NIHRDataInsights/HRCSData huggingface dataset:
Title: DFW - Designing Future Wheat - Work package 2 (WP2) - Added value and resilience
Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Abstract: Food and nutrition security requires safe access to affordable and nutritious food supplies. WP2 aims to enhance grain quality for human health, combat non-communicable diet-related diseases and improve the resilience of wheat production systems to biotic stresses. It addresses two topics, with shared objectives across DFW and other RRes, JIC, EI, Quadram and NIAB programmes. Both exploit previous BBSRC investments in germplasm resources and the latest genomic developments, to understand and manipulate the genes and pathways defining wheat grain composition and host resistance/susceptibility to pathogens/pests. WP2 researchers will dissect a range of traits exploiting the germplasm and other resources developed within DFW. These traits include resistance to a range of pathogens and pests (including rusts, Zymoseptoria, Fusarium, take-all, mildew, eyespot and aphids) and finally the quantity and quality of starch, dietary fibre and minerals in grain


Research activity codes: 1.1 NORMAL BIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTIONING
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Developing theory and methods for evaluating the impact of community food initiatives on NCD risk, social and economic wellbeing and the environment.
Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Abstract: Rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many cancers, are higher in many low and middle income countries (LMICs) than in high income countries. Poor quality diet, characterised by the consumption of energy dense and highly processed foods, low intake of fruit, vegetables and fibre is a major determinant of this increasing burden. There is an urgent need for improved evidence on the impact of agricultural interventions in LMICs on nutrition, health and other aspects of well-being. The proposal is designed to help establish a transdisciplinary research programme with the conceptual and methodological skills necessary to undertake robust evaluations in LMICs of community-based food production initiatives. In this project we will update and expand existing systematic reviews of published and grey literature on community-based food initiatives in LMICs. In the chosen settings, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Fiji, with established community-based food production initiatives (CFPI), we will develop and test mixed methods to investigate the current nutritional adequacy of local diets and the contribution of community-based food production, and map key stakeholders and potential economic and social benefits of local food production. We also aim to develop feasible methods to estimate the environmental impacts such as on local water use. Focusing on selected CFPIs in each setting as evaluation targets, we aim to determine the major challenges and successes in establishing and sustaining such initiatives, and how barriers to success might be overcome. We will collate findings to derive an evaluation framework and refine methods to design a programme of work to robustly evaluate and compare community-based food production initiatives in the Caribbean and Pacific, and in comparable LMIC settings in Africa, including South Africa, from the perspective of their impacts on NCD risk, social and economic well-being and the environment.


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING;8.5 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (HEALTH SERVICES)
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Developing core outcome measures for lifestyle weight management programmes by expert consensus
Funder: Chief Scientist Office, Scotland

Abstract: Weight management services throughout the UK differ in length, advice, frequency of meetings, staff, and cost. Very few services have published outcomes for patients, and those that have used different ways of reporting the information, making it impossible to compare services. Being able to compare different weight management services will tell us which services work best for which people. We will ask people who work in, refer to, or attend weight management services, what results they think services should report. We will use questionnaires on the internet designed to help them reach agreement on what should be measured and reported.


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Promoting smoking cessation during pregnancy:combined feasibility and pilot of a randomised controlled trial of a narrative and image-based intervention delivered via text-messaging
Funder: Chief Scientist Office, Scotland

Abstract: In tandem with a Scottish Government pilot of video-consulting in various clinical environments, we aim to test the feasibility of running a video-consulting service in general practice to determine its acceptability to clinicians and patients and to collect data on content and outcomes of video, telephone and face-to-face consultations which will help us design a substantive future trial exploring the impact on both NHS and patient burden and safety.


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Understanding the direct and indirect impact of lowering Scotland's drink-drive limit.
Funder: Chief Scientist Office, Scotland

Abstract: In December 2014, the ‘drink-drive limit’ was reduced in Scotland from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. Evidence suggests this will reduce road traffic accidents (RTAs) and resultant deaths, at least initially. It could also affect overall levels of drinking and related harms, which are rising in Scotland at least in part due to increased home drinking. We will conduct group interviews with the general public to explore attitudes and responses to the change and whether, how and why they feel they changed their drinking patterns, locations, or mode of transport, both initially and over time. We will also conduct individual interviews with pub/bar owners and managers to find out how these businesses have responded to the limit change. Our findings will enable better understanding of how the change may have impacted on overall drinking levels, drinking patterns and related harms in Scotland, and will therefore inform future policies to reduce alcohol-related harm.


Research activity codes: 8.3 POLICY, ETHICS AND RESEARCH GOVERNANCE
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Sit Less, Move More: Improving sedentary behaviour and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults; development and feasibility testing of a novel technology supported intervention
Funder: Chief Scientist Office, Scotland

Abstract: People aged 65 years and older make up an increasingly large percentage of the Scottish population. Therefore, helping older people live healthier lives is critical to avoid a crisis in health and social care. Sitting less and doing more physical activity can help older people improve their health and wellbeing, and live independently for longer. We have developed a new device (the Activator) to show people how long they sit and how many steps they take each day, so they can set goals to sit less and move more. We have shown an early version of the device works with middle-aged men, and have produced a new version providing feedback on a Smartphone. We have also shown that: 1) older adults who do more with other people, sit less; 2) light activities and walking might help them break up sitting time. We will now work with older adults to adapt the Activator and Smartphone feedback for use in a new intervention to help them sit less and be more active by breaking sitting with light activities, walking, and strength and balance exercises, and by doing more things with other people. The intervention will then be tested in a small-scale study.


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: DEPICT: DEsigning and Policy Implementation for encouraging Cycling and walking Trips
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: Walking and cycling are the most sustainable modes of transport in cities and should be placed at the heart of a transition towards low-carbon urban mobility systems. This is because walking and cycling can improve the life chances and health and wellbeing of each city inhabitant -- irrespective of their socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, age -- with hardly any adverse impact on the lives of fellow inhabitants. Research on how walking and cycling in cities can be encouraged is burgeoning and provides many compelling insights. However, insights about the role of infrastructure in stimulating urban walking and cycling are limited because the focus is typically on the 'hardware' of cycle lanes, sidewalks, bike sharing schemes, road design, urban design and so forth; the 'software' of governance, regulation, information provision, maintenance and repair as well as the embedded knowledge, know-how, meanings, values, aspirations and emotions are not always given the emphasis they deserve. Moreover, the research is often set in cities in the global North and assumes insights and concepts that has emerged from there as universally valid and easily transferable to cities in the global South. This international research project will adopt a broader understanding of infrastructure and develop original empirical and theoretical insights on the basis of comparative research in the UK, the Netherlands and the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The activities undertaken by the Oxford team focus on the role of community-led initiatives in London to encourage walking and cycling and in creating infrastructures that are conducive to these practices. The Oxford researchers will make an inventory of the heterogeneity of recent community-led initiatives in both cities, covering such issues as what they consist of, who are involved, what the goals are, and who benefits. The Oxford team will also critically evaluate if and how such initiatives can contribute to a large-scale transitio towards low-carbon urban mobility. A mixed-method approach consisting of document analysis, interviews and focus groups will be adopted, and the team will engage with local communities, policymakers, interest groups and other stakeholders in various ways. It can be expected that, apart from creating academic outputs, the project will contribute to: social learning among community-led initiatives through the sharing of experiences and good practices; to greater reflexivity about how policy, governance and regulation affect community-led initiatives; and to the creation of more effective support structures for such initiatives.


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING;3.2 INTERVENTIONS TO ALTER PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Non-communicable disease epidemiology and public health
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: Under-nutrition and infection remain major public health problems in African countries, but are being added to by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, conditions that have previously been seen more frequently in developed countries. These conditions are expected to become the most common cause of death in Africa by 2030. Diabetes is rising in frequency in many countries around the world, but the rate of increase in Africa is estimated to be the fastest anywhere and more than 40 million Africans are predicted to have the disease by 2035. The main drivers of this rise in NCDs in Africa, in common with other countries around the world, are changes in dietary and physical activity behaviour and the development of obesity at different stages of life. However, the factors that are driving these changes in behavior are different between countries. These go beyond individuals' attitudes and choices to factors that determine the food supply, its cost and availability, the nature of work and the structure of built environment. The development of understanding of these wider factors is a necessary part of the process of identifying possible solutions to these public health challenges. This International PhD partnering scheme builds on existing institutional links between the University of Cambridge and the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The two lead departments both aim to improve public health by researching and developing interventions to reduce the risk of chronic disease at critical developmental periods across the lifespan. The programme will specifically aim to develop work aimed at population-level solutions to the epidemic of non-communicable diseases by linking South African researchers to the United Kingdom Centre of Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR); a multi-disciplinary centre of public health research excellence aiming to develop understanding about the population determinants of diet and activity behaviour and to evaluate population interventions.


Research activity codes: 2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS;3.2 INTERVENTIONS TO ALTER PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Eating together: effects of the social context of eating on appetite
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: Much progress has been made recently in identifying aspects of our current eating environment that may promote overconsumption of food and result in a level of obesity that is damaging to health. For example, some evidence suggests that the recent trend towards food products being available in large portion sizes and the omnipresence of tasty food cues in the environment may explain why some people are prone to eating even when they are not in a state of nutritional need. However, a neglected factor in theories of the drivers of obesity is the social context in which eating occurs. While it has been established that eating in a group of friends or family increases consumption at that meal by around 70%, there has been no investigation to date of whether this "social facilitation" of eating results in increased cumulative energy intake over time. Moreover, very little is known about why people tend to eat more when eating with others than when eating alone. The studies proposed here will address these important gaps in the literature by conducting the first systematic examination of the mechanisms that underlie social facilitation of eating and assessing whether these effects are compensated for over time. First, we will establish whether the increase in intake that occurs during a meal eaten with others is compensated for by later reducing intake to balance energy intake. Second, we will conduct a series of studies using laboratory based experimental designs and online survey methods to test the novel hypotheses that social facilitation of eating is explained by 1) the effects of social context on fundamental psychobiological aspects of appetite control and 2) the effects of social context on cognitive decision making that takes place before a meal. By adopting a biopsychosocial approach to understand social eating effects, the present programme of research addresses an ESRC priority (ESRC research investment: biosocial research) and comes under the ESRC strategic priority on health and wellbeing. The results will contribute to theory development in appetite research and to the development of policies regarding advice on healthy eating environments. Overall the results of the proposed studies will enhance understanding of the external drivers of overconsumption and provide novel data on how overeating in social contexts may be avoided.


Research activity codes: 1.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC PROCESSES;2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Portion Size & Energy Intake: A key nutritional concept we must now understand to address obesity
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: A number of studies show that portion size can have a significant effect on energy consumption; when served larger portions we tend to consume more food. Although reducing portion sizes could be an effective public health approach to tackling weight gain and obesity, we currently lack a psychological theory which a) explains why portion size can exert such a strong influence on energy intake & b) can identify the boundary conditions which determine the magnitude of portion size reductions which will cause sustained and reliable decreases to energy intake. This is problematic because if we do not understand why portion size influence intake, intervention efforts to reduce portion size may fail, due to portion size energy reductions being cancelled out by later compensatory eating. The aim of this work is to test a proposed theoretical model of the effect that portion size has on energy intake. Our theoretical model builds on visual perception research and is based on the premise that portion sizes are categorically perceived; in other words, when provided with a food portion, individuals make a simple perceptual categorisation of the portion being either 'normal' or abnormal in size. Consistent with previous work, we predict that if a portion is perceived as being 'normal' an individual would be likely to eat the majority of the food provided. A key point of our proposed theory is that although this kind of perceptual categorisation is cognitively efficient, a relatively wide range of portion sizes appear 'normal'. This in turn results in marked effects on energy intake, providing that any increase or decrease to portion size falls inside of a food's 'normal range'. We will test this theory across three laboratory studies. Guided by these insights we will then conduct a large scale 7-day energy balance experiment, in which we examine the size of portion size reductions required to promote reliable and long-term decreases to energy intake.


Research activity codes: 2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Party in a Pot – Novel formulation and processing approaches for reduced sugar in baby foods
Funder: Innovate UK

Abstract: In the UK there is a major public health problem with overweight and obesity. A lot of this problem can be traced back to eating habits developed during early years of life. Currently many of the products available to parents of weaning children are high in sugar or if vegetable based have poor acceptance due to poor taste and/or texture. This project is to develop a range of baby and toddler food products with lowest in market sugar contents and innovative textures. These products will be convienient and are focussed on improving the health of children by offering better, more nutritional choices at meal times and so developing a healthier relationship with food. There is considerable potential for market growth both in and outside the UK.


Research activity codes: 3.3 NUTRITION AND CHEMOPREVENTION
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE
Title: Research into the motivating and inhibiting factors for users of outdoor gym equipment
Funder: Innovate UK

Abstract: "Fresh Air Fitness, the market leaders in outdoor gym equipment, will be carrying out research to understand who are using outdoor gyms, how they are interacting with them, and how improved design could improve their experience and increase the benefit that they derive from them. It will also seek to understand the different reasons that people do not use it or do not use it on a regular basis. Using a proven human centred design model will help them to design products that will appeal to a wider population and increase the health benefits to individual users and thereby to public health as a whole. Like most western countries the UK is facing a public health crisis caused by poor lifestyles. Physical inactivity is known to be a factor in over 20 chronic conditions and is estimated to cost the NHS £1billion pa while the cost to the economy as a whole is £7.4billion (NICE 2018). Outdoor gym equipment can make an important contribution to helping to turn the tide on physical inactivity. It is a relatively low-cost facility that makes the benefits of an indoor gym available to all. It is free to use, making it accessible to many who could either not afford gym membership, would find it difficult to travel to their nearest gym or who feel intimidated by an indoor gym environment. Over 20million adults or 39, so that products can be designed to encourage as many as possible to benefit from this free, potentially life changing, resource. The public purse will benefit from two perspectives. Firstly, it will provide a better return on the investments that are already being made, and secondly the more people use it and become active the greater the health benefits and the potential savings to the NHS"


Research activity codes: 3.1 PRIMARY PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO MODIFY BEHAVIOURS OR PROMOTE WELL-BEING;3.2 INTERVENTIONS TO ALTER PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS;CARDIOVASCULAR;METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE;ORAL AND GASTROINTESTINAL;STROKE