Healthy Communities Publications

Can nudge interventions targeting healthy food purchases in real-world grocery stores reduce diet-related health disparities? A pooled analysis of four controlled trials

Stuber JM, Beulens JW, Ayala GX, Crozier SR, Dijkstra SC, Lin SF, Vogel C, Mackenbach JD

Healthy food nudges may be more, or especially, effective among groups experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. We investigated the modifying role of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics in the effectiveness of nudge interventions targeting healthy foods in real-world grocery store settings on food purchasing patterns.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01687-3

December 2024

Developing consensus on priorities for preconception care in the general practice setting in the UK: Study protocol

Schoenaker   D, Lovegrove E, Santer M, Matvienko-Sikar K, Carr H, Alwan NA, Kubelabo L,   Davies N, Godfrey KM

Preconception medical, behavioural and socioeconomic risk factors are common among people of reproductive age and can impact pregnancy and offspring outcomes. In line with clinical guidance, primary care practitioners are encouraged to support patients to manage and optimise their health prior to pregnancy. Due to barriers, including lack of time and resources, this support is not currently part of routine practice.

As a first step towards the co-development of practical and realistic best practice guidance, this study aims to achieve consensus on a list of priority risk factors that can be used in general practice to guide opportunistic preconception care for patients of reproductive age.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311578

Novmber 2024

 The Role of the Public Health Workforce in Securing Political Commitment for Tackling Childhood Obesity in Local Government

Taheem R, Woods-Townsend K, Lawrence W, Baird J, Godfrey KM, Chase D, Hanson MA

Local government is well placed to provide leadership for the national ambition in England to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and has delegated authority for many policies thought necessary for effective action. However, with currently constrained local government finances, resources may not be prioritized for the wide range of policies and interventions necessary. Thus, local political commitment is vital for directing local government investment to tackle the issue. This qualitative study investigated how political commitment has been demonstrated in local government, the strategies used to build such political commitment, and the role of the public health workforce.

https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399241294231

November 2024

Implementation of a UK supermarket intervention to increase purchasing of fresh fruit and vegetables: process evaluation of the WRAPPED natural experiment

Baird J, Dhuria P, Payne H, Crozier S, Lawrence W, Vogel C

Placement interventions, characterised by greater availability and more prominent positioning of healthy food products in supermarkets and other food stores, are associated with healthier patterns of purchasing and diet. The WRAPPED intervention study is a natural experiment that aims to evaluate a supermarket placement intervention to improve fruit and vegetable sales, household purchasing and the dietary quality of women and their children. Process evaluation, alongside the evaluation of outcomes, is essential to understand how interventions are implemented, under what circumstances they are effective, and their mechanisms of impact. This study aimed to assess the implementation of the WRAPPED placement intervention.

10.1186/s12966-024-01679-3

Novmeber 2024

 "If government is saying the regulations are important, they should be putting in funding to back it up."- An in-depth analysis of local authority officers' perspectives of the Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021

Dhuria P, Muir S, Jenner S, Roe E, Lawrence W, Baird J, Vogel C

As part of the UK government's obesity strategy, the Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 were implemented in October 2022 to restrict the prominent placement of products high in fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS) in most retail settings. Local authority (LA) officers have been tasked with enforcement of these regulations. This qualitative study examined the perspectives of LA officers including, trading standards, environmental health, and public health officers to understand enforcement approaches and requirements to optimise business compliance with the regulations.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03720-5

November 2024

Advocacy in Practice: Who Advocates for the Advocates?

Pulman A, Sloan H, Fenge L

Advocacy has been defined as promoting social inclusion, equality and social justice to empower people - principles closely associated with social work’s professional values. However, in-depth literature on advocacy and the current challenges it faces is sparse. 

Little is known about the day-to-day realities faced by advocates and the pressures they currently experience. This raises the question of who might advocate for the advocates themselves? This article reports on findings from a larger study to explore local recruitment and retention issues in adult social care from the perspective of different populations of interest in the South of England

https://doi.org/10.1080/09503153.2024.2410851

October 2024

 A national evaluation of Project Cautioning And Relationship Abuse ('CARA') awareness raising workshops for first time offenders of domestic violence and abuse: protocol for a concurrent mixed-methods evaluation design

Morgan SA, Scott S, Chandan J, Armitage R, Culliford D, Jolly K, McGovern R, McGovern W, Roy J, Thayakaran R, Young TA, Parkes J

Interventions related to the perpetration of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) have gained traction over the past several years, in response to dissatisfaction by victims, an inadequate response from the criminal justice system, increased demand on police time and a lack of rehabilitative responses to the perpetration of domestic abuse. 

The CARA model is a conditional diversionary caution, offered by police for first time offenders of 'standard' or 'medium risk' domestic abuse, that engages perpetrators in awareness raising workshops and signposts them onto further services. Although quasi-experimental studies have indicated that CARA showed promise at reducing reoffending, the CARA model has yet to be evaluated nationally and there is no qualitative evidence related to understanding or learning about the lived experience of perpetrators and victims as they engage with the intervention.

https://doi.org/10.3310/nihropenres.13609.1

August 2024

Quantifying the effect of interpregnancy maternal weight and smoking status changes on childhood overweight and obesity in a UK population-based cohort

Taylor EJ, Ziauddeen N, Berrington A, Godfrey KM, Alwan NA

Maternal preconception and pregnancy exposures have been linked to offspring adiposity. We aimed to quantify the effect of changes in maternal weight and smoking status between pregnancies on childhood overweight/obesity (≥ 85th centile) and obesity (≥ 95th centile) rates in second children.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311677

October 2024

Exploring a role for community pharmacists in the identification of alcohol-related liver disease: a qualitative interview study with professionals, patients, and the public

Smith A, Buchanan RM, Parkes J, Ibrahim K

The aim was to explore the views and attitudes of professionals, patients and the public to a role for community pharmacists in the identification of alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD).

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of patients with ArLD, members of the public, pharmacy staff, and clinicians managing patients with ArLD across the Wessex region of south England. The interviews explored experiences of alcohol, ArLD and health advice in pharmacies and elicited views of what a pharmacist role in identifying ArLD could entail and factors influencing this. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agae069

September 2024

The impact of food aid interventions on food insecurity, diet quality and mental health in households with children in high-income countries: a systematic review

Stahacz C, Alwan NA, Taylor E, Smith D, Ziauddeen N

Households with children accessing food aid in high-income countries are often food insecure. We aimed to review the evidence on food aid interventions in households with children and impact on food insecurity, diet quality and mental health.

https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980024001769

October 2024

Long COVID and Health Inequalities: What's Next for Research and Policy Advocacy?

Baz SA, Woodrow M, Clutterbuck D, Fang C, Mullard J, Banerjee A, Barley-McMullen S, Carpentieri J, Donskoy AL, Faux-Nightingale A, Lewis-Jackson S, O'Hara ME, Rai T, Sherwood O, Smyth N, Stanley K, Welsh V, Mir G, Alwan NA

Organised by the 'Qualitative Long Covid Network', a workshop for qualitative Long COVID (LC) researchers, LC charity representatives and people with LC took place in June 2023, where research on the intersectional inequalities affecting LC prevalence, recognition and care was shared and discussed.

The following five themes are discussed: the unfairness of LC, difficulties in accessing care, mistrust of the healthcare system, a lack of understanding of LC and experiences of stigma and discrimination. Factors that widen or narrow inequalities related to LC were identified.

https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70047

October 2024

Pregnancy vitamin D supplementation and offspring bone mineral density in childhood Follow-up of a randomised controlled trial

Moon RJ, D' Angelo S, Curtis EM, Ward KA, Crozier SR, Schoenmakers I, Javaid MK, Bishop NJ, Godfrey KM, Cooper C, Harvey NC

Findings from the Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study (MAVIDOS) trial demonstrated a positive effect of gestational cholecalciferol supplementation on offspring bone mineral density (BMD) at age 4 y. Demonstrating the persistence of this effect is important to understanding whether maternal vitamin D supplementation could be a useful public health strategy to improving bone health.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.09.014

September 2024