Ms Sophie Lewis

BBiomedS (Hon)

PhD Student

Profile

Research Interests

• Obesity
• Risk Messaging
• Public Health
• Behavioural Epidemiology
• Consumer-based health research
• Chronic Disease Management
• Qualitative methods

Bio

Sophie BBiomedS (Hons) (Monash University) is a PhD student at the Consumer Health Research Group, Notting Hill. Her research investigates the lived experiences of people who are overweight and obese, what influences their health beliefs and health behaviours, and their interpretations and responses to obesity messaging.

She is also a Research Fellow on a Department of Justice grant which focuses on two groups of gamblers; mild to moderate gamblers and problem gamblers, and explores their gambling beliefs and behaviours, and how they interpret and apply the range of messages about gambling.

She has presented this research at several national and international conferences (International Conference of Behavioral Medicine, Communication, Medicine and Ethics; Public Health Association of Australia). Sophie has also been involved in research related to musculoskeletal conditions, media reporting of health and complementary and alternative medicine.

Journal articles

Lewis, S., Thomas, S. L., Blood, R. W., Hyde, J., Castle, D., & Komesaroff, P. (2010). Do Health Beliefs and Behaviours Differ According to Severity of Obesity? A Qualitative Study of Australian Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(2), 443-459.

Lewis, S., Thomas, S. L., Hyde, J., Castle, D., Blood, R. W., & Komesaroff, K. (2010). "I don't eat a hamburger and large chips every day!" Aqualitative study of the impact of public health messages about obesity on obese adults. BMC Public Health, 10(309).

Thomas, S. L., Karunaratne, A., Lewis, S., Castle, D., Knoesen, N., Honigman, R., Hyde, J., Kausman, R., & Komesaroff, P. (2010). “Just Bloody Fat!” A qualitative study of body image, self esteem and coping in obese adults. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 12(1), 39-49.

Thomas, S. L., Lewis, S., & Browning, C. (2010). Social Connectedness: An evidenced based review and recommendations for Arthritis Victoria. Melbourne: Consumer Health Research Group (CHaRGe), Primary Care Research Unit, Monash University.

Thomas, S. L., Lewis, S., Hyde, J., Castle, D., & Komesaroff, P. (2010). “The solution needs to be complex” Obese adults attitudes towards individual and population based interventions for obesity. BMC Public Health, 10(420).

Published conference proceedings

Blood, R. W., Holland, K., Thomas, S., Karunaratne, A., & Lewis, S. (2010). On Being 'Fat': Obese and Overweight Australians Respond to News Depictions of Obesity and Overweight. Paper presented at the International Communications Association 2010: Matters of Communication: Political, Cultural and Technological Challenges. Singapore.

Holland, K., Blood, R. W., Thomas, S., Karunaratne, A., & Lewis, S. (2010). ‘That’s Not Reality for Me’: Australian Audiences Respond to The Biggest Loser. Paper presented at the International Communications Association 2010: Matters of Communication: Political, Cultural and Technological Challenges. Singapore.

Holland, K., Blood, R. W., Thomas, S., Karunaratne, A., & Lewis, S. (2009). Consuming children: An analysis of Australian press coverage of the claims and counterclaims of advocacy and industry groups in relation to a proposed ban on ‘junk food’ advertising. Paper presented at the Communications Policy & Research Forum 2009. Sydney, Australia.