Academic staff
Professor Susie Sykes
sykess@lsbu.ac.uk
Social Work, Community and Public Health
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3758-2898
5263
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I joined LSBU in 2006 and am Professor of Public Health and Health Promotion. I worked previously at the University of East London, de Montfort University and in a number of public and voluntary sector public health organisations. I have a BA(hons) from the University of Sheffield, an MA in Health and Community Development from de Montfort University and acquired my PhD in Public Health from LSBU. I teach public health and research methods and lead PHET@LSBU delivering training and CPD to the public health workforce. I am the Chief Investigator of PHIRST South Bank.
My research interests focus on; health literacy, community focused public health, intervention evaluation and workforce development. I believe that understanding the impact of low levels of health literacy and the opportunities for building critical health literacy at a community level as a mechanism for addressing the determinants of health is important as a strategy for reducing health inequalities. Recent projects examined eHealth literacy for people experiencing infertility and eHealth literacy in a pandemic context. In collaboration with international partners I am Vice Chair of the Global Working Group for Health Literacy and part of the Global Health literacy and Covid-19 consortium.
Key to my work is a commitment to research that supports the public health workforce and the evaluation of population public health and health promotion interventions has always formed an important part of my research.
I am the Director of PHIRST South Bank, one of 8 UK wide centres funded by NIHR to evaluate locally led traditional and non-traditional public health interventions. This Centre provides an important opportunity to co-produce evaluations with local areas and ensure findings drive change at both a local and national level. Examples of our research include an evaluation of advocacy work across an English region to reduce advertising of products high in fat, salt and sugar and an evaluation of strategic work to reduce violence against young people in Lambeth.
Postgraduate Research Supervision
Current
| Ms Aneesa Admani | The exploration of incivility in the therapeutic radiography clinical education setting | PhD |
| Miss Temitope Onasanya | Doctoral Research Project | PhD |
| Mrs Kathryn Mary Harris Pickup | Doctoral Research Project | PhD |
| Mr Jamie Eastman | Doctoral Research Project | PhD |
| Mr Joshua Sharman | Doctoral Research Project | PhD |
| Gary Francis | DProf (taught) |
Awarded in the last 5 years
| Miss Catherine Jenkins | Public libraries as settings for the development of critical health literacy in children. | PhD |
| Mr Gary Francis | Doctoral Research Project | DProf |
LSBU
de Montfort University
LSBU
University of Sheffield
| Funder | Year won | Project | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Borough of Tower Hamlets | 2024 | Tower Hamlets / London Tobacco Alliance Opportunity | Co-Investigator |
| Newcastle City Council | 2024 | ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses 2024_North East NCC | Principal Investigator |
| NHS England | 2024 | ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses 2024_EoE NHSE | Principal Investigator |
| NHS England | 2024 | ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses 2024_North West NHSE | Principal Investigator |
| NHS England | 2023 | ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses_Midlands NHSE | Principal Investigator |
| NHS England | 2023 | ACH_PH Practitioner masterclasses_North West NHSE | Principal Investigator |
| Health Education England | 2023 | HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_KSS | Principal Investigator |
| Health Education England | 2023 | HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_Wessex | Principal Investigator |
| Health Education England | 2023 | HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_East of England | Principal Investigator |
| Health Education England | 2023 | HSC_PH Masterclasses 2023/2024_Midlands | Principal Investigator |
| Newcastle City Council | 2023 | HSC_PH Masterclasses_North East HEE | Principal Investigator |
| Health Education England | 2023 | HSC_PH Practitioner masterclasses_North West HEE | Principal Investigator |
| Health Education England | 2022 | HSC_PH Practitioner masterclasses_Wessex | Principal Investigator |
| Academy of Public Health London and Kent Surrey Sussex | 2022 | HSC_PH Practitioners Masterclasses_KSS | Principal Investigator |
| Health Education England | 2022 | HSC_ Public Health Masterclasses_HEE Midlands | Principal Investigator |
| UKPHR | 2022 | HSC_ Public Health CDP Programme_UKPHR | Principal Investigator |
| National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) | 2021 | Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Team | Principal Investigator |
| National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) | 2020 | Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Team | Principal Investigator |
| Kent County Council | 2019 | Practitioner masterclasses for London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex UKPHR participants | Co-Investigator |
| Kent County Council | 2019 | H652_Consultancy_KCC_MECC Evaluation Handbook | Co-Investigator |
| Kent County Council | 2019 | H651_Consultancy_KCC_MECC Sandpit Project | Co-Investigator |
Public health and Health Promotion
Leadership
Doctoral Examiner
External Academic Advisor - revalidation
Public Health and Health Promotion
Academic Advisor - Revalidation
Public health and health promotion
Associate Lecturer
Public Health
Joint applicant on an NIHR bid
Joint applicant on an NIHR bid
Joint applicant on an NIHR bid
Joint applicant on an NIHR bid
Joint Applicant on a Cost bid
Joint Applicant on a Cost bid and Horizon 2020 bid
Challenges to the real-world delivery of brief alcohol interventions in the custody suite: qualitative study
Jarrett, M., Mills, T., Mallion, J., Sykes, S., Wills, J. and Chaplin, E. (2024). Challenges to the real-world delivery of brief alcohol interventions in the custody suite: qualitative study. BJPsych bulletin. https://doi.org/doi:10.1192/bjb.2024.48
Involving Lived Experience in regional efforts to address gambling-related harms: going beyond ‘window dressing’ and ‘tick box exercises’
Jenkins, C., Mills, T., Grimes J, Bland C, Reavey, P., Wills, J. and Sykes, S. (2024). Involving Lived Experience in regional efforts to address gambling-related harms: going beyond ‘window dressing’ and ‘tick box exercises’. BMC Public Health. 24, p. 384. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3658745/v1
Critical health literacy: conceptualization and settings-based development
Sykes, S and Jenkins, C L (2023). Critical health literacy: conceptualization and settings-based development. European Journal of Public Health. 33 (Supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.047
Harnessing lived experience in a community-based intervention to address gambling-related harms
Jenkins, C, Mills, T, Reavey, P, Moss, A, Sykes, S, Wills, J and Grimes, J (2023). Harnessing lived experience in a community-based intervention to address gambling-related harms. European Journal of Public Health. 33 (Supplement_2). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.1654
What works in advocating for food advertising policy change across an english region - a realist evaluation
Sykes, S., Watkins, M., Bond, M., Jenkins, C. and Wills, J. (2023). What works in advocating for food advertising policy change across an english region - a realist evaluation. BMC Public Health. 23 (1), p. 1896. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16829-8
‘Odds Are: They Win’: a disruptive messaging innovation for challenging harmful products and practices of the gambling industry
T. Mills, J. Grimes, E. Caddick, C.L. Jenkins, J. Evans, A. Moss, J. Wills and S. Sykes (2023). ‘Odds Are: They Win’: a disruptive messaging innovation for challenging harmful products and practices of the gambling industry. Public Health. 224, pp. 41-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2023.08.009
Public health practitioners as policy advocates: skills, attributes and development needs.
Sykes, S., Wills, J. and Watkins, M. (2023). Public health practitioners as policy advocates: skills, attributes and development needs. Health Promotion International. 38 (5), p. daad102. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daad102
Doing public health differently: How can public health departments engage with local communities through social media interventions?
Watkins, M., Mallion, J.S., Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Doing public health differently: How can public health departments engage with local communities through social media interventions? Public Health in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100412
Public health messages during a global emergency through an online community: A discourse and sentiment analysis
Watkins, M., Mallion, J., Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Public health messages during a global emergency through an online community: A discourse and sentiment analysis. Frontiers in Digital Health. 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1130784
Settings for the development of health literacy: A conceptual review
Jenkins, C., Wills, J. and Sykes, S. (2023). Settings for the development of health literacy: A conceptual review. Frontiers in Public Health. 11, p. 1105640. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1105640
Multiple group membership, optimistic bias and infection risk in the context of emerging infectious diseases
Frings, D., Wills, J., Sykes, S., Wood, K. and Albery, I. (2023). Multiple group membership, optimistic bias and infection risk in the context of emerging infectious diseases. European Journal of Health Psychology. (30), pp. 115-125. https://doi.org/10.1027/2512-8442/a000127
Involving Children in Health Literacy Research
Jenkins, C., Wills, J. and Sykes, S. (2022). Involving Children in Health Literacy Research. Children. 10 (1), p. 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010023
Public Libraries as Supportive Environments for Children’s Development of Critical Health Literacy
Jenkins, C., Sykes, S. and Wills, J. (2022). Public Libraries as Supportive Environments for Children’s Development of Critical Health Literacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19 (19). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911896
Editorial: The Social-Ecological Context of Health Literacy
Dadaczynski, K., Sykes, S., Bíró, É. and Kósa, K. (2022). Editorial: The Social-Ecological Context of Health Literacy. Frontiers in Public Health. 10, p. 897717. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.897717
Differences in digital health literacy and future anxiety between health care and other university students in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frings, D., Sykes, S., Ojo,A, Rowlands, G, Trasolini, A, Dadaczynski, K, Okan, O and Wills, J. (2022). Differences in digital health literacy and future anxiety between health care and other university students in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health. 22 (658). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13087-y
The use of mHealth apps in interactive health literacy – perspectives from healthcare professionals.
Stewart-Lord, A., Sykes, S., Admani, A., Angell-Wells, C., Williams, R., Tsang, Y. and Johnson, R. (2021). The use of mHealth apps in interactive health literacy – perspectives from healthcare professionals. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8140(21)08426-7
eHealth literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic: seeking, sharing, suspicion amongst older and younger UK populations
Sykes, S., Wills, J., Trasolini, A., Wood, K. and Frings, D. (2021). eHealth literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic: seeking, sharing, suspicion amongst older and younger UK populations. Health Promotion International. 37 (1), p. daab103. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab103
Multidimensional eHealth Literacy for Infertility
Sykes, S., Wills, J., Frings, D., Church, S. and Wood, K. (2020). Multidimensional eHealth Literacy for Infertility. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17 (3), pp. 966-966. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030966
Shaping alcohol health literacy: a systematic concept analysis and review
Sykes, S, Wills, J, Okan, O and Rowlands, G (2019). Shaping alcohol health literacy: a systematic concept analysis and review. Health Literacy Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20191104-01
Critical health literacy for the marginalised: Empirical findings
Sykes, S. and Wills, J. (2019). Critical health literacy for the marginalised: Empirical findings. in: Orkan, O., Ullrich, B., Levin-Zamir, D., Pinheiro, P. and Sorensen, K. (ed.) International Handbook of Health Literacy: Research, Practice and Policy across the Life-Span Bristol
Gender and health literacy: men’s health beliefs and behavior in Trinidad
Wills, J., Sykes, S., Hardy, S., Joshua, K., Moorley, C. and Ocho, O (2019). Gender and health literacy: men’s health beliefs and behavior in Trinidad. Health Promotion International. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daz076
Challenges and opportunities in building critical health literacy
Sykes, SM and Wills, JD (2018). Challenges and opportunities in building critical health literacy. Global Health Promotion. 25 (4), p. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757975918789352
Enhancing care transitions for older people through interprofessional simulation: a mixed method evaluation
Sykes, SM, Baillie, LJ, Thomas, B, Scotter, J and Martin, F (2017). Enhancing care transitions for older people through interprofessional simulation: a mixed method evaluation. International Journal of Integrated Care. 17 (6), pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.3055
Do nurses' personal health behaviours impact on their health promotion practice: a systematic review
Kelly, M, Wills, JD and Sykes, SM (2017). Do nurses' personal health behaviours impact on their health promotion practice: a systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 76, pp. 62-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.08.008
The Role of Community Development in Building Critical Health Literacy
Sykes, SM, Wills, JD and Popple, K (2017). The Role of Community Development in Building Critical Health Literacy. Community Development Journal. 53 (4), pp. 751-767. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsx019
Good to Go: Enhancing care transfers from hospital to home for older people with complex needs.
Thomas, B, Baillie, LJ, Martin, F, Sykes, SM and Scotter, J (2016). Good to Go: Enhancing care transfers from hospital to home for older people with complex needs. 16th International Conference on Integrated Care. Barcelona, Spain 23 - 25 May 2016
Enhancing care transfers from hospital to home for older people with complex needs
Baillie, LJ, Thomas, B, Martin, F, Sykes, SM and Scotter, J (2016). Enhancing care transfers from hospital to home for older people with complex needs. 16th International Conference on Integrated Care. Barcelona, Spain 23 - 25 May 2016 London South Bank University.
Using community development to build critical health literacy
Sykes, SM, Wills, JD and Crichton, N (2016). Using community development to build critical health literacy. 4th Health Literacy Conference - Health Literacy. Glasgow 18 Mar 2016