Professor Bertha Ochieng

Job: Professor of integrated health and social care

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: School of Nursing and Midwifery

Address: 制服无码, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: +44 (01)116 2078973

E: bertha.ochieng@dmu.ac.uk

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Personal profile

Bertha Ochieng is Professor of Integrated Health and Social Care at 制服无码. She has extensive experience of health and social care provision as a clinician, an academic and as a researcher working with community groups and health and social care providers. Her academic and research focus is on improving health and social care through the provision of high quality education and research that provides positive results to marginalised and social disadvantage populations throughout the life span. Bertha’s strengths are in developing solutions for addressing the health and social care needs of socially disadvantaged populations and building relationships with community groups and practitioners in the health and social care sector. Her work has resulted in collaborations with diverse teams, comprising of, voluntary sector organisations, academics, NHS Trusts and social care teams locally, nationally and internationally. Her research portfolio includes three broad themes:

Community empowerment and engagement to enable the voices of marginalised and socially disadvantaged populations to be heard in the planning and delivery of services. Examples of work in this area: Migrants families - barriers with accessing and utilising health promotion services in the UK; examining multi-ethnic parents’ views on healthy eating practices for children, Black and minority ethnic young people and their families’ experiences and views on healthy lifestyles.

Engaging health and social care providers to identify framework that supports development of integrated models of health and social care to manage long-term non-communicable diseases such as incorporating digital solutions in health and social care, identification of cultural sensitive health promotion models for prevention and self-management of lifestyle related illnesses; examples of work include: Using smart-home sensors with older adults with long-term complex multi-morbidity; working with health practitioners to develop an evidence-based training tool for weight management

Service development and knowledge transfer activities to enable health and social care workforce deliver high quality care. Examples of projects she has led include: community health practitioners experiences of using telephone triage; practice nurse development programme to manage patients in the community with long-term conditions, examining the impact of continuing professional development on healthcare outcomes;

Research group affiliations

Nursing and Midwifery
Social science
Public policy
Health sciences

Publications and outputs

dc.title: 'It felt like surveillance, not support': understanding barriers to enrolling older adults in an energy-linked digital health study during pandemic recovery and the cost-of-living crisis. dc.contributor.author: Ochieng, B.; Hall, Victoria; Ochieng, Rebecca; Amedzro, Jane; Wong, Richard dc.description.abstract: Background While digital health tools are now routinely encouraged across UK health and social care, older adults 鈥� particularly those managing multiple long-term conditions 鈥� continue to be under-represented in community-based research. Exploring why engagement falls short is essential for improving involvement in technology-supported ageing initiatives. Methods This paper reports findings from a qualitative study exploring barriers to participation in a digital health research project involving older adults. The qualitative work included a workshop with recruitment staff (n鈥�=鈥�4), and discussions with key gatekeepers 鈥� community organisation leads (n鈥�=鈥�4) and carers of older adults (n鈥�=鈥�2). Data were analysed using a Framework-guided approach. The qualitative component was embedded within a feasibility study designed to examine a smart-meter mobile application intended to monitor everyday electricity-use patterns among housebound adults aged鈥夆墺鈥�65, with the aim of detecting shifts in daily routines that may signal changes in health. Recruitment took place across the East Midlands between 2021 and 2022, during a period shaped by COVID-19 recovery and the national cost-of-living crisis, but yielded minimal uptake and did not proceed to data collection. Results Analysis of the qualitative data identified four interrelated influences shaping decisions not to participate: misunderstandings about the purpose and function of the technology; heightened mistrust and privacy concerns in the context of rising energy prices; limited motivation to engage in research alongside a desire to avoid being associated with 鈥渇railty鈥�; and the broader environment of pandemic fatigue and increased exposure to technology-related scams. Some older adults expressed concerns that their energy data might be misused 鈥� for billing or by criminals 鈥� and several avoided telephone contact altogether, describing the phone as no longer a safe place. Conclusions Involving older adults in digital-health studies that draw on domestic energy data must account for the broader social and economic environment. Financial strain, digital fraud, and pandemic-related mistrust all influenced disengagement. Early community involvement, co-design, and opportunities to discuss or engage directly with the technology may support more confident and informed participation in future research. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: A Situation Analysis of Diagnostic and Management Strategies for Gestational Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Kisumu County, Kenya: Maternal Health Implications and Opportunities for Diagnostic Improvement. dc.contributor.author: Samarasinghe, S.; Toko, Eunice Namuyenga; Eze, Ukpai A.; Furaha, Esther; Anthony, Itodo S.; Kapasi, Tariq; Ouma, Collins; Ochieng, B. dc.description.abstract: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, yet epidemiological data on gestational UTIs in Kenya are limited. This study assessed diagnostic and management practices in Kisumu County to inform diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship. A hospital-based retrospective study was conducted from February 2020 to February 2021 among 416 records of pregnant women at Chulaimbo and Nyahera Sub-County Hospitals. Socio-demographic, laboratory, and clinical history data were collected using structured forms and analysed in STATA 16.0. Statistical methods included chi-square, multivariate logistic regression, and Spearman鈥檚 rank correlation (p 鈮� 0.05). Dipstick-based presumptive proportion of UTIs was 57.9% (241/416). Only 1.4% (6/416) had microbiological confirmation despite infections being recorded. The mean maternal age was 23.92 years, parity two, mean antenatal visits two, and mean haemoglobin 10.73 卤 1.8 g/dL. The first antenatal care attendance occurred at varying gestational ages in 56% (233/416). Antibiotics prescribed were 60% from WHO 鈥楢ccess鈥� group and 40% from 鈥榃atch鈥� group. Gestational UTI鈥檚 in Kisumu County were frequently managed without confirmatory diagnosis, increasing antimicrobial resistance risk. Strengthening management requires better laboratory capacity, sustained financial investment, improved antibiotic access, and adherence to WHO AWaRe guidelines to protect maternal and neonatal health. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: Wired Differently? Brain Temporal Complexity and Intelligence in Autism Spectrum Disorder dc.contributor.author: Sokunbi, Moses O.; Soula, Oumayma.; Ochieng, B.; Staff, Roger T. dc.description.abstract: Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by atypical behavioural and cognitive diversity, yet the neural underpinnings linking brain activity and individual presentations remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the relationship between resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal complexity and intelligence (full-scale intelligence quotient (FIQ); verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ); and performance intelligence quotient (PIQ)) in male adults with ASD (n = 14) and matched neurotypical controls (n = 15). Methods: We used three complexity-based metrics: Hurst exponent (H), fuzzy approximate entropy (fApEn), and fuzzy sample entropy (fSampEn) to characterise resting-state fMRI signal dynamics, and correlated these measures with standardised intelligence scores. Results: Using a whole-brain measure, ASD participants showed significant negative correlations between PIQ and both fApEn and fSampEn, suggesting that increased neural irregularity may relate to reduced cognitive鈥損erceptual performance in autistic individuals. No significant associations between entropy (fApEn and fSampEn) and PIQ were found in the control group. Group differences in brain鈥揵ehaviour associations were confirmed through formal interaction testing using Fisher鈥檚 r-to-z transformation, which showed significantly stronger correlations in the ASD group. Complementary regression analyses with interaction terms further demonstrated that the entropy (fApEn and fSampEn) and PIQ relationship was significantly moderated by group, reinforcing evidence for autism-specific neural mechanisms underlying cognitive function. Conclusions: These findings provide insight into how cognitive functions in autism may not only reflect deficits but also an alternative neural strategy, suggesting that distinct temporal patterns may be associated with intelligence in ASD. These preliminary findings could inform clinical practice and influence health and social care policies, particularly in autism diagnosis and personalised support planning. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: Influence of cultural beliefs and parental feeding practices on obesity among primary schoolchildren aged 6-12 in Ghana: a qualitative study dc.contributor.author: Ewusie, Tutuwaa Baffo; Coulthard, Helen; Sharps, Maxine; Ochieng, B. dc.description.abstract: Childhood obesity has become a global public health challenge and as such has attracted worldwide attention due to its negative impact on children鈥檚 health. Despite its diverse determinants, there is a paucity of information on cultural beliefs and parental feeding practices related to childhood obesity in Ghana. This study aimed to explore the influence of cultural beliefs and parental feeding practices on obesity among schoolchildren in Ghana. Background Childhood obesity is a global public health concern, drawing widespread attention for its negative impact on children鈥檚 health. While the determinants are multifaceted, limited information exists on the impact of cultural beliefs and parental feeding practices in the context of childhood obesity in Ghana. The primary objective of this exploratory study was to investigate the influence of cultural beliefs and parental feeding practices on obesity among schoolchildren in Ghana. Method Data for the study were collected through an online interview and focus group discussion from a purposively sampled 60 respondents. An audio recording device was used to compile information shared with respondents during the interview and focus group discussion, both held remotely over the internet. Following Braun and Clarke鈥檚 procedure for analysing data, audio-recorded information was transcribed verbatim using Microsoft Word. Vital information to address research questions was assigned codes for collation. Similar codes were collated to form subthemes and major themes which aligned with the Attride-Stirling transcription approach of thematic analysis. Findings Four themes emerged from data analysis: parental beliefs and perception of weight and feeding practices; evolving dietary practices; the impact of westernisation and socioeconomic status; and lifestyle at home and obesogenic environments. The cultural inclination towards considering obesity as a sign of a 鈥榳ell-fed child鈥� was evident, and traditional feeding practices were found inadequate, necessitating supplementation with modern approaches. Additionally, factors such as digital media, limited playing space and sedentary behaviours facilitated by transportation to school and easy access to electronic devices contributed to obesity among schoolchildren. Conclusion While parents actively promoted mixed food diets, this often conflicted with nutritional needs. Parents also inadvertently encouraged sedentary behaviours hindering physical activity and contributing to weight gain among children. The study highlighted the challenges posed by cultural beliefs on body image and modern influences, necessitating a comprehensive understanding to formulate effective interventions to address childhood obesity in the Ghanaian context. dc.description: open access article
dc.title: Health Provider or Debt Collector? The Unintended Consequences of Integrating Income-generating Activities with Community Health Interventions in Kenya dc.contributor.author: Ogenda, Kenneth Ngari; Block, Emily; Marquez, Andrea Caldwell; Ochieng, B. dc.description.abstract: This study explores the challenges faced by community health promoters (CHPs) in Kenya as they attempt to couple income-generating activities with their public health duties. Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus groups discussions (FGDs) across three counties, we investigate why many CHPs ultimately abandoned health-related entrepreneurial ventures despite initial optimism. Our findings reveal two key challenges: (1) a volatile institutional environment created by shifting government policies and nongovernmental organization (NGO) interventions that destabilized markets for health products, and (2) role conflicts arising from community expectations and eroding trust when commercial transactions were introduced into health service relationships. These tensions compromise household visitations potentially impeding universal health coverage efforts. Our findings contribute to research on necessity entrepreneurship by highlighting the critical importance of institutional stability and role compatibility when designing entrepreneurial initiatives in resource-constrained contexts. It also extends institutional theory in entrepreneurship by demonstrating how institutional complexity can create irreconcilable tensions rather than opportunities for hybrid organizing.
dc.title: Fostering Creativity and Cultural Engagement with Early Years Children and Families: The Talent 25 Longitudinal (2019-May2023), Summary of Key Findings and Recommendations dc.contributor.author: Ochieng, B.
dc.title: Using AI-based Technology To Enhance Discharge to Assess Services dc.contributor.author: Wardell, George; McLorg, Aliz茅e; Das, Debayan; Flashman, Clive; Gongora, Mario Augusto; Leveque, Rachna; Maluf, Adriano; Ochieng, B.; Wong, Richard
dc.title: Addressing racial disparities in maternal outcomes for the population of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland dc.contributor.author: Rajangam, Akshaya; Doshani, Anji; Ochieng, B.; Cowlishaw, Beverley; Siddiqui, Farah; Ruddock, Faye; Cox, Floretta; O'Brady-Henry, Gillian; Chapman, Maxine; Bhavsar, Mina; Darko, Natalie; Archer, Natasha; Ayaz, Rabina; Howard, Rob; Abeyratne, Ruw; Etheridge, Sally; McCue, Steve
dc.title: A systems approach in the prevention of undernutrition among children under five in Tanzania: Perspectives from key stakeholders dc.contributor.author: Frumence, Gasto; Jin, Yannan; Kasangala, Amalberga; Bakar, Saidah; Mahiti Reuben Gladys; Ochieng, B. dc.description.abstract: Undernutrition among under-fives is one of the major public health challenges in Tanzania. However, there are limited studies assessing the contribution of cultural-related strategies in the prevention of child undernutrition in Tanzania. This study aimed at exploring participants鈥� experiential views regarding developing culturally sensitive strategies for the elimination of child undernutrition for under-fives in Rukwa, Iringa, Ruvuma, Songwe and Njombe regions located in the Southern Highlands in Tanzania. This study applied focus group discussions (FGDs) with forty practitioners to explore culturally-sensitive strategies for effectively preventing child undernutrition in Tanzania. The study participants were purposively selected, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes within the data. This study revealed that district- and lower-level administrative systems should prioritize nutrition interventions in their plans, allocating adequate resources to implement culturally sensitive nutrition interventions, while national-level organs need to strengthen institutional capacity and ensure the availability of funds, skilled human resources and a legal framework for the effective implementation and sustainability of nutrition interventions at the district and lower-levels. This study highlights that for the successful implementation of culturally sensitive strategies towards the elimination of child undernutrition, there is a need to use a systems approach that allows for collaborative governance whereby different sectors act together to address the persistent malnutrition epidemic. dc.description: open access article; Jessica JIn is the corresponding author of this article
dc.title: Researching Local Public Health Priorities in The Locked Down City Using Online Community Focus Groups: Reflections and Recommendations dc.contributor.author: Williamson, I. R.; Lond, Benjamin J.; Hart, Tania; Clifton, Andrew; Ochieng, B. dc.description.abstract: In this commentary paper we reflect on our experiences of conducting two qualitative public health projects in Leicester UK around health inequalities and marginalised groups during the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. To contextualise the commentary, we first provide information about Leicester and how and why it was disproportionately affected by the pandemic, as well as describing the origins, aims, and methodologies of the two projects. In the second half, we describe and evaluate some of the adaptations we made to our studies and conclude with suggestions for future qualitative community health research as we adapt to the post-pandemic research landscape. dc.description: Open access article

Research interests/expertise

Access and utilization of health and social care services,
Concepts of health and wellbeing
Diabetes and long-term disease self-management
Inequalities in health and social care,
Parenting styles and early child rearing
Self-care strategies in health and social care
Socially disadvantaged populations and immigrant health
Mixed methods
Qualitative methodologies
Service development
Systematic reviews

User and carer experiences/perspectives of health and social care

Areas of teaching

Health promotion
Public health
Systematic review
Research methodologies

Working with communities to improve health

Qualifications

Post-graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management in Higher Education, University of Bradford.
PhD, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds.
MSc Health Education Health Promotion; Leeds Metropolitan University.
Post-graduate Certificate in Education; University of Huddersfield.
MA Development Studies; University of Leeds.
BSc (Hons); Leeds.

Membership of professional associations and societies

Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (UK)
Nursing & Midwifery Council (UK)

Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (UK)
Migrant and Ethnic Minority Health (European association)

Centre for Ethnicity and Racism Studies (Leeds)

Conference attendance

2016: Diabetes care pathway: an analysis of self-management, 9th European Public Health Conference, Vienna

2016Spirituality and meditation as mediating factors in Black families wellbeing. Mental Health and Cultural Diversity International Conference, Leicester.

2014: Welfare systems and wellbeing: exploration of Black Families' Experiences and Beliefs, Ninth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Conference, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

2012: Health literacy and access to health and social welfare services. Seventh International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Conference, Universidada Abat Oliba CEU, Barcelona Spain.

2012: Community group actions: their emergence, maintenance and continuance. Seventh International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Conference, Universidada Abat Oliba CEU, Barcelona Spain.

2010: Spirituality as a mediating factor in Black families beliefs and experiences of health and wellbeing. Interdisciplinary Social Sciences conference, University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
2010: Minority ethnic families and the challenges to practice a healthy lifestyle. 8^th European Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Nurses’, Pathos, Cyprus.

Consultancy work

Professor Ochieng provides consultancy for a range of health and social care organisations. Her portfolio of activities includes specialist staff training on service development, user and family involvement, and ethnicity and cultural perspectives.