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Dr Loraine Bacchus

BSc MA PhD

Professor
of Global Public Health

Room
314

LSHTM
15-17 Tavistock Place
London
WC1H 9SH
United Kingdom

Tel.
0207 958 8244

I am a social scientist whose research focuses on the development and evaluation of complex interventions within health systems and services that address violence against women and against men in same sex relationships. My research spans high income and low-and-middle income countries and based in primary health care and sexual and reproductive health care settings. In particular, I am interested in questions about the transferability of these interventions in different settings, how context shapes intervention fidelity and the kinds of adaptive practices that emerge from this. An important part of this work involves drawing on theories that can help to surface and explain mechanisms that influence implementation processes. I also conduct research on the intersections between violence against women and violence against children. In particular, opportunities for joint approaches to prevent and/or respond to intimate partner violence against women and child maltreatment. I have also conducted research on the use of mobile health technology in perinatal home visitation programmes that address intimate partner violence, and interested in how this may increase women's safe access to support in some settings.

In terms of evaluation methodology, I conduct formative evaluations to inform intervention development; process and outcome evaluation studies using qualitative and quantitative methods and integration techniques; systematic reviews; and survey research.

I am Co-Director (Co-PI) of the NIHR Global Group on Health System Responses to Violence Against Women with the University of Bristol called HERA (further details in the Research section).

I am a former Global Marie Curie Fellow and alumni member.

Affiliations

Department of Global Health and Development

Centres

Centre for Evaluation
Centre for Maternal Adolescent Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH)

Teaching

I am the Deputy Research Degree Coordinator for the Department of Global Health and Development. I supervise Masters and PhD students and I welcome enquiries about supervising PhDs and post-doctoral fellowships in the area of gender based violence and health system and service interventions in high income and low-and-middle-income countries. I currently supervise five doctoral students (4 internal and 1 external) and have supervised an NIHR pre-doctoral student. I am Deputy Module Organiser for the Distance Learning module on the Principles of Social Research (PSR) and a seminar leader for in-house PSR. I contribute various lectures to the short course Gender Based Violence: Methods and Meaning, the Foundations of Reproductive Health and the Professional Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. Through my research collaborations and links with external organisations, I endeavour to offer summer projects to Masters students who wish to engage in primary research and secondary data analysis.

Research

I am Co-Director (Co-PI) of the NIHR Global Group on Health System Responses to Violence Against Women with the University of Bristol. The aim of HERA (Healthcare Responding to Violence and Abuse) is to develop and evaluate health care system and service responses to violence against women that link with community organisations, and ultimately ensure better health outcomes for women and children. Specific country studies are led by the University of São Paulo in Brazil, An-Najah National University in Palestine, Kathmandu University in Nepal and the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. The World Health Organization is a collaborator and provides additional methodological, technical and policy expertise. HERA develop and pilot test locally adapted interventions, conduct economic evaluations and evidence syntheses. Currently the Group is developing ways of engaging community (e.g. women’s health and microfinance groups, community health workers) to address stigma and social norms in order to strengthen the health system response. HERA work closely with local key stakeholders at all stages of the research to ensure interventions are co-produced. Capacity strengthening underpinned by mutual learning among all partners is a key element of HERA’s work which is independently evaluated as part of the programme.

Other current studies

Co-principal investigator on an evidence synthesis for UNICEF entitled: What are promising and/or effective interventions that seek to prevent and/or respond to intimate partner violence against women and child maltreatment.

Co-investigator on the Gender, Justice and Security UKRI GCRF Hub led by the London School of Economics. I work with colleagues on the Methodological Innovation work stream which will innovate how to conceptualise and measure health and inequality and its contributions to peace and security. Current global indices and monitoring and evaluation tools do not link long-term peace and security with gender-based violence and health. Specifically, the research will develop and test a Women, Peace, Security and Health Index.

Co-investigator on an NIHR feasibility trial and nested process evaluation of a group based psychoeducational intervention for children exposed to domestic violence and abuse – Family Recovery after Domestic Abuse (FReDA). study Co-I community group programme – led by the University of East London.

Key collaborator on the 4th National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles funded by the Wellcome Trust, NIHR and ESRC.

Previous studies

Co-Investigator on a DfID funded study evaluating the International Rescue Committee and Care International approach to GBV case management interventions in Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya. Working alongside Mazeda Hossain (Principal Investigator).

Principal Investigator on work stream 3 of an NIHR funded Programme of Research on Violence in Diverse Domestic Environments (PROVIDE) which ran between 2009 and 2014. Work stream 3 was the first UK study to explore the prevalence and health impacts of domestic violence in gay and bisexual men attending a sexual health service and used epidemiological methods and qualitative research. The study also developed and pilot tested a training intervention to support sexual health practitioners in identifying and responding to men in same sex relationships exposed to domestic violence. The intervention included a referral pathway to GALOP who were project collaborators.

Principal Investigator: as part of a Marie Curie Global Fellowship funded by the European Commission (2013 to 2015) I conducted a nested qualitative study within a randomised controlled trial of the Domestic Violence Enhanced Home Visitation Program (DOVE). DOVE is an empowerment intervention to prevent and respond to intimate partner violence during pregnancy. Drawing on the interdisciplinary area of science and technology studies, the research explored how the technology was both shaping of and shaped by its social context during its development and integration.

Principal Investigator on a Daphne (European Commission) funded study exploring promising intervention approaches to addressing domestic violence in primary and maternity health care settings in Europe.

Principal investigator on a theory-based evaluation of a multi-agency domestic violence intervention based in maternity and genitourinary services at a London-based NHS Foundation Trust (MOZAIC) MOZAIC was highlighted as a beacon of good practice by the UK Department of Health in their Report from the Domestic Violence Sub-Group Responding to Violence Against Women and Children - The Role of the NHS. This study, along with my PhD research, he first UK study to train midwives to routinely enquire about domestic violence, made an important contribution to UK health policy by informing the role of the NHS in responding to pregnant women exposed to domestic violence.

Research Area
Complex interventions
Health outcomes
Health services research
Health systems
Maternal health
Primary care
Sexual health
Systematic reviews
Behaviour change
Capacity strengthening
Impact evaluation
Mixed methods
Mobile technologies
Implementation research
Qualitative methods
Reproductive health
Violence
Discipline
Epidemiology
Sociology
Social Sciences
Disease and Health Conditions
Mental health
Sexually transmitted infection
Country
Belgium
Brazil
Colombia
Germany
Spain
Finland
United Kingdom
Lebanon
Sri Lanka
Nepal
West Bank and Gaza
Serbia
United States of America
Region
Arab World
East Asia & Pacific (all income levels)
European Union
Latin America & Caribbean (all income levels)
North America

Selected Publications

Remote methods for research on violence against women and children: lessons and challenges from research during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bhatia A; Turner E; Akim A; Mirembe A; Nakuti J; Parkes J; Datzberger S; Nagawa R; Kung'u M; Babu H
2022
BMJ global health
Improving health system readiness to address violence against women and girls: a conceptual framework.
Colombini M; Mayhew SH; García-Moreno C; d'Oliveira AF; Feder G; Bacchus LJ
2022
BMC Health Services Research
Gender norms and family planning amongst pastoralists in Kenya: a qualitative study in Wajir and Mandera.
Kenny L; Lokot M; Bhatia A; Hassan R; Pyror S; Dagadu NA; Aden A; Shariff A; Bacchus LJ; Hossain M
2022
Sexual and reproductive health matters
Adaptive work in the primary health care response to domestic violence in occupied Palestinian territory: a qualitative evaluation using Extended Normalisation Process Theory.
Bacchus LJ; Alkaiyat A; Shaheen A; Alkhayyat AS; Owda H; Halaseh R; Jeries I; Feder G; Sandouka R; Colombini M
2021
BMC Family Practice
'If she gets married when she is young, she will give birth to many kids': a qualitative study of child marriage practices amongst nomadic pastoralist communities in Kenya.
Lowe H; Kenny L; Hassan R; Bacchus LJ; Njoroge P; Dagadu NA; Hossain M; Cislaghi B
2021
Culture, health & sexuality
Are We Asking Too Much of the Health Sector? Exploring the Readiness of Brazilian Primary Healthcare to Respond to Domestic Violence Against Women.
d'Oliveira AFPL; Pereira S; Bacchus LJ; Feder G; Schraiber LB; Aguiar JMD; Bonin RG; Vieira Graglia CG; Colombini M
2020
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting.
Hossain M; Pearson R; McAlpine A; Bacchus L; Muuo SW; Muthuri SK; Spangaro J; Kuper H; Franchi G; Pla Cordero R
2020
Global Mental Health
Gender-based violence and its association with mental health among Somali women in a Kenyan refugee camp: a latent class analysis.
Hossain M; Pearson RJ; McAlpine A; Bacchus LJ; Spangaro J; Muthuri S; Muuo S; Franchi G; Hess T; Bangha M
2020
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Research challenges in evaluating gender-based violence response services in a refugee camp.
McAlpine A; Bacchus LJ; Muuo SW; Muthuri SK; Bangha M; Izugbara C; Franchi G; Hess T; Spangaro J; Pearson R
2020
GLOBAL HEALTH ACTION
Domestic Violence and Abuse within Male Same Sex Relationships
Miltz A; Buller Soto AM; Bacchus L
2020
The Routledge Handbook of Domestic Violence and Abuse
Barriers and facilitators to care-seeking among survivors of gender-based violence in the Dadaab refugee complex.
Muuo S; Muthuri SK; Mutua MK; McAlpine A; Bacchus LJ; Ogego H; Bangha M; Hossain M; Izugbara C
2020
Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters
Barriers to women's disclosure of domestic violence in health services in Palestine: qualitative interview-based study.
Shaheen A; Ashkar S; Alkaiyat A; Bacchus L; Colombini M; Feder G; Evans M
2020
BMC Public Health
Using Digital Technology for Sexual and Reproductive Health: Are Programs Adequately Considering Risk?
Bacchus LJ; Reiss K; Church K; Colombini M; Pearson E; Naved R; Smith C; Andersen K; Free C
2019
Global Health: Science and Practice
Exploring health system readiness for adopting interventions to address intimate partner violence: a case study from the occupied Palestinian Territory.
Colombini M; Alkaiyat A; Shaheen A; Garcia Moreno C; Feder G; Bacchus L
2019
Health policy and planning
Intimate partner violence, depression, and sexual behaviour among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in the PROUD trial.
Miltz AR; Lampe FC; Bacchus LJ; McCormack S; Dunn D; White E; Rodger A; Phillips AN; Sherr L; Clarke A
2019
BMC PUBLIC HEALTH
Exploring opportunities for coordinated responses to intimate partner violence and child maltreatment in low and middle income countries: a scoping review.
Bacchus LJ; Colombini M; Contreras Urbina M; Howarth E; Gardner F; Annan J; Ashburn K; Madrid B; Levtov R; Watts C
2017
Psychology, health & medicine
Occurrence and impact of domestic violence and abuse in gay and bisexual men: A cross sectional survey.
Bacchus LJ; Buller AM; Ferrari G; Peters TJ; Devries K; Sethi G; White J; Hester M; Feder GS
2016
International journal of STD & AIDS
Global health. The global prevalence of intimate partner violence against women.
Devries KM; Mak JYT; García-Moreno C; Petzold M; Child JC; Falder G; Lim S; Bacchus LJ; Engell RE; Rosenfeld L
2013
Science (New York, NY)
Evaluation of a domestic violence intervention in the maternity and sexual health services of a UK hospital.
Bacchus LJ; Bewley S; Vitolas CT; Aston G; Jordan P; Murray SF
2010
Reproductive health matters
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