Are interventions theory-based? Development of a theory coding scheme.

Key Points

• To develop a standardized methodological tool, the Theory Coding Scheme, to reliably describe and evaluate the theoretical basis of interventions.
• Designed a standardized coding instrument to assess how theoretical frameworks are integrated into intervention design.
• Structured the tool to support systematic literature reviews, evidence syntheses, and meta-analyses.
• The Theory Coding Scheme provides a reliable methodology to characterize the theoretical foundations of complex interventions.
• The framework enables structured evidence synthesis across published literature and facilitates the use of empirical findings to refine behavioral theories.