Respiratory physician Lutz Beckert considers chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management, including the prevention of COPD, the importance of smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation, and the lifesaving potential of addressing treatable traits. He also discusses the logic of inhaler therapy, moving from single therapy to dual and triple therapy when indicated, as well as other aspects of management
School-based interventions effective in preventing multiple risk behaviours
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School-based interventions effective in preventing multiple risk behaviours
How effective are individual, family and school-based interventions for the primary or secondary prevention of multiple risk behaviours among young people (up to 18 years)?
School‐based programmes provided universally without consideration of individual risk were likely to be effective in preventing tobacco use, alcohol use and physical inactivity (moderate‐quality evidence) and might also be beneficial in relation to illicit drug use (low‐quality evidence). Evidence was less certain for the effects of such multiple-risk-behaviour interventions for cannabis use, sexual-risk behaviours and unhealthy diet. Individual and family‐level interventions seemed to have little or no benefit in relation to the outcomes considered. Included studies had a combined intervention and follow-up period of ≥6 months.
Most studies were conducted in the US. Seven studies reported adverse effects, which involved evidence suggestive of increased involvement in a risk behaviour among participants receiving the intervention compared with participants given control interventions.
Health-risk behaviours, such as smoking and drug use, can group together during the teenage years, and engagement in these multiple-risk behaviours can lead to health problems such as injury and substance abuse during childhood and adolescence, as well as non‐communicable diseases later in life. Currently, we do not know which interventions are effective in preventing or decreasing these risky behaviours among children and young people.
MacArthur et al. Individual-, family-, and school-level interventions targeting multiple risk behaviours in young people. Cochrane Reviews, 2019, Issue 10. Art. No.: CD009922.DOI: 10.1002/14651858. CD009922.pub2. This review contains 70 studies involving mostly high-income countries.