Lisa Vaughan

PhD work

A socio-cultural study investigating the influences on food and lifestyle choices, and the cultural transition, of British Bangladeshis living in Tower Hamlets East London.

Education

• 2011: PhD in Food Policy, City University (viva voce October 2011)
• Master Health Science, QUT
• Graduate Diploma Nutrition & Dietetics, QUT
• Bachelor Applied Science, Microbiology/Biochemistry, QUT

The study

Central to this thesis was the preposition that obesity and Type 2 diabetes are largely preventable and amenable to a wide range of public health prevention strategies.

This study utilised qualitative approaches over three phases:paired interviews, in-depth semi-structured interviews and multiple pass dietary recall; drawing upon current social science and public health nutritionparadigms to investigate the contextual factors influencing food choices and physical activity, as perceived by the community itself and key informants, as well as the trend in eating patterns between two generations of British Bangladeshis.

Multiple drivers were revealed to be influencing food and activity choices with the community being significantly affected by urbanisation, being immersed in an obesogenic environment, the degree of acculturation into the British society and changes to the patriarchal structure of their community. The policy framework at the time of this research reflected an epistemological dilemma of a social issue continuing to be addressed with a largely clinical solution and the perception of a Government which despite outward appearances to the contrary, remained committed to the personalisation of the health agenda. The most recent change to the Coalition Government has seen this paradigm continuing, jarring sharply with the lived realities of the community and the overwhelming evidence that the obesity and diabetes epidemics cannot be dealt with by promoting behavioural change and individualised treatment alone.

Why it matters for food policy

The long lasting theory in Public Health, that the social dimensions of health need to be addressed in conjunction with biological determinants, has been confirmed with a complex web of interactions weaving together to influence the choices being made, highlighting the interconnectedness of diet and culture, and the relationship to a culture in transition.  The vast array of factors have substantial implications for further development of food and public health policy for this community relating to the prevention diet related non-communicable diseases, as well as for professional practice.

Selected publications

• Vaughan, L (2005). Dietary Guidelines for the Management of Diabetes. Nursing Standard. 19, 44, 56-64.
• Vaughan L & Anderson J (2004). Clinical Review: Diet and Diabetes. GP, 15 March: 59-60.
• Vaughan L (2004). Dietary Guidelines for Good Diabetes Care. Practice Nursing, January, 15 (1): 14-18.
• Nelson, A & Vaughan, L (July, 2007). The ethics of food - the role of the BDA and dieticians in the wider ethical issues of food. Dietetics Today.

Selected oral presentations

• Food choices and British Bangladeshis living in Tower Hamlets East London: an intergenerational study of the factors influencing food choices and dietary transition. Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference - special session on Obesogenic Environments, August 2007.
• The Global Burden of Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes: Key Theories & Policy Debates. Diabetes Management and Education Group Study Day, May 2007.
• Dietary management of Type 1 diabetes and insulin therapies. Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference, March 2006
• Food Choices in Minority Ethnic Groups and the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes.
  1. Healthy Options: Food Consumption in the Workplace Conference. April 2005.
  2. Nursing, midwifery and Allied Health Conference, Barts and the London NHS Trust, March 2005.
• Nutritional Guidelines for Diabetes Management. Nursing in Practice Conference, September 2004

Poster presentations

• Food choices and British Bangladeshis living in Tower Hamlets East London: an intergenerational study of the factors influencing food choices and dietary transition. Accepted for:
  1. 5th World congress on Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications, Helsinki, Finland, June1-4, 2008
  2. 10th European nutrition conference, Paris July2007
  3.  International Congress Obesity conference, Sydney, September 2006
• Dietary management of patients treated with insulin analogues. Accepted for:
  1. Poster exhibition, City University London and Barts and The London NHS Trust, Building research capacity in nursing, midwifery and the allied health professions at Barts and The London NHS Trust, October2003.
  2. British Dietetic Association Annual Conference, June 2004.

Research and professional interests:

• Ethnic Health research in relation to food and nutrition
• Relationship between food and nutrition policy, and public health
• Food ethics and the role of dietitians
• Maternal and early years nutrition, and obesity prevention