Dr Ruth Hunter, Research Fellow in the Centre for Public Health, has been awarded a prestigious National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Career Development Fellowship, funded by HSC R&D Division. In January 2015 she embarked on a three-year study of the impact of social networks in changing people’s physical activity behaviour, involving placements at Harvard, the Universities of Southern California and Cambridge.
Social networks (friends/family/colleagues) have significant impact on health and behaviours. However, we know little about how these networks can be used to influence physical activity. This Fellowship aims to undertake development work and pilot testing necessary to adequately design and evaluate novel social network enabled interventions, including: reviewing previous research; analysing social networks for workplace physical activity; simulation of network parameters to design an optimal intervention; and pilot testing the intervention. This Fellowship will address important knowledge gaps and build skills, capacity and evidence for social network enabled interventions for physical activity behaviour, which has significant potential for improved public health.
For more information please contact Dr Ruth Hunter>