Lesley Smith

University of Hull · Institute of Clinical and Applied Health Research (ICAHR) Faculty of Health Sciences

Purpose A recent review indicated that physical activity (PA), facilitated by organisations/clubs, may reduce alcohol consumption in early to mid-adolescence. Our study aims were to examine these factors, and identify how health determinants may influence association. Methods Cross-sectional secondary data analysis using UK cohort data from ALSPAC...

Aim There are barriers to midwives engaging in conversations about alcohol with pregnant women. Our aim was to capture the views of midwives and service users to co‐create strategies to address these barriers. Design Qualitative description. Methods Structured Zoom‐based focus group interviews of midwives and service users where we presented know...

To reduce the number of alcohol-exposed pregnancies in antenatal care in the UK, the CHAMPION study objective was to design appropriate training and resources to develop the midwifery skills and confidence required to have an effective conversation about alcohol with pregnant women. Women with lived experience of drinking during pregnancy and ‘bir...

Objective To understand the perspectives of healthcare practitioners and women of reproductive age regarding addressing prevention of an alcohol exposed pregnancy before conception. Methods A scoping review of mixed methods, qualitative and quantitative research was conducted. Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsychInfo databases were searched for liter...

Using cellphones to deliver health services to teens: a sub-Saharan Africa review https://theconversation.com/using-cellphones-to-deliver-health-services-to-teens-a-sub-saharan-africa-review-182235

Mobile health (mHealth) programs offer opportunities to improve the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents by providing information. This paper reports the findings of a study carried out in Homabay County, Kenya, to assess stakeholders’ perspectives on access to and use of mobile phones by adolescents for SRH education. We aimed to es...

Background South Asians make up the largest ethnic minority group in England and Wales. Yet this group is underrepresented in some programmes to promote health, such as cancer screening. A challenge to addressing such health disparities is the difficulty of recruiting South Asian communities to health research. Effective recruitment requires the de...

Lack of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education contributes to poor SRH outcomes for adolescents and young people in Sub-Saharan Africa. School-based comprehensive SRH education programmes in low- and middle-income countries aim to advance gender equality and human rights and reduce risky sexual behaviours in adolescents. However, the implem...

Background mHealth innovations have been proposed as an effective solution to improving adolescent access to and use of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services; particularly in regions with deeply entrenched traditional social norms. However, research demonstrating the effectiveness and theoretical basis of the interventions is lacking. Aim...

Introduction Research to understand factors associated with normal physiologic birth (unassisted vaginal birth, spontaneous labor onset without epidural analgesia, spinal, or general anesthetic, without episiotomy) is required. Laboring and/or giving birth in water has been shown to be associated with a high proportion of physiologic birth but with...

Background The preconception period provides a unique opportunity to optimize the health of women and children. High rates of alcohol use and unintended pregnancies are common across many Western societies, and alcohol‐exposed pregnancies (AEPs) are a possible unintended outcome. The aim of the current study was to evaluate preconception interventi...

This paper reports findings of a pilot survey of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) knowledge and behaviour in Homabay County of western Kenya. The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of 523 male and female adolescents aged 10–19 years from 32 Community Health Units (CHUs). Bivariate analysis of gender differences and associat...

Introduction: Mobile health (mHealth) programmes offer opportunities to improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH) for adolescents by providing information. Researchers define mHealth as a “medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices”. mHealth is increasingly used to deliver health interventions including adolescent SRH. Howeve...

Objective Midwives play an important role in health promotion and prevention of alcohol-related harm, but previous research has suggested that although most midwives report advising on abstinence, evidence exist that women are informed that “some” alcohol is not harmful. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore midwives’ views on implementa...

Background In 2016, the UK Chief Medical Officers revised their guidance on alcohol and advised women to abstain from alcohol if pregnant or planning pregnancy. Midwives have a key role in advising women about alcohol during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate UK midwives’ practices regarding the 2016 Chief Medical Officers Alcohol...

Estimates for the UK suggest that alcohol consumption during pregnancy and prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) – the most common neurodevelopmental condition – are high. Considering the significant health and social impacts of FASD, there is a public health imperative to prioritise prevention, interventions and support. In this art...

Estimates for the UK suggest that alcohol consumption during pregnancy and prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)-the most common neurodevelopmental condition-are high. Considering the significant health and social impacts of FASD, there is a public health imperative to prioritise prevention, interventions and support. In this article...

Background: Three-quarters of pregnancy terminations in Africa are carried out in unsafe conditions. Unsafe abortion is the leading cause of maternal mortality among 15-24 year-old women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Greater understanding of the wider determinants of pregnancy termination in 15-24 year-olds could inform the design and development of inte...

The purpose of the online workshops was to share the results of the work so far, discuss the implications for the proposed project, and co-produce recommendations for further work. The first workshop, on 6th August, was for researchers, policymakers and legislators from Jigawa and Kano states to share ideas about how to improve the local generation...

Background Bowel cancer is common and accounts for 10% of all cancer mortality. Early detection significantly reduces mortality. In the UK, the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme invites adults aged 60-74 years to carry out a home screening test biennially. The national target for test completion is 60%; completion is substantially lower (∼30%) a...

Background Jigawa and Kano States, Northern Nigeria have some of the worst human development outcomes globally for adolescents across a wide range of health indicators. Our aim was to understand health awareness, beliefs, and behaviours of adolescents in school in Jigawa and Kano States, to inform prioritization and development of health promotion...

Background Bowel cancer is common and accounts for 10% of all cancer mortality-second only to lung cancer deaths. If detected early through screening tests, mortality is significantly reduced. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) invites adults aged 60–74 years to carry out a home screening test biennially. The national target for test c...

Background Three-quarters of pregnancy terminations in Africa are carried out in unsafe conditions. Unsafe abortion is the leading cause of maternal mortality among young women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Greater understanding of the wider determinants of pregnancy termination in this age group could inform the design and development of interventions to...

Background: Three-quarters of pregnancy terminations in Africa are carried out in unsafe conditions. Unsafe abortion is the leading cause of maternal mortality among 15-24 year-old women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Greater understanding of the wider determinants of pregnancy termination in 15-24 year-olds could inform the design and development of inter...

Background: Three-quarters of pregnancy terminations in Africa are carried out in unsafe conditions. Unsafe abortion is the leading cause of maternal mortality among 15-24 year-old women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Greater understanding of the wider determinants of pregnancy termination in 15-24 year-olds could inform the design and development of inter...

Lifecourse epidemiology suggests that preconception is a valuable opportunity for health promotion with young women. Yet young women are less likely than older women to be research participants, limiting evidence about their needs and risks. Marketing data indicate that young adults are not engaged with one advertising strategy because they transit...

Background and purpose: Women's health behaviours during pregnancy can affect their children's lifetime outcomes. Inactivity, poor diet, alcohol, and smoking during pregnancy are linked to maternal stress and distress. Mindfulness-based interventions can improve health behaviours and mental health. The purpose of the study was to develop and evalua...

Introduction and hypothesis Obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) during childbirth is associated with urino-genital pain and dysfunction. Waterbirth is a popular birth choice for women, but controversy remains around the risk of OASI during waterbirth. This study reports on the incidence of OASI, and factors associated with OASI, for a cohort of...

Health experts from the University of Hull are helping to tackle the health challenges faced by adolescents in Nigeria. Funded by Research England’s Global Challenges Research Fund and in partnership with a Nigerian organisation that tackles public health challenges, FAYOHI, the team are sharing their expertise in Jigawa and Kano States to identif...

Background: This is an updated version of the original Cochrane Review published in the Cochrane Library in 2013 (Issue 8) on the risk of ovarian cancer in women using infertility drugs when compared to the general population or to infertile women not treated. The link between fertility drugs and ovarian cancer remains controversial. Objectives:...

Objectives: The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials extension for the stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial (SW-CRT) is a recently published reporting guideline for SW-CRTs. We assess the quality of reporting of a recent sample of SW-CRTs. Study Design and Setting: Quality of reporting was asssessed according to the 26 items in the new guid...

The UK is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to preventing harm caused by drinking during pregnancy.

Objective The principal objective was to test the effectiveness of an online learning tool to improve midwives’ accuracy of blood loss estimations in a birthing pool environment. The secondary objective was to assess the acceptability of the online learning tool to the midwives using it. Design A one group pre-test, post-test experiment with immed...

Background: There are many validated and widely used assessments within aphasiology. Few, however, describe language and life with aphasia from the perspective of the person with aphasia. Across healthcare, patient experience and user involvement are increasingly acknowledged as fundamental to person-centred care. As part of this movement, Patient...

Background Universal interventions to reduce health risks can widen health inequalities. Targeted approaches, where an intervention is tailored to specific groups, may overcome this limitation. Women aged 16 to 34 years with lower socioeconomic status are hard-to engage in research which limits our ability to understand how to address their health...

Background Vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoids are potent dietary antioxidants that have been shown to attenuate ethanol‐induced harm in animal models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. A diet low in antioxidant‐rich foods may induce a state of oxidative stress in the context of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, potentially causing g...

Background: Parenteral opioids (intramuscular and intravenous drugs including patient-controlled analgesia) are used for pain relief in labour in many countries throughout the world. This review is an update of a review first published in 2010. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness, safety and acceptability to women of different types, doses a...

Aims: This discussion paper proposes a five-part theoretical framework to inform recruitment strategies. The framework is based on a marketing model of consumer decision-making. Background: Respondents in surveys are typically healthier than non-respondents, which has an impact on the availability of information about those most in need. Previou...

Background: Large general population surveys show that heavy regular and episodic alcohol consumption are associated with lower intakes of fruits and vegetables, and higher intakes of processed and fried meat. This is of particular concern regarding pregnant women, as both alcohol intake and inadequate maternal nutrition are independently associat...

Background: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a highly heterogeneous group of rare malignant solid tumors. Nonrhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) comprise all STS except rhabdomyosarcoma. In people with advanced local or metastatic disease, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) applied after high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT)...

Background fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is a term used to describe a range of physical, cognitive and behavioural deficits in the offspring of women who drank alcohol during pregnancy. A growing body of evidence suggests alcohol consumption in the presence of poor maternal nutrition may increase the risk of harm to the developing fetus. Object...

Women are an important public health focus, because they are more likely to experience some social determinants of disease, and they influence family health. Little research has explored the sociodemographic representativeness of women in research studies. We examined the representativeness of female respondents across four sociodemographic factors...

IntroductionHeavy episodic (binge) drinking among women in Scotland is commonplace; prepregnancy drinking is associated with continued antenatal drinking. Evidence for effectiveness of standardized antenatal alcohol assessment is lacking. Alcohol-exposed pregnancies may be missed. We assessed peri-conceptual and mid-pregnancy consumption using a we...

Background: Alcohol-related mortality and morbidity among women has increased over recent decades, especially in areas of higher deprivation. Pre-pregnancy alcohol use is associated with continued consumption in pregnancy. We assessed whether general population alcohol consumption patterns were reflected among pregnant women in two Scottish areas...

Background A major aim in public health research is to prevent harm. Accurate data is needed to inform harm reduction policies, practices and research. Therefore samples used in observational studies need to represent the population from which they were drawn but response rates are declining in the UK. Nonresponse has been addressed in various ways...

Objective: to explore midwives' views, experiences and feelings of confidence surrounding vaginal breech birth (VBB). Design: a qualitative study was conducted with 12 participants using three focus group discussions. Data were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Setting: UK midwives were recruited from dif...

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a 7-day Retrospective Diary to assess peri-conceptual and mid-pregnancy alcohol consumption. Background: Alcohol consumption among women has increased significantly and is of international concern. Heavy episodic ('binge') drinking is commonplace and is associated with unintended pregnancy....

Background: Drinking is influenced by youth perceptions of how their peers drink. These perceptions are often incorrect, overestimating peer drinking norms. If inaccurate perceptions can be corrected, young people may drink less. Objectives: To determine whether social norms interventions reduce alcohol-related negative consequences, alcohol misuse...

Background: Cannabis has a long history of medicinal use. Cannabis-based medications (cannabinoids) are based on its active element, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and have been approved for medical purposes. Cannabinoids may be a useful therapeutic option for people with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting that respond poorly to commonl...

Short stature is associated with increased risk of ill health and mortality and can negatively impact on an individual's economic opportunity and psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between height and area-level deprivation by ethnic group in children in England. Cross-sectional analysis of data gather...

Background: The association between Parkinson’s disease and lifestyle exposures such as smoking, coffee and alcohol consumption have been the focus of research for several decades, with varying and often conflicting results. Objective: This paper reviews the key features of observational studies investigating the relationship between alcohol drinki...

Drinking is influenced by youth (mis)perceptions of how their peers drink. If misperceptions can be corrected, young people may drink less. To determine whether social norms interventions reduce alcohol-related negative consequences, alcohol misuse or alcohol consumption when compared with a control (ranging from assessment only/no intervention to...

To assess the accuracy of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores for problem drinking in males and females aged 18-35 in England. A method comparison study with 420 primary care patients aged 18-35. Test measures were AUDIT and AUDIT-C. Reference standard measures were (a) Time-Line Follow-Back interview for hazardous drinking; Wo...

Objective Treatment of bipolar depression is complicated by variable response and risk of switch to mania. Guidance is informed by the strength of evidence rather than by comparative data.Method We performed a multiple-treatments meta-analysis of randomised, double-blind, controlled comparisons of 4–16 weeks in adults in bipolar depression. The pri...

to assess the prevalence and pattern of alcohol consumption pre-conception and/or during the first trimester using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption (AUDIT-C) and T-ACE (Tolerance, Annoyance, Cut Down and Eye-Opener) alcohol screening questionnaires, and determine the soci...

For women at low risk of childbirth complications, water immersion during labour is a care option in many high income countries. Our aims were (a) to describe maternal characteristics, intrapartum events, interventions, maternal and neonatal outcomes for all women who used a birthing pool during labour who either had a waterbirth or left the pool a...

The use of assisted reproductive techniques is increasing, but the possible link between fertility drugs and ovarian cancer remains controversial. To evaluate the risk of ovarian cancer in women treated with ovulation stimulating drugs for subfertility. We searched for published and unpublished observational studies from 1990 to February 2013. The...

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a highly heterogeneous group of rare malignant solid tumors. Non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) comprise all STS except rhabdomyosarcoma. In patients with advanced local or metastatic disease, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) applied after high-dose chemotherapy (H...

The global health and social impact of excessive alcohol consumption is well documented. Alcohol screening is used to assess an individual's drinking patterns to see if alcohol is currently harming the individual's health, or likely to lead to harm in the future if the drinking patterns persist. Methods for identification of excessive alcohol consu...

Our aim was to describe the range of perineal trauma in women with a singleton vaginal birth and estimate the effect of maternal and obstetric characteristics on the incidence of perineal tears. We conducted a prospective observational study on all women with a planned singleton vaginal delivery between May and September 2006 in one obstetric unit,...

To examine using meta-analysis the effect of adding a second antipsychotic to established clozapine monotherapy. A literature search was conducted in April 2011, and randomised placebo-controlled double-blind studies were identified. We performed a meta-analysis of efficacy (as standardised mean difference) and tolerability (withdrawals from trials...

Birthing pools are integrated into maternity care in the United Kingdom and are a popular care option for women in midwifery-led units and at home. The objective of this study was to describe and compare maternal characteristics, intrapartum events, interventions, and maternal and neonatal outcomes by planned place of birth for women who used a bir...

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a highly heterogeneous group of rare malignant solid tumors. Non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) comprise all STS except rhabdomyosarcoma. In patients with advanced local or metastatic disease, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) applied after high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) is a plan...

Dual-task methodology has been increasingly used to assess cognitive motor interference while walking. However, whether the observed dual-task-related gait changes are systematically related to methodological variations remains unclear and researchers still lack knowledge of what cognitive task to use in different groups for clinical purposes or fo...

The increasing worldwide prevalence of dementia is a major public health concern. Findings from some epidemiological studies suggest that diet and nutrition may be important modifiable risk factors for development of dementia. In order to evaluate the strength of the available evidence of an association of dietary factors with dementia including Al...

Parenteral opioids are used for pain relief in labour in many countries throughout the world. To assess the acceptability, effectiveness and safety of different types, doses and modes of administration of parenteral opioids given to women in labour. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (January 2010) and referen...

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the risk of early and late cardiotoxicity of anthracycline agents in patients treated for breast or ovarian cancer, lymphoma, myeloma or sarcoma. Randomized controlled trials were sought using comprehensive searches of electronic databases in June 2008. Reference lists of retrieved artic...

Table S1 Excluded studies.

Table S2 Characteristics of included studies.

PRISMA checklist.