Research
The purpose of the research team I work with is to produce evidence that can be used to build policies and actions that improve heath and reduce inequalities in health. We recognise that whilst social policies working at the population, rather than individual, level have the greatest potential to reduce health inequalities, they present the greatest challenges for researchers evaluating their impacts. As a result the availability of evidence tends to vary inversely with the potential impact of policies and interventions (Nutbeam 2004). Our team aims to redress this imbalance by producing rigorous world leading research that:
- identifies the social causes and adverse consequences of ill-health that are amenable to intervention;
- identifies how health and social welfare systems exacerbate or reduce these inequalities;
- evaluates the impact of alternative policy approaches;
- and translates this into action on health inequalities.
We utilise the diverse expertise of our multidisciplinary group, applying a systems perspective to inform our three priority policy areas – (A) Macro-level social and economic policies, (B) local public health systems and (C) equitable health service policy. Our approach brings together social epidemiology, in-depth ethnographic and qualitative approaches, historical analysis, policy analysis, cross-country comparisons and systematic review methods to understand and assess how social policies influence health inequalities through their interaction with social contexts. We have strong links with policy and practice communities, locally, nationally and internationally, ensuring that our research leads to real change in policy to reduce health inequalities.
Health inequalities
My current research with UK and international colleagues centres on innovative ways of evaluating the health inequalities impact of complex social interventions and natural policy experiments which influence the social determinants of health. This includes theory development, quantitative causal inference methods and qualitative inquiry to draw in the lived experience of people in contrasting socioeconomic circumstances, funded by EU, ESRC, NIHR.
Current research work includes assessment of:
a) the impact of national welfare reforms on child health inequalities and the effect of NHS and local authority resource allocation strategies. Some of this work is being carried out through LiLaC, the Liverpool and Lancaster Universities Collaboration for Public Health Research, of which I am Co-Director. LiLaC is one of the eight institutional members of the NIHR School for Public Health Research (SPHR), first and second quinquennium (2012-2017 and 2017-2022);
b) the role of ‘control over destiny’ as a determinant of population health and the effect of children’s services on child health inequalities, through the UK Public Health Research Consortium, now the NIHR Public Health Policy Research Unit (2019-2024), for which I am Liverpool lead;
c) the longer term impact of a major UK community empowerment initiative, through the Communities in Control Study, 2018-2021, funded by the NIHR Public Health Research Programme.
I am keenly involved in knowledge transfer: finding ways for research evidence to get to where it can be most useful in informing policy-making and public health practice.
Research groups
Research grants
The Health Of Care Experienced People_PHASE 1 (old PRU)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
April 2019 - September 2024
Evaluating the impacts of universal policies on child health inequalities: how best can we exploit the predictive value of the integrated pre-school checks?
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
February 2017 - March 2019
What are the health and health inequalities impacts of the Big Local community empowerment initiative in England?
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
March 2018 - September 2021
Mapping the literature on interventions to tackle the disability‐employment gaps
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
November 2016 - October 2017
Tackling health inequalities and extending working lives (THRIVE).
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
April 2016 - September 2019
Public Health Research Consortium.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
January 2005 - December 2009
The effect of socioeconomic status on outcomes people with cystic fibrosis: A longitudinal study.
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
September 2009 - December 2014
Liverpool and Lancaster Universities Collaboration for Public Health Research (LiLaC 2)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
April 2017 - September 2022
NIHR ARC 2 national social care implementation projects
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK), LCCG - LIVERPOOL CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP (UK)
October 2019 - March 2026
Developing Methodologies to Reduce Inequalities in the Determinants of Health DEMETRIQ
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
January 2012 - June 2015
Health Protection Research Unit (Gastrointestinal Infections)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
April 2014 - March 2020
Research collaborations
Department of Health Policy Research Programme
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Liverpool team, led by Margaret Whitehead, is one of 11 insitutional members of the Department of Health's Public Health Research Consortium, funded from 2005-2016, to conduct public health policy research.
NIHR School of Public Health Research
The University of Sheffield, University of Cambridge, University of Bristol, University College London, University of Exeter, FUSE, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine & LILAC
The Universities of Liverpool and Lancaster have formed a joint venture called LiLaC, which is one of 8 institutional members of the NIHR SChool of Public Health Research, funded for 5 years 9April 2012-March 2017) to conduct applied public health research