What are natural experiments called?

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Page 2

Author, year Geography Type Exposure Exposed group Unexposed group Intervention outcome Study design Primary data
Allais et al., 2015 [27] France P Food labelling Consumers of supermarket stores No control group (pre exposure) Sale of healthy
food items
Interrupted time series No
Barlow et al., 2017 [28] Canada P Tariff/trade agreement Residents in country with tax on sugar sweeteners Residents in countries with no tax on sugar sweeteners Sales of sugar foods/beverage Pre/post cohort + control No
Barradas et al., 2017 [29] Colombia C PA programme (park based) Residents near park with PA programme Residents near parks without programme;
with existing programme
Quality of life Post only Yes
Bernatchez et al., 2015 [30] Canada E Bike share programme City residents near bike-share docks City residents further from bike-share docks Programme awareness Repeated cross-sectional Yes
Brandt et al., 2017 [31] United States P Food regulation Residents in counties with TFA restrictions Residents in counties with no TFA restrictions Hospital admission for cardiovascular events Pre/post cohort + control No
Cawley et al., 2007 [32] United States P PE education Students in high schools with PE requirements Students in high schools without PE requirements PA, weight Post only No
Cawley et al., 2010 [33] United States P Social welfare benefit Elderly receiving inflated social security benefits No control group (variation in exposure) Weight Repeated cross-sectional No
Christian et al., 2013 [34] Australia E Built environment
(housing relocation)
Residents in a PA-supportive neighbourhood residents in conventional or hybrid neighbourhood Walking Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Christian et al., 2017 [35] Australia E Built environment (housing relocation) Residents in a new neighbourhood No control group Walking Pre/post cohort Yes
Cohen et al., 2012 [36] United States E Green space (outdoor gym equipment) Park users in parks with new fitness equipment Park users in parks without equipment PA METs Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Cornelsen et al., 2017 [37] United Kingdom P Tax (sugar) Customers of restaurant chain No control group (pre exposure) Sugar-sweetened beverage sales Interrupted time series No
Cranney et al., 2016 [38] Australia E Green space
(outdoor gym equipment)
Park users in parks with new fitness equipment No control group (pre exposure) PA Repeated cross-sectional;
qualitative interviews
Yes
Datar & Nicosia, 2017 [39] United States P Restricted access unhealthy food Children living in states with school policies on discretionary foods Children in states without policies BMI Post only No
Dill et al., 2014 [40] United States E Built environment (bicycle infrastructure) Residents in streets with bike paths Residents near streets without paths PA/AT Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Dubowitz et al., 2015 [41] United States E Food environment (access to healthy food outlet) Residents in neighbourhoods with no full-service supermarket No control group (baseline data only) Healthy food purchases Pre only Yes
Elbel et al., 2011 [42] United States P Food labelling Consumers (low-income kids/teens) of fast-food outlets in city with mandatory food labelling Consumers (low-income kids/teens) of fast-food outlets in city with no food labelling Food consumption - fast food Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Ferguson et al., 2017 [43] Australia p Food affordability (pricing) Residents in remote Aboriginal communities No control group (variation in exposure) F&V, general food/beverage sales Interrupted time series; repeat cross-sectional;
Qualitative interviews
Mixed
Frew et al., 2014 [44] United Kingdom C PA programme (access to services) City residents with limited access to free PA services Hypothetical (as if there was no free access) PA-related diseases, QALYS Pre/post cohort Yes
Fu & VanLandingham, 2012 [45] United States O Migration Vietnamese immigrants in America Vietnamese immigrant returnees and native (never-leavers) BMI, waist-hip circumference Post only Yes
Gee et al., 2015 [46] United States O Migration Filipinos in America Native Filipinos BMI, waist-hip circumference Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Giles-Corti et al., 2013 [47] Australia E Built environment
(housing relocation)
Residents in a PA-supportive neighbourhood residents in conventional or hybrid neighbourhood AT and recreational PA Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Hobin et al., 2017 [48] Canada P Food labelling Consumers of supermarkets with nutrition labelling Consumers of supermarkets without nutrition labelling Sale of healthy
food items
Pre/post cohort + control;
qualitative interviews
Mixed
Jancey et al., 2016 [49] Australia E Built environment (workplaces) Office workers move to new building No control group (pre exposure) PA Repeated cross-sectional Yes
Jones-Smith et al., 2017 [50] United States O Economic resources (casino developments) Native American new-borns born in area near casinos (greater resources) Native American new-borns near no casino (lower resources) Birth weight (childhood obesity) Repeated cross-sectional No
Jürges et al., 2011 [51] Germany P Education reform (years educated) Country population years of education No control (variation in exposure) Overweight, obesity, smoking Repeated cross-sectional No
Kapinos et al., 2017 [52] United States O Clinical (fetal mal-presentation at birth delivery) Mothers who deliver by caesarean birth Mothers who deliver by vaginal birth Mothers’ postpartum BMI Pre/post cohort + control No
Kesten et al., 2014 [53] United Kingdom E Built environment (AT infrastructure) Commuters in neighbourhoods proximal to AT infrastructure No control group (pre exposure) Awareness of AT infrastructure Qualitative interviews; media Mixed
Kodish et al., 2016 [54] United States O Economic resources (casino ownership) Native American tribal communities with casino ownership profit Tribal communities with little/no cash profit Access to healthy food, PA facilities, etc. Qualitative interviews Yes
Lee et al., 2017 [55] United States E Built environment (transfer to local school) Students transferred to local school No control group (recall pre exposure) AT participation Post only Yes
Madsen, 2011 [56] United States P Clinical (health (BMI) screening optional notification) Students in schools with screening-notified parents Students in schools with screening not notified BMI Repeated cross-sectional; qualitative interviews No
Odoms-Young et al., 2014 [57] United States P Food access (change to nutritional content of welfare food package) Low-income families receiving food security packages No control group (pre exposure) Dietary intake,
Body weight
Pre/post cohort Yes
Ovrum et al., 2014 [58] Norway P Food access (healthy food) Families of children whose schools give free F&V Families of children who do not have F&V programme or have optional programme F&V consumption Post only Yes
Pollack et al., 2014 [59] United States P Social housing Public housing residents in scattered housing Public housing residents in clustered housing Diet, PA behaviour, BMI, perceived health Post only Yes
Ram et al., 2016 [60] United Kingdom E Social housing City residents from different housing sectors No control group (baseline data only) PA, BMI, self-reported health Pre only Yes
Sadler et al., 2013 [61] United States E Food environment (access to healthy food outlet) Residents in neighbourhoods with new supermarket Residents in neighbourhood with no supermarket F&V intake, food security Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Schultz et al., 2017 [62] United States E Built environment (street redesign) Low-income neighbourhood residents No control group (pre exposure) PA, park usage Repeated cross-sectional Yes
Simões et al., 2017 [63] Brazil C PA programme (community) Cities participating in the programme Non-participatory and not-yet-participatory cities PA Pre/post cohort + control (step wedge) Yes
Stanley et al., 2016 [64] Canada E Public transport strike University students using public transport and other transport modes No control group (pre-exposure) PA, AT participation Pre/post cohort Mixed
Stone et al., 2012 [65] Canada P PA programme (school curriculum) Primary students in school with daily PA policy (mandatory minimum PA minutes) Primary students in school without PA curriculum PA, BMI Post only Yes
Sutherland et al., 2010 [66] United States P Food labelling Consumers of supermarkets with shelf nutrition labelling No control group (variation in exposure) Sale of healthy food items Interrupted time series No
Torres et al., 2017 [67] Colombia C PA programme (park-based) Residents near park with new PA programme Residents near parks without programme or
with established programme
MVPA Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Tudor-Locke et al., 2008 [68] Australia E Built environment (housing relocation) Residents relocating home within a metropolitan area No control group (pre exposure) PA Pre/post cohort Yes
Veitch et al., 2012 [69] Australia E Green space Users of a refurbished park Users an un-furbished park PA, park usage Pre/post cohort + control Yes
Wagner et al., 2013 [70] United States C Social living arrangements Student at a university No control group (variation in exposure) Various health behaviours (PA; alcohol) Post only No
Watson et al., 2016 [71] Canada P Economic (change in unemployment benefits) Adult workforce population No control group (variation in exposure) Obesity Pre/post cohort No
Zick, 2014 [72] United States P Daylight savings scheme Residents in states with daylight savings Residents in states with no daylight savings MVPA Pre/post cohort + control No

  1. AT active travel, BMI body mass index, C community intervention, E environmental intervention, F&V fruit and vegetable intake, METs metabolic equivalent expenditures, MVPA moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, O other, P policy, PA physical activity, PE physical education, QALYs quality-adjusted life years, TFA trans-fatty acid