Dr Helen Harcombe
| Position | Senior Lecturer |
|---|---|
| Department | Department of Preventive and Social Medicine (Dunedin) |
| Qualifications | BPhty MPH PhD |
| Research summary | Musculoskeletal disorders; occupational epidemiology; mixed methods research; injury prevention |
| Clinical | Musculoskeletal physiotherapy |
Research
Helen combines a research background in public health with a clinical background in physiotherapy.
She is currently the co-Principal Investigator (with Associate Professor Sarah Derrett – Principal Investigator) of the Subsequent Injury Study (SInS), which is funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (2015–2017).
Her research to date has been in the areas of:
- musculoskeletal disorders among workers
- injury – specifically physical activity and functional trajectories following injury, and
- access to healthcare services
Her PhD thesis A mixed methods study of musculoskeletal disorders in New Zealand nurses, postal workers and office workers involved the New Zealand arm of the 18-country international CUPID (Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability) study led by Professor David Coggon, UK.
Helen has previously held a STAR (Strategy to Advance Research) PhD scholarship and a Health Research Council of New Zealand Occupational Health Research Career Development Award.
Publications
Harcombe, H., Davie, G., Wyeth, E., Ameratunga, S., Powell, D., & Derrett, S. (2020). Predictors of severe or multiple subsequent injuries over 24 months among an already-injured cohort in New Zealand. Injury, 51, 620-627. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2019.12.038
Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Walker-Bone, K., Felli, V. E., Harari, R., Barrero, L. H., … Harcombe, H. (2020). Associations of sickness absence for pain in the low back, neck and shoulders with wider propensity to pain. Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 77, 301-308. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106193
Harcombe, H., Aldabe, D., Davie, G., Wyeth, E., & Derrett, S. (2019). Concordance between sentinel and subsequent injuries: A prospective study of injured New Zealanders. Injury, 50, 301-307. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2018.10.013
Wyeth, E., Lambert, M., Samaranayaka, A., Harcombe, H., Davie, G., & Derrett, S. (2019). Subsequent injuries experienced by Māori: Results from a 24-month prospective study in New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal, 132(1499), 23-35. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Palmer, K. T., Felli, V. E., Harari, F., Quintana, L. A., … Harcombe, H. (2019). Drivers of international variation in prevalence of disabling low back pain: Findings from the Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability study. European Journal of Pain, 23, 35-45. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1255
Chapter in Book - Research
McBride, D., & Harcombe, H. (2012). Work related musculoskeletal pain and its management. In S. Ghosh (Ed.), Pain in perspective. (pp. 63-92). New York: Intech. doi: 10.5772/51706
Journal - Research Article
Harcombe, H., Davie, G., Wyeth, E., Ameratunga, S., Powell, D., & Derrett, S. (2020). Predictors of severe or multiple subsequent injuries over 24 months among an already-injured cohort in New Zealand. Injury, 51, 620-627. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2019.12.038
Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Walker-Bone, K., Felli, V. E., Harari, R., Barrero, L. H., … Harcombe, H. (2020). Associations of sickness absence for pain in the low back, neck and shoulders with wider propensity to pain. Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 77, 301-308. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106193
Harcombe, H., Aldabe, D., Davie, G., Wyeth, E., & Derrett, S. (2019). Concordance between sentinel and subsequent injuries: A prospective study of injured New Zealanders. Injury, 50, 301-307. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2018.10.013
Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Palmer, K. T., Felli, V. E., Harari, F., Quintana, L. A., … Harcombe, H. (2019). Drivers of international variation in prevalence of disabling low back pain: Findings from the Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability study. European Journal of Pain, 23, 35-45. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1255
Wyeth, E., Lambert, M., Samaranayaka, A., Harcombe, H., Davie, G., & Derrett, S. (2019). Subsequent injuries experienced by Māori: Results from a 24-month prospective study in New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal, 132(1499), 23-35. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Abbott, J. H., Ward, A. L., Crane, C., Chapple, C. M., Stout, K., Hutton, L., … Harcombe, H., Ribeiro, D. C., & Gwynne Jones, D. (2019). Implementation of a 'Joint Clinic' to resolve unmet need for orthopaedic services in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis: A program evaluation. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 20(1), 324. doi: 10.1186/s12891-019-2702-1
Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Walker-Bone, K., Felli, V. E., Harari, F., Barrero, L. H., … Harcombe, H. (2019). Determinants of international variation in the prevalence of disabling wrist and hand pain. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 20, 436. doi: 10.1186/s12891-019-2791-x
Richardson, A., Gurung, G., Derrett, S., & Harcombe, H. (2019). Perspectives on preventing musculoskeletal injuries in nurses: A qualitative study. Nursing Open, 6, 915-929. doi: 10.1002/nop2.272
Wilson, S. J., Davie, G., Harcombe, H., Wyeth, E. H., Cameron, I. D., & Derrett, S. (2018). Impact of further injury on participation in work and activities among those previously injured: Results from a New Zealand prospective cohort study. Quality of Life Research, 27, 3167-3178. doi: 10.1007/s11136-018-1970-9
Richardson, A., McNoe, B., Derrett, S., & Harcombe, H. (2018). Interventions to prevent and reduce the impact of musculoskeletal injuries among nurses: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 82, 58-67. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.03.018
Harcombe, H., Davie, G., Wyeth, E., Samaranayaka, A., & Derrett, S. (2018). Injury upon injury: A prospective cohort study examining subsequent injury claims in the 24 months following a substantial injury. Injury Prevention, 24(6), 460-467. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2017-042467
Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Walker-Bone, K., Palmer, K. T., Felli, V. E., Harari, R., … Harcombe, H., … Derrett, S., McBride, D., Herbison, P., Gray, A., & Salazar Vega, E. J. (2017). Epidemiological differences between localized and non-localized low back pain. Spine, 42(10), 740-747. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000001956
Sarquis, L. M. M., Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Walker-Bone, K., Palmer, K. T., Felli, V. E., … Harcombe, H., … Derrett, S., McBride, D., Herbison, P., Gray, A., & Salazar Vega, E. J. (2016). Classification of neck/shoulder pain in epidemiological research: A comparison of personal and occupational characteristics, disability and prognosis among 12,195 workers from 18 countries. Pain, 157(5), 1028-1036. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000477
Harcombe, H., Samaranayaka, A., & Derrett, S. (2016). Predictors of reduced frequency of physical activity 3 months after injury: Findings from the prospective outcomes of injury study. Physical Therapy, 96(12), 1885-1895. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20160038
Harcombe, H., Davie, G., Derrett, S., Abbott, H., & Gwynne-Jones, D. (2016). Equity of publicly-funded hip and knee joint replacement surgery in New Zealand: Results from a national observational study. New Zealand Medical Journal, 129(1442), 8-18. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Vargas-Prada, S., Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Walker-Bone, K., Palmer, K. T., Felli, V. E., … Harcombe, H., … Derrett, S., McBride, D., Herbison, P., Gray, A., & Salazar Vega, E. J. (2016). Descriptive epidemiology of somatising tendency: Findings from the CUPID Study. PLoS ONE, 11(4), e0153748. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153748
Harcombe, H., Langley, J., Davie, G., & Derrett, S. (2015). Functional status following injury: What recovery pathways do people follow? Injury, 46(7), 1275-1280. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2015.04.004
Abbott, J. H., Chapple, C. M., Fitzgerald, G. K., Fritz, J. M., Childs, J. D., Harcombe, H., & Stout, K. (2015). The incremental effects of manual therapy or booster sessions in addition to exercise therapy for knee osteoarthritis: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 45(12), 975-983. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2015.6015
Harcombe, H., Herbison, G. P., McBride, D., & Derrett, S. (2014). Musculoskeletal disorders among nurses compared with two other occupational groups. Occupational Medicine, 64(8), 601-607. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqu117
Harcombe, H., Derrett, S., Samaranayaka, A., Davie, G., Wyeth, E., & Wilson, S. (2014). Factors predictive of subsequent injury in a longitudinal cohort study. Injury Prevention, 20(6), 393-400. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041183
Coggan, D., Ntani, G., Vargas-Prada, S., Martinez, J. M., Serra, C., Benavides, F. G., … and other members of the Cupid Collaboration, including Harcombe, H., Derrett, S., McBride, D., Herbison, P., & Gray, A. (2013). International variation in absence from work attributed to musculoskeletal illness: Findings from the CUPID study. Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 70, 575-584. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2012-101316
Coggan, D., Ntani, G., Palmer, K. T., Felli, V. E., Harari, R., Barrero, L. H., … Harcombe, H., … Derrett, S., McBride, D., Herbison, P., & Gray, A. (2013). Disabling musculoskeletal pain in working populations: Is it the job, the person, or the culture? Pain, 154(6), 856-863. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.02.008
Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Palmer, K. T., Felli, V. E., Harari, R., Barrero, L. H., … Harcombe, H., … Derrett, S., McBride, D., Herbison, P., & Gray, A. (2013). Patterns of multi-site pain and associations with risk factors. Pain, 154(9), 1769-1777. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.05.039
Coggon, D., Ntani, G., Palmer, K. T., Felli, V. E., Harari, R., Barrero, L. H., … Harcombe, H., … Derrett, S., McBride, D., & Gray, A. (2012). The CUPID (Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability) study: Methods of data collection and characteristics of study sample. PLoS ONE, 7(7), e39820. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039820
Harcombe, H., Derrett, S., Herbison, P., & McBride, D. (2011). 'Do I really want to do this?' Longitudinal cohort study participants' perspectives on postal survey design: A qualitative study. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 11, 8. doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-11-8
Harcombe, H., McBride, D., Derrett, S., & Gray, A. (2010). Physical and psychosocial risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders in New Zealand nurses, postal workers and office workers. Injury Prevention, 16(2), 96-100. doi: 10.1136/ip.2009.021766
Harcombe, H., McBride, D., Derrett, S., & Gray, A. (2009). Prevalence and impact of musculoskeletal disorders in New Zealand nurses, postal workers and office workers. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 33(5), 437-441. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2009.00425.x
Journal - Research Other
Derrett, S., Harcombe, H., Wyeth, E., Davie, G., Samaranayaka, A., Hansen, P., … Sullivan, T., Wilson, S., & Barson, D. (2017). Subsequent Injury Study (SInS): Improving outcomes for injured New Zealanders. Injury Prevention, 23(6), 429. doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2016-042193
