Start date: 2023 | Expected completion date: — | Contact: laces@ucl.ac.uk
What do we want to know?
This project has been developed to address two key differences – identified in previous co-produced work – between the focus of researchers and the needs and expectations of those using and impacted by the evidence. More specifically, we are looking at how we can improve the different parts and approaches to the methodology that we use to synthesise evidence for different stakeholders (for example, formal systematic reviews or systematic maps). Such evidence is used to design policies and make decisions about interventions at global and national levels.
The topic we are focussing on for this project is understanding what broader markers of child health, including those associated with healthy eating, physical activity and mental health for example, may better reflect the concerns of policy-makers, practitioners and those affected by such decisions about their/their child’s health in relation to local contexts.
Who wants to know?
Stakeholder engagement in a previous project indicated a need for this. We proposed the topic to the NIHR Evidence Synthesis Programme, and they agreed to support the work.
What are the specific research aims/question(s)?
We aim to:
- Explore how co-production can help prioritise pathways and overlapping factors within and surrounding the child (complex systems) that influence patterns of health around areas of interest (e.g. healthy eating, physical activity and mental health).
- Determine how to use existing data to help our understanding of the way in which these pathways affect aspects of child health.
- Identify what interventions are shown to positively or negatively affect pathways associated with better or worse health.
Better design evidence synthesis methodology to capture contextual factors in a more helpful way to inform decision-makers about potential success.
How will we address these aims/question(s)?
This has been co-produced with three public partners. There has been a strong focus on exploring the process of decision making throughout the prioritisation of factors to ensure all knowledge, skills and experiences are captured.
