Part 5: Research Report Briefing
Strand 4: Evidence for a Whole Systems Approach to Obesity
Video
Learning Objectives
After watching this section, you should be able to:
- Describe the overall structure and purpose of the report Addressing Obesity Using Whole Systems Approaches
- Identify the three main bodies of evidence that inform the report
- Recognise the range of organisations that contributed to developing the report and why multi-agency collaboration matters
Key Points
- The report was prepared for practitioners and policymakers in Northern Ireland and aims to summarise evidence to support a whole systems approach to obesity; a summary is available via QR code
- It is structured around three evidence strands: (1) a rapid synthesis of evidence to inform the Northern Ireland Obesity Prevention Strategy Board; (2) a peer-reviewed systematic review of reviews; and (3) evidence from two longitudinal process evaluations conducted in Scotland and Northern Ireland
- The report concludes with a call to action describing practical recommendations for policy and practice
- The report was produced collaboratively by Queen’s University Belfast, the Public Health Agency, Ards and North Down Borough Council, the Department of Health, University of Hertfordshire, Act of Belfast, Belfast City Council (Belfast Agenda), and Derry City and Strabane Council
- The breadth of contributing organisations reflects the cross-sectoral, multi-partnership character of the whole systems approach itself
Further Reading
- A whole systems approach to obesity prevention: a rapid synthesis of evidence (full report, PDF) — the IPH report introduced in this video; 48 pages covering the rapid evidence synthesis, systematic review of reviews, and process evaluation evidence for Northern Ireland (Breslin et al., 2023)
- Evidence is building to support a whole systems approach to obesity prevention in Northern Ireland (QUB News) — the Queen’s University Belfast news article accompanying the report launch, with context from the lead researchers
- Institute of Public Health: WSA to obesity prevention — rapid synthesis to inform Northern Ireland — the IPH page for the report with links to the full document and supporting materials
Knowledge Check
Complete the questions below before moving on.
The report Addressing Obesity Using Whole Systems Approaches draws on three main bodies of evidence. Which option correctly identifies all three?
The correct answer is a rapid synthesis of evidence, a peer-reviewed systematic review of reviews, and evidence from two longitudinal process evaluations. The report was prepared for practitioners and policymakers in Northern Ireland and structured around these three strands: (1) a rapid synthesis funded by the Institute for Public Health to inform the Northern Ireland Obesity Prevention Strategy Board; (2) a peer-reviewed whole systems approach systematic review of reviews; and (3) evidence from longitudinal process evaluations carried out in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- True
- False — randomised controlled trials and cost-effectiveness analyses are not among the three main evidence sources described for this report.
- False — while a systematic review of reviews is included, there was no public consultation or pilot RCT in Northern Ireland as part of this report.
- False — the report does not include a national prevalence survey or expert consultation panel; its evidence base is drawn from systematic reviews and process evaluations.