Amanda Sowden
Biographic Data
| ID | 5134384 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Amanda Sowden |
| GIVEN NAMES | Amanda |
| FAMILY NAME | Sowden |
| SIGNATURE | SOWDEN A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of York |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9741-8427 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 37 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1993 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Preventing children’s care entry
Background Existing reviews have documented a range of factors associated with care entry or re-entry for children, with much less attention given to the intervention literature. In addition, there has been no systematic attempt to bring these two bodies of evidence together. In this overview of systematic reviews we aimed to identify and synthesise evidence on both risk/protective factors and interventions for preventing care entry/re-entry and …
Children’s views of obesity, body size and weight
CRD42025650306
Synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) in systematic reviews
Older people's experiences of everyday travel in the urban environment
Compared to younger age groups, older people spend more time in their locality and rely more heavily on its pedestrian and public transport infrastructure. Qualitative studies provide unique insight into people's experiences. We conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis of United Kingdom-based studies of older people's experiences of travelling in the urban environment. We searched health, social science, age-related and transport-related databa…
What is the evidence that differences in ‘control over destiny’ lead to socioeconomic inequalities in health? A theory-led systematic review of high-quality longitudinal studies on pathways in the liv…
The health impacts of women's low control in their living environment
How could differences in ‘control over destiny’ lead to socio-economic inequalities in health? A synthesis of theories and pathways in the living environment
We conducted the first synthesis of theories on causal associations and pathways connecting degree of control in the living environment to socio-economic inequalities in health-related outcomes. We identified the main theories about how differences in 'control over destiny' could lead to socio-economic inequalities in health, and conceptualised these at three distinct explanatory levels: micro/personal; meso/community; and macro/societal. These l…
Cutting down
The adverse effects of smoking in pregnancy are minimised if the mother quits completely in early pregnancy. Smokers are therefore advised to quit abruptly; cutting down is not recommended either as a method of, or alternative to, quitting. However, most pregnant smokers do not quit and cutting down is widely reported. Evidence comes primarily from quantitative studies; qualitative research has contributed little to understandings of cigarette co…
PP35 How are Health Inequalities Affected by Control in the Living Environment? A Critical Review of Theory
Background Recent public health strategies aim to increase the control, or power, that individuals, communities and populations have over decisions that affect their daily lives. While systematic reviews have revealed the health impact of measures to improve control in the work environment, evidence from the ‘living environment’ has not been synthesised. We conducted a critical review of proposed theories and causal pathways linking control in th…
OP11 Missing Women? The Health Inequalities Impact of Low Control and Gender Discrimination
Background Increasing control and empowerment are considered central to efforts to reduce health inequalities. From our critical review of theory, low control or powerlessness emerged as a potentially fundamental mechanism underlying social inequalities in health. Amartya Sen’s theories of “freedom” and “capabilities” to live a long and healthy life have been influential: focusing attention on the health consequences of a lack of freedom for wome…
Crime, fear of crime, environment, and mental health and wellbeing
Tackling the wider social determinants of health and health inequalities
Intervention studies that address inequalities in health are a priority area for future public health research
Testing Methodological Guidance on the Conduct of Narrative Synthesis in Systematic Reviews
The objective was to assess the impact of new guidance on the conduct of narrative synthesis in systematic reviews of effectiveness, by means of a blinded comparison of guidance-led narrative synthesis against a meta-analysis of the same study data.The conclusions of the two syntheses were broadly similar. However, differences between the approaches meant that conclusions about the impact of moderators of effect appeared stronger when derived fro…
Testing methodological developments in the conduct of narrative synthesis
In the context of systematic reviews, statistical meta-analysis of findings is not always possible. Where this is the case, or where a review of implementation evidence is required, narrative synthesis of data is typically undertaken. Drawing on recently developed guidance aimed at those undertaking data synthesis - and information on the implementation of domestic smoke detectors - we present findings from a demonstration of the tools and techni…
Evaluating non-randomised intervention studies
OBJECTIVES: To consider methods and related evidence for evaluating bias in non-randomised intervention studies. DATA SOURCES: Systematic reviews and methodological papers were identified from a search of electronic databases; handsearches of key medical journals and contact with experts working in the field. New empirical studies were conducted using data from two large randomised clinical trials. METHODS: Three systematic reviews and new empiri…
The reproducibility of the Childhood Asthma Questionnaires
Development of child-centered disease-specific questionnaires for living with asthma
Contemporary developments in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma offer possibilities for optimal control, but patients increasingly need to take on responsibilities for self care. Health professionals require comprehensive assessments of outcome that include data reflecting patients' perceptions of their disorder and its management. Disease-specific, patient-centered questionnaires for evaluation of adults' health-relat…
How could differences in ‘control over destiny’ lead to socio-economic inequalities in health? A synthesis of theories and pathways in the living environment
We conducted the first synthesis of theories on causal associations and pathways connecting degree of control in the living environment to socio-economic inequalities in health-related outcomes. We identified the main theories about how differences in 'control over destiny' could lead to socio-economic inequalities in health, and conceptualised these at three distinct explanatory levels: micro/personal; meso/community; and macro/societal. These l…
Testing Methodological Guidance on the Conduct of Narrative Synthesis in Systematic Reviews
The objective was to assess the impact of new guidance on the conduct of narrative synthesis in systematic reviews of effectiveness, by means of a blinded comparison of guidance-led narrative synthesis against a meta-analysis of the same study data.The conclusions of the two syntheses were broadly similar. However, differences between the approaches meant that conclusions about the impact of moderators of effect appeared stronger when derived fro…
Older people's experiences of everyday travel in the urban environment
Compared to younger age groups, older people spend more time in their locality and rely more heavily on its pedestrian and public transport infrastructure. Qualitative studies provide unique insight into people's experiences. We conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis of United Kingdom-based studies of older people's experiences of travelling in the urban environment. We searched health, social science, age-related and transport-related databa…
Development of child-centered disease-specific questionnaires for living with asthma
Contemporary developments in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma offer possibilities for optimal control, but patients increasingly need to take on responsibilities for self care. Health professionals require comprehensive assessments of outcome that include data reflecting patients' perceptions of their disorder and its management. Disease-specific, patient-centered questionnaires for evaluation of adults' health-relat…
The reproducibility of the Childhood Asthma Questionnaires
Evaluating non-randomised intervention studies
OBJECTIVES: To consider methods and related evidence for evaluating bias in non-randomised intervention studies. DATA SOURCES: Systematic reviews and methodological papers were identified from a search of electronic databases; handsearches of key medical journals and contact with experts working in the field. New empirical studies were conducted using data from two large randomised clinical trials. METHODS: Three systematic reviews and new empiri…
Testing methodological developments in the conduct of narrative synthesis
In the context of systematic reviews, statistical meta-analysis of findings is not always possible. Where this is the case, or where a review of implementation evidence is required, narrative synthesis of data is typically undertaken. Drawing on recently developed guidance aimed at those undertaking data synthesis - and information on the implementation of domestic smoke detectors - we present findings from a demonstration of the tools and techni…
Tackling the wider social determinants of health and health inequalities
Intervention studies that address inequalities in health are a priority area for future public health research
Testing Methodological Guidance on the Conduct of Narrative Synthesis in Systematic Reviews
The objective was to assess the impact of new guidance on the conduct of narrative synthesis in systematic reviews of effectiveness, by means of a blinded comparison of guidance-led narrative synthesis against a meta-analysis of the same study data.The conclusions of the two syntheses were broadly similar. However, differences between the approaches meant that conclusions about the impact of moderators of effect appeared stronger when derived fro…
Crime, fear of crime, environment, and mental health and wellbeing
PP35 How are Health Inequalities Affected by Control in the Living Environment? A Critical Review of Theory
Background Recent public health strategies aim to increase the control, or power, that individuals, communities and populations have over decisions that affect their daily lives. While systematic reviews have revealed the health impact of measures to improve control in the work environment, evidence from the ‘living environment’ has not been synthesised. We conducted a critical review of proposed theories and causal pathways linking control in th…
OP11 Missing Women? The Health Inequalities Impact of Low Control and Gender Discrimination
Background Increasing control and empowerment are considered central to efforts to reduce health inequalities. From our critical review of theory, low control or powerlessness emerged as a potentially fundamental mechanism underlying social inequalities in health. Amartya Sen’s theories of “freedom” and “capabilities” to live a long and healthy life have been influential: focusing attention on the health consequences of a lack of freedom for wome…
Cutting down
The adverse effects of smoking in pregnancy are minimised if the mother quits completely in early pregnancy. Smokers are therefore advised to quit abruptly; cutting down is not recommended either as a method of, or alternative to, quitting. However, most pregnant smokers do not quit and cutting down is widely reported. Evidence comes primarily from quantitative studies; qualitative research has contributed little to understandings of cigarette co…
How could differences in ‘control over destiny’ lead to socio-economic inequalities in health? A synthesis of theories and pathways in the living environment
We conducted the first synthesis of theories on causal associations and pathways connecting degree of control in the living environment to socio-economic inequalities in health-related outcomes. We identified the main theories about how differences in 'control over destiny' could lead to socio-economic inequalities in health, and conceptualised these at three distinct explanatory levels: micro/personal; meso/community; and macro/societal. These l…
The health impacts of women's low control in their living environment
What is the evidence that differences in ‘control over destiny’ lead to socioeconomic inequalities in health? A theory-led systematic review of high-quality longitudinal studies on pathways in the liv…
Synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) in systematic reviews
Older people's experiences of everyday travel in the urban environment
Compared to younger age groups, older people spend more time in their locality and rely more heavily on its pedestrian and public transport infrastructure. Qualitative studies provide unique insight into people's experiences. We conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis of United Kingdom-based studies of older people's experiences of travelling in the urban environment. We searched health, social science, age-related and transport-related databa…
Preventing children’s care entry
Background Existing reviews have documented a range of factors associated with care entry or re-entry for children, with much less attention given to the intervention literature. In addition, there has been no systematic attempt to bring these two bodies of evidence together. In this overview of systematic reviews we aimed to identify and synthesise evidence on both risk/protective factors and interventions for preventing care entry/re-entry and …
Children’s views of obesity, body size and weight
CRD42025650306
Medicine (9 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Engineering (5 works) · Psychological intervention (5 works) · Gerontology (4 works) · Gerontology (4 works) · Inequality (4 works) · MEDLINE (4 works) · Nursing (4 works) · Political science (4 works)