Natural experiment studies project - Helping to build capacity for high-quality evaluations of public health interventions - prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (2018)

Natural experiments are events in which an observer or researcher does not have control of the event. Most public health interventions, such as the implementation of tobacco-control policies, can be considered natural experiments. The WHO Regional Office for Europe worked with a number of national ministries of health and their nominated research teams to develop natural experiment studies looking at national interventions for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. Four studies reached completion and publication. Summaries of these studies are presented in this report, with discussion on the reasons some studies were not completed and description of lessons learned through the process.