Research Fellow (Arthritis and Farmers in England: Impacts, Adaptations and Prevention)

Location: St John’s Campus

The University of Worcester has received funding from the Nuffield Foundation for a 30-month project focused on Arthritis and Farmers in England: Impacts, Adaptations and Prevention to run from 1 November 2025 to 1 April 2028. We are looking to recruit a Research Fellow for the duration of the project who will play a key role in delivering on the project objectives.

This project will be led by the Professor Nick Evans, Professor of Rural Geography in the School of Science and Environment, who will work closely with colleagues from our School of Health and Wellbeing, in particular Dr Peter Unwin, a social worker by background and lead for our Health Inequalities and Social Inclusion Research Group and Professor Derek Kyte, Professor of Physiotherapy and lead for our Living Well with Long-term Conditions Research Group. As such this is a highly interdisciplinary project with real potential for delivering impact.

This project fits with a growing focus at the University on research in rural settings, recognising particular challenges in rural communities in gaining access to health and social care services but also fundamental inequalities in health outcomes for those living in these communities.

Project details

This 30-month project will investigate the prevalence and impact of arthritis among farmers and farm workers in the UK. The aim is to address our gap in knowledge, learning from farmers to develop interventions and begin to inform policy, thereby shifting focus from medicalised intervention to prevention. This will be delivered by:

• Gaining an understanding of modern farming working practices and the associated incidence of arthritis to provide insights into the nature of the condition amongst English farmers.
• Capturing the lived experience of arthritis in farming communities in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, including how individual farmers adapt to the condition.
• Uncovering the lifestyle and behavioural factors at play, developing a range of practical solutions to encourage both prevention of, and living well with, arthritis.

The demanding nature of farming, together with socio-economic pressures and cultural stereotypes, often leads to neglect of personal health. Older farmers are particularly susceptible to arthritis and often continue working despite the pain. Additionally, farmers are known ‘under-users’ of NHS services, lying beyond the general reach of primary care organisational structures by virtue of their isolated rural locations. The research will also include working towards prevention amongst young farmers.

A particular aim is to support the delivery of new, alternative guidance and interventions for farmers, drawing upon their own experiences, knowledge and assessments of efficacy. Findings will be directly shared with key stakeholders, including members of the farming community, health professionals and policy-makers. Outputs such as practice guides, videos, and articles will be disseminated to promote awareness and change in practices, aiming to improve health outcomes and quality of life for farmers.

Overview of the post

The Research Fellow will play a central role in the delivery of the project, identifying in more detail the scope of the problem, developing with the research team and key stakeholders, strategies for the recruitment of participants, collecting and analysing data and contributing to the dissemination of outcomes, for academic and communities, and reporting. An important aspect of their role will be liaison with local and national stakeholders within farming communities, including the NFU, and with health bodies, including relevant NHS Trusts.

The postholder will sit within the Department of Geography and the Environment in the School of Science and the Environment. The School engages in research that cuts across Life and Environmental Sciences, Human Geography, Ecology and Environmental Sciences. The postholder will work across other Schools in particular engaging with interdisciplinary research units and groups, including:

• Health Inequalities and Social Inclusion Research Group: whose research is focused on understanding the causes of inequalities in health outcomes and in access to health and care services of marginalised groups, so as to inform policy and practice.
• Living Well with Long-Term Conditions Research Group: whose research seeks to understand the impact of a range of long-term conditions (cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal/urology, endocrine/diabetes, neurological/psychiatric and musculoskeletal/trauma) on wellbeing, so as to inform ongoing management of these conditions by both patient and health professional.
• Rural Mental Health Research Unit: a new research unit funded through an NIHR Mental Health Leaders Award seeking to understand the risks of poor mental health in rural communities, to develop new approaches to prevent mental health difficulties and to identify earlier signs of mental health difficulties.

If you have further questions about the project or the post please contact Professor Nick Evans (n.evans@worc.ac.uk) or Dr Peter Unwin (p.unwin@worc.ac.uk).  

Please note that this post may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route if your individual circumstances enable this in accordance with the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information on how the Skilled Worker visa rules may apply to you please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Closing Date: Wednesday 30 July 2025