A scoping review of ontologies related to human behaviour change.

Journal: Nature human behaviour
PMID: 30944444

Abstract

Ontologies are classification systems specifying entities, definitions and inter-relationships for a given domain, with the potential to advance knowledge about human behaviour change. A scoping review was conducted to: (1) identify what ontologies exist related to human behaviour change, (2) describe the methods used to develop these ontologies and (3) assess the quality of identified ontologies. Using a systematic search, 2,303 papers were identified. Fifteen ontologies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion, developed in areas such as cognition, mental disease and emotions. Methods used for developing the ontologies were expert consultation, data-driven techniques and reuse of terms from existing taxonomies, terminologies and ontologies. Best practices used in ontology development and maintenance were documented. The review did not identify any ontologies representing the breadth and detail of human behaviour change. This suggests that advancing behavioural science would benefit from the development of a behaviour change intervention ontology.

Authors

  • Emma Norris
    UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
  • Ailbhe N Finnerty
    UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
  • Janna Hastings
    Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Gillian Stokes
    EPPI-Centre, University College London, London, UK.
  • Susan Michie
    Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, London, England, UK.

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