1. Implementation Models for Development in Low- and Middle-income Countries: Systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Literature
- Author
-
Hina Shaikh, Sohail Agha, Lorry Symington, Raquel Gerard, and William Douglas Evans
- Subjects
Economic growth ,Low and middle income countries ,Political science - Abstract
Background. This study operationally defines a relatively small, but growing field of study on practical implementation models for health behavior change in the context of international development. The paper examines the continuum of behavioral theories and their application in the context of development programs and research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We describe implementation models, point out that they have strengths in terms of feasibility and evaluability, and examine how they have been used to design theory-based interventions.The main research question (RQ1) is the following: What is the extent and nature of evidence published in this field? Two additional hypotheses are: (H1) There are examples, such as the Fogg Behavioral Model and others, that have established evidence for practical implementation models; and (H2) There are some practical implementation models that represent best practices and may be recommended as a basis for resources and intervention design in the context of international development. The study describes the state of evidence for feasible implementation models for development.Methods. The authors conducted a systematic search of the published, peer-reviewed literature following the widely accepted PRISMA methods for systematic reviews. We aimed to identify all relevant manuscripts published in the English language in health, social science, and business literature that apply implementation models, located in an LMIC, with a behavior change objective. We located 1,078 articles through database searching and 106 through other means. Ultimately, we identified 25 relevant articles for inclusion.Results. In answer to RQ1, we found that the peer-reviewed literature on implementation models for development has been growing in recent years, with 80% of reviewed papers published since 2015. There was a wide range of different models revealed by this review but none demonstrated clear-cut evidence of being most effective. However, the models found in this review share common characteristics of focusing on the three central tenets of Opportunity, Ability, and Motivation (OAM).Conclusions. This review found that implementation models for development are a promising and growing approach to behavior change in LMICs. Intervention models research should be expanded and applied in new domains, such as vaccination.
- Published
- 2021