We’re sorry that the web mapper is currently offline. Please bear with us whilst it’s fixed. We hope to have it back up at the start of April.
Author: Rich Mitchell
-
How do residents perceive alcohol availability and its impact on drinking behaviour?
We have a new paper out in Health and Place, led by our colleagues Elena Dimova and Carol Emslie at GCU.
We wanted to improve our understanding of how residents conceptualise alcohol availability and its impact on behaviours. The study used data collected here in Scotland, a country with particularly high levels of alcohol-related harm, to explore the perspectives of residents, on local alcohol availability and how it might affect drinking behaviours.
We conducted 11 online focus groups with 45 participants, living in nine strongly contrasting neighbourhoods in Scotland, characterised by varying levels of alcohol retail density change, urbanity and deprivation. We explored participants’ perceptions of their local alcohol environment and alcohol availability, and any perceived relationship between alcohol availability and alcohol-related behaviours.
What did we find? Our participants challenged established notions that alcohol availability is characterised primarily by density of alcohol outlets. Instead, they felt availability is about accessibility, ease of purchase and ubiquity of alcohol. Residents drew distinctions between areas of varying deprivation and conceptualised alcohol availability as complex, characterised by market segmentation, and related to price, advertising and the wider environment.
This is one of the few papers so far that has explored residents’ perspectives of local alcohol availability and its relationship with alcohol use. It highlights that residents view alcohol availability as encompassing more than just the physical presence of outlets, recognising also the variety of outlet types and the connections between availability, pricing, and advertising.
Policies to reduce local availability should consider residents’ perspectives and account for contextual factors such as shifts in the retail landscape and the availability of alcohol-free recreational alternatives.
-
Website update in progress
Here at CRESH we are (finally) getting around to a website refresh. Please bear with us whilst we reorganise and things look a bit clunky or don’t quite work as they should…
-
Job Opportunity: Green space quality
We have a post available at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, working on our project measuring green space quality, and looking at its association with health. It’s very cool.
Apply here: https://my.corehr.com/pls/uogrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=049068
Closing Date: 8th March 2021
Funding is approved on a full-time basis (35 hours) until 1st May 2023.
As a successful candidate you will contribute to the project `Better Parks, Healthier for All?. This project will make a systematic, longitudinal assessment of associations between a range of green space qualities, and risk factors for/measures of cardiometabolic disease and poor mental health. This is a joint UK-Australia project, led in the UK by Prof Rich Mitchell and in Australia by Prof Xiaoqi Feng. Whilst the state and third sectors in both countries have blueprints for what to capture in measuring green space qualities, there are no spatially comprehensive validated secondary measures of quality available. This post is particularly focused on the co-production of measures of urban green space qualities for 4 cities in Scotland and Australia, using secondary map data, remote imagery including Google Earth and Lidar, and secondary crowd-sourced biodiversity measures.
The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to the formulation and submission of research publications and research proposals as well as help manage and direct this complex and challenging project as opportunities allow.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Implement the access, analysis and interpretation of secondary spatial and satellite imagery data that will underpin an assessment of green space quality.
- Contribute to the creation and use of the green space quality measures and analysis of their association with measures of health cardiometabolic and mental health.
- Document research output including analysis and interpretation of all data, maintaining records and databases, drafting technical/progress reports and papers as appropriate.
- Establish and maintain your research profile and reputation and that of The University of Glasgow/ School/ Research Group, including establishing and sustaining a track record of independent and joint publications of international quality in high profile/quality refereed journals, enhancing the research impact in terms of economic/societal benefit, and gathering indicators of esteem.
- Contribute to surveying the research literature and environment, understanding the research challenges associated with the project & subject area, & developing/implementing a suitable research strategy.
- Present work at international and national conferences, at internal and external seminars, colloquia and workshops to develop and enhance our research profile.
- Contribute to the identification of potential funding sources and to assist in the development of proposals to secure funding from internal and external bodies to support future research.
- Contribute to developing and maintaining collaborations with colleagues in Australia, and across the research group/School/College/University and wider community (e.g. Academic and Industrial Partners).
- Contribute to programme / Unit meetings/seminars/workshops and Institute research activities to enhance the wider knowledge, outputs and culture of the Unit and Institute.
- Perform administrative tasks related to the activities of the Programme
- Keep up to date with current knowledge and recent advances in the field/discipline.
- Engage in personal, professional and career development, to enhance both specialist and transferable skills in accordance with desired career trajectory.
- Carry out modest teaching / supervision activities if and when requested by the Programme Leader.
- Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the Programme Leader or Unit Director
- Contribute to the enhancement of the University¿s international profile in line with the University¿s Strategic Plan, Inspiring People Changing The World.
For appointment at Grade 7:
- Perform the above duties with a higher degree of independence, leadership and responsibility, particularly in relation to planning, funding, collaborating and publishing research and mentoring colleagues.
- Establish and sustain a track record of independence and joint published research to establish and maintain your expert reputation in subject area.
- Survey the research literature and environment, understand the research challenges associated with the project & subject area, & develop/implement a suitable research strategy.
Qualifications
Essential
A1. Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 10 (Honours degree) in a relevant subject or a cognate discipline, or equivalentFor grade 7:
A2 Normally Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 12 (PhD) or alternatively the equivalent in professional qualifications and experience, with experience of personal development in a similar or related role(s)Desirable:
B1 An awarded (or recently submitted or near completion) PhD in subject specialism or equivalentKnowledge, Skills & Experience
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
C1. A comprehensive and up to date knowledge of GIS (ArcGIS or QGIS) / spatial analysis as applicable to the relationships between environment and health.
C2. Management & handling of big and/or spatial data, including parallel and/or automated processing techniques
C3 Excellent communication skills (oral and written), including public presentations and ability to communicate complex date/concepts clearly and concisely.
C4 Expertise in the access and use of satellite &/or aerial imagery for analysis of landscape features and content.
C5 Excellent interpersonal skills including team working and a collegiate approach
C6 Ability to search and synthesise literature from different disciplines.
C7 Self-motivation, initiative and independent thought/working
C8 Commitment to open research, through open data, open code, open educational resources, and practices that support replication.
C9 Problem solving skills including a flexible and pragmatic approachFor appointment at grade 7
C10 Ability to lead the design and implementation of spatial analysis of relationships between environment and health
C11 Ability to lead the drafting, revision, and submission of academic research articles.
C12 Sufficient depth of relevant research experience, normally including sufficient postdoctoral experience in a related field, appropriate to an early career researcherDesirable
D1. Knowledge of the impacts of urban natural environments on human health
D2 Knowledge of urban analytics, &/or spatial ecology, &/or applied human/physical geography
D3 Knowledge of the use of biomarkers and clinical measurements of cardiovascular / cardiometabolic health
D4 Programming (ideally R or Python) or platforms (e.g., Google Earth Engine) for spatial data handling and analysisEssential
Experience
E1 Sufficient relevant research experience [or equivalent] appropriate to an early career researcher
E2. Experience of running stakeholder workshops or similar
E3. Experience of scientific writing
E4. Proven ability to deliver quality outputs in a timely and efficient manner
E5. Evidence of an emerging track record of publications in a relevant fieldFor appointment at grade 7
E6. Proven ability to deliver quality outputs in a timely and efficient manner
E7. A strong track record of presentation and publication of research results in quality journals/conferences
E8. Experience of making a leading contribution in academic activities
E9. Ability to demonstrate a degree of independence as illustrated by identification of project objectives from assessment of the literature, design & analysis of experiments & drafting of papers.
E10. Experience in undertaking independent researchDesirable
F1. Experience of collaborative working across disciplines.
F2. Experience of using cardiovascular / cardiometabolic health indicatorsStandard Terms & Conditions:
Salary will be on the University’s Research and Teaching Grade, 6/7 £29,176 – £32,817/£35,845 – £40,322 per annum.
Funding is approved on a full-time basis (35 hours) until 1st May 2023.
New entrants to the University will be required to serve a probationary period of 6 months.
The successful applicant will be eligible to join the Universities’ Superannuation Scheme. Further information regarding the scheme is available from the Superannuation Officer, who is also prepared to advise on questions relating to the transfer of Superannuation benefits.
All research and related activities, including grants, donations, clinical trials, contract research, consultancy and commercialisation are required to be managed through the University¿s relevant processes (e.g. contractual and financial), in accordance with the University Court’s policies.
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment.
We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equality.
The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401.
Vacancy Ref : 049068, Closing date : 8 March 2021.
-
An atlas of change in Scotland’s built environment 2016-17
By Laura Macdonald from the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow @theSPHSU
Our neighbourhood environments change and evolve often; some changes are minor, while others involve major transformation. Change can take various forms; green space created or removed, existing housing or amenities demolished, new housing estates built, new motorways created, or existing transport infrastructure modified or extended. Change may affect neighbourhood residents’ physical or mental health, or health-related behaviours, to their benefit or to their detriment. To study how change in our neighbourhoods might affect our health we need robust information but data showing how our neighbourhoods are changing, at a fine geographic scale, for the whole of Scotland, did not exist – until now! This is why we created an atlas showing what’s changed, and an interactive mapping application which allows you to explore the data yourself. (more…)
-
Children in deprived areas encounter shops selling tobacco six times more frequently than those in well-off areas
By Dr Fiona Caryl.
Our new study looking at exposure of children to tobacco retailing, recently published in the journal Tobacco Control, shows that an average 10-to-11-year-old child in Scotland comes within 10m of a shop selling tobacco 43 times a week. This rises to 149 times a week for children living in the poorest areas—six times more than the 23 encounters a week experienced by children living in affluent areas. This demonstrates an unexpectedly large inequality in the amount of times children are exposed to tobacco sales. Unexpected because in the same study we showed that tobacco outlets are 2.6 times more common around the homes of children living in the most deprived areas than the least. Yet we found a six-fold difference in exposure because we used GPS trackers (fully consented and ethics-approved, of course) to follow exactly where children moved through their environments. We found that most exposure came from convenience stores (41%) and newsagents (15%) on school days, with peaks before and after school hours. At weekends, we found most exposure came from supermarkets (14%), with a peak around midday.
Why does this matter? This may not sound like a lot of exposure, and we might ask if a child is really exposed to tobacco just by being in or near a shop selling tobacco, especially after the ban on point-of-sale (POS) tobacco displays. But then we don’t actually know how many micro-exposures it takes to make a child think that smoking is a normal, acceptable and widespread behaviour rather than a major cause of premature death. Research into advertising suggests that the mere-exposure to indirect and incidental stimuli can influence attitudesnon-consciously when they’re repeatedly presented. The ban on POS tobacco displays has reduced children’s susceptibility to smoking, but children still notice tobacco on sale. In fact, recent research shows that the conspicuousness and prominence of tobacco in shops varies considerably between areas of high and low deprivation. And the difference in prominence has been increasing since the POS ban.
The difference in the number of times children in poor areas are in or near to places selling tobacco is most concerning when you consider the pathways leading people to start smoking. Most adult smokers start when they are teenagers, and the availability of tobacco products is a key factor in in why people start to smoke and why they find it hard to give-up. Our findings raise important questions about when and where tobacco products are sold and the messaging this is sending to children.
-
We’re recruiting a systems / agent-based modeller
We have a job going in Glasgow, at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit. This position is focused on developing and applying complex systems models, including agent based models, to problems in population health. The post holder will work across the Complexity in Health Improvement and the Neighbourhoods and Communities research programme within the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow. The programmes are collaborating to understand how place-based interventions might improve health and reduce health inequalities.
The closing date is 21 February 2018. You need to apply via the University of Glasgow’s online system. The job reference is 020096,
The main purpose of this position is to contribute to the programmes’ research using complex system simulation methods. The postholder requires up to date knowledge, understanding and experience of complex systems simulation modelling (including agent based models) and knowledge/experience of computer programming languages or platforms suitable for this kind of work. The application of these methods to understanding and improving public health is relatively novel, but they have been applied in other fields such as ecology, economics and social policy. Experience in applying these methods to health is desirable, but not essential – experience from other fields would be welcome.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Perform the following activities in conjunction with and under the guidance of the Programme Leaders (PLs).
1. Plan and conduct assigned research into how place and health are linked via complex systems, individually or jointly in accordance with the programmes’ development strategies.
2. Contribute to the programmes’ research in complex system simulation methods (including agent based models) through design, programming and implementation of simulation models in one or more project areas.
3. Document research output including analysis and interpretation of all data, maintaining records and managing databases, drafting technical/progress reports and papers as appropriate.
4. Develop and enhance your research profile and reputation and that of The University of Glasgow, SPHSU, and both the Complexity in Health Improvement and Neighbourhoods and Communities Programmes, including contributing to publications of international quality in high profile/quality refereed journals, enhancing the research impact in terms of economic/societal benefit, and gathering indicators of esteem.
5. Contribute to the presentation of work at international and national conferences, at internal and external seminars, colloquia and workshops to develop and enhance our research profile.
6. Contribute to the organisation, supervision, mentoring and training of less experienced members of the programme teams.
7. Contribute to the identification of potential funding sources and assist in the development of proposals to secure funding from internal and external bodies to support future research.
8. Collaborate with colleagues and participate in team/group meetings/seminars/workshops across SPHSU/Institute of Health and Wellbeing/ University and wider community (e.g academic partners).
9. Perform administrative tasks related to the activities of the research group including budgets/expenditure.
10. Contribute to outreach activities of the University of Glasgow.
11. Keep up to date with current knowledge and recent advances in the field/discipline.
12. Engage in personal, professional and career development to enhance both specialist and transferable skills in accordance with desired career trajectory.
13. Undertake any other duties of equivalent standing as assigned by Directors of cognate Research Institutes and/or PLs.
14. Contribute to the enhancement of the University’s International profile in line with the Strategic Plan, Glasgow 2020 – A Global Vision.
These key tasks are not intended to be exhaustive but simply highlight a number of major tasks which the staff member may be reasonably expected to perform.
Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential:
A1. Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF) level 10 (Honours degree). May be working towards post-graduate qualification such as a Masters (SCQF level 11) or PhD (SCQF level 12) in a relevant discipline. Or equivalent professional qualifications in relevant academic/research discipline, and experience of personal development in a similar role.
A2. Up to date knowledge, understanding and experience of complex systems simulation (including agent based models).
A3. Knowledge of and experience with computer programming languages or platforms suitable for simulation modelling (these could include NetLogo, Repast, Python, C/C#, Java, etc.)Desirable:
B1. Knowledge of population health research, ideally including public health improvement, social determinants of health and place-based influences on health.
B2. Knowledge of complex adaptive systems and their properties, including concepts such as emergence and self-organisation.Skills
Essential:
C1. Demonstrable ability in complex systems modelling.
C2. Research creativity and cross-discipline collaborative ability as appropriate.
C3. Excellent communication skills (oral and written), including public presentations and ability to communicate complex data/concepts clearly and concisely.
C4. Excellent interpersonal skills including team working and a collegiate approach.
C5. Appropriate workload/time/project/budget/people management skills.
C7. Self motivation, initiative and independent thought/working.
C8. Initiative and judgement to resolve problems independently, including demonstrating a flexible and pragmatic approach.Desirable:
D1. Ability to engage in knowledge transfer with non-academic audiences and public health advocacy organisations.
D2. Ability to use GIS software &/or R to handle spatial data.Experience
Essential:
E1. Sufficient breadth and/or depth of knowledge in the specialist subject/discipline and of research methods and techniques.
E2. Experience of scientific writing.
E3. Proven ability to deliver quality outputs in a timely and efficient manner.Desirable:
F1. Experience of working in an academic setting.
F2. Experience using open data or open source software.
F3. Evidence of an emerging track record of publications in a relevant field.Job Features
Dimensions
To develop and use complex systems models within an academic environment of the highest national or international quality.
Publish as appropriate to subject specialism within agreed timescales.
Informal support of less experienced members of the programmes’ teams e.g. postgraduate and project students.
Engage in personal, professional and career development to enhance both specialist and transferable skills in accordance with desired career trajectory.Planning and Organising
Management of time and prioritisation of research, teaching and administrative duties.
Planning, organisation and implementation of research projects on a weekly/monthly basis.
Plan research directions that are within the available budget.
React to varying project needs and deadlines.Decision Making
Undertake decision making on all aspects of research project/activities.
Support the programme leaders’ in identifying research opportunities
Adjust approaches to meet project outcomes
Identify best journals for publication and meetings/conferences to attend.
Identification of equipment and materials for purchase.Internal/External Relationships
University colleagues: to exchange information to ensure efficient working and to facilitate cross disciplinary working.
External bodies/collaborators: proactively maintain co-operation and links at all levels to enhance profile and reputation.
Dissemination: Preparation and presentation of reports/results and participation in meetings and conference calls.Problem Solving
Research including technical and theoretical aspects/problem solving and development of novel ideas
Be aware of project and budgetary issues, equipment lead times.
Assistance of undergraduate/postgraduate students and junior team members with problems relating to research project.Other
Representation of the University/College/School through presentation at national and international events
Attendance at training events to learn and implement new research technologies.
Prepared to travel to meetings in the UK/Europe and elsewhere as required by the University.Additional School/RI/College Information
The MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow
The Unit’s aim is to promote human health by the study of social, behavioural, economic and environmental influences on health. We have five objectives:
• to study the multiple interacting processes through which biological, social, behavioural, economic and environmental factors influence physical and mental health over the lifecourse;
• to discover mechanisms which can modify these processes and have the potential to improve population health in a complex world;
• to develop translational interventions which harness these mechanisms to improve public health and reduce social inequalities in health;
• to evaluate interventions and policies in terms of their ability to improve public health and reduce social inequalities in health;
• to influence policy and practice by communicating the results and implications of research to policy, professional and lay audiences.The Unit receives core funding from the UK Medical Research Council and Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (CSO). The Unit is part of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing.
The Unit has six research programmes:
• Complexity in health improvement
• Measurement and analysis of socio-economic inequalities in health
• Social relationships and health improvement
• Understanding and improving health within settings and organisations
• Neighbourhoods and Communities
• Informing Healthy Public PolicyUnit staff and students come from a range of social and public health science disciplines including statistics, mathematics, epidemiology, public health medicine, nursing, natural sciences, human sciences, nutrition, sociology, anthropology, economics, psychology, geography, and history. The Unit is improving its impact on the environment through a Green Policy and has joined 10:10.
Neighbourhoods and Communities programme
The Neighbourhoods and Communities programme of research is focused on understanding how to make social and physical environments that are salutogenic and equigenic; that is which improve and equalise public health. We are particularly interested in understanding how different parts of the social and physical landscapes we live in connect together in systems and interact to affect our health. To do this, we are exploring new methods which reflect the fact that people move around within and between neigbourhoods, towns and cities, that urban environments change over time, and that the human and natural worlds are intricately connected.Complexity in Health Improvement programme
The programme aims to develop and apply research methods for understanding and modelling the multiplicity of interdependent factors that influence population health, and to particularly apply these methods to the development and evaluation of interventions and policies to improve public health and/or reduce health inequalities.More details about the programmes are available at
https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/healthwellbeing/research/mrccsosocialandpublichealthsciencesunit/Standard Terms & Conditions
Salary will be on the University’s Research and Teaching Grade, level 6, £28,098 – £31,604 per annum.
This post is full time and has funding until 31 March 2020.
New entrants to the University will be required to serve a probationary period of 6 months.
The successful applicant will be eligible to join the Universities’ Superannuation Scheme. Further information regarding the scheme is available from the Superannuation Officer, who is also prepared to advise on questions relating to the transfer of Superannuation benefits.
All research and related activities, including grants, donations, clinical trials, contract research, consultancy and commercialisation are required to be managed through the University’s relevant processes (e.g. contractual and financial), in accordance with the University Court’s policies.
Vacancy ref: 020096, Closing date: 21 February 2018.
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment.
We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401.More Info…
-
Changing places and mental health: do changes in perceptions of neighbourhood influence anxiety and depression in adults?
Written by Dr Jon Olsen, Research Associate with the Neighbourhoods and Communities programme, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit. This blog is mirrored on the SPHSU website.
Mental health problems are a global issue. In 2013 over 615 million individuals suffered from anxiety and/or depression across the world, a rise of 50% since 1990. How people experience their local environment can impact on mental health. Living in areas that are perceived to have higher levels of neighbourhood problems such as poor housing quality, limited amounts of greenspace, industrial activity, and high traffic volume, has been linked to poorer mental health by some research studies. But, few studies have explored how change in what people think about their neighbourhood is linked to change in their mental health. It would be useful to know this as improving the neighbourhood environment could strengthen mental health.
In our recently published study, we wanted to see how changes in what people thought about their neighbourhood impacted on residents’ mental health over time. We looked at two mental health outcomes: anxiety and depression. Adults who lived in West Central Scotland, an area including Glasgow and eight neighbouring local authorities, were asked to complete the same questionnaire in 1997 and 2010.
Glasgow, United Kingdom – October 20, 2013: People come to walk around and shop at the historic Barras Market Place flea market. What did we find?
Overall, anxiety and depression in the people we spoke to reduced between 1997 and 2010. However, those who experienced worsening neighbourhood perceptions from 1997 to 2010 also had increased anxiety and depression scores.
Why this matters
Our study showed that worsening neighbourhood perceptions were linked with small increases in anxiety and depression scores. People living in areas where perceptions of the neighbourhood got worse, did not benefit from the general improvements in anxiety and depression scores enjoyed by the population as a whole; this could widen health inequalities.
Wheelie bins (blue for recycling, green for general refuse) lined up for collection in a Glasgow alley. The take home message from this study
There is a clear need for national and local policy to target areas where neighbourhood conditions are substantially deteriorating to ensure people’s mental health does not suffer.
Further information about the study
We used data from the Transport, Housing and Well-being study; a postal survey of adults in eight local authority areas in the west of Scotland in 1997 and 2010. More information and a link to the full questionnaire can be found here: http://thaw.sphsu.mrc.ac.uk/.
Anxiety and depression was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), a common measure of psychological distress that has been in use for over 30 years.
The full paper was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and is freely available here.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author.
The MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit is funded by the Medical Research Council and the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Medical Research Council or the Scottish Government.
CRESH 