ObjectivesThis study was conducted to perform an effect size analysis of psychosocial interventions for internet addiction and to identify the intervention moderators applied to school-aged children.MethodsFor the meta-analysis, studies were included that were published in English or Korean until January 2015, without limitation in terms of the year. They were retrieved from 11 electronic databases and by manual searches according to predefined inclusion criteria.ResultsA total of 37 studies were selected, which included 11 treatment conditions and covered a total of 1,490 participants. The effect size estimates showed that psychosocial interventions had a large effect for reducing internet addiction (standardized mean difference [SMD], –1.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], –1.52 to –0.87) and improving self-control (SMD, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.47) and self-esteem (mean difference, 3.58; 95% CI, 2.03 to 5.12). The moderator analyses reveals that group treatments, a selective approach, a long duration, a community setting, or higher school grade had a larger effect.ConclusionsThe findings of this review suggest that psychosocial intervention may be used to prevent Internet addiction in school-aged children, although further research should be conducted using a randomized controlled trial design or diverse age groups to provide evidence-based recommendations.

Abstract

BackgroundA lifestyle characterized by poor eating habits and physical inactivity is a risk factor for multiple lifestyle diseases in young adults. This study assessed the effects of implementing an intensive 10-day health promotion program combining diet and physical activities on body composition, physical fitness, and biochemical parameters of young adults.Material/MethodsIn this randomized pilot study, 30 female undergraduate students were randomly allocated to an intervention and a control group. The health promotion program consisted of unlimited amounts of vegetarian food; aerobic, flexibility, and strength exercises (3 hours/day); lectures on health (3 hours/day); massage practice (2 hours/day); and healthy cooking practice (1 hour/day). The effects of the intervention were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.ResultsThe intensive 10-day health promotion program significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood glucose, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. At the same time, participants demonstrated increased back muscle, leg muscle, and grip strength; waist and shoulder flexibility; balance; and cardiorespiratory endurance.ConclusionsThe intensive 10-day health promotion program is a viable intervention for improving body composition, physical fitness, glycemic control, and blood lipid levels in young adults.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of resistance exercise using elastic bands on flexibility and balance among the elderly people living in the community. [Subjects and Methods] Database search was conducted by using PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, RISS, NDSL, NANET, DBpia, and KoreaMed. The meta-analysis, which was based on 19 studies, covered a total of 649 participants and used either the fixed effects or random effects model. [Results] The effect size estimates showed that resistance exercise using elastic bands have significantly increased the functional reach test score (Standard Mean Difference: 1.18, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.89) and timed up and go test score (Mean Difference: 2.89, 95% CI 2.55 to 3.22). [Conclusion] The review findings suggest that resistance exercise using elastic bands is effective for improving the flexibility and balance of the elderly people living in the community. However, further research is deemed necessary by using a large sample size or follow-up measure in order to provide evidence-based recommendations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an interpersonal relationship improvement program on self-esteem, interpersonal orientation, and ego-resilience on Korean adolescents. In this randomized controlled trial (RCT), 62 eligible participants were randomly assigned to either group A (intervention, n=30) or group B (usual care, n=32). Self-esteem, interpersonal orientation, and egoresilience were measured at the baseline, and a three-week follow-up was conducted. The t-test was then used to determine the effect of intervention. The mean self-esteem (p=0.002), interpersonal orientation (p=0.000), and ego-resilience (p=0.000) significantly increased after intervention. Thus, the results of this study suggested that the interpersonal relationship improvement program could be utilized as an effective means to improve mental and social health of adolescents.