Table 1.

Summary of the included literature by study design

Design	No.	Papers
Mixed method	17	Abbott and Abbott (2007), Caiels and Thurston (2005), Clarke et al. (2001), Coppel et al. (1999), Doncaster (2008), Finch et al. (1993), Galvin and Sharples (2000), Gillespie et al. (2007), Lishman-Peat (2002), Marcella and Baxter (2000), Memel and Gubbay (1999), Middleton et al. (1993), Nosowska (2004), Reading et al. (2002), Sanderson and Mahon (2003), Sherr et al. (2002), Sherratt et al. (2000)
Cross-sectional	26	Abbott and Hobby (2000, 2003), Ambrose and Stone (2003), Atkinson et al. (2006), Beer et al. (1998), Borland and Owens (2004), Buck et al. (2008), Fruin and Pitt (2008), Greasley (2003), Greasley and Small (2005a), Harding et al. (2002, 2003), Hobby and Emanuel (1998), Hoskins and Smith (2002), Hoskins et al. (2005), Jenkins et al. (2008), Langley et al. (2004), Levy and Payne (2006), Paris and Player (1993), Pleasence and Balmer (2009), Pleasence et al. (2007), Powell et al. (2004), Smith and Patel (2008), Taylor et al. (2009), Toeg (2003), Veitch and Terry (1993)
Discussion papers	11	Abbott (2002), Andersen (2009), Anyadike-Danes (2010), Anyadike-Danes and McVicar (2008), Citizens Advice Bureau (2010), Cullen (2004), DeSouza et al. (2007), Ennals (1993), Jacoby (2002), Moffatt and Mackintosh (2009), Porter (1998)
Longitudinal	7	Hobby (1999), Abbott and Davidson (2000), Abbott and Hobby (2002, 2003), Abbott et al. (2005), Campbell et al. (2007), Jones (2009)
Qualitative	12	Craig et al. (2003), Day et al. (2008), Greasley and Small (2005b), Moffatt et al. (2004, 2010), Moffatt and Scambler (2008), Moffatt and Higgs (2007), Moffatt and Mackintosh (2009), Moffatt, Mackintosh (2006), Popay et al. (2007), Turley and White (2007), Winder et al. (2008)
RCT	3	Burns et al. (2007), Mackintosh et al. (2006), Pleasence and Balmer (2007)
Systematic review	11	Adams et al. (2006), Bambra et al. (2010), Connor et al. (1999), Dobbie and Gillespie (2010), Dowling et al. (2003), Greasley and Small (2002), Hanratty et al. (2008), Hoskins and Cater (2000), Lucas et al. (2008), Wiggan and Talbot (2006), Williams (2004)
Total	87