How is health equity considered in policy evaluations employing quasi-experimental methods? A scoping review and content analysis.

ABSTRACT: Public health researchers employ quasi-experimental methods (QEM) to evaluate the effects of policies. Whilst some policies are designed to improve (health) equity, others may intentionally or unintentionally have detrimental effects on disadvantaged populations. We thus sought to investigate how health equity is addressed in policy evaluations which employ QEM. We conducted a content analysis on studies sourced from a scoping review. We drew a random sample of 350 records identified in systematic database searches in Medline, EMBASE, and EconLit (December 2022). Studies that employed QEM labels and examined public policies implemented in the WHO European region were included. We extracted data on study design, policies, and populations; assessed whether outcomes were examined in populatio

SUBMITTER: Sell K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11832135 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature