Including diverse groups of children and young people in health promotion and public health research: a review of methodology and practice

This report presents the findings of a methodological study on the inclusion of
diverse groups of children and young people in health promotion (HP) and public
health (PH) research.
The need for diversity in research is increasingly recognised by researchers,
funders and other stakeholders. Recent and ongoing changes to equalities
legislation and health policy in the UK foreground the importance of the inclusion
in research of diverse groups. An inclusive approach to research also improves
the generalisability of research findings. However, there is relatively little
guidance for researchers as to how diversity in research might be promoted.
While valuable and relevant work has been done, few researchers have
attempted to draw together material relevant to diversity across different
populations and research designs. This report describes such an attempt.
We reviewed the methodological and conceptual literature on diversity, and
identified ways in which it is appropriate for scientific and/or ethical reasons that
HP and PH research should include socially diverse populations. They looked at
174 studies included in nine previous systematic reviews concerned with HP and
PH research relating to children and young people. We found a mixed and patchy
picture. Many studies do not provide sufficient socio-demographic detail to judge
the nature of research samples. Rationales for sample selection are often
unclear, and attention to diversity issues in data analysis appears to be driven
more often by convenience than by science. Guidelines are suggested for
improving the value and generalisability of HP and PH research – for all age
groups as well as children and young people – by helping researchers to think
critically about how social diversity can most appropriately be reflected in policyrelevant
research.

Citation:
Lorenc, T., Harden, A., Brunton, G. and Oakley, A (2008), Including diverse groups of children and young people in health promotion and public health research: a review of methodology and practice. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.. Series:
EPPI-Centre reports;1609.