Dr Rebecca Knibb
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Job title: University Reader in Health Psychology
Email: r.c.knibb@derby.ac.uk
Phone No: 01332 593051
Room: E219
I'm a media friendly expert
Recent publications
Selected recent publications
- Knibb, R. C., Ibrahim, N., Stiefel, G., Petley, R., Cummings, A., King, R., Keeton, D., Brown, L., Erlewyn-Lajeunesse, M., Roberts, G., Lucas, J. (In press). The psychological impact of diagnostic food challenges to confirm the resolution of peanut or tree nut allergy. Clinical and Experimental Allergy
- J.L. van der Velde, B.M.J. Flokstra-de Blok, A. Hamp, R.C. Knibb, E.J. Duiverman, A.E.J. Dubois. (In press). Adolescent-parent disagreement on health-related quality of life of food allergic adolescents; Who makes the difference. Allergy
- Knibb, R.C. & Booth, D.A.B. (2011). Situation-specific cognitive behavioural self-therapy for erroneously suspected allergy or intolerance to a food: a short self-assessment tool. Appetite, 57, 439-442.
- Valentine, T. & Knibb, R.C. (2011). Exploring quality of life in families of children with and without a severe food allergy. Appetite, 57, 467-474.
- Cummings, A., Knibb, R.C., King, R., Lucas, J. (2010). The psychosocial impact of food allergy on children and adolescents: a review. Allergy, 65, 933-945.
- Cummings, A., Knibb, R.C., Erlewyn-Lajeunesse, M., King, R., Roberts, G., Lucas, J. (2010). Management of nut allergy influences quality of life and anxiety in children and their mothers. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 21(4), 586-594.
- Valentine, T., Buchanan, H., Knibb, R.C. (2010). A preliminary investigation of 4- to 11-year old children's knowledge and understanding of stress. Patient Education and Counselling, 79(2), 255-257.
- King, R., Knibb, R.C. & Hourihane, J. O'B. (2009). Impact of peanut allergy on quality of life, stress and anxiety in the family. Allergy, 64, 461-468.
- Knibb, R.C. & Horton, S. (2008). Can Illness Perceptions and coping predict psychological distress in allergy sufferers? British Journal of Health Psychology, 13, 103-119 .
- Coulson, N.S. & Knibb, R.C. (2007). Coping with food allergy: exploring the role of the internet support group. CyberPsychology and Behaviour, 10(1), 145-148.
- DunnGalvin, A., Hourihane, J. O'B., Frewer, L., Knibb, R.C., Oude Elberink, J.N.G., Klinge, I. (2006). A gendered approach to food allergy. Allergy, 61(11), 1336-1343.
Faculty: Education, Health and Sciences
School: School of Science
Subject Area: Psychology
I am a Reader in Health Psychology and the Programme Leader for MSc Health Psychology on campus and on line. I'm also a member of the Psychology Research Ethics Committee and the University Ethics Committee and sit on the Faculty Research and Research Degrees Committee.
Teaching responsibilities
I am the Programme Leader for MSc Health Psychology and teach the Psychology of Health and Illness and Advanced Quantitative Methods both on campus and online. I also teach on undergraduate health psychology modules.
Research interests
My primary research focuses on the psychosocial impact of allergic conditions including asthma, food allergy and intolerance, on the lives of children, adults and family carers. In particular I am interested in the impact on quality of life and affect such as anxiety and depression in those with clinically-diagnosed and self-diagnosed allergy and intolerance. I use both quantitative and qualitative research methods depending on the nature of the research. Currently I am running two studies with allergy clinics in Derby. The first is funded by the Midlands Allergy and Asthma Research Association to investigate scientific reasoning and knowledge of food allergy in children and parents. The second project aims to investigate the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy to improve psychological outcomes in parents of severely allergic children.
Membership of professional bodies and advisory committees
- Chartered Psychologist
- Registered Health Psychologist
- Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
- Full member of the Division of Health Psychology
- Student member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists
Recent Conferences
- Knibb, R.C. & Staples, V. (2011). Compensatory health beliefs and self-efficacy in healthy, overweight and obese adults. (Paper presented at the Division of Health Psychology Conference, University of Southampton, September 2011).
- Croker, S., Knibb, R.C., Colon, B. & Sanoshy, L (2011). The role of outcome in scientific reasoning about food allergy. (Poster presented at the Division of Health Psychology Conference, University of Southampton, September 2011).
- Kamal, A. & Knibb, R.C. (2011). Development and validation of the Children's Compensatory Health Beliefs Scale. (Paper presented at the Division of Health Psychology Conference, University of Southampton, September 2011).
- Lucas, J., Knibb, R.C. et al (2011). Quality of life in children with peanut and nut allergy- validation of the 'Avery' Paediatric Food Allergy Quality of Life (PFA-QL) Questionnaire. (Poster presented at the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology Conference, University of Nottingham, July 2011).
- Knibb, R.C., Barnes, C. & Khangura, H. (2011). Knowledge and practices of pregnant and breastfeeding women regarding food allergen avoidance (Poster presented at the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology Conference, University of Nottingham, July 2011).
- L. van der Velde, B.M.J. Flokstra-de Blok, A. Hamp, R.C. Knibb, E.J. Duiverman, A.E.J. Dubois (2011). Adolescent-parent disagreement on health-related quality of life in food allergic adolescents; Who makes the difference? (Poster presented at Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis meeting, Venice, February, 2011).
- Croker, S., Knibb, R.C., Stupple, E.J.N. (2010). The relationship between magical beliefs and critical thinking. (Poster presented at the 3rd Biennial International Society for the Psychology of Science and Technology Conference, Berkeley, CA, August 2010).
- Semper, H. & Knibb, R.C. (2010). The impact of food allergy on wellbeing in the family. (Paper presented at the Division of Health Psychology Conference, University of Belfast, September, 2010).
- Moorcroft, S. & Knibb, R.C. (2010). Can suggestibility, health locus of control, health anxiety or personality predict self diagnosis of food allergy? (Poster presented at the Division of Health Psychology Conference, University of Belfast, September, 2010).
Additional Interests and Activities
- Trustee of the Anaphylaxis Campaign
- Associate Editor for Health for The Psychologist
Media experience
I have given interviews to local and national press and radio interviews in the areas of food allergy and intolerance and parapsychology. I was also the Psychologist on Living's Paranormal Investigation Live programme, aired over Halloween weekend October 2010.
Undergraduate qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Psychology, University of Hertfordshire
Postgraduate qualifications
- MA Criminology, University of Keele
- MSc Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (due to complete 2012), University of Derby
Research qualifications
- PhD Health Psychology, University of Birmingham
