Naomi Klepacz

Dr Naomi Klepacz

Senior Impact Officer / Health Services Researcher
BSc(Hons), PGCE, MSc, PhD, CPsychol
9am - 5pm
For REF enquires

Academic and research departments

Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Strategic Research Theme: Lifelong Health.

Biography

Areas of specialism

Impact and Knowledge Exchange; Health Services Research; Health Psychology; Health Behaviour; Digital Healthcare Innovations; Healthy Ageing

University roles and responsibilities

  • Senior Impact Officer

    Affiliations and memberships

    British Psychological Society
    Chartered Psychologist
    Member of the Division of Health Psychologists

    Research

    Research interests

    Research collaborations

    My teaching

    My publications

    Highlights

    Delivett, Chistopher., Klepacz, Naomi., Farrow, Claire., Thomas, Jason., Raats, Monique., Nash, Robert. (2020). Front-of-pack images can boost the perceived health benefits of dietary products. Appetite. 155. pp.104831 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.104831

    Publications

    Macdonald Alastair S, Chambers Mark A, La Ragione Roberto, Wyles Kayleigh, Poyade Matthieu, Wales Andrew, Klepacz Naomi, Kupfer Tom R, Watson Fraje, Noble Shona (2021)Addressing Infection Risk in Veterinary Practice through the Innovative Application of Interactive 3D Animation Methods, In: The Design Journal24(1)pp. 51-72 Routledge
    DOI: 10.1080/14606925.2020.1850225
    Antimicrobial resistance is of growing concern in human and animal health. The aim of this study was to raise awareness and perception of risk of infection-related behaviours during routine preparation for veterinary surgery. We took a multi-disciplinary and multi-method approach to 'make visible, the invisible' by illustrating how microbial contamination can be spread during the preparation process for surgical procedures. The design-led visualization approach enhanced inter-disciplinary team and workshop participant contributions during the co-development of an innovative digital tool to support training for veterinary practitioners and students. After experiencing the intervention, 92% of 51 participants agreed to change their behaviour and stated an intention to implement an infection control behaviour that aligned with training objectives. The 3D graphics enhanced the delivery of training content by making difficult and abstract contamination concepts easy to understand. A similar approach could be taken for human health applications.
    Hodgkins Charo, Egan Bernadette, Peacock Matthew, Klepacz Naomi, Miklavec Krista, Pravst Igor, Pohar Jure, Gracia Azucena, Groeppel-Klein Andrea, Rayner Mike, Raats Monique (2019)Understanding How Consumers Categorise Health Related Claims on Foods: A Consumer-Derived Typology of Health-Related Claims, In: Nutrients11(3) MDPI
    DOI: 10.3390/nu11030539
    The Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation (NHCR) EC No 1924/2006 aims to provide an appropriate level of consumer protection whilst supporting future innovation and fair competition within the EU food industry. However, consumers’ interpretation of health claims is less well understood. There is a lack of evidence on the extent to which consumers are able to understand claims defined by this regulatory framework. Utilising the Multiple Sort Procedure (MSP), a study was performed (N = 100 participants across five countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom) to facilitate development of a framework of health-related claims encompassing dimensions derived from consumers. Our results provide useful insight into how consumers make sense of these claims and how claims may be optimised to enhance appropriate consumer understanding. They suggest consumers may not consciously differentiate between a nutrition claim and a health claim in the way that regulatory experts do and provide insight into where this might occur. A consumer-derived typology of health-related claims based on three key dimensions is proposed: (1) Familiarity with the nutrient, substance or food stated in the claim; (2) statement type in terms of simplicity/complexity; (3) relevance of the claim, either personally or for a stated population group.
    Maguire Roma, Connaghan John, Arber Anne, Klepacz Naomi, Blyth Kevin G, McPhelim John, Murray Paul, Rupani Hitasha, Chuahan Anoop, Williams Peter, McNaughton Laura, Woods Kirstie, Moylan Anne (2020)The Advanced Symptom Management System for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (ASyMSmeso): a feasibility study, In: Journal of Medical Internet Research JMIR Publications
    DOI: 10.2196/19180

    Background:

    Patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) have a life limiting illness and a short prognosis and experience many debilitating symptoms from early on in the illness. Innovations such as remote symptom monitoring are needed to enable patients to maintain wellbeing and to manage symptoms in a proactive and timely manner. The Advanced Symptom Management System (ASyMS) has been successfully used to monitor symptoms associated with cancer.

    Objective:

    To determine the feasibility and acceptability of using an Advanced Symptom Management System (ASyMS) adapted for use by patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma and called: ASyMSmeso enabling the remote monitoring of symptoms using a smartphone.

    Methods:

    This was a mixed methods study using Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) at key time points over a period of 2-3 months with 18 patients. The Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care (SPARC); Technology Acceptance Model Measure for e-health (TAM); and the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale-Mesothelioma (LCSS-meso) were the PROMs used in the study. Patients were also asked to complete a daily symptom questionnaire on a smartphone throughout the study. At the end of the study semi-structured interviews with 11 health professionals, 8 patients and 3 carers about their experience of using ASyMSmeso were conducted.

    Results:

    Eighteen patients with MPM agreed to participate in the study (33.3% response rate). The completion rates of study PROMs were high (97.2%-100%) and for completion of the daily symptom questionnaire were also high at 88.5% There were no significant changes in quality of life, as measured by LCSS-meso. There were statistically significant improvements from the SPARC domain: psychological need (P=0.049), and in the “Usefulness” domain of the Technology Acceptance Model (P=0.022). End of study interviews identified that both patients and clinicians found the system quick and easy to use. For patients in particular the system provided reassurance about symptom experience and the feeling of being listened to. The clinicians largely viewed the system as feasible and acceptable and areas that were mentioned included the early management of symptoms, connectivity between patients and clinicians leading to enhanced communication.

    Conclusions:

    This study demonstrates that remote monitoring and management of symptoms of people with MPM using a mobile phone is feasible and acceptable. The evidence supports future trials using remote symptom monitoring to support patients with MPM at home.

    Macdonald Alistair, Chambers Mark, La Ragione Roberto, Wyles Kayleigh, Poyade Matthieu, Wales Andrew, Klepacz Naomi, Kupfer Tom, Watson Fraje, Noble Shona (2020)Using novel visualisation methods to combat infection risk during clinical practices., In: Christer Kirsty, Craig Claire, Chamberlain Paul (eds.), Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Design4Health
    Scarles Caroline, van Evan Suzanne, Klepacz Naomi, Guillemaut Jean-Yves, Humbracht Michael Bringing The Outdoors Indoors: Immersive Experiences of Recreation in Nature and Coastal Environments in Residential Care Homes, In: E-review of Tourism Research Texas A&M AgriLife
    This paper critiques the opportunities afforded by immersive experience technology to create stimulating, innovative living environments for long-term residents of care homes for the elderly. We identify the ways in which virtual mobility can facilitate reconnection with recreational environments. Specifically, the project examines the potential of two assistive and immersive experiences; virtual reality (VR) and multisensory stimulation environments (MSSE). Findings identify three main areas of knowledge contribution. First, the introduction of VR and MSSE facilitated participants re-engagement and sharing of past experiences as they recalled past family holidays, day trips or everyday practices. Secondly, the combination of the hardware of the VR and MSSE technology with the physical objects of the sensory trays created alternative, multisensual ways of engaging with the experiences presented to participants. Lastly, the clear preference for the MSSE experience over the VR experience highlighted the importance of social interaction and exchange for participants.
    Clark P., Maguire Roma, Arber Anne, Klepacz Naomi, Connaghan J., Mcphelim J., Blythe K., Murray P., Rupani H., Mcnaughton L., Moylan A. Determining the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile health application to remotely monitor the symptoms of people with mesothelioma at home, In: Lung Cancer127pp. S87-S88 Elsevier
    DOI: 10.1016/S0169-5002(19)30254-5
    Maringer Marcus, van’t Veer Pieter, Klepacz Naomi, Verain Muriel C. D., Normann Anne, Ekman Suzanne, Timotijevic Lada, Raats Monique M., Geelen Anouk (2018)User-documented food consumption data from publicly available apps: an analysis of opportunities and challenges for nutrition research, In: Nutrition Journal1759pp. 1-13 BioMed Central
    DOI: 10.1186/s12937-018-0366-6

    Background

    The need for a better understanding of food consumption behaviour within its behavioural context has sparked the interest of nutrition researchers for user-documented food consumption data collected outside the research context using publicly available nutrition apps. The study aims to characterize the scientific, technical, legal and ethical features of this data in order to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with using this data for nutrition research.

    Method

    A search for apps collecting food consumption data was conducted in October 2016 against UK Google Play and iTunes storefronts. 176 apps were selected based on user ratings and English language support. Publicly available information from the app stores and app-related websites was investigated and relevant data extracted and summarized. Our focus was on characteristics related to scientific relevance, data management and legal and ethical governance of user-documented food consumption data.

    Results

    Food diaries are the most common form of data collection, allowing for multiple inputs including generic food items, packaged products, or images. Standards and procedures for compiling food databases used for estimating energy and nutrient intakes remain largely undisclosed. Food consumption data is interlinked with various types of contextual data related to behavioural motivation, physical activity, health, and fitness. While exchange of data between apps is common practise, the majority of apps lack technical documentation regarding data export. There is a similar lack of documentation regarding the implemented terms of use and privacy policies. While users are usually the owners of their data, vendors are granted irrevocable and royalty free licenses to commercially exploit the data.

    Conclusion

    Due to its magnitude, diversity, and interconnectedness, user-documented food consumption data offers promising opportunities for a better understanding of habitual food consumption behaviour and its determinants. Non-standardized or non-documented food data compilation procedures, data exchange protocols and formats, terms of use and privacy statements, however, limit possibilities to integrate, process and share user-documented food consumption data. An ongoing research effort is required, to keep pace with the technical advancements of food consumption apps, their evolving data networks and the legal and ethical regulations related to protecting app users and their personal data.

    Delivett Christopher P., Klepacz Naomi K., Farrow Claire V., Thomas Jason M., Raats Monique M., Nash Robert A. Front-of-pack images can boost the perceived health benefits of dietary products, In: Appetite104831 Elsevier
    DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104831
    Images on dietary supplement packaging can help identify the products' supposed function. However, research shows that these images can also lead people to infer additional health benefits of consuming the products. The present research investigated the extent to which front-of-pack imagery affects people's perceptions of the health risks and benefits of fictional products. In three randomized experiments, participants saw fictitious dietary supplement packages. Some of the packages included a health-related image (e.g. a heart), whereas others did not. Participants were asked to infer the products' intended purpose and then to rate the perceived risks and benefits of consuming the product. In Experiment 1 (N = 546), the inclusion of a health-related image increased the perceived benefits of consuming the product, with minimal effect on the perceived risks. This finding was replicated in Experiment 2 (N = 164), but was contingent on whether each product's assumed health function was confirmed or disconfirmed. In Experiment 3 (N = 306), which used a pre-registered design and analysis plan, the inclusion of a health-related image increased the perceived benefits and decreased the perceived risks of consuming the product. Again, these effects were contingent on whether the assumed health functions were confirmed or disconfirmed. These findings indicate that health-related imagery could lead consumers to infer additional health properties from non-diagnostic information featured on a product's packaging, perhaps as a consequence of increased processing fluency. This research underscores the importance of regulating the use of imagery in health marketing, to protect consumers from the effects of potentially misleading claims.
    Klepacz Naomi, Nash RA, Egan Mary, Raats Monique, Hodgkins Charo (2015)When Is an Image a Health Claim? A False-Recollection Method to Detect Implicit Inferences About Products’ Health Benefits, In: Health Psychology35(8)pp. 898-907 American Psychological Association
    DOI: 10.1037/hea0000317
    Objective: Images on food and dietary supplement packaging might lead people to infer (appropriately or inappropriately) certain health benefits of those products. Research on this issue largely involves direct questions, which could (a) elicit inferences that would not be made unprompted, and (b) fail to capture inferences made implicitly. Using a novel memory-based method, in the present research, we explored whether packaging imagery elicits health inferences without prompting, and the extent to which these inferences are made implicitly. Method: In 3 experiments, participants saw fictional product packages accompanied by written claims. Some packages contained an image that implied a health-related function (e.g., a brain), and some contained no image. Participants studied these packages and claims, and subsequently their memories for seen and unseen claims were tested. Results: When a health image was featured on a package, participants often subsequently recognized health claims that— despite being implied by the image—were not truly presented. In Experiment 2, these recognition errors persisted despite an explicit warning against treating the images as informative. In Experiment 3, these findings were replicated in a large consumer sample from 5 European countries, and with a cued-recall test. Conclusion: These findings confirm that images can act as health claims, by leading people to infer health benefits without prompting. These inferences appear often to be implicit, and could therefore be highly pervasive. The data underscore the importance of regulating imagery on product packaging; memory-based methods represent innovative ways to measure how leading (or misleading) specific images can be.

    Additional publications