Identifying research priorities to advance the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research

The Leicester Lifestyle and Health Research Group (LLHRG)

Project Highlights: 

1.  Understand how implementation science has been applied to study the implementation of lifestyle interventions.

2.  Development of a research agenda to advance the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research.

3.  Opportunity to work with world-leading experts in the fields of lifestyle intervention development and evaluation and implementation science.

Project

Background:

It takes an average of 17 years for only 14% of research to get into practice.¹ Implementation science, the scientific study of methods and strategies to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and evidence-based interventions into routine practice,² emerged in the 1990s to speed up and close the evidence-to-practice gap. Lifestyle interventions have been defined as interventions that focus upon improving health through one or more modifiable risk factors, including interventions that promote healthy nutrition, smoking cessation, moderation in alcohol use, physical activity and stress reduction.³ Although implementation science is critical to understanding and optimising the implementation of evidence-based lifestyle interventions, it is unclear the extent to which core implementation science concepts (e.g. implementation outcomes) and methods (e.g. implementation theories, models and frameworks and implementation strategies) have been applied to systematically study the implementation of lifestyle interventions.

Aim:

To identify future research priorities to advance the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research. Objectives:

1.      To understand the extent to which core implementation science concepts and methods have been applied to lifestyle intervention research.

2.      Based on a scoping and critical review of the literature, develop a draft research agenda to advance the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research.

3.      Based on expert consensus, refine the draft research agenda, including priorities and recommendations, to advance the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research.

Methods: This PhD will involve three main studies. Study One: Will involve conducting a scoping and critical review of the literature to understand and document the extent to which core implementation science concepts and methods have been applied to lifestyle intervention research. Study Two: Will involve the initial development of a research agenda, including priorities and recommendations, to advance the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research. This work will be informed by the results of study one. Study Three: Will involve conducting a Delphi study, involving experts in lifestyle intervention development and evaluation and implementation science experts, to refine and finalise the research agenda for the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research. 

Expected outcomes and impact:

We will understand the breadth and depth of the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research. Based on a scoping and critical review of the literature and a Delphi study, we will develop a research agenda for advancing the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research. 

To apply

Please refer to our web page. Read the How to Apply section carefully and use the application link at the bottom of the web page to apply

https://le.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/funded-opportunities/leicester-lifestyle–and-health-rg

Enquiries to CLS-PGR@leicester.ac.uk (Include Leicester Lifestyle and Health E3 studentship in the subject line)