title: The NIHR Public Health Research Programme: responding to local authority research needs in the United Kingdom.
abstract: The remit of the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (PHR) Programme is to evaluate public health interventions, providing new knowledge on the benefits, costs, acceptability and wider impacts of interventions, set outside of the National Health Service, intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities. This paper illustrates how the PHR Programme is providing new knowledge for public health decision makers, based on the nine key areas for local authority public health action, described by the King's Fund. Many funded PHR projects are evaluating interventions, applied in a range of settings, across the identified key areas for local authority influence. For example, research has been funded on children and young people, and for some of the wider determinants of health, such as housing and travel. Other factors, such as spatial planning, or open and green spaces and leisure, are less represented in the PHR Programme. Further opportunities in research include interventions to improve the health of adolescents, adults in workplaces, and communities. Building evidence for public health interventions at local authority level is important to prioritise and implement effective changes to improve population health.
authors.affiliation: NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC), University of Southampton, Alpha House, Enterprise Road, Southampton, SO16 7NS, UK. h.dorling@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dorling
authors.affiliation: Wessex Institute, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. andrewc@soton.ac.uk.|University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK. andrewc@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.affiliation: NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC), University of Southampton, Alpha House, Enterprise Road, Southampton, SO16 7NS, UK. e.ollerhead@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ollerhead
authors.affiliation: NIHR Evaluation Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC), University of Southampton, Alpha House, Enterprise Road, Southampton, SO16 7NS, UK. m.j.westmore@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Westmore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D004779:Environment Design / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005380:Financing, Government; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006798:Housing / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D009111:Local Government; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000592:standards; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012572:School Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D013334:Students; D014186:Transportation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006113:United Kingdom