title: Broadening public participation in systematic reviews: a case example involving young people in two configurative reviews.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arguments supporting the involvement of users in research have even more weight when involving the public in systematic reviews of research. We aimed to explore the potential for public involvement in systematic reviews of observational and qualitative studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two consultative workshops were carried out with a group of young people (YP) aged 12-17 years to examine two ongoing reviews about obesity: one about children's views and one on the link between obesity and educational attainment. YP were invited to comment on the credibility of themes, to propose elements of interventions, to suggest links between educational attainment and obesity and to comment on their plausibility.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Researchers had more confidence in review findings, after checking that themes identified as important by YP were emphasised appropriately. Researchers were able to use factors linking obesity and attainment identified as important by YP to identify limitations in the scope of extant research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consultative workshops helped researchers draw on the perspectives of YP when interpreting and reflecting upon two systematic reviews. Involving users in judging synthesis credibility and identifying concepts was easier than involving them in interpreting findings. Involvement activities for reviews should be designed with review stage, purpose and group in mind.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.affiliation: Social Science Research Unit & EPPI-Centre, UCL Institute of Education, L-MB: University of Western England.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.affiliation: Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Louca-Mai
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.affiliation: Social Science Research Unit & EPPI-Centre, UCL Institute of Education, L-MB: University of Western England.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kavanagh
authors.affiliation: Social Science Research Unit & EPPI-Centre, UCL Institute of Education, L-MB: University of Western England.
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.affiliation: Social Science Research Unit & EPPI-Centre, UCL Institute of Education, L-MB: University of Western England.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003256:Community Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011639:Public Opinion; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: childhood obesity; systematic reviews; user involvement; young people