Effectiveness of digital educational technologies in knowledge acquisition for adolescent health promotion: a systematic review.
Maria Eduarda Jucá da Paz Barbosa, Victor Andrew da Silva Teixeira, Jayne Ramos Araujo Moura et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review assessed whether digital educational technologies improve health-promotion knowledge among adolescents. It included 15 studies involving 14,733 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, with interventions delivered mainly in schools and addressing topics such as HIV prevention, substance use, pregnancy, and sexual, oral, and mental health. Interactive and hybrid multimedia approaches, combining digital content with in-person support, showed greater impact on knowledge acquisition. Static or minimally interactive materials were less effective. The review also noted that technology access inequalities and cultural adaptation may influence outcomes.
Key findings
- The review included 15 studies and 14,733 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years.
- Interactive and hybrid multimedia interventions showed greater impact on knowledge acquisition than static or minimally interactive content.
- Interventions covered HIV prevention, drug use, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and oral, mental, and sexual health.
Why it matters
Digital education is not a uniform intervention: the review suggests that interactivity and in-person support may be important to knowledge gains. This distinction can inform the design and evaluation of adolescent health-promotion programmes. Unequal access to technology and the need for cultural adaptation also matter when considering whether an intervention’s results may apply across settings.
What to keep in mind
The review reports varied interventions and implementation contexts, and its findings are based on knowledge acquisition rather than demonstrated changes in health behaviour or outcomes.