Dr Jean Peters PhD, MPH, DMS, BTech, FFPH

School of Health and Related Research
Section of Public Health
The University of Sheffield
Regent Court
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA

email : j.peters@sheffield.ac.uk

Biography

I joined the University of Sheffield in 1994 initially as a researcher and was closely involved in carrying out both primary and secondary research and in teaching undergraduates and post graduates for twelve years. In 2000 I became a Senior Lecturer in Public Health and in 2006 I semi-retired and became an Honorary Senior Lecturer. Currently, I do a limited amount of teaching, PhD supervision, examining, consultancy, and research programme evaluation for government bodies.

I joined the University of Sheffield in 1994 initially as a researcher and was closely involved in carrying out both primary and secondary research and in teaching undergraduates and post graduates for twelve years. In 2000 I became a Senior Lecturer in Public Health and in 2006 I semi-retired and became an Honorary Senior Lecturer. Currently, I do a limited amount of teaching, PhD supervision, examining, consultancy, and research programme evaluation for government bodies.

Research Interests

My research interests are around the wider determinants of health and the impact of inequalities in such determinants upon people´s health and their access to, and use of health care services. I am interested in the impact on communities, such as deprived communities, urban versus rural communities, and work communities. From another perspective my focus has been on health inequalities for those with specific health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, and renal disease.

During my career I have used all of the standard quantitative research designs and most of the recognised methods for data collection including physical measurement, questionnaires, focus groups, Delphi techniques, interviews, and model building. My research has been primarily carried out in the UK, but I have led research studies in Japan and Hong Kong during my residence in both of these places.

Teaching Interests

My current teaching focus is on critical appraisal; promoting its use and role in evidence-based medicine and teaching people the skills to critically appraisal evidence and interpret the outcome to address a health problem.

Key Publications

Peters J, Parry GD, Van Cleemput P, Moore JM, Cooper CL, Walters SJ. Health and use of health services: a comparison of Gypsies and Travellers and other ethnic groups. J Ethnicity and Health 2009; doi: 10.1080/13557850802699130

Peters R, Peters J, Warner J, Beckitt N, Bulpitt C. Alcohol, dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly: a systematic review. Age and Ageing, 2008; doi:10.1093/ageing/afn095

Peters J, Goyder E. Tackling health inequalities at the community level: Neighbourhood Renewal and the New Deal for Communities. In `Public Health Evidence Tackling Health Inequalities´. Eds. Killoran A, Swann C, Kelly MP. Oxford: OUP, 2006