multicomponent and clinical programs had greater effects on dairy intake than their counterparts (0.09 vs. -0.21, p = .034; 0.12 vs. -0.14, p = .027, respectively). Similarly, interventions with a fidelity check resulted in greater dairy intake than those without a check (0.29 vs. -0.15, p = .014). A few long-term follow-up assessments revealed effects on ↓F/V (-0.18; p = .143, k = 2), ↓dairy (-0.13, p = .399, k = 4), ↓MVPA (-0.04; p = .611, k = 6), and ↑screen time (0.12; p = .242, k = 4). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the short-term effects of MI on improving children's lifestyle behaviors. Additional investigations are needed to better sustain children's long-term behavioral changes.

Although motivational interviewing (MI) techniques are often recommended and used by clinicians to promote healthy behaviors, their effects on children's behavioral changes are not clear. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of MI on children's lifestyle behavioral changes particularly in children's intakes in fruits and vegetables, dairy, sugary drinks, calories, snacks, and high-fat diet, as well as children's physical activity and screen time. A total of 957 articles from six databases were screened for eligibility. Among them, 31 eligible articles were retrieved for knowledge synthesis. This review found that MI techniques were effective in lowering children's intakes in calories, sugary drinks, snacks, high-fat diets. In addition, MI techniques were also effective in promoting children's moderate to vigorous physical activities. It seemed that more MI sessions were more likely to decrease children's snacks intakes. Taken together, our findings support the short-term effects of MI on improving children's lifestyle behaviors. Additional investigations are needed to better sustain children's long-term behavioral changes.

Family Efficacy within Ethnically Diverse Families: A Qualitative Study.

Family efficacy, which refers to a family's belief in its ability to produce a desired outcome, has been shown to protect adolescents from risky health behaviors. Few studies have examined family efficacy within diverse populations, however, and understanding of how efficacy is framed and formed within the context of cultural and familial values is limited. This descriptive qualitative study examined sources of family efficacy within ethnically and socioeconomically diverse families, evaluating how such families develop and exercise family efficacy with the intent to protect adolescents from risky health behaviors (i.e., marijuana and alcohol use and early sexual activity). We collected qualitative data via two semi-structured interviews, 4-6 months apart, with 31 adolescents (ages 12-14) and their parent/s, for total of 148 one-on-one interviews. Thematic analysis identified three distinct domains of family efficacy: relational, pragmatic, and value-laden. Prior experiences and cultural background influenced the domain/s utilized by families. Significantly, families that consistently tapped into all three domains were able to effectively manage personal and family difficulties; these families also had family strategies in place to prevent adolescents from risky behaviors. Health professionals could utilize this concept of multidimensional family efficacy to promote health within culturally diverse families.