Knowledge transfer on complex social interventions in public health: a scoping study.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Knowledge Transfer
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Scientific knowledge is crucial for developing effective public health interventions.
• Understanding how knowledge is transferred is key to improving public health outcomes.
• Complex social interventions require effective knowledge transfer strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the current state of research on knowledge transfer strategies in public health complex social interventions.
• To identify research priorities for enhancing knowledge transfer in this field.

Main Methods:

• A scoping study methodology was employed.
• Extensive searches of bibliographic databases and specialized periodicals were conducted.
• A predetermined assessment framework was used to summarize and analyze 26 selected studies from 1,374 references.

Main Results:

• Knowledge transfer strategies primarily targeted organizational administrators and practitioners.
• Instrumental utilization was the most common type of knowledge use examined.
• Qualitative methods were predominantly used, with a generally high risk of bias noted in the studies.

Conclusions:

• Methodological challenges in knowledge transfer research need to be addressed.
• Future research should focus on assessing complex knowledge transfer strategies, not solely diffusion/dissemination.
• A broader understanding of utilization types, including conceptual and persuasive, is necessary.