Mapping the current knowledge in syndemic research applied to men who have sex with men: a scoping review protocol

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionally affected by a number of health conditions that are associated with violence, stigma, discrimination, poverty, unemployment or poor healthcare access. In recent years, syndemic theory provided a framework to explore the interactions of these health disparities on the biological and social levels. Research in this field has been increasing for the past 10 years, but methodologies have evolved and sometimes differed from the original concept. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the existing literature on syndemic theory applied to MSM in order to identify knowledge gaps, inform future investigations and expand our understanding of the complex interactions between avoidable health conditions in a vulnerable population.

The proposed scoping review will follow the methodological framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley with subsequent enhancements by Levac et al, Colquhoun et al and Peters et al as well as the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping review. A systematic search of MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and ProQuest Sociological Abstracts will be conducted. Reference lists of the included studies will be hand-searched for additional studies. Screening and data charting will be achieved using DistillerSR. Data collating, summarising and reporting will be performed using R and RStudio. Tabular and graphical summaries will be presented, alongside an evidence map and a descriptive overview of the main results.

This scoping review does not require ethical approval. Data and code will be made accessible after manuscript submission. Final results will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and collaboration with grassroots Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) organisations.

This protocol was registered on manuscript submission on the Open Science Framework at the following address: https://osf.io/jwxtd; DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/JWXTD.