ProjectsNIHR Policy Reviews FacilityWork in progressNewsletterNewsletter issue 9
RESEARCH FINDINGS

Exploring research on adult home cooking courses


Concerns over the health implications of poor diets, and claims for links between cooking skills and social connectedness, have led to heightened interest in the public’s ability to cook. Courses that teach people to cook have been championed as a way of promoting health and social outcomes. 

We conducted a review with two aims: to explore the range of ‘home cooking’ courses evaluated in the UK; and to synthesise findings about their outcomes and appropriateness. The review was commissioned by the UK Department of Health.

We identified 13 course evaluations. The most common course feature was practical skill training for healthy eating, food hygiene and budgeting shopping. Only one evaluation was judged to have adequately evaluated both impact and appropriateness. This primarily measured health-related outcomes, such as nutrient intake. It reported limited success.

We conclude that the UK evaluation literature on cooking courses is not strong, but note that the interest in these types of interventions can encourage further higher quality evaluations.

To read a summary or download the full report visit Communities that Cook: A Systematic Review.

How do young people access tobacco?


Smoking rates among young people are declining, but current data show that it still occurs at significant levels. This review, commissioned by the UK Department of Health, explores how young people aged 11-18 years access tobacco in the UK, and assesses the relative importance of both retail and social sources.

Three interconnected pieces of work were conducted: a synthesis and statistical meta-analysis of survey data from young people in the UK; a synthesis of qualitative research from young people in the UK; and a descriptive map of international research activity examining the impact of interventions on non-retail access.

Data from over 9,000 young smokers in seven surveys revealed friends and shops to be the sources most used by young people in the UK. Shop-bought tobacco is far more likely to be purchased from independent newsagents and sweetshops than larger stores such as supermarkets.

Qualitative data from approximately 500 young people in six studies revealed the following themes: it is easy to access cigarettes; friends, shops and proxy-purchasing (asking others to buy cigarettes on their behalf) are the most significant access routes. The qualitative data also indicate that access is facilitated by the sociability and visibility of access and the apparent complicity of adults, but risk, cost and young age or age-appearance act as barriers to obtaining cigarettes.

Four broad types of non-retail access interventions have been evaluated: possession laws; retail interventions measuring non-retail access; school policies; and home access restrictions. Little methodologically strong research of such interventions has been conducted, and no UK studies were identified. The survey and qualitative data indicate that tighter regulation in schools may lead to reduced social access and that enhanced implementation of regulations in smaller stores may lead to reduced retail access.

To read a summary or download the full report visit Young people’s access to tobacco: a mixed-method systematic review

  
ONGOING RESEARCH

The Social Care Outcomes Framework: a systematic review of reviews to support its use


We are conducting a systematic review of reviews on the efficacy of adult social care interventions. The review, commissioned by the Department of Health, is intended to support the use and development of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF).

This wide-ranging review will bring together review level evidence on the impact of social care interventions designed to improve outcomes in four key areas: quality of life; delaying and reducing the need for care and support; satisfaction with care; and safeguarding.

The project is due to finish in July 2012. Contact Katy Sutcliffe for further information.

Reducing health inequalities by engaging communities


A team of researchers from the EPPI Centre, London School of Economics, and University of East London are working on a project looking at community engagement (participation) in public health activities, with a particular emphasis on how engagement might reduce health inequalities. The research aims to elucidate which community engagement strategies are effective and cost effective, for whom, and under what circumstances.

We are undertaking a systematic review of the research literature with the following three synthesis components: 

  • a conceptual synthesis of the processes and issues involved in community engagement strategies;
  • a meta-analysis of effectiveness studies; and
  • a cost-effectiveness analysis.

We have developed a conceptual framework on community engagement strategies that considers the range of models and approaches underpinning community engagement, and the mechanisms through which communities participate. We hope this framework will help in the design and implementation of interventions that include a community engagement component, as well as help researchers to assess the effectiveness of existing community engagement interventions.

If you would like to find out more about the conceptual framework, or the project more generally, email James Thomas. The project is funded by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is due to finish at the end of August 2012.

  
RESEARCH RESOURCES

Just published! EPPI Centre book on systematic reviewing
 

 Visit Sage for further details

 

A new publication written by staff at the EPPI Centre covers the range of processes and issues involved in undertaking systematic reviews for evidence-based decision making. It provides the conceptual and technical background needed to begin different types of review from meta-analysis to meta-ethnography.

An Introduction to Systematic Reviews, by David Gough, Sandy Oliver, James Thomas and EPPI Centre staff past and present, is available on the Sage Publications website.

Free software for learning meta-analysis


Announcing the availability of MetaLight, a freely available software application designed to support the teaching and learning of meta-analysis. It can be run on just about any PC, as it uses the Silverlight browser plugin, thereby facilitating its use in teaching environments such as PC labs.

For further details and to try it out visit MetaLight: Software for teaching and learning analysis.  

Follow the EPPI Centre on Twitter
 

The EPPI Centre twitter feed is a good way to be informed on the work of the EPPI Centre as a whole.  It includes news relating to systematic reviews, research methods and tools within the broad spectrum of social science and public policy research. Visit   

  
EVENTS

Methods for Research Synthesis: from meta-analysis to meta-ethnography


Course dates: 30 April - 30 July 2012, online course

This course, led by Dr James Thomas, will equip you with the skills to undertake a qualitative or quantitative synthesis in a systematic review. On successful completion, you will become familiar with the aims and rationale for different methods of critical appraisal and research synthesis.

The course is designed for experienced researchers who wish to gain an advanced, working knowledge of synthesis methods. You will learn about and use both established and emerging methods that you can then employ in your own research. The course will provide you with highly sought after skills and knowledge, supporting career development in those academic, policy or practice settings where systematic reviews are used and produced.

For further information browse the course website.

Systematic Reviews: The Potential of Different Methods


Session at: 9.15 - 12.45 on Thursday 5 July, at the 5th ESRC Research Methods Festival, Oxford.

Presenters: Professor Steve Higgins, Dr Geoff Wong, Dr Henry Potts, Dr James Thomas

Over the past 20 or so years, methods for reviewing the research literature have undergone a transformation. There are now many different methods with a sometimes bewildering range of names. This session will present some of the main approaches to systematic reviewing and aim to stimulate discussion about the power and potential of each method in different situations.

For further details of this event visit the ESRC Research Methods Festival website. 

  
WORKING WITH US

Exploring how text mining could change the identification of studies for systematic reviews


The EPPI Centre and the National Centre for Text Mining (NaCTeM) were awarded a three-year MRC Methodology Research Programme grant to evaluate techniques for identifying relevant studies for systematic reviews and health technology assessments using text mining.

Two ways of using text mining that are particularly promising for assisting with screening in systematic reviews:

  • Prioritising the list of documents for manual screening so that the studies at the top of the list are those which are most likely to be relevant to the review; and
  • Using manually assigned include/exclude categories of studies to ‘train’ the text mining programme to apply such categorisations automatically.

Both methods aim to increase efficiency and save time for systematic reviewers screening a large volume of studies. We would like to test these approaches to see whether they reduce the amount of human time needed to screen without compromising the screening process by missing relevant studies. To do this, we need real systematic reviews to test the techniques on - both data from completed reviews, and 'live' reviews in which to evaluate the use of different methods.

If you are interested in trialling text mining processes in your upcoming/ongoing review or you are willing to share a completed systematic review database so we can test our methods, please get in touch. If you are involved in developing text mining technologies for systematic reviewing, we would also be keen to hear from you. Please email James Thomas.

  
About the EPPI Centre

The Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI Centre) is part of the Social Science Research Unit (SSRU) at the UCL Institute of Education, University College London.
 
The focus of the EPPI Centre’s work is on promoting systematic reviews of research evidence, on developing methods and tools for systematic appraisal of different research questions and different kinds of research studies, and on facilitating user involvement throughout the review and dissemination process.
 
The EPPI Centre currently works in the areas of health promotion and public health, education, social care and work and employment. Some reviews and methodological developments are undertaken by EPPI Centre staff. Others are done collaboratively with external organisations and individuals. The EPPI Centre is also contributing to the Economic and Social Research Council's National Centre for Research Methods, and is the home of the Methods for Research Synthesis programme.
 

  
RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Maternity care

Sutcliffe K, Caird J, Kavanagh J, Rees R, Oliver K, Dickson K, Woodman J, Barnett-Page E, Thomas J (in press) Comparing midwife-led and doctor-led maternity care: a systematic review of reviews. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 

Using mixed methods

Kavanagh J, Campbell F, Harden A, Thomas J (2011) Mixed Methods Synthesis: A Worked Example. In K. Hannes and C. Lockwood (eds) Synthesizing Qualitative Research: Choosing the Right Approach. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. doi: 10.1002/9781119959847.ch6 

STIs and young people

Picot J, Shepherd J, Kavanagh J, Cooper K, Harden A, Barnett-Page E, Jones J, Clegg A, Hartwell D, Frampton GK (2012) Behavioural interventions for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in young people aged 13–19 years: a systematic review. Health Education Research doi: 10.1093/her/cys014

Systematic reviews

Gough D, Oliver S, Thomas J (2012) An Introduction to Systematic Reviews. London: Sage.
 Visit Sage for further details

  
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Funders

The Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI Centre) receives funding from the Department of Health (England) for a specific programme of work in health promotion and public health. The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the EPPI Centre and not necessarily those of the Department of Health.

The Centre also receives funding from a number of other agencies including the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Department for Work and Pensions, the European Commission, and the Social Care Institute for Excellence. The EPPI Centre hosts the Methods for Research Synthesis programme of the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods. The EPPI Centre is a formal partner of the Campbell Collaboration and has close links with the Cochrane Collaboration.

Further details of work in Health Promotion and the rest of the EPPI Centre's work on Education and Perspectives and Participation can be found here. For more information about the Methods for Research Synthesis programme, click here.

The Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI Centre) is part of the Social Science Research Unit (SSRU), Institute of Education, University of London.  Further details of SSRU's work can be found here.


 

 

Read previous newsletters from the Health Promotion and Public Health Reviews Facility:

Issue 8, April 2011

Issue 7, February 2010

Issue 6, December 2008

Issue 5, February 2008

Issue 4, May 2007

 

Issue 3, November 2006

 

  
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