Toolkits for assessing health promotion in higher education institutions: a global scoping review with narrative synthesis

Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a crucial role in developing healthier communities through diverse functions including research, education, operations, culture, advocacy and civic engagement. However, the implementation of a ‘settings-based approach’ to a comprehensive campus-wide health promotion strategy remains challenging due to the diverse and complex nature of HEI organisational structures. Toolkits have been developed to guide HEIs in evaluating their health promotion approaches but, to our knowledge, no comprehensive review of these toolkits has been conducted. This scoping review, with a narrative synthesis, sought to identify, map and compare available toolkits, assessing their comprehensiveness in supporting health promotion. Following a search of five online databases and pertinent grey literature, six toolkits were identified that were examined using a 58-item checklist to assess how each toolkit addresses health promotion domains within HEIs. Our narrative synthesis identifies areas of universal coverage, such as the integration of health into HEI policies and context-specific initiatives, including support for minority groups. Across toolkits, governance/leadership integration and monitoring and evaluation were consistently represented, with strong emphasis on mental health and physical activity. Coverage of areas, such as substance use, sexual health, disability-friendly services and indigenous/minority inclusion, was less consistent – highlighting differences in how comprehensive toolkits address equity-focused and specialised components of health promotion. Our analysis offers valuable insights for the ongoing assessment and refinement of health promotion strategies in HEIs globally, aiming to enhance their capacity to cultivate healthy, inclusive and sustainable campus environments.