{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,10]],"date-time":"2026-02-10T18:44:55Z","timestamp":1770749095534,"version":"3.50.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,27]],"date-time":"2023-06-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1687824000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"NHMRC partnership centre grant scheme","award":["GNT9100003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GNT9100003"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Systems"],"abstract":"<jats:p>There is wide agreement on the need for systems thinking to address complexity in chronic disease prevention but there is insufficient understanding of how such approaches are operationalised in prevention research. Ison and Straw propose that to address complexity, the right balance must be struck between \u2018systemic\u2019 and \u2018systematic\u2019 paradigms. We examined the nature and characteristics of this relationship in a series of six qualitative case studies of prevention research. Data comprised 29 semi-structured interviews with 16 participants, and online documents. The analysis combined inductive methods from grounded theory with a theoretically informed framework analysis. Systemic and systematic ways of working varied across each case as a whole, and within the dimensions of each case. Further, the interplay of systemic and systematic approaches was described along a dynamic continuum of variable proportions, with greater emphasis on systemic aspects balanced by less focus on the systematic, and vice versa. By expanding the boundaries for exploring prevention research, we gained empirical understanding of the potential and scope of systemic and systematic paradigms for addressing complexity in prevention research. There is inherent value in being more explicitly conscious and bilingual in both systemic and systematic paradigms so that their respective value and strengths may be utilised. Our findings propose a coherent theoretical frame to better understand existing approaches for addressing complexity in prevention research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/systems11070332","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,28]],"date-time":"2023-06-28T00:45:11Z","timestamp":1687913111000},"page":"332","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Addressing Complexity in Chronic Disease Prevention Research"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Melanie","family":"Pescud","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Menzies Centre for Health Governance, School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia"},{"name":"The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Glebe, NSW 2037, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lucie","family":"Rychetnik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Glebe, NSW 2037, Australia"},{"name":"Menzies Centre for Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sharon","family":"Friel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Menzies Centre for Health Governance, School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet), Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Michelle J.","family":"Irving","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Glebe, NSW 2037, Australia"},{"name":"Menzies Centre for Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia"},{"name":"Centre for Evidence and Implementation, 33 Lincoln Square South, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Therese","family":"Riley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Therese Riley Consulting, Melbourne, VIC 3191, Australia"},{"name":"Mitchell Institute for Education and Health Policy, Victoria University, Queen Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0568-0522","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diane T.","family":"Finegood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3, Canada"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9322-0656","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Harry","family":"Rutter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social & Policy Sciences, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ray","family":"Ison","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, School of Engineering and Innovation, Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4842-3294","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Steven","family":"Allender","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3125, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"791","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(18)32822-8","article-title":"The global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change: The Lancet Commission report","volume":"393","author":"Swinburn","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1627","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2011.300149","article-title":"Complex systems thinking and current impasses in health disparities research","volume":"101","year":"2011","journal-title":"Am. 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