Gurch Randhawa

University of Bedfordshire · Institute for Health Research IHR

Although India’s organ donation rate is less than 1 per million population, significant disparities exist between the regions and centres within the country, leading to varying consent rates among different organ donation centres. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the experience of transplant coordinators and their barriers and facilitators...

Background Physical inactivity is an ongoing problem throughout the lifespan. For older people, inactivity has a negative impact on wellbeing, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital technologies can be employed to encourage uptake of social and physical activity through remotely delivered interventions to improve wellbeing, however, w...

Background Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is associated with adverse health outcomes across the life course. In children, long-term exposure to TRAP is associated with asthma, acute lower respiratory infections and reduced lung growth. Low emission zones have been implemented widely in European cities, aiming to reduce TRAP by restricting/pen...

Introduction The NHS has made it mandatory for General Practices in England to proactively identify and manage older people with moderate and severe frailty since the GMS contract of 2017/2018. In Luton, stakeholders developed the Luton Framework of Frailty (LFF) to implement this national policy. The aim of this study was to explore the factors th...

This study aimed to examine the barriers and facilitators of the public toward deceased organ donation in Chandigarh, and Chennai, India, from three major religious groups, Hinduism, Islamism, and Christianity. Twenty-five focus groups were conducted (n = 87) stratified by study region, religion, sex, and age. Data were analysed using framework ana...

Background The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), introduced in Central London in April 2019, aims to enhance air quality and improve public health. The Children's Health in London and Luton (CHILL) study evaluates the impact of the ULEZ on children's health. This analysis focuses on the one-year impacts on the shift towards active travel to school....

Introduction While populations of all ages were affected by the pandemic, older people with frailty had much worse outcomes. The NHS England has mandated identifying and proactively managing older people with moderate and severe frailty in the General medical services (GMS) contract 2017/18. As a result of this policy, an integrated care programme...

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) poses significant health risks particularly for children, with adverse effects that may impact health in later life. Low emission zones are a public health policy designed to reduce TRAP in urban areas. The CHILL (Children's Health in London and Luton) Study will evaluate the impact of London's Ultra Low Emissio...

Step-down intermediate care aims to offer short-term care for people who are medically optimised for discharge but needing a period for further assessment and/or rehabilitation. The aim of this study, which was nested in a larger evaluation project, was to explore the experiences and perspectives of healthcare professionals to understand the implem...

Introduction Introduction: In adult healthcare delivery worldwide, medically unresolved persistent physical symptoms (uPPS) are of significant concern (Bermingham et al., 2010; Sumathipala, 2007), with patients often requiring an enhanced therapeutic approach (Nimnuan et al., 2001; Dwamena, et al., 2009). When routine medical care is not achieving...

Background: Physical inactivity is an ongoing problem throughout the lifespan. For older people, inactivity has a negative impact on wellbeing, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital technologies can be employed to encourage uptake of social and physical activity through remotely delivered interventions to improve wellbeing, however,...

A BSTRACT Background Evidence to date suggests that young people are becoming more sexually active and are forming relationships during the early stages of their lives, sometimes engaging in sexual risk-taking, which contributes to high rates of conception and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Young people at risk of adverse sexual health ou...

Forests are in the spotlight: they are expected to play a pivotal role in our response to society’s greatest challenges, such as the climate and biodiversity crises. Yet, the forests themselves, and the sector that manages them, face a range of interrelated threats and opportunities. Many of these are well understood, even if the solutions remain e...

Background Air pollution harms health across the life course. Children are at particular risk of adverse effects during development, which may impact on health in later life. Interventions that improve air quality are urgently needed both to improve public health now, and prevent longer-term increased vulnerability to chronic disease. Low Emission...

The organ donation and transplantation (ODT) system heavily relies on the willingness of individuals to donate their organs. While it is widely believed that public trust plays a crucial role in shaping donation rates, the empirical support for this assumption remains limited. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, this article takes a foundational...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in health behaviours, which include eating patterns and nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleeping patterns, physical activity and sedentary behaviour. There is a dearth of evidence reporting the impact of COVID-19 on the health behaviour of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communiti...

International evidence shows variation in organ donation and transplantation (ODT) based upon a range of patient characteristics. What is less well understood is the impact of patient “ethnicity/race/immigration background,” as these terms are defined and intended differently across countries. We also know that these characteristics do not operate...

Obesity in adults is a growing health concern. Although effective, current treatment options have not been able to overcome the various factors that contribute toward rising obesity rates. eHealth might hold the capacity to improve the effectiveness, delivery and flexibility of some of these treatments. Here, we show that eHealth lifestyle change i...

Organ donation continues to be low among ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom (UK), especially within the South Asian community, with a disproportionate number of patients of South Asian ethnicity awaiting organ transplants. In 2020/21, Minority Ethnic (ME) patients comprised almost a third of the national transplant waiting list, highlighting t...

Aims To (i) assess the adherence of long‐term care (LTC) facilities to the COVID‐19 prevention and control recommendations, (ii) identify predictors of this adherence and (iii) examine the association between the adherence level and the impact of the pandemic on selected unfavourable conditions. Design Cross‐sectional survey. Methods Managers (n...

This is an open-access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

Background Intermediate care (IC) services are models of care that aim to bridge the gap between hospital and home, enabling continuity of care and the transition to the community. The purpose of this study was to explore patient experience with a step-down, intermediate care unit in Buckinghamshire, UK. Methods A mixed-methods study design was us...

With increasing immigration to Europe, migrants and ethnic minorities (MEMs) are progressively represented on transplant waiting lists. However, they remain underrepresented among the pools of both deceased and living donors (LD). Further, studies report inferior knowledge and/or understanding of organ donation and transplantation among these popul...

Background: Lockdown measures, including school closures, due to the COVID-19 pandemic have caused widespread disruption to children's lives. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of a national lockdown on children's physical activity using seasonally matched accelerometry data. Methods: Using a pre/post observational design, 179 child...

Background Depression is common amongst patients receiving haemodialysis (HD). Assessment and intervention when faced with language and cultural barriers is challenging. To support clinician decisions, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the use of culturally adapted and translated versions of commonly-used depression screening questionn...

Introduction Muslims have been shown to have less favourable attitudes towards organ donation and are less likely to consent to donate their organs. While several studies have been undertaken globally to identify the barriers and facilitators of organ donation, no systematic review has synthesised this evidence to date. Therefore, this systematic r...

Introduction: The NHS England General Medical Services 2017-18 contract made it mandatory for general practices in England to identify and manage older people proactively. In response to the national policy, the Luton Framework for Frailty (LFF) programme was developed to target older residents of Luton and offer interventions according to their f...

This study aims to understand the experiences of professionals involved in caring for families of children with life-limiting illnesses to ascertain unmet needs, access issues and expectations of services. A phenomenological approach comprising semi-structured interviews with professionals from various services was used. Interviews that happened be...

Background Minority ethnic groups are at increased risk of COVID-19 related mortality or morbidity yet continue to have a disproportionally lower uptake of the vaccine. The importance of adherence to prevention and control measures to keep vulnerable populations and their families safe therefore remains crucial. This research sought to examine the...

Background: "Talking Takes Off" is a local government program designed to improve speech, language and communication (SLC) outcomes in the early years, as supported by a system-wide approach. The overall aims of this study were to assess the progress that the program made in its first year, especially in relation to its integration with the wider...

Background: Any delays in language development may affect learning, profoundly influencing personal, social, and professional trajectories. The effectiveness of the Sign 4 Big Feelings (S4BF) intervention was investigated by measuring changes in early years outcomes (EYOs) after a 3-month period. Objective: This study aims to determine whether c...

Objectives To understand the barriers towards deceased organ donation among Indians living globally. Design Integrative systematic review using narrative synthesis. Data sources CINAHL, Medline full-text, PsycInfo, Scopus, Global Health, Web of Science, and PubMed Central, Indian Journal of Transplantation and Google Scholar. Time period 1 Janua...

Introduction: There are inequalities experienced by minority ethnic groups in the UK in organ donation and transplant services, with significant variation in relation to demand for, access to and waiting times for these services. Sources of data: A narrative review of research obtained via several databases, including PubMed and Medline, was con...

Purpose: To develop and validate a simple risk model for predicting metabolic syndrome in midlife using a prospective cohort data. Design: Prospective cohort study. Participants: A total of 7626 members of the 1958 British birth cohort (individuals born in the first week of March 1958) participated in the biomedical survey at age 45 and have c...

Purpose: To assess whether there is a long-term relationship between childhood behaviour problems and type 2 diabetes in midlife. The study will also investigate whether any of such relationship is independent of other factors which may be associated with type 2 diabetes. Design: Cohort study. Participants: A total of 9377 members of the 1958...

Abstract: Background: Although an increasing number of studies have reported on nutrition transition and unhealthy eating habits (UEHs) worldwide, there is a paucity of studies on UEHs in the Arab region, particularly in Libya. Aim: This study investigated the associations between obesity among Libyan adults and UEHs. Methods: A cross-sectional sur...

Obesity is a complex public health issue with multiple contributing factors. The emphasis on joined care has led to the development and implementation of a number of integrated care interventions targeting obesity and mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine user experience in an integrated care programme for obesity and mental healt...

The UK’s minority ethnic population, despite being at higher risk of COVID-19 and experiencing poorer health outcomes, continue to have lower uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine compared with their white British counterparts. Given the importance of the vaccination programme in improving health outcomes, this research sought to examine the influential f...

This trial represents the final stage of the CARESSES project which aimed to develop and evaluate a culturally competent artificial intelligent system embedded into social robots to support older adult wellbeing. A parallel group, single-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted across older adult care homes in England and Japan. Participants...

In the UK, ethnic minority children are at greater risk of obesity and weight-related ill health compared to the wider national population. The factors that influence the provision of a healthy diet among these populations remain less understood. An interpretive qualitative study with a phenomenological perspective comprised of 24 single sex semi-s...

This article is based on the interviews of nine young, socially disadvantaged fathers from the UK. Young fathers are more likely to experience socioeconomic deprivation and disrupted pathways towards parenthood, which affect their participation in socially accepted trajectories of ‘father involvement’. Whilst this has received some attention in res...

Background Harnessing the experiences of parents of life-limited children remains a research priority nationally and internationally. Existing evidence outlines the needs of this group, however, less information is available as to how well these needs are being met by services from the perspective of parents in the UK. The parent responsibility for...

Goal To assess public knowledge and attitudes towards the role of the family in deceased organ donation in Europe. Methods A systematic search was conducted in CINHAL, MEDLINE, PAIS Index, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science on December 15th, 2017. Eligibility criteria were socio-empirical studies conducted in Europe from 2008 to 2017 addressing...

Additional material: methods.

We conducted a systematic review on public knowledge and attitudes towards the role of the family in deceased organ donation in Europe between 2008 and 2017. Results show that a majority of the public support the family’s involvement in organ retrieval decision-making and, in particular, their role as surrogate decision-maker when the deceased has...

Introduction: Integrated care aims to improve population health. Obesity and mental health are major health issues worldwide. The complexity of the multifactorial drivers of these public health problems has led to the adoption of a whole system approach. This review aims to highlight factors that influence the planning, implementation and evaluati...

UK ‘home grown’ (born and/or socialised in Britain) South Asians (Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians) are underrepresented in the NHS nursing and the allied health workforce but there is a dearth of evidence on documented interventions specifically designed for targeted widening participation activity for South Asians. Despite a range of inclusiv...

People from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK have been disproportionately affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with higher death rates and suboptimal health outcomes compared with those from white ethnic backgrounds. This trend is reflected in healthcare staff from ethnic minority backgrounds, including nurses, who are disproportio...

Recent times have seen migration occurring on a large scale basis. This involves people from various parts of the globe emigrating for varying purposes. This migration has had a profound impact on public health and healthcare systems all over the world. Migration has become an essential determinant of public health. Currently Pakistan is ranked sec...

Background The United Kingdom has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, with the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding shown to be closely related to the mothers’ age, ethnicity and social class. Whilst the barriers that influence a woman’s decision to breastfeed are well documented, less is known how these barriers vary by the UK...

Background: Depression is common amongst patients receiving haemodialysis (HD). Assessment and intervention when faced with language and cultural barriers is challenging. To support clinician decisions, we assessed the use of culturally adapted and translated versions of commonly-used depression screening questionnaires with South Asian patients re...

Introduction: Air pollution harms health across the life course. Children are at particular risk of adverse effects during development, which may impact on health in later life. Interventions that improve air quality are therefore urgently needed not only to improve public health now, but to prevent longer-term increased vulnerability to chronic di...

A pilot trial of remotely delivered mind-body physical activity was carried out in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants performed twice weekly one-hour sessions of the program for eight weeks, with sessions delivered using Zoom. Physical function was evaluated using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), with the individual com...

This study presents findings from a feasibility trial, testing an 8-week psychosocial stigma protection intervention (SOLACE) designed to improve the mental health of parents of autistic children. Seventeen parents were stratified then randomly assigned to either SOLACE (n = 9) or control group (n = 8). Retention and adherence rates were excellent...

Objective: This study aims to compare the prevalence of gestational diabetes in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and British women in Luton, England and further examine associations in maternal risk factors (age BMI, smoking status and birth outcome), with gestational diabetes, with maternal ethnicity. Design: A retrospective analysis using routinely...

Background: Any delays in language development may affect learning, profoundly influencing personal, social, and professional trajectories. The effectiveness of the Sign 4 Big Feelings (S4BF) intervention was investigated by measuring change in early years outcomes after a three month period. Objective: To determine whether Early Years Outcomes (EY...

Complementary feeding practices and adherence to health recommendations are influenced by a range of different and often interrelating factors such as socio‐economic and cultural factors. However, the factors underlying these associations are often complex with less awareness of how complementary feeding approaches vary across the UK’s diverse popu...

Tight-fitting FFP3 facemasks are ideal respiratory protective equipment during aerosol generating procedures in Covid-19 environment, and require a Fit Test (FT) to assess mask-face seal competency. Facial hair is considered to be an impediment for achieving a competent seal. We are describing an under-mask beard cover called Singh Thattha techniqu...

Introduction: Frailty poses a huge burden to individuals, their families and to healthcare systems. Several interventions have been evaluated for the improvement of outcomes for older people with frailty, including integrated care interventions. Reviews synthesising evidence on the effectiveness of integrated care for older people with frailty hav...

Background Parents and carers of autistic children report poor mental health. Autism stigma is a strong contributing factor to poor parental mental health, yet there are currently no interventions available that are evidenced to improve parents' mental health in part through increasing resilience to stigma. Childcare and travel are well known barri...

Aim This study aims to explore the experiences of bereavement after stillbirth of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and White British mothers in a town with multi-ethnic populations in England. Participants A purposive sample of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and White British mothers aged over 16 (at time of infant birth), who suffered a stillbirth in the preceding...

The NHS is 72 this year. This anniversary comes as the NHS and the general public face challenging times. The covid-19 pandemic is far from over, and while the long term impacts are still unclear, the pandemic will be remembered for exposing the disparities that exist in British society, and particularly the disproportionate impact that the pandemi...

Background The healthcare referral system is designed to ensure that patients receive the best care at the appropriate level, as well as improving access to different levels of care. However, approximately 60-90% of patients in Nigeria bypass their local primary level of care to seek healthcare outside of the community. This study is part of a larg...

Introduction Frailty is an increasingly common condition in which physiological decline as a result of accumulated deficits renders older people more vulnerable to adverse outcomes. An increasing range of frailty screening programmes have been introduced in primary care to identify frail older people in order to deliver appropriate interventions. H...

Background: Gaining age-appropriate proficiency in speech and language in the early years is crucial to later life chances; however, a significant proportion of children fail to meet the expected standards in these early years outcomes when they start school. Factors influencing the development of language and communication include low income, gend...