IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v179y2025ics0190740925004700.html

Summer youth work programs for health promotion: A scoping review

Author

Listed:
  • Cepni, Aliye B.
  • Sloan, John
  • Nadeem, Saad
  • White III, James W.
  • Finnegan, Olivia
  • Beets, Michael
  • Armstrong, Bridget
  • Tabak, Rachel G.
  • Lea III, Charles H.
  • Weaver, R. Glenn

Abstract

Summer youth work programs, including paid employment and internships, are typically designed to promote youth employability. They also hold potential as obesity prevention strategies due to their structured nature. This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of existing programs, focusing on their study characteristics, program components, and barriers and facilitators to participation. The goal is to evaluate these programs’ potential to prevent adolescent obesity. A systematic search of PubMed, ERIC (EBSCO), PsycInfo (EBSCO), and Web of Science identified 30 interventions reported across 34 articles. Most studies were quasi-experimental, primarily targeted “job readiness and career” as outcomes, and primarily included underserved youth. Thematic analysis revealed three top program components: training, mentoring, and application. In 13 studies, adolescents reported barriers and facilitators to program participation. “Professional skill development” and “hands-on learning” opportunities were frequently cited as facilitators, while “poor organization” and “limited transportation” emerged as common barriers to program participation. Notably, none of the studies conducted comprehensive feasibility assessments, including trial- and intervention-related feasibility indicators. Only two quasi-experimental studies targeted obesity-related outcomes, with promising findings in reducing obesogenic behaviors. Rigorous study designs and comprehensive feasibility assessments are needed to better understand the potential of these programs in addressing adolescent obesity.

Suggested Citation

  • Cepni, Aliye B. & Sloan, John & Nadeem, Saad & White III, James W. & Finnegan, Olivia & Beets, Michael & Armstrong, Bridget & Tabak, Rachel G. & Lea III, Charles H. & Weaver, R. Glenn, 2025. "Summer youth work programs for health promotion: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:179:y:2025:i:c:s0190740925004700
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108587
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740925004700
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108587?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Judd B. Kessler & Sarah Tahamont & Alexander Gelber & Adam Isen, 2022. "The Effects of Youth Employment on Crime: Evidence from New York City Lotteries," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 710-730, June.
    2. Amy Ellen Schwartz & Jacob Leos‐Urbel & Joel McMurry & Matthew Wiswall, 2021. "Making summer matter: The impact of youth employment on academic performance," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 12(2), pages 477-504, May.
    3. Alicia Sasser Modestino & Richard Paulsen, 2023. "School's Out: How Summer Youth Employment Programs Impact Academic Outcomes," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 18(1), pages 97-126, Winter.
    4. Atwell, Meghan Salas & Jeon, Jeesoo & Cho, Youngmin & Coulton, Claudia & Lewis, Eric & Sorensen, Alena, 2023. "Using integrated data to examine the effects of summer youth employment program completion on educational and criminal justice system outcomes: Evidence from Cuyahoga County, Ohio," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    5. Modestino, Alicia Sasser & Paulsen, Richard J., 2019. "Reducing inequality summer by summer: Lessons from an evaluation of the Boston Summer Youth Employment Program," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 40-53.
    6. Julia Dennett & Alicia Sasser Modestino, 2013. "Uncertain futures?: youth attachment to the labor market in the United States and New England," New England Public Policy Center Research Report 13-3, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    7. Jonathan M.V. Davis & Sara B. Heller, 2020. "Rethinking the Benefits of Youth Employment Programs: The Heterogeneous Effects of Summer Jobs," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 102(4), pages 664-677, October.
    8. Alexander Gelber & Adam Isen & Judd B. Kessler, 2016. "The Effects of Youth Employment: Evidence from New York City Lotteries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(1), pages 423-460.
    9. Daniel Muir & Cristiana Orlando & Becci Newton, 2024. "Impact of summer programmes on the outcomes of disadvantaged or ‘at risk’ young people: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(2), June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daniel Muir & Cristiana Orlando & Becci Newton, 2024. "Impact of summer programmes on the outcomes of disadvantaged or ‘at risk’ young people: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(2), June.
    2. Hjalmarsson, Randi & Machin, Stephen & Pinotti, Paolo, 2024. "Crime and the labor market," Handbook of Labor Economics,, Elsevier.
    3. Heller, Sara B., 2022. "When scale and replication work: Learning from summer youth employment experiments," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    4. Alicia Sasser Modestino, 2019. "How Do Summer Youth Employment Programs Improve Criminal Justice Outcomes, and for Whom?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(3), pages 600-628, June.
    5. Knutsson, Daniel & Tyrefors, Björn, 2024. "Labor market effects of a youth summer employment program in Sweden," Working Paper Series 2024:5, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    6. Modestino, Alicia Sasser & Marks, Mindy & Hoover, Hanna & Pandit, Hitanshu, 2025. "Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Examining Efficiency and Equity in Designing Summer Youth Employment Programs," IZA Discussion Papers 17737, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Anna Aizer & Shari Eli & Adriana Lleras-Muney & Keyoung Lee, 2020. "Do Youth Employment Programs Work? Evidence from the New Deal," NBER Working Papers 27103, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Jonathan M.V. Davis & Sara B. Heller, 2020. "Rethinking the Benefits of Youth Employment Programs: The Heterogeneous Effects of Summer Jobs," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 102(4), pages 664-677, October.
    9. Judd B. Kessler & Sarah Tahamont & Alexander Gelber & Adam Isen, 2022. "The Effects of Youth Employment on Crime: Evidence from New York City Lotteries," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 710-730, June.
    10. Atwell, Meghan Salas & Jeon, Jeesoo & Cho, Youngmin & Coulton, Claudia & Lewis, Eric & Sorensen, Alena, 2023. "Using integrated data to examine the effects of summer youth employment program completion on educational and criminal justice system outcomes: Evidence from Cuyahoga County, Ohio," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    11. Modestino, Alicia Sasser & Paulsen, Richard J., 2019. "Reducing inequality summer by summer: Lessons from an evaluation of the Boston Summer Youth Employment Program," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 40-53.
    12. Ndayikeza, Michel Armel, 2025. "Underemployment of college graduates: is doing anything better than doing nothing?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    13. Gaurav Khanna & Carlos Medina & Anant Nyshadham & Jorge Tamayo & Nicolas Torres, 2023. "Formal Employment and Organised Crime: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Colombia," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(654), pages 2427-2448.
    14. Lavecchia, Adam M. & Oreopoulos, Philip & Spencer, Noah, 2024. "The Impact of Comprehensive Student Support on Crime: Evidence from the Pathways to Education Program," IZA Discussion Papers 16724, IZA Network @ LISER.
    15. Daniel Muir & Becci Newton & Cristiana Orlando, 2023. "PROTOCOL: Impact of summer programmes on the outcomes of disadvantaged or at risk young people: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(3), September.
    16. Oludamilare Aboaba & Aaron Chalfin & Michael LaForest‐Tucker & Lucie Parker & Patrick Sharkey, 2026. "Can Crime Be Deterred at Low Cost? Evidence From a Randomized Experiment in New York," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 45(2), March.
    17. Aaron Chalfin & Michael LaForest & Jacob Kaplan, 2021. "Can Precision Policing Reduce Gun Violence? Evidence from “Gang Takedowns” in New York City," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(4), pages 1047-1082, September.
    18. International Labour Organization., 2015. "Global employment trends for youth 2015 : scaling up investments in decent jobs for youth," Global Employment Trends Reports 994891803402676, International Labour Office, Economic and Labour Market Analysis Department.
    19. Mohamed Abdel Jelil & Kartika Bhatia & Anne Brockmeyer & Quy-Toan Do & CleÌ ment Joubert, 2018. "Unemployment and Violent Extremism: Evidence from Daesh Foreign Recruits," HiCN Working Papers 273, Households in Conflict Network.
    20. Lesner, Rune Vammen & Damm, Anna Piil & Bertelsen, Preben & Pedersen, Mads Uffe, 2022. "The Effect of School-Year Employment on Cognitive Skills, Risky Behavior, and Educational Achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:179:y:2025:i:c:s0190740925004700. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.