Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is increasingly recognised for its potential to enhance feasibility, improve relevance and foster collaboration at different stages of a study. Reporting guidelines such as GRIPP2 (Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public) have been developed to help improve completeness and transparency in PPI reporting. This meta-research project aims to assess the impact of the GRIPP2 reporting guidelines through citation and alternative metrics, analysing its uptake or adoption across authors, institutions, journals and countries, as well as its practical application in reporting PPI within diverse research designs.
This protocol for a meta-research project consists of two studies. In Study 1, we will conduct a search across Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar to identify all publications citing the GRIPP2 guidelines (planned for July 2026 using forward citation analysis). Retrieved records will undergo standardised processing and structured de-duplication to ensure each citing article is represented once. Following de-duplication, data from unique citations—including title, publication year, journal, subject category, keywords, document type, citations, authors’ names, institutional affiliations, country and funding sources—will be collected. Citation counts, alternative metrics (eg, mentions in policy documents, news media) and knowledge production patterns across authors, institutions, journals and countries will be analysed to assess GRIPP2’s impact and uptake of the guidelines. Descriptive analyses will be conducted (including the number of papers, citations, authors, countries, journals, keywords, funding, field distribution and main collaboration metrics). Network analyses will be carried out to study the structure of collaborations. In Study 2, we will evaluate a random sample of 300 research articles citing GRIPP2, including randomised trials (n=100), systematic reviews with meta-analyses (n=100) and health economic evaluations (n=100). If an insufficient number of citing studies are available within these categories, we will include additional study types identified in Study 1 (eg, study protocols, observational studies, mixed-methods or qualitative research studies and other types of reviews). Reporting and PPI practices in each article will be extracted by at least two researchers using a standardised data extraction form. Information on general, methodological and PPI items will be analysed and reported, stratified by study design (eg, randomised trials vs systematic reviews vs health economic evaluations).
Due to the nature of the proposed study, no ethical approval will be required. All data will be deposited in a cross-disciplinary public repository. It is anticipated the study findings could be relevant to a variety of audiences. Study findings will be disseminated at scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.
Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/et85d
by Olatundun Gafari, Ashleigh Craig, Khuthala Mabetha, Duncan Hornby, Craig Hutton, Mary Barker, Shane A. Norris
ObjectiveTo assess the associations between food insecurity, coping strategies, socio-economic status and anxiety, depression and multimorbidity in South Africa.
MethodsData from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey conducted in April 2024 (n = 3171; weighted to 20,955,234 adults aged > 18 years) were used. Food insecurity was measured using the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP) tool, a validated household-level measure commonly used in South Africa. Coping strategy, anxiety and depression were measured using the coping strategies index, Generalised Anxiety Disorder–7 scale and Patient Health Questionnaire–9, respectively. Multimorbidity was self-reported as ≥2 of 14 known chronic conditions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to test associations, and a generalised structural equation model examined the roles of socio-economic status and coping strategies.
ResultsBeing from a food-insecure household more than doubled the odds of experiencing multimorbidity (OR=2.17, 95% CI 2.17, 2.19), depression (OR=2.96, 95% CI 2.95, 2.97) and anxiety (OR=2.82, 95% CI 2.81, 2.83). Food insecurity accounted for approximately 60% of the total association between socio-economic status and depression, and about 88% of the association between socio-economic status and multimorbidity.
ConclusionsFood insecurity is significantly associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Interventions to improve food security, especially in low socio-economic populations, should be prioritised given their associations with multimorbidity, anxiety and depression. Potential intervention effects will require longitudinal or experimental evaluation.
Around 2 billion people globally were affected by natural disasters between 2008–2018. The World Health Organization requires countries and governments to have disaster plans and emergency health workers ready and prepared at all times.
To conduct an integrative review of literature of emergency healthcare workers’ perceived preparedness for disaster management.
An integrative literature review using the PRISMA checklist guidelines was conducted to explore physicians, nurses, emergency medical services and allied medical professionals’ preparedness for disasters. Literature was searched from 2005, published in the English language and from MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, EMBASE, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, ProQuest and CINAHL databases. Reviews, case reports, clinical audits, editorials and short communications were excluded. Studies were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.
The initial search yielded 9589 articles. Twenty-seven articles were included following application of the eligibility criteria. Included studies were geographically diverse including North America, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific. Most studies (n = 24) assessed the knowledge of healthcare workers in general disasters. Studies using the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool reported moderate disaster preparedness and knowledge, while studies using other instruments largely reported inadequate disaster preparedness and knowledge. Regional variations were recorded, with high-income countries’ reporting a higher perceived preparedness for disasters than low-income countries.
The majority of the emergency healthcare workers appear to have inadequate disaster preparedness. Previous disaster experience and training improved disaster preparedness. Future research should focus on interventions to improve emergency healthcare workers preparedness for disasters.