About Me

Hi, welcome to my website

I am an Assistant Professor (Health and Well-being Studies) at the School of Graduate Studies and Department of Psychology, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.

I am the Programme Director of MSocSc Health and Social Services Management, MSc Health Analytics and Management and MSc Smart Ageing and Gerontology, and the Associate Director of MA China and Regional Development Studies.

About Me

Hi, welcome to my website

I am an Assistant Professor (Health and Well-being Studies) at the School of Graduate Studies and Department of Psychology, Lingnan University, Hong Kong.

I am the Programme Director of MSocSc Health and Social Services Management, MSc Health Analytics and Management and MSc Smart Ageing and Gerontology, and the Associate Director of MA China and Regional Development Studies.

Research

My research is interdisciplinary. It focuses on the social determinants of health and well-being of vulnerable populations. I approach this from health sociology, social policy, and public health perspectives. I study specific topics such as social capital, health literacy, healthcare access, and health-related welfare policies and attitudes using qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods designs. The target populations of my research include children, older persons, students, and migrants.

Some of my works have appeared in journals such as Ageing and Health, Journal of Applied Gerontology, Journal of Social Policy and Society, Public Health, Ageing and Society, Experimental Gerontology, Higher Education Policy, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, BMC Health Services Research, Child Indicators Research, and Women & Health. I have also contributed to several books on topics related to my research interests.

In 2021, I received Lingnan University’s Young Researcher Output Award.

My research and academic endeavours have received funding from the Government of Norway (Quota Scheme), Government of Hong Kong (PhD Fellowship), Lam Woo Research Fund and Faculty Research Grant (Lingnan University) among others.

I am an Associate Editor of Journal of Asian Public Policy and an Editorial Board Member of BMC Geriatrics. I am a member of these professional networks:

Current and Previous Research Projects

One of my ongoing works examines nuances and interconnections of how welfare attitudes, expectations and plans shape the psychological and mental well-being of low income informal workers in Ghana. Another one is focused on how acculturation processes, social capital, and health literacy are connected to the well-being of African Asylum seekers and Refugees in Hong Kong. These two interdisciplinary studies are connected to my previous works, such as the multidimensional aspects of well-being of adult populations in rural and urban Ghana; investigations into culture, language competence and mental health literacy of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong; and that of health literacy, social capital, and health-related quality of life among older persons in Hong Kong.

Publications

Amoah, P. A., Amankwaa, A., Lau, M., & Arat, G. (2024). Subjective Poverty, Family Support and Health-Related Well-Being of School-Aged Children in Single-Parent Households in Ghana: The Role of Health Literacy and Duration of Parental Separation. Child Indicators Research, 10.1007/s12187-024-10127-4. Available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187024-10127-4

Amoah, P. A., Ameyaw, E. K., & Fordjour, G. A. (2024). Interplay of sociocultural factors, health literacy and well-being among African asylum seekers and refugees in Asia: A systematic review. Journal of Migration and Health, 10, 100262. Available at https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2024.100262

Amoah, P. A., & Oteng, S. A. (2024). Social capital, social health insurance, and health related quality of life among people living with chronic diseases: Cultural and ideational perspectives. Social Policy and Society. Available at https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746424000332

Oteng, S. A., Amoah, P. A., & Huang, G. (2024). Deconstructing ageism among older informal workers: a systematic review. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). Available at https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-03-2024-0117

Amoah, P. A., & Adjei, M. (2023). Social capital, access to healthcare, and health-related quality of life in urban Ghana. Journal of Urban Affairs, 45(3), 570-589. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2021.1969245

Parial, L. L., Amoah, P. A., Chan, K. C. H., Lai, D. W. L., & Leung, A. Y. M. (2023). Dementia literacy of racially minoritized people in a Chinese society: a qualitative study among South Asian migrants in Hong Kong [Article]. Ethnicity and Health, 28(5), 757-780. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2022.2139818

Amoah, P. A., Boateng, M. O., Koduah, A. O., & Acheampong, P. R. (2022). Interplay of health literacy, healthcare access and health behaviors with oral health status among older persons. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.997987

Amoah, P. A., Koduah, A. O., Gyasi, R. M., Nyamekye, K. A., & Phillips, D. R. (2022). Association of Health Literacy and Socio-economic Status with Oral Health Among Older Adults in Ghana: A Moderation Analysis of Social Capital. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 41(3), 671-679. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648211028391

Amoah, P. A., & Mok, E. W. C. (2022). COVID-19 and Well-Being of Non-local Students: Implications for International Higher Education Governance. Higher Education Policy, 35, 651–672. doi: 10.1057/s41307-022-00270-4

Amoah, P. A., Osei-Tutu, A., & Adjei, S. B. (2022). Socio-economic and technological aspects of mental health of older persons: the role of strong and weak ties in Ghana. Ageing and society, 1-23. doi: 10.1017/S0144686X21001859

Gyasi, R. M., Adjakloe, Y. D. A., Siaw, L. P., James, P. B., Amoah, P. A., Abass, K., . . . Phillips, D. R. (2022). The effect-modification of physical activity on the association of pain with impaired physical function in aging adults. Experimental Gerontology, 163, 111791. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2022.111791

Opoku, R., Amoah, P. A., & Nyamekye, K. A. (2021). Examining the incentives and disincentives in the maintenance of Insecticide-Treated Nets among householders in Ghana. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3294

Amoah, P. A., Nyamekye, K. A., & Owusu-Addo, E. (2021). A multidimensional study of public satisfaction with the healthcare system: a mixed-method inquiry in Ghana. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1320. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-07288-

Amoah, P. A., Leung, A. Y. M., Parial, L. L., Poon, A. C. Y., Tong, H. H.-Y., Ng, W.-I., Li, X., Wong, E. M. L., Kor, P. P. K., & Molassiotis, A. (2021). Digital Health Literacy and Health-Related Well-Being Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Socioeconomic Status Among University Students in Hong Kong and Macao. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 10105395211012230. doi: 10.1177/10105395211012230

Wen, Z., Mok, K. H., & Amoah, P. A. (2021). Productive engagement and ageing in productivist welfare regimes: questing for an age-friendly city in Hong Kong. Ageing and society, 1-23. doi: 10.1017/S0144686X21000167

Amoah, P. A., Hodzi, O., & Castillo, R. (2020). Africans in China and Chinese in Africa: inequalities, social identities, and well-being. Asian Ethnicity, 1-7. doi: 10.1080/14631369.2020.1784706

Amoah, P. A. (2020). Examining attitudes towards welfare in an in/security regime: Evidence from Ghana. Social Policy and Society, 1-16. doi: 10.1017/S1474746420000172

Kor, P. P. K., Leung, A. Y. M., Parial, L. L., Wong, E. M. L., Dadaczynski, K., Okan, O., Amoah, P. A., Wang, S. S., Deng, R., Cheung, T. C. C., and Molassiotis, A. (2020). Are People With Chronic Diseases Satisfied With the Online Health Information Related to COVID-19 During the Pandemic? Journal of Nursing Scholarship. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12616

Amoah, P. A. (2020). Perceptions of Neglect and Well-Being among Independent Child Migrants in Ghana. Child Indicators Research, 13(2). doi: 10.1007/s12187-019-09678-8

Amoah, P. A., & Phillips, D. R. (2020). Socio-demographic and behavioral correlates of health literacy: A gender perspective in Ghana. Women & Health, 60(2), 123-139. doi: 10.1080/03630242.2019.1613471

Amoah, P. A., Koduah, A. O., Anaduaka, U. S., Addae, E. A., Gwenzi, G. D., & Amankwaa, A. (2020). Psychological well-being in diaspora space: a study of African economic migrants in Hong Kong. Asian Ethnicity, 1-18. doi: 10.1080/14631369.2020.1775485

Castillo, R., & Amoah, P. A. (2020). Africans in post-COVID-19 pandemic China: is there a future for China’s ‘new minority’? Asian Ethnicity, 21, 1-6. doi: 10.1080/14631369.2020.1773760

Amoah, P. A., Mok, K. H., Wen, Z., & Li, L. W. (2019). Achieving the age-friendly city agenda: an interventional study in Hong Kong’s Islands District. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 12, 1-20. doi: 10.1080/17516234.2019.1663981

Amoah, P. A. (2019). Local patterns of social capital and sustenance of the Community-Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) policy: a qualitative comparative study in Ghana. BMJ Open, 9(2), e023376. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023376

Dankwah, K. O., & Amoah, P. A. (2019). Gauging the dispositions between indigenes, Chinese and other immigrant traders in Ghana:  towards a more inclusive society. Asian Ethnicity, 20(1), 64-84. doi: 10.1080/14631369.2018.1490173

Amoah, P. A., & Phillips, D. R. (2018). Health literacy and health: Rethinking the strategies for universal health coverage in Ghana. Public Health, 159, 40-49. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.03.002

Amoah, P. A. (2018). Social participation, health literacy, and health and well-being: A cross-sectional study in Ghana. SSM – Population Health, 4, 263-270. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.02.005

Amoah, P. A., Koduah, A. O., & Gyasi, R. M. (2018). “Who’ll do all these if I’m not around?”: Bonding Social Capital and Health and Well-being of Inpatients. Int. J. of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 13(1), 1435108. doi: 10.1080/17482631.2018.1435108

Gyasi, R. M., Phillips, D. R., & Amoah, P. A. (2018). Multidimensional Social Support and Health Services Utilization Among Noninstitutionalized Older Persons in Ghana. Journal of Aging and Health, 0898264318816217. doi: 10.1177/0898264318816217

Some Book Contributions

  • Amoah, P.A. (Forthcoming). Social capital, health and well-being: A critical review and empirical evidence. In McDonald, S., Cote, R., & Shen, J. (Eds). The Handbook on Inequality and Social Capital. Edward Elgar Publishing
  • Amoah, P. A.*, & Nyamekye, K. A. (2022). Understanding Relations between Access to Healthcare, Social Capital, and Health-Related Well-Being of Street-Involved Children in Ghana. In Tiliouine, H., Benatuil, D. & Lau, M. K. W. (Eds.), Handbook of Children’s Risk, Vulnerability and Quality of Life: Global Perspectives (pp. 297-311). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
  • Amoah, P. A*., & Phillips, D. R. (2021). Rural ageing in low- and middle-income countries. In Winterton, R. & Walsh, K. (Eds.), Rural Gerontology: Towards Critical Perspectives on Rural Ageing. London: Routledge.
  • Hodzi, O., & Amoah, P. A.* (2022). Cities and Social Integration: Reimagining China–Africa Relations in the Greater Bay Area. In Mok, K. H. (Ed.), Cities and Social Governance Reforms: Greater Bay Area Development Experiences (pp. 137-157). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.

Presentations

Welfare Attitudes and Mental Well-being among Older Adults: A Social Capital and Gender Perspectives. Managing Social/Demographic Change: Comparative Educational And Social Policy Studies In East Asia. National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan, The Center for Innovative Research on Aging Society (CIRAS) & Lingnan University, Hong Kong, March 27-28, 2024 (Invited Speaker)

Seeking refuge in a Productivist welfare regime: Well-being of African Asylum Seekers post COVID-19 Hong Kong. The Transformation of East Asian Welfare States in the Post Covid19 Era: Challenges, Opportunities and Futures, Global Asia Research Center, National Taiwan University.15-16 March, 2024 (Invited Speaker)

Productive engagement and ageing societies: Towards an age-friendly city in Hong Kong. Health Ageing Conference 2023:- Health Ageing in Western Pacific: Moving Forward with the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, 26-27 October 2023 (with Ka Ho Mok, Zhouyi Wen)

Non-governmental organisations as instrument for dementia literacy among ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. The 19th East Asia Social Policy Conference: Sustainable Development and Social Policy in East Asia. Sydney, Australia, 14-15 September 2023 (with Angela Y. M. Leung & Laurence Lloyd Parial)

Social capital and quality of care and health information: Rethinking health literacy among community-dwelling older persons in Hong Kong. The 9th AHLA International Conference: All for Health Literacy: 14-17 May 2023

Health literacy and well-being of School Workers during COVID-19: A path analysis of Sense of coherence, work-related stress, and vaccine attitudes in Hong Kong. Health literacy in social resilience. The 8th AHLA International Conference. 27-29 October 2022. (With Angela Y. M. Leung, Sam S. S. Lau, Kevin Dadaczynski, Orkan Okan)

COVID-19 and Health-related Well-being of Non-local Students. The Finnish University Network for Asian Studies promotes education and research on Asia in Finland. Asian Studies Days 2022: “Time of Reassessments”. 26-27 October 2022, University of Turku (with Weiyan Xiong) (Invited Speaker)

Social capital and health literacy among community-dwelling older persons in Hong Kong. The 8th AHLA International Conference. 27-29 October 2022.

A Social Ecological Perspective on Health-related Well-being of Non-local Students During and Beyond COVID-19. A Social Ecological Perspective on Health-related Well-being of Non-local Students During and Beyond COVID-19. The 5th International Research Seminar 2022. Sustainable Quality Assurance in Turbulent Higher Education Policies, Dialogue and Synergy in the Post Pandemic. College of Education, National Chengchi University, Taiwan 11 November 2022. (with Maggie Lau) (Invited Speaker)

Health literacy and active ageing among older persons in Hong Kong:
Questing the role of social capital. Transformation of Post-COVID Welfare States in East Asia: Beyond Productivist Welfare Capitalism. East Asian Social Policy Research Network, Yonsei, University, South Korea, 24-25 June 2022.

Exploring the Philanthropic Role on Building Age-friendly Community: The Case Study of Jockey Club Age-friendly City Project in Hong Kong. The 22nd World Congress on Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG 2022), Buenos Aires City, from June 12 to 16, 2022. (with Jean Woo, Terry Yat Sang Lum, Ka Ho Mok, Xue Bai, & Kam Kong Cheung)

Social Policy in Distress: A Scoping Review. Population and Social Policy in a Disrupted World. Universitas Gadjah Mada, 6 August 2018, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (with Kühner, S.) (Invited Speaker)

Social capital, higher education and well-being: A comparative analysis between sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia. Towards Collaboration and Balanced Public Policy: The 5th International Conference on Social Policy and Governance Innovation. Organised by: School of Public Administration, South China University of Technology; Dept. of Asian and Policy Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong; Division of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, 27-28 October 2018, Guangzhou, China (Invited Speaker)

The association between social support, health literacy and health among young and older adults in Ghana; Energies: Power, Creativity and Afro-Futures, 61st Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association. 29 Nov. – 1 Dec 2018, Atlanta, GA

Accounting for Health-related well-being among selected rural and urban residents in Ghana: The role of social capital. International conference on Well-being. National Accounts of Happiness and Social Development, SIM University, Oct. 31 & Nov. 1, 2016. Singapore

Social Capital and General Health Literacy: A Contextual and Gender Perspective. Sixth International Conference on Health, Wellness and Society. Organised by: Health, Wellness, & Society Research Network, 20-21 October 2016, Washington D.C

Academic Event Organization

I have received grants to organise several academic conferences, workshops and symposium, including these:

  1. 2024: Postgraduate Summer School 2024. Funding support from University Grants Committee of Hong Kong and the School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University (https://bit.ly/3WXlDEX)
  2. 2023: International Conference cum Workshop: Health and Well-being: Promoting Mental and Cognitive Outcomes. Lingnan University Research Committee (https://bit.ly/3ZTFPXX)
  3. 2023: Postgraduate Conference on Interdisciplinary Learning: Postgraduate Studies in Post Pandemic Societies. Funding support from University Grants Committee of Hong Kong and the School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University (Over 200 participants) (https://bit.ly/3xmFpMM)
  4. International Symposium on Deconstructing Inequality and Well-being between China and Africa, 9-10 May 2019, Centre for Social Policy and Social Change, Lingnan University. (https://bit.ly/46GfekA)

Teaching and Curriculum Development

I am passionate about teaching and working with students. In 2022, I was nominated for the Teaching Excellence Awards Scheme at Lingnan University.

I teach/have taught courses, including:

  • Self-Improvement, Personal and Work Success (Undergraduate, Psychology)
  • Religious behaviour, beliefs and experience (Undergraduate, Psychology)
  • Introduction to Social Statistics (Postgraduate)
  • Theorising Health and Social Services (Postgraduate)
  • Introduction to Health and Social Care (Undergraduate)
  • Seminars on Social Policy and Social Change (Postgraduate)
  • Social Policy Analysis: Comparative Perspectives (Postgraduate)
  • Introduction to China-Africa Relations (Postgraduate)

I have led in developing and setting up these academic programmes:

PhD and Professional Doctorate Supervision

I am happy to work with students with research interests similar to mine. I welcome inquiries for supervision. My current and past PhD and other doctoral students include:

  • Ayomide Oladosu (PhD Sociology and Social Policy, Graduated): Social Networks, Access to Healthcare, and The Health-Related Quality of Life of Young Informal Workers In Nigeria’s Construction Industry (2020-2023)
  • Abdul Wali Khan (Doctor of Policy Studies & Doctor of Philosophy Education/Policy Administration, Graduated): University stakeholders’ perspectives of quality assurance reforms in Pakistan: the role of borrowing policy (2020-2023)
  • Samuel Ampadu Oteng (PhD candidate in Sociology and Social Policy): Deconstructing ageism and quality of life among older informal workers: A mixed-methods study in Ghana (2021-Present)
  • Cao Xue (Doctor of Policy Studies, Graduated): A Qualitative Study Of Approaches To Implementing Basic Education Internationalization In Shenzhen (2020-2023)
  • Kang Zeyu (Doctor of Policy Studies & Doctor of Philosophy Education/Policy Administration, Graduated): Examining the University Supports and International Students’ Psychological Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China (2020-2023)
  • Liang Ao (Doctor of Policy Studies, Graduated): Examining the Intention to Seek Postgraduate Education (Professional Degree) Amongst University Students in China: The Moderating Role of Social Network (2020-2023)
  • Md Hasan Howlader (PhD candidate in Sociology and Social Policy): Examining the nexus between Social Media Use, Mental Health and Academic Burnout of Undergraduate Students (2022-Present)
  • Tariq Azam (PhD candidate in Sociology and Social Policy): Mobilizing Social Infrastructure in Informal Settlements in Pakistan: Response to Neglected (2021-Present)
  • Vincent Cao (Doctor of Policy Studies, Student): A Qualitative Study of Gender Pay Gap Phenomenon: The Case of Shenzhen Maritime Industry
  • John Ennin (Exchange student) (2023)
  • Patrick Boadu (Exchange student) (2024)
  • Margaret Andrews (Exchange Student) (2024)

Media Appearance

Amoah, P. A. (2023). Promoting and protecting the well-being of asylum seekers in Hong Kong: rethinking the consequences of current economic policies. Think Hong Kong. Retrieved 13 Sept from https://www.thinkhk.com/article/2023-08/07/61107.html

Amoah, P.A. (2022). Hong Kong’s age-friendly city agenda must also target young people. Think Hong Kong, 4 August 2022. https://bit.ly/3qztlEi

Amoah, P. A. (2022): Second-hand smoking in Hong Kong: Time to discuss and address this public health issue. Think Hong Kong: 11 February 2022. https://bit.ly/3AXyEUq

Amoah, P. A. (2021). Supporting socioeconomically diverse student body to achieve health and educational goals during challenging times. Think Hong Kong: https://bit.ly/3aOtJKI

Amoah, P. A., & Mok, K. H. (2020). The Covid-19 pandemic and internationalisation of higher education: International students knowledge, experiences and well-being. Retrieved 18 June, 2020, from https://bit.ly/3b8qdXL

Amoah, P. A. & Hodzi, O. (2020). The future of Sino-Africa relations rests on the well-being of ordinary people. Retrieved 17 October 2020, from https://bit.ly/2H7TMhc

Sun, F. (2020). Black lives matter in Hong Kong too: African migrants say racism leaves them feeling alienated, shunned, South China Morning Post. Retrieved 17 October 2020, from https://bit.ly/3471zo3

Amoah, P. A. (2019). Africans in China and Chinese in Africa: Trends and the Social Integration Conundrum. Retrieved 17 October, 2020, from https://bit.ly/34bETDr

Amoah, P. A. (2018). Easing the overcrowding in Hong Kong’s public hospitals starts with an informed public. Retrieved 14 May, 2018, from https://bit.ly/3kblvMm

Amoah, P. A. (2018). Overworking and social media are public health problems in Hong Kong. Better social bonds are the cure. Retrieved 14 May, 2018, fromhttps://bit.ly/35aedlp

Amoah, P. A. (2018). Time to count the mental health cost of hardship for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Retrieved 15 May 2018, from https://bit.ly/2FBkC0j

Amoah, P. A. (2017). Hong Kong must not neglect ethnic minorities’ health care needs. Retrieved 15 May, 2018, from https://bit.ly/2IGq03B

Hobby

I am a soccer/football enthusiast. A longtime fan of Real Madrid. I don’t play regularly as I used to after a couple of knee injuries. I can still score the goals though