Use of Natural Experiments in Obesity Prevention Research and Application for Other Fields

Obesity and obesity-related conditions contribute to increased morbidity and mortality across the lifespan, resulting in a significant public health and economic burden. However, because multiple factors (lifestyle, socioeconomics, the environment, etc.) contribute to obesity, it remains an exceedingly complex condition to study. Major gaps exist in our understanding of appropriate and effective societal and systems changes to achieve a healthier energy balance. Natural experiments are studies that feature an exposure or change that is not planned by the researcher. Rigorous evaluation of these studies can allow insights into the associations that programs, interventions, or policies have on health-related outcomes including obesity. The NIH Pathways to Prevention Workshop (P2P) to be held December 5-6, 2017 will engage in a thorough assessment of the available scientific evidence to better understand appropriate, high-quality natural experiment research designs and analytic methods in obesity prevention and control. During the workshop, experts will discuss the state of the science, and an evidence report prepared by an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Center is presented. After weighing all evidence an independent panel prepares a draft report that identifies research gaps and future research priorities for natural experiment research. Key scientific areas to be covered in the workshop, which will serve as the foundation for discussion in this SPR roundtable, include: use of experimental and non-experimental methods, such as quasi-experiment designs; measures of exposure and co-benefits that are associated with obesity prevention and control; use of population-based data sources, such as spatial, crowd-sourcing and other open data sources.

This roundtable discussion will apply the P2P workshop findings on natural experiments in obesity prevention and control to other fields, such as active transportation, public housing, economics, and health disparities. Application of natural experiment research methods, both success stories and challenges, in these and other fields will be a key discussion topic for the roundtable attendees.