Professor Don Nutbeam
People_

Professor Don Nutbeam

FFPH (UK); FAAHMS
Professor of Public Health
School of Public Health.
Professor Don Nutbeam

I am the Executive Director of Sydney Health Partners (https://sydneyhealthpartners.org.au/) and a Professor of Public Health In the Sydney School of Public Health. I am a social scientist with research interests in the social and behavioural determinants of health, and in the development and evaluation of public health interventions. Over the past 15 years, my research has been primarily focused on developing and testing health literacy interventions through collaborations with colleagues in Australia, the UK and Europe.

My career has spanned positions in universities, government, health services and an independent health research institute. I was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton (2009-15); Academic Provost (2006-9) and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) at the University of Sydney from 2003. In this latter position, I was Head of the College of Health Sciences, comprising the Faculties of Medicine, Health Sciences, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy. For the period 2000–2003 I was a senior public servant in the UK, Head of Public Health in the Ministry of Health. My career prior to 2000 included a 10 year period at the University of Sydney as a Professor of Public Health and in different leadership roles, including Head of the School of Public Health, and Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine; and various appointments in the UK in public health roles in the NHS, an independent research institute and a government agency.

I have substantial international experience in both developing and developed countries, working as an advisor and consultant on public health issues for the World Health Organisation over a 35 year period. I have also worked as consultant and team leader in health system capacity development projects for the World Bank.

Publications

Books

  • Nutbeam, D., Harris, E., Wise, M. (2022). Theory in A Nutshell, 4th Edition. Australia: McGraw Hill.
  • Nutbeam, D., Bauman, A. (2006). Evaluation in a Nutshell: A practical guide to the evaluation of health promotion programs. Australia: McGraw-Hill Book Company Australia.
  • Nutbeam, D., Harris, E. (2004). Theory in a Nutshell: A practical guide to health promotion theories. Australia: McGraw-Hill Book Company Australia.

Book Chapters

  • Nutbeam, D., McGill, B. (2019). Improving health literacy in clinical and community populations. In O Okan, U Bauer, D Levin-Zamir, P Pinheiro and K Sorensen (Eds.), International Handbook of Health Literacy: Research, practice and policy across the lifespan, (pp. 219-232). Bristol: Policy Press.
  • Nutbeam, D. (2006). Developing healthy public policy. In Pencheon D, Guest C, Melzer D, Muir-Gray (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Public Health Practice, (pp. 190-199). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
  • Nutbeam, D. (2006). Using theory to guide changing communities and organizations. In Maggie Davies, Wendy Macdowall (Eds.), Health Promotion Theory, (pp. 24-36). United Kingdom: McGraw Hill.

Journals

  • Rankin, N., Nutbeam, D., Levesque, J., Ko, H., Jennings, G., Walczak, A., Jorm, C. (2024). COVID-19 research response to immediate demands: setting priorities with key stakeholders to enable health services research in NSW, Australia. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 38(9), 344-359. [More Information]
  • Parker, S., Tran, A., Saito, S., McNamara, C., Denney-Wilson, E., Nutbeam, D., Harris, M. (2024). Exploring organisational readiness to implement a preventive intervention in Australian general practice for overweight and obese patients: key learnings from the HeLP-GP trial. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 30(1), PY23085. [More Information]
  • Todd, A., Petrunoff, N., Frommer, M., Nutbeam, D. (2024). The value of health service-based research to health service organisations: a qualitative study with senior health service executives. Health Research Policy and Systems, 22(1). [More Information]

Conferences

  • Keshavarz Mohammad, N., Nutbeam, D., Khavarpour, A., Rowling, L. (2006). Empowering school community for health promotion in schools: Let's hear their voice. 37th Public Health Association of Australia Annual Conference, Curtin, ACT: Public Health Association of Australia Inc.

Report

  • Cass, A., Anderson, I., Bennett, C., Brown, N., Catford, J., Goldfeld, S., Grenfell, R., Reid, P., Richards, R., Harris, E., Nutbeam, D., et al (2005). Inequity and Health: A Call to Action Addressing Health and Socioeconomic Inequality in Australia.

2024

  • Rankin, N., Nutbeam, D., Levesque, J., Ko, H., Jennings, G., Walczak, A., Jorm, C. (2024). COVID-19 research response to immediate demands: setting priorities with key stakeholders to enable health services research in NSW, Australia. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 38(9), 344-359. [More Information]
  • Parker, S., Tran, A., Saito, S., McNamara, C., Denney-Wilson, E., Nutbeam, D., Harris, M. (2024). Exploring organisational readiness to implement a preventive intervention in Australian general practice for overweight and obese patients: key learnings from the HeLP-GP trial. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 30(1), PY23085. [More Information]
  • Todd, A., Petrunoff, N., Frommer, M., Nutbeam, D. (2024). The value of health service-based research to health service organisations: a qualitative study with senior health service executives. Health Research Policy and Systems, 22(1). [More Information]

2023

  • Ward, R., Nutbeam, D., Mijnhardt, W., Nelson, P., Todd, B., Rees, M., Richards, J., Khan, N., Chung, S. (2023). Development of a novel and more holistic approach for assessing impact in health and medical research: the Research Impact Assessment Framework. Australian Health Review, 47(5), 589-595. [More Information]
  • Muscat, D., Mouwad, D., McCaffery, K., Zachariah, D., Tunchon, L., Ayre, J., Nutbeam, D. (2023). Embedding health literacy research and best practice within a socioeconomically and culturally diverse health service: A narrative case study and revised model of co-creation. Health Expectations, 26(1), 452-462. [More Information]
  • Paine, K., Parker, S., Denney-Wilson, E., Lloyd, J., Randall, S., McNamara, C., Nutbeam, D., Osborne, R., Saito, S., Harris, M. (2023). In it for the long haul: the complexities of managing overweight in family practice: qualitative thematic analysis from the Health eLiteracy for Prevention in General Practice (HeLP-GP) trial. BMC Primary Care, 24(1). [More Information]

2022

  • Serbim, A., Paskulin, L., Nutbeam, D., Muscat, D. (2022). A qualitative study to explore health literacy skills in older people from a disadvantaged community in Brazil. Global Health Promotion, 29(3), 109-118. [More Information]
  • Zachariah, D., Mouwad, D., Muscat, D., Ayre, J., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2022). Addressing the Health Literacy Needs and Experiences of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations in Australia during COVID-19: A Research Embedded Participatory Approach. Journal of Health Communication, 27(7), 439-449. [More Information]
  • Parker, S., Barr, M., Stocks, N., Denney-Wilson, E., Zwar, N., Karnon, J., Kabir, A., Nutbeam, D., Roseleur, J., Liaw, S., et al (2022). Preventing chronic disease in overweight and obese patients with low health literacy using eHealth and teamwork in primary healthcare (HeLP-GP): A cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 12(11). [More Information]

2021

  • Sørensen, K., Levin-Zamir, D., Duong, T., Okan, O., Brasil, V., Nutbeam, D. (2021). Building health literacy system capacity: a framework for health literate systems. Health Promotion International, 36(1), i13-i23. [More Information]
  • Muscat, D., Costa, D., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K., Ayre, J. (2021). Developing performance-based measures of health literacy: A narrative case study and checklist of considerations. Patient Education and Counseling, 104(10), 2406-2411. [More Information]
  • Nutbeam, D. (2021). From health education to digital health literacy – building on the past to shape the future. Global Health Promotion, 28(4), 51-55. [More Information]

2020

  • Nutbeam, D., Muscat, D. (2020). Advancing Health Literacy Interventions. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 269, 115-127. [More Information]
  • Nutbeam, D. (2020). COVID-19: lessons in risk communication and public trust. Public Health Research and Practice, 30(2), 2883. [More Information]
  • Muscat, D., Ayre, J., Nutbeam, D., Harris, A., Tunchon, L., Zachariah, D., McCaffery, K. (2020). Embedding a Health Literacy Intervention Within Established Parenting Groups: An Australian Feasibility Study. Health Literacy Research and Practice, 4(1), e67-e78. [More Information]

2019

  • McCaffery, K., Morony, S., Muscat, D., Hayen, A., Shepherd, H., Dhillon, H., Smith, S., Cvejic, E., Meshreky, W., Luxford, K., Nutbeam, D. (2019). Evaluation of an Australian Health Literacy Program Delivered in Adult Education Settings. Health Literacy Research and Practice, 3(3 (Supplement)), S42-S57. [More Information]
  • Doustmohammadian, A., Keshavarz Mohammadi, N., Omidvar, N., Amini, M., Abdollahi, M., Eini-Zinab, H., Amirhamidi, Z., Esfandiari, S., Nutbeam, D. (2019). Food and nutrition literacy (FNLIT) and its predictors in primary schoolchildren in Iran. Health Promotion International, 34(5), 1002-1013. [More Information]
  • Nutbeam, D. (2019). Health education and health promotion revisited. Health Education Journal, 78(6), 705-709. [More Information]

2018

  • Morony, S., Weir, K., Bell, K., Biggs, J., Duncan, G., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2018). A stepped wedge cluster randomised trial of nurse-delivered Teach-Back in a consumer telehealth service. PloS One, 13(10), 1-20. [More Information]
  • Miller, M., Nutbeam, D. (2018). Advancing international understanding of health literacy in pharmacy: Current trends and future directions. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 14(9), v-vi. [More Information]
  • Morony, S., Weir, K., Duncan, G., Biggs, J., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2018). Enhancing communication skills for telehealth: development and implementation of a Teach-Back intervention for a national maternal and child health helpline in Australia. BMC Health Services Research, 18(1). [More Information]

2017

  • Kickbusch, I., Nutbeam, D. (2017). A watershed for health promotion. Health Promotion International, 32(1), 2-6. [More Information]
  • Macniven, R., Hearn, S., Grunseit, A., Richards, J., Nutbeam, D., Bauman, A. (2017). Correlates of physical activity among Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous adolescents. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 41(2), 187-192. [More Information]
  • Muscat, D., Shepherd, H., Nutbeam, D., Morony, S., Smith, S., Dhillon, H., Trevena, L., Hayen, A., Luxford, K., McCaffery, K. (2017). Developing Verbal Health Literacy with Adult Learners Through Training in Shared Decision-Making. Health Literacy Research and Practice, 1(4), e257-e268. [More Information]

2016

  • Muscat, D., Shepherd, H., Morony, S., Smith, S., Dhillon, H., Trevena, L., Hayen, A., Luxford, K., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2016). Can adults with low literacy understand shared decision making questions? A qualitative investigation. Patient Education and Counseling, 99(11), 1796-1802. [More Information]
  • McCaffery, K., Morony, S., Muscat, D., Smith, S., Shepherd, H., Dhillon, H., Hayen, A., Luxford, K., Meshreky, W., Comings, J., Nutbeam, D. (2016). Evaluation of an Australian health literacy training program for socially disadvantaged adults attending basic education classes: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 1-10. [More Information]
  • Muscat, D., Smith, S., Dhillon, H., Morony, S., Davis, E., Luxford, K., Shepherd, H., Hayen, A., Comings, J., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2016). Incorporating health literacy in education for socially disadvantaged adults: an Australian feasibility study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 15(1), 1-10. [More Information]

2015

  • Nutbeam, D., Padmadas, S., Maslovskaya, O., Wu, Z. (2015). A health promotion logic model to review progress in HIV prevention in China. Health Promotion International, 30(2), 270-280. [More Information]
  • Muscat, D., Morony, S., Shepherd, H., Smith, S., Dhillon, H., Trevena, L., Hayen, A., Luxford, K., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2015). Development and field testing of a consumer shared decision-making training program for adults with low literacy. Patient Education and Counseling, 98(10), 1180-1188. [More Information]
  • Rowsell, A., Muller, I., Murray, E., Little, P., Byrne, C., Ganahl, K., Müller, G., Gibney, S., Lyles, C., Lucas, A., et al (2015). Views of people with high and low levels of health literacy about a digital intervention to promote physical activity for diabetes:a qualitative study in five countries. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(10). [More Information]

2014

  • Smith, S., Kearney, P., Trevena, L., Barratt, A., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2014). Informed choice in bowel cancer screening: A qualitative study to explore how adults with lower education use decision aids. Health Expectations, 17(4), 551-522. [More Information]
  • Bauman, A., Nutbeam, D. (2014). Planning and evaluating population interventions to reduce noncommunicable disease risk - reconciling complexity and scientific rigour? Public Health Research and Practice, 25(1), e2511402. [More Information]
  • Bauman, A., King, L., Nutbeam, D. (2014). Rethinking the evaluation and measurement of health in all policies. Health Promotion International, 29(S1), i143-i151. [More Information]

2013

  • McCaffery, K., Holmes-Rovner, M., Smith, S., Rovner, D., Nutbeam, D., Clayman, M., Kelly-Blake, K., Wolf, M., Sheridan, S. (2013). Addressing health literacy in patient decision aids. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 13(Suppl. 2), 1-14. [More Information]
  • Phongsavan, P., Grunseit, A., Bauman, A., Broom, D., Byles, J., Clarke, J., Redman, S., Nutbeam, D. (2013). Age, Gender, Social Contacts, and Psychological Distress: Findings From the 45 and Up Study. Journal of Aging and Health, 25(6), 921-943. [More Information]
  • Lowe, W., Ballinger, C., Protheroe, J., Lueddeke, J., Nutbeam, D., Armstrong, R., Falzon, L., Edwards, C., Russell, C., McCaffery, K., et al (2013). Effectiveness of musculoskeletal education interventions in people with low literacy levels: a systematic review. Arthritis Care and Research, 65(12), 1976-1985. [More Information]

2012

  • Rychetnik, L., Bauman, A., Laws, R., King, L., Rissel, C., Nutbeam, D., Colagiuri, S., Caterson, I. (2012). Translating research for evidence-based public health: key concepts and future directions. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 66(12), 1187-1192. [More Information]

2010

  • Smith, S., Trevena, L., Simpson, J., Barratt, A., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2010). A decision aid to support informed choices about bowel cancer screening among adults with low education: randomised controlled trial. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 341(2010), 1-13. [More Information]
  • Keshavarz Mohammadi, N., Rowling, L., Nutbeam, D. (2010). Acknowledging educational perspectives on health promoting schools. Health Education, 110(4), 240-251. [More Information]
  • Keshavarz Mohammadi, N., Nutbeam, D., Rowling, L., Khavarpour, A. (2010). Schools as social complex adaptive systems: A new way to understand the challenges of introducing the health promoting schools concept. Social Science and Medicine, 70(2010), 1467-1474. [More Information]

2009

  • Smith, S., Trevena, L., Barratt, A., Dixon, A., Nutbeam, D., Simpson, J., McCaffery, K. (2009). Development and preliminary evaluation of a bowel cancer screening decision aid for adults with lower literacy. Patient Education and Counseling, 75(3), 358-367. [More Information]
  • Smith, S., Dixon, A., Trevena, L., Nutbeam, D., McCaffery, K. (2009). Exploring patient involvement in healthcare decision making across different education and functional health literacy groups. Social Science and Medicine, 69(12), 1805-1812. [More Information]
  • Gunnarsdottir, S., Clarke, S., Rafferty, A., Nutbeam, D. (2009). Front-line management, staffing and nurse-doctor relationships as predictors of nurse and patient outcomes. A survey of Icelandic hospital nurses. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46(7), 920-927. [More Information]

2008

  • Smith, S., Trevena, L., Nutbeam, D., Barratt, A., McCaffery, K. (2008). Information needs and preferences of low and high literacy consumers for decisions about colorectal cancer screening: utilizing a linguistic model. Health Expectations, 11(2), 123-136. [More Information]
  • Tang, K., Nutbeam, D., Drake, L., Abolfotouh, M., Vince Whitman, C., Meresman, S., Odete, C., Joukhadar, A., Avison, C., Wright, C., et al (2008). Schools for health, education and development: a call for action. Health Promotion International, 24, 68-77. [More Information]
  • Nutbeam, D. (2008). The evolving concept of health literacy. Social Science and Medicine, 67(12), 2072-2078. [More Information]

2007

  • Wise, M., Nutbeam, D. (2007). Enabling Health Systems Transformation: What progress has been made in re-orienting health services? International Journal of Health Promotion and Education, SS2, 23-28. [More Information]
  • Gunnersdottir, S., Rafferty, A., Nutbeam, D. (2007). Organisational predictors of Icelandic hospital nurses´ job outcomes and assessments of quality of patient care: a questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies.
  • Grunstein, R., Nutbeam, D. (2007). The impact of participation in the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge on adolescent resiliency and health behaviours. Health Education, 107(3), 261-275. [More Information]

2006

  • Nutbeam, D. (2006). Developing healthy public policy. In Pencheon D, Guest C, Melzer D, Muir-Gray (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Public Health Practice, (pp. 190-199). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
  • Keshavarz Mohammad, N., Nutbeam, D., Khavarpour, A., Rowling, L. (2006). Empowering school community for health promotion in schools: Let's hear their voice. 37th Public Health Association of Australia Annual Conference, Curtin, ACT: Public Health Association of Australia Inc.
  • Nutbeam, D., Bauman, A. (2006). Evaluation in a Nutshell: A practical guide to the evaluation of health promotion programs. Australia: McGraw-Hill Book Company Australia.

2005

  • Tang, K., Nutbeam, D., Kong, L., Wang, R., Yan, J. (2005). Building capacity for health promotion--a case study from China. Health Promotion International, 20(3), 285-295. [More Information]
  • Cass, A., Anderson, I., Bennett, C., Brown, N., Catford, J., Goldfeld, S., Grenfell, R., Reid, P., Richards, R., Harris, E., Nutbeam, D., et al (2005). Inequity and Health: A Call to Action Addressing Health and Socioeconomic Inequality in Australia.

2004

  • Nutbeam, D. (2004). Getting evidence into policy and practice to address health inequalities (Editorial). Health Promotion International, 19(2), 137-140. [More Information]
  • Nutbeam, D., Harris, E. (2004). Theory in a Nutshell: A practical guide to health promotion theories. Australia: McGraw-Hill Book Company Australia.
  • Furler, J., Harris, E., Nutbeam, D., Harris, M. (2004). UK health inequalities: the class system is alive and well. Medical Journal of Australia, 181(10), 583-584. [More Information]

2003

  • Oliver, A., Nutbeam, D. (2003). Addressing health inequalities in the United Kingdom : a case study. Journal of Public Health, 25(4), 281-287. [More Information]
  • Trevena, L., Simpson, J., Nutbeam, D. (2003). Soup kitchen consumer perspectives on the quality and frequency of health service interactions. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 15(6), 495-500. [More Information]

2002

  • Stahl, T., Rutten, A., Nutbeam, D., Kannas, L. (2002). The importance of policy orientation and environment on physical activity participation - a comparative analysis between Eastern Germany, Western Germany and Finland. Health Promotion International, 17(3), 235-246.

2001

  • Trevena, L., Nutbeam, D., Simpson, J. (2001). Asking the right questions of disadvantaged and homeless communities: the role of housing, patterns of illness and reporting behaviours in the measurement of health status. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 25, no. 4 2001, 298-304. [More Information]
  • Harris, E., Nutbeam, D., Sainsbury, P. (2001). Does our limited analysis of the dimensions of poverty limit the way in which we seek solutions? In Not known (Eds.), The Social Origins of Health and Well-being, (pp. 259-268). TBC.
  • Nutbeam, D., Sainsbury, P., Harris, E. (2001). Does our limited anaylsis of the dimensions of poverty limit the way we seek solutions? In Not known (Eds.), The Social Origins of Health and Well-being, (pp. 259-268). TBC.

2000

  • Nutbeam, D. (2000). Health literacy as a public goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century. Health Promotion International, 15(3), 259-267.

Selected Grants

2021

  • Funding to support Prof. Don Nutbeam Position of AHRA Chair, Nutbeam D, Australia Health Research Alliance/Research Grant
  • Parenting Improving health and service-use outcomes through health literacy training for new parents: an effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial, McCaffery K, Muscat D, Nutbeam D, Schmied V, Wen L, Raynes-Greenow C, Hayes A, Cvejic E, Shepherd H, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)/Partnership Projects

2020

  • RES: Sydney Health Partners Executive Director Position Funding - Don Nutbeam, Nutbeam D, Sydney Local Health District/Externally Funded Position