Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37428473›Full record

Trial reportHealth education research2023

Teaching Australian high school students to think critically about health claims: a cluster randomized trial.

L Cusack, M Jones, L Desha, T C Hoffmann

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Health education research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

L CusackInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, 14 University Dr, Robina, Queensland 4226, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0178-6426
M JonesInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, 14 University Dr, Robina, Queensland 4226, Australia.
L DeshaInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, 14 University Dr, Robina, Queensland 4226, Australia.
T C HoffmannInstitute for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, 14 University Dr, Robina, Queensland 4226, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Making informed health decisions requires knowledge and skills in appraising health claims, and teaching adolescents these skills may prepare them for future decision-making. This cluster randomized trial evaluated the effectiveness of an educational intervention on students' ability to identify and appraise health claims. Nine Australian high schools (4 control and 5 intervention) were recruited, comprising 974 students (382 control and 592 intervention) in Grades 7-10. Intervention impact was evaluated through baseline and follow-up evaluation. Follow-up mean scores on questions (maximum score of 25) from the Claim Evaluation Tools database (primary outcome) showed minimal between-group difference (intervention versus control: 14.4 versus 13.6; difference 0.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.6 to 3.1; P = 0.52). Change scores were only slightly higher in the intervention group (difference 1.2 [95% CI -0.7 to 3.1; P = 0.21]). Between-group differences for secondary outcomes were also minimal. Most intervention group students 'trusted' and 'liked' the programme and found the content 'easy' and 'helpful'. Most teacher feedback was positive, some noting challenges of covering content in allocated time and maintaining student engagement. It is unlikely that the assessed educational intervention had a large effect. Future research priorities are suggested.

Indexed as

Health EducationStudentsAdolescentAustraliaHumansSchool Health ServicesSchools

Identifiers

PMID37428473
PMCPMC10516377

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.