Systematic ReviewResearchPatient Education

School diet-and-activity programs did not significantly change BMI-for-age overall

BMC public health (PubMed)Aug 29, 2026

AI-summarized from the linked source. Educational brief, not medical advice.

Brief summary

A systematic review of school-based programs in Africa found modest improvements in some weight-related outcomes, but the pooled effect on BMI-for-age was not statistically significant.

What NurseJet pulled from the source

Eleven studies met inclusion criteria, and nine intervention comparisons contributed to the BMI-for-age meta-analysis. Most programs combined physical activity with nutrition or other behavioral components. The pooled mean difference was 0.03 (95% CI -0.24 to 0.29; p = .813; I² = 69%), so the review did not establish an overall BMI-for-age benefit.

Why this matters for nurses

School and pediatric nurses often reinforce nutrition and activity programs and help families interpret growth trends. The review supports cautious expectations: multicomponent programs may help selected outcomes, but current African evidence does not show a consistent pooled change in BMI-for-age.

Bedside takeaway

Set realistic expectations: school diet-and-activity programs may help some outcomes, but pooled BMI-for-age did not significantly change.

How This Applies in Practice

Use this when: Supporting a child or adolescent enrolled in a school-based nutrition and physical-activity program.

On your shift

Reinforce the program's approved nutrition and activity messages in language the student and family understand.
Document participation, relevant growth measures, and barriers to carrying the plan into daily routines.
Escalate concerning growth patterns or health symptoms for individualized pediatric assessment rather than assuming the group program is sufficient.

Keep in mind: The pooled BMI-for-age result was not significant and the evidence was geographically concentrated. Follow the school or clinic protocol, facility policy, and provider plan.

Key takeaways

The review included 11 studies, mostly from South Africa and mostly using quasi-experimental designs.
Most interventions were multicomponent and delivered in primary-school group settings.
Some studies reported modest adiposity improvements or maintenance of normal weight status.
Across nine comparisons, the pooled effect on BMI-for-age was not statistically significant and heterogeneity was substantial.

Practice implications

Use the approved school or clinic health-promotion program, document participation and relevant growth measures, and explain that healthy routines have value even when a short-term BMI change is not guaranteed. Escalate individual growth or health concerns through the pediatric care pathway.

Limitations & cautions

Only 11 studies were included; 72.7% were conducted in South Africa and 70% were quasi-experimental. The pooled analysis was heterogeneous, and the findings may not generalize across African regions, school systems, or individual children.
AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

Citations

Exact source links

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BMC public health (PubMed)

BMC public health (PubMed). School-based diet and physical activity interventions and weight-related outcomes among children and adolescents in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Open original source

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42668382/

Professional education only

This summary does not replace clinical judgment, facility policy, provider orders, or official guidelines. Verify practice changes against the original source and local protocol.

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Journal of midwifery & women's health (PubMed)Sep 7, 2026Research Article

A retrospective analysis of US natality data found no statistically significant yearly difference in neonatal mortality between freestanding birth centers and hospitals among term, singleton, vertex births without major medical risk factors from 2015 through 2024.

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Research ArticleResearchPatient EducationAI summary · original source linked below

Adjusted neonatal-mortality odds for freestanding birth centers fluctuated around 1.0 across the 10-year study period. No individual year showed a statistically significant difference from hospital births, including 2020 and 2021 when birth-center volume increased.

Key takeaways

The analysis was restricted to births meeting selected low-risk criteria.
The study found no evidence that higher birth-center use during the pandemic years increased neonatal mortality.
The observational design cannot establish that birth setting itself caused the mortality pattern.

Why this matters on shift

The findings add national outcome data for counseling and systems planning around freestanding birth-center care for appropriately selected low-risk pregnancies.

Bedside takeaway

Apply local eligibility, surveillance, escalation, and transfer protocols when caring for planned low-risk birth-center patients.

Nursing implications

Keep eligibility, surveillance, escalation, and transfer decisions anchored to local birth-center criteria and maternal-newborn protocols.

Limitations & cautions

Abstract-only summary. The study used retrospective vital-record data, was limited to selected low-risk births, and cannot exclude residual differences between people who delivered in birth centers and hospitals.
AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

Citations · exact source links

Journal of midwifery & women's health (PubMed). Neonatal Mortality Risk Among Births in Freestanding Birth Centers, 2015 to 2024.

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AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

Pediatric emergency care (PubMed)Sep 7, 2026Research Article

A double-blind randomized trial found no reduction in vomiting or faster oral tolerance with intravenous pantoprazole versus placebo in children with acute gastroenteritis and persistent vomiting after ondansetron.

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Research ArticleResearchMedication SafetyAI summary · original source linked below

The trial randomized 100 children. Vomiting episodes and oral tolerance at 6 and 12 hours did not differ significantly, while median hospital stay was 2 days with pantoprazole and 1 day with placebo.

Key takeaways

The median participant age was 14 months, and 67% of participants were male.
Oral tolerance at 12 hours was 86% in both groups.
The longer stay associated with pantoprazole requires cautious interpretation because this was a single-center trial.

Why this matters on shift

The trial does not support empiric intravenous proton-pump inhibition for persistent vomiting in pediatric acute gastroenteritis after ondansetron.

Bedside takeaway

Clarify the indication for empiric acid suppression and keep hydration and oral-tolerance assessment central to care.

Nursing implications

Prioritize the ordered hydration and oral-tolerance plan, document ongoing emesis, and clarify the indication before administering empiric acid suppression.

Limitations & cautions

Abstract-only summary. This was a single-center study of 100 children in Tehran, and the abstract does not describe adverse events or explain why hospitalization was longer in the pantoprazole group.
AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

Citations · exact source links

Pediatric emergency care (PubMed). Effect of Intravenous Pantoprazole on Clinical Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Gastroenteritis: A Placebo-Controlled RCT.

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Journal of neurology (PubMed)Sep 6, 2026Systematic Review

A cumulative meta-analysis found longer survival over time in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, alongside a shift from predominantly respiratory toward cardiac causes of death.

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The review included 53 studies and more than 13,000 patients. Pooled median survival was 29 years among ventilated patients and 19 years among non-ventilated patients, but these study-level observational comparisons do not establish that ventilation alone caused the difference.

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Sixty percent of patients in the included studies received home mechanical ventilation.
Survival improved progressively over time in both ventilated and non-ventilated groups.
As respiratory survival improved, cardiac and other causes accounted for a larger share of deaths.

Why this matters on shift

Patients living longer with Duchenne muscular dystrophy may need sustained respiratory support plus ongoing cardiac and multisystem surveillance across care transitions.

Bedside takeaway

Verify each patient's established respiratory and cardiac plan during admissions and care transitions.

Nursing implications

During admissions and handoffs, verify the established ventilation, airway-clearance, and cardiac-monitoring plan and coordinate concerns with the multidisciplinary team.

Limitations & cautions

Abstract-only summary. This was a study-level meta-analysis of heterogeneous observational survival reports; the ventilated and non-ventilated groups were not randomized, so associations should not be interpreted as treatment effects.
AI-summarized from the linked source. Review the original article before applying to practice.

Citations · exact source links

Journal of neurology (PubMed). Improving survival in Duchenne muscular dystrophy across eras: a systematic review and cumulative meta-analysis.

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How This Applies in Practice

Key takeaways

Practice implications

Limitations & cautions

Exact source links

More updates for this clinical area

Low-risk birth-center births showed no higher neonatal mortality in a 10-year analysis

IV pantoprazole did not improve vomiting or oral tolerance in pediatric gastroenteritis

Duchenne survival has improved as respiratory and cardiac care evolved