Professor Ken Fox

k.r.fox@bristol.ac.uk | 0117 331 1153 (Bristol office)  01392 253761 (Home office)

Ken Fox

From the days of his early career as a physical education teacher, Ken has been dedicated to promoting the field of exercise and public health. He has a strong interest in exercise, weight management and obesity, and also exercise and mental health.  In 2004, he was the Senior Scientific Editor of the recent Chief Medical Officer's first report on physical activity and public health.  He serves or has served in several public offices including 12 years on the Association for the Study of Obesity Executive Committee, as a special advisor to the Health Select Committee Enquiry on Obesity,  the Foresight Scientific Advisory Panel for  Obesity, and is currently a member of the scientific advisory team for the government's obesity cross governmental strategy. He is also a Scientific Governor and Trustee of the British Nutrition Foundation and has been a member since its inception in 2005, of the scientific panel for the National Prevention Research Initiative (MRC/ESRC).

Ken's major research interest is in the psychology of exercise. His book entitled The Physical Self: From Motivation to Well-Being was the first of its type in the field and he developed the Physical Self-Perception Profile which is now translated into 12 different languages and used worldwide. THe has also co-edited a book entitled Physical Activity and Psychological Well-being. Over the years, Ken has produced over 200 research and professional papers and has been made a Fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, the UK Physical Education Association and an International Fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education for his contributions to the field.  In July 2008, he was the proud recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest academic institutions in Europe.  He remains a committed exerciser and weight watcher, enjoys 5-a-side football and cycling, and is still seen occasionally playing drums with a modern but ageing jazz group.

 

Research details

 

2009-11 Co-investigator.  BUPA Foundation.  "Step-by-step": A feasibility study of the promotion of lunchtime walking to increase physical activity and improve mental well-being in sedentary employees. With Dr Cecilie Thogersen-Ntoumani (PI) and Professor Joan Duda, University of Birmingham.

2009-2010. Co-investigator.  NHS Health Technology Assessment.  The clinical and cost effectiveness of exercise referral schemes: A systematic review and economic evaluation.  With Professor Rod Taylor (PI) of Exeter University.

2005-11 Co-investigator. NHS Health Technology Assessment. Project TREAD. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial to evaluate exercise prescription as a treatment for depression. In collaboration with Depts of Psychiatry, Primary Care and University of Exeter. Helen Watson and Jo Yarham are the Physical Activity facilitators on this intervention.

2007-9    Co-investigator.  British Heart Foundation.  Parental and peer determinants of physical activity profiles among 10-11 year old children. Rowan Brockman and Hilary Taylor are research staff.

2006-8 Principal applicant. National Prevention Research Initiative.  Profiles of physical activity in older adults: Project OPAL (older people and active living) will establish the influence of socio-environmental factors in the neighbourhood and psychosocial factors on physical activity modes, intensity, volume, and location.  The impact of physical activity on mental well-being, independence, physical functioning, service usage and food purchasing and preparation patterns will be assessed.  Jo Coulson and Mark Davis are research managers.

2006-9    Co-investigator. MRC/ESRC National Prevention Research Initiative.  Project PEACH. Children and physical activity.  Pippa Griew and Laura Davis are research staff.

2005-7 Co-applicant. Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. with Dr Nick Holt (PI) University of Alberta. Psychosocial factors influencing the impact  of children's sport experience, active travel and play on life skills.

2004-6 Co-applicant. National Heart Research Fund. Effect of structured exercise training on quality of life, cardiac function and exercise capacity of adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease. This was in collaboration with Bristol Children's Hospital.

2003-7 Collaborating investigator. Wellcome Trust. Diet, activity and gene interaction in children with the Avon Longitudinal Study on Parents and Children. EHS section to investigate the development of abdominal obesity through magnetic resonance imaging. Li Benfield has completed her doctorate and continues to work on this project.

2003-6 Principal applicant. British Heart Foundation. A case study of an environmental intervention to promote walking and cycling. This is the first grant offered by the BHF to investigate the influence of the environment on physical activity patterns. Tanya Trayers and Jo Coulson were  Project Managers

2003-5 Principal applicant. Department of Health. An appraisal of the evidence supporting new public health messages for the promotion of physical activity. Kate Fitzsimons was research assistant.

2002-5 Co-applicant. Better Ageing. European Commission Framework V Effects of a standardised exercise programme on the physical activity, mental well-being and quality of life of the frail elderly. This involved the application of accelerometry and standardised psychological inventories to over two hundred older people in 5 European countries. Mark Davis was Project Manager.

2002-5 Principal applicant. Cancer Research UK. PhD Studentship Exercise, well-being and life quality in cancer patients. Clare Stevinson completed her PhD and is now working in cancer rehabilitation at the University of Manchester.

2002-4 Co-applicant. Department of Health. Review of the scientific case for exercise and health (Chief Medical Officer report). Senior Scientific Editor for the report and his Bristol team provided the scientific review.

2002-3 Co-applicant. British Broadcasting Corporation. Diet trials: A multicentre randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of commercial weight loss programmes. Bristol University was one of the 5 national centres in the first trial of its kind in the UK. Karen Sargent was Project Manager.

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Research supervision

Postgraduate advising*

Graduated:

1992 Keith Power MPhil. Mechanisms of goal-setting in sport. (Second advisor after S. Biddle),

1994 Angela Page PhD, Psychology of adolescent weight management.

1994 Derek Peters PhD. Children's fat deposition in early maturation.

1994 Marios Goudas PhD Children's intrinsic motivation and achievement goals in physical education. (Second advisor after S. Biddle),

1995 Herivelto Moreira PhD. Brazilian international scholarship (CEPq). Career motivation profiles of physical educators.

1996 Symeon Vlachopoulos PhD.(Second advisor after S. Biddle). Achievement goals, attributions, and affect in children's physical activity. 

1997 Chris Spray PhD. Goal orientations and motivation in Physical Education. (Second advisor after S. Biddle),

1997 Mark Sudwell, PhD with ESRC scholarship.(Second supervisor after A Sparkes). Experiences of acute and chronic back pain.

1999  Will James, PhD, Goal profiles in elite sport participants

1999 Jeff Anderson,  PhD with Fremington Medical Scholarship. Physical activity promotion in primary health care: A randomised controlled trial.

1999 Laurel Edmunds, PhD, Childhood obesity

2000 Paul Collins, MPhil, Goal orientations in physical education

2000 Maria Joao Almeida, PhD with Gulbenkian Foundation scholarship.  Physical activity and fatness in Portuguese adolescents.

2000 Sue Bock, PhD Achievement motivation in children's sport.

2000 Afroditi Stathi, PhD supported by a Greek scholarship. Physical activity and subjective well-being in older adults

2002 Cecilia Thogersen, PhD in Exercise and life satisfaction in corporate employees.

2004 David Carless, PhD in Exercise and mental health rehabilitation supported by a Bristol University studentship

2004 Kitrina Douglas, PhD in Achievement psychology of international women golfers. 

2004 Pedro Ferreira, PhD in Physical self-perceptions and disability, Gulbenkian Foundation scholarship (Yr3).

2005 Clare Stevinson, PhD in Exercise and cancer rehabilitation, Cancer Research UK studentship.

2005 PoWen Ku PhD in Physical activity and ageing well, Taiwan Government Scholarship

2007 Li Jung PhD in Physical activity, eating and obesity in Taiwanese adolescent girls. Taiwan Government Educational Scholarship. (Joint advisor with Anne Haase)

2008 Li Benfield PhD  Abdominal obesity in children measured by magnetic resonance imaging and DEXA. 

2008 Tzu Sui Hung PhD in Exercise psychology and obesity in Taiwanese women.

Continuing:

2001 Neal Bowes, PhD (pt) Achievement psychology of youth soccer players.

2006 Richard Humphrey MPhil/PhD (pt) in Physical activity as therapy for recovery from substance abuse

2006 Jo Coulson MPhil/PhD (pt). The role of neighbourhood in the physical activity and mental well-being of older people.

2006 Sam Rosanwo MPhil/PhD (pt).  Movement and its role in the adjustment and mental health of young displaced people.

2008 Janet Withall MPhil/PhD.  A social marketing approach to recruitment of healthy needy groups to lifestyle-focussed health services.  British Heart Foundation Studentship (jointly supervised with Russ Jago).

2009 (March) Andrew Decelis MPhil/PhD (pt) Physical activity and obesity in Maltese schoolchildren. (jointly supervised with Russ Jago). (partly funded by Maltese Government).

2009 (Sept) Chien-ChunTzeng.  MPhil/PhD  Leisure time physical activity in the lives of older people in Taiwan. Taiwanese Government Scholarship.

*  Sole advisor unless stated otherwise

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Responsibilities

Department

External

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