Abstract
Co-design, the method of involving users, stakeholders, and practitioners in the process of design, may assist to improve the translation of health evidence into tangible and acceptable intervention prototypes. The primary objective of this review was to identify and describe co-design techniques used in nutrition research. The secondary objective was to identify associations between co-design techniques and intervention effectiveness. An integrative review was performed using the databases Emcare, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Eligible studies included those that: (1) utilised participatory research or co-design techniques, (2) described development and/or evaluation of interventions aimed at improving dietary behaviours or nutrition, and (3) targeted community-dwelling adults aged ≥18 years. We identified 2587 studies in the initial search and included 22 eligible studies. There were 15 studies that utilised co-design techniques, with a strong focus on engagement of multiple stakeholder types and use of participatory research techniques. No study implemented a complete co-design process. Most studies (14/15) reporting outcomes reported positive health (maximum p < 0.001) or health behaviour outcomes attributed to the intervention; hence, associations between co-design techniques and effectiveness could not be determined. Currently published intervention studies have used participatory research approaches rather than co-design methods. Future research is required to explore the effectiveness of co-design nutrition interventions.
Highlights
Over the past half-century, dietary intakes have changed dramatically, with increased consumption of processed foods containing added sodium, unhealthy fats, and refined carbohydrates/sugars [1]
The purpose of this study was to conduct an integrative, systematic review to identify and describe participatory and co-designed methodological techniques previously used in nutrition research and to identify any associations between the use of participatory or co-design techniques and intervention effectiveness
Integrative reviews share common search strategies for promoting rigor associated with systematic reviews, but diverge at the point of data analysis, with integrative reviews drawing upon inductive techniques such as the identification of noting patterns and themes, seeing plausibility, clustering, counting, making contrasts and comparisons, discerning common and unusual patterns, subsuming
Summary
Over the past half-century, dietary intakes have changed dramatically, with increased consumption of processed foods containing added sodium, unhealthy fats, and refined carbohydrates/sugars [1]. Men and women across all age groups consume high amounts of discretionary (unhealthy) food with underconsumption of fruits and vegetables relative to health guidelines. These dietary factors are major drivers for common chronic conditions including cancer, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes [2], which are leading contributors to early death, illness, and disability [3]. Improving dietary behaviour is a cornerstone in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases [4], but remains a significant challenge [4]. To effectively achieve dietary behaviour change, interventions must be embedded in best practice, associated with effectiveness, and be relevant and appealing to target populations to facilitate successful translation into practice. Nutrition interventions are increasingly focused on patient-centred models [4]
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