Table 7 Included study characteristics
Author | Intervention | Population/setting | Outcomes (relevant to SES) | Type of synthesis | Type of studies included | No. of studies included in review | Did review aim to consider ‘what works, for SES’? (Method of analysis) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SES focus | |||||||
Backholer et al. [28] | Sugar-sweetened beverage tax | High-income countries | Differential effects on beverage purchases and consumption, weight, amount paid in SSB taxes | Narrative | Any study design | 11 | – |
Individual-, community- and societal-level interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in obesity | Children (0–18 years) in any setting in any country | Targeted/differential effects on proxy for body fat (weight and height, BMI, waist measurement/waist-to-hip proportion, percentage body fat content, skinfold thickness, ponderal index in relation to childhood obesity) | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCT, nRCT, prospective/retrospective cohort studies, prospective repeat cross-sectional studies | 76 (25 measured differential effects by SES) | ✓ (descriptive analysis, sensitivity analysis) | |
Bambra et al. [29]a; Cairns et al. [32]; Hillier-Brown et al. [30] | Individual-, community- and societal-level interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in obesity | Adults (≥ 18 years) in any setting in any country | Targeted/differential effects on proxy for body fat (weight and height, BMI, waist measurement/ waist-to-hip proportion, percentage body fat content, skinfold thickness, ponderal index in relation to childhood obesity) | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCT, nRCT, prospective/retrospective cohort studies, prospective repeat cross-sectional studies | 103 (36 measured differential effects by SES) | ✓ (descriptive analysis, sensitivity analysis) |
Beauchamp et al. [33] | Public health obesity prevention | Interventions addressed everyone across the social gradient | Differential effects on change in anthropometric outcomes | Narrative | Any study design | 14 | ✓ (descriptive analysis) |
Boelsen-Robinson et al. [34] | Whole of community obesity prevention | Interventions across different socio- economic strata | Differential effects on behavioural change, energy balance, anthropometric outcomes | Narrative | Any study design | 13 | ✓ (descriptive analysis) |
Community pharmacy delivered interventions focused on alcohol misuse, smoking cessation and weight management | People of any age in any country | Targeted/differential effects on behavioural outcome (e.g. quit rate, change in alcohol intake), weight loss interventions had to report anthropometric outcome | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCTs, nRCTs, CBAs, ITS and repeated measure studies | 24 | ✓ (descriptive analysis) | |
Brown et al. [37] | Population-level tobacco control | Adults (≥ 18 years) or studies which measured children’s reports of parental smoking in a country at stage 4 of the tobacco epidemic or in the WHO European Region | Differential effects on smoking related outcomes: Social norms/attitudes, exposure to second-hand smoke, policy reach, use of quitting services, quit attempts, smoking prevalence, morbidity | Narrative | All primary study designs, including: RCT, non-RCT, cohort studies, cross-sectional, qualitative | 117 | – |
Brown et al. [38] | Individual-level smoking cessation interventions undertaken in Europe since 1995 | Adults (≥ 18 years) based in a WHO European Region country | Differential effects on smoking cessation | Narrative | All primary research designs, including RCT, non-RCT, cohort studies, cross-sectional, qualitative | 29 | – |
Brown et al. [39] | Population-level interventions/policy- and individual-level cessation support | Participants (birth–25 years) in a country in the WHO European Region or non-European country at stage 4 of the tobacco epidemic | Differential effects on smoking-related outcomes: Intentions/ attitudes/perceptions, exposure to second-hand smoke, smoking behaviour, sensitivity to price, initiation, relapse, cessation rates, smoking prevalence, morbidity | Narrative | All primary research designs, including RCT, non-RCT, cohort studies, cross-sectional, qualitative | 38 | – |
Bull et al. [40] | Interventions targeting a change in smoking, eating and/or physical activity behaviours | Adults (≥ 18 years) of low income and from the general population | Behavioural outcomes relevant to smoking cessation, healthy eating and physical activity | Meta-analysis | RCTs and cluster RCTs | 35 | – |
Cleland et al. [41] | Any intervention focused on increasing physical activity | Community-dwelling socio-economically disadvantaged women (19–64 years) | Physical activity outcome, or closely related (e.g. cardiorespiratory fitness) | Meta-analysis | RCTs, nRCTs | 19 | ✓ (subgroup-analysis, meta-regression) |
Everson-Hock et al. [42] | Community-based physical activity and dietary | Adults (18–74 years) from a low SES group within the UK | Effectiveness, acceptability | Narrative (mixed-methods) | Quantitative intervention studies, qualitative evaluations of interventions, qualitative studies assessing beliefs and perceptions of physical activity | 35 | – |
Gardner, et al. [43] | Interventions that aimed to increase mammography use | Asymptomatic low-income women | Uptake of mammography | Meta-analysis | RCT | 21 | ✓ (subgroup and meta-regression) |
Hill et al. [44] | Tobacco control | Adults (≥ 18 years) in countries at an advanced stage of the tobacco epidemic | Targeted/differential effects on smoking related outcomes | Narrative | Reviews and primary research | 84 | – |
Hollands et al. [45]c | Portion, package or tableware size | Adults and children directly engaged with manipulated products | Differential effects on behavioural outcomes (consumption or selection of food, alcohol, or tobacco products) | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCTs | 70 | ✓ (meta-regression) |
Kader et al. [46] | Universal parental support targeting children’s health behaviours | At least one parent/caregiver of a child 2–18 years. with or without their child | Targeted/differential effects on children’s dietary habits, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, weight status | Narrative | Prospective studies assessing effectiveness of a controlled intervention | 35 (6 with SES focus) | – |
Kendrick et al. [47] | Home safety interventions | Children and young people (≤ 19 years) and their families | Differential effects on self-reported or medically attended injury in children/young people | Meta-analysis (IPD)/narrative | RCTs, nRCTs, CBA | 98 | – |
Kristjansson et al. [48] | Supplementary feeding | Children (3 months–5 years) from socio-economically disadvantaged groups or all socio-economic groups with results stratified by SES | Targeted/differential effects on physical (growth), psychosocial health in children | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCTs, c-RCTs, CCT, CBA, ITS | 32 | ✓ (sub-group analysis and process evaluation) |
Laba et al. [49] | Strategies to increase patient adherence to cardiovascular medications | Socioeconomically disadvantaged adults with prescribed medications for prevention/treatment of cardiovascular disease | Targeted/differential effects on patient adherence | Narrative | RCTs, quasi-RCTs | 14 | ✓ (descriptive analysis) |
Laws et al. [50] | Obesity prevention | Healthy children (0–5 years from) socioeconomically disadvantaged or Indigenous families | Targeted/differential effects on anthropometric measures, child/family diet, parental feeding practices related to obesity, physical activity, sedentary behaviours | Narrative | Any study design | 32 | ✓ (descriptive analysis) |
Magnee et al. [51] | Obesity prevention | Participants included within studies identified from a systematic inventory (1990–2007) of Dutch obesity prevention interventions | Differential effects on anthropometric measures, obesity-related behavioural outcomes (e.g. diet, physical activity) | Narrative | Studies selected from a systematic inventory (1990–2007) of Dutch obesity prevention interventions | 26 | – |
McGill et al. [52] | Promotion of healthy eating | Healthy populations (any age/gender) | Differential effects on dietary intake | Narrative | Any study design measuring effects of intervention | 36 | ✓ (descriptive analysis) |
McLean et al. [20]d | Reminder systems for scheduled health service encounters | Examined differential effectiveness across particular subgroups of the population (age, gender, ethnic group, SES, etc.) | Differential effects on improving uptake | Thematic/narrative | Effectiveness review: RCTs, SRs Realist informed review: studies examining effectiveness of outpatient appointment reminders, qualitative/quantitative designs on appointment attendance behaviour, studies of adherence to treatment, theories/ models/frameworks relating to appointment attendance | Effectiveness review: 42 Realist informed review: 463 | ✓ (descriptive analysis, realist informed review) |
Mizdrak et al. [53] | Food/beverage price change | NR | Differential response in purchase of targeted foods | Narrative | Controlled experimental study | 8 | ✓ (descriptive analysis) |
Moore et al. [54] | Universal school-based health behaviour | School children (4–18 years) | Differential effects on diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol | Narrative | RCTs, quasi-experimental studies | 20 | ✓ (content analysis) |
Moredich et al. [55] | Physical activity and weight loss | Low-income adult women | Change in weight | Integrative | Intervention studies | 7 | ✓ (descriptive analysis) |
Rojas-Garcia et al. [56] | Healthcare interventions to treat depressive disorders | Socially disadvantaged patients with depressive disorders | Reduction of depressive symptoms | Meta-analysis/narrative | Controlled trials including RCTs & quasi-experimental studies | 15 | ✓ (meta-regression) |
Sarink et al. [57] | Menu labelling | Adolescents or adults of a low SEP population or analysis stratified by a measure of SEP | Targeted/differential effects on awareness of exposure, understanding, food or energy purchased or consumed, body mass index | Narrative | Quantitative and qualitative | 18 | – |
SES accounted for | |||||||
Ciciriello et al. [58]e | Multimedia-based patient education about prescribed or over the counter medications | People of all ages prescribed a particular medication or medication regimen or who had obtained an over-the-counter medication | Patient or carer knowledge about the medication, any measure of skill acquisition related to the medication | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCTs, quasi-RCTs | 24 | – |
Ejemot-Nwadiaro et al. [59]e | Hand-washing promotion | Adults and children in day care centres or schools, patients in hospitals, communities or households | Episodes of diarrhoea | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCTs, cluster RCTs | 22 | – |
Gittelsohn et al. [60] | Community-based prepared food sources | NR | Access to and consumption of healthful foods (psychosocial factors (awareness, knowledge, acceptability), behaviour, frequency of use, frequency of purchase, increase in healthful food sales) | Narrative | Some form of written documentation that included a description of the intervention and evaluation | 19 | – |
Gurol-Urganci et al. [61]e | Mobile phone messaging reminders | All study participants, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity | Rate of attendance at healthcare appointments | Meta-analysis | RCTs | 8 | – |
Hartmann-Boyce et al. [62] | Self-help | Adults (≥ 18 years) with body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2 | Targeted/differential effects on change in weight | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCTs | 23 | ✓ (meta-regression) |
Kroon et al. [63] | Structured self-management education programmes for osteoarthritis (OA) | People diagnosed with OA | Self-management of OA, participant’s positive and active engagement in life, pain, global OA scores, self-reported function, quality of life, withdrawals | Meta-analysis | RCTs, quasi-RCTs | 29 | – |
Lutge et al. [64]c | Any material inducement to return for TB test results or adhere to or complete anti-TB preventive or curative treatment | People receiving curative treatment for active TB, people receiving preventive therapy for latent TB or people suspected of TB undergoing, and collecting results of, diagnostic tests | Cure or completion of treatment, cases of active TB; completion of prophylactic treatment, number returning to collect test results within the appropriate time frame for that test. | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCTs | 12 | – |
Pega et al. [65]c | In-work tax credits | Working age adults (18–64 years) | Self-rated general health, mental health or physical distress, mental illness, overweight and obesity, alcohol use, tobacco use | Narrative | CBA, ITS | 5 | – |
Polec et al. [66]c | Interventions that aimed to increase the ownership and appropriate use of insecticide-treated bednets (ITN) | Children and adults with permanent residence in malarial areas | ITN ownership, appropriate ITN use | Meta-analysis/narrative | RCTs, cluster RCTs, non-RCTs, CBA, ITS | 10 | – |