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4. RESULTS

4.1 Identification of studies

The searches of bibliographic databases and specialist registers resulted in the
identification of 5,548 records with titles and/or abstracts. After screening these
against our inclusion criteria, we found that 77 reports of 70 individual studies
were eligible for inclusion.

Figure 4.1 shows the flow of studies through the stages of the scoping review.

4.2 Characteristics of studies

This section describes the 70 studies according to study design, country,
population, and features of the intervention relevant to the life-check proposal.
Details of these characteristics for each study are provided in appendices B and
C.

4.2.1 Study design

We identified a range of different study types (see Table 4.1).

Table 4.1: Studies by study type (N = 70)

Just under half the studies were outcome evaluations. Nine of these were
randomised controlled trials (RCTs), five were controlled trials, and four were
single group pre-test / post-test studies. For 16 studies, it was not possible to tell
from the information in the abstract the design of the outcome evaluation. The
design is important in those which include control groups provide much more
reliable evidence of impact than those which collect data post-intervention from
only one group, as these cannot compare what happens to young people offered
the intervention with those who are not. Controlled studies which include random
assignment (of groups or individuals) offer the most reliable evidence of
effectiveness. The best evidence of the effectiveness of life checks on young
people in schools or other settings is therefore likely to come from the nine RCTs
and the five controlled trials.

A scoping review of the evidence relevant to life checks for young people aged 9 to 14 years

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