Ben Wheeler

Research interests

I am a research fellow with the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry.  Previous research posts have been with the Department of Social Medicine at Bristol, Geography at Sheffield, and Earth Sciences at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.

My main research interest is the interplay between environment, socio-economic status and public health, with particular regard to health inequalities and informing health and environmental policy. Key methodologies include the application of Geographic Information Systems and spatial analysis to study these issues and the use of large, national and international secondary datasets.  I am also interested in developing methods for applying Global Positioning System (GPS) and other technologies in the study of environment and health and wellbeing.

Current Projects

I am developing work in a number of areas with colleagues from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter, and elsewhere. These include:

• The Blue Gym
• The Outdoors and Health Network
• Wellbeing and outdoor/aquatic environments
• The built environment, ecosystem services and public health
• Oceans and human health

Past Projects

• PEACH (Personal and Environmental Associations with Children’s Health) A project in Bristol funded by the National Preventive Research Initiative and the World Cancer Research Fund. My role included merging and analysing data from GPS receivers and accelerometers worn for several days by study participants.
• Using routine datasets to investigate the impact of pharmaceutical regulatory action on population health. A project funded by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) using large secondary datasets including the Hospital Episode Statistics.
• Worldmapper – using novel methods to visualise international social and environmental datasets from sources such as the UN, WHO and the World Bank.
• Projects funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on the geography of inequality in Britain (see http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/research/life_in_britain.htm and http://www.sasi.group.shef.ac.uk/research/transformation/index.html)
• Projects at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, working with the Ministry of Health on various issues including: geographical and ethnic inequalities in cancer screening services; geography of problem gambling and gambling opportunities; rural general medical services provision.
• The association between health inequalities and environmental inequalities in England and Wales (MRC-funded doctoral research, Bristol University).

Publications

Peer Reviewed Papers

Lachowycz, K, Jones, AP, Page, AS, Wheeler, BW, Cooper, AR (Online 1/2012) What can global positioning systems tell us about the contribution of different types of urban greenspace to children’s physical activity? Health & Place http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.01.006

Wheeler, BW, Allen, J, Depledge, MH and Curnow, A (2012) Radon and skin cancer in south west England: an ecological study. Epidemiology 23 (1) doi: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e31823b6139

Chang, SS, Sterne, JAC, Wheeler, BW, Lu, T-H, Lin, J-J and Gunnell, D (In Press) Geography of suicide in Taiwan: spatial patterning and socioeconomic correlates. Health & Place, doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2011.1001.1003.

Gunnell, D, Wheeler, BW, Chang, S-S, Thomas, B, Sterne, JAC & Dorling, D (In Press) Changes in the geography of suicide in young males: England and Wales 1981 to 2005. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. doi:10.1136/jech.2009.104000

Fahmy E, Gordon D, Dorling D, Rigby J, Wheeler B (2011) Poverty and place in Britain, 1968 – 99. Environment and Planning A 43(3) 594-617. doi:10.1068/a4388

Wheeler, BW, Cooper, AR, Page, AS, Jago, R, (2010) Greenspace and children's physical activity: a GPS/GIS analysis of the PEACH project. Prev. Med. 51(2):148-52

Metcalfe C, Wheeler BW, Gunnell D, Martin RM (2010) International regulatory activity restricting COX-2 inhibitor use and deaths due to gastrointestinal haemorrhage and myocardial infarction. Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety 19(8):778-85 doi:10.1002/pds.1957

 Cooper, AR, Page, AS, Wheeler, BW, Hillsdon, M, Griew, P, Jago, R, (2010). Patterns of GPS measured time outdoors after school and objective physical activity in English children: the PEACH project. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 7:31. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-7-31

 Martin RM, Wheeler, BW, Metcalfe C, Gunnell D. (2010) What was the immediate impact on population-health of the recent fall in hormone  replacement therapy prescribing in England?: ecological study. Journal of Public Health 32(4): 555-564 doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdq021

 Chang SS, Gunnell D, Wheeler BW, Yip P, Sterne JA (2010). The evolution of the epidemic of charcoal-burning suicide in Taiwan: a spatial and temporal analysis. PLoS Med 7(1): e1000212

 Cooper, AR, Page, AS, Wheeler, BW, Griew, PJ, Davis, L, Hillsdon, M & Jago, RP (2010) Mapping the walk to school using accelerometry combined with GPS. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 38(2);178-83.

 Wheeler, BW, Metcalfe, C, Gunnell, DJ, Stephens, P & Martin, RM (2009) Population impact of regulatory activity restricting prescribing of COX-2 inhibitors: ecological study. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 68(5); 752-64. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2125.2009.03500.x

 Wheeler, BW, Metcalfe, C, Martin, RM & Gunnell, DJ (2009) International impacts of regulatory action to limit antidepressant prescribing on rates of suicide in young people. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 18(7) 579-88

 Wheeler, BW, Gunnell, DJ, Metcalfe, C, Stephens, P & Martin, RM (2008) The population impact on incidence of suicide and non-fatal self harm of regulatory action against the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in under 18s in the United Kingdom: ecological study. BMJ 336(7643); 542-545.

 Dorling, D, Barford, A & Wheeler, B (2007) Health impacts of an environmental disaster: a polemic. Environmental Research Letters 2; 1-11.

 Dorling, D, Wheeler, B, Shaw, M & Mitchell, R (2007) Counting the 21st Century Children of Britain: the extent of advantage and disadvantage. 21st Century Society: Journal of the Academy of Social Sciences 2(2); 173-189.

 Pearce, J, Dorling, D, Wheeler, BW, Barnett, R & Rigby, J (2006) Geographical inequalities in health in New Zealand, 1980-2001: the gap widens. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 30(5); 461-466.

 Wheeler, BW, Rigby, J & Huriwai, T (2006) Pokies and poverty: problem gambling risk factor geography in New Zealand. Health & Place 12 (1); 86-96.

 Ballas, D, Clarke, G, Dorling, D, Rigby, J and Wheeler, B (2006) Using geographical information systems and spatial microsimulation for the analysis of health inequalities, Health Informatics J, 12(1); 65-79.

 Wheeler, BW & Ben-Shlomo, Y (2005) Environmental equity, air quality, socioeconomic status and respiratory health: a linkage analysis of routine data from the Health Survey for England. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 59(11); 948-954.

 Wheeler, BW (2004) Health-related environmental indices and environmental equity in England and Wales. Environment & Planning A, 36(5); 803-822.

 Lawlor, DA, Maxwell, R & Wheeler, BW (2002), Rurality, deprivation, and excess winter mortality: an ecological study, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 56(5); 373-374.

Books & Reports

 Shaw, M, Wheeler, BW, Mitchell, R & Dorling, D 'Health and disability', in Ridge, T & Wright, S (Eds.), Understanding inequality, poverty and wealth: Policies and prospects. Bristol: The Policy Press, 2008.

 Dorling, D, Rigby, J, Wheeler, B, Ballas, D, Thomas, B, Fahmy, E, Gordon, D & Lupton, R (2007) Poverty, wealth and place in Britain 1968 to 2005, Bristol: The Policy Press.

 Shaw, M, Galobardes, B, Lawlor, DA, Lynch, J, Wheeler, B & Davey Smith, G (2007) Handbook of Measures of Socioeconomic Position and Inequalities, Bristol: The Policy Press.

 Wheeler, BW, Shaw, M, Mitchell, R & Dorling, D (2005) Life in Britain: Using millennial Census data to understand poverty, inequality and place. Bristol: Policy Press.

 Wheeler, BW & Rigby, J (2003) Problem gambling geography of New Zealand  Public Health Intelligence Applications Laboratory, School of Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, NZ [Report to NZ Ministry of Health].

 Rigby J, Wheeler, BW & Mason, K (2003) Variations in the Uptake of Cervical and Breast Screening Services for National Screening Unit, Ministry of Health NZ. 45 pages.

 Other Publications

 Wheeler, BW (2010) Health and Wellbeing at the Coast. Invited editorial. PH1: Newsletter of the NHS Public Health training programme. September 2010.

 Wheeler, BW (2010) [Book Review] Social Inequality and Public Health, S Babones (Ed.). Sociology of Health and Illness 32 (1); 167-8

 Wheeler, BW (2008) SSRIs and young suicides. GP 14/11/2008; 39.

 Fahmy, E., Dorling, D., Rigby, J., Wheeler, B., Ballas, D., Gordon, D. & Lupton, R. (2008).

Poverty, Wealth and Place in Britain, 1968-2005. Radical Statistics, 97, 11-30.

 Cave, B, Coutts, A, Gibbs, S, Wheeler, B & Pratt, A (2007) A sustainable new community at Sherford: health impact assessment: technical report. Ben Cave Associates for Devon County Council/South Hams District Council/Devon Primary Care Trust.

 Wheeler, BW, Mitchell, R, Shaw, M & Dorling, D (2006) 2001 Census: The geography of housing in Britain. Geography Review 20 (3); 2-6.

 Wheeler, BW, Mitchell, R, Shaw, M & Dorling, D (2006) 2001 Census: The geography of education in Britain. Geography Review 20 (1); 16-20.

 Wheeler, BW, Mitchell, R, Shaw, M & Dorling, D (2006) 2001 Census: The geography of health in Britain. Geography Review 19 (5); 21-25.

 Mitchell R, Wheeler, BW, Shaw, M & Dorling, D (2006) What can the 2001 census tell us about education in Scotland? Scottish Educational Review. 2006; 38(1): 54-60.

 Rivett, AC, Shallcross, DE, Wood, R, Wheeler, BW & Gunnell, DJ (2003) Deadly Urban Cocktail – Air pollution and health in Bristol, Environmental Health Journal January 2003; 4-7.

 Wheeler, BW (2002) [Book Review] Ecological Integrity: Integrating Environment, Conservation and Health. D Pimentel, L Westra, RF Noss  International Journal of Epidemiology 2002 31; 704-705.

Conference Presentations & Workshops

Wheeler, BW, White, M, Redshaw, C and Gaze, W (2011) Water and Health. Water @ Exeter, October 2011, Exeter.

Wheeler, BW, Allen, J, Depledge, M & Curnow, A (2011) Small-area ecological study of environmental radon and skin cancer in south-west England. International Medical Geography Symposium, July 2011, Durham.

Wheeler, BW (2011) Radon and skin cancer: translational research opportunities. Centre for Research in Translational Biomedicine, April 2011, Plymouth.

Wheeler, BW (2011) Putting health on the map. PCMD research seminar, February 2011, Truro.

 Wheeler, BW, Allen, J, Depledge, M & Curnow, A (2010) Radon and skin cancer in south west England. Cornwall Research Forum, December 2010, Truro.

 Wheeler, BW (2010) Using GPS & GIS for studies of outdoor environments and health and wellbeing. Workshop for Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, September 2010, Belfast.

 Wheeler, BW (2010) The Oceans, Coasts and Public Health in the South West. Environmental Research, Business and Innovation in South West England, September 2010, Tremough.

 Wheeler, BW, Gunnell, D, Metcalfe, C & Martin, R (2009) Regulatory guidance on prescribing selective serotinin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants to young people: ecological study of effects on international suicide trends. Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, September 2009, Newcastle University.

 Wheeler, BW, Cooper, AR & Page, A (2009) Using GPS/GIS to understand environmental influences on children and young people’s physical activity: opportunities and challenges. Annual conference of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers, August 2009, Manchester

 Wheeler, BW (2009) Geographical Public Health Research. Poster, DECIPHer centre launch, Cardiff, May 2009.

 Wheeler, BW, Rigby, J, Dorling, D, Ballas, D, Thomas, B, Fahmy, E, Gordon, D & Lupton, R (2008)  Poverty, wealth and place in Britain 1968 to 2005. Invited paper, annual conference of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers, August 2008, London.

 Wheeler, BW (2007) Deprivation indices and spatial analyses.  Session at SWINPHO (South West public health analyst network group) meeting October 2007, Exeter.

 Wheeler, BW (2007) Poverty, wealth and place in Britain 1968 to 2005: Key findings for Wales. Invited paper, Community Housing Cymru Conference, October 2007, Cardiff.

 Wheeler, BW (2007) Without geography you’re nowhere… Workshop at South West Public Health Summer School, September 2007, Dartington.

 Wheeler, BW & Rigby, JR (2006)  Environmental (In)equity and Health. Session convened for the annual conference of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers, August 2006, London.

 Wheeler, BW & Ben-Shlomo, Y (2005) Geographical Research with the Health Survey for England: Environmental Health Equity. Presentation at Health Survey for England User Group meeting, July 2005, London.

 Wheeler, BW & Rigby, J (2005) Public Health and the ‘G’ in GIS. Sheffield Public Health GIS Network, June 2005, Sheffield.

 Wheeler, BW, Shaw, M & Mitchell, R (2004) Yes Minister? Tackling inequalities: from evidence to policy. Invited workshop, Joseph Rowntree Foundation Centenary Conference, December 2004, York.

 Wheeler, BW (2004) Environmental justice in England & Wales: Environmental Health Equity. International Geographical Congress, August 2004, Glasgow.

 Wheeler, BW & Rigby, J (2004) Pokies and Poverty. Poster at GISRUK conference, April 2004, UEA, Norwich. Poster competition joint 1st prize winner.

 Wheeler, BW, Ben-Shlomo, Y & Whitley, E (2002) Small-Area Indices of Potential Environmental Health Risk: Construction and Application to Environmental Health Equity in England and Wales.  GeoHealth 2002, Wellington, New Zealand.

 Wheeler, BW, Ben-Shlomo, Y & Whitley, E (2002) Environmental and Socio-economic Health Equity in England and Wales.  Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, September 2002, University of Liverpool.

 Wheeler, BW (2001) Using the LS for an assessment of environmental health equity in England and Wales. Longitudinal Study User Group Meeting, 24th April 2001, Institute of Education, London.

Links
The Blue Gym
Outdoors and Health Network