Systems thinking broadly encourages us to look at the “bigger picture,” recognizing how people, populations, and organizations act and evolve in response to each other and their contexts. The value of systems thinking in non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention policy is increasingly recognized. This presentation will focus on a recently completed systematic scoping review. In this review, the researchers aimed to describe the academic literature documenting how methods informed by systems thinking have been applied to understand and facilitate the policy process in NCD prevention. The review also sought to understand the strengths and limitations of systems thinking–informed methods in this context, as well as barriers and facilitators to their successful use. This academic review underpins practical guidance developed in collaboration with the WHO-Europe Office for NCD prevention.

Chloe Clifford Astbury is a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Global Health at York University. Chloe is interested in the transition to a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable food system through integrated food system policy across food production, processing, trade, and public health. Her current work focuses on the application of systems thinking to the prevention of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Prior to joining York, Chloe completed her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge.