Hard-To-Reach and Hidden Groups in Health-Related Research—A Scoping Review

IF 3.4 3区医学 Q1 NURSING Journal of Advanced Nursing Pub Date : 2025-02-03 DOI:10.1111/jan.16779

Minna Törnävä, Mira Palonen, Eeva Harju, Toni Haapa, Marja-Liisa Rissanen, Jari Kylmä

{"title":"Hard-To-Reach and Hidden Groups in Health-Related Research—A Scoping Review","authors":"Minna Törnävä, Mira Palonen, Eeva Harju, Toni Haapa, Marja-Liisa Rissanen, Jari Kylmä","doi":"10.1111/jan.16779","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Aims</h3>\n \n <p>The aim of this scoping review was to identify hard-to-reach and hidden groups in health-related research and to understand the recruitment methods used with these groups.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Design</h3>\n \n <p>The presented scoping review has an exploratory perspectiveand was conducted in accordance with Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Data Sources</h3>\n \n <p>A comprehensive search of CINAHL and MEDLINE databases was performed for studies published up to November 2022. The searches were updated in December 2024.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Review Methods</h3>\n \n <p>Relevant papers were identified via specific search terms and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two authors independently assessed eligible literature and extracted relevant data, which was analysed and synthesised to answer the research questions. The analysis method used was descriptive analysis with quantification.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>Overall, 1024 studies were screened. The included studies were published between 2001 and 2022. A total of 41 studies were included in the review. In this data, groups were defined mostly as hard-to-reach and hidden. The groups were divided into eight categories: LGBTQ+ community, intoxicant users, sex workers and their clients, marginalised groups, mental health care seekers and users, impaired persons, people living outside their original home country and victims of abuse or neglect. Recruitment methods were varied, with snowball sampling, respondent-based sampling and websites being the most used.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusion</h3>\n \n <p>This review provides insight into the current knowledge on hard-to-reach and hidden study groups. In studies targeting hard-to-reach and hidden groups, the use of concepts is variable and inconsistent.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Impact</h3>\n \n <p>In clinical nursing practice, it is important to identify hidden and hard-to-reach groups, as the goal of equality is to improve the health and well-being of all individuals, including marginalised groups.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Reporting Method</h3>\n \n <p>Reporting was guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis ex-tension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Patient or Public Contribution</h3>\n \n <p>No patient or public contribution.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":54897,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Advanced Nursing","volume":"81 9","pages":"5793-5805"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Advanced Nursing","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jan.16779","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aims

The aim of this scoping review was to identify hard-to-reach and hidden groups in health-related research and to understand the recruitment methods used with these groups.

Design

The presented scoping review has an exploratory perspectiveand was conducted in accordance with Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

Data Sources

A comprehensive search of CINAHL and MEDLINE databases was performed for studies published up to November 2022. The searches were updated in December 2024.

Review Methods

Relevant papers were identified via specific search terms and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two authors independently assessed eligible literature and extracted relevant data, which was analysed and synthesised to answer the research questions. The analysis method used was descriptive analysis with quantification.

Results

Overall, 1024 studies were screened. The included studies were published between 2001 and 2022. A total of 41 studies were included in the review. In this data, groups were defined mostly as hard-to-reach and hidden. The groups were divided into eight categories: LGBTQ+ community, intoxicant users, sex workers and their clients, marginalised groups, mental health care seekers and users, impaired persons, people living outside their original home country and victims of abuse or neglect. Recruitment methods were varied, with snowball sampling, respondent-based sampling and websites being the most used.

Conclusion

This review provides insight into the current knowledge on hard-to-reach and hidden study groups. In studies targeting hard-to-reach and hidden groups, the use of concepts is variable and inconsistent.

Impact

In clinical nursing practice, it is important to identify hidden and hard-to-reach groups, as the goal of equality is to improve the health and well-being of all individuals, including marginalised groups.

Reporting Method

Reporting was guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis ex-tension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

Patient or Public Contribution

No patient or public contribution.

查看原文

微信好友朋友圈 QQ好友复制链接

本刊更多论文

健康相关研究中难以触及和隐藏的群体——范围综述

这项范围审查的目的是确定健康相关研究中难以触及和隐藏的群体，并了解这些群体使用的招募方法。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文去求助

来源期刊

Journal of Advanced Nursing 医学-护理

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

7.90%

发文量

369

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN) contributes to the advancement of evidence-based nursing, midwifery and healthcare by disseminating high quality research and scholarship of contemporary relevance and with potential to advance knowledge for practice, education, management or policy. All JAN papers are required to have a sound scientific, evidential, theoretical or philosophical base and to be critical, questioning and scholarly in approach. As an international journal, JAN promotes diversity of research and scholarship in terms of culture, paradigm and healthcare context. For JAN’s worldwide readership, authors are expected to make clear the wider international relevance of their work and to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural considerations and differences.