Assessing health promotion in high school and university students during COVID-19: A systematic review

Abstract

High schools and universities play vital roles as educational hubs for health promotion, contributing to pandemic preparedness and fostering informed and resilient communities. This study aims to comprehensively investigate, drawing on existing literature, health promotion strategies, and activities within the context of high school and college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was a systematic review that conforms to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses [PRISMA] on PubMed, Science Direct, and Semantic Scholar databases [2018-2023]. From an initial 22,633 articles, 5 were selected based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and title/abstract matching. The selected studies informed distinct health promotion patterns. High school students rely on peers and social media, exhibiting varied preventive measures, while university students prioritize digital health literacy through extensive search engine and social media use. The included studies highlight the integration of social media into online education, identifying gaps in COVID-19 knowledge and emphasizing the influential role of social media in shaping behaviors and reinforcing public health defenses. The studies collectively suggest adopting social media strategies for health promotion in high schools and universities. In conclusion, this systematic review provides concise insights into health promotion efforts among high school and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tailored strategies for each educational level, integrating credible social media into education, emerge as key recommendations to enhance health promotion activities and interventions.