Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses within Health Education

Abstract

I am excited to introduce a Special Issue of the American Journal of Health Education (AJHE) on Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses within Health Education. The purpose of this special issue was to provide indepth understanding on important topics in health education through systematic reviews and meta-analyses that advance the health education profession. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have an important role in health education practice by providing comprehensive syntheses of research on specific topics. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that follow rigorous methodological practices can provide compelling evidence regarding issues currently impacting the health of individuals, communities, and societies. Furthermore, AJHE’s mission is to publish research manuscripts that focus on Health Education and Health Promotion interventions designed to prevent or delay the onset of the major chronic diseases and illnesses that impact population health. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses can assist in identifying populations, places, outcomes, and conditions where a health education/health promotion intervention might be needed or improved. The special issue comprises six articles on an array of topics including physical activity, mental health, alcohol misuse and abuse, diabetes, COPD, and oral health. Different behaviors, geographic regions, theories, and intervention styles including student-led and selfmanagement are explored. Most authors utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines which is the recognized standard for reporting evidence in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. I think every Certified Health Education Specialist and Health Educator will find something of value and professional interest within these articles. Bopp, Vadeboncoeur, Roetert, & Stellefson provide an interesting literature review on a term growing in importance and relevance; physical literacy. They provide an overview of the literature published in the United States on this topic and highlight the scholars, disciplines, and contexts for different studies discussing the topic. It provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of physical literacy in addition to a valuable discussion on the future implications of physical literacy in the health education profession and beyond. Delfin, Gray, & Wilkerson conducted a systematic review of the literature on mental health interventions for elite athletes. They provided an overview of research related to this topic and population including year, country of origin, specific target population, study purpose, study design, intervention groups, intervention duration, intervention activities, mental health outcome measures, and intervention effects. Additionally, they reviewed the methodological quality of the current research. I found this research particularly relevant given the growing concerns over mental wellness gripping college athletics after the recent deaths of several student-athletes by suicide. Stellefson, Kinder, Boyd, Elijah, Naher, & McFadden added to the special issue by reviewing self-management interventions delivered to adults with COPD in rural areas. More specifically, they compared telehealth and non-telehealth interventions and summarized the research on intervention design including tactics utilized, length, and delivery types; use of theory; participants and setting; study design; and study outcomes. Telehealth grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the timeliness of this literature review is appropriate. Moore, Turner, Stellefson, & Chaney systematically summarized research studies using theory-based questionnaires to assess predictive factors of oral hygiene behaviors among young adults. They focused on the Theory of Planned Behavior and do an incredible job of highlighting interventions that influence intention to engage in dental behaviors. Given that oral diseases are often chronic and there is an established relationship between oral health and other chronic diseases, this is an important literature review to read. Nickelson, McFadden, Johnson, & Boucher examined literature related to student-delivered interventions on diabetes health outcomes. They postulate that student-