To examine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving physical activity, diet, and/or weight-related behaviors amongst university/college students. Five online databases were searched (January 1970 to April 2014). Experimental study designs were eligible for inclusion. Data extraction was performed by one reviewer using a standardized form developed by the researchers and checked by a second reviewer. Data were described in a narrative synthesis and meta-analyses were conducted when appropriate. Study quality was also established. Forty-one studies were included; of these, 34 reported significant improvements in one of the key outcomes. Of the studies examining physical activity 18/29 yielded significant results, with meta-analysis demonstrating significant increases in moderate physical activity in intervention groups compared to control. Of the studies examining nutrition, 12/24 reported significantly improved outcomes; only 4/12 assessing weight loss outcomes found significant weight reduction. This appears to be the first systematic review of physical activity, diet and weight loss interventions targeting university and college students. Tertiary institutions are appropriate settings for implementing and evaluating lifestyle interventions, however more research is needed to improve such strategies.

Current physical activity and fitness levels among adolescents are low, increasing the risk of chronic disease. Although the efficacy of high intensity interval training (HIIT) for improving metabolic health is now well established, it is not known if this type of activity can be effective to improve adolescent health. The primary aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of embedding HIIT into the school day. A 3-arm pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted in one secondary school in Newcastle, Australia. Participants (n = 65; mean age = 15.8(0.6) years) were randomized into one of three conditions: aerobic exercise program (AEP) (n = 21), resistance and aerobic exercise program (RAP) (n = 22) and control (n = 22). The 8-week intervention consisted of three HIIT sessions per week (8-10 min/session), delivered during physical education (PE) lessons or at lunchtime. Assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention to detect changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (multi-stage shuttle-run), muscular fitness (push-up, standing long jump tests), body composition (Body Mass Index (BMI), BMI-z scores, waist circumference) and physical activity motivation (questionnaire), by researchers blinded to treatment allocation. Intervention effects for outcomes were examined using linear mixed models, and Cohen's d effect sizes were reported. Participants in the AEP and RAP groups had moderate intervention effects for waist circumference (p = 0.024), BMI-z (p = 0.037) and BMI (not significant) in comparison to the control group. A small intervention effect was also evident for cardiorespiratory fitness in the RAP group.

Sport is a distinct, structured form of physical activity that can support psychological health and social development in children and adolescents. Compared to other forms of physical activity, the unique attributes of sport, including its combination of physical, cognitive, and social opportunities and challenges within structured goal-directed contexts, may confer additional psychological and social benefits. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the psychological and social outcomes of sport participation in children and adolescents, and proposes an updated, developmentally informed conceptual model explaining the mechanisms through which sport supports mental health. A systematic search was conducted across five electronic databases on 18 October 2024, with no date limits applied. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed, published in English, and focused on the relationship between sport participation and psychological and/or social outcomes in 5-17-year olds. Sport was defined as a structured form of physical activity performed individually or in teams, with established rules and a specific objective. Risk of bias was assessed using validated tools tailored to study design. From 17,017 records, 189 studies were included, spanning cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental designs. Sport participation was consistently associated with better mental health-including higher self-esteem, life satisfaction, and reduced depressive and anxiety symptoms-and enhanced social outcomes, such as improved interpersonal skills, prosocial behavior, and belonging. Team sports showed stronger and more consistent benefits than individual sports. The experimental evidence highlighted potential causal effects on emotional regulation, resilience, and prosocial behavior. Risk of bias was generally low among randomized trials, although most relied on self-report data and lacked pre-registration. Observational and quasi-experimental studies were methodologically sound but were affected by potential confounding and social desirability bias. This review provides compelling evidence that organized sport participation supports psychological and social development in children and adolescents. Sport was consistently associated with higher self-esteem, greater life satisfaction, and lower symptoms of depression and anxiety, with team sports showing stronger and more consistent benefits than individual sports. Social outcomes-including enhanced belonging, prosocial behavior, and interpersonal skills-were also evident, underscoring the unique contribution of sport as a social context for development. The refined conceptual model proposed here identifies self-perceptions, peer belonging, and social support as central mechanisms, offering a developmentally informed framework for leveraging sport to promote youth mental health. These findings highlight sport, especially inclusive and well-structured team sports, as a powerful setting for fostering psychological well-being and positive social outcomes, warranting prioritization in youth development policies and programs.

Process evaluations can help to optimise the implementation of school-based physical activity interventions. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process evaluation of a school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program for older adolescent students, known as Burn 2 Learn (B2L). B2L was evaluated via a cluster randomised controlled trial in 20 secondary schools (10 intervention, 10 control) in New South Wales, Australia. Teachers (n = 22 (55% female)) from the 10 intervention schools, delivered the program over three phases (Phases 1 and 2, 6 months; Phase 3, 6 months) to older adolescent students (n = 337 (50% female); mean ± standard deviation (SD) age = 16.0 ± 0.4 years). Process evaluation data were collected across the 12-month study period. Teachers delivered 2.0 ± 0.8 and 1.7 ± 0.6 sessions/week in Phases 1 and 2 respectively (mean total 25.9 ± 5.2), but only 0.6 ± 0.7 sessions/week in Phase 3. Observational data showed that session quality was high, however heart rate (HR) data indicated that only half of the students reached the prescribed threshold of ≥85% predicted HR_max during sessions. Over 80% of teachers reported they intended to deliver the B2L program to future student cohorts. Almost 70% of students indicated they intended to participate in HIIT in the future. Teachers considered the program to be adaptable, and both students and teachers were satisfied with the intervention. B2L was implemented with moderate-to-high fidelity in Phases 1 and 2, but low in Phase 3. Our findings add to the relatively scant process evaluation literature focused on the delivery of school-based physical activity programs.