Geraldine Barrett

Academic qualifications

PhD (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, 2002)

Profile

Dr Barrett’s first degree was in Sociology and Social Policy in 1991, followed by a post as a research officer in Department of Public Health at Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority and a Masters degree in Medical Sociology. She then moved to the Department of Public Health Sciences at St George’s Hospital Medical School, and then onto the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with an MRC special training fellowship in health services research in 1998. She completed her PhD in public health in 2002 which, in developing the “London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy”, combined her interests in women’s reproductive health, social science and methodological research.

Dr Barrett moved to Brunel University at a lecturer in 2003, becoming a senior lecturer in 2006. Since then her research interests relating to unplanned pregnancy, women’s reproductive health, and methodological research have continued. She has had research grants and/or publications relating to the measurement of unplanned pregnancy, long-acting contraception, pre-pregnancy health and care, public attitudes to the public health uses of identifiable health data, and the development of a health-related quality of life measure for people who use intermittent self-catheterisation. Her teaching focus is research methods.

Committee responsibilities

Member of MSc Health Promotion and Public Health course committee.

Teaching responsibilities

• HH5577 Research Methods
• HH55019 Evidence Based Practice in Healthcare
• Doctorate of Public Health

PhD supervision

Current supervision

Clare Goodman, PhD student. Investigating the experiences of families of children with severe cerebral palsy who have hip surgery. (First supervisor)

Anthony Wakhisi, DrPH. Investigating public health aspects of sexual health. (First supervisor)

Completed

Meriel Norris, PhD, 2009 “Curing the blood and balancing life: understanding impact and health seeking behaviour following stroke in Central Aceh” (Second supervisor)

Teaching interest

Teaching interests relate to research methods and critical appraisal skills.

Research interests

Dr Barrett has research interests in women’s sexual and reproductive health and research methods (particularly measure development). Specific areas of interest include:

• Unplanned pregnancy - Dr Barrett developed a new, psychometrically-evaluated measure of pregnancy planning, now called the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy. Information about the LMUP is available at: www.lmup.org.uk
• Public attitudes towards the public health uses of identifiable health data
• Development and validation of a health-related quality of life measure for people who use intermittent self-catheters
• Pre-pregnancy health and care, including the role of pregnancy planning and health outcomes of children

Research projects and grants

MRC special training fellowship in health services research, personal award, 1998-2001, £144k

Wellings K (PI), Barrett G, Nanchahal K. Analysis of data from the national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles (Natsal 1990 and 2000) relevant to an exploration of outcomes of teenage motherhood. Teenage Pregnancy Unit/Department of Health, 2002-3, £79k

Wellings K (PI), Barrett G, Glasier A. Lay and professionals attitudes towards, and experience of, using long term contraception (injectable and implant). The Nuffield Foundation, 2003-4, £71k

Barrett G (PI), Coleman M. Cancer registries and the use of identifiable information: a national survey of public attitudes. Cancer Research UK. £28k 2005

Spencer S (PI), Barrett G, Marston L, Maskill D. Developing and evaluating a quality of life measure for people with spinal cord injury who use intermittent self-catheterisation. Coloplast. £130k 2009-10

Stephenson J (PI), Shawe J, Barrett G, Hanson M, Copas A, Pandya P, Inskip H, Morris S. Pre-pregnancy health and care in England: exploring implementation and public health impact NIHR/DH Policy Research Programme £415k, 2011-12

Membership and affiliation

• British Sociological Association
• Higher Education Academy

Professional activities or recognition

External examiner to BMedSc (Integrated Bachelor of Medical Sciences, Year 4 of Bachelor of Medicine), Southampton University, 2010 onwards

Conferences

Kelly L, Barrett G, Maskill D, Spencer S. Development of a health-related quality of life measure for people who use intermittent self-catheters. Society for Research in Rehabilitation Summer Meeting. Sheffield, July 2010

Morof D, Steinauer J, Haider S, Liu S, Darney P, Barrett G. Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy in a U.S. population of women. FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics), October 2009

Barrett G. Use of a mixed methods approach to measure pregnancy intentions. Microbicides 2008, New Delhi, February 2008. Invited keynote address.

Other external activities

Reviewer of research grant applications for NIHR, Department of Health, Central Scottish Office, and Medical Research Council.

Journal peer reviewer for BMJ, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Social Science and Medicine, Sociology of Health and Illness, CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), Studies in Family Planning, Journal of Women’s Health, BMC Women’s Health, BJOG, and Women and Health.

Publications

Journal Papers

(2012) Norris, M., Allotey, P. and Barrett, G., 'It burdens me': The impact of stroke in central Aceh, Indonesia, Sociology of Health and Illness: a journal of medical sociology 34 (6) : 826- 840

(2012) Morof, D., Steinauer, J., Haider, S., Liu, S., Darney, P. and Barrett, G., Evaluation of the London Measure of unplanned pregnancy in a United States population of women, PLoS One 7 (4) : e35381 Download publication

(2011) Norris, M., Allotey, P. and Barrett, G., Non-biomedical stroke practitioners in Aceh, International Journal of Stroke 6 (2) : 152- 154

(2010) Norris, M., Allotey, P. and Barrett, G., "I feel like half my body is clogged up": Lay models of stroke in Central Aceh, Indonesia., Soc Sci Med 71 (9) : 1576- 1583 Download publication

(2010) Barrett, G., Morof, D. and Rocca, CH., Valid and Precise Measurement, PERSPECTIVES ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 42 (3) : 220- 221

(2010) Rocca, CH., Krishnan, S., Barrett, G. and Wilson, M., Measuring pregnancy planning: An assessment of the London measure of unplanned pregnancy among urban, south Indian women, Demographic Research 23 293- 334

(2008) Thakar, R., Chawla, S., Scheer, I., Barrett, G. and Sultan, AH., Sexual function following pelvic floor surgery, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 102 (2) : 110- 114

(2008) Thakar, R., Chawla, S., Scheer, I., Barrett, G. and Sultan, AH., Sexual function following pelvic floor surgery | Funzione sessuale dopo chirurgia del pavimento pelvico, Giornale Italiano di Ostetricia e Ginecologia 30 (8-9) : 277- 282

(2007) Wellings, K., Zhihong, Z., Krentel, A., Barrett, G. and Glasier, A., Attitudes towards long-acting reversible methods of contraception in general practice in the UK, Contraception 76 (3) : 208- 214

(2007) Barrett, G., Letter to the Editor, Contraception 75 (1) : 79-

(2006) Barrett, G., Cassell, JA., Peacock, JL. and Coleman, MP., National survey of British public's views on use of identifiable medical data by the National Cancer Registry, BMJ Publishing Group 332 (7549) : 1068- 1072 Download publication

(2006) Shaw, S. and Barrett, G., Research governance: regulating risk and reducing harm?, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 99 (1) : 14- 19

(2005) Barrett, G., Peacock, J., Victor, CR. and Manyonda, I., Cesarean section and postnatal sexual health, Birth 32 (4) : 306- 311

(2005) Nanchahal, K., Wellings, K., Barrett, G., Copas, AJ., Mercer, CH., Macmanus, S., Macdowall, W., Fenton, KA., Erens, B. and Johnson, AM., Changes in the circumstances of young mothers in Britain: 1990 to 2000., Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 59 (10) : 828- 833

(2005) Barrett, G., Peacock, JL., Morof, D. and Manyonda, I., Letter to the Editor, Birth 32 (4) : 331-

(2005) Barrett, G. and Peacock, JL., Population ideals and sample realities - why we still need access to comprehensive information about populations, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 59 (4) : 257-

(2004) Barrett, G., Smith, SC. and Wellings, K., Conceptualisation, development and evaluation of a measure of unplanned pregnancy, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 58 (5) : 426- 433

(2003) Coleman, MP., Evans, BG. and Barrett, G., Confidentiality and the public interest in medical research--will we ever get it right?, Clinical Medicine 3 (3) : 219- 228

(2003) Morof, D., Barrett, G., Peacock, J., Victor, CR. and Manyonda, I., Postnatal depression and sexual health after childbirth, Obstetrics and Gynecology 102 (6) : 1318- 1325

(2002) Barrett, G. and Wellings, K., Collecting information on marital status: a methodological note, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 56 (3) : 175- 176

(2002) Barrett, G. and Wellings, K., What is a 'planned' pregnancy? Empirical data from a British study, Social Science and Medicine 55 (4) : 545- 557

(2000) Barrett, G. and Harper, R., Health professionals' attitudes to the deregulation of emergency contraception (or the problem of female sexuality), Sociology of Health and Illness 22 (2) : 197- 216

(2000) Barrett, G. and Wellings, K., Understanding pregnancy intentions: a problem in evidence everywhere, Family Planning Perspectives 32 (4) : 194-

(2000) Barrett, G., Pendry, E., Peacock, J., Victor, C., Thakar, R. and Manyonda, I., Women's sexual health after childbirth, BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 107 (2) : 186- 195

(1999) Pendry, E., Barrett, G. and Victor, C., Changes in household composition among the over sixties: a longitudinal analysis of the Health and Lifestyles Surveys, Health and Social Care in the Community 7 (2) : 109- 119

(1999) Barrett, G., Pendry, E., Peacock, J., Victor, C., Thakar, R. and Manyonda, I., Women's sexuality after childbirth: a pilot study, Archives of Sexual Behavior 28 (2) : 179- 191

(1998) Barrett, G., Peacock, J. and Victor, CR., Are women who have abortions different from those who do not? A secondary analysis of the 1990 national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles, Public Health 112 (3) : 157- 163

(1998) Barrett, G., Pendry, E., Peacock, J. and Victor, CR., Sexual function after childbirth: women's experiences, persistent morbidity and lack of professional recognition, BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 105 (2) : 242- 243

(1997) Barrett, G. and Victor, CR., Key problems in using health status measures, Nursing Standard 11 (26) : 40- 44

(1997) Price, SJ., Barrett, G., Smith, C. and Paterson, C., Use of contraception in women who present for termination of pregnancy in inner London, Public Health 111 (6) : 377- 382

(1996) Barrett, G. and Victor, CR., Long-term outcome by method of delivery of fetuses in breech presentation. Evaluation should have included long-term follow up of the mothers., BMJ 313 (7060) : 817- Download publication

(1996) Barrett, G. and Victor, CR., Postnatal sexual health, British Journal of General Practice 46 (402) : 47- 48

(1995) Barrett, G. and Victor, CR., Late diagnosis of HIV infection in children is common and devastating, BMJ 311 (7007) : 747-

(1995) Ryan, M., Barrett, G. and Lessof, L., Monitoring effects of deprivation on health, BMJ 310 (6976) : 398-

(1995) Barrett, G. and Victor, CR., Services for children with HIV/AIDS: the views of parents, Professional Care of Mother and Child 5 (4) : 107- 112

Conference Papers

(2009) Morof, D., Steinauer, J., Haider, S., Liu, S., Darney, P. and Barrett, G., Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy in a U.S. population of women, FIGO 2009: XIX World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (107) : S275- S275

Book Chapters

(2005) Barrett, G., Unintended pregnancy. In: Glasier, A., Wellings, K. and Critchley, HOD. eds. Contraception and contraceptive use. 19- 30

(2005) Barrett, G. and Coleman, MP., Ethical and political issues in the conduct of research. In: Bowling, A. and Ebrahim, S. eds. Handbook of health research methods. Open University Press 555- 583