Projects per year
Personal profile
Areas of Expertise
Environments and Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Lifestyles, Environmental Sciences, Public Health, Health Prevention Activities, Use of geographical information systems in the study of the environment and health, Development of asthma in childhood.
Video: UEA study finds dog walking can keep owners healthy in later life
Academic Background
1996 School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia: PhD entitled Health Service Accessibility and Health Outcomes.
Biography
My primary research focus is on the environmental influences on population health. My core work explores the manner by which characteristics of the social and physical environments act to influence the health of the population. Previous work I have led in this field includes research on the environmental determinants of accidental injuries, and various projects examining the relationship between access to health services amongst rural populations and health outcomes.
I moved to the Norwich Medical School in Autumn 2012, having previously been based in the School of Environmental Sciences at UEA.
Key Research Interests
My current core research programme focuses on the environmental determinants of physical activity and obesity, although I also hold wider interests in the integration of environmental measures to better understand health outcomes and their related behaviours. I have recently worked with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and Natural England on the role of urban green spaces in determining activity levels. I am also a lead scientist in the Centre for Diet and Physical Activity Behaviours (CEDAR) (www.cedar.iph.cam.ac.uk) a national centre of excellence funded by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration. The Centre is driven by the overall goal of developing effective public health interventions for changing population-level dietary and physical activity behaviours. In 2008 I lead authored a key British Government Foresight report on Obesogenic Environments, and was a member of the expert panel that produced guidelines on the environment and physical activity published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). I recently sat on the NICE expert panel looking at the role of community approaches for obesity prevention, which published Autumn 2012.
Selected recent publications include:
Dejardin, O., Rachet, B., Morris, E., Bouvier, V., Jooste, V., Haynes, R., Coombes, E.G., Forman, D., Jones, A.P., Bouvier, A.M., Launoy, G. (2013). Management of colorectal cancer explains differences in one-year relative survival between France and England for patients diagnosed 1997-2004. British Journal of Cancer, Advanced online, doi:0.1038/bjc.2013.33
Coombes, E., van Sluijs, E., Jones, A. P. (2013) Is environmental setting associated with the intensity and duration of children’s physical activity? Findings from the SPEEDY GPS study. Health and Place, Vo. 20, pp. 62-65. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.11.008
Vissers, P., Jones, A. P., Jennings, A., van Sluijs, E.M.F., Cassidy, A., Griffin, S. (2013) The association between diet and physical activity and sedentary behaviours in 9-10 year old British children. Public Health, corrected proof. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2012.12.006
Mantjes, J.A., Jones, A.P., Corder, K.L., Jones, N.R., Harrison, F., Griffin, S.J., van Sluijs, E.M.F. (2013). School related factors and 1yr change in physical activity amongst 9-11 year old English schoolchildren. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Vol. 9, art 153. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-9-153.
Smith, L., Sahlqvist, S., Ogilvie, D., Jones, A. P., Corder, K., Griffin, S. J., van Sluijs, E. (2012). Is a change in mode of travel to school associated with a change in overall physical activity levels in children? Longitudinal results from the SPEEDY study. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity,Vol. 9, art 134, doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-9-134.
McMinn A.M., Griffin, S. J., Jones, A. P., van Sluijs, E. M. F. (2012). Family and home influences on children’s after-school and weekend physical activity. European Journal of Public Health, advance access. doi:10.1093/eurpub/cks160
Goodwin, D.M., Cummins, S., Sautkina, E., Ogilvie, D., Petticrew, M., Jones, A.P., Wheeler, K., White, M. (2012). The role and status of evidence and innovation in the healthy towns programme in England: a qualitative stakeholder interview study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, online first. doi:10.1136/jech-2012-201481
Lachowycz, K., Jones, A. P., Page, A. S., Wheeler, B. W., Coopers, A. R. (2012). What can global positioning systems tell us about the contribution of different types of urban greenspace to children’s physical activity? Health and Place, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 586-594.
Harrison, F., Jones, A. P. (2012). A framework for understanding school based physical activity influences on childhood obesity. Health and Place, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 639-648
Crawford, S. M., Sauerzapf, V. A, Haynes, R. M., Jones, A. P. (2012). Social and geographical factors affecting access to treatment of colorectal cancer: a cancer registry study. BMJ Open, Vol. 2, e000410. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000410.
Yasumoto, S., Jones, A. P., Yano, K., Nakaya, T. (2012). Virtual city models for assessing environmental equity of access to sunlight: A case study of Kyoto, Japan. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Vol 26, No. 1, pp. 1-13. doi: 10.1080/13658816.2011.570268
Jones, A. P., Haynes, R. M., Harvey, I. M., Jewell, T. (2012). Road traffic crashes and the protective effect of road curvature over small areas.
Key Responsibilities
Teaching Interests
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):
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D., Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia
… → 1996
Bachelor of Science, B.Sc., Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia
… → 1992
Media Expertise
- Exercise
- Environment
- Mental Health
- Healthy Ageing
- Public Health
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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FluCare: Evaluating a Complex Intervention to Increase Care Home Staff Influenza Vaccination Rates
Patel, A., Birt, L., Clark, A., Jones, A., Wright, D., Goodall, K., Hammond, M., Katangwe-Chigamba, T., Stirling, S., Wagner, A., Wright, A., Blacklock, J., Blyth, A. & Sims, E.
National Institute for Health and Care Research
1/09/21 → 31/08/25
Project: Research
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Scalable physical activity interventions to promote health and well-being in the community
Hardeman, W., Jones, A., Naughton, F., Houghton, J. & Lane, K.
1/02/17 → 30/06/25
Project: Research
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The development of a NIHR Local Authority Research System
National Institute for Health and Care Research
1/10/20 → 31/01/21
Project: Research
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Perspectives of young people, family carers and voluntary sector staff on help-seeking for mental health difficulties in a rural region of the United Kingdom - a qualitative study
Oduola, S., Coombes, E., Hodgekins, J. & Jones, A., 5 Jan 2024, medRxiv, (medRxiv).Research output: Working paper › Preprint
Open Access -
Using the triangle of human ecology for understanding self-rated depression: A quantitative study based on the HUNT 3 cohort
Nielsen, A. F., Jørgensen, S. H. & Jones, A. P., Nov 2024, In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 52, 7, p. 849-860 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile34 Downloads (Pure) -
A review of sedentary behavior assessment in national surveillance systems
Harvey, D., Milton, K., Jones, A. P. & Atkin, A. J., Apr 2023, In: Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 20, 4, p. 348-357 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)11 Downloads (Pure) -
A scoping review of disability assessment in prospective and cross-sectional studies that included device-based measurement of physical activity
Carr, S., Atkin, A. J., Jones, A. P., Pulsford, R. & Milton, K., 1 Aug 2023, In: Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 20, 8, p. 683–689 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile12 Downloads (Pure) -
The association of contemporary screen-behaviours with physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep in adolescents: A cross-sectional analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study
Kontostoli, E., Jones, A. P., Pearson, N., Foley, L., Biddle, S. J. H. & Atkin, A. J., Feb 2023, In: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 30, p. 122–132 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Citations (Scopus)21 Downloads (Pure)
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Understanding help-seeking patterns for mental health difficulties among young people in rural populations
Sheri Oduola (Presenter), Joanne Hodgekins (Contributor), Emma Coombes (Contributor) & Andy Jones (Contributor)
Mar 2022Activity: Other activity types › Other
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International Association for the Study of Obesity (External organisation)
Andrew Jones (Member)
2012 → …Activity: Membership › Network, Working Group or Professional Association
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CEDAR management board (External organisation)
Andrew Jones (Member)
2012 → …Activity: Membership › Network, Working Group or Professional Association
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NICE Programme Development Group for Community Approaches to Tacking Obesity (External organisation)
Andrew Jones (Member)
2012 → …Activity: Membership › Network, Working Group or Professional Association
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International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (External organisation)
Andrew Jones (Member)
2012 → …Activity: Membership › Network, Working Group or Professional Association
Press/Media
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Improving access to and awareness of parks are key to a more equitable Japan
21/10/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: UEA Press Release
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The healing power of gardens: As the virtual Chelsea Flower Show starts, how intensive care patients recover more quickly in life-enhancing fresh air
19/05/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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We Asked A Scientist Why Coronavirus Transmission Is So Much Lower In London Than Other Parts Of England
16/05/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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How Norwich achieved lowest coronavirus death rates in England
7/05/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Media Coverage or Contribution
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Raise price of cheap cigarettes to lower health risk, experts say
19/03/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: UEA Press Release