title: Economic interventions to improve population health: a scoping study of systematic reviews.
abstract: Recognizing the close relationship between poverty and health, national program managers, policy-makers and donors are increasingly including economic interventions as part of their core strategies to improve population health. However, there is often confusion among stakeholders about the definitions and operational differences between distinct types of economic interventions and financial instruments, which can lead to important differences in interpretation and expectations.
  
  
  
  We conducted a scoping study to define and clarify concepts underlying key economic interventions - price interventions (taxes and subsidies), income transfer programs, incentive programs, livelihood support programs and health-related financial services - and map the evidence currently available from systematic reviews.
  
  
  
  We identified 195 systematic reviews on economic interventions published between 2005 and July 2015. Overall, there was an increase in the number of reviews published after 2010. The majority of reviews focused on price interventions, income transfer programs and incentive programs, with much less evidence available from systematic reviews on livelihood support programs and health-related financial services. We also identified a lack of evidence on: health outcomes in low income countries; unintended or perverse outcomes; implementation challenges; scalability and cost-effectiveness of economic interventions.
  
  
  
  We conclude that while more research is clearly needed to assess suitability and effectiveness of economic interventions in different contexts, before interventions are tested and further systematic reviews conducted, a consistent and accurate understanding of the fundamental differences in terminology and approaches is essential among researchers, public health policy makers and program planners.
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Tahir Foundation Building, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore.|Communicable Diseases Policy Research Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
authors.forename: Mishal S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Tahir Foundation Building, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore.
authors.forename: Bernie Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Tahir Foundation Building, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jananie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Audimulam
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Tahir Foundation Building, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cervero Liceras
authors.affiliation: Communicable Diseases Policy Research Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.|Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, 420/1 Ratchawithi RD, Ratchathewi District, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Coker
authors.affiliation: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Tahir Foundation Building, National University of Singapore, 12 Science Drive 2, #10-01, Singapore, 117549, Singapore. joanne_yoong@nuhs.edu.sg.|Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, 635 Downey Way, VPD, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA. joanne_yoong@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoong
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011640:Public Policy
keywords: Behavior change; Economic interventions; Public health; Review