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Health Studies

An interest in academic enquiry in the area of health and health studies has greatly expanded in recent years. This is reflected in the growing number of ESRC-funded projects which address it in some way. Whilst researchers must acknowledge issues particular to the field, such as deeply-embedded traditions of medical confidentiality, this has not in itself prevented further work being undertaken. It is a growing body of work which offers a potentially rich vein for reference and re-use by other researchers.

Increasingly a review of the available literature - traditionally meaning a final published version - should be accompanied by a consideration of what original raw data is also available for secondary re-use. As such it is becoming part of basic good research practice, something which is outlined further in the create and deposit sections of this site.

This list of resources is intended to provide some help in the first steps in assessing what material could be considered or consulted and covers what has already been produced and what has been archived. Users should also consult the more up to date Thematic Guide: Health Studies

ESDS Qualidata Resources

To begin with there are a number of data collections already preserved by ESDS Qualidata. Taking a few examples yields the following diverse fields of enquiry:

Mothers and Daughters : Accounts of Health in the Grandmother Generation, 1945-1978, Blaxter, M.
The research looked at beliefs and attitudes to health and medical care, inter-generational relationships, and social history of members of a grandmother generation. While the original study included indepth interviews with daughters as well this collection contains only the grandmother interviews. Grandmothers were asked extensive questions about their own health and the health of other family members. Details are provided on episodes of illness and remedies used, both home and health services. Specific topics of accidents, nutrition, dental care, and immunisation are covered.

Mental Health of Chinese Women in Britain, 1945-2000, Green, G.
The aim of this exploratory study of the mental health of Chinese women in Britain was to identify issues of cultural difference between the Chinese community and the health system in contemporary Britain, which may have resulted in an under-estimation of their mental health problems. Chinese women living in Essex and East London were interviewed to examine competing explanations for Chinese women's under-representation as users of primary and secondary mental health services, cultural specificities in the expression of mental distress, stigma, the use of traditional Chinese medicine and of informal support networks.

Girls' and Boys' Body Image Concerns, Lloyd, B. and Dittmar, H.
The main aim of this project was to broaden and deepen understanding of adolescent boys' and girls' body image concerns, in order to provide an appropriate basis for interventions to promote healthier diet and lifestyle. The project combined quantitative and qualitative methods. Adolescents talked about their feelings concerning body parts, fatness, physical attractiveness, media and peer influences, and strategies for achieving the 'ideal body', in both focus group discussions and individual interviews.

Understanding Health Variations and Policy Variations, Exworthy, M. and Powell, M.
The aims of this study were to undertake an empirical analysis of the policy process in the NHS and examine how policy towards health inequalities is formulated and implemented. Other issues covered included the way national policy towards health inequalities are translated 'vertically' into local policy, why local policy towards health inequalities differs 'horizontally' between and within health authorities, how initiatives to tackle health inequalities are evaluated at local level, and whether examples of 'good practice' can be detected so as to inform evidence-based policy making.

Indirect Harm and Positive Consequences Associated with Cannabis Use, 2001-2003, Terry, P., Cochrane, R., Wright, K.
This research used a mixed methods strategy to characterise patterns and consequences of cannabis use specifically in relation to work activities, academic performance, driving habits and sexual behaviour. Regular users of cannabis and infrequent users were interviewed about patterns of use and the effects of cannabis use on various aspects of their life. The project also aimed to evaluate the impacts of cannabis use on quality of life, and to examine whether developments in detection/law enforcement (e.g. workplace drug testing) would influence patterns of use.

An Investigation into the Social Construction and Consequences of the Label Epilepsy, West, P.
This project aimed to treat the meaning of epilepsy as a central research issue and thus examine the source and manner by which the meanings of epilepsy were constructed. The principal objectives were to understand the kind of information about epilepsy available to parents, how such knowledge shaped parents expectations about their own child, the variety of 'responses' to the child displayed by others and the nature of parents interpretations about the child's identity.

Doctors and Nurses: Allies or Adversaries?, Soothill, K. and Mackay, L.
This research project examined the professional working relationship between doctors and nurses in a hospital setting. The interviews explored the attitudes, opinions and conceptions held by each group about the other. Interviews were undertaken with both senior and junior staff and involved several hospitals throughout the United Kingdom.

More details of these collections may be obtained by consulting each particular catalogue entry. Other examples of health-related data may also be gathered by searching the Data Catalogue with a relevant keyword.

National Resources

Within the UK there are several key libraries, university departments and research groups concerned with the social, rather than exclusively clinical, study of health. Some build on quantitative procedures, some on qualitative and others adopt an inter-disciplinary approach. These include:

Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS), University of Essex
The leading repository of quantitative data in the UK, ESDS UK Data Archive holds a wide range of government and national data collections, such as the findings of the Health Survey for England 2000, Measuring Public Preferences Regarding Equity in Health 2000, Project SIGMA: Gay Men's Panel Study 1987-1994 and the Health and Lifestyle Survey series.

Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine
Through its collections and services, the Wellcome Library provides information to anyone seeking to understand medicine and its role in society, past and present. With over 600,000 books and journals, an extensive range of manuscripts, archives and films, and more than 100,000 pictures, it is one of the world's major resources for the study of medical history. The library also provides access to a collection of contemporary biomedical information resources relating to consumer health, popular science, biomedical ethics and the public understanding of science.

Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge
The Institute of Public Health aims to improve the health of the population through greater understanding of the cause and natural history of disease as well as identifying new possibilities for both primary and secondary care intervention and prevention. The main components of the Institute are the Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit and the University's Department of Public Health and Primary Care.

WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS)
The School includes a variety of health-related research units such as the Health Policy Unit, the Centre for Ageing and Public Health, and the Health Services Research Unit. This is in addition to research carried out within its Department of Public Health and Policy.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The School includes a variety of health-related research units such as the Health Policy Unit, the Centre for Ageing and Public Health, and the Health Services Research Unit. This is in addition to research carried out within its Department of Public Health and Policy.

Institute of Medical and Social Care Research, University of Wales, Bangor
The Institute provides research support for medical and social care staff working for care providers in North Wales. The majority of its work is in collaboration with statutory and voluntary bodies in the field. A founder member of the North Wales Health and Social Research Support Network, it focuses on factors which mediate health and social care outcomes.

Centre for Medical Humanities , University of Durham
The Centre for Medical Humanities established in 2000 (previously as the Centre for Arts and Humanities in Health and Medicine (CAHHM)) has a strong interest in the role of imagination and creativity in health, medicine and human flourishing. This research unit addresses the effectiveness of the arts in healthcare, assisting the implementation of evaluation methodologies that are suitable for arts, health and education sectors working in partnership. In addition there are the Centre for Integrated Health Care Research dedicated to the study the academic interface for health care professionals, and the Centre for Public Policy and Health both based at Durham University.

Other related resources include:

Medical Research Council
A key sponsor of research into the clinical and social understanding of medicine. The site includes links to related web pages and research centres it is currently funding. There is also information on research strategy, funding sources and guidance and advice on the conduct of research in health. Some guidance concentrates on ethical, legal and practical aspects of protecting the interests of those participating in research. Other guides cover principles for the conduct and organisation of high quality, reliable, and safe research.

ESRC research programmes
Past ESRC projects included: Eating, Food and Health 2005-2008; Health Variations 1998-2001; Innovative Health Technologies 1999-2006; The Nation's Diet 1992-1998.

Joint Information Services Council (JISC) discussion list on health
An ongoing discussion list where one is able to join the group and contribute to the debate or view archives of past mails. Health studies represents the largest area of discussion.

Intute
Formerly known as the Social Sciences Information Gateway (SOSIG). Various sub-sections of a freely-available internet service providing a source of selected, high quality web information for students, academics, researchers and practitioners in the social sciences, business and law. Key sections include Administration of Public Health and Safety as well as Health and Mental Health Services.