Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Andy is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences and Associate Director for the Norwich Epidemiology Centre. He also serves as an external research associate for the General Medical Council (GMC) and associate editor for the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Previous appointments include research positions at the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (Loughborough University) and the UKCRC Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR; University of Cambridge). Andy is a behavioural epidemiologist with particular interest in understanding the distribution and determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour across the life course. He is a quantitative researcher with established expertise in the pooling and retrospective harmonisation of behavioural, social and health-related data from epidemiological studies.
Current / previous projects:
Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep consortiuum (ProPASS; https://www.propassconsortium.org/)
International Children's Accelerometry Database (ICAD; http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/research/studies/icad/)
Creating Active School Environments (CASE; http://www.cedar.iph.cam.ac.uk/case/)
Key Research Interests
- Physical Activity
- Sedentary behaviour
- Epidemiology
- Children and Adolescents
- Data harmonisation
- Correlates / Determinants
Funding
A novel 24-hour compositional data analysis approach to understand the influence of sleep, sedentary time, and physical activity on children’s and adolescents’ behavioural, psychological, and cognitive health (2018-2019. The Waterloo Foundation - £59 960 (Co-investigator). Lead: Prof Stuart Fairclough (Edge Hill University).
Age-related changes and determinants of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in young people (2018-2021). Academy of Medical Sciences – Springboard, £61 700 (Principal investigator).
Opportunities within the school environment to shift the distribution of activity intensity in adolescents (2013-2016). Department of Health - Policy Research Programme, £324,156. (Co-investigator, 10%; major contribution to grant preparation). Lead: Dr Esther van Sluijs (MRC Epidemiology Unit).
Exploring innovative methodological and technological approaches to understanding and reducing sedentary behaviour in children (Feb-Mar 2013). MRC Centenary Award. £6750 (Principal investigator).
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
External positions
Associate Editor, British Journal of Sports Medicine
Jan 2020 → …
External Research Associate, General Medical Council
Jun 2016 → …
Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity
2015 → …
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
POWER: A POpulation Health WEaRables Network in Low- and Middle-income Countries
31/03/25 → 30/03/26
Project: Research
-
Physical activity and health in people with disabilities
Milton, K., Atkin, A. & Vishwakarma, PhD, R.
University of British Columbia
4/11/24 → 21/04/26
Project: Research
-
To determine the efficacy and safety of faecal microbiome transplantation as for ME/CFS: RESTORE-ME
Hornberger, M., Atkin, A., Hammond, M., Hojas Garcia, E., Pond, M. & Swart, A. M.
1/08/20 → 31/01/23
Project: Research
-
Age-related changes and determinants of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in young people
2/07/18 → 30/06/22
Project: Research
-
Can incidental physical activity offset the deleterious associations of sedentary behaviour with major adverse cardiovascular events?
Koemel, N. A., Ahmadi, M. N., Biswas, R. K., Koster, A., Atkin, A. J., Sabag, A. & Stamatakis, E., Jan 2025, In: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 32, 1, p. 77-85 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Characteristics of combined movement behavior interventions in children and adolescents: A scoping review
Maloney, C. M. C., Atkin, A. J., Beaumont, L. C., Budzynski-Seymour, E. & Warburton, V. E., 4 Jun 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Obesity Reviews. e13943.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
Device-measured 24-hour movement behaviors and blood pressure: A 6-part compositional individual participant data analysis in the ProPASS Consortium
Blodgett, J. M., Ahmadi, M. N., Atkin, A. J., Pulsford, R. M., Rangul, V., Chastin, S., Chan, H-W., Suorsa, K., Bakker, E. A., Gupta, N., Hettiarachchi, P., Johansson, P. J., Sherar, L. B., del Pozo Cruz, B., Koemel, N. A., Mishra, G. D., Eijsvogels, T. M. H., Stenholm, S., Hughes, A. D., Teixeira-Pinto, A., & 7 others , 14 Jan 2025, In: Circulation. 151, 2, p. 159-170 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Physical activity type and duration in disabled and non-disabled adults
Carr, S., Atkin, A. J. & Milton, K., Jul 2025, In: Disability and Health Journal. 18, 3, 101786.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
‘You have to make it accessible and it’s really not’: Priority actions to support disabled people to be physically active
Carr, S., Atkin, A. J. & Milton, K., Jun 2025, In: Disability and Rehabilitation. 47, 12, p. 3144-3150 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile