Multimodal, arts-based and creative interventions to understand and explore family health and well-being: A systematic review protocol

Introduction Family health and well-being are shaped by multilayered systems that are not always fully captured through traditional research approaches. Multimodal, arts-based and creative interventions are increasingly being used to engage with families regarding their lived experiences of health and well-being. However, the nature, implementation and evaluation of these interventions remain fragmented across disciplines. Therefore, this study aims to present a systematic review protocol that focuses on the exploration of multimodal, arts-based and creative interventions to understand the health and well-being of families. Methods and analysis Interventions employing multimodal, arts-based and creative methodological design studies will be included and appraised. The following databases will be searched: PubMed, Academic Search Ultimate, Scopus, Wiley online library, Healthsource: Nursing/Academic edition, and MEDLINE, to answer the following research question: What multimodal, arts-based and creative interventions have been employed to understand and explore family health and well-being. Two independent reviewers will conduct the primary screening of articles from 2015 – 2025. A third reviewer will be consulted to solve any disagreements. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol (PRISMA) guidelines, and quality will be assessed by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Results from the selected articles will be extracted, and segmented based on the study participants, design, setting, and type of multimodal, arts-based, creative methodological intervention. A narrative description will synthesise the findings to suit the aim of this review. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained by the Humanities and Social Science Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Western Cape (reference number: HS24/3/28). The findings from this systematic review will be written using the PRISMA guidelines. The results will be disseminated by the publication of the manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal and as conference presentations.