Hala Altawil, M. Sc.

research associate

Research focus on patient orientation and health education

Telephone: +49 (0)511-532-4038

Fax: +49 (0)511-532-5376

Fields of activity

Health information
Health literacy

University education

10/2019 - 09/2021
Studied Public Health (M. Sc.), Hannover Medical School
Title of the Master's thesis: (Digital) Health Information During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Usage, Barriers, Needs and Trust among Arabic-Speaking Migrant Parents.

08/2008 - 06/2012
Study of Business Administration (BBA.), Faculty of Commerce, IUG, Palestine

Professional / academic career

Since 01/ 2022
Research Associate, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, MHH

12/ 2020 - 12/ 2021
Research Assistant, Institute of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Public Health Research, MHH

09 /2020
Student Assistant in the study "Barriers and motivation for TB suspects' referral", Department of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig

Projects

DFG Research Unit FOR2959: HELICAP - Health Literacy in Early Childhood Allergy Prevention (DFG, 2020-2023; spokespersons: Prof. Christian Apfelbacher, Prof. Eva-Maria Bitzer). Work package 4: User Needs (project leader: Prof Marie-Luise Dierks).

Publications

Journal articles

Lander J, Altawil H, Apfelbacher C, Bitzer EM, Brandstetter S, Fillenberg B, Hartmann M, Holmberg C, von Sommoggy J & Dierks M-L (2025). Translating and communicating evidence on allergy prevention in children to parents: implementation study protocol. Arch Public Health 83, 36 (2025). doi.org/10.1186/s13690-025-01534-2

Lander J, Wallraf S, Pieper D, Klawunn R, Altawil H, Dierks M-L & John C (2025). Recruiting participants for focus groups in health research: a meta-research study. BMC Med Res Methodol 25, 9 (2025). doi.org/10.1186/s12874-025-02464-x

Lander J, Altawil H, Dilger E-M, Bruett AL, Fricke LM, Hoekstra D, John C, Krauth C, Krüger K, Schaubert K, von Sommoggy J, Thiele A, Dierks M-L (2023). Synchronous online focus groups in health research: application and further development of methodology based on experiences from two mixed-methods research projects. BMC Research Notes (2023) 16:18 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-023-06288-0

Lander J, Bitzer EM, von Sommoggy J, Pawellek M, Altawil H, John C, Apfelbacher C and Dierks M-L (2023). How do parents access, appraise, and apply health information on early childhood allergy prevention? A focus group and interview study. Front. Public Health 11:1123107. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1123107

Lander J, Heiberger A, Von Sommoggy J, Schulz AA, Dresch C, Altawil H, Schmitt G & Wirtz MA (2023). Intentional and actional components of engaged participation in public health research studies: qualitative synthesis of a recruitment and retention process into the theory-informed INTACT-RS framework. BMC Med Res Methodol 23, 17 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-023-01838-3

Altawil H, Klawunn R, Dierks M-L, Lander J (2022). Parental COVID-19-related health information practices, sources, evaluations and needs: A qualitative interview study. Health Expectations. 2022;1-11. DOI: 10.1111/hex.13688

Abstracts

Lander J, Altawil H, John C, Dierks M-L (2023). Internet and social media use for allergy prevention by parents of young children? A focus group and interview study. Healthcare 2023; 85(08/09): 817 - 818. doi:10.1055/s-0043-1770630

Altawil H, Dierks M-L, John C, Lander J (2022). "I also think a midwife is good and I think I could well imagine it as part of the U-examinations" - Parental information behavior on the topic of early childhood allergy prevention. Public Health 2022; 84: 747 DOI 10.1055/s-0042-1753671

Altawil H, Dorr F, Dresch C, Grepmeier E-M, Hasenpusch C, Heiberger A, Lander J, Matterne U, Pawellek M, Pöhnl L, Schmitt G, Schulz AA, Sieferle K, von Sommoggy J (2022). Recruitment of study participants in socio-medical and medical-sociological research practice - expectations, practical experiences and options for theory-guided procedures. Health Services 2022; 84: 850 DOI 10.1055/s-0042-1753944

Heiberger A, Schulz AA, von Sommoggy J, Dresch C, Altawil H, Schmitt G, Lander J (2022). "Model of engaged participation in research studies" - theory-based planning and implementation of recruitment processes in public health research as part of the DFG research network HELICAP (FOR 2959). Public Health 2022; 84: 851 DOI 10.1055/s-0042-1753947

Lander J, Altawil H, John C, Bitzer EM, Apfelbacher C, Dierks M-L (2022). Early childhood allergy prevention by parents: Results from a multicentre assessment of health literacy-related knowledge, practices and decision-making. British Society for Allergy and Immunology (BSACI) Abstracts of the World Allergy Organization (WAO) & BSACI 2022 UK Conference 25th-27th April 2022, Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). P. 1023. DOI: 10.1111/cea.14204

Altawil H, Dierks ML, Lander J. "Arabic, in my mother language, so that I understand"- Results of a qualitative exploratory interview study with parents in the COVID-19 pandemic. Gesundheitswesen 2021;83(8/9):691

Altawil H, Dierks ML, Lander J. Parental views and uptake of (online) information about the COVID-19 vaccine - Results of a qualitative-exploratory interview study with Arabic-speaking parents during the pandemic. In: Deutsches Netzwerk Versorgungsforschung e. V. [Ed.]: 20th German Congress for Health Services Research (DKVF). 06.-08.10.2021, digital. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House, 2021. p. Doc21dkvf193