Exploring the influence of community alcohol environments on drinking perceptions, norms and practices: A protocol for a qualitative scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: Evidence from quantitative research and systematic reviews shows that community alcohol environments can influence alcohol-related outcomes. Qualitative evidence can aid in-depth exploration of these associations and provide possible explanations for them.
Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to understand the extent and type of qualitative evidence in relation to community alcohol environments, and to provide contextual insights into the influence of alcohol environments on alcohol-related perceptions and behaviours.
Inclusion criteria: The review will include qualitative studies, written in English, that report on perceptions and experiences of community alcohol environments. Quantitative studies will be excluded. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals and final study reports will be included. Other forms of grey literature (e.g. theses, opinion pieces) will be excluded.
Methods: The proposed scoping review will follow established guidelines. We will search four databases, Google Scholar and reference lists of included studies. Eligibility screening will be conducted independently by two reviewers. A tailored data extraction tool will be used. Included evidence will be brought together in a narrative summary and data from individual sources of evidence will be presented in a table. If relevant and feasible, we will map and summarise key areas of research by using an existing conceptual framework or model.