Industry influence on public health policy formulation in the UK

A complex systems approach

Datos Bibliográficos

ID22945678
AutoresAmber Van Den Akker (0000-0001-8365-3418, University of Bath), Alice Fabbri (0000-0001-8413-0440, University of Bath), Adam Bertscher (0000-0001-7786-1798, University of Bath), Anne Gilmore (0000-0003-0281-1248, University of Bath), Cécile Knai (0000-0001-6663-7379, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Nick Cavill (0000-0002-3399-3219, University of Bath), Harry Rutter (0000-0002-9322-0656, University of Bath)
Año2024
Volumen39
Número6
Fecha de publicación2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaHealth Promotion International (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0957-4824 • E-ISSN: 1460-2245
EditorialOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/heapro/daae139
PMID39569486
OpenAlexW4404570558
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas7
Referencias citadas63

Unhealthy commodity industries (UCIs) such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling, ultra-processed food and beverage producers are known to influence policy-making to advance their interests, often to the detriment of public health goals. This study mapped the complex system underpinning UCI’s influence on public health policy formulation in the UK and identified potential interventions to shift the system towards being able to better attain public health goals. We conducted a participatory systems mapping workshop with ten experts to build a causal loop diagram (CLD) and identify potential interventions to address UCI’s influence on public health policy development. The resulting CLD depicts a highly interconnected and reinforcing system driving UCI’s involvement in public health policy formulation across five thematic areas. Among the most connected elements were the ‘dominance of market mechanisms’, ‘perception of partnership as good governance principle’, ‘industry involvement lending perceived legitimacy to the policy formulation process’, ‘industry is seen as part of the solution’ and ‘industry ties to policy-makers’. Participants identified a total of 22 interventions within this system. Analysis of the CLD and interventions identified the potential for two key paradigmatic changes in this complex system: de-normalizing the perception of unhealthy commodity industry actors as legitimate stakeholders in policy formulation; and prioritizing public health and wellbeing objectives over profit and economic gain. In order to shift the system towards better attaining public health goals, interventions should reinforce each other and be supportive of these two key paradigmatic shifts.

Business · Citizen journalism · Corporate governance · Economic growth · Economics · Legitimacy · Political science · Politics · Psychological intervention · Public economics · Public health · Public policy · Public relations · Qualitative research · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Medicine · Public Health Policies and Education · Health Policy