Study designs of evaluations included in the review
The authors did not state any inclusion criteria relating to the study designs. Where reported, included studies were of pre-test post-test or quasi-experimental design.
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies evaluating interventions for low-back pain (LBP) prevention were eligible for inclusion. The specific interventions included a 'Swedish back school' delivered by trained primary-school teachers, a physical therapist-led back education programme, a 30-minute presentation on proper wearing of a back-pack, a posture hygiene programme and a body-consciousness programme.
Participants included in the review
Studies including participants under the age of 18 years who were not seeking treatment were eligible for inclusion. Where reported, the mean age ranged from 9 to 12.7 years. One study reported including children aged 6 to 15 years.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The authors did not state any inclusion criteria relating to the outcomes. The outcomes in the selected studies included level of knowledge or recall, prevalence of back pain and neck pain and perceived disability, use of back-care principles, back-pack wearing posture, motor skills and medical treatment for LBP. A variety of measurement techniques was reported.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
Two reviewers independently selected papers for the review.