Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo

Dr Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo BA Hons, MSc, ScD, FHEA

Associate Professor in Social Epidemiology and Global Health

Key details

Dr Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo

Associate Professor in Social Epidemiology and Global Health

Kafui joined the University of Greenwich in 2020.

She 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 has taught 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.

Posts held previously

  • 2018 - 2020 Research Associate (Social Demography/Epidemiology) for Institute for Advanced Studies at University College London
  • 2016 - 2017 Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (Tufts University), Regional Institute for Population Studies at University of Ghana, Legon
  • 2016 Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School for Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Program in Global Non-Communicable Diseases and Social Change
  • 2012 - 2014 Teaching Assistant & Content Developer (part-time) at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
  • 2011 - 2012 Cancer Control in Public Health Research Fellow at Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Public health

Responsibilities within the university
  • Associate Professor in Social Epidemiology and Global Health
  • Careers and Employability Officer for Public Health
  • Dissertation supervisor for MSc Global Public Health
  • Module Leader for undergraduate and postgraduate modules
  • Personal Tutor

Awards

University College London Excellence in Health Research Prize Runner Up, 2019

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
  • Reviewer for Medical Research Foundation
  • Member of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Academy

Research / Scholarly interests

Kafui is interested in social and contextual determinants of health, global health and chronic/non-communicable diseases, especially 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’, Amount awarded: £248,500
  • 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’, Amount awarded: £2 million (£63,340 to UoG)
  • 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’, Amount awarded: £41,500
  • 2014-2016, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, CVD Epidemiology Training Program in Behaviour, the Environment, and Global Health, ($45,000)
  • 2015, Centre 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’, ($3,000)

Recent publications

Article

Lule, Swaib Abubaker , Boatemaa Kushitor, Sandra, Grijalva-Eternod, Carlos S., Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui , Sanuade, Olutobi Adekunle , Kushitor, Mawuli Komla , Okoibhole, Lydia , Awuah, Raphael , Baatiema, Leonard , Kretchy, Irene Akwo (2024), The contextual awareness, response and evaluation (CARE) diabetes project: study design for a quantitative survey of diabetes prevalence and non-communicable disease risk in Ga Mashie, Accra, Ghana. Taylor and Francis. In: , , , . Taylor and Francis, Global Health Action, 17: 2297513 . pp. 1-12 ISSN: 1654-9716 (Print), 1654-9880 (Online) (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2023.2297513).

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).

Dataset

Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui and , Cois, Annibale (2024), Explaining population trends in cardiovascular risk in South Africa and England 1998-2017. DataFirst: South African Medical Research Council, University of Cape Town; London and Stellenbosch: University of Greenwich and Stellenbosch University. In: , , , . DataFirst: South African Medical Research Council, University of Cape Town; London and Stellenbosch: University of Greenwich and Stellenbosch University, (doi: https://doi.org/10.25828/DKY5-R183).

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).

Video

Markowski, Marianne , Rivoal, Dominique, Dibley, Lesley, Patchay, Sandhiran , Ojo, Omorogieva , Hansjee, Dharinee , Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui (2023), Living well with chronic illness: a 10-minute summary video of the Knowledge Exchange event. Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing at the University of Greenwich. In: , , , . Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing at the University of Greenwich, (1st) (doi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCqw8cqsF74).

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