Staff Profile

I am a General Practitioner and a Professor in the Population Health Sciences Institute.  My main research interests are in the area of health inequalities, particularly the role of health literacy in health, and the role of GPs in identifying and addressing the problems faced by patients with lower health literacy. 

I am committed to developing and implementing evidence-based policy and practice to promote equity and equality in health.

I founded the Health Literacy Group UK and have authored and co-authored over 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals, co-edited three health literacy textbooks and authored seven chapters in health literacy textbooks.

I provide expert advice on health literacy to the Royal College of General Practice, NHS England, Belfast Healthy Cities, and the Health Service Executive (Ireland).

I chair the Health Literacy Global Working Group of the International Union of Health Promotion and Education. 

Current grants

1.     Multiple Symptoms Study 3: pragmatic trial of a community-based clinic for patients with persistent (medically unexplained) physical symptoms. NIHR HS&DR Programme. 2018-2022. £1,193,035 (PI)

2.     SCALA: Scale-up of Prevention and Management of Alcohol Use Disorders and Comorbid Depression in Latin America. EU Commission. 2017 – 2020. €2,568,692. (Co-I)

3.     Childhood risk factors for low health literacy in adults. Sir Halley Stuart Trust. 2017-2020. £28,568 (Co-I)

• Rowlands G, Shaw A, Jaswal S, Smith S, Harpham T. Health literacy and the social determinants of health: a qualitative model from adult learners. Health Promotion International 2017, 32(1), 130-138.
• Protheroe J, Rowlands G, Bartlam B, Levin-Zamir D. Health Literacy, Diabetes Prevention, and Self-Management. Journal of Diabetes Research 2017, 2017, 1298315.
• Bartlam B, Rathod T, Rowlands G, Protheroe J. Lay Health Trainers Supporting Self-Management amongst Those with Low Heath Literacy and Diabetes: Lessons from a Mixed Methods Pilot, Feasibility Study. Journal of Diabetes Research 2016, 2016, 4723636.
• Protheroe J, Rathod T, Bartlam B, Rowlands G, Richardson G, Reeves D. The Feasibility of Health Trainer Improved Patient Self-Management in Patients with Low Health Literacy and Poorly Controlled Diabetes: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Diabetes Research 2016, 2016, 6903245.
• Okan O, Rowlands G, Sykes S, Wills J. Shaping alcohol health literacy: a systematic concept analysis and review. Health Literacy Research and Practice 2020, 4(1), e3-e20.
• Rowlands G, Tabassum B, Campbell P, Harvey S, Vaittinen A, Stobbart L, Thomson R, Wardle-McLeish M, Protheroe J. The evidence-based development of an intervention to improve clinical health literacy practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17(5), 1513.
• Dayyani I, Maindal HT, Rowlands G, Lou S. A qualitative study about the experiences of ethnic minority pregnant women with gestational diabetes. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 2019, 33(3), 621-631.
• Campbell P, Lewis M, Chen Y, Lacey RJ, Rowlands G, Protheroe J. Can patients with low health literacy be identified from routine primary care health records? A cross-sectional and prospective analysis. BMC Family Practice 2019, 20, 101.
• Uwamahoro N, Ngwira B, Vinther-Jensen K, Rowlands G. Health Literacy among Malawian HIV-positive youth: a qualitative needs assessment and conceptualisation. Health Promotion International 2020, 35(5), 1137-1149.
• Rowlands G, Protheroe J, Saboga-Nunes L, Van Den Broucke S, Levin-Zamir D, Okan O. Health Literacy and Chronic Conditions: A life course perspective. In: Okan,O. Bauer,U. Levin-Zamir,D.Pinheiro,P. Sørensen,K, ed. International Handbook of Health Literacy Research, policy and practice across the lifespan. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, 2019, pp.183-198.
• Rowlands G. Health literacy and psoriasis: putting the patient at the centre of care. British Journal of Dermatology 2019, 180(6), 1299-1300.
• Rowlands G, Trezona A, Russell S, Lopatina M, Pelikan J, Paasche-Orlow M, Drapkina O, Kontsevaya A, Sørensen K. What is the evidence on the methods, frameworks and indicators used to evaluate health literacy policies, programmes and interventions at the regional, national and organizational levels?. Copenhagen: World Health Organisation, 2019. Health Evidence Network Reports.
• Rowlands G, Whitney D, Moon G. Developing and Applying Geographical Synthetic Estimates of Health Literacy in GP Clinical Systems. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018, 15(8), 1709.
• Nutbeam D, Levin-Zamir D, Rowlands G. Health Literacy in Context. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018, 15(12), 2657.
• Brangan S, Ivanisic M, Rafaj G, Rowlands G. Health literacy of hospital patients using a linguistically validated Croatian version of the Newest Vital Sign screening test (NVS-HR). PLOS One 2018, 13(2), e0193079.
• Lausen LH, Smith SK, Cai A, Meiser B, Yanes T, Ahmad R, Rowlands G. How is health literacy addressed in primary care? Strategies that general practitioners use to support patients. Journal of Communication in Healthcare 2018, 11(4), 278-287.
• Trezona A, Rowlands G, Nutbeam D. Progress in Implementing National Policies and Strategies for Health Literacy—What Have We Learned so Far. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018, 15(7), 1-17.
• Juul L, Rowlands G, Terkildsen Maindal H. Relationships between health literacy, motivation and diet and physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes participating in peer-led support groups. Primary Care Diabetes 2018, 12(4), 331-337.
• König C, Skriver MV, Iburg KM, Rowlands G. Understanding Educational and Psychosocial Factors Associated with Alcohol Use among Adolescents in Denmark; Implications for Health Literacy Interventions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018, 15(8), 1671.
• Rowlands GP, Russell S, O'Donnell A, Kaner E, Trezona A, Rademakers J, Nutbeam D. What is the evidence on existing policies and linked activities and their effectiveness for improving health literacy at national, regional and organizational levels in the WHO European Region?. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organisation (Europe), 2018. Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis reports.
• Rowlands G, Dodson S, Leung A, Levin-Zamir D. Global health systems and policy development: implications for health literacy research, theory and practice. In: Robert A. Logan, Elliot R. Siegel, ed. Health literacy: new directions in research, theory, and practice. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2017, pp.359-391.
• Levin-Zamir D, Leung AYM, Dodson S, Rowlands G. Health Literacy in Selected Populations: Individuals, Families, and Communities from the International and Cultural Perspective. In: Robert A. Logan, Elliot R. Siegel, ed. Health literacy: new directions in research, theory, and practice. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2017, pp.392-414.
• Aaby A, Friis K, Christensen B, Rowlands G, Maindal HT. Health literacy is associated with health behaviour and self-reported health: a large population-based study in individuals with cardiovascular disease. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 2017, 24(17), 1880-1888.
• Groene OR, Wills J, Crichton N, Rowlands G, Rudd RR. The health literacy dyad: the contribution of future GPs in England. Education for Primary Care 2017, 28(5), 274-281.
• Rowlands G, Protheroe J, Winkley J, Richardson M, Seed PT, Rudd R. A mismatch between population health literacy and the complexity of health information: an observational study. British Journal of General Practice 2015, 65(635), e351-e356.