Background

Dr Julie Hennegan is a mixed-methods researcher specialising in global adolescent and women’s health. She explores the social and environmental determinants of health, and the design and evaluation of complex social interventions.

Julie’s work focuses on menstrual health, sexual and reproductive health including rights, and gender dimensions of water, sanitation, and hygiene services. She has led and contributed to research across high- middle- and low-income country settings, with a focus on East Africa.

Building the evidence base to understand and improve menstrual health, Julie led the development of new measures to capture menstrual health needs. She has advanced the ongoing development of national indicators and measures to monitor menstrual health, and the application of evidence synthesis methods to progress theory and research.

Julie joined the Burnet Institute in 2020, following a postdoctoral fellowship and faculty appointment at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (USA). She completed her DPhil at the University of Oxford (UK) in 2017.

Appointments

• 2020 - present: Honorary Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2020 - present: Adjunct Research Associate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA

Positions

• 2020 - present: Senior Research Officer, Burnet Institute, Australia
• 2018 -2020: Research Associate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
• 2017-2018: Postdoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA

Qualifications

• 2017: DPhil, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
• 2014: MSc Evidence Based Social Intervention, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
• 2010: BPsySc (hons I), University of Queensland, Australia

Projects (2)

Current (2)

• 

  The Adolescent Menstrual Experiences and Health Cohort (AMEHC) Study in Bangladesh

• 

  Understanding Pathways to Adolescent Pregnancy in Southeast Asia

Publications (43)

2023 (1)

• Reusable period products: use and perceptions among young people in Victoria, Australia.
  Ramsay C, Hennegan J, Douglass CH, Eddy S, Head A, Lim MSC
  BMC Womens Health. 2023 Mar; 23(1):102

2022 (6)

• Adolescent girls' experiences of menstruation and schooling in monastic schools in Magway Region, Myanmar: A mixed-methods exploration.
  Swe ZY, Mon NO, Than KK, Azzopardi PS, Kennedy EC, Davis J, Burns LJ, Hennegan J
  Front Reprod Health. 2022 Aug; 4:893266
• Menstrual health challenges in the workplace and consequences for women’s work and wellbeing: A cross-sectional survey in Mukono, Uganda
  Hennegan J, Bukenya JN, Fredrick E. Makumbi FE, Nakamya , Natalie G. Exum NG, Schwab KJ, Kibira SPS
  PLoS Glob Pub Health. 2022 Jul; 2(7):e0000589
• Puberty health intervention to improve menstrual health and school attendance among adolescent girls in The Gambia: study methodology of a cluster-randomised controlled trial in rural Gambia (MEGAMBO TRIAL).
  Shah V, Phillips-Howard P, Hennegan J, Cavill S, Sonko B, Sinjanka E, Camara Trawally N, Kanteh A, Mendy F, Bah AB, Saar M, Ross I, Schmidt W, Torondel B
  Emerg Themes Epidemiol. 2022 Jul; 19(1):6
• Revalidation and adaptation of the Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS) in a cross-sectional survey to measure the menstrual experiences of adult women working in Mukono District, Uganda.
  Hennegan J, Bukenya JN, Kibira SPS, Nakamya P, Makumbi FE, Exum NG, Schwab KJ
  BMJ Open. 2022 Jul; 12(7):e057662
• Global research and learning agenda for building evidence on contraceptive-induced menstrual changes for research, product development, policies, and programs.
  Hoppes E, Nwachukwu C, Hennegan J, Blithe DL, Cordova-Gomez A, Critchley H, Doncel GF, Dorflinger LJ, Haddad LB, Mackenzie ACL, Maybin JA, Moley K, Nanda K, Sales Vieira C, Vwalika B, Kibira SPS, Mickler A, OlaOlorun FM, Polis CB, Sommer M, Williams KM, Lathrop E, Mahajan T, Rademacher KH, Solomon M, Wilson K, Wilson LC, Rountree L
  Gates Open Res. 2022 Apr; 6:49
• Monitoring Menstrual Health Knowledge: Awareness of Menstruation at Menarche as an Indicator.
  Hennegan J, Swe ZY, Than KK, Smith C, Sol L, Alberda H, Bukenya JN, Kibira SPS, Makumbi FE, Schwab KJ, Azzopardi PS
  Front Glob Womens Health. 2022 Mar; 3:832549

2021 (7)

• Key recommendations to strengthen public-private partnership for adolescent health in resource constrained settings: Formative qualitative inquiry in Mongolia, Myanmar and the Philippines.
  Azzopardi PS, Hennegan J, Prabhu SM, Dagva B, Balibago MM, Htin PPW, Swe ZY, Kennedy EC
  Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2021 Oct; 15:100242
• Response strategies for promoting gender equality in public health emergencies: a rapid scoping review.
  Steinert JI, Alacevich C, Steele B, Hennegan J, Yakubovich AR
  BMJ Open. 2021 Aug; 11(8):e048292
• Experiences of menstruation in high income countries: A systematic review, qualitative evidence synthesis and comparison to low- and middle-income countries.
  Barrington DJ, Robinson HJ, Wilson E, Hennegan J
  PLoS One. 2021 Jul; 16(7):e0255001
• School and work absenteeism due to menstruation in three West African countries: findings from PMA2020 surveys.
  Hennegan J, OlaOlorun FM, Oumarou S, Alzouma S, Guiella G, Omoluabi E, Schwab KJ
  Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2021 May; 29(1):1915940
• Enablers and barriers to primary healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents: study protocol for participatory mixed-methods research that builds on WHO global standards.
  Ritchie T, Purcell T, Westhead S, Wenitong M, Cadet-James Y, Brown A, Kirkham R, Neville J, Saleh C, Brown N, Kennedy EC, Hennegan J, Pearson O, Azzopardi PS
  BMJ Open. 2021 Apr; 11(4):e046459
• Menstrual health: a definition for policy, practice, and research.
  Hennegan J, Winkler IT, Bobel C, Keiser D, Hampton J, Larsson G, Chandra-Mouli V, Plesons M, Mahon T
  Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2021 Apr; 29(1):1911618
• How addressing menstrual health and hygiene may enable progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.
  Sommer M, Torondel B, Hennegan J, Phillips-Howard PA, Mahon T, Motivans A, Zulaika G, Gruer C, Haver J, Caruso BA; Monitoring Menstrual Health and Hygiene Group.
  Glob Health Action. 2021 Jan; 14(1):1920315

2020 (5)

• Measurement in the study of menstrual health and hygiene: A systematic review and audit.
  Julie Hennegan, Deborah Jordan Brooks, Kellogg J Schwab, G J Melendez-Torres
  PLoS One. 2020 Jun; 15(6):e0232935
• National Monitoring for Menstrual Health and Hygiene: Is the Type of Menstrual Material Used Indicative of Needs Across 10 Countries?
  Annie D Smith, Alfred Muli, Kellogg J Schwab, Julie Hennegan
  Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Apr; 17(8)
• How do women and girls experience menstrual health interventions in low- and middle-income countries? Insights from a systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis.
  Alexandra K Shannon, G J Melendez-Torres, Julie Hennegan
  Cult Health Sex. 2020 Mar
• Measuring menstrual hygiene experience: development and validation of the Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS-36) in Soroti, Uganda.
  Julie Hennegan, Agnes Nansubuga, Calum Smith, Maggie Redshaw, Agnes Akullo, Kellogg J Schwab
  BMJ Open. 2020 Feb; 10(2):e034461
• Confidence to manage menstruation at home and at school: findings from a cross-sectional survey of schoolgirls in rural Bangladesh.
  Julie Hennegan, Lidwien Sol
  Cult Health Sex. 2020 Feb; 22(2):146-165

2019 (4)

• Menstrual health and hygiene among Indigenous Australian girls and women: barriers and opportunities.
  Emily Krusz, Nina Hall, Dani J Barrington, Sandra Creamer, Wendy Anders, Minnie King, Helen Martin, Julie Hennegan
  BMC Womens Health. 2019 Nov; 19(1):146
• Missed Opportunities: Menstruation Matters for Family Planning.
  Julie Hennegan, Amy O Tsui, Marni Sommer
  Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2019 Nov; 45:55-59
• Inserting informed choice into global menstrual product use and provision.
  Julie Hennegan
  Lancet Public Health. 2019 Aug; 4(8):e361-e362
• Women's and girls' experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis.
  Julie Hennegan, Alexandra K Shannon, Jennifer Rubli, Kellogg J Schwab, G J Melendez-Torres
  PLoS Med. 2019 May; 16(5):e1002803

2018 (4)

• Wealthy, urban, educated. Who is represented in population surveys of women's menstrual hygiene management?
  Julie Hennegan, Alexandra K Shannon, Kellogg J Schwab
  Reprod Health Matters. 2018 Dec; 26(52):1484220
• Inclusion of menstrual health in sexual and reproductive health and rights.
  Penelope A Phillips-Howard, Julie Hennegan, Helen A Weiss, Laura Hytti, Marni Sommer
  Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2018 Aug; 2(8):e18
• The Relationship between Household Sanitation and Women's Experience of Menstrual Hygiene: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Kaduna State, Nigeria.
  Julie Hennegan, Linnea Zimmerman, Alexandra K Shannon, Natalie G Exum, Funmilola OlaOlorun, Elizabeth Omoluabi, Kellogg J Schwab
  Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 May; 15(5)
• Is partners' mental health and well-being affected by holding the baby after stillbirth? Mothers' accounts from a national survey.
  Julie M Hennegan, Jane Henderson, Maggie Redshaw
  J Reprod Infant Psychol. 2018 Apr; 36(2):120-131

2017 (3)

• Time to talk about menstruation: a response.
  Julie Hennegan, Belen Torondel, Penelope A Phillips-Howard, Marni Sommer, Paul Montgomery
  Lancet. 2017 Aug; 390(10097):845-846
• A qualitative understanding of the effects of reusable sanitary pads and puberty education: implications for future research and practice.
  Julie Hennegan, Catherine Dolan, Laurel Steinfield, Paul Montgomery
  Reprod Health. 2017 Jun; 14(1):78
• Exposure to food cues moderates the indirect effect of reward sensitivity and external eating via implicit eating expectancies.
  Aimee L Maxwell, Natalie J Loxton, Julie M Hennegan
  Appetite. 2017 Apr; 111:135-141

2016 (5)

• Measuring the prevalence and impact of poor menstrual hygiene management: a quantitative survey of schoolgirls in rural Uganda.
  Julie Hennegan, Catherine Dolan, Maryalice Wu, Linda Scott, Paul Montgomery
  BMJ Open. 2016 Dec; 6(12):e012596
• Menstruation and the Cycle of Poverty: A Cluster Quasi-Randomised Control Trial of Sanitary Pad and Puberty Education Provision in Uganda.
  Paul Montgomery, Julie Hennegan, Catherine Dolan, Maryalice Wu, Laurel Steinfield, Linda Scott
  PLoS One. 2016 Dec; 11(12):e0166122
• Schoolgirls' experience and appraisal of menstrual absorbents in rural Uganda: a cross-sectional evaluation of reusable sanitary pads.
  Julie Hennegan, Catherine Dolan, Maryalice Wu, Linda Scott, Paul Montgomery
  Reprod Health. 2016 Dec; 13(1):143
• Impact of holding the baby following stillbirth on maternal mental health and well-being: findings from a national survey.
  Maggie Redshaw, Julie M Hennegan, Jane Henderson
  BMJ Open. 2016 Aug; 6(8):e010996
• Do Menstrual Hygiene Management Interventions Improve Education and Psychosocial Outcomes for Women and Girls in Low and Middle Income Countries? A Systematic Review.
  Julie Hennegan, Paul Montgomery
  PLoS One. 2016 Feb; 11(2):e0146985

2015 (2)

• Another country, another language and a new baby: A quantitative study of the postnatal experiences of migrant women in Australia.
  Julie Hennegan, Maggie Redshaw, Sue Kruske
  Women Birth. 2015 Dec; 28(4):e124-e133
• Contact with the baby following stillbirth and parental mental health and well-being: a systematic review.
  Julie M Hennegan, Jane Henderson, Maggie Redshaw
  BMJ Open. 2015 Nov; 5(11):e008616

2014 (5)

• Remote access and care: A comparison of Queensland women's maternity care experience according to area of residence.
  Julie Hennegan, Sue Kruske, Maggie Redshaw
  Women Birth. 2014 Dec; 27(4):281-291
• Young women's recent experience of labour and birth care in Queensland.
  Maggie Redshaw, Julie Hennegan, Yvette Miller
  Midwifery. 2014 Jul; 30(7):810-816
• Born in another country: women's experience of labour and birth in Queensland, Australia.
  Julie Hennegan, Maggie Redshaw, Yvette Miller
  Women Birth. 2014 Jun; 27(2):91-97
• Holding the baby: early mother-infant contact after childbirth and outcomes.
  Maggie Redshaw, Julie Hennegan, Sue Kruske
  Midwifery. 2014 May; 30(5):e177-e187
• Young women's experiences as consumers of maternity care in Queensland.
  Maggie Redshaw, Yvette D Miller, Julie Hennegan
  Birth. 2014 Mar; 41(1):56-63

2013 (1)

• Great expectations. Eating expectancies as mediators of reinforcement sensitivity and eating.
  Julie M Hennegan, Natalie J Loxton, Ameerah Mattar
  Appetite. 2013 Dec; 71:81-88

News Articles (5)

2021 (3)

• 2021 in Review: January to June
• NHMRC grants for Burnet Emerging Leaders
• New definition urges action on menstrual health for all

2020 (2)

• The story of Ma Sabai
• Burnet welcomes Dr Julie Hennegan to the Global Adolescent Health Working Group