Demonstrate an understanding of systematic review methods

Use systematic review methods to evaluate interventions that attempt to reduce health inequalities and then draw your own evidence-based conclusions.

Within this brief you are free to select any public health issues from the topics taught on the module or from your wider reading. There are three elements that you will need to consider when deciding on the focus of the essay:
(i.) the ‘exposure’ variable (e.g. SES; gender; ethnicity)
(ii.) the outcome variable (e.g. mortality, quality of life, cardiovascular disease, dental caries)
(iii.) the intervention
Before you begin your assignment it is strongly recommended that you conduct some preliminary scoping searches to ensure that your research question will be answerable.
§ Write clearly, concisely and accurately in academic style;
§ Structure the assignment in a coherent and logical manner, using sub-headings as appropriate.
§ Observe the conventions of Harvard referencing;
§ Present a clear research question (RQ) with a robust rationale drawing on influential and up-to-date literature;
§ Use appropriate theoretical frameworks to explore the RQ;
§ Demonstrate that your review is addressing a knowledge gap.
§ Demonstrate an understanding of systematic review methods;
§ Report an explicit, systematic and replicable search strategy describing how appropriate empirical studies were identified, selected and appraised, and justify this strategy;
§ Present a PRISMA flow diagram;
§ Present a narrative and tabular summary of the key findings from the selected studies;
§ Critically appraise the individual studies;
§ Synthesise the evidence into a logical and coherent overarching narrative;
§ Draw evidence-based recommendations for policy, practice, research or theory, and justify these recommendations;
§ Consider the broader implications of the recommendations (ethical, cost, feasibility etc.)