What was your PhD about?
My PhD explored the effectiveness and suitability of social isolation and loneliness interventions for older people from minoritised ethnic groups living in the UK using a mixed-methods approach, conducted in four iterative phases: (1) Quantitative analysis of survey data, (2) In-depth interviews with older minoritised people, (3) a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis of community based group interventions, and (4) secondary data analysis of qualitative data. Through a cross-study synthesis, I established that for community-based interventions for social isolation and loneliness to be suitable and acceptable for older minoritised people, they would need to be tailored to aspects of their identities that they value and provide opportunities for them to connect based on these aspects of identity and activities that they find meaningful.
What motivated you to do a PhD on this topic?
Many minoritised ethnic people experience health and socioeconomic inequalities across their life course. These inequalities increase the vulnerability of older minoritised ethnic people to poor health, late-life poverty, and poor quality of life, all of which are risk factors for social isolation and loneliness. Yet, in public discourse, there were strongly held assumptions that older minoritised ethnic people were protected from loneliness because they live in large, intergenerational households with family members meeting all their needs. Furthermore, older minoritised ethnic people were missing from policy debates because they were perceived to be small in number and/or that they returned to their home countries after retirement. I was motivated to dispel these myths and gain a better understanding of who was at risk of social isolation and loneliness and why, what works to reduce loneliness and social isolation and which interventions were suitable and acceptable for older people from minoritised ethnic groups.
Why did you choose to do your PhD at the EPPI Centre?
The EPPI Centre is home to experts in evidence synthesis. Since a large component of my doctoral research involved conducting a mixed methods systematic review as well as bringing together evidence from different research paradigms, it was important for me to be based in a centre conducting innovative research on evidence synthesis. I received advanced training in conducting different types of reviews and how to coherently integrate the quantitative and qualitative phases of my study with the mixed method systematic review in order to address my research objectives. I also benefited from events and seminars delivered by multidisciplinary researchers, academics and professionals within the centre and in the wider UCL community, particularly the Thomas Corum Research Unit which has experts in migration and family research.
What challenges did you face during your PhD, and how did you overcome them?
Given that the mixed methods systematic review was a major part of my research, it was important to understand the target population in order to build a conceptual framework which I would use to guide the review. However, the sparse literature on older people from minoritised ethnic groups meant that I needed to conduct preliminary research on older minoritised people before conducting the review. Consequently, I began my research with the quantitative exploration of the friendship networks of older minoritised people. However, due to the small numbers of older minoritised people in my analysis and the lack of appropriate variables in the dataset I chose, I was unable to draw concrete conclusions. Therefore, I followed up the quantitative exploration with in-depth interviews with older minoritised people to understand their social networks. Thus, my mixed methods research design was very much influenced by the scant literature in this field and poor research infrastructure.
What have you been doing since completing your PhD, and how has your PhD informed this?
Following my PhD, I worked as a Research Fellow on a three-year, Health Foundation funded project exploring ethnic inequalities in healthcare for people with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs). The project found that minoritised ethnic people with MLTCs are disadvantaged at every stage of their health journey. My PhD provided me with a deep understanding of ethnic inequalities in health across the life course which was crucial for this role. Upon completion of the project, I secured a post as a Presidential Research Fellow at City St George’s, University of London. The post provided me with the space to build on my ideas about how best to address ethnic inequalities in MLTCs. In 2024, I successfully applied for the Wellcome Trust Accelerator award and will be exploring the lived experiences and needs of minoritised ethnic people with MLTCs to identify the ways in which they want to be supported.
What advice would you give to future PhD students considering study at the EPPI Centre?
Take advantage of the variety of events, courses and seminars on offer as well as the multidisciplinary experts within the centre. Also, contribute your research ideas when given the opportunity and obtain feedback from academics, researchers professionals and students within the centre. Lastly, research is not a linear process, and you may encounter issues that knock you off your well-planned research pathway. Be ready to adapt and seek support from the EPPI Centre team who are there to guide you. Remember that addressing these challenges will help you grow as a researcher and, ultimately, enrich your research journey.