Healthevidence.org - monthly update and can we scare youth from becoming criminals?

Healthevidence.ca, recently underway a revision and change of location to www.healthevidence.org, be sure to update your favourites. Monthly, a communication highlights the best of the synthesis reviews that have been added to their collection. For those not on the list, a smattering of the strong reviews for June are listed below with links that should work.  The downside of some of this, is that Health Evidence is going the way of Cochrane and publishing many reviews that disregard the value of the range of epidemiological studies.

The highlight of particular interest is on the effectiveness of programs to prevent juvenile delinquency, often through visits to local establishments of incarceration.  The main conclusion was that these programs were more harmful than helpful.  The studies however were all undertaken between 1967 and 1992 – begging the question why would such programs exist currently at all? Is this just a way of making the privileged classes feel good that they are doing something? It is a clear example of where programming based on fear, and programming entrenched in middle class beliefs and not program recipients views - are unlikely to work and can be harmful.    Juvenile delinquency prevention

Noting also that there is a reasonably good review as well on regulation change as an intervention to prevent aggression and injury in hockey.  

Review-level evidence on the effectiveness of public health and health promotion interventions:	Review Quality Rating
Early interventions to prevent psychosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis	Strong
A meta-analysis of intensive family preservation programs: Placement prevention and improvement of family functioning	Strong
Firearms laws and the reduction of violence: A systematic review	Strong
Interventions to improve influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates among community-dwelling adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis	Strong
Interventions to reduce or prevent obesity in pregnant women: A systematic review (Report)	Strong
Physical activity programs for persons with dementia	Strong
Screening for HIV in pregnant women: Systematic review to update the 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation	Strong
Screening for HIV: Systematic review to update the 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation	Strong
Skin patch and vaginal ring versus combined oral contraceptives for contraception	Strong
Strategies for communicating contraceptive effectiveness	Strong
"Scared Straight" and other juvenile awareness programs for preventing juvenile delinquency	Strong
Effectiveness of interventions to reduce aggression and injuries among ice hockey players: A systematic review	Strong
Gaps in the evidence for prevention and treatment of maternal anaemia: a review of systematic reviews	Strong
Motivational interviewing as a behavioral intervention to increase HAART adherence in patients who are HIV-positive: A systematic review of the literature	Strong
Seasonal influenza vaccine efficacy and its determinants in children and non-elderly adults: A systematic review with meta-analyses of controlled trials	Strong