Departmental Research Projects

Professor Clare Bambra, AcSS, FRGS, PhD, MA Econ, BSocSc

(email at clare.bambra@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Professor Clare Bambra is a health geographer researching at the interface between social epidemiology and public health policy. 

She is Director of Durham University's interdisciplinary Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing. She is a Senior Investigator with FUSE: The MRC-funded Centre for Research Excellence in Translational Research in Public Health and a Senior Investigator in the NIHR-funded School for Public Health Research. In 2012 she was awarded a Leverhulme Research Leadership Award to examine Local Health Inequalities in an Age of Austerity. She is an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Clare studied political science (BSocSc, Birmingham) and comparative public policy (MA, PhD, Manchester) before moving into public health. Her research is highly interdisciplinary, applying theories and methods between the social sciences and epidemiology.

Her research focuses on health inequalities and the social determinants of health. She has three main areas of interest:

(1) labour markets and the relationships between work, worklessness and health;

(2) the influence of welfare state policies and political structures on international variations in public health and health inequalities;

(3) Tackling health inequalities by addressing the wider social determinants of health. 

She currently teaches on the on the phase 1 Medicine programme, the MA in Health, Risk and Public Policy as well as the MSc in Public Policy and Health. She is available for PhD supervision in any of the above areas.

Berlin Keynote on Health Inequalities

Berlin Keynote on Health Inequalities video on YouTube

Work, Worklessness and the Political Economy of Health

Inaugural Lecture by Professor Clare Bambra delivered on 25th November 2011 at Durham University, Queen's Campus

Research Groups

• Geographies of Health and Wellbeing (GoHWell)

Research Projects

• Evaluating the County Durham Worklessness and Health Support Programme, County Durham Primary Care Trust, £550,000
• Health and wellbeing impacts of welfare to work interventions on lone parents and their children, CSO Scotland, £60,000
• Health Inequalities in an Age of Austerity, Leverhulme Trust Research Leadership Grant, £1 million
• ROBUST: Regeneration Of Brownfield Using Sustainable Technology, EPSRC, £1 million
• Tackling Inequalities in Obesity
• Winners and losers in contrasting labour markets? Socio-economic and spatial inequalities in the population health effects of economic recession and economic growth, BUPA Foundation, £130,000

International Collaboration

• Department of Public Health, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Holland
• Department of Public Health, University of Alicante, Spain
• Department of Public Health, University of Laval, Canada
• Department of Sociology, Harvard University
• Department of Sociology, University College, Oslo
• Department of Sociology, University of Gent, Belgium
• Equity and Health Policy Research Group, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
• Institute for Medical Sociology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
• School of Public Health, University of Toronto
• SINTEF Health Services Research Trondheim, Norway

Selected Publications

Books: authored

• Bambra, C. (2011). Work, worklessness and the political economy of health. Oxford Oxford University Press.

Books: sections

• Bambra, C. (2011). Social inequalities in health: The Nordic welfare state in a comparative context. In Changing social equality: the Nordic welfare model in the 21st century. Kvist, Jon Fritzell,Johan Hvinden, Bjorn & Kangas, Olli Bristol, Policy Press. 143-164.
• Bambra, C., Smith, K. & Kennedy, L. (2008). Politics and Health. In Health Studies. Naidoo, J. & Wills, J. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 257-286.
• Bambra, C., Fox, D. & Scott-Samuel, A. (2006). Towards a politics of health. In A Reader in Promoting Public Health: Challenge and Controversy. Douglas, J., Earle, S. Handsley, S., Lloyd, C. E. & Spurr, S. London: Sage. 48-54.
• Street, A. & Bambra, C. (2004). Social policy: Health. In Handbook of Public Policy in Europe. Compton, H. London: Palgrave. 277-289.

Journal papers: academic

• Garthwaite, K., Bambra, C. & Warren, J. (2013). ‘The unwilling and the unwell’? Exploring stakeholders’ perceptions of working with long term sickness benefits recipients. Disability & Society 1.
• Popham, F, Dibben, C & Bambra, C (2013). Are inequalities in mortality really not the smallest in the Scandinavian welfare states? A comparative total inequality analysis of life expectancy in 37 countries. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
• Bambra, C. (2012). Allocation of NHS resources: Clear winners and losers from age only resource allocation. British Medical Journal 344: e3593.
• Bambra, C. (2012). Reducing health inequalities: New data suggests that the English strategy was partially successful (comments on Mackenbach 2011, 65: 568-575). Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
• Bambra, C.L., Hillier, F.C., Moore, H.J & Summerbell, C.D. (2012). Tackling inequalities in obesity: a protocol for a systematic review of the effectiveness of public health interventions at reducing socioeconomic inequalities in obesity amongst children. BMC Systematic Reviews 1(1): 16.
• Gibson, M., Thomson, H. Banas, K. Bambra, C., Fenton, C. & Bond, L. (2012). Welfare to work interventions and their effects on health and well-being of lone parents and their children [Protocol]. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (5).
• Bambra, C., Smith, K.E., Garthwaite, K., Joyce, K. & Hunter, D. (2011). A labour of Sisyphus? Public policy and health inequalities research from the Black and Acheson Reports to the Marmot Review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 65(5): 399-406.
• Clayton, S., Bambra, C., Gosling, R., Povall, S., Misso, K. & Whitehead, M. (2011). Assembling the evidence jigsaw: insights from a systematic review of UK studies of individual-focused return to work initiatives for disabled and long-term ill people. BMC Public Health 11: 170.
• Riva, M., Bambra, C., Curtis, S.E. & Gauvin, L. (2011). Collective resources or local social inequalities? Examining the social determinants of mental health in rural areas. European Journal of Public Health 21(2): 197-203.
• Riva.M., Bambra, C., Easton, S. & Curtis,S. (2011). Hard times or good times? Inequalities in the health effects of economic change. International Journal of Public Health 56(1): 3-5
• Bambra, C. (2011). Health inequalities and welfare state regimes: theoretical insights on a public health ‘puzzle’. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 65(9): 740-745.
• Gibson, M., Petticrew, M., Bambra, C., Sowden, A., Wright, K. & Whitehead, M. (2011). Housing and health inequalities: a synthesis of systematic reviews of interventions aimed at different pathways linking housing and health. Health and Place 17(1): 175-184.
• Bambra, C. (2011). Lessons from the past: Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Poverty and Public Health. Journal of Public Health 33(4): 475-476.
• Gabbay, M., Taylor, L., Sheppard, L., Hillage, J., Bambra, C., Ford, F., Preece,R., Taske, N. & Kelly, M.P. (2011). NICE guidance on long-term sickness and incapacity. British Journal of General Practice 61(584): e118-124.
• Bambra, C. (2011). Real world reviews: A beginner’s guide to undertaking systematic reviews of public health policy interventions. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 65(1): 14-19
• Gelormino, E., Bambra, C., Spadea, T., Bellini, S. & Costa, G. (2011). The effects of health care reforms on health inequalities: a review and analysis of the European evidence base. International Journal of Health Services 41(2): 209-230.
• Bambra, C. (2011). Work, worklessness and the political economy of health inequalities. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 65(9): 746-750.
• Joyce, K.E., Smith, K.E., Sullivan, C. & Bambra, C. (2010). ‘Most of industry’s shutting down up here…’ Employability initiatives to tackle worklessness in areas of low labour market demand. Social Policy and Society 9(3): 337–353.
• Perkins, N., Smith, K., Hunter, D.J., Bambra, C. & Joyce, K.E. (2010). 'What Counts is What Works’? New Labour and Partnerships in Public Health. Policy and Politics 38(1): 101-117.
• Joyce, K. & Bambra, C. (2010). Determinants of health inequalities in developed countries. Social Alternatives 29: 21-27.
• Bambra, C. (2010). Doctors are key to welfare reform. British Medical Journal 341(c6029).
• Popham, F. & Bambra, C. (2010). Evidence from the 2001 English Census on the contribution of employment status to the social gradient in self-rated health. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 64(3): 277-280.
• Joyce, K., Pabayo, R., Critchley, J.A. & Bambra, C. (2010). Flexible working conditions and their effects on employee health and wellbeing. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2): CD008009.
• Bambra, C. & Smith, K.E. (2010). No longer deserving? Sickness benefit reform and the politics of (ill) health. Critical Public Health 20(1): 71-84.
• Joyce, K.E., Smith, K.E., Henderson, G., Greig, G. & Bambra, C. (2010). Patient perspectives of Condition Management Programmes as a route to better health, wellbeing and employability. Family Practice 27(1): 101-109.
• Bambra, C. , Joyce, K., Bellis, M., Greatley, A., Greengross, S., Hughes, S., Lincoln, P., Lobstein, T., Naylor, C., Salay, R., Wiseman, M. & Maryon-Davies, A. (2010). Reducing health inequalities in priority public health conditions: using rapid review to develop proposals for evidence-based policy. Journal of Public Health 32(4): 496–505.
• Joyce, K.J., Hall, B., Armstrong, R., Doyle, J. & Bambra, C. (2010). Snakes and ladders: challenges and highlights of the first review published with the Cochrane Public Health Review Group. Journal of Public Health 32(2): 283-285.
• Smith, K.E. Bambra, C. & Joyce, K.E. (2010). Striking out’ Shifting labour markets, welfare to work policy and the renegotiation of gender performances. Critical Social Policy 30(1): 74-98.
• Bambra, C., Gibson, M., Sowden, A., Wright K., Whitehead, M. & Petticrew, M. (2010). Tackling the wider social determinants of health and health inequalities: evidence from systematic reviews. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 64(4): 284-291.
• Bambra, C., Netuveli, G. & Eikemo, T. (2010). Welfare state regime life courses: The development of Western European welfare state regimes and age related patterns of educational inequalities in self-reported health. International Journal of Health Services, 40(3): 399–420.
• Karim, S.A., Eikemo, T.A. & Bambra, C. (2010). Welfare state regimes and population health: integrating the East Asian welfare states. Health Policy 94(1): 45-53.
• Bambra, C. & Popham, F. (2010). Worklessness and regional differences in the social gradient in general health: Evidence from the 2001 English census. Health and Place 16(5): 1014-1021.
• Bambra, C. (2010). Yesterday once more? Unemployment and health in the 21st century. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 64(3): 213-215.
• Bambra, C. (2009). Changing the world? Reflections on the interface between social science, epidemiology and public health. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 63(11): 867-868.
• Bambra, C., Pope, D., Swami, V., Stanistreet, D., Roskam, A. Kunst, A. & Scott-Samuel, A. (2009). Gender, health inequalities and welfare state regimes: a cross-national study of thirteen European countries. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 63(1): 38-44.
• Skalická, V., Lenthe, F. Bambra, C., Krokstad, S. & Mackenbach J. (2009). Material, psychosocial, behavioural and biomedical factors in the explanation of socio-economic inequalities in mortality: evidence from the HUNT study. International Journal of Epidemiology 38(5): 1272–1284.
• Smith, K E, Bambra, Claire, Joyce, K E, Perkins, Neil, Hunter, David J & Blenkinsopp, E (2009). Partners in health? A systematic review of the impact of organizational partnerships on public health outcomes in England between 1997 and 2008. Journal of Public Health 31(2): 210-221.
• Egan, M., Bambra, C., Petticrew, M. & Whitehead, M. (2009). Reviewing evidence on complex social interventions: appraising implementation in systematic reviews of the health effects of organisational-level workplace interventions. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 61: 4-11.
• Bambra, C. (2009). Welfare state regimes and the political economy of health. Humanity and Society 33: 99-117.
• Bambra, C. & Eikemo, T. (2009). Welfare state regimes, unemployment and health: A comparative study of the relationship between unemployment and self-reported health in 23 European countries. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 63(2): 92-98.
• Bambra, C., Gibson, M., Sowden, A., Wright, K., Whitehead, M. & Petticrew, M. (2009). Working for health? Evidence from systematic reviews on the effects on health and health inequalities of organisational changes to the psychosocial work environment. Preventive Medicine 48(5): 454-461.
• Bambra, C., Whitehead, M., Sowden, A. Akers, J. & Petticrew, M. (2008). "A hard day’s night?" The effects of Compressed Working Week interventions on the health and work-life balance of shift workers: a systematic review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 62(9): 764-777.
• Eikemo, T., Huisman, M., Bambra, C. & Kunst, A (2008). Health inequalities according to educational level in different welfare regimes: a comparison of 23 European countries. Sociology of Health and Illness 30(4): 565-582.
• Bambra, C. (2008). In sickness or in health? Incapacity Benefit reform and the politics of ill health. British Medical Journal 337(7668): a1452.
• Bambra, C., Whitehead, M., Sowden, A., Akers, J. & Petticrew, M. (2008). Shifting schedules: the health effects of reorganizing shift work. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 34(5): 427-434.
• Eikemo, T. & Bambra, C. (2008). The welfare state: a glossary for public health. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 62(1): 3-6.
• Eikemo, T., Bambra, C., Judge, K. & Ringdal, K. (2008). Welfare state regimes and differences in self-perceived health in Europe: a multi-level analysis. Social Science and Medicine 66(11): 2281-2295.
• Eikemo, T., Bambra, C. , Joyce, K. & Dahl, E. (2008). Welfare state regimes and income related health inequalities: a comparison of 23 European countries. European Journal of Public Health 18(6): 593-599.
• Bambra, C. (2007). 'Sifting the wheat from the chaff’ A two-dimensional discriminant analysis of welfare state regime theory. Social Policy and Administration 41(1): 1-28.
• Bambra, C., Fox, D. & Scott-Samuel, A. (2007). A politics of health glossary. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 61(7): 571-574.
• Dahlberg, L., Bambra, C. & Demack, S. (2007). Age and gender of informal carers: a population-based study in the UK. Health and Social Care in the Community 15(5): 439-445.
• Bambra, C. (2007). Defamilisation and welfare state regimes: a cluster analysis. International Journal of Social Welfare 16(4): 326-338.
• Bambra, C (2007). Going beyond The three worlds of welfare capitalism: regime theory and public health research. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 61(12): 1098-1102.
• Norman, P. & Bambra, C. (2007). Incapacity or unemployment? The utility of an administrative data source as an updatable indicator of population health. Population, Space and Place 13(5): 333-352.
• Egan, M., Bambra, C., Petticrew, M., Whitehead, M. Thomas, S. & Thompson, H. (2007). The psychosocial and health effects of workplace reorganisation 1: a systematic review of interventions that aim to increase employee participation or control. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 61(11): 945-954.
• Bambra, C., Egan, M., Thomas, S., Petticrew, M. & Whitehead, M. (2007). The psychosocial and health effects of workplace reorganisation Part II A systematic review of task restructuring interventions. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 61(12): 1028-1037.
• Bambra, C. & Pope, D.P (2007). What are the effects of anti-discriminatory legislation on socio-economic inequalities in the employment consequences of ill health and disability?. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 61(5): 421-426.
• Stanistreet, D., Swami, V., Pope, D. Bambra, C & Scott-Samuel, A. (2007). Women’s empowerment and violent death among women and men in Europe: An ecological study. Journal of Men’s Health and Gender 4(3): 257-265.
• Bambra, C. (2006). Decommodification and the worlds of welfare revisited. Journal of European Social Policy 16(1): 73-80.
• Bambra, C. (2006). Health status and the worlds of welfare. Social Policy and Society 5(1): 53-62.
• Bambra, C. & Norman, P. (2006). What is the association between sickness absence, mortality and morbidity?. Health and Place 12(4): 728-733.
• Bambra, C. (2005). Cash versus services: 'worlds of welfare' and the decommodification of cash benefits and health care services. Journal of Social Policy 34(2): 195-213.
• Bambra, C., Whitehead, M. & Hamilton, V. (2005). Does 'welfare to work' work? A systematic review of the effectiveness of the UK's welfare to work programmes for people with a disability or chronic illness. Social Science & Medicine 60(9): 1905-1918.
• Pope, D. & Bambra, C. (2005). Has the disability discrimination act closed the employment gap?. Disability and Rehabilitation 27(20): 1261-1266.
• Stanistreet, D., Bambra, C. & Scott-Samuel, A. (2005). Is patriarchy the source of men’s higher mortality?. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 59(10): 873-876.
• Bambra, C. (2005). Reviewing the evidence: reflections from experience. Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice 1(2): 243-256.
• Bambra, C., Fox, D. & Scott-Samuel, A. (2005). Towards a politics of health. Health Promotion International 20(2): 187-193.
• Bambra, C. (2005). Worlds of welfare and the health care discrepancy. Social Policy and Society 4(1): 31-41.
• Whitehead, M., Petticrew, M., Graham, H., Macintyre, S., Bambra, C. & Egan, M. (2004). Evidence for public health policy on inequalities II: Assembling the evidence jigsaw. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 58(10): 817-821.
• Bambra, C. (2004). The worlds of welfare: Illusory and gender-blind?. Social Policy and Society 3(3): 201-212.
• Bambra, C. (2004). Weathering the storm: convergence, divergence and the robustness of the worlds of welfare. The Social Policy Journal 3(3): 3-23.

Reports: official

• Ells, L. & Bambra, C. (2012). Health Inequalities in Europe: Evidence Synthesis: Report to EU Sanco part of the EU Marmot Review.
• Hunter, DJ., Perkins, NS., Bambra, C, Marks, L., Blackman, T. & Hopkins, T. (2011). Partnership Working and the Implications for Governance: issues affecting public health partnerships. Final report. NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation Programme.
• Gibson, M., Banas, K., Thompson, H., Bambra, C., Bond, L., McKee, M., Lutje, V. & Fenton, C. (2011). Welfare to work interventions and their effects on health and wellbeing of lone parents and their children. Edinburgh, Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, Chief Scientist's Office, Chief Scientist's Office.
• Bambra, C., Joyce, K. & Maryon-Davies, A. (2010). Priority health conditions - Task Group 8 Report to the Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England post 2010 (Marmot Review).
• Bambra, C., Gibson, M., Petticrew, M., Sowden, A., Whitehead, M. & Wright, K. (2008). Tackling the wider social determinants of health and health inequalities: evidence from systematic reviews. York, Public Health Research Consortium.
• Joyce, K., Smith, K.E. & Bambra, C. (2008). Tackling worklessness in Sedgefield, County Durham. Research report to Sedgefield Borough LSP.
• Casiday, R., Kinsman, E., Fisher, C. & Bambra, C. (2008). Volunteering and Health: What impact does it really have? Report to Volunteering England. London, Volunteering England.

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Related Links

• MA/MSc Programmes in Risk

Grants Awarded

• 2013: Local Health Inequalities in an Age of Austerity (£999597.00 from The Leverhulme Trust)
• 2011: Inequalities in Obesity (£178062.00 from NIHR)
• 2010: Winners and losers in contrasting labour markets.. (£132297.00 from BUPA)
• 2009: BARD AWARD Post Graduate Bursaries (£68959.50 from One NorthEast)
• 2009: EVALUATING THE COUNTY DURHAM WORKLESSNESS (£524560.31 from County Durham & Darlington PCT)
• 2009: What are the health impacts of welfare to work (£7697.00 from Scottish Government Health Directorate)
• 2009: transforming infrastructure: buildings for the 21s (£190561.75 from Epsrc)
• 2008: FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS IMPROVING EMPLOYEE HEALTH (£5000.00 from Department of Health)
• 2008: NORTH EAST SHA (£462471.17 from North East SHA)
• 2006: BUILDING THE PUBLIC HEALTH EVIDENCE BASE (£35735.00 from MRC)
• 2006: EVALUATION OF A MULTI-INTERVENTION (£38340.00 from Sedgefield Borough Council)
• 2005: SHIFTWORK AND HEALTH:A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW (£31710.00 from MRC)

Supervises

• Dr Frances Hillier
• Dr Alison Copeland
• Dr Kayleigh Garthwaite
• Dr Jon Warren
• Mrs Joanne-Marie Cairns-Nagi
• Miss Gillian Bryant
• Mr Jack Barnard
• Ms Janice Metcalfe
• Miss Nina Finlay
• Ms Linda Farrants