Systematic Reviews

(Funded by the Scottish Government)

The objectives of the review are to establish:

• The relative effectiveness of in-premise marketing compared to forms of promotion/marketing used outwith premises in generating sales of discretionary products. This will also examine the effectiveness of marketing as a whole (both in store and out of store); and
• The impact of different elements of in-premise marketing have on consumer behaviour (e.g. whether some elements have no impact or some have a bigger impact).

ISM Staff: Kathryn Angus, Clare Sharp and Danielle Mitchell

External: Led by Laura Martin, NHS Health Scotland; Linda Bauld, University of Edinburgh

(Funded by the National Institute for Health Research)

Media advertising campaigns were used to promote sales of products, but they could also be used to give the public information about health and to encourage them to be more healthy (eg. adverts encouraging people to stop smoking, or to drink sensibly, or to use condoms).  In recent years, there was a growth in new types of advertising and media, particularly on the internet and mobile phones.  The evidence base on these newer types of media campaign were still emerging.

This systematic review-based study attempted to pull together all the evidence on media advertising campaigns about health, to provide clear answers to the questions:

• How effective were mass media advertising campaigns at changing health behaviours?
• Were they more effective with certain groups of people than others?
• Were they equally effective at local, regional and national level?

By effective, we meant in the first instance ‘did they encourage the changes in behaviour which they were trying to change?’.  However, sometimes campaigns did not try to change behaviour, but to move people towards being able to change behaviour in the future, for example by encouraging them to think differently about a health issue, or to feel more confident in their ability to change.  We were interested in all of these types of effects.

We focused on mass media campaigns for alcohol use, illicit drug use, diet, physical activity, sexual and reproductive health, and smoking cessation and prevention. By media, we meant campaigns which used television and radio advertising, cinema advertising, advertising in newspapers and magazines, advertising on billboards and other types of outdoor advertising (eg. bus shelters, taxi cabs), advertising on the internet and on mobile phones, and other types of advertising (eg. advertising in video games).

The study involved wide consultation with public health practitioners and commissioners at national and local level, and with representatives of public involvement groups.

ISM Staff: Linda Bauld, Martine Stead, Kathryn Angus and Fiona Dobbie

External collaborators: Sarah Lewis and Tessa Langley, University of Nottingham; James Thomas and Kate Hinds, University of London, EPPI; Shona Hilton and Srinivasa Katikireddi, University of Glasgow

Publications:

Stead M, Angus K, Langley T, Katikireddi SV, Hinds K, Hilton S, Lewis S, Thomas J, Campbell M, Young B and Bauld L (2019). Mass media to communicate public health messages in six health topic areas: a systematic review and other reviews of the evidence. Public Health Research, 7(8). doi:10.3310/phr07080

Young B, Lewis S, Katikireddi SV, Bauld L, Stead M, Angus K, Campbell M, Hilton S, Thomas J, Hinds K, Ashie A and Langley T (2018). Effectiveness of mass media campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption and harm: A systematic review. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 53(3): 302-316. doi:10.1093/alcalc/agx094

Young B, Lewis S, Katikireddi SV, Bauld L, Stead M, Angus K, Campbell M, Hilton S, Thomas J, Hinds K, Ashie A, Langley T (2017). Effectiveness of mass media campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption and harm: a systematic review. [Conference abstract]. The Lancet, 390(Suppl 3): S98. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)33033-7

(Funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR))

This study explored the barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation in pregnancy through reviewing relevant literature, conducting qualitative research and developing proposals for future interventions. A qualitative study design combined three systematic reviews and three exploratory studies conducted over a two year period. A set of literature reviews of barriers and facilitators to cessation in pregnancy and following childbirth were taken.

ISM Staff: Linda Bauld, Lesley Sinclair, Jennifer McKell, Kathryn Angus and Allison Ford

Publication:
Flemming K, Graham H, McCaughan D, Angus K, Sinclair L and Bauld L (2016). Health professionals’ perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to providing smoking cessation advice to women in pregnancy and during the post-partum period: a systematic review of qualitative research. BMC Public Health, 16: 290. doi:10.1186/s12889-016-2961-9

Flemming K, Graham H, McCaughan D, Angus K and Bauld L (2015). The barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation experienced by women’s partners during pregnancy and the post-partum period: a systematic review of qualitative research. BMC Public Health, 15: 849. doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2163-x

Flemming K, McCaughan D, Angus K and Graham H (2015). Qualitative systematic review: Barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation experienced by women in pregnancy and following childbirth. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(6): 1210-1226. doi: 10.1111/jan.12580.

(Funded by NICE and in collaboration with the University of Nottingham)

The aim of the study was to conduct two systematic reviews on:

1. The effectiveness of smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings (for acute, maternity and mental health settings); and
2. The barriers to and facilitators for implementing smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings (for acute, maternity and mental health settings) from the users’ and the providers’ perspectives.

The purpose was to support the development by NICE of their Public Health Guidance (November 2013) covering smoking cessation in secondary care in acute, maternity and mental health services. The reviews provided the best available evidence on smokefree strategies and interventions in these settings. The reviews were led by the Institute for Social Marketing in partnership with the University of Nottingham and collaborators from the EPPI-Centre at the Institute of Education and the NCSCT Community Interest Company.

ISM Staff: Kathryn Angus, Douglas Eadie and Laura Macdonald

Publications:
Angus K, Murray R, Macdonald L, Eadie D, O’Mara-Eves A, Stansfield C and Leonardi-Bee J (2013). Review 6: A review of the effectiveness of smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Eadie D, Macdonald L, Angus K, Murray R, O’Mara-Eves A, Stansfield C and Leonardi-Bee J (2012). Review 7: A review of the barriers to and facilitators for implementing smokefree strategies and interventions in secondary care settings. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

(Commissioned by the Department of Health)

This project was commissioned by the Department of Health via ISM's involvement in the Public Health Research Consortium. Colleagues from the University of Nottingham and the EPPI Centre at the University of London were also involved. The project consisted of a systematic review of all the available published evidence on standardised (or 'plain') packaging of tobacco products. The review set out to answer the following questions:

What effect, if any, does plain packaging have on:

• the appeal of packaging or product
• the salience and effectiveness of health warnings
• perceptions of product strength and harm

It also set out to identify any other potential benefits, whether the effects differ between groups and what the facilitators and barriers to impact are.

The review included studies from 1980 and from over 4,000 initial citations, 37 studies met the inclusion criteria.

ISM Staff: Martine Stead, Linda Bauld, Crawford Moodie, Kathryn Angus, Gerard Hastings, Richard Purves and Stuart Bryce (left 2011)

Publications:
Stead M, Moodie C, Angus K, Bauld L, McNeill A, Thomas J, Hastings G, Hinds K, O’Mara-Eves A, Kwan I, Purves RI and Bryce SL (2013). Is consumer response to plain/standardised tobacco packaging consistent with Framework Convention on Tobacco Control guidelines? A systematic review of quantitative studies. PLoS One, 8(10): e75919. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075919

Moodie C, Bauld L and Stead M (2013). UK government’s delay on plain tobacco packaging: how much evidence is enough? BMJ, 347: f4786. doi:10.1136/bmj.f4786

Final report: Moodie C, Stead M, Bauld L, McNeill A, Angus K, Hinds K, Kwan I, Thomas J, Hastings G and O’Mara-Eves A (2012). Plain Tobacco Packaging: A Systematic Review. Available: https://www.phrc.online/assets/uploads/files/PHRC_006_Final_Report.pdf 

Protocol: Moodie C, Hastings G, Thomas J, Stead M, Angus K and Bauld L (2011). Protocol for plain tobacco packaging: a systematic review. Available: https://www.phrc.online/assets/uploads/files/PHRC_006_Protocol.pdf 

(Commissioned by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC))

This review was part of an ECDC funded project ‘Translating Health Communications: Establishing a programme for dissemination of evidence based health communication activities and innovations on communicable diseases for country support in the EU and EEA/EFTA 2009-2012’.

Sub-optimal uptake of routine immunisations, resulting in resurgence of infectious diseases and outbreaks, eg. measles, is a current public health concern in Europe. There are a number of complex social factors contributing to ‘immunisation hesitancy’ such as: declining levels of trust in expert opinion; rapid dissemination of information and misinformation; and lack of awareness of the consequences of immunisation avoidance or delay because this is seldom seen at first-hand. The traditional public health response of relying exclusively or largely on the scientific evidence for the safety, efficacy and population-wide benefits rationale for immunisation, is an inadequate response to the problem.

The review explored and assessed the evidence for the effectiveness of immunisation promotional communications, with a focus on the European evidence. The findings intended to support the development of effective communications policies and strategies.

ISM Staff: Georgina Cairns, Laura Macdonald and Kathryn Angus

Publications:
Macdonald L, Cairns G, Angus K and de Andrade M (2013). Promotional communications for influenza vaccination: A systematic review. Journal of Health Communication, 18(12): 1523-1549. doi:10.1080/10810730.2013.840697 eprint

Cairns G, Macdonald L, Angus K, Walker L, Cairns-Haylor T and Bowdler T (2012). Systematic Literature Review of the Evidence for Effective National Immunisation Schedule Promotional Communications. Stockholm: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Report online

(Commissioned by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC))

The review was part of the ECDC funded project ‘Translating Health Communications: Establishing a programme for dissemination of evidence based health communication activities and innovations on communicable diseases for country support in the EU and EEA/EFTA 2009-2012’.

Behavioural and social theories and models are considered an important tool in effective behaviour change interventions and programmes. They have the potential to help identify what changes can take place, explain and support change dynamics, identify key influencers on outcomes and select participants who are the most likely to benefit. The use of behavioural and social theories in health intervention planning and management also improves the prospects for replication, modification and scaling up of effective interventions, and improves the learning that can be derived from practice, whether successful or unsuccessful.

This review assessed the effectiveness of interventions that were based on theories and models of behaviour change to prevent or control communicable diseases relevant to Europe.

ISM Staff: Kathryn Angus, Georgina Cairns, Laura Macdonald, Richard Purves and Stuart Bryce (left 2011)

Publications:
Angus K, Cairns G, Purves R, Bryce S, Macdonald L and Gordon R (2013). Systematic literature review to examine the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions that use theories and models of behaviour change: towards the prevention and control of communicable diseases. Stockholm: ECDC. Report online