Lifestyle choices for the prediabetic
Persons with blood glucose levels that are abnormal, but not yet in the range of persons with diabetes, are said to have prediabetes - which often precedes the development of type-2 diabetes. Most persons with prediabetes are overweight, and obesity worsens the blood glucose and other problems associated with prediabetes. In this review we found that interventions involving diet, physical activity or behaviour produced significant improvements in weight among persons with prediabetes, as well as a significant decrease in diabetes incidence. Modest, but not statistically significant, improvements were noted in the few studies that examined blood sugar control, blood pressure, and lipid levels.

Norris SL, Zhang X, Avenell A, Gregg E, Brown TJ, Schmid CH, Lau J. Long-term non-pharmacologic weight loss interventions for adults with type 2 diabetes. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD004095. DOI: 10.1002/ 14651858. CD004095. pub2.

Mass media interventions for promoting HIV testing
Mass media campaigns designed to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS have shown immediate and significant effects in the promotion of voluntary counseling and testing for HIV. According to UNAIDS, 42 million people in the world have HIV. Notably, the majority of new infections are preventable and are spread through unsafe sex. Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) can lead to the practice of safe sexual behaviours and increased condom use, thus preventing the spread of the disease. While mass media campaigns have shown an immediate and significant overall effect on VCT, no significant long-term effect has been demonstrated. This may have been due to the short duration of the campaigns. Further research is needed to identify the impact of mass media campaigns, their cost-effectiveness, and types of campaigns and message characteristics. In addition, more studies are needed to explore new media strategies for the long-term.

Vidanapathirana J, Abramson MJ, Forbes A, Fairley C. Mass media interventions for promoting HIV testing. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004775. DOI: 10.1002/ 14651858. CD004775. pub2.

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Continuous support for women during childbirth
Continuous labour support - involving emotional support, information and comfort measures - may enhance the normal labour processes and thus reduce the need for obstetric intervention. Women who received continuous labour support were found to be less likely to use pain medications and were more likely to be satisfied and to give birth 'spontaneously' (with neither caesarean, nor vacuum, nor forceps being necessary). In general labour, support was more effective when it was provided by women who were not part of the hospital staff .

Hodnett ED, Gates S, Hofmeyr G J, Sakala C. Continuous support for women during childbirth. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD003766. DOI: 10.1002/ 14651858. CD003766.

Cognitive behaviour therapy for schizophrenia
Cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the talking therapies that is suggested to be of value to people with schizophrenia. This systematic review suggests that it may well be of value, at least in the short-term. Cognitive behavioural therapy should be further evaluated in various clinical settings and the effects for both expert and less skilled practitioners should be compared.

Jones C, Cormac I, Silveira da Mota Neto JI, Campbell C. Cognitive behaviour therapy for schizophrenia. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2004, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD000524. DOI: 10.1002/ 14651858. CD000524. pub2.