Non-communicable diseases

This project will assess levels and trends (2000-2021) of relative risk of breast cancer incidence at district levels in Iran and their relation to key socioeconomic dimensions, to understand the full extent of geographical and social inequalities in the country associated with breast cancer morbidity.

Researchers

• Dr Shadi Rahimzadeh - Postdoctoral research Fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Prof. Marchiata Di Cesare - Director of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Dr Beata Burczynska - Senior Lecturer in Natural Sciences, Middlesex University
• Prof. Farshad Farzadfar - Professor at the Non-Communicable Disease Research Centre, Tehran University

We're exploring the impact of socioeconomic status on under- and over- nutrition over time.

This project includes: Developing a standardised indicator that will enable comparisons of socioeconomic levels across countries to allow stratified risk factor estimates to be made within countries; estimating trends in prevalence of underweight and overweight by sex, age, and country stratified using a comparable socioeconomic indicator.

Researchers

• Natalie Evans - Postgraduate Research Student in the School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
• Dr Honor Bixby - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Prof. Mariachiara Di Cesare - Director of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Prof. Meena Kumari - Director of the Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex
• Bin Zhou - Research Fellow at the School of Public Health, Imperial College London

Data and information are key to understanding needs, trends, causes, responses, and prediction in global cardiovascular health. Professor Mariachiara Di Cesare, Director of the Institute for Public Health and Wellbeing, in partnership with the World Heart Federation are helping the cardiovascular community to play a crucial role in the collection and analysis of that data.

The World Heart Observatory is a knowledge hub that curates, aggregates and visualizes data on cardiovascular conditions, biological risk factors, social determinants of health, health systems and policy responses. The Observatory will inform evidence-based decision-making for health at population level; identify gaps and research needs; develop capacity for cardiovascular disease data collection among the clinical and non-clinical research community and other heart health organizations; and create a forum for research and debate on cardiovascular health. 

Further information can be found here.

Researchers

• Dr Shadi Rahimzadeh - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Dr Honor Bixby - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Prof. Mariachiara Di Cesare - Director of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Sean Taylor - Director of Science and Public Health, World Heart Federation
• Pablo Perel - Senior Science Advisor, World Heart Federation

This project will systematically review the evidence of the impact of air pollution on cardiovascular outcomes in low- and middle-income countries with the aim of identifying mechanisms, data gaps and possible interventions.

Researchers

• Dr Shadi Rahimzadeh - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Prof. Mariachiara Di Cesare - Director of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Sean Taylor - Director of Science and Public Health, World Heart Federation
• Pablo Perel - Senior Science Adviser, World Heart Federation
• Dr Mark Miller - Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh
• Prof Anoop Shah - Clinical Associate Professor at the Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

This project will evaluate the Suffolk & North East Essex Atrial Fibrillation Remote Monitoring Pilot using a mixed method approach to assess the outcomes of the pilot and gain insights into how the process has worked for patients and professionals.

Researchers

• Prof. Mariachiara Di Cesare - Director of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Dr Nester Asiamah - Lecturer in the School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex

High blood pressure can have serious health risks, but regular monitoring at a GP surgery can be difficult for patients to fit in around other responsibilities, while adding pressure to GP appointment lists. The NHS has trialled home monitoring by giving blood pressure monitors to use at home. Patients can check their blood pressure and log the results online, allowing healthcare providers to monitor them remotely.

Our team will provide an overview of the BP@Home Programme and understand the benefit of blood pressure monitoring at home for user and health system.

Researchers

• Tracey Johns - Senior Research Officer in the School of Health and Social Care, University of Essex
• Dr Shadi Rahimzadeh - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Prof. Mariachiara Di Cesare - Director of the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex

This project will evaluate and improve the existing available services for weight loss and increasing the number of overweight individuals who lose weight and sustain weight-loss in the long-term.

Researchers

• Dr Sara Jalali-Farahani - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Prof. Mariachiara Di Cesare - Director of the Public Health and Wellbeing, University of Essex
• Kez Spelman - Provide
• Ellen van Gemmert - Provide
• Madeleine Devon - Provide

Health screening (for example, screening for bowel cancer, breast cancer or cervical cancer) seeks to identify signs of disease or pre-disease early in order to intervene to reduce the chances of developing disease or to reduce its consequences.

Prof Sheina Orbell and colleagues in the Department of Psychology, working in partnership with Public Health England and Scotland, have shown that for many people whose lives are disadvantaged, screening is scary because the short-term risks of taking up the offer loom larger than the longer term benefits it might provide. This means that people who could most benefit from screening are least likely to take-up the screening offers.

Researchers have been working on ways to use public health communications to increase uptake of screening amongst those who are more economically disadvantaged or from minority ethnic groups.