Scientific Evidence in Public Health Decision-Making: A Systematic Literature Review of the Past 50 Years

Article Article scientifique Revue de la littérature Scientific Evidence in Public Health Decision-Making: A Systematic Literature Review of the Past 50 Years eng 2025-08-28 author Kabengele Mpinga Emmanuel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5763-4843 135131 Institut de santé globale (COSPR) author Chebbaa Sara author Pittet Anne-Laure 585736 Institut de santé globale (COSPR) author Kayumbi Gabin http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3484-4012 1343 10.3390/ijerph22091343 1660-4601 https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/9/1343 Background: Scientific evidence plays a critical role in informing public health decision-making processes. However, the extent, nature, and effectiveness of its use remain uneven across contexts. Despite the increasing volume of literature on the subject, previous syntheses have often suffered from narrow thematic, temporal, or geographic scopes. Objectives: This study undertook a comprehensive systematic literature review spanning 50 years to (i) synthesise current knowledge on the use of scientific evidence in public health decisions, (ii) identify key determinants, barriers, and enablers, (iii) evaluate implementation patterns, and (iv) propose future directions for research and practice. Methods: We adopted the PRISMA model (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Moreover, we researched three large databases (Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed), and this study focused on articles published in the English and French languages between January 1974 and December 2024. Studies were analysed thematically and descriptively to identify trends, patterns, and knowledge gaps. Results: This review reveals a growing corpus of scholarship with a predominance of qualitative studies mainly published in public health journals. Evidence use is most frequently analysed at the national policy level. Analyses of the evolution of scientific production over time revealed significant shifts beginning as early as 2005. Critical impediments included limited access to reliable and timely data, a lack of institutional capacity, and insufficient training among policy-makers. In contrast, enablers encompass cross-sector collaboration, data transparency, and alignment between researchers and decision-makers. Conclusions: Addressing persistent gaps necessitates a more nuanced appreciation of interdisciplinary and contextual factors. Our findings call for proactive policies aimed at promoting the use of scientific evidence by improving the accessibility of health data (addressing the absence or lack of data, as well as its reliability, timeliness, and accessibility), and by training decision-makers in the use of scientific evidence for decision making. Furthermore, our findings advocate for better alignment between the agendas of healthcare professionals (e.g., data collection), researchers (e.g., the selection of research topics), and decision-makers (e.g., expectations and needs) in order to develop and implement public health policies that are grounded in and informed by scientific evidence. Scientific evidence Public health Decision making Policy-makers Determinants Systematic review Dewey 613 66 Institut de santé globale 22A1 false International journal of environmental research and public health 22 9 47f548d0-179c-4b6a-8af7-dc0a8e7cd879 Article (Published version) Public Article_scientifique_from_crossref.pdf 1045522 application/pdf CC BY-4.0 f14fa4dcd7396cb356fb072c3b8af5ef46996af1ca5ac05f4566e34887d2f008 a5766750-5908-47d6-8874-78ece36f2097 Supplemental data Public ijerph-3769588-supplementary_S1.pdf 84811 application/pdf File S1- Details of Boolean search string for each database. 795d1477b978dde201695f20e21e274e283d7c71d1ac91f833bf842445715e29 45badb2e-7d9f-4eb4-850d-62d7f01d42df Supplemental data Public ijerph-3769588-supplementary_S2.xlsx 177654 application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet File S2. Data extracted from different studies 1f7c674aae3d924d810bea2c780c4e63a80cca988be58ea629cc48c9aa845b54 307b72f2-5a56-4d1f-8003-d0d19db32618 Supplemental data Public ijerph-3769588-supplementary_S3.pdf 194387 application/pdf File S3. PRISMA Checklist f5bf07e2651648948c8ae1ed67b8a7043575395ec693c39b0b086cfd8fd18c1a openAccess Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine clinique / Département de santé et médecine communautaires / Institut de santé globale

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Scientific Evidence in Public Health Decision-Making: A Systematic Literature Review of the Past 50 Years	International journal of environmental research and public health			2025	51	180

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Pittet, Anne-Laure