1. Background
Similar initiatives are evident in New Community Schools in Scotland (Scottish
Office, 1999) and in the full-service schools in the USA (Dryfoos, 1998). Although
life checks could usefully link into extended school services, it is important to
recognise that large sections of the population may not access life checks through
a school setting. In 2004-2005, there were 9,440 expulsions from primary,
secondary and special needs schools in the UK (Department for Education and
Skills, 2006). Nutbeam et al. (1999) found that ‘teenagers exhibiting health-
compromising behaviours are more likely to feel alienated from school, limiting the
impact of school-based health interventions’ (cited in Walker and Townsend,
1999, p 170). It is therefore important to identify other potential settings for the
administration of life checks, such as primary care.
It is important to find out what the available research evidence says about the
effects of life checks (including any adverse effects) and whether they are
acceptable to young people. This report describes a scoping review which aimed
to identify and sort evidence about the effects of interventions that include the
suggested components of life checks or employ the methods envisaged for the
administration of life checks. The purpose of the review was to assess the size
and nature of the available research literature relating to this topic. In contrast to a
full systematic review, searches have been systematic but not fully
comprehensive (e.g. no attempt to identify ‘grey’ literature). Full copies of papers
have been obtained for only a few studies, and there is no attempt to conduct a
full quality appraisal of the identified research or to synthesize findings.
A scoping review of the evidence relevant to life checks for young people aged 9 to 14 years