Co-Benefits of Nutrition Interventions: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Health Policy

Background:

• Nutrition interventions aim to improve diet and health.
• These initiatives can yield significant social, educational, and environmental co-benefits.
• Quantification of these non-health outcomes remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and quantify the non-health co-benefits of nutrition interventions.
• To categorize these co-benefits into social, educational, and environmental domains.
• To identify the extent to which nutrition initiatives contribute to broader societal goals.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines across five databases.
• Studies published between January 2012 and September 2025 were included.
• Non-health outcomes were categorized, and risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

Main Results:

• Twenty studies evaluating 15 interventions were analyzed.
• Educational co-benefits were most frequently reported (10 studies), followed by social (8 studies) and environmental (4 studies).
• Multicomponent interventions showed positive educational and social impacts, while environmental outcomes, including greenhouse gas reductions, were consistently significant.

Conclusions:

• Quantifying co-benefits underscores the extensive societal value of nutrition initiatives.
• Standardized outcome measures are crucial for advancing the understanding of these impacts.
• This understanding can inform more comprehensive and effective policy development.