The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is undertaking a partial update of public health guidance 6 'Behaviour change at population, community and individual levels'. The House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry into behaviour change recommended that NICE update the guidance 'particularly to offer more explicit advice on how behaviour change techniques could be applied to reduce obesity, alcohol abuse and smoking'. Evidence reviews are being conducted to address the key questions that are set out in the scope. These relate to individual-level interventions and behavior change techniques addressing specific health-related behaviours: smoking, alcohol, diet, physical activity and sex.

• Behaviour change: scope

We would like to receive details of grey literature and unpublished evaluation studies that provide evidence that relates to the questions below (taken from the scope p.7-8).

Question 1a: Which interventions are effective and cost effective at changing someone’s behaviour and then helping them to sustain that change?

Question 1b: Which specific behaviour-change techniques (and combinations of behaviour-change techniques^[1]) are effective and cost effective at helping individuals change and then sustain the new behaviour in the

long term (for at least 6 months following the intervention)?

Expected outcomes: Changes in behaviour that have a causal link to an intervention or behaviour-change technique or specific combination of techniques and the specified length of time that a change in behaviour is evident.

Question 2: Which behaviour-change techniques are only effective for specific behaviours, such as helping people to quit alcohol or smoking? Which techniques can be used to tackle a range of behaviours?

Expected outcomes: Techniques associated with changes in specific behaviours and those associated with changes to a number of different types of behaviour.

Question 3: What characteristics and competencies are required to deliver behaviour-change interventions and techniques effectively?

Expected outcomes: Details of the characteristics of those delivering behaviour-change interventions (for example, professional background, social skills). Details of competencies associated with specific behaviour-change techniques focusing on a target behaviour; and competencies associated with general aspects of the interaction with the client.

Question 4: How do the effects of individual interventions/behaviour-change techniques vary across different population groups?

Expected outcomes: Participants’ demographic details, including measures of socioeconomic status and health inequalities. Reporting of any unintended consequences of individual-level intervention.

Question 5: Which theories explain when, why and how behaviour change is maintained?

Expected outcomes: Evidence from learning and social-cognitive theories and theories of change.

We are interested in identifying unpublished evaluations conducted since 2000 or any on-going research that is being conducted that relates to the review questions outlined above. We are interested in a broad range of different types of evidence. It may be quantitative or qualitative research. The evidence we are seeking is grey literature/unpublished evaluations, working papers, white papers, expert papers and other forms of appraisals. We are not seeking articles published in journals as these will be identified through the evidence reviews described above.

Please note that we are not able to accept the following material:

• Promotional material.
• Unsubstantiated or non-evidence-based assertions of effectiveness.
• Opinion pieces
• Attachments of published material or hard copy of published material
• Material not available in English

Unpublished material

If you are aware of ongoing trials/research relevant to our questions which are in progress please could you help us to identify that information by providing relevant information such as a link to a registered trial with the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Clinical Trials) or, please could you provide details, for example: study title and contact details for the lead investigator.

If you wish to submit academic in confidence material i.e. written but not yet published, or commercial in confidence i.e. internal documentation, please could you highlight which sections are confidential by using the highlighter function in Word.

If you wish to submit other forms of unpublished evaluations i.e. theses, technical reports, papers or other documents providing quantitative or qualitative evidence on the review questions outlined above please could you provide details, for example: study/report title and contact details for the lead author.

Please send any relevant evidence details by 5pm on Thursday 21 June, 2012, using the evidence submission form, to behaviourchange@nice.org.uk 

We look forward to receiving information on this and thank you in advance for your help.