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Table 5 Summary of impact on educational outcomes

From: The World Health Organization’s Health Promoting Schools framework: a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis

Study reference

Intervention type

Authors’ conclusions

Li 2011 [62]

Multiple Risk Behaviour

Positive intervention effects found for: student disaffection with learning (P < 0.01); teachers’ ratings of academic motivation (P < 0.05); absenteeism rates (P < 0.05)

No effect found for: teachers’ ratings of academic performance; standardised test scores for reading and maths

Beets 2009 [59]

Multiple Risk Behaviour

Positive intervention effects found for: standardised test scores for reading and maths (P = 0.043 and 0.006, respectively); absenteeism (P = 0.001); suspensions (P = 0.028); student, teacher and parent ‘School Quality Composite’ scores (P = 0.015, 0.006 and 0.007, respectively)

No effect found for: student retentions in grade

Fekkes 2006 [74]

Anti-bullying

No effect found for: general satisfaction with school life; satisfaction with contact with other pupils; or satisfaction with contact with teachers

Bond 2004 [68]

Mental health

Positive intervention effect found for: school attachment (Adj. OR 1.33, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.75; un-adjusted OR non-significant)

Sahota 2001 [47]

Physical Activity and Nutrition

No effect found for: self-perceived scholastic competence

Sawyer 2010 [69]

Mental health

Positive intervention effect found for: teacher ratings of school climate over time (intervention x time β = 0.43, P < 0.05)

No effect found for: student rating of school climate

Bowen 2007 [79]

Hand hygiene

Positive intervention effect found for: attendance. Intervention schools (expanded group) experienced 42% fewer absence episodes (P = .03) and 54% fewer days of absence (P = .03) than control schools

Talaat 2011 [80]

Hand hygiene

Positive intervention effect found for: attendance. Overall, absences caused by illness were reduced by 21% in intervention schools (5.7 vs. 7.2 median episodes, P < 0.001)

Simons-Morton 2005 [65]

Multiple Risk Behaviour

No effect found for: students’ perceptions of school climate

McVey 2004 [82]

Eating disorders

No effect found for: teachers’ perceptions of school climate

Kärnä 2011 [76]

Anti-bullying

Positive intervention effect found for: well-being at school in intervention students (0.096, P = 0.011)