IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0186897.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ethical issues in the development and implementation of nutrition-related public health policies and interventions: A scoping review

Author

Listed:
  • Thierry Hurlimann
  • Juan Pablo Peña-Rosas
  • Abha Saxena
  • Gerardo Zamora
  • Béatrice Godard

Abstract

Background: The limited integration of ethics in nutrition-related public health policies and interventions is one major concern for those who have the task of implementing them. Ethical challenges that are overlooked during the development of such interventions could raise serious ethical issues during their implementation and even after. As a result, these decision makers need technical support and ethical guidance for adaptation of interventions to local (cultural, social, economic, etc.) contexts. Aim: The goal of this scoping review is to delineate and “map” the range of ethical issues in nutrition-related public health interventions, as well as the range of the various fields in which they may arise. Methods: A scoping review of empirical research and conceptual literature was conducted following the framework of Arksey and O’Malley. Searches using PubMed with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) categories and Advanced Search Builder as well as in the Global Health Library were performed. The final sample consists of 169 publications. Results: The ethics of public health prevention or treatment of obesity and non-communicable diseases is the most explicitly and frequently discussed subject. In comparison, ethical issues raised by public health interventions in the fields of undernutrition, breastfeeding, vitamin/mineral supplementation and food fortification, food security, food sustainability and food safety are addressed in a lower proportion of the sample. The results illustrate the various natures, types, and scopes of existing public health nutrition-related interventions, and the various ethical issues that may be raised by these interventions, in addition to the numerous and different contexts in which they may be implemented. Discussion: The ethical issues faced in the development and implementation of nutrition-related public health interventions are varied and cannot be equated with, nor generalized about, when dealing with specific activities in this field. More importantly, these ethical issues cannot be managed without a careful consideration for the complexity of contexts in which nutrition-related interventions are expected to be implemented. These interventions engage a variety of actors with diverse perspectives and interests. We discuss these challenges and also comment on the importance of considering ethical impacts in the monitoring and evaluation of such interventions. Conclusion: General ethical frameworks or recommendations–although useful–cannot be expected to provide policy makers, implementators and other public health personnel with sufficient practical ethical guidance as they cannot consider and anticipate the particularities of all specific nutrition-related public health interventions and the complexity of the contexts in which they are implemented. Further research is needed in order to develop more targeted ethical frameworks.

Suggested Citation

  • Thierry Hurlimann & Juan Pablo Peña-Rosas & Abha Saxena & Gerardo Zamora & Béatrice Godard, 2017. "Ethical issues in the development and implementation of nutrition-related public health policies and interventions: A scoping review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-25, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0186897
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186897
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0186897
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0186897&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0186897?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bombak, A., 2014. "Obesity, health at every size, and public health policy," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(2), pages 60-67.
    2. Hilmers, A. & Hilmers, D.C. & Dave, J., 2012. "Neighborhood disparities in access to healthy foods and their effects on environmental justice," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(9), pages 1644-1654.
    3. Barnhill, A., 2011. "Impact and ethics of excluding sweetened beverages from the SNAP program," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(11), pages 2037-2043.
    4. Moore, Sue & Murphy, Simon & Tapper, Katy & Moore, Laurence, 2010. "From policy to plate: Barriers to implementing healthy eating policies in primary schools in Wales," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(3), pages 239-245, March.
    5. Goldstein, B.D., 2001. "The precautionary principle also applies to public health actions," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(9), pages 1358-1361.
    6. Saukko, Paula M. & Reed, Matthew & Britten, Nicky & Hogarth, Stuart, 2010. "Negotiating the boundary between medicine and consumer culture: Online marketing of nutrigenetic tests," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(5), pages 744-753, March.
    7. Kass, N. & Hecht, K. & Paul, A. & Birnbach, K., 2014. "Ethics and obesity prevention: Ethical considerations in 3 approaches to reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(5), pages 787-795.
    8. Gill Thomson & Heather Morgan & Nicola Crossland & Linda Bauld & Fiona Dykes & Pat Hoddinott & on behalf of the BIBS team, 2014. "Unintended Consequences of Incentive Provision for Behaviour Change and Maintenance around Childbirth," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-21, October.
    9. Kass, N.E., 2001. "An ethics framework for public health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(11), pages 1776-1782.
    10. Oppenheimer, G.M. & Daniel Benrubi, I., 2014. "McGovern's Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human needs versus the meat industry on the diet-heart question (1976-1977)," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(1), pages 59-69.
    11. McPhail, Deborah & Chapman, Gwen E. & Beagan, Brenda L., 2011. ""Too much of that stuff can't be good": Canadian teens, morality, and fast food consumption," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 301-307, July.
    12. Rowe, Sylvia & Alexander, Nick & Weaver, Connie M. & Dwyer, Johanna T. & Drew, Christa & Applebaum, Rhona S. & Atkinson, Stephanie & Clydesdale, Fergus M. & Hentges, Eric & Higley, Nancy A. & Westring, 2013. "How experts are chosen to inform public policy: Can the process be improved?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(3), pages 172-178.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sékou Samadoulougou & Laurence Letarte & Alexandre Lebel, 2022. "Association between Neighbourhood Deprivation Trajectories and Self-Perceived Health: Analysis of a Linked Survey and Health Administrative Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Maria Carnovale & Khahlil Louisy, 2021. "Public Health, Technology, and Human Rights: Lessons from Digital Contact Tracing," Papers 2107.07552, arXiv.org.
    3. Chenarides, Lauren & Bonanno, Alessandro & Palmer, Anne & Clancy, Kate, 2014. "Perceived Barriers to Purchasing Healthy Foods vs. Access in Underserved Areas across the Northeast," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170606, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Melissa Chinchilla & Mariana C. Arcaya, 2017. "Using Health Impact Assessment as an Interdisciplinary Teaching Tool," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, July.
    5. Kristi Pullen Fedinick & Ilch Yiliqi & Yukyan Lam & David Lennett & Veena Singla & Miriam Rotkin-Ellman & Jennifer Sass, 2021. "A Cumulative Framework for Identifying Overburdened Populations under the Toxic Substances Control Act: Formaldehyde Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-13, June.
    6. Mishra, Sabyasachee & Sharma, Ishant & Pani, Agnivesh, 2023. "Analyzing autonomous delivery acceptance in food deserts based on shopping travel patterns," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    7. Shan Zhou & Douglas S. Noonan, 2019. "Justice Implications of Clean Energy Policies and Programs in the United States: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, February.
    8. Craig Donnachie & Helen Sweeting & Kate Hunt, 2023. "A Qualitative Study on Young Men’s Experiences of Intentional Weight-Gain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-15, February.
    9. Resta, Emanuela & Logroscino, Giancarlo & Tafuri, Silvio & Peter, Preethymol & Noviello, Chiara & Costantiello, Alberto & Leogrande, Angelo, 2024. "The ESG Determinants of Mental Health Index Across Italian Regions: A Machine Learning Approach," MPRA Paper 121204, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Kristie S. Gutierrez & Catherine E. LePrevost, 2016. "Climate Justice in Rural Southeastern United States: A Review of Climate Change Impacts and Effects on Human Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, February.
    11. Vallgårda, Signild, 2012. "Nudge—A new and better way to improve health?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(2), pages 200-203.
    12. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/7po41o0s2r8a280jp65ahvu46k is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Hunt Allcott & Rebecca Diamond & Jean-Pierre Dubé & Jessie Handbury & Ilya Rahkovsky & Molly Schnell, 2019. "Food Deserts and the Causes of Nutritional Inequality," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 134(4), pages 1793-1844.
    14. Chelsea R. Singleton & Yu Li & Ana Clara Duran & Shannon N. Zenk & Angela Odoms-Young & Lisa M. Powell, 2017. "Food and Beverage Availability in Small Food Stores Located in Healthy Food Financing Initiative Eligible Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-12, October.
    15. Shervin Assari & Maryam Moghani Lankarani, 2018. "Educational Attainment Promotes Fruit and Vegetable Intake for Whites but Not Blacks," J, MDPI, vol. 1(1), pages 1-13, June.
    16. Bokun Kim & Gwonmin Kim & Eonho Kim & Jonghwan Park & Tomonori Isobe & Takeji Sakae & Sechang Oh, 2021. "The A Body Shape Index Might Be a Stronger Predictor of Chronic Kidney Disease Than BMI in a Senior Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-11, December.
    17. Wu, Qiyan & Zhang, Xiaoling & Liu, Chunhui & Chen, Zhou, 2018. "The de-industrialization, re-suburbanization and health risks of brownfield land reuse: Case study of a toxic soil event in Changzhou, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 187-194.
    18. Katarzyna Zawisza & Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk & Aleksander Galas & Katarzyna Jabłońska & Tomasz Grodzicki, 2021. "Changes in Body Mass Index and Quality of Life—Population-Based Follow-up Study COURAGE and COURAGE-POLFUS, Poland," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 501-526, April.
    19. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Vaccination passports: Challenges for a future of air transportation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 394-401.
    20. Sean G. Young, 2023. "Hidden Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic Response," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-7, April.
    21. Jeremy Mennis & Gerald J. Stahler & Michael J. Mason, 2016. "Risky Substance Use Environments and Addiction: A New Frontier for Environmental Justice Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-15, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0186897. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.