Qualitative systems mapping for complex public health problems: A practical guide

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Systems Science
• Social Science

Background:

• Complex adaptive systems (CAS) are increasingly studied using systems mapping for public health issues.
• Visualizing causal relationships in CAS offers holistic perspectives and reveals emergent dynamics.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for effective public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a concrete approach for developing and analyzing systems maps of complex public health issues.
• To integrate social science methods with systems thinking and transdisciplinarity.
• To provide practical guidelines for mapping public health problems as CAS.

Main Methods:

• Utilized qualitative systems mapping, drawing on social science methods.
• Incorporated principles of systems thinking and transdisciplinarity.
• Applied the approach to a case study on HIV drug resistance in sub-Saharan Africa.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a practical guideline for mapping complex public health problems.
• Identified key drivers, feedback-loops, and system dynamics.
• Showcased how systems mapping can uncover root causes.

Conclusions:

• Qualitative systems mapping offers deeper insights into public health problems.
• This method helps identify complexity-informed intervention points for policymakers.
• Systems mapping enhances understanding of emergent dynamics in public health challenges.