Public seminar - Physical Activity and Nutrition

This event was held on Wednesday 7 October 2015

This public seminar hosted by the University of Newcastle Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition presents Dr Elaine Murtagh from the Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Walk more, sit less! An overview of current research in school and community settings

Dr Elaine Murtagh

Dr Elaine Murtagh

Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Ireland

In this seminar Elaine will provide an overview of her current projects which includes intervention, cross-sectional and longitudinal research into the effect of physical activity on health and the promotion of active lifestyles. Specifically she will provide highlights from research into (1) movement integration in the primary school classroom, (2) determinants and health benefits of active school travel (3) the effectiveness of walking for cardiovascular disease risk reduction, (4) the relationship between inverse BMI, physical activity and cardio-metabolic risk using data from the International Children's Accelerometry Database.

Dr Elaine Murtagh is a lecturer in Physical Education at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Ireland. She obtained her undergraduate degree, postgraduate certificate in education and PhD from the University of Ulster, and her specialist diploma from the University of Limerick. Her research interests are in physical activity and health, including the effect of activity on cardiovascular risk in adult and child populations. She currently co-chairs PEPAYS-Ireland, a national research network that promotes inter-institutional research on peoples' engagement in physically active and healthy lifestyles across the lifespan. Dr Murtagh was a member of the research committee for the development of Ireland's first Report Card on Physical Activity in Children and Youth. Elaine also co-convenes the Irish Physical Activity Measurement Network and is a member of the WHO HEPA (Health Enhancing Physical Activity)-Europe Working Group on Children and Young People.