Promoting Participation in African High Schools: A Scoping Review.
Lomarie Thesnaar, Monique De Wit, Fasloen Adams and 1 others
None of the 15 school-based occupational therapy studies for adolescents reviewed were conducted in Africa, and most were not suitable for the African context.
Four showed some promise but none addressed spirituality — a gap the authors flag as critical.
Key findings
1None of the 15 included studies were conducted in Africa; more than 90% were conducted in the United States or other high-income countries.
2Four of the 15 interventions showed the most promise for adaptation to the African context, sharing features such as group delivery, minimal equipment, and community collaboration.
3None of the included interventions addressed the spiritual needs of adolescents, which the authors identify as a key contextual gap for African practice.
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What it does not show
Only English-language, peer-reviewed articles were included; grey literature, books, and non-English sources were excluded, which the authors note may have missed relevant African research. No Level I or II evidence was found among the 15 included studies; the evidence base consists of case reports and case-control designs. The review only captured interventions conducted by occupational therapists, excluding other professionals who may deliver similar school-based interventions. The review focused specifically on participation promotion, so other OT roles in high schools (assessment, policy, advocacy) were not captured.
Declared interests
No funding was received. The authors declare no conflicts of interest and state their opinions are their own, not those of Stellenbosch University.
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