Associations of built environment features with multimorbidity: A systematic review protocol

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Preventing or delaying multimorbidity is a key public health goal.
• The association between the built environment and multimorbidity is not well understood.
• The built environment encompasses human-made surroundings influencing health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review literature on built environment features and interventions associated with multimorbidity.
• To examine analytical methods used in these studies and their implications for causal inference.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across four databases (Medline, Embase, SCI-Expanded, SSCI).
• Inclusion criteria: community-based adults, built environment exposure/intervention, multimorbidity outcomes.
• Independent screening, data extraction, and quality appraisal by two reviewers; synthesis via meta-analysis or SWiM.

Main Results:

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Conclusions:

• This systematic review will enhance understanding of built environment associations with multimorbidity.
• Potential to identify etiological pathways for developing multimorbidity prevention strategies.