Research interests in the section focus on the causes of inequalities in health including emotional and social development. There is also a strong interest in cardiovascular disease and diabetes, including the associated lifestyle issues of diet and physical activity. We undertake epidemiological studies and studies in effectiveness of new and existing interventions.

Please click on the following links for more information regarding individual projects.

• The Home Visiting Study
• Systematic review of parenting programmes in the prevention of abuse and maltreatment (2004-5).
• Southern Africa Stroke Prevention Initiative (SASPI)
• Development of a postnatal health instrument for women and their partners. (2004-5)
• Evaluation of Rose Hill Littlemore Sure Start (2000-2006).
• Mental Health Promotion for Families Children Young People and Parents. (2004- )
• Parent/training education programmes for children with conduct disorders (2003-4)
• Validation of a short questionnaire on physical activity for use in primary care (GPPAQ)
• A family based intervention trial for overweight and obese children
• A Systematic Review of Models of Analysing Significant Harm

Development of a postnatal health instrument for women and their partners. (2004-5)

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Sarah Stewart-Brown is collaborating with researchers at Sheffield University (Jane Morrell and Georgina Jones) in a project to develop a new instrument capturing aspects of health which are not covered by standard instruments. The project is about to begin.

Evaluation of Rose Hill Littlemore Sure Start (2000-2006).

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Sarah Stewart-Brown has been principle investigator on the Oxford based evaluation of this trailblazer Sure Start, funded by Rose Hill Littlemore Sure Start. The project takes and action research approach and reports have been completed on the history and development of the programme, counselling service provision, and tackling domestic violence. Sarah is currently working with the main researcher Tameron Chappell and the project is focusing on supporting emotional and social development. She also undertook an evaluation of the first eighteen months of Britwell Northborough Sure Start in Slough

1. Chappell T, Schaffer J, Harriss L, Stewart-Brown S. Rose-Hill Littlemore Sure Start. A report of the local evaluation. August 2000- May 2002. Oxford, Health Services Research Unit 2003
2. Kirkpatrick K Chappell T, Stewart-Brown S. Counseling in Rose Hill Littlemore Sure Start. New approaches to widening access. A report to Rose Hill Littlemore Sure Start 2004
3. Chappell T, Schaffer J, Harriss L, Stewart-Brown S. Rose-Hill Littlemore Sure Start. A report of the local evaluation. August 2000- May 2002. Oxford, Health Services Research Unit 2003
4. McNeill V, Stewart-Brown S. Britwell Northborough Sure Start: an evaluation of the first eighteen months. Oxford Health Services Research Unit 2003

Mental Health Promotion for Families Children Young People and Parents. (2004- )

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Sarah Stewart-Brown is the lead investigator (need to add collaborators names) on a proposal to develop an Evidence and Guidance Collaborating Centre. A framework agreement has been developed with the Health Development Agency and it is anticipated work will begin on this programme in 2005

Parent/training education programmes for children with conduct disorders (2003-4)

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Sarah Stewart-Brown has been part of a team based in the University of Birmingham undertaking this review for NICE - the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. The review is completed and a draft report has been submitted.

Validation of a short questionnaire on physical activity for use in primary care (GPPAQ)

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Chief Investigator: Melvyn Hillsdon University College London

Local Principal Investigator: Prof. Margaret Thorogood

Co-investigators: Prof. Jeremy Dale, Dr. Frances Griffiths

Funders : DoH

A short questionnaire for measuring physical activity has been developed by a team from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for use by members of the primary care team. The questionnaire has already been tested for face validity and acceptability. We are now testing the validity of the physical activity measure in three general practices in Coventry. Patients are recruited in the waiting room and asked to complete the questionnaire and then wear a small device (the Actigraph motion sensor) for the next seven days to measure the person's physical activity. After seven days they again complete the short questionnaire. The correlation between the activity group assigned from the questionnaire responses and the activity group assigned from the Actigraph reading will be examined.