{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T17:31:20Z","timestamp":1793295080262,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,14]],"date-time":"2025-07-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752451200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Health Serv."],"abstract":"<jats:p>A systems thinking approach is essential for public health policy development, offering a framework to navigate the dynamic complexities inherent in public health issues. This methodology enables policymakers to comprehend the interconnections within public health systems and anticipate the potential consequences of policy implementation. This paper explores the application of systems thinking and modelling methodologies in addressing key public health concerns, such as obesity, infectious diseases, and tobacco use. A review of the literature illustrates how systems thinking informs evidence-based policy creation, improves stakeholder coordination, and mitigates challenges. However, this approach is not without limitations, as unforeseen consequences, financial repercussions, and potential stakeholder biases pose risks. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of comprehensive, adaptive evaluation mechanisms for ongoing policy refinement, ensuring policies remain effective and relevant in dynamic social, environmental, and political contexts.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/frhs.2025.1555284","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,14]],"date-time":"2025-07-14T05:26:40Z","timestamp":1752470800000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Systems thinking in public health policy development"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"5","author":[{"given":"Alan","family":"Silburn","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","volume-title":"Thinking in Systems: A Primer","author":"Meadows","year":"2008"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4135\/9781446263556","volume-title":"Systems Thinking","author":"Midgley","year":"2003"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"669","DOI":"10.1016\/j.procs.2015.03.050","article-title":"A definition of systems thinking: a systems approach","volume":"44","author":"Arnold","year":"2015","journal-title":"Procedia Comput Sci"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2602","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(17)31267-9","article-title":"The need for a complex systems model of evidence for public health","volume":"390","author":"Rutter","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e009002","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2015-009002","article-title":"Systems science and systems thinking for public health: a systematic review","volume":"5","author":"Carey","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"B6","article-title":"What is Systems Thinking and How Can It Inform Prevention?","year":""},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0129683","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0129683","article-title":"A community-based systems diagram of obesity causes","volume":"10","author":"Allender","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1016\/S2352-4642(20)30250-9","article-title":"Modelling the impact of school reopening and contact tracing strategies on COVID-19 dynamics","volume":"4","author":"Panovska-Griffiths","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Child Adolesc Health"},{"key":"B9","article-title":"Alliance For Health Policy And Systems Research, World Health Organization","volume-title":"Systems Thinking for Health Systems Strengthening","author":"De Savigny","year":"2009"},{"key":"B10","first-page":"daae086","article-title":"Systems change for health equity: the narrow path between the macro and the micro","volume":"39","author":"Carey","year":"2023","journal-title":"Health Promot Int"},{"key":"B11","first-page":"e010191","article-title":"The application of systems thinking in health: why use systems thinking?","volume":"8","author":"Peters","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"838","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(11)60815-5","article-title":"Changing the future of obesity: science, policy, and action","volume":"378","author":"Gortmaker","year":"2011","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1111\/obr.12099","article-title":"Structural responses to the obesity epidemic: the Chilean law of food labeling and advertising","volume":"14","author":"Corval\u00e1n","year":"2013","journal-title":"Obes Rev"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"236","DOI":"10.1093\/ajcn\/nqx040","article-title":"Impact of front-of-pack \u2018traffic-light\u2019 nutrition labelling on consumer food purchases in Australia: a cluster randomized controlled trial","volume":"107","author":"Sacks","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am J Clin Nutr"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"h6704","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.h6704","article-title":"Beverage purchases from stores in Mexico under the excise tax on sugar sweetened beverages: observational study","volume":"352","author":"Colchero","year":"2016","journal-title":"Br Med J"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodpol.2015.04.001","article-title":"Has a public\u2013private partnership resulted in action on healthier diets in England? 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