Background Researchers publish the processes they use to develop interventions to improve health. Reflecting on this endeavour may help future developers to improve their practice. Methods Our aim was to collate, describe, and analyse the actions developers take when developing complex interventions to improve health. We carried out a systematic mapping review of empirical research studies that report the development of complex interventions to improve health. A search was undertaken of five databases over 2015-2016 using the term 'intervention dev*'. Eighty-seven journal articles reporting the process of intervention development were identified. A purposive subset of 30 articles, using a range of published approaches to developing interventions, was selected for in-depth analysis using principles of realist synthesis to identify the actions of intervention development and rationales underpinning those actions. Results The 87 articles were from the USA (39/87), the UK (32/87), continental Europe (6/87), and the rest of the world (10/87). These mainly took a pragmatic self-selected approach (n = 43); a theory- and evidence-based approach, e.g. Intervention Mapping, Behaviour Change Wheel (n = 22); or a partnership approach, e.g. community-based participatory research, co-design (n = 10). Ten actions of intervention development were identified from the subset of 30 articles, including identifying a need for an intervention, selecting the intervention development approach to follow, considering the needs of the target population, reviewing published evidence, involving stakeholders, drawing or generating theory, and designing and refining the intervention. Rationales for these actions were that they would produce more engaging, acceptable, feasible, and effective interventions. Conclusions Developers take a variety of approaches to the international endeavour of complex intervention development. We have identified and described a set of actions taken within this endeavour regardless of whether developers follow a published approach or not. Future developers can use these actions and the rationales that underpin them to help them make decisions about the process of intervention development. Trial registration PROSPERO, CRD42017080545.

中文翻译：

---

制定改善健康的干预措施：对 2015 年至 2016 年国际实践的系统性绘图回顾。

背景研究人员公布了他们用来开发干预措施以改善健康的过程。反思这一努力可能有助于未来的开发人员改进他们的实践。方法 我们的目标是整理、描述和分析开发人员在开发复杂干预措施以改善健康时所采取的行动。我们对经验研究进行了系统的映射回顾，这些研究报告了改善健康的复杂干预措施的发展。在 2015-2016 年间使用术语“干预开发*”对五个数据库进行了搜索。确定了 87 篇报道干预发展过程的期刊文章。30 篇文章的一个有目的的子集，使用一系列已发表的方法来开发干预措施，被选中使用现实主义综合原则进行深入分析，以确定干预发展的行动和支持这些行动的基本原理。结果 87篇文章来自美国（39/87）、英国（32/87）、欧洲大陆（6/87）和世界其他地区（10/87）。这些主要采取务实的自选方法（n = 43）；一种基于理论和证据的方法，例如干预映射、行为改变轮（n = 22）；或合作方式，例如基于社区的参与式研究、共同设计（n = 10）。从 30 篇文章的子集中确定了 10 项干预开发行动，包括确定干预需求、选择要遵循的干预开发方法、考虑目标人群的需求、审查已发表的证据、让利益相关者参与、绘制或生成理论，并设计和完善干预。这些行动的基本原理是它们将产生更具吸引力、可接受、可行和有效的干预措施。结论 开发人员对复杂干预开发的国际努力采取了多种方法。无论开发人员是否遵循已发布的方法，我们已经确定并描述了在此努力中采取的一系列行动。未来的开发人员可以使用这些行动和支持他们的基本原理来帮助他们对干预开发过程做出决策。试用注册 PROSPERO，CRD42017080545。结论 开发人员对复杂干预开发的国际努力采取了多种方法。无论开发人员是否遵循已发布的方法，我们已经确定并描述了在此努力中采取的一系列行动。未来的开发人员可以使用这些行动和支持他们的基本原理来帮助他们对干预开发过程做出决策。试用注册 PROSPERO，CRD42017080545。结论 开发人员对复杂干预开发的国际努力采取了多种方法。无论开发人员是否遵循已发布的方法，我们已经确定并描述了在此努力中采取的一系列行动。未来的开发人员可以使用这些行动和支持他们的基本原理来帮助他们对干预开发过程做出决策。试用注册 PROSPERO，CRD42017080545。未来的开发人员可以使用这些行动和支持他们的基本原理来帮助他们对干预开发过程做出决策。试用注册 PROSPERO，CRD42017080545。未来的开发人员可以使用这些行动和支持他们的基本原理来帮助他们对干预开发过程做出决策。试用注册 PROSPERO，CRD42017080545。