We all know teens should move more, but getting them to actually do it is tough. Schools often try to help with special programs, from activity lessons to after-school clubs. Now, a major review of 90 studies involving about 17,000 adolescents gives us a clearer picture of what works—and what doesn't last.
The analysis found that these school-based efforts do make a real difference in the short term. For the first six months, teens in the programs were significantly more active than their peers who didn't participate. The catch? That positive effect disappeared when researchers looked at results beyond six months. The programs didn't lead to lasting changes in overall activity, time spent sitting, or body mass index (BMI) in the long run.
It's important to interpret these findings with some caution. The researchers rated the certainty of the evidence as low to moderate, partly because the included studies were quite different from each other. What this tells us is that a school program alone isn't a magic bullet. Getting a teenager to adopt a more active lifestyle and stick with it is complex. The authors suggest that lasting change might need a coordinated, long-term strategy that involves not just schools, but also families and the wider community.
