The impact of socioeconomic determinants of health and resulting health inequalities on children and young people with long-term health conditions in the UK: a scoping review protocol.

Abstract

<h4>Background</h4>Socioeconomic determinants of health (SDoH) have a significant impact on healthcare, health outcomes, and resulting health inequalities. A wealth of research relating to the adult population exists, including those with long-term health conditions. However, research is lacking on the impact of these SDoH on children and young people with long-term health conditions. Children and young people are also often forgotten when it comes to policies, legislation, and funding to reduce health inequalities. This scoping review aims to explore the extent and quality of research, legislation, and policies in the United Kingdom, in relation to SDoH and the resulting health inequalities in children and young people with long-term health conditions.<h4>Methods and design</h4>A flexible, iterative approach to this scoping review will enhance our ability to explore the impact of SDoH on children and young people with long-term health conditions. This will involve six steps: (1) defining the research question; (2) identifying relevant articles; (3) study selection; (4) charting the data; (5) collating, summarising, and reporting the results; and (6) consultation exercise with key stakeholders. A search of EMBASE, EMCARE, Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, and APA PsycINFO will be conducted from 2010 to present to evaluate the published literature following the Equality Act (2010), which set out the legal framework, and the Marmot Review (2010), a strategic review of health inequalities. Manual searching of national and international conferences, government white papers, published reports, and research summaries searched via the Health Research Authority website, and grey literature will be included.<h4>Discussion</h4>This review will inform concurrent work being undertaken at Great Ormond Street Hospital, which aims to develop and implement targeted, evidence-based interventions to reduce the impact of these SDoH and the resulting health inequalities. As such, this review is focused on UK-specific evidence relevant to our healthcare systems and patient population. The inclusion of UK policy and legislative literature will also ensure a real-world perspective and identify current gaps in policy that need to be addressed.<h4>Systematic review registration</h4>This review protocol has been registered within the Open Science Framework database ( osf.io/5ut9x ).