**Background:** Dissemination is a critical element of knowledge translation, yet evidence-based guidance to inform dissemination activities in public health research is limited. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe the scientific literature examining strategies to disseminate public health evidence related to the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for 74% of deaths globally each year. The review used Brownson and colleagues' Model for Dissemination of Research, which describes four key factors influencing dissemination impact: source, message, channel, and audience.
**Methods:** Medline, PsycInfo, and EBSCO Search Ultimate were searched in May 2021 for studies published between January 2000 and the search date. Grey literature searches included Open Grey, key government public health websites in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada, and USA, plus Google and Google Scholar. The review included empirical studies examining dissemination of knowledge outputs related to NCD prevention to stakeholders and policy/practitioner end users. Studies were excluded if they focused on communicable diseases, maternal/neonatal/nutritional diseases, or injuries. Screening was conducted independently and in duplicate, with 20,343 records screened after duplicate removal, 643 progressing to full text, and 107 studies ultimately included. Data were synthesised according to Brownson's four dissemination components and by study design.
**Key Results:** Of the 107 included studies, only 15 (14%) directly tested dissemination strategies using experimental designs. The remainder were qualitative/mixed methods (n=52, 49%) or quantitative non-experimental (n=40, 37%) studies. The number of publications doubled in the last 10 years (2011-2021, n=72) compared to 2000-2010 (n=36). Most studies were conducted in the US (n=39, 36%) and Canada (n=33, 31%), with few in low/middle-income countries (n=9, 8%) and none of these were experimental. Evidence related to diet, physical activity and/or obesity prevention was the most disseminated topic (n=44, 41%). Researchers/academics/scientific societies were the source in over half of studies (n=58, 54%). Study findings/knowledge summaries were the most frequently disseminated message type (n=46, 43%). A broad range of dissemination channels were utilised, with training/workshops/presentations (n=48, 45%) and academic outputs (n=39, 36%) predominating. Practitioners were the most commonly reported target audience (n=61, 57%). Channel was the most commonly manipulated component in experimental studies (13/15, 86%). Adoption/uptake was the most frequently reported outcome (n=57, 53%), while knowledge was the least (n=21, 20%). Standardised measures for outcomes were rarely used.
**Clinical Implications:** There is a significant gap in the peer-reviewed literature, with few experimental studies analysing the effect of different sources, messages, channels, and target audiences on the determinants of uptake of public health evidence for NCD prevention. The findings suggest it is not a lack of available evidence to be disseminated, but rather a lack of evidence to guide dissemination efforts. Future research should focus on experimental studies comparing dissemination strategies, improved outcome measurement with standardised tools, and investigation of dissemination to a broader range of end users including community decision makers such as school principals. Such studies are important to inform and improve the effectiveness of current and future dissemination practices in public health contexts and to reduce the evidence-practice gap, which can take up to 17 years.