Exploring targeted preventive health check interventions - a realist synthesis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Preventive health checks aim to reduce long-term cardio-metabolic disease risk.
• Evidence for general population health checks is limited, but targeted approaches show promise.
• Understanding the mechanisms of targeted interventions is crucial for optimizing their effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the 'why,' 'how,' 'for whom,' and 'under which circumstances' targeted preventive health checks are effective.
• To develop a program theory explaining the functioning of targeted preventive health interventions.

Main Methods:

• Realist synthesis employing a four-phase approach.
• Inclusion of literature searches (reviews, meta-analyses, qualitative studies, grey literature) and stakeholder interviews/workshops.
• Iterative analysis to identify relationships between context, mechanisms, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• A program theory emerged with seven key themes, including target group identification, recruitment, professional-participant interaction, and follow-up.
• Targeted health checks must be accessible, relevant, and meaningful to both participants and professionals.
• Challenges exist in identifying target groups who benefit from and can participate in interventions, necessitating tailored recruitment and activities.

Conclusions:

• A "one-size-fits-all" model for targeted preventive health checks is inappropriate.
• Intervention design and implementation must be context-specific, considering the target population and circumstances.
• Future initiatives should prioritize thorough needs assessments to guide the development and implementation of preventive health checks.