Youth development programmes

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Health outcomes of youth

development programme in England: prospective matched comparison study

This study, published in BMJ, can be accessed at http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/339/jul07_2/b2534From the ChiMat summary:"The objective of this study was to evaluate the

effectiveness of youth development in reducing teenage pregnancy, substance

use, and other outcomes. It concluded that no evidence was found that the

intervention was effective in delaying heterosexual experience or reducing

pregnancies, drunkenness, or cannabis use. Some results suggested an adverse

effect. Although methodological limitations may at least partly explain these

findings, any further implementation of such interventions in the UK should be

only within randomised trials."Interestingly, the authors highlight the potentially adverse impacts of labelling caused by targeted interventions,such as the youth development programmes. Perhaps there is hope for universality, once more?They also suggest there may be adverse effects from bringing together groups of children who all have similar vulnerability, in potentially spreading risky behaviour. Perhaps that old wives thing about stopping children from 'falling in with a bad crowd' might be something professionals can learn from!

Child and Maternal Health Observatory – ChiMat – provides a weekly email update if you sign up at www.chimat.org.uk.

best wishes

Cowleysarahcowley183@...http://myprofile.cos.com/S124021COn