Latest research and knowledge exchange news at Bournemouth University
The next Global Café will be on Wednesday 11 March 2020 at the third floor of BU’s Executive Business Centre, It starts at 18.30 with a light Buffet Dinner followed by a series of short talks at 19.00. These short talks will be from a range of four speakers and there will be time to network with other participants. We aim the finish at 21.00.
All welcome, please book your space here!
Dr. Emer Forde
Congratulation to Dr Francesco Ferraro, who published his latest paper on Plos One.
The paper “Comparison of balance changes after inspiratory muscle or Otago exercise training” comes from Dr Ferraro`s PhD where, under the supervision of Professor McConnell, Dr Gavin and Associate Professor Wainwright, he looked at the effects of inspiratory muscle training on balance and physical performance with older adults.
This latest paper looks at the potential benefit of inspiratory muscle training as an alternative to standard balance training intervention. The findings of this pragmatic parallel study support the hypothesis that 8 weeks of unsupervised, individual, home-based inspiratory muscle training, improves balance ability to a similar extent to supervised, group-based balance training in healthy older adults.
The article is now fully available as open access here
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227379
Dr Ferraro.
fferraro@bournemouth.ac.uk
Congratulation to FHSS PhD student Sulochana Dhakal Rai who just published her latest article in the Journal of Asian Midwives. The paper ‘Caesarean Section rates in South Asian cities: Can midwifery help stem the rise?‘ [1] is highly topical in this Year of the Nurse and Midwife (see Bournemouth University’s earlier event on YouTube).
Caesarean section (CS) is a life-saving surgical intervention for delivering a baby when complications arise in childbirth. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests a rate of CS from 10% to 15%. However, CS rates increased steadily in recent decades and have almost doubled from 12.1% in 2000 to 21.1% in 2015. Therefore, this has become a global public health problem. This scoping review gives an analysis of the rising CS use in four South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The authors conclude that the increasing CS rates in South Asian cities, particularly in specific groups of women, present a challenge to hospital staff and managers and policy-makers. The challenge is to avoid ‘Too Much Too Soon’ in otherwise healthy urban women and avoid ‘Too Little Too Late’ in women living in remote and rural area and in poor urban women.
This paper is co-authored by Dr. Juliet Wood and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH), Dr. Pramod Regmi Lecturer in International Health in the Department of Nursing Science, Dr. Amudha Poobalan at the University of Aberdeen, Dr. Malin Bogren at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Prof. Rafat Jan at the Aga Khan University in Pakistan and Dr. Ganesh Dangal at Kathmandu Model Hospital in Nepal and Dr.Keshar Bahadur Dhakal based at Karnali Academy of Health Science also in Nepal. This is Sulochana’s second PhD paper, her first paper was published last year [2].
References
Congratulations to Dr. Pramod Regmi, lecturer in International Health, whose article ‘Hazards of Beauty’ featured in Republica, a national daily newspaper published in English in Nepal. Many transgender people who are using hormones are mostly attracted by its short-term benefit of amplification in their feminine look and seem to be ignorant about its dark side. This newspaper article highlights the key issues of a recent paper in BMJ Open published by staff in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences on transgender in Nepal [1].
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“On the twelfth day of Christmas ….” the editor of the Journal of Health Research Ms Sunanta Wongchalee informed us that our paper ‘Silicone use in Nepali transgender women: The hazards of beauty’ has been accepted for publication [1]. That is nice belated Christmas present to receive on January 6th and a good start of the New Year. The paper is written by FHSS’s Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen with Sanjeev Raj Neupane in Nepal. This is the second paper from this unique study on transgender women in Nepal, the first one was published last year in BMJ Open [2].
References:
If you’re an arts and humanities early career researcher who has applied to Round 4 (or thinking of applying to future rounds) of the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) Scheme, then we have an important date for your diary. On 14 January, the AHRC will be holding a workshop in Bristol specifically for the arts and humanities community. The day will provide plenty of useful advice and networking opportunities as well as a chance to meet current award holders and find out more about the scheme.
If you are interested in attending the workshop on the 14th January in Bristol, please complete the smart survey by Monday 18th November 2019. Please note that there are only 50 places available and these will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. More information about the workshop can be found here.
Please contact Lisa Andrews, RDS Research Facilitator if you secure a place to attend.
Last week the IOM (Int
ernational Organization for Migration) in Nepal, the UN Migration Agency published a new report online: Research on the Health Vulnerabilities of the Cross-Border Migrants from Nepal. This report mentioned the input and advice of Bournemouth University (BU) staff, including Dr. Nirmal Aryal, who worked on the report prior to his appointment at BU and who is listed as Co-Investigator, furthermore listed as Resource Persons are: Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen. Working with the charity Green Tara Nepal (GTN) on this study has been good for IOM and BU. All of use have worked on the report in different kind of ways and to different degrees. The publication suggested a corporate authorship as ‘International Organization for Migration’, which is great for the status of the report as it is a UN agency. We feel part of this as BU academics and feel we are part of the team despite this not being a BU publication!
Professor Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
Reference:
International Organization for Migration (2019) Research on the Health Vulnerabilities of the Cross-Border Migrants from Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal: International Organization for Migration. Available at : https://nepal.iom.int/sites/default/files/publication/Research_on_The_Health_Vulnerabilities_of_The_Cross_Border_Migrants_from_Nepal_0.pdf
With only a few days to go before we kick off this year’s ESRC Festival of Social Science, don’t miss out on booking your free tickets!!
This year we’re exploring a number of different issues through a series of talks, interactive workshops, discussions and exhibitions. These events are aimed at a wide range of audiences to share understanding and spark conversations that can make a difference to society.
Come and join us to gain a fascinating insight into some of the social science research taking place at Bournemouth University and find out how we’re helping to understand and shape society.
Living your best life: positivity for wellbeing
Saturday 2 November: 9:30am -12:30pm
Lighthouse, 21 Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG
With a rise in reported mental health issues amongst the general population, it is important to understand how each of us can take steps to develop our own self-awareness and socio-emotional intelligence. In this event we’ll turn the latest social science research into wellbeing tips and self-care strategies you can adopt in our own life, to develop your confidence and a better understanding of your emotional experiences.
Ways of seeing sport coaching violence
Monday 4 November: 6 – 8pm
Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus
Abuse, intimidation and violence in sport and coaching remain a significant global problem. Drawing on academic research and real life accounts of coach-athlete related violence, this event offers sport coaches, practitioners and others interested in this issue a unique and innovative opportunity to engage with research through an arts-based, audio-visual installation. You’ll also be able to chat to the researchers and share your experiences and views on developing positive coaching practice.
Trauma-informed health and social care
Tuesday 5 November: 9am – 4pm
The Shelley Theatre, Beechwood Avenue, Bournemouth, BH5 1LX
Trauma informed care is a new way of supporting the wellbeing of individuals who are experiencing, or have experienced childhood adversity or trauma. Using the World Café format, we will bring together those who work with people in a supportive role, for example teachers, care workers and social workers, to exchange ideas, learn from each other and develop new strategies. We’ll also feature talks from service users and expert practitioners, as well as workshop activities.
Hidden stories of online gamblers
Tuesday 5 November: 7:30 – 9pm and all week, online
Cafe Boscanova, Boscombe BH1 4BP
Visit our virtual exhibition, where we’ll share the diverse stories and voices of those affected by online gambling. Attend our Cafe Scientifique discussion in person or watch online to enjoy talks to discover the artificial intelligence, targeted advertising and behavioural science that keeps gamblers hooked and how you can beat them. Join the conversation by sharing your views and stories on social media.
Stress and wellbeing in the workplace
Wednesday 6 November: 10am – 4pm
Executive Business Centre, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB
There is growing recognition that experiencing stress and trauma at work can have a hugely detrimental effect on your wellbeing. This event brings together academic researchers, staff from key agencies and the public to discuss research on stress and workplace trauma, and the best ways of tackling it. There will an opportunity to try out a range of self-care, relaxation and coping techniques as part of the event.
Preparing Gen Z for the global workplace
Wednesday 6 November: 3 – 5:30pm
Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus
It’s more important than ever that we equip our 21st century learners with the skills they need to thrive in the global workplace. This event, for further education teachers and tutors will teach you how to deliver a suite of workshops developed at Bournemouth University. We will run through the workshops in small interactive groups, and you will be provided with all the materials required to adapt these workshops for your own work with young people.
How we think about pregnancy and childbirth
Friday 8 November: 5:30 – 6:30pm
Poole Hospital, Longfleet Road, Poole BH15 2JB
This event looks at different perspectives on pregnancy – from the social model of pregnancy, which accepts childbirth as a normal event in a woman’s life to the medical model, which portrays childbirth as potentially dangerous to health. We’ll also discuss how understanding key models of pregnancy and childbirth could help politicians, journalists, healthcare professionals, pregnant women and new mothers put issues around ‘normal birth’ into perspective
Friday 8 November: 6 – 8pm
South Coast Roast, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth BH2 6EJ
News stories highlight the power of influencers to drive overspending, overconsumption, fast fashion and to erode self-confidence. But is there a better way? Join local influencers and experts from Bournemouth University for a relaxed event with talks and workshops. We’ll talk about how to post responsibly, how to understand your own behaviour and identity, and the power dynamics between influencers and followers. What’s more – we’ll learn how influencers can make the world a better place.
Saturday 9 November: 10am – 3pm
Executive Business Centre, Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB
This event will discuss the role of the media in suicide prevention, and the impact it can have on those suffering from bereavement and working in the field of suicide prevention. Join Bournemouth University academic Dr Ann Luce, along with people with experience of suicide, members of the Mental Health Forum, the Wellbeing and Recovery Partnership and the NHS. The event will feature talks and a discussion, with peer counsellors on hand to support you.
For more information about any of these events please contact; publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk
A new publication by Dr. Luisa Cescutti-Butler (FHSS) and her co-authors (Professor A Hemingway & Dr. J. Hewitt-Taylor) which explores women’s experiences of caring for a late preterm baby using feminism as a research methodology has just been published in the Australian Women and Birth Journal (October 2019). Her research found that women who become mothers’ of late preterm babies have a complex journey. It begins with separation, with babies being cared for in unfamiliar and highly technical environments where the perceived experts are healthcare professionals. Women’s needs are side-lined, and they are required to care for their babies within parameters determined by others. Institutional and professional barriers to mothering/caring are numerous. For example: some of the women who were separated from their babies immediately after birth had difficulties conceiving themselves as mothers, and others faced restrictions when trying to access their babies. Women described care that was centred on their babies. They were allowed and expected to care for their babies, but only with ‘powerless responsibility’. Many women appeared to be excluded from decisions and were not always provided with full information about their babies. The research concludes by recommending that women whose babies are born late preterm would benefit from greater consideration in r
elation to their needs, rather than the focus being almost exclusively on their babies.
Luisa is Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) and Lead for Examination of the Newborn in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences. If you would like any further information please email Luisa on lcbutler@bournemouth.ac.uk
References:
Cescutti-Butler, L.D. Hewitt-Taylor, J. and Hemingway, A., 2019. Powerless responsibility: A feminist study of women’s experiences of caring for their late preterm babies. Women and Birth, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2019.08.006
Cescutti-Butler, L.D., Hemingway, A., and Hewitt-Taylor, J., 2018. “His tummy’s only tiny” – Scientific feeding advice versus women’s knowledge. Women’s experiences of feeding their late preterm babies. Midwifery, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2018.11.001
Congratulations to Professors Sara Ashencaen Crabtree and Jonathen Parker in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences on the recent publication of their paper ‘‘Behaving like a Jakun!’ A case study of conflict, ‘othering’ and indigenous knowledge in the Orang Asli of Tasik Chini’ in the Journal of Sociology and Development [1]. This paper reports on an ethnographic study of the indigenous Jakun Orang Asli in West Malaysia. 
Congratulations!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
Reference:
Congratulations to Dr. Pramod Regmi in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS) who is the lead author of the paper “Hormone use among Nepali transgender women: A qualitative study” which has just been accepted for publication in BMJ Open (Impact Factor 2.376). The paper highlights that there is a dearth of information on transgender individuals in Nepal, particularly studies exploring their use of hormone therapies. This qualitative study therefore explored: (a) how hormones are used; (b) types of hormones used; and (c) side-effects experienced by transgender women after hormone use. This is the first study in Nepal of its kind addressing this important public health issue.
The paper was co-authored by Sanjeev Neupane, Sujan Marahatta and Edwin van Teijlingen. Prof. Sujan Marahatta is based at Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences in Nepal. Bournemouth University has a long-standing collaboration with Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences. Whilst Mr. Sanjeev Raj Neupane is based at the charity Save the Children in Kathmandu.
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This autumn the Dutch journal for midwives Tijdschrift voor Verloskundigen published a paper on the risk associated with thinking in terms of risks [1]. Dr. Marianne J Nieuwenhuijze is the lead author of this paper written in Dutch. Marianne is associated with the Research Centre Midwifery Science at the Academie Verloskunde Maastricht (the Netherlands). Her co-authors are BU Professor Edwin van Teijlingen in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) and Dr. Helen Bryers who is Honorary Public Health Specialist (Midwife) at NHS Highland. The paper builds on earlier work around the concept of the social/medical model in pregnancy and childbirth [2-7].
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Work-related migration is a common livelihood strategy for many young people in Nepal. It is estimated that about 3.5 million Nepali work abroad, mainly in Malaysia, the Gulf countries, and India. The economic contribution of Nepali migrants to the country is highly significant as they send over US$6.1 billion in remittances which is 26 % of Nepal’s gross domestic product (GDP) [1].
There is a growing global literature on migrant workers’ poor health and wellbeing and of those they leave behind. Over the past decade the media in Nepal have reported on the mortality and morbidity of Nepali migrants abroad. Every year at least one thousand dead bodies of Nepali migrants return back home via Tribhuvan International Airport (the only international airport in Nepal the country). The Government of Nepal estimated 5,982 deaths in migrant workers in the period 2008 to 2017, however there is likely to have been under-reporting [2].
Although there have been studies on Nepali migrants’ health [3-9], these are largely around (a) sexual risk-taking behaviours of Nepali migrants in India; and, (b) occupational health and injuries issues among Nepali migrants in Gulf countries. These studies are carried out with the support from development partners and/or government organisations. However, most migration health research in Nepal has been small-scale for example to collect baseline information or as part of Masters or PhD projects. Currently, there is no research priority agenda on the topic of Nepali migrants’ health and wellbeing issues.
To address this gap in the research agenda staff in BU’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and their collaborators organised a consultation workshop on August 2nd of this year in Kathmandu, Nepal. This workshop aimed to identify Nepali migrant workers’ health research prioritites and gaps. A total of 26 participants representing universities, ministries, non-governmental organisations working for migrants and research organisations attended the workshop.
The workshop was participatory in nature. To start with BU Professor Edwin van Teijlingen and Professor Padam Simkhada (BU Visiting Professor) shared global perspectives on migrant workers health. Whilst BU lecturer Dr Pramod Regmi highlighted key findings of BU’s migration research of Nepali migrants and their left-behinds. This contextual information helped focus the discussion on Nepali migrant health research priorities and gaps.
In order to identify the research agenda and prioritise issues and problems, participants were divided into four groups, each comprising 6-8 experts in the migration field. Groups were purposively formed to include participants from diverse backgrounds, e.g., migration related researchers, migration programme managers and policy-makers. Each member of the team was requested to identify two to five research needs around Nepali migrants’ health and share within their group for consensus. The group then prepared research priorities agreed in their team. Each team presented the research priorities to the wider group. A total of 46 research agenda items were identified which were subsequently prioritised through a voting process. Table 1 shows who participants ranked the top issues requiring further research.
Table 1 Top migration health research priorities in Nepal
The way forward
The consultation workshop was very productive in many ways. First, it identified wide ranging health research for Nepali migrants and prioritised these research issues. This information may help guide future research on migration studies. Secondly, the workshop offered a platform to build a network among researchers working for Nepali migrants.
Pramod R Regmi, Nirmal Aryal, and Edwin van Teijlingen
References:
Today the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health accepted our paper ‘The health of Nepali migrants in India: A qualitative study of lifestyles and risks’ [1]. The research in this paper was funded through Connect India is Bournemouth University’s Hub of Practice for the Indian subcontinent. It brought together a community of researchers, educators, practitioners and students, both at Bournemouth University and across the Indian subcontinent.
The lead author, Dr. Pramod Regmi, is lecturer in International Health in the Department of Nursing & Clinical Science. His co-authors are based in the UK, Nepal and India. BU authors are: Pramod Regmi, Edwin van Teijlingen, Preeti Mahato and Nirmal Aryal as well as BU Visiting Faculty Prof. Padam Simkhada. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an interdisciplinary Open Access journal, hence when published this paper will be freely available to readers across the globe, including India and Nepal.
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Last Friday ResearchGate informed us that ‘Writing an Abstract for a Scientific Conference’ [1] published by three Bournemouth University (BU) scholars (Prof. Vanora Hundley, Dr. Bibha Sinkhada and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen and a BU Visiting Professor (Prof. Padam Simkhada) had reached 2,500 reads. 
This paper is one of a series of articles BU academics have published on several aspects of academic writing and scientific publishing. The range of publications includes issue such as: predatory publishers, authors earning from copyright; finding the best title for your paper, and issues of authorship [2-13]. These are great resources for budding academic writers, especially as nearly are Open Access publications and hence freely available across the world.
Other useful BU resources include the work by Dr. Kip Jones, such as his blogs on Organising & Writing a PhD thesis or his advice on Writing Blogs. Another great BU resource is the online publication by Dr. Miguel Moital, who wrote the e-book Writing Dissertations & Theses: What you should know but no one tells you, where he shares valuable practical information about the process of writing academic work, notably dissertations. The book starts with explaining the six criteria, expressed in the form of 6 ‘C’s, required to produce high quality dissertations: Confined, Corroborated, Critical, Coherent, Concise and Captivating. The e-book then goes on to share a range of ‘tips and tools’ which contribute to fulfilling the 6 Cs. 
Moreover, it is also worth pointing out that there are some great web resources on writing and publishing produced by BU Library staff, for example on plagiarism; academic writing; or how to cite references.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwife
References
Congratulations to FHSS’s Dr. Pramod Regmi on the publication of his recent qualitative paper ‘Parents’ and teachers’ perspectives on children’s sexual health education: a qualitative study in Makwanpur Nepal’ [1]. The paper is co-authored by colleagues from Aberystwyth University.
This academic paper in an Open-Access journal, hence freely available to researchers, policy-makers, teachers, etc. in Nepal and elsewhere in the world. This Health Prospect publication is the latest in a series of publications focusing on sex education and sexual health in Nepal by Dr. Regmi [see 2-10].
Well done!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)
References:
Dr. Rachel Arnold’s recent paper in BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth was highlighted in a blog promoted by the publisher. The paper ‘Villains or victims? An ethnography of Afghan maternity staff and the challenge of high quality respectful care‘ reports on the everyday lives of maternal healthcare providers working in a tertiary maternity hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan (1). 
BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth is an Open Access journal so the paper is available free of charge to anybody in Afghanistan (and elsewhere) with an internet connection. The aim was to understand the staff’s notions of care, their varying levels of commitment to providing care for women in childbirth, and the obstacles and dilemmas that affected standards, and thereby gain insight into their contributions to respectful maternity care, whether as ‘villains’ or as ‘victims.’
Dr. Arnold is Postdoctoral Midwifery Researcher in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH). This is the third paper from Rachel’s excellent PhD project, the previous two papers appeared in BJOG and Social Science & Medicine (2-3).
Click here for BMC Blog post:
Villains or victims? The role of maternity staff in decreasing or enhancing respectful care
Reference:
Hardly ever does a research trip go smoothly and completely to plan. Our latest trip to Nepal was no different. It started really with a delay, I had the money for a flight in the spring, but I really could not find the time to leave Bournemouth University for a three-week trip.
The first little hiccup of this summer’s fieldwork trip, during the monsoon, occurred on arrival at Kathmandu Airport on 23 July. I normally bring three bottles of whisky as a present for my PhD former students and fellow researchers in Nepal. These are bought during my stop-over in the Middle East and this always worked well until this year. This time I was stopped on arrival by a very apologetic customs officer who informed me that the rules for bringing alcohol into Nepal had changed since the beginning of this year and that I could only bring in one bottle. I received a lovely certificate for the two bottles I had to leave behind (see photo).
The second little hiccup was that one of the three research dissemination meetings we had hoped to organise in Kathmandu could not take place. Unfortunately, the organisation we had been collaborating with had not managed to finalise the research report on time. We had also hoped to meet up with staff at Social Science Baha. We have submitted the final draft manuscript for our next book to them and wanted to discuss progress, but the director was unfortunately out of the country.
Further little hiccups were more mundane, such as the electricity going off twice (for perhaps five minutes each time) during one of my teaching sessions on Introduction to Qualitative Research. This meant trying to start a slow laptop as back-up, whilst restarting a still warm overhead projector, etc. But the Nepali audience, being used this, took it all in its stride. And I’ll spare you the details of my day of diarrhoea (either weather or food-hygiene related, probably both).
The biggest problem this time was much more unexpected. Two days ago there was a big fire not too far from in Kathmandu (see picture taken from my bed room). A little later after the photo was taken, we got stuck in traffic because several roads were blocked around the burning building on our way to Tribhuvan University. Later I found out that the fire had destroyed the head office of a national internet provider, which is also the provider for the charity Green Tara Nepal, which we are working with. So I have had hardly any internet for a few days which is really difficult for a 21st century academic.
However, this fieldwork trip has been very successful to date. We have co-organised two well attended meetings, one on the introduction of CPD in Nursing led by Dr. Bibha Simkhada (see previous BU blog here) and one Consultation meeting on migration and health research led by Dr. Pramod Regmi, both run in collaboration with BU’s Visiting Professor Padam Simkhada. Moreover, I was invited to speak at an international sociology conference last Sunday here in Kathmandu which I did not even know was going on till two days before. I had to pleasure of meeting our midwifery friends in Nepal as well as a representative of the German Aid Agency GIZ. We managed to have dinner in Kathmandu with loads of colleagues and friends who work with BU in one form or another, including one of my recent co-authors from the University of Tokyo who happened to be in Nepal.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
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Academics write for newspaper in Nepal
New paper published on disability in women & girls
Global Consortium for Public Health Research 2025
World Drowning Prevention Day at BU
Contribute to the HE-BCI survey by sharing your involvement in BU’s social, community & cultural events
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 Call
ERC Advanced Grant 2025 Webinar MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025
Update on UKRO services
European research project exploring use of ‘virtual twins’ to better manage metabolic associated fatty liver disease
Research Information Network
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Published
Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme pre-Published