Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences

Overview

Our research focuses on physical activity, nutrition and their associations with health across the life span. The primary areas of focus include biomedical, psychosocial and socio-environmental aspects of physical activity and nutrition.

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Determinants of physical activity and nutrition

How physically active we are may be influenced by the environment in which we live and work as well as our socio-economic circumstances, the influence of our friends and family, and our perception of the benefits and barriers to physical activity. It is proposed that larger, more sustainable changes in physical activity are more likely to be achieved by a multi-level strategy combining environmental and individual level interventions.

Psycho-social determinants

We are well-established in research investigating the psycho-social determinants of lifestyle behaviours. Recent projects focus on understanding social factors around the family and school and their influence on physical activity and nutrition.

Socio-environmental and demographic determinants

At present little is known about what changes in the environment may be associated with changes to levels of physical activity. Staff in Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences are at the leading edge of this area of work and are looking at the impact of living conditions and the residential environment on lifesytle behaviours.

Bio-social determinants of obesity

The department has been able to take advantage of our partnership with the Avon Longitudinal Study for Parents and Children, a unique active database of that involves over 10,000 children. This has allowed us to study a combination of biological, psycho-social and environmental determinants of obesity.

Strategies for disease prevention and management

Government agencies are seeking solutions to serious lifestyle related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and mental illness. Our work on determinants underpins the second theme which involves the design, delivery and evaluation of physical activity and dietary interventions and strategies to prevent and treat disease.

Prevention research

For projects addressing prevention of disease we have developed partnerships with schools, primary health care and local authorities.

Treatment research

Lifestyle related disease is striking millions of people and a large sector of our research is devoted to the application of activity and healthy eating to treat or improve life quality in people with existing disease. We have strong partnerships with primary care, psychiatry, oncology, diabetes and heart specialists to advance this area of research.