Abstract
Introduction: Youth involvement in policy formulation may enhance its relevance, strengthen democratic practices, and contribute to youth development. This scoping review explored the nature, extent, and impact of adolescent involvement in policy processes aimed at improving adolescent health and well-being in the public health, education, and social work sectors. Methods: Studies of adolescent involvement in policy processes focusing on health, and well-being, including obesity prevention were eligible. We searched seven databases, reference lists of included studies, and contacted key organizations. Standard scoping review methods were applied. The results were synthesized narratively, using descriptive statistics and visuals. Results: We included 33 mostly qualitative studies, mainly from the public health sector in the USA and Europe, focusing on diet, physical activity, health & well-being, or sexual and reproductive health. Adolescents were consulted or collaborated with, mostly in identifying problems or policy solutions and less often in agenda-setting, decision-making, and evaluation. Various facilitators were used to improve participation (e.g. training, adult facilitators, monetary compensation). Data on adolescents' experiences of involvement and the impact on policies were limited. Conclusion: Due to a paucity of impact studies, we could not determine whether adolescent involvement increased the relevance of policies or improved adolescent development. The extent to which adolescents were meaningfully involved, and had a material effect on decision-making, was largely unclear. Improved documentation, monitoring, and evaluation of youth involvement in policy using quantitative methods and standardized frameworks, can improve the evidence-based, involvement practices, and decrease inequities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e13874 |
| Journal | Obesity Reviews |
| Early online date | 4 Dec 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 4 Dec 2024 |
Acknowledgements
We also want to thank Head Librarian Ragnhild Agathe Tornes at NIPH for her assistance with search strategy development and for running the searches, librarian Marita Heinz, also at NIPH, for peer review of the search strategy, and Vidar Flodgren, University of Lund, for producing the illustrations.Funding
This scoping review was conducted as part of Co\u2010Create, a research project funded by the European Union, which involves youth in the development of policy ideas relating to obesity prevention. The aim of the scoping review was to assess the nature, extent, and impact of adolescent involvement in policy processes aimed at improved adolescent health & well\u2010being in the public health, education, and social work sectors, to inform practices and improve the understanding of the effectiveness of such initiatives. We wish to acknowledge the generous funding the CO\u2010CREATE project received from European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement 774210, and the young people who provided feedback on the protocol during focus group discussions, at the Co\u2010Create conference hosted by PRESS in Norway during spring 2022. We also want to thank Head Librarian Ragnhild Agathe Tornes at NIPH for her assistance with search strategy development and for running the searches, librarian Marita Heinz, also at NIPH, for peer review of the search strategy, and Vidar Flodgren, University of Lund, for producing the illustrations.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| European Commission | |
| Horizon 2020 | 774210 |
| Horizon 2020 |
Keywords
- health and well-being
- policy
- youth involvement
