Adolescent participation in research, policies and guidelines for chronic disease prevention: a scoping review protocol

Adolescents (10–24 years old) account for 23% of the global population. Physical inactivity, suboptimal dietary intake, overweight, and obesity during adolescence are risk factors associated with chronic disease development into adulthood. Research, policies, and guidelines that seek to prevent chronic disease risk factor development rarely engage adolescents in planning and decision-making processes. The aims of this review are to investigate (i) how adolescents currently participate in research, policy, and guidelines for reduction of chronic disease risk factors, and (ii) provide recommendations to optimize adolescent participation in future research, policy, and guideline decision making for chronic disease prevention. A systematic scoping review of the health peer-review research, policy, and guidelines, using Arksey and O’Malley’s six-stage framework, will be conducted. Participatory outcomes will be assessed based on the Lansdown-UNICEF conceptual framework for measuring adolescent participation. Classified as consultative, collaborative, or adolescent-led according to the degree of influence and power adolescents possess in the decision- making processes. Consultation with adolescents via digital surveys and focus groups will provide further information, perspective, and insight. Qualitative data will be analyzed by descriptive numerical summary and qualitative content analytical techniques. The title of this protocol is registered with Joanna Briggs Institute and Open Science Framework, doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/E3S64.