Dr Gillian Hewitt
Research Associate, DECIPher
Overview
I am a research associate in the DECIPHer research centre, where I work on a project on school counselling. Previously I was a member of the School Health Research Network team where my role involved delivery of a biennial Student Health and Wellbeing Survey and a School Environment Questionnaire in secondary schools across Wales and reporting findings from these surveys to a range of stakeholders.
Biography
I joined DECIPHer in the School of Social Sciences in November 2012 having previously worked in the joint Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences at St George's, University of London and Kingston University. There I worked on a 3-year observational study that explored interprofessional teamwork in acute and community stroke care from the perspectives of patients, family carers and clinical staff.
I originally trained in nutrition and completed a PhD in 2005 entitled, 'Improving the health, nutrition and quality of life of elderly Guyanese living in residential homes'. This research explored the use of participatory approaches with older people living in residential homes in a developing country context
Professional memberships
Member of the Nutrition Society
Publications
2021
- Anthony, R.et al. 2021. Measurement invariance of the short Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale and latent mean differences (SWEMWBS) in young people by current care status. Quality of Life Research (10.1007/s11136-021-02896-0)
- Young, H.et al. 2021. Dating and relationship violence victimization and perpetration among 11–16 year olds in Wales: a cross-sectional analysis of the School Health Research Network (SHRN) survey. Journal of Public Health 43(1), pp. 111-122. (10.1093/pubmed/fdz084)
- Page, N.et al. 2021. Student health and wellbeing in Wales: Report of the 2019/20 School Health Research Network Student Health and Wellbeing Survey. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff: Cardiff University. Available at: https://www.shrn.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SHRN-NR-FINAL-23_03_21-en.pdf
- Murphy, S.et al. 2021. A Transdisciplinary Complex Adaptive Systems (T-CAS) approach to developing a national school-based culture of prevention for health improvement: the School Health Research Network (SHRN) in Wales. Prevention Science 22, pp. 50-61. (10.1007/s11121-018-0969-3)
2020
- Morgan, K.et al. 2020. Sources of potential bias when combining routine data linkage and a national survey of secondary school-aged children: a record linkage study. BMC Medical Research Methodology 20, article number: 178. (10.1186/s12874-020-01064-1)
- Melendez-Torres, G.et al. 2020. Prevalence of gambling behaviours and their associations with socioemotional harm among 11 to 16 year olds in Wales: findings from the School Health Research Network survey. European Journal of Public Health 30(3), pp. 432-438. (10.1093/eurpub/ckz176)
- Long, S.et al. 2020. Testing the ‘zero-sum game’ hypothesis: An examination of school health policies and practices and inequalities in educational outcomes. Journal of School Health 90(5), pp. 415-424., article number: 10.1111/josh.12889. (10.1111/josh.12889)
2019
- Evans, R.et al. 2019. Adolescent self-harm prevention and intervention in secondary schools: A survey of staff in England and Wales. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 24(3), pp. 230-238. (10.1111/camh.12308)
- Morgan, K.et al. 2019. Socio-economic inequalities in adolescent summer holiday experiences, and mental wellbeing on return to school: analysis of the School Health Research Network/Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children survey in Wales. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16(7), article number: 1107. (10.3390/ijerph16071107)
- Hewitt, G.et al. 2019. Student health and wellbeing in Wales: Report of the 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey and School Health Research Network Student Health and Wellbeing Survey. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff: Cardiff University. Available at: http://www.shrn.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SHRN-HBSC-NR_31.05.2019.pdf
2018
- Littlecott, H. J.et al. 2018. Health improvement and educational attainment in secondary schools: complementary or competing priorities? Exploratory analyses from the School Health Research Network in Wales. Health Education and Behavior 45(4), pp. 635-644. (10.1177/1090198117747659)
- Midgley, L. S.et al. 2018. Multilevel population-based cross-sectional study examining school substance-misuse policy and the use of cannabis, mephedrone and novel psychoactive substances among students aged 11-16 years in schools in Wales. BMJ Open 8(6), article number: e020737. (10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020737)
- Roberts, L.et al. 2018. Sexual health outcomes for young people in state care: Cross-sectional analysis of a national survey and views of social care professionals in Wales. Children and Youth Services Review 89, pp. 281-288. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.04.044)
- Hewitt, G.et al. 2018. Improving young people’s health and wellbeing through a school health research network: reflections on school-researcher engagement at the national level. Research for All 2(1), pp. 16-33. (10.18546/RFA.02.1.03)
2017
- Moore, G. F.et al. 2017. School composition, school culture and socioeconomic inequalities in young people's health: multi-level analysis of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey in Wales. British Educational Research Journal 43(2), pp. 310-329. (10.1002/berj.3265)
- Demmler, J.et al. 2017. Educational attainment at age 10–11 years predicts health risk behaviors and injury risk during adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Health (10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.02.003)
- Long, S. J.et al. 2017. Comparison of substance use, subjective well-being and interpersonal relationships among young people in foster care and private households: a cross sectional analysis of the School Health Research Network survey in Wales. BMJ Open 7(2), article number: e014198. (10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014198)
- De Lacy, E.et al. 2017. Cross-sectional study examining the prevalence, correlates and sequencing of electronic cigarette and tobacco use among 11–16-year olds in schools in Wales. BMJ Open 6, article number: e012784. (10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012784)
2016
- Segrott, J.et al. 2016. Exploratory trial of a school-based alcohol prevention intervention with a family component. Health Education 116(4), pp. 410-431. (10.1108/HE-01-2015-0005)
- Moore, G.et al. 2016. Variations in schools’ commitment to health and implementation of health improvement activities: a cross-sectional study of secondary schools in Wales. BMC Public Health 16, article number: 138. (10.1186/s12889-016-2763-0)
- Hewitt, G.et al. 2016. The School Health Research Network: increasing impact by co-producing and utilising health improvement research evidence in the secondary school setting. Presented at: FUSE Knowledge Exchange in Public Health Conference, Newcastle, UK, 27-28 April 2016.
2015
- Segrott, J.et al. 2015. Preventing alcohol misuse in young people: an exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial of the Kids, Adults Together (KAT) programme. Public Health Research 3(15), pp. 1-188. (10.3310/phr03150)
- Hewitt, G.et al. 2015. Starting as we mean to go on: building knowledge translation and exchange into a School Health Research Network in Wales. Presented at: International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Edinburgh, UK, 3-6 June 2015.
- Moore, G.et al. 2015. Electronic-cigarette use among young people in Wales: evidence from two cross-sectional surveys. BMJ Open 5(4), article number: e007072. (10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007072)
2014
- Murphy, S. and Hewitt, G. 2014. Developing a school health research network in Wales: challenges and opportunities. Presented at: UKCRC Centres for Public Health Excellence Annual Conferen, Leeds, UK, 19 - 20 June 2014.
- Hewitt, G.et al. 2014. Building a school health research network for Wales: bringing policy, practice and research together. Presented at: UK Society for Behavioural Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, Nottingham, 3 - 4 December 2014.
Research Interests
- Evaluating complex interventions
- School-based health improvement
- Research networks
- Transdisciplinary action research
- School counselling