Urban Planning, Behavioral Nudge Interventions, and Oral Health Among Adults in Urban African Settings: A Scoping Review Protocol

This scoping review protocol outlines a planned review that aims to map and synthesize existing evidence on the influence of urban planning factors and behavioral nudge-based interventions on oral health outcomes among adults aged 18 years and above living in urban African settings. Oral diseases remain a major public health concern globally and disproportionately affect populations in low- and middle-income countries, including those across Africa. Rapid urbanization across African cities has created complex environmental and behavioral challenges that may influence oral health behaviors, access to care, and oral disease burden. The review will explore how urban environmental and planning-related determinants such as neighborhood infrastructure, food environments, access to dental services, transportation systems, sanitation, housing conditions, and service distribution affect oral health outcomes and oral healthcare utilization. In addition, the review will examine behavioral and nudge-based interventions including reminders, defaults, incentives, motivational interviewing, social norm messaging, mobile health prompts, educational nudges, and policy-level behavioral strategies designed to improve oral health behaviors among adults. The protocol will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and will be reported according to the PRISMA-ScR reporting guideline. Multiple electronic databases and grey literature sources will be searched to identify relevant qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and policy-related studies conducted within urban or peri-urban African settings Aim: This scoping review aims to systematically map the extent, range, and nature of evidence on the relationship between urban planning/environmental determinants, behavioral nudge-based interventions, and oral health outcomes among adults in urban African settings. Objectives: 1. To identify and characterize urban environmental determinants studied in relation to oral health in African urban contexts. 2. To map the types and delivery mechanisms of behavioral/nudge-based interventions targeting oral health behaviors in these settings. 3. To summarize reported associations and intervention impacts on oral health behaviors, outcomes, and service utilization. 4. To identify methodological approaches used and characterize the geographic distribution of evidence across African countries. 5. To identify gaps in the evidence base to inform future primary research, policy, and integrated urban–oral health programming.