EXAMINING THE PREVALENCE, PATIENT PROFILES, AND EXPERIENCES OF MODIFIABLE LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOURS IN INDIVIDUALS WITH BARRETT’S OESOPHAGUS: A SCOPING REVIEW PROTOCOL

<ns3:p>Background Barrett’s oesophagus is a premalignant condition caused by long-term gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and carries an increased risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Managing reflux symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation is important for improving quality of life and reducing the risk of disease progression. Clinical guidelines recommend lifestyle modification alongside surveillance and medication, as factors such as diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and weight management can influence both symptom control and overall well-being. However, little is known about how people with Barrett’s oesophagus engage with these behaviours, what challenges they face in making changes, or how engagement differs across patient groups. This protocol outlines a scoping review that will map existing evidence on modifiable lifestyle behaviours in people with Barrett’s oesophagus, including their prevalence, lived experience, and variation across subgroups. Methods This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. A three-step search strategy will be used to identify both peer-reviewed and grey literature: (1) a limited initial search to refine keywords, (2) a comprehensive search across databases, and (3) backward and forward citation searching. Both qualitative and quantitative studies reporting on the prevalence, variation, or lived experience of lifestyle behaviours in adults with Barrett’s oesophagus will be included. Screening and data charting will be conducted using Covidence. Data will be synthesised narratively and descriptively across three domains: prevalence, variation by patient characteristics, and lived experience and reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Conclusion This scoping review will map the existing evidence on modifiable lifestyle behaviours in individuals with Barrett’s Oesophagus, including how these behaviours are experienced and influenced by patient characteristics. The findings will identify key evidence gaps and provide a foundation to inform future research and the development of tailored interventions to support behaviour change and improve quality of life in this population.</ns3:p>