Evidence mapPaperPMID 40796276Full record

SynthesisJournal of public health (Oxford, England)2025

Exploring co-design: a systematic review of concepts, processes, models, and frameworks used in public health research.

Carmen Vargas, Christina Zorbas, Giuliana Raffaella Longworth, Anna Ugalde, Cindy Needham, Athira Sunil, Carolina Venegas Hargous, Rebecca Bennett, Tari Forrester-Bowling, Ana Paula Cardoso Richter and 1 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of public health (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Sustaining Health Promotion in Australian Supermarkets: Qualitative Perspectives From the Reach for the Stars Programme.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Better Healthcare Together: Co-Designing a Framework for Health Service Co-Design.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  7. "There Was a Light Bulb Moment": Using Persona Dyads to Empathise, Explore and Develop Person-Centred Solutions in Mental Health Service Co-Design.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Building the Capacity of Adolescents as Researchers: The Co-Creation of the Health Hive Online Course.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Co-Designing Local Collaboration Between Social Services, Primary Healthcare, and the Third Sector-A Realist Process Evaluation.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  16. From Co-Design to Quality Improvement: Using the Double Diamond Framework to Develop Primary Care Redesign Priorities for Hypertension Care.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  17. Co-Designing Lung Cancer Rehabilitation Services for People Treated With Immunotherapy.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Carmen VargasGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6166-8897
Christina ZorbasGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
Giuliana Raffaella LongworthFaculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences, Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Passeig de Sant Gervasi, 47 08022 Barcelona, Spain.
Anna UgaldeSchool of Nursing & Midwifery, Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood VIC 3125, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2473-8435
Cindy NeedhamGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
Athira SunilGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
Carolina Venegas HargousGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
Rebecca BennettGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
Tari Forrester-BowlingGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
Ana Paula Cardoso RichterGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.
Steven AllenderGlobal Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia.

Funding

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of HealthNICHD NIH HHS F31 HD108962Victorian Health Promotion Foundation F31HD108962
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCo-design has emerged as a preferred collaborative approach among public health practitioners and researchers to increase the potential for effective design, implementation, and dissemination of innovations in practice. However, there is a lack of consistency in its application and reporting, which limits co-design theory building and best practice. This systematic review aimed to examine the peer-reviewed literature reporting on the use of co-design as a process in public health, synthesizing co-design definitions, processes, models or frameworks, and participant involvement.

methodsFollowing the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic review was conducted. MEDLINE Complete, Global Health, and CINAHL databases were searched in April 2024.

resultsFifty-five articles on co-design in public health published between 2016 and 2024 were included, noting a publication surge in 2023. Most studies were from Oceania, especially Australia. While 44% lacked a co-design definition, 56% highlighted its collaborative, inclusive nature. Over half (64%) used specific frameworks with a 4-5 stage process. Participant roles varied from informants to co-designers, with many studies not developing prototypes for testing.

conclusionsA more transparent and systematic application of co-design principles, guided by clearer frameworks and reporting standards, could improve the consistency and effectiveness of co-design in public health.

Indexed as

Public HealthResearch DesignCooperative BehaviorHumansco-designhuman-centred designintervention designparticipatory design

Identifiers

PMID40796276
PMCPMC12669994

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.