Reporting the Use of Theory in Health Research: A Scoping Review of Existing Recommendations and Guidance

Abstract Background The use of theory can strengthen health research by informing methodological decisions and interpretation of findings. However, inconsistent reporting can obscure how theory is selected, operationalised, and applied, limiting critical appraisal, reproducibility, and cumulative theory development. This scoping review aimed to identify and synthesise published recommendations for reporting the use of theory in health research, providing an evidence base for the future development of consensus-based reporting guidance. Methods A scoping review was conducted according to Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and ERIC were searched, supplemented by backward citation searching and manual searching of the EQUATOR Network. Peer-reviewed English-language sources providing explicit or implicit recommendations for reporting theory use in health research were eligible; sources applying theory without providing reporting guidance were excluded. Records were screened independently by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved through consensus. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second. Reporting recommendations were classified as explicit or implicit and synthesised narratively to develop candidate reporting recommendations. Results Database searches identified 8,708 records, with two additional sources identified through supplementary searching. Eight sources met the eligibility criteria, yielding 92 relevant recommendations: 76 explicit and 16 implicit. Narrative synthesis generated 15 candidate reporting recommendations across three domains: Title and Abstract (n = 3), Introduction and Methods (n = 6), and Results and Discussion (n = 6). Recommendations addressed theory identification and selection, justification, adaptation and limitations, operationalisation and measurement, integration into study design, interpretation of findings, contextual influences, and implications for theory, practice, and future research. Conclusions Existing recommendations for reporting theory use in health research are fragmented across disciplines and methodological contexts. This review consolidates these recommendations into 15 candidate reporting recommendations spanning the research process, providing an evidence-informed basis for the development of consensus-based reporting guidance. Such guidance has the potential to improve the transparency and consistency of theory reporting and enable clearer appraisal of how theory informs health research.