Political economy analysis of health: a scoping review protocol

Vineetha Karuveettil; Chandrashekar Janakiram; Denny John; Manu Mathur; Balagopal Varma; Heidi Green

doi:10.11124/JBIES-23-00204

Political economy analysis of health: a scoping review protocol

JBI Evid Synth. 2024 May 15. doi: 10.11124/JBIES-23-00204. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Vineetha Karuveettil^{1

2}, Chandrashekar Janakiram^{1

2}, Denny John^{3

4}, Manu Mathur⁵, Balagopal Varma⁶, Heidi Green⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India.
² Amrita Centre for Evidence Based Oral Health: A JBI Centre of Excellence, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
³ Evidence Synthesis and Implementation for Indigenous Health: A JBI Affiliated Group, MANT (Manbhum Ananda Ashram Nityananda Trust), Kolkata, India.
⁴ Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
⁶ Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, India.
⁷ Centre for Research in Nursing and Health, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 38745473
DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-23-00204

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify and map the literature on concepts, definitions, frameworks, outcomes, and applications of political economic analysis of health.

Introduction: The political economy of health approach seeks to understand how political and economic domains interact and shape individual and population health outcomes. A political economic analysis can provide insights into health problems and inequalities; however, there needs to be more clarity on how the political economy framework is defined and the methods adopted for conducting political economy analysis concerning health.

Inclusion criteria: Studies focusing on the political economy analysis addressing specific health problems will be included. The study population is not limited to any sociodemographic characteristics, and there will be no restrictions on language or the source of evidence (primary studies or secondary data studies). Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies will included, but narrative and systematic reviews will be excluded, as will conference abstracts and editorials. Studies involving sector- or country-level analysis will be included.

Methods: The review will follow the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Databases to be searched include MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, ProQuest, DynaMed, and gray literature via Google Scholar and OAIster. Two reviewers will perform study screening and data extraction using a customized data extraction form. The concepts, definitions, frameworks, outcomes, and applications of the political economy of health will be summarized and discussed. The health problems addressed using political economy analysis will be enumerated. Stakeholder engagement will guide all steps of the study. Results will be presented in tabular and graphical formats accompanied by a narrative summary.

Review registration: Open Science Framework https://osf.io/4qaxr/.