Mechanisms for Addressing and Managing the Influence of Corporations on Public Health Policy, Research and Practice: A Scoping Review
Research article
Abstract
Objective
This study identified mechanisms for addressing and/ or managing the influence of corporations on public health policy, research and practice, as well as examples of where these mechanisms have been adopted from across the globe.
Design
The researchers conducted a scoping review. They searched in five databases on 4 June 2019. Twenty eight relevant institutions and networks were contacted to identify additional mechanisms and examples. In addition, the researchers identified mechanisms and examples from their collective experience working on the influence of corporations on public health policy, research and practice.
Setting
The study identified mechanisms at the national, regional and global levels.
Results
Thirty-one documents were included in the review. Eight were peer-reviewed scientific articles. Nine discussed mechanisms to address and/or manage the influence of different types of industries; while other documents targeted specific industries.
In total, the researchers identified 49 mechanisms for addressing and/or managing the influence of corporations on public health policy, research and practice, and 43 of these were adopted at the national, regional or global level.
The researchers identified four main types of mechanisms:
- transparency;
- management of interactions with industry and of conflicts of interest;
- identification, monitoring and education about the practices of corporations and associated risks to public health;
- prohibition of interactions with industry.
Mechanisms for governments (n=17) and academia (n=13) were most frequently identified, with fewer for the media and civil society.
Conclusions
The study identified several mechanisms that could help address and/or manage the negative influence of corporations on public health policy, research and practice. If adopted and evaluated more widely, many of the mechanisms described in this manuscript could contribute to efforts to prevent and control non-communicable diseases.
