What do we want to know?

This report synthesises the results of three previous reviews undertaken by the EPPI Centre:

Young people and mental health: a systematic review of research on barriers and facilitators (2001)

Young people and healthy eating: a systematic review of research on barriers and facilitators (2001)

Young people and physical activity: a systematic review of research on barriers and facilitators (2001)

What are the implications?

• Different interventions for young men and young women should be developed and evaluated.
• Multi-component interventions seem to work best.
• The individual reports make a wide range of specific recommendations in relation to mental health, healthy eating and physical activity, both in and out of school.

Who wants to know?

Practitioners, policy-makers, researchers, young people

What did we find?

A dearth of studies reporting well-educated attempts to promote young people's health. The qualitative research base is strong – young people have clear views about what is good and bad for their health

How did we get these results?

All three reviews were coordinated in two stages: a descriptive map of research in the topic area, and an in-depth review of a smaller number of studies. The descriptive maps of the reviews were based on a total of 647 studies, and the in-depth stages on a total of 67 studies (seven systematic reviews, 24 interventions studies and 36 studies of young people's views). (There was some overlap of research between these reviews).

This summary was prepared by the EPPI Centre

This report should be cited as: Shepherd J, Garcia J, Oliver S, Harden A, Rees R, Brunton G, Oakley A (2002) Barriers to, and facilitators of the health of young people: a systematic review of evidence on young people's views and on interventions in mental health, physical activity and healthy eating. Volume 1: Overview and Volume 2: Complete report. London: EPPI Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.