Natalia Jones
Environmental determinants of physical activity in children and adults
- School of Environmental Sciences
- University of East Anglia
- Norwich
- NR4 7TJ
Email: n.jones“at“uea.ac.uk
The environmental determinants of physical activity in children and adults
I am currently working on an MRC funded study examining the social and environmental determinants of physical activity and body weight in Norfolk school children (SPEEDY) and adults (EPIC). Alongside an environmental audit of Norfolk schools, GIS has been used to determine environmental variables such as land use, measures of urban form, characteristics of homes and demographic and socio-economic measures within people’s neighbourhoods. These will be linked to findings from questionnaires completed by EPIC participants and questionnaires and physical activity data from the SPEEDY children in order to determine associations between people’s environment and their physical activity.
Previously, I worked on the DfES/DoH funded National Evaluation of Children’s Trusts. This study used semi-structured interviews with various professionals, questionnaire surveys and the statistical analysis of government performance indicators to determine changes in children’s services arrangements, in particular how health, education and social services work together to improve services for children and young people.
My ESRC funded PhD research examined young people’s knowledge and perceptions of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their subsequent behaviour. It used a mixed methods approach, consisting of two questionnaire surveys, a series of focus groups and a Q-methodology study to examine the factors influencing the STD problem in young people.
Publications
NECT (2007). Children’s Trust Pathfinders: innovative partnerships for improving the well-being of children and young people, National Evaluation of Children’s Trusts Final Report, DfES
Jones N.R. and Haynes R. (2006) The association between young people’s knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases and their behaviour: A mixed methods study. Health, Risk & Society, 8, 3, 293 – 303
O’Brien M., Bachmann M.O., Husbands C., Shreeve A., Jones N.R., Watson J. and Shemilt I. (2006). Integrating children’s services to promote children’s welfare: early findings from the implementation of children’s trusts in England. Child Abuse Review, 15, 6, 377–395.
Bachmann M.O., Reading R., Husbands C., O’Brien M., Thoburn J., Shemilt I., Watson J., Jones N.R., Haynes R., Mugford M. and the NECT team (2006). What are children’s trusts? Early findings from a national survey. Child: Care, Health & Development, 32, 2, 137–146
NECT (2006). Child, Youth and Parent Participation in Children’s Trust Settings. DfES
NECT (2005). Realising Children’s Trust Arrangements. National Evaluation of Children’s Trusts, Phase 1 Report. DfES
NECT (2004). Children’s Trusts: Developing Integrated Services for Children in England, National Evaluation of Children’s Trusts, Phase 1 Interim Report. DfES
Conference papers
Jones N.R. and Franklin A. (2005) Involving children and young people in children’s trusts. Presented at the National Children’s Bureau PCT conference, London, December 2005.
Jones N.R. (2005) Evaluation – children, young people and children’s trusts. Presented at Championing Children – participation matters, Liverpool, November 2005.
Jones N.R. (2003) Factors driving young peoples’ perceptions of sexually transmitted infections. Presented at Emerging and New Research in Geographies of Health and Impairment 2003, Jesus College, University of Cambridge, April 2003.
Jones N.R. (2000) Perceptions of HIV and AIDS amongst high school students in Norwich, England. Presented at Society of Risk Analysis Annual Meeting 2000, Seattle, December 2000.