New research into educational resources for ethnic minorities
A team of researchers at the University of Sheffield have been awarded a £97,551 grant by Arthritis Research UK to investigate how electronic resources can provide health information for ethnic minorities.
Professor Ade Adebajo and his team within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health at the University of Sheffield have been awarded the grant over two years by Arthritis Research UK, which is the UK’s fourth largest medical research charity.
More than one in six in the UK - 10 million people- face a daily struggle against the pain and disability of arthritis. For some ethnic minorities it can be particularly severe, with osteomalacia and vitamin D deficiency meaning substantial disability and reduction in quality of life.
Professor Ade Adebajo, professor of rheumatology and health services research and associate director of teaching for the University of Sheffield Medical School, said: “It is now well recognised that health education needs to be improved for ethnic minority patients. This is partly due to poor reading skills and difficulty in reading English but also due to cultural factors.
“By creating electronic information specifically for this group of patients, we are aiming to improve awareness and knowledge of musculoskeletal conditions among ethnic minorities.”
The project builds on work done by the Sheffield team which was also funded by
Arthritis Research UK. A package of educational materials was created including mind maps, in the form of pictorial representations, leaflets and an audio CD in several South Asian languages.
Arthritis Research UK is internationally at the forefront of the development of educational materials through the use of the electronic media.
Professor Ade Adebajo added: “The results of this research will not only provide valuable lessons to empower ethnic minority communities through patient education which is relevant for them, but will more generally benefit all patients and members of the public with a preference for health information in an electronic format.”
Additional information
Arthritis Research UK
Arthritis Research UK is the leading authority on arthritis in the UK, conducting scientific and medical research into all types of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. It is the UK’s fourth largest medical research charity and the only charity solely committed to funding high quality research into the cause, treatment and cure of arthritis.
Arthritis Research UK has launched a new range of patient information booklets and leaflets, to provide an on-going source of information and support to patients. The resources were written by medical professionals following research into what patients really need. The booklets and leaflets have been specifically developed to meet these needs, designed to be straightforward, clear, completely up to date and jargon free.
The leaflets are available to order or download at: www.arthritisresearchuk.org, by email from enquiries@arthritisresearchuk.org, by telephone on 0300 790 0400 or by post by filling in a postal order form and posting to: Arthritis Research UK, PO Box 177, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 7TQ.
The University of Sheffield
With nearly 25,000 students from 125 countries, the University of Sheffield is one of the UK’s leading and largest universities. A member of the Russell Group, it has a reputation for world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.
The University of Sheffield has been named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards for its exceptional performance in research, teaching, access and business performance. In addition, the University has won four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes (1998, 2000, 2002, 2007). These prestigious awards recognise outstanding contributions by universities and colleges to the United Kingdom’s intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. Sheffield also boasts five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and many of its alumni have gone on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence around the world.
The University’s research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls Royce, Unilever, Boots, AstraZeneca, GSK, ICI, Slazenger, and many more household names, as well as UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.
The University has well-established partnerships with a number of universities and major corporations, both in the UK and abroad. Its partnership with Leeds and York Universities in the White Rose Consortium has a combined research power greater than that of either Oxford or Cambridge.
Contact
For further information please contact:
Amy Pullan
Media Relations Officer
The University of Sheffield
0114 222 9859
a.l.pullan@sheffield.ac.uk