Research Priorities for NCD Prevention and Climate Change: An International Delphi Survey

For which topic were research priorities identified?

climate change and non-communicable diseases

In which location was the research priority setting conducted?

international

Why was it conducted at all?

Climate change and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are arguably the greatest global challenges of the 21st Century. However, the confluence between them remains under-examined and there is little evidence of a comprehensive, systematic approach

What was the objective?

to systematically identify a priority research areas/questions at the interface between climate change and the prevention of the major non-communicable diseases

What was the outcome?

a ranking list of 10 research questions

How long did the research prioritization take?

No information provided.

Which methods were used to identify research priorities?

Delphi; workshop

How were the priorities for research identified exactly?

Step 1: workshop: to explore, debate and identify broad areas of knowledge deficit and priorities at the interface between NCDs and climate change to which the law might be applied to mitigate current and/or future harms and achieve co-benefits, plenary debate and small group discussions. Step 2: 2 round Delphi survey: Delphi round 1: Communiqué comprising the workshop participants' priorities was disseminated, participants were asked to state what, if any, broad research priority areas they believed were missing from the Communiqué and to suggest at least one but no more than three priority research questions that would address one or more knowledge deficits in the overlap between climate change and NCD prevention and which would be feasible to conduct. Delphi round 2: participants were asked to rate each included question as either high, medium or low priority. Step 3: verification of the final priority questions by study authors

Which stakeholders took part?

Non-government, not-for-profit organizations: the International Diabetes Federation, International Union for Cancer Control and the Australian Heart Foundation, academics from environmental health, epidemiology, ethics, climate change, health policy, nutrition, public health, law, psychology, philosophy, sociology, and politics. Workshop: 25 participants (only academics). Delphi round 1: 38 participants. Delphi round 2: 21 participants.

How were stakeholders recruited?

Participants were suggested by the workshop delegates, from among authors of relevant journal articles, and professional contacts of one of the authors from among experts involved in the development of the Sydney Resolution.

Were stakeholders actively involved or did they just participate?

Stakeholders were mere participants of the research prioritization process; they were not actively involved in the process.