Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo

Dr Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo BA Hons, MSc, ScD

Senior Lecturer in Public Health

Key details

Dr Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo

Senior Lecturer in Public Health

Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences

Kafui is currently a Senior Lecturer in Public Health in the School of Human Sciences since 2020.

Kafui is a social epidemiologist who has experience working in academic research and teaching in the US, Ghana and UK. She has also had experience in the public sector (US). Her doctoral research examined the relationships between income inequality, social capital and risk for cardiovascular disease and depression in South Africa. Kafui's first degree was in environmental science and public policy.

Kafui is teaching on the BSc in Public Health and MSc in Global Public Health courses, including modules such as Behaviour Change and Health Promotion and Applied Epidemiology and Statistics. Kafui is interested in social and contextual determinants of health, global health and chronic/non-communicable diseases. She has a particular interest in the region of Africa and has expertise using quantitative research methods to analyse complex population surveys. She has also recently been conducting a qualitative research study on Family Histories of Chronic Disease in Coastal Ghana.

Posts held previously

2018-2020, Research Associate (Social Demography/Epidemiology), University College London, Institute for Advanced Studies:

  • Research Associate for the Wellcome-funded project, 'Chronic Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Critical History of an "Epidemiological Transition"'. 
  • Tutor for Research Methods & Evidence in Global Health & member of Centre for Global Non-Communicable Diseases at the Institute of Global Health.

2016-2017, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (Tufts University), Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Legon:

  • Led a cross-national analysis on Agricultural Trade Policies and Child Nutrition in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

2016, Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Program in Global Non-Communicable Diseases and Social Change:

  • Research Fellow for the Lancet Commission on Reframing Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries for the Poorest Billion (Lancet NCDI Poverty Commission).

2012-2014, Teaching Assistant & Content Developer (part-time), Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.

  • Teaching assistant for Society and Health modules and content developer for EdX module, Health and Society.

2011-2012, Cancer Control in Public Health Research Fellow, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

  • Led and coordinated projects analysing the National Health Interview Survey at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch.

Public health

Responsibilities within the university
  • Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Module Leader for undergraduate and postgraduate modules
  • Careers and Employability Officer for Public Health
  • Personal Tutor

Recognition
  • Certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (US)
  • Reviewer for journals such as Social Science and Medicine, Demography, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, PlosOne, and International Journal for Equity in Health
  • Member of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Academy
  • University College London Excellence in Health Research Prize Runner Up, 2019
  • Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Advanced Studies, University College London, 2020-2021

Research / Scholarly interests

Kafui is interested in social and contextual determinants of health, global health and chronic/non-communicable diseases in the Africa region. Kafui has experience using econometric methods and merging datasets to analyse large multilevel and longitudinal population surveys. She is also involved in interdisciplinary and qualitative research.

Key funded projects

  • 2021, Principal Investigator on an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded project, ‘Explaining population trends in cardiovascular risk: A comparative analysis of health transitions in South Africa and England’
  • 2020, Co-Investigator on a UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Health and Context-funded project entitled, 'Contextual Awareness, Response and Evaluation: Diabetes in Ghana'
  • 2016, Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 'Agricultural trade policy, food prices and nutritional disparities in developing countries'
  • 2014-2016, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, CVD Epidemiology Training Program in Behavior, the Environment, and Global Health
  • 2015, Center for African Studies, Harvard University, January Term Grant, 'Examining the Association between Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Income Inequality and Social Capital in South Africa Using the National Income Dynamics Study.'

Recent publications

Article

de-Graft Aikins, Ama , Sanuade, Olutobi Adekunle, Baatiema, Leonard, Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , Addo, Juliet , Agyemang, Charles (2023), How chronic conditions are understood, experienced and managed within African communities in Europe, North America and Australia: a synthesis of qualitative studies. Public Library of Science (PLoS). In: , , , . Public Library of Science (PLoS), PLoS ONE, 18: e0277325 (2) . pp. 1-32 1932-6203 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277325).

Kretchy, Irene , Okoibhole, Lydia, Sanuade, Olutobi, Jennings, Hannah , Strachan, Daniel , Blandford, Ann , Agyei, Francis , Asante, Paapa , Todowode, Olamide , Kushitor, Mawuli (2022), Scoping review of community health participatory research projects in Ghana. Taylor and Francis. In: , , , . Taylor and Francis, Global Health Action, 15: 2122304 (1) . pp. 1-12 ISSN: 1654-9716 (Print), 1654-9880 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2022.2122304).

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , de-Graft Aikins, Ama, Vaughan, Megan (2022), 'If you sell your sickness, you will get its medicine': care and intrafamilial communication for chronic diseases in southern Ghana. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Scientific African, 18: e01400 ISSN: 2468-2276 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01400).

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui and , Cois, Annibale (2022), Explaining population trends in cardiovascular risk: protocol for a comparative analysis of health transitions in South Africa and England using nationally representative survey data. BMJ Publishing Group. In: , , , . BMJ Publishing Group, BMJ Open, 12: e061034 (3) 2044-6055 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061034).

Sanuade, Olutobi , Baatiema, Leonard, Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui, de-Graft Aikins, Ama (2021), Improving stroke care in Ghana: a roundtable discussion with communities, healthcare providers, policymakers and civil society organisations. Ghana Medical Association. In: , , , . Ghana Medical Association, Ghana Medical Journal, 55 (2) . pp. 147-151 ISSN: 0016-9560 (Print), (doi: https://doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v55i2.8).

Bukhman, Gene , Mocumbi, Ana O, Atun, Rifat, Becker, Anne E , Bhutta, Zulfiqar , Binagwaho, Agnes , Clinton, Chelsea , Coates, Matthew M , Dain, Katie , Ezzati, Majid (2020), The Lancet NCDI Poverty Commission: bridging a gap in universal health coverage for the poorest billion. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, The Lancet, 396 (10256) . pp. 991-1044 ISSN: 0140-6736 (Print), 1474-547X (Online) (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31907-3) NB Item availability restricted.

Christian, Aaron K. , Sanuade, Olutobi Adekunle, Okyere, Michael Adu, Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui (2020), Social capital is associated with improved subjective well-being of older adults with chronic non-communicable disease in six low- and middle-income countries. BMC. In: , , , . BMC, Globalization and Health, 16: 2 1744-8603 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-019-0538-y).

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui and , Vaughan, Megan (2019), Reframing NCDs? An analysis of current debates. Taylor and Francis. In: , , , . Taylor and Francis, Global Health Action, 12: 1641043 (1) ISSN: 1654-9716 (Print), 1654-9880 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2019.1641043).

Coates, Matthew M. , Kamanda, Mamusu, Kintu, Alexander, Arikpo, Iwara , Chauque, Alberto , Mengesha, Melkamu Merid , Price, Alison J. , Sifuna, Peter , Wamukoya, Marylene , Sacoor, Charfudin N. (2019), A comparison of all-cause and cause-specific mortality by household socioeconomic status across seven INDEPTH network health and demographic surveillance systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Taylor & Francis. In: , , , . Taylor & Francis, Global Health Action, 12: 1608013 (1) ISSN: 1654-9716 (Print), 1654-9880 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2019.1608013).

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , Vollmer, Sebastian, Avendano, Mauricio, Harttgen, Kenneth (2019), Agricultural trade policies and child nutrition in low- and middle-income countries: a cross-national analysis. Springer Nature. In: , , , . Springer Nature, Globalization and Health, 15: 21 1744-8603 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-019-0463-0).

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , Kawachi, Ichiro, Subramanian, S. V., Avendano, Mauricio (2018), Income inequality and cardiovascular disease risk factors in a highly unequal country: a fixed-effects analysis from South Africa. Springer Nature. In: , , , . Springer Nature, International Journal for Equity in Health, 17: 31 1475-9276 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-018-0741-0).

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , Kawachi, Ichiro, Subramanian, S. V., Avendano, Mauricio (2017), High social trust associated with increased depressive symptoms in a longitudinal South African sample. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Social Science & Medicine, 197 . pp. 127-135 0277-9536 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.12.003).

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , Avendano, Mauricio, Subramanian, S V, Kawachi, Ichiro (2016), Income inequality and depressive symptoms in South Africa: a longitudinal analysis of the national income dynamics study. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Health and Place, 42 . pp. 37-46 ISSN: 1353-8292 (Print), 1353-8292 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.08.013) NB Item availability restricted.

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , Avendano, Mauricio, Subramanian, S V, Kawachi, Ichiro (2016), Income inequality and depressive symptoms in South Africa: a longitudinal analysis of the National Income Dynamics study. Elsevier. In: , , , . Elsevier, Health & Place, 42 . pp. 37-46 ISSN: 1353-8292 (Print), 1353-8292 (Online) (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.08.013) NB Item availability restricted.

Book section

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui and , Kawachi, Ichiro (2022), Global inequalities: the impact on health. Routledge. In: , , In: Vincent La Placa, Julia Morgan (eds.), Social Science Perspectives on Global Public Health. Routledge, London (1st Edition) . ISBN: 9781003128373 (doi: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003128373-5).

Vaughan, Megan and , Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui (2021), Introduction. UCL Press. In: , , In: Megan Vaughan, Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Marissa Mika (eds.), Epidemiological Change and Chronic Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: Social and historical perspectives. UCL Press, London, UK (1st) . pp. 1-38 . ISBN: 9781787357068; 9781787357051; 9781787357044; 9781787357075; 9781787357082 (doi: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781787357044).

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui and , (2021), Validity of measures for chronic disease in African settings. UCL Press. In: , , In: Megan Vaughan, Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Marisa Mika (eds.), Epidemiological Change and Chronic Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: social and historical perspectives. UCL Press, London (1st) . pp. 181-211 . ISBN: 9781787357068; 9781787357051; 9781787357044; 9781787357075; 9781787357082 (doi: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781787357044).

Edited book

Vaughan, Megan , Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui, Mika, Marissa (2021), Epidemiological Change and Chronic Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: Social and Historical Perspectives. UCL Press. In: , , , . UCL Press, London . ISBN: 9781787357068 (doi: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10117924/1/Epidemiological-Change-and-Chronic-Disease-in-Sub-Saharan-Africa.pdf).

Other

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , Kintu, Alex, Saxena, Akshar, Anyona, Mamka , Bhatia, Amiya , Lopez, Gilberto , Frank, Sarah , Syed, Azhra , McDonell, Claire , Gupta, Neil (2016), PROSPERO 2016 CRD42016052177. Systematic review of the burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries among the world's poorest billion people. National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - The International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). In: , , , . National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - The International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), Leeds, UK (1st) (doi: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42016052177).

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