Public call two – primary research studies eligibility criteria and research questions

Eligibility criteria

Primary research studies will be screened against eligibility criteria before being considered for inclusion in the scoping reviews. Eligible citations will be checked to ensure that the studies have not been retracted. Retracted studies will be excluded.

Eligibility for studies related to questions on older adults and protein-rich foods

To be considered suitable for use, primary research studies must:

• be a peer-reviewed primary study in humans
• address one or more of the research questions and its associated populations, exposures, and outcomes
• have been published from 1995 onwards
• be published in English.

The following will be excluded:

• studies of nutritional supplements or nutrient-specific interventions (including protein supplements). Nutritional (or dietary) supplements are products added to the diet, usually in the form of a pill, capsule, tablet, powder or liquid. They contain one or more dietary ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids and enzymes.
• systematic reviews
• non-peer-reviewed literature.

Research questions

To be considered in the scoping reviews, a primary study must relate to protein-rich foods (animal or plant) and one of the research questions below:

• development of sarcopenia (age related muscle wasting).
• development of neurocognitive conditions or impairments (for example, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia).

Animal protein-rich foods include meat and poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy (milk, yoghurt and cheese). Plant protein-rich foods include legumes, nuts and seeds, tofu and plant-based meat alternatives.

Both of these research questions comprise a population of interest, an intervention or exposure of interest, a comparator of interest, and one or more outcomes of interest. Collectively, these parameters are known as the ‘PI/ECO’ criteria.

Further detail on the PI/ECO criteria for the above research questions are listed in tables 1 and 2 below. To be eligible for consideration, primary studies must address the PI/ECO criteria listed in the tables.

*Or 50 years and older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

 
*Or 50 years and older for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
†Excluding decline due to brain injury (including post-stroke) or transient cognitive decline or impairment (such as delirium or post stroke).

Eligibility for studies related to questions on diet and sustainability

For these questions, submitted studies may be qualitative, quantitative or mixed method primary research studies. To be considered suitable for use, a study must:

• be a peer-reviewed primary study in humans
• address one or more of the research questions (see tables below)
• examine community-dwelling Australians and address one of the key concepts of diet and sustainability (economic, social and environmental)
• have been published from 2009 onwards
• be published in English.

The following will be excluded:

• studies that don’t relate to the Australian context
• systematic reviews
• non-peer-reviewed literature.

Research questions

To be considered in the scoping reviews, a study must relate to one of the scoping research questions, which are:

• What studies are available on the environmental impact of consuming different dietary patterns, protein-rich foods and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in the Australian context?
• What studies are available on the implications of different dietary patterns on socio-cultural acceptability, accessibility, equity, cost and affordability of food in the Australian context?

To be eligible for inclusion in these scoping reviews, individual studies must meet all the inclusion criteria listed in Table 3 or Table 4.

*Defined as the quantities, proportions, variety, or combination of foods and drinks typically consumed. Examples include the typical Australian diet, vegetarian diet, Mediterranean diet, etc.
† Animal protein-rich foods include meat and poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy (milk, yoghurt and cheese).
‡ Plant protein-rich foods include legumes, nuts and seeds, tofu and plant-based meat alternatives.

* Defined as the quantities, proportions, variety, or combination of foods and drinks typically consumed. Examples include the typical Australian diet, vegetarian diet, Mediterranean diet, etc.