Academic literature and research

It is not possible to provide a comprehensive list of the literature and research in this area. Two good resources for further listings are the National Obesity Observatory and the National Library for Public Health websites. See our Links page for details.

The Bristol 3Ps (Parents, Peers and Physical Activity) Project Investigates the role of peer and parental determinants on the physical activity of 10-11 year old children.

Breastfeeding reduces obesity in middle-aged mothers Date posted: 20 November 2009 Details of a UK study of 980,474 middle aged women in 2009. Source: UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years Date posted: 18 November 2009 Research exploring the possibility of person-to-person spread of obesity as a factor contributing to the obesity epidemic. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Source: The New England Journal of Medicine Independent mobility in relation to weekday and weekend physical activity in children aged 10–11 years: The PEACH Project Date posted: 05 October 2009 Study investigating whether independent mobility in boys and girls is related to objectively measured physical activity. Source: International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity BMJ: Obesity in middle aged women cuts chance of a long and healthy life by almost 80% Date posted: 02 October 2009 The more weight women gain from the age of 18 until middle age, the less likely they are to enjoy a long and healthy life, according to new research. Source: British Medical Journal Use of a deprivation measurement – the Indices of Multiple Deprivation to enable targeted breastfeeding support Date posted: 24 September 2009 Study looking at the association bewteen breastfeeding duration and socio-economic status measured using the English and Welsh Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Date posted: 18 September 2009 Open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles on all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. New study shows effects of crime and neighbourhood on physical activity Date posted: 03 July 2009 The effects of crime and neighbourhood problems on our health. Source: Bristol City Council (Microsoft Word Document, 236 KB) - Download Connecting Active Living Research to Policy Solutions Date posted: 16 June 2009 These papers include evaluations of policy initiatives and research that suggests promising new policies. Source: Journal of Public Health Policy Effective elements of school health promotion across behavioral domains: a systematic review of reviews Date posted: 16 June 2009 The objective of this study was to examine which effective elements of school health education are similar across three particular behavioural domains. Source: BioMed Cental Public Health Children and parents' experiences of recently improved play areas: Qualitative research Date posted: 15 June 2009 This research aims to provide some early indications of the likely impacts of the Play Pathfinder and Play Builder investment and to inform the evaluation design and programme delivery. Source: Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) (Adobe Acrobat Document, 324 KB) - Download