Integrated sports and sexual and reproductive health education for young people: A global scoping review

Abstract

Abstract Background: Providing sexual health education to youth can improve knowledge and outcomes. Programs integrating soccer and sexual health education have shown promise in improving HIV-related outcomes in African countries; however, little is known about programs in other regions of the world, using other sports, or focusing on other sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes. This scoping review identified programs in which youth both play any sport and are explicitly taught a curriculum to improve any SRH outcomes. Methods:Four databases were searched for articles mentioning sex education, sports, adolescents, and synonyms of these concepts. References from articles selected for data extraction were also hand-searched. Articles were included in the review if they 1) were published between 2000 and 2022; 2) reported quantitative outcome data; 3) reported on an integrated sport and SRH intervention program; and 4) included participants between 10 and 24 years old. Two co-authors extracted data from the selected studies. Narrative synthesis and descriptive tables were used to summarize extracted data. Results: Of 4,161 records identified by the search, 21 met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the programs identified were implemented in Africa (n = 13). Sports included football/soccer (n = 15), netball/basketball (n = 2), and cricket (n = 2). Most (n = 12) interventions were multi-session programs lasting up to 12 weeks. HIV/AIDS prevention (n = 16) and prevention of gender-based violence (n = 13) were the most common education topics. Seven studies included random assignment to treatment and control. Significant improvements in outcomes were reported by most of the studies measuring HIV-related outcomes as well as all three studies reporting outcomes related to contraception or pregnancy. Less than half of the studies measuring gender roles, gender norms, or gender-based violence reported positive outcomes. Sport type and extent of sports participation was not associated with whether interventions resulted in improved outcomes. Conclusions: Integrated sport and SRH interventions show promise as a way to attract and engage youth in SRH programming. Additional research is needed to better understand the specific content, context, and implementation strategies that are associated with positive outcomes.