Dr Faye Powell

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

I am a Chartered Psychologist with specialist expertise in Developmental and Health Psychology.

I graduated from Loughborough University in 2008 with a BSc in Psychology (first class honours) and I then went on to complete a PhD in Developmental Psychology also at Loughborough University. Utilising a longitudinal design, my PhD explored family environmental influences on children's eating behaviour across early childhood.

I joined The University of Bedfordshire in 2013 and I am a Senior Lecturer within The School of Psychology. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and I contribute to teaching and unit coordination across the undergraduate and postgraduate portfolio. I am currently course coordinator of the BSc Health Psychology programme.

My research interests focus around health promotion in parents and children. Through my research I have explored some of the factors that influence eating behaviour during early life; specifically in relation to obesity, fussy eating and feeding problems. I have particular interest in ethnic and social disparities in health outcomes and the development and evaluation of interventions. My most recent project utilises co-production to explore how we can improve the well-being of parents who experience early pregnancy loss

I have methodological expertise in developing and conducting systematic reviews, quantitative and qualitative studies, public engagement and co-production, longitudinal research, and using observational designs. My research was included in the University's submission for the UK REF in 2014 and 2021. I am a member of The Research centre for Applied Psychology (RCAP), The Institute for Health Research (IHR) and The Maternal and Child Health Research Centre (MCHRC)

ORCiD

ResearchGate

PG Certificate in Academic Practice
PhD in Developmental Psychology - Loughborough University (Entitled; 'Family Environmental Influences on Food Avoidant Eating Behaviour During Early Childhood; A Longitudinal And Observational Study')
BSc (Hons) Psychology (First class) - Loughborough University

School of Psychology Graduate outcomes and employability Lead (2020-Present)
Course coordinator: BSc Psychology (2015-2017)
Course Coordinator: BSc Health Psychology programme (2019-Present)
Unit Co-ordinator MSc Applied Psychology: Developmental Psychology
Unit Co-ordinator BSc Psychology (all routes): Social Processes and Lifespan Development
Contributing to teaching within BSc Psychology programmes (all routes), MSc Applied Psychology and MSc Health Psychology.

Parental and child health and well-being
Ethnic and social disparities in health experiences and outcomes
Neonatal death & pregnancy loss (still birth and miscarriage)
Infant and child feeding & eating behaviour
Obesity and weight management
Parenting and parent-child interaction
Public engagement and co-production
Development and evaluation of interventions

Chartered member of the BPS
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Peer reviewer for various high impact journals
Member of Luton Flying Start/Public Health Luton ‘Nutrition Expert Group’

Powell, F., (Co-PI) & Cook, E. (2022). A co-production of an intervention package to improve the well-being of parents who experience early pregnancy loss. Research England Participatory Research Fund & School of Psychology, University of Bedfordshire. £18,000. For more information, please visit www.beds.ac.uk/earlypregnancylossproject
Powell, F., Cook, E., Randhawa, G., Ali, N. & Ochiang, B. (2014) University of Bedfordshire – RCAP & IHR. (2014). Exploring the barriers and facilitators that impact on the uptake of healthy eating practices in parents and children in multi-ethnic communities residing in Luton, UK. £12,600.
Cook, E, Powell, F., Armitage, C. & Chater, A. (2013). University of Bedfordshire – IHR. (2013). Can an intervention enhancing positive affect lead to weight loss? A pilot study (2013). £9,350.
Powell, F. & Farrow, C. (2012). University of Bedfordshire – Research Investment Programme. (2012). Predictors of Eating behaviour across early childhood: A longitudinal and observational study. £9,600.

Cook, E. J., Powell, F. C., Ali, N., Penn-Jones, C., Ochieng, B., Constantinou, G., Randhawa, G. (2021). They are kids, let them eat': A qualitative investigation into the parental beliefs and practices of providing a healthy diet for young children among a culturally diverse and deprived population in the UK. Obesity Knowledge and Health Risk Series. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18,13087. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182413087

Cook, E. J., Powell, F. C., Ali, N., Penn-Jones, C., Ochieng, B., Randhawa, G. (2020). Parents' experiences of complementary feeding among a United Kingdom culturally diverse and deprived community. Maternal and Child Nutrition, e13108. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13108

Powell, F., Farrow, C., Meyer, C., & Haycraft, E. (2018). The Stability and Continuity of Maternally Reported and Observed Child Eating Behaviours and Feeding Practices across Early Childhood. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(5), 1017-1031. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15051017

Bailey, D., Zakrzewski-Fruer, J. K., & Powell, F. (2018). Nutrition and Physical Activity. In Draper & G. Stratton (Eds.), Physical Activity: A Multi-disciplinary Introduction (pp. 205-226). London and New York: Routledge.

Powell, F., Farrow, C., Meyer, C., Haycraft, E. (2017). The importance of mealtime structure for reducing child food fussiness. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 13(2), e12296. doi: 1111/mcn.12296.

Haycraft, E., Powell, F. & Meyer, C. (2015). Activity-related parenting practices: Development of the Parenting Related to Activity Measure (PRAM) and links with mothers' eating psychopathology and compulsive exercise beliefs. European Eating Disorders Review, 23, 51-61. DOI: 10.1002/erv.2331

Office: A218

Park Square
Luton
LU1 3JU

T: +44 (0)1582 489774
Ext: 9774
E: faye.powell@beds.ac.uk