Public Health : Staff

Richard Edwards, MB BCHir, MRCP, MFPH (UK), MPH, MD

Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology

Contact details

Tel: 64 4 385 5541 ext 5089 (work) mobile 021 254 1680
E-mail: richard.edwards@otago.ac.nz

Summary

Richard is trained as a public health physician in the UK, and is employed as a senior lecturer in epidemiology. He is the course convenor for the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Paper of the Diploma of Public Health at the University of Otago.

His research interests include:

Recent completed research projects have included: leading an the evaluation of the 2003 Smokefree Amendment Act in New Zealand (add link); air quality studies in hospitality venues and cars in New Zealand and the UK; and a case control study of the link between living close to heavy industry and lung cancer in the north-east of England.

He is Principal Investigator for:

Pursuing the endgame for tobacco supply:how to communicate cutting edge policy options to key audiences

This 2 year project is funded by the Marsden Fund and aims to explore the understanding and reaction of the public, policy makers and journalists to novel and cutting-edge tobacco control interventions including the concept of a not-for-profit tobacco supply process; and to develop and evaluate methods of framing and communicating the concept and related arguments with these audiences.

Developing strategies to reduce smoking uptake and SHS exposure of NZ children

This project is funded by the Health Research Council within the Partnership Programme with the Ministry of Health. The aim of the project is to develop empirically based explanatory models, change strategies and community intervention strategies for smoking initiation and the exposure of children to SHS in NZ, focusing on Māori communities.

Other research includes supervising a qualitative study of health beliefs among patients with diabetes and their carers in Tanzania which is being carried out by Lucy Nguma. He is also carrying out research into the impact of secondhand smoke exposure on air quality in various settings such as outdoor areas in the hospitality industry and cars. 

He is a co-investigator on the HRC funded New Zealand arm of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Project led by Nick Wilson of HePPRU, and on the HRC funded ‘Policymaking to reduce smoking around children’ project’ led by George Thomson of HePPRU.

Richard is a consultant for the Cameroon Burden of Diabetes development and research project based in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He is a member of the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory group, and of the New Zealand Tobacco Control Research Steering group.

His teaching responsibilities include convening the DPH course PUBH 701 – 'Introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics’.
 

Selected recent publications

Refereed Journal Articles

Edwards R, Thornton J, Ajit R, Harrison, R, Kelly R. Smoking and open-angle glaucoma: a systematic review. In press Journal of Glaucoma.
Britton J, Edwards R. Tobacco smoking, harm reduction and nicotine product regulation. In press The Lancet.

Edwards R, Thomson G, Wilson N, Waa A, Bullen C, O’Dea D, Gifford H, Glover M, Laugesen M, Woodward A. After the smoke has cleared: Evaluation of the impact of a new national smokefree law in New Zealand. In press Tobacco Control.

Wilson N, Sertsou G, Edwards R, Thomson G, Grigg M, Li J. A new national smokefree law increased calls to a national quitline. BMC Public Health 2007;7:75.

Wilson N, Edwards R, Maher A, Näthe J, Jalali R. National smokefree law in New Zealand improves air quality inside bars, pubs and restaurants. BMC Public Health. 2007; 7:85 (18 May 2007).

Thornton J, Edwards R, Harrison R, Elton P, Astbury N, Kelly S. ‘Smoke gets in your eyes’: a research-informed professional education and advocacy programme. In press (Journal of Public Health).

Sahu A, Edwards R, Harrison RA, Thornton J, Kelly SP.  Attitudes and behaviour of ophthalmologists to smoking cessation. In press Eye.

Edwards R, McElduff P, Jenner D, Heller R, Langley J. Smoking, smoking cessation, and use of smoking cessation aids and support services in South Derbyshire. In Press Public Health.

Thornton J, Harrison R, Kelly SP, Edwards R. Cigarette smoking and thyroid eye disease: a systematic review. In press Eye.

Gemmell I, Heller R F, Payne K, Edwards R, Roland M, Durrington P The potential population impact of the UK Government strategy for reducing the burden of coronary heart disease in England: comparing primary and secondary prevention strategies. Quality and Safety in Health Care 2006: 5 (5): 339-343.

Heller RF,Gemmell I, Edwards R, McElduff P, Buchan I, Awasthi S, Volmink J. Using Population Impact Measures to prioritise interventions for Tuberculosis. BMC Medicine 2006, 4:35 (20 Dec 2006).

Edwards R,Pless-Mulloli T, Howel D, Chadwick T, Bhopal, Harrison R, Gribbin H. Does living near heavy industry cause lung cancer in women? A case control study using life grid interviews.Thorax 2006; 61: 1076 – 1082.

Kamadjeu RM, Edwards R, Atanga JS, Kiawi EC, Unwin N, Mbanya JC. Anthropometry measures and prevalence of obesity in the urban adult population of Cameroon: an update from the Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Baseline Survey. BMC Public Health 2006, 6 :228 (13 September 2006).

Sahu A, Edwards R, Harrison RA, Thornton J, Kelly SP. Attitudes and behaviour of ophthalmologists to smoking cessation. In press Ey.

Edwards R, McElduff P, Harrison RA , Elton P, Watson K. Pleasure or pain? A profile of smokers in Northern England. Public Health 2006; 120:760-8.

Gee, IL, Watson, A.F.R., Carrington, J., Edwards, P.R., van Tongeren, M, McElduff, P. and Edwards, R.E. Second hand smoke levels in UK pubs and bars: will the White Paper proposals protect bar staff? Journal of Public Health. 2006; 28: 17-23.

Harrison RA, McElduff P, Edwards R et al. Planning to win: health and lifestyle factors associated with physical activity amongst 15,423 adults. Public Health 2006 ; 120 : 206-212 .

Kiawi E, Edwards R, Shu J, Unwin N, Kamedjeu R, Mbanya JC. Health beliefs, perceptions, knowledge and practices relative to diabetes and its major risk factors among urban residents in Cameroon: a qualitative survey . Ethnicity and disease 2006;16: 503-509.

Edwards R, Hasselholdt CP, Hargreaves K Probert C, Holford R, Hart J, Van Tongeren M, Watson AFR. Levels of second hand smoke in pubs and bars by deprivation and food-serving status: a cross-sectional study from North West England. BMC Public Health 2006, 6 :42. . 

Kelly SP, Thornton J, Edwards R, Sahu A, Harrison R. Smoking and cataract: review of causal association. Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2005;31: 2395-2404.

Tocque K,Edwards R, Fullard B. The impact of partial smokefree legislation on health inequalities? Evidence from a survey of 1150 pubs in North West England. BMC Public Health 2005; 5 :91 (1 September 2005).

Gemmell I, Heller RF, McElduff P, Payne K, Butler G, Edwards R, Roland M, Durrington P. The population impact of pharmacological and lifestyle interventions over one year in patients with coronary heart disease. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2005: 59:1041-6.

Pless-Mulloli T, Edwards R, Howel D, Wood R, Paepke O, Hermann T. Does long term residency near industry have an impact on the body burden of Polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins, -furans and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in older women? Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2005; 62: 895-901.

Thornton J, Kelly SP, Edwards R, Buchan I, Harrison R, Mitchell P. Smoking and age-related macular degeneration: a review of association. Eye 2005; 19:935-944.

Bidwell G, Sahu A, Edwards R, Harrison R, Thornton J, Kelly SP. Perceptions of blindness related to smoking: a hospital based cross-sectional study. Eye 2005; 19:945-948.

McElduff P, Edwards R, Burns JA, Young RJ, Heller R, Long B, Jones G, New JP. Comparison of processes and intermediate outcomes between South Asian and European patients with diabetes in Blackburn, Northwest England. Diabetic Medicine 2005; 22: 1226-1233.

Books

Britton J, Edwards R, (eds) on behalf of the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians. Harm reduction in nicotine addiction: helping people who can’t quit. London: Royal College of Physicians of London, 2007.

Britton J, Edwards R, (eds) on behalf of the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians. Going smoke-free: the medical case for clean air in the home, at work and in public places , pp 51-62. London: Royal College of Physicians of London, 2005.

Book Chapters

Edwards R. Control of environmental tobacco smoke exposure in the workplace. In Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians, ed. Going smoke-free: the medical case for clean air in the home, at work and in public places , pp 51-62. London: Royal College of Physicians of London, 2005.

Edwards R. The problem of tobacco smoking, Chapter 1: In: Britton J ed. ABC of Smoking Cessation. BMJ Books, London: 2004.)

Walker R, Edwards R. Hypertension. In: Parry E, , Godfrey R, Mabey D, Gill G (eds). Principles of Medicine in Africa (3 rd Ed). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 2004.

Recent reports

Edwards R, Bullen C, O'Dea D, Glover M, et al. After the Smoke has Cleared: Evaluation of the Impact of a New Smokefree Law . New Zealand Ministry of Health, Wellington: December 2006.

Anang S, Ng B, Quegley M, et al. Cigarettes and candy. The Cancer Society of New Zealand.

Selected other recent publications

Wilson N, Peace J, Thomson G, Edwards R. The prevalence of misleading tobacco descriptors in the New Zealand tobacco market. N Z Med J 2007;120:U2497.

Wilson N, Edwards R, Mansoor O. Economics can be good for health: need for rational policy without the influence of vested interests. N Z Med J 2007;120:U2757. 

Wilson N, Thomson G, Edwards R. Lessons from Hong Kong and other countries for outdoor smokefree areas in New Zealand? N Z Med J 2007;120:U2624.

Edwards R, Wilson N, Pierce N. Highly hazardous air quality associated with smoking in cars: New Zealand pilot study N Z Med J 2006;119:U2294. .

Wilson N, Thomson G, Edwards R. Should New Zealand's Commerce Commission act on cigarette brand name deception? N Z Med J 2006;119:U2295. .

Kamadjeu RM, Edwards R, Atanga JS, Unwin N, Kiawi EC, Mbanya JC. Prevalence awareness and management of hypertension in Cameroon. Journal of Human Hypertension 2006; 20:91-92.

Edwards R, Coleman T. Going smoke-free: the medical case for clean air in the home, at work and in public places. Clinical Medicine 2005; 5(6):548-50

Edwards R, van Tongeren M, Watson A, Gee I, Edwards R. Environmental Tobacco Smoke: UK workplace regulations leave hospitality trade workforce unprotected. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2004; 61: 385-6.

Kelly S, Thornton J, Lyratzopoulos G, Edwards R, Mitchell P. Smoking and Blindness: Strong evidence for the link, but public awareness lags British Medical Journal 2004: 328 : 537-538.

^ Top of page