The review was conducted by Moch. Yunus alongside Tisnalia Merdya Andyastanti and Erianto Fanani, also from Universitas Negeri Malang. Drawing on ten recent primary studies from Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America, the authors highlight which prevention strategies deliver sustainable improvements in physical activity, metabolic indicators, and long-term health habits among adolescents.
Sedentary Lifestyles and a Growing Metabolic Risk
Adolescents today spend more time sitting than any previous generation. Extended screen use, reduced physical education, and urban lifestyles have contributed to lower daily activity levels worldwide. Public health data increasingly link these patterns to insulin resistance, central obesity, and abnormal lipid profiles in teenagers—key warning signs of prediabetes.
Prediabetes during adolescence is particularly concerning. When impaired glucose regulation appears early in life, the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease increases sharply. These conditions not only affect individual health trajectories but also impose long-term economic pressure on healthcare systems through chronic treatment costs and productivity loss.
Despite this growing concern, many prevention efforts still rely on short-term education campaigns that emphasize knowledge rather than sustained behavior change. Yunus and colleagues argue that this gap explains why sedentary behavior remains difficult to reverse in adolescent populations.
How the Review Was Conducted
The research team carried out a systematic public health review following PRISMA guidelines. They screened more than 3,000 scientific articles published between 2020 and 2025 using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar.
After rigorous screening and quality assessment, ten primary studies were selected for detailed analysis. These studies examined health promotion interventions linked to sedentary lifestyle, physical inactivity, and metabolic risk. The authors compared different approaches, including school-based programs, community initiatives, digital health interventions, and habit-based lifestyle programs.
Rather than focusing on clinical treatment, the review concentrated on preventive and promotive strategies that could realistically be scaled within public health and education systems.
Key Findings from Global Evidence
The review identifies clear patterns across diverse settings. Multilevel interventions outperform single-approach programs Programs based on socio-ecological models—addressing individual behavior, social support, and environmental context—consistently achieved better metabolic outcomes than passive education alone.
School-based programs show early benefits Structured school interventions increased physical activity and improved cardiometabolic markers such as blood pressure and lipid profiles, particularly among adolescents with obesity or low baseline activity.
Community engagement strengthens sustainability Interventions delivered through community organizations created social accountability and support, making lifestyle changes more durable over time.
Digital health tools boost physical activity Mobile health applications and activity trackers increased walking frequency and reduced waist circumference and triglyceride levels. Digital platforms proved especially effective for adolescents who already engage heavily with smartphones.
Habit-based approaches deliver lasting impact Programs emphasizing small, repeatable daily behaviors over several months showed sustained improvements in metabolic health, even up to two years after intervention.
Targeted programs work best for high-risk groups Interventions tailored to specific risk profiles—such as low activity levels or obesity—produced stronger outcomes than generalized programs.
Why These Findings Matter
The review sends a clear message to policymakers, educators, and public health planners: preventing adolescent prediabetes requires integrated, long-term strategies, not one-off campaigns.
For schools, the findings support embedding physical activity and nutrition promotion into daily routines rather than treating them as extracurricular topics.
For health authorities, the evidence favors coordinated programs that link schools, families, communities, and digital platforms.
For governments, early investment in adolescent health promotion can reduce future healthcare costs tied to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
As ethically paraphrased from the authors’ conclusions, Moch. Yunus of Universitas Negeri Malang emphasizes that health promotion is most effective when it reshapes environments and habits, not just knowledge. Adolescents benefit most when healthy choices are reinforced consistently across school, community, and digital spaces.
Implications Beyond Adolescence
Although the review focuses on adolescents, its implications extend to broader public health planning. Sedentary behavior is a life-course issue, and habits formed during adolescence often persist into adulthood. By intervening early, health systems can curb the long-term rise of non-communicable diseases.
The findings also support innovation in digital health. As artificial intelligence and personalized health tracking develop, future interventions could adapt recommendations in real time, increasing relevance and adherence among young users.
Author Profiles
Moch. Yunus, M.D., M.P.H. is a public health researcher at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Malang, Indonesia. His expertise includes adolescent health, non-communicable disease prevention, and health promotion strategies.
Tisnalia Merdya Andyastanti, M.P.H. is a researcher at Universitas Negeri Malang specializing in community health and lifestyle intervention programs.
Erianto Fanani, M.P.H. is a public health scholar at Universitas Negeri Malang with a focus on preventive health policy and behavioral health promotion.
Source
Article title: Multilevel Health Promotion Strategies to Prevent Prediabetes Related to Sedentary Lifestyles in Adolescents: A Systematic Public Health Review
Journal: Indonesian Journal of Advanced Research
Publication year: 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijar.v5i1.16010
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