Public Health, Inequalities and Behavioural Sciences

The Public Health, Inequalities and Behavioural Sciences cluster is about promoting health and wellbeing and tackling health inequalities within communities from the individual to societal level.

About the theme

Research within this cluster builds on Coventry University's long-standing relationship with local authorities and wider organisations (including Integrated Care Boards and the Voluntary Sector) to lead research promoting public health and wellbeing, address health inequalities and use behavioural sciences.

We have a great opportunity to meet the needs of a diverse population and we aim to place people at the centre of our approaches and interventions when we promote better health. We encompass a broad range of disciplines and methodological expertise ranging from qualitative exploration to definitive randomised controlled trials and meta-synthesis.

We particularly seek to:
• Capitalise on asset-based approaches
• Take into account the wider determinants of health
• Co-develop preventative interventions
• Use behavioural science knowledge and understanding across all of our work

Project list

• Coventry Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC)

  This project aims to establish research infrastructure to enable more evidenced-based decision making at the council and allow the council to become more research active.

• E-cigarettes in pregnancy for smoking cessation

  This project aims to develop a detailed understanding of how an e-cigarette intervention during pregnancy, as an alternate smoking cessation tool, was delivered and could be implemented

• Creative health interventions for improving mental wellbeing

  This project aims to evaluate changes in health and wellbeing and explore experiences of attendees and artists involved in six locally commissioned arts-based programmes that sought to promote mental wellbeing to different groups in the community (including people with dementia, and people experiencing respiratory symptoms).

• Ecotherapy to promote adolescent mental health

  This project aims to explore the impact of an eco-therapeutic intervention on adolescents with emotional wellbeing concerns and explore experience of the programme from their viewpoint and their parents/carers.

• Health inequalities in diagnostic hubs

  This project aims to increase our understanding of the barriers faced by local population groups in accessing diagnostic services, and to explore how these can be overcome such that these populations feel better supported to access necessary diagnostic tests in a timely manner.

• Mental health and sleep in adolescents