Please call the press office on 01509 223491 to arrange an interview with Dr Hibbah Araba Osei-Kwasi. Bookings can also be made online at globelynx.com.
Dr Hibbah Osei-Kwasi is a Public Health Nutrition academic. Hibbah has a BSc in Community Nutrition from the University for Development Studies, Ghana. She obtained a master's degree with distinction in Nutrition and Rural Development from Ghent University, Belgium, and a PhD in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Sheffield. Prior to commencing her PhD at the University of Sheffield, Hibbah worked as a Researcher at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Ghana, where she was involved in various nutrition and intervention research.
Following the completion of her PhD, Hibbah took up a position as a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield where she worked on global public health nutrition projects in Ghana and Kenya. This was followed by a lectureship position in Public Health Nutrition at the Clinical Science and Nutrition Department at the University of Chester. Hibbah was then awarded the prestigious AXA post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Sheffield to explore culinary practices of African immigrant women in Greater Manchester and their readiness to prevent overweight/obesity (2019-2022). She joined Loughborough University as a lecturer in 2022, and was promoted to senior lecturer in 2024.
Hibbah has an interest in global health and nutrition issues in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). She also has specialist research interests in dietary behaviours and behaviour change interventions for people of African and Caribbean origin (Black Minority ethnic groups). Hibbah’s research cuts across nutrition, psychology, and public health.
Current/past research projects
- Evaluation of the clinical impact and cost-utility of a comprehensive digital diabetes self-management platform. NIHR MANC. Role Co-Investigator (2023-2025).
- A co-designed food intervention to promote healthy ageing in ethnic minorities. TANGERINE. (2022-2024) MRC Ageing Awards. Role: Co-investigator.
- Towards healthier culinary practices among Ghanaian women. AXA research fellowship (2019-2022).
- Sahara Total Lifestyle Challenge: A pilot diet and lifestyle intervention for African and Caribbean people in Greater Manchester. Funded by the Global Majority fund and the Caribbean and Health Network, Greater Manchester (2021-2022) Role: Principal Investigator.
- Cooking as part of Sustainable Food System. Funded by Global Challenges Research Fund. Funded by GCRF. Role: Co- Investigator.
- Developing tools to implement and evaluate interventions to promote healthy diets in Ghana that prevent all forms of malnutrition funded by HEFCE Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). Role: Co- Investigator.
- External Examiner MSc Global Health Management, University of Greenwich. 2023-2025.
- Hibbah is the co-chair of a special interest group: Diet and Health of Ethnic Minority groups, launched by The Nutrition Society, UK, in July 2022.
- Having has worked with various African and Caribbean groups for the last 10 years, Hibbah continues to work these groups and communities, providing community nutrition support and engaging with them in various research. Hibbah facilitates and hosts a weekly nutrition and lifestyle education programme (Healthy Hearts from 2020 and ongoing) for African and Caribbean communities in the UK in collaboration with the Caribbean and African Health Network. All sessions are streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.
- International Expert on the Healthier Diets for Healthy Lives (HD4HL) Ghana. 2022.
Invited lectures/keynotes
- Invited speaker, Institute of Advanced Studies, UCL. "Food practices of Ghanaian immigrants in the UK" at a workshop on Chronicity and Care in Britain’s African Communities in London. 2023.
- Keynote speaker at the 4th International Symposium on Nutrition (ISN 2022): "Non-communicable diseases and the urban environment: A focus on Ghanaian populations". (Virtual event).
- Guest speaker on the Cambridge University Press 'Brighter Thinking' Podcast, broadcast on Cam FM radio station and Spotify. Topic: "The difficulties and avenues for delivering educational offerings to minoritised-ethnic communities." (Virtual event). 2023
- Invited speaker at the She Leads for Legacy Black Women Empowerment Conference in Manchester. Presented on the topic "Health is Wealth". 2023.
- Invited speaker at the Diabetes Africa UK forum in London. Presented on “Co-produced interventions to address diabetes within among the Black communities in the UK”. 2023.
- Guest lecturer at the Nutrition Epidemiology Summer School, Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg, Germany. Presented on "Using mixed-methods to study the determinants of diet". 2022.
- Panellist at the School Meals Coalition Week organised by the World Food Programme. 2022
- Panel discussant for UN75 Expert Panel on food security as part of the UK’s largest United Nations 75th Anniversary Festival. 2020.
Learned society affiliations
- Global Society on Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Health
- Association for Nutrition - Registered Nutritionist
- Fellow of Higher Education Academy
- African Nutrition Society
- Agriculture Nutrition and Health Academy
Awards
- 2018 Recognition Award for excellent leadership, team working and exemplary professionalism by the University of Sheffield.
- 2018 Recognition Award for leadership. Nutrition module. “Feedback from the students was the most positive across the whole course. - University of Sheffield.
- 2016 Best oral presentation, SIID 7th Annual International PGR Conference, Sheffield.
- 2016 Best poster presentation, ScHARR PGR conference, University of Sheffield.
- 2011-2012 University of Ghent Fellowship for Academic Excellence, Belgium.
Visiting Titles
Adjunct Senior Lecturer - Department of Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana.
Featured publications
- Laar, A. K., Addo, P., Aryeetey, R., Agyemang, C., Zotor, F., Asiki, G., Osei-Kwasi, H.A., ... & Holdsworth, M. (2022). Perspective: Food Environment Research Priorities for Africa—Lessons from the Africa Food Environment Research Network. Advances in Nutrition, 13(3), 739-747. DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmac019
- Ismail, S.U., Asamane, E.A., Osei-Kwasi, H.A., Boateng, D. (2022). Socioeconomic Determinants of Cardiovascular Diseases, Obesity, and Diabetes among Migrants in the United Kingdom: A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19, 3070. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19053070
- Pradeilles, R., Holdsworth, M., Olaitan, O., Irache, A., Osei-Kwasi, H., Ngandu, C., & Cohen, E. (2022). Body size preferences for women and adolescent girls living in Africa: A mixed-methods systematic review. Public Health Nutrition, 25(3), 738-759. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980021000768
- Akparibo, R., Osei-Kwasi, H.A. & Asamane, E.A. (2021). Flipped learning in the context of postgraduate public health higher education: a qualitative study involving students and their tutors. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 18, 58. DOI: 10.1186/s41239-021-00294-7
- Roosen, I., Salway, S., Osei-Kwasi, H.A. (2021). Transnational social networks, health, and care: a systematic narrative literature review. Int J Equity Health 20, 138. DOI: 10.1186/s12939-021-01467-6
- Armstrong, B., Reynolds, C., Martins, C.A., Frankowska, A., Levy, R.B., Rauber, F., Osei-Kwasi, H.A., Vega, M., Cediel, G., Schmidt, X., Kluczkovski, A., Akparibo, R., Auma, C.L., Defeyter, M.A.A., Tereza da Silva, J. and Bridge, G. (2021). "Food insecurity, food waste, food behaviours and cooking confidence of UK citizens at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown", British Food Journal, Vol. 123 No. 9, pp. 2959-2978. DOI: 10.1108/BFJ-10-2020-0917
- Pradeilles, R., Irache, A., Wanjohi, M. N., Holdsworth, M., Laar, A., Zotor, F., Osei-Kwasi H.A. ... & Griffiths, P. (2021). Urban physical food environments drive dietary behaviours in Ghana and Kenya: A photovoice study. Health & Place, 71, 102647. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102647
- Osei-Kwasi, H. A., Laar, A., Zotor, F., Pradeilles, R., Aryeetey, R., Green, M., ... & Holdsworth, M. (2021). The African urban food environment framework for creating healthy nutrition policy and interventions in urban Africa. Plos one, 16(4), e0249621. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249621
- Osei-Kwasi, H., Mohindra, A., Booth, A., Laar, A., Wanjohi, M., Graham, F., . . . Holdsworth, M. (2020). Factors influencing dietary behaviours in urban food environments in Africa: A systematic mapping review. Public Health Nutrition, 23(14), 2584-2601. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980019005305
- Holdsworth, M., Pradeilles, R., Tandoh, A., Green, M., Wanjohi, M., Zotor, F., Osei-kwasi H.A. ... & Laar, A. (2020). Unhealthy eating practices of city-dwelling Africans in deprived neighbourhoods: evidence for policy action from Ghana and Kenya. Global food security, 26, 100452. DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100452
- Rousham, E., Pradeilles, R., Akparibo, R., Aryeetey, R., Bash, K., Booth, A., Osei-Kwasi H.A. ... Holdsworth, M. (2020). Dietary behaviours in the context of nutrition transition: A systematic review and meta-analyses in two African countries. Public Health Nutrition, 23(11), 1948-1964. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980019004014
- Reynolds, C., Schmidt Rivera, X., Frankowska, A., Kluczkovski, A., Bridle, S. L., Martins, C., Osei-Kwasi H.A. ... & Mensah, D. (2020). Cooking as part of a global sustainable food system - a 6 country pilot survey.
- Green, M. A., Pradeilles, R., Laar, A., Osei-Kwasi, H., Bricas, N., Coleman, N., ... & Holdsworth, M. (2020). Investigating foods and beverages sold and advertised in deprived urban neighbourhoods in Ghana and Kenya: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 10(6), e035680. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035680
- Osei-Kwasi, H. A., Boateng, D., Danquah, I., Holdsworth, M., Mejean, C., Terragni, L., ... & Beune, E. (2019). Acculturation and food intake among Ghanaian migrants in Europe: Findings from the RODAM study. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.09.004
- Boateng, D., Galbete, C., Nicolaou, M., Meeks, K., Beune, E., Smeeth, L., Osei-Kwasi, H.A. ... & Spranger, J. (2019). Dietary Patterns Are Associated with Predicted 10-Year Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Ghanaian Populations: the Research on Obesity and Diabetes in African Migrants (RODAM) Study. The Journal of Nutrition, 149(5), 755-769. DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxz002
- Osei-Kwasi, H. A., Nicolaou, M., Powell, K., & Holdsworth, M. (2019). “I cannot sit here and eat alone when I know a fellow Ghanaian is suffering”: Perceptions of food insecurity among Ghanaian migrants. Appetite, 140, 190-196. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.05.018
- Osei-Kwasi, H.A., Powell, K., Nicolaou, M. and Holdsworth, M. (2017). The influence of migration on dietary practices of Ghanaians living in the United Kingdom: a qualitative study. Annals of Human Biology, 44(5), p.454-463. DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2017.1333148
- Holdsworth, M., Nicolaou, M., Langøien, L.J., Osei-Kwasi, H.A., Chastin, S.F., Stok, F.M., Capranica, L., Lien, N., Terragni, L., Monsivais, P. and Mazzocchi, M. (2017). Developing a systems-based framework of the factors influencing dietary and physical activity behaviours in ethnic minority populations living in Europe-a DEDIPAC study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), p.154. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-017-0608-6
- Gissing, S.C., Pradeilles, R., Osei-Kwasi, H.A., Cohen, A., Holdsworth, M. (2017). Drivers of dietary behaviors in women living in urban Africa – a systematic mapping review. Public Health Nutrition, p1-10. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980017000970
- Osei-Kwasi, H.A, Nicolaou, M. K. Powell, L. Terragni, L. Maes, K. Stronks, Holdsworth, M. (2016). Systematic mapping review of the factors influencing dietary behaviour in ethnic minority groups living in Europe: a DEDIPAC study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Actitivity, 13(1): p.1. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-016-0412-8
- Saeed H.A, Mogendi J. B, Akparibo R, Kolsteren P. (2015). Reliability of Mid-Upper Arm Circumference Measurements taken by community health nurses. Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science, 3(1). DOI: 10.12944/CRNFSJ.3.1.04
- Mogendi, J. B., De Steur, H., Gellynck, X., Saeed, H.A, & Makokha, A. (2015). Efficacy of mid-upper arm circumference in identification, follow-up and discharge of malnourished children during nutrition rehabilitation. Nutrition Research and Practice, 9(3): p. 268-277. DOI: 10.4162%2Fnrp.2015.9.3.268