The application of theories of the policy process to obesity prevention: A systematic review and meta-synthesis

BMC Public Health

Volumn 16, Issue 1, 2016, Pages

  Clarke, Brydie ^a,b   Swinburn, Boyd ^a,c   Sacks, Gary ^a  

^a DEAKIN UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

^b Department of Health and Human Services ^*  (Australia)

^c UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND   (New Zealand)

Author keywords

Food; Nutrition; Obesity prevention; Policy; Policy process

Indexed keywords

HEALTH CARE POLICY; HUMAN; MANAGEMENT; META ANALYSIS; OBESITY; POLITICS; UNITED STATES;

HEALTH POLICY; HUMANS; OBESITY; POLICY MAKING; POLITICS; UNITED STATES;

EID: 84992084030     PISSN: None     EISSN: 14712458     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3639-z     Document Type: Review

References (104)

1. Roberto CA, Swinburn B, Hawkes C, Huang TTK, Costa SA, Ashe M, et al. Patchy progress on obesity prevention: emerging examples, entrenched barriers, and new thinking. Lancet. 2015;13:2400-9.
2. Swinburn BA, Sacks G, Hall KD, McPherson K, Finegood DT, Moodie ML, et al. The global obesity pandemic: shaped by global drivers and local environments. Lancet. 2011;378:804-14.
3. Gortmaker SL, Swinburn BA, Levy D, Carter R, Mabry PL, Finegood DT, et al. Changing the future of obesity: science, policy, and action. Lancet. 2011;378:838-47.
4. Dobbs R, Sawers C, Thompson F, Manyika J, Woetzel J, Child P, et al. Overcoming obesity: an initial economic analysis: McKinsey Global Institute. 2014. http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/economic-studies/how-the-world-could-better-fight-obesity. Accessed 7 Oct 2016.
5. Brambila-Macias J, Shankar B, Capacci S, Mazzocchi M, Perez-Cueto FJA, Verbeke W, et al. Policy interventions to promote healthy eating: a review of what works, what does not, and what is promising. Food Nutr Bull. 2011;32:365-75.
6. Swinburn BA. Obesity prevention: the role of policies, laws and regulations. Aust New Zealand Health Policy. 2008;5:12.
7. Sacks G, Swinburn B, Lawrence M. Obesity policy action framework and analysis grids for a comprehensive policy approach to reducing obesity. Obes Rev. 2009;10:76-86.
8. Sacks G, Swinburn BA, Lawrence MA. A systematic policy approach to changing the food system and physical activity environments to prevent obesity. Aust New Zealand Health Policy. 2008;5:13.
9. Mills C. Planning law and public health at an impasse in Australia: the need for targeted law reforms to improve local food environments to reduce overweight and obesity. J Law Med. 2014;22:179-87.
10. Hawkes C, Jewell J, Allen K. A food policy package for healthy diets and the prevention of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases: the NOURISHING framework. Obes Rev. 2013;14:159-68.
11. Mytton OT, Clarke D, Rayner M. Taxing unhealthy food and drinks to improve health. BMJ. 2012;15:344. e2931.
12. Lloyd-Williams F, Bromley H, Orton L, Hawkes C, Taylor-Robinson D, O'Flaherty M, et al. Smorgasbord or symphony? Assessing public health nutrition policies across 30 European countries using a novel framework. BMC Pub Health. 2014;14:1-34.
13. Crammond B, Van C, Allender S, Peeters A, Lawrence M, Sacks G, et al. The possibility of regulating for obesity prevention - understanding regulation in the Commonwealth Government. Obes Rev. 2013;14:213-21.
14. Hawkes C, Smith TG, Jewell J, Wardle J, Hammond RA, Friel S, et al. Smart food policies for obesity prevention. Lancet. 2015;385:2410-21.
15. World Health Organisation. Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013-2020. World Health Organisation; 2010. http://www.who.int/nmh/events/ncd-action-plan/en/. Accessed 13 Jul 2015.
16. World Health Organisation. Global nutrition policy review: what does it take to scale up nutrition action? World Health Organisation; 2013. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/84408/1/9789241505529-eng.pdf. Accessed 14 July 2015.
17. Swinburn B, Dominick CH, Vandenbroeck IP. Benchmarking Food Environments: Experts' assessments of policy gaps and priorities for the New Zealand Government. Auckland: University of Auckland; 2014. https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/assets/fmhs/soph/globalhealth/informas/docs/Full%20Food-EPI%20report1.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2015.
18. World Cancer Research Fund International. NOURISHING framework: Our policy framework to promote healthy diets & reduce obesity. World Cancer Research Fund International; 2015. http://www.wcrf.org/int/policy/nourishing-framework/. Accessed 18 May 2015.
19. World Health Organisation. Assessing national capacity for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. Report of the 2010 national survey. World Health Organisation; 2012. http://www.who.int/cancer/publications/national-capacity-prevention-ncds.pdf?ua=1. Accessed 20 July 2015.
20. Milio N. Nutrition policy for food-rich countries: a strategic analysis. London: The John Hopkins University Press; 1990.
21. Lachat C, Otchere S, Roberfroid D, Abdulai A, Seret FMA, Milesevic J, et al. Diet and physical activity for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic policy review. PLoS Med. 2013;10:1-19.
22. Hawkes C. Promoting healthy diets through nutrition education and change in the food environment: an international review of actions and their effectiveness. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2013. http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/i3235e/i3235e.pdf. Accessed 30 May 2015.
23. Bryant T. Policy change and the social determinants of health. In: Clavier C, de Leeuw E, editors. Health promotion and the policy process. Melbourne: Oxford University Press; 2013. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199658039.001.0001.
24. Swinburn B, Kraak V, Rutter H, Vandevijvere S, Lobstein T, Sacks G, et al. Strengthening of accountability systems to create healthy food environments and reduce global obesity. Lancet. 2015;385:2534-45.
25. Brownell KD, Battle HK. Food fight: inside story of the food industry, America's obesity crisis, and what we can do about it. Los Angeles: Contemporary Books; 2004.
26. Moodie R, Stuckler D, Monteiro C, Sheron N, Neal B, Thamarangsi T, et al. Profits and pandemics: prevention of harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food and drink industries. Lancet. 2013;381:670-9.
27. Bowen S, Zwi AB, Sainsbury P, Whitehead M. Killer facts, politics and other influences: what evidence triggered early childhood intervention policies in Australia? Evid Policy. 2009;5:5-32.
28. Boswell J. 'Hoisted with our own petard': evidence and democratic deliberation on obesity. Policy Sci. 2014;47:345-65.
29. Moodie R. Nanny knows best: why big tobacco's attack on Mary Poppins ought to backfire. The Conversation. 2011. https://theconversation.com/nanny-knows-best-why-big-tobaccos-attack-on-mary-poppins-ought-to-backfire-1851. Accessed 16 Jul 2015.
30. Finegood DT, Merth TDN, Rutter H. Implications of the foresight obesity system map for solutions to childhood obesity. Obesity. 2010;18:S13-6.
31. Allender S, Gleeson E, Crammond B, Sacks G, Lawrence M, Peeters A, et al. Policy change to create supportive environments for physical activity and healthy eating: which options are the most realistic for local government? Health Promot Int. 2012;27:261-74.
32. Shill J, Mavoa H, Allender S, Lawrence M, Sacks G, Peeters A, et al. Government regulation to promote healthy food environments-a view from inside state governments. Obes Rev. 2012;13:162-73.
33. Shill J, Mavoa H, Crammond B, Loff B, Peeters A, Lawrence M, et al. Regulation to create environments conducive to physical activity: understanding the barriers and facilitators at the Australian state government level. PLoS One. 2012;7:e42831.
34. Huang TTK, Cawley JH, Ashe M, Costa SA, Frerichs LM, Zwicker L, et al. Mobilisation of public support for policy actions to prevent obesity. Lancet. 2015;385:2422-31.
35. Clark R, Waters E, Armstrong R, Conning R, Allender S, Swinburn B. Evidence and obesity prevention: developing evidence summaries to support decision making. Evid Pol J Res Deb Pract. 2013;9:547-56.
36. Allender S, Cavill N, Parker M, Foster C. 'Tell us something we don't already know or do!' - The response of planning and transport professionals to public health guidance on the built environment and physical activity. J Public Health Policy. 2009;30:102-16.
37. Johnson DB, Quinn EL, Podrabsky M, Beckwith-Stanley N, Chan N, Ellings A, et al. Perceived impact and feasibility of strategies to improve access to healthy foods in Washington State, USA. Public Health Nutr. 2013;16:2178-87.
38. Sadler RC, Gilliland JA, Arku G. Stakeholder and policy maker perception of key issues in food systems planning and policy making. J Hunger Environ Nutr. 2014;9(1):1-15.
39. Waqa G, Mavoa H, Snowdon W, Moodie M, Schultz J, McCabe M, et al. Knowledge brokering between researchers and policymakers in Fiji to develop policies to reduce obesity: a process evaluation. Implement Sci. 2013;8:1-11.
40. Walton M, Signal L, Thomson G. Public policy to promote healthy nutrition in schools: views of policymakers. Health Educ J. 2013;72:283-91.
41. Johnson DB, Cheadle A, Podrabsky M, Quinn E, MacDougall E, Cechovic K, et al. Advancing nutrition and obesity policy through cross-sector collaboration: the Local Farms-Healthy Kids initiative in Washington State. J Hunger Environ Nutr. 2013;8:171-86.
42. Abeysinghe S. 'Because we all know that vaccines are an extremely effective public health tool': path dependency, H1N1 and the World Health Organisation. Policy Stud. 2012;33:381-97.
43. Lasswell HD. The decision process: seven categories of functional analysis. College Park: University of Maryland Press; 1956.
44. Fafard P. Beyond the usual suspects: using political science to enhance public health policy making. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2015;69:11. doi: 10.1136/jech-2014-204608.
45. Breton E, De Leeuw E. Theories of the policy process in health promotion research: a review. Health Promot Int. 2011;26:82-90.
46. Lyn R, Aytur S, Davis TA, Eyler AA, Evenson KR, Chriqui JF, Cradock AL, Goins KV, Litt J, Brownson RC. Policy, systems, and environmental approaches for obesity prevention: a framework to inform local and state action. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2013;19:S23-33. doi: 10.1097/PHH.0b013e3182841709.
47. Cullerton K, Donnet T, Lee A, Gallegos D. Using political science to progress public health nutrition: a systematic review. Public Health Nutr. 2015;19:1-9.
48. Sabatier P, Weible CM. Theories of the policy process. Oxford: Westview Press; 2014.
49. Hannes K. Critical appraisal of qualitative research: Supplementary guidance for inclusion of qualitative research in cochrane systematic reviews of interventions. Cochrane Qualitative Methods Group: Cochrane Collaboration. 2011. http://cqrmg.cochrane.org/supplemental-handbook-guidance. Accessed 15 July 2015.
50. Thomas J, Harden A. Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2008;8:45.
51. Gomez EJ. Understanding the United States and Brazil's response to obesity: institutional conversion, policy reform, and the lessons learned. Global Health. 2015;11:24.
52. Houlihan B, Green M. The changing status of school sport and physical education: explaining policy change. Sport Educ Soc. 2006;11:73-92.
53. Phillpots L. An analysis of the policy process for physical education and school sport: the rise and demise of school sport partnerships. Int J Sports Policy Polit. 2012;5:193-211.
54. Reid G, Thornburn M. Analysing policy change in Scottish physical education and school sport. J Policy Res Tourism Leisure Events. 2011;3:298-315.
55. Walsh D, Downe S. Meta-synthesis method for qualitative research: a literature review. J Adv Nurs. 2005;50:204-11.
56. Crotty M. The foundations of social research Sydney: Allen and Unwin. 1998.
57. Denzin NK, Lincoln YS. The Sage handbook of qualitative research. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications; 2011.
58. John P. Analysing public policy. New York: Routledge; 2012.
59. Cairney P. Understanding public policy: theories and issues. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan; 2012.
60. de Leeuw E, Clavier C, Breton E. Health policy-why research it and how: health political science. Health Res Policy Syst. 2014;12:55.
61. Cairney P, Heikkila T. A comparison of theories of the policy process. Oxford: Westview Press; 2014.
62. Freudenberg N, Atkinson S. Getting food policy on the Mayoral table: a comparison of two election cycles in New York and London. Public Health. 2015;129:295-302.
63. Thow AM, Annan R, Mensah L, Chowdhury SN. Development, implementation and outcome of standards to restrict fatty meat in the food supply and prevent NCDs: learning from an innovative trade/food policy in Ghana. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:249-57.
64. Mosier SL. Cookies, candy, and coke: examining state sugar-sweetened-beverage tax policy from a multiple streams approach. Int Rev Public Adm. 2013;18:93-120.
65. Quinn E, Johnson DB, Krieger J, MacDougall E, Payne E, Chan NL. Developing local board of health guidelines to promote healthy food access - King County, Washington, 2010-2012. Prev Chronic Dis. 2015;12:E58.
66. Morse JM, Barrett M, Mayan M, Olson K, Spiers J. Verification strategies for establishing reliability and validity in qualitative research. Int J Qual Methods. 2002;1:13-22.
67. Malterud K. Qualitative research: standards, challenges, and guidelines. Lancet. 2001;358:483-8.
68. Craig RL, Felix HC, Walker JF, Phillips MM. Public health professionals as policy entrepreneurs: Arkansas's childhood obesity policy experience. Am J Public Health. 2010;100:2047-52.
69. Dodson EA, Fleming C, Boehmer TK, Haire-Joshu D, Luke DA, Brownson RC. Preventing childhood obesity through state policy: qualitative assessment of enablers and barriers. J Public Health Policy. 2009;30:S161-76.
70. Gladwin CP, Church J, Plotnikoff RC. Public policy processes and getting physical activity into Alberta's urban schools. Can J Public Health. 2008;99:332-8.
71. Khayesi M, Amekudzi AA. Kingdon's multiple streams model and automobile dependence reversal path: the case of Curitiba. Brazil J Transp Geogr. 2011;19:1547-52.
72. McBeth MK, Clemons RS, Husmann MA, Kusko E, Gaarden A. The social construction of a crisis: policy narratives and contemporary U.S. obesity policy. Risk Hazard Cris Public Policy. 2013;4:135-63.
73. Olstad DL, Campbell EJ, Raine KD, Nykiforuk CIJ. A multiple case history and systematic review of adoption, diffusion, implementation and impact of provincial daily physical activity policies in Canadian schools. BMC Pub Health. 2015;15:385.
74. Ulmer VM, Rathert AR, Rose D. Understanding policy enactment: the New Orleans fresh food retailer initiative. Am J Prev Med. 2012;43:S116-22.
75. Milton K, Grix J. Public health policy and walking in England-analysis of the 2008 'policy window'. BMC Pub Health. 2015;15:614.
76. Yeatman HR. Food and nutrition policy at the local level: key factors that influence the policy development process. Crit Pub Health. 2003;13:125-38.
77. Johnson DB, Payne EC, McNeese MA, Allen D. Menu-labeling policy in King County, Washington. Am J Prev Med. 2012;43:S130-5.
78. Botterill LC, Hindmoor A. Turtles all the way down: bounded rationality in an evidence-based age. Policy Stud. 2012;33:367-79.
79. Cairney P. Complexity theory in political science and public policy. Polit Stud Rev. 2012;10:346-58.
80. Colebatch H. Policy. New York: McGraw- Hill Education; 2008.
81. Sabatier P. Theories of the policy process. Theoretical lenses on public policy. Boulder: Westview Press; 1999.
82. Olstad DL, Raine KD, McCargar LJ. Adopting and implementing nutrition guidelines in recreational facilities: tensions between public health and corporate profitability. Public Health Nutr. 2013;16:815-23.
83. Weible CM. Introducing the scope and focus of policy process research and theory. In: Sabatier P, Weible CM, editors. Theories of the policy process. 3rd ed. Oxford: Westview Press; 2014. p. 3-24.
84. Zahariadis N. Ambiguity and multiple streams. In: Sabatier P, Weible CM, editors. Theories of the policy process. 3rd ed. Oxford: Westview Press; 2014. p. 25-59.
85. Zahariadis N. The multiple streams, framework- structure, limitations, prospects. In: Sabatier P, editor. Theories of the policy process. 2nd ed. Boulder: Westview Press; 2007. p. 65-92.
86. Schagler E. A comparison of frameworks, theories and models of policy processes. In: Sabatier P, editor. Theories of the policy process. 2nd ed. Boulder: Westview Press; 2007. p. 293-320.
87. Brunner S. Understanding policy change: multiple streams and emissions trading in Germany. Glob Environ Chang. 2008;18:501-7.
88. Ackrill R, Kay A, Zahariadis N. Ambiguity, multiple streams, and EU policy. J Euro Public Polic. 2013;20:871-87.
89. Jenkins-Smith H, Nohrstedt D, Weible CM, Sabatier PA. The advocacy coalition framework: foundations, evolution and ongoing research. In: Sabatier PA, Weible CM, editors. Theories of the policy process. 3rd ed. Oxford: Westview Press; 2014. p. 183-224.
90. Nowlin MC. Theories of the policy process: state of the research and emerging trends. Policy Stud J. 2011;39:41-60.
91. Breton E, Richard L, Gagnon F, Jacques M, Bergeron P. Health promotion research and practice require sound policy analysis models: the case of Quebec's Tobacco Act. Soc Sci Med. 2008;67:1679.
92. Eller W, Krutz G. Policy process, scholarship, and the road ahead: an introduction to the 2008 policy shootout! Policy Stud J. 2009;37:1-4.
93. Cairney P. Standing on the shoulders of giants: how do we combine the insights of multiple theories in public policy studies? Policy Stud J. 2013;41:1-21.
94. Meier KJ. Policy theory, policy theory everywhere: ravings of a deranged policy scholar. Policy Stud J. 2009;37:5-11.
95. Barry CL, Brescoll VL, Brownell KD, Schlesinger M. Obesity metaphors: how beliefs about the causes of obesity affect support for public policy. Milbank Q. 2009;87:7-47.
96. Barry CL, Brescoll VL, Gollust SE. Framing childhood obesity: how individualizing the problem affects public support for prevention. Polit Psychol. 2013;34:327-49.
97. Gollust SE, Niederdeppe J, Barry CL. Framing the consequences of childhood obesity to increase public support for obesity prevention policy. Am J Public Health. 2013;103:e96-102.
98. Lee TK, Shapiro MA, Niederdeppe J. Deeper processing is associated with support for policies to reduce obesity. Health Commun. 2014;29:791-801.
99. Jones MD, McBeth MK. A narrative policy framework: clear enough to be wrong? Policy Stud J. 2010;38:329-53.
100. Buse K, Mays N, Walt G. Making health policy. London: McGraw-Hill Education; 2005.
101. Armstrong R, Waters E, Jackson N, Oliver S, Popay J, Shepherd J, Petticrew M, Anderson L, Bailie R, Brunton G, Hawe P, Kristjansson E, Naccarella L, Norris S, Pienaar E, Roberts H, Rogers W, Sowden A, Thomas H. Guidelines for systematic reviews of health promotion and public health interventions. Melbourne: University Melbourne Press; 2007.
102. Finfgeld DL. Metasynthesis: the state of the art - so far. Qual Health Res. 2003;13:893-904.
103. Cairney P. How can policy theory have an impact on policy making? The role of theory-led academic-practitioner discussions. Teach Public Adm. 2014. doi: 10.1177/0144739414532284.
104. de Leeuw E, Breton E. Policy change theories in health promotion research: a review. In: Clavier C, de Leeuw E, editors. Health promotion and the policy process. Oxford Scholarship Online; 2014: doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199658039.003.0002.