Open AccessEffective school-based preventive interventions for alcohol use in Africa: a systematic review
Author(s) -
Sachi Tomokawa,
Kimihiro Miyake,
Takayuki Akiyama,
Yuka Makino,
Akihiro Nishio,
Jun Kobayashi,
Masamine Jimba,
Irène Ayi,
Sammy M. Njenga,
Takashi Asakura
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
african health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.391
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1729-0503
pISSN - 1680-6905
DOI - 10.4314/ahs.v20i3.45
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , medicine , randomized controlled trial , intervention (counseling) , systematic review , observational study , family medicine , peer review , medline , psychiatry , surgery , pathology , political science , law
Background: Despite recognition of the risks of alcohol use and importance of prevention from an early age, the effectiveness of school-based interventions in Africa has not been clarified.
Objective: We aimed to identify effective school-based alcohol use prevention interventions in Africa.
Methods: We searched eight databases for peer-reviewed articles published until February 3, 2019 that reported on randomized controlled trials, cluster randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, pre-post quasi-experimental stud- ies, cohort studies, and case-control studies. The full-texts of relevant studies were searched.
Results: Four of 2797 papers met our eligibility criteria. All reported interventions targeted secondary school students in South Africa and were incorporated in the school curriculum. The interventions comprised multi-component activities with participatory and peer educational methods, and applied modified programs originally developed in the US. However, inter- vention effects were inconsistent among studies, although the interventions tended to have a positive effect on non-drinkers at baseline, with stronger effects in girls.
Conclusion: Interventions had positive effects on students that were non-drinkers at baseline, especially girls. Although we could not find robust evidence that school-based interventions changed attitudes, frequency/quantity of drinking, and intentions to use alcohol, one intervention showed an increase in students’ alcohol refusal self-efficacy.
Keywords: School-based preventive interventions; alcohol use; Africa; systematic review.