Frances Aboud, Ph.D.

As a health psychologist, I have lived in many countries of East Africa and South Asia, working with multidisciplinary teams  to improve children’s health, growth and development. I have also helped to develop programs to promote health behaviours of adults, particularly parents, but also HIV-preventive practices among youth.  For example, I have developed programs for parents in Bangladesh and Uganda to improve practices related to diet, hygiene, and psychosocial stimulation of their young children as well as mental well-being for mothers. Generally, I work with graduate students, local researchers, and NGOs; the latter implement the programs and then we evaluate their process and outcomes. Likewise, we have worked to improve preschool offerings in many countries and raise their quality so children are not at a disadvantage when they arrive at primary school.  I have published on these issues, helped young investigators get their papers published, and held a number of consultancies with various national and international organizations.  I recently stepped down as one of the editors of Social Science and Medicine.

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Selected Publications

Singla, D. R., Kumbakumba, E., Aboud, F. E. (2015).  Effects of a parenting intervention to address maternal psychological wellbeing and child development and growth in rural Uganda: a community-based, cluster-randomised trial.  Lancet Global Health, 3(8), e458-469.

Aboud, F. E. (2014). Where in the world are Canadian psychologists?  Canadian Psychology, 55, 21-26.

Briscoe, C. M. & Aboud, F. E. (2012).  Behaviour change communication targeting four health behaviours in developing countries: A review of change techniques. Social Science & Medicine, 75, 612-621.

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Selected Book Chapter

Aboud, F. E., Yousafzai, A. K. Chapter 13. Very early childhood development. In: Black RE, Laxminarayan L, Walker N, Temmerman M, eds. Disease control priorities 3rd edn. Volume 2. Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2016.