Angela Carlin

• PhD, BSc Hons Human Nutrition
• Lecturer at University of Ulster

Background School-based interventions may be effective at increasing levels of physical activity (PA) among adolescents; however, there is a paucity of evidence on whether walking can be successfully promoted to increase PA in this age group. This pilot study aimed to assess the effects of a 12-week school-based peer-led brisk walking programme on...

Background Physical activity (PA) levels decline as children move into adolescence, with this decline more notable in girls. As a consequence, many young people are failing to meet current PA guidelines. Walking has been a cornerstone of PA promotion in adults and may provide an effective means of increasing PA levels among younger people. Objectiv...

Background Participation in regular physical activity is associated with a multitude of health benefits across the life course. However, many people fail to meet PA recommendations. Despite a plethora of studies, the evidence regarding the environmental (physical) determinants of physical activity remains inconclusive. Objective To identify the ph...

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a key performance indicator for policy documents in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Building on baseline grades set in 2014, Ireland's second Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth allows for continued surveillance of indicators related to PA in children and youth. Methods:...

Background Many children and adolescents are failing to meet current physical activity (PA) guidelines and consequently not achieving the benefits associated with regular participation in PA, with girls consistently less active than boys. In order to design interventions to increase physical activity in adolescents it is important to understand the...

Background Physical inactivity in adolescents is a major public health issue. Schools are important settings for physical activity interventions. The WISH Study was a peer-led, school-based walking intervention that aimed to increase physical activity levels of adolescent girls. This study uses the RE-AIM Framework to present the process evaluation...

Background To combat the high prevalence of physical inactivity among children, there is an urgent need to develop and implement real-world interventions and policies that promote physical activity (PA) and reduce sedentary behaviour (SB). To inform policy makers, the current body of evidence for children’s PA/SB interventions needs to be translate...

Previous physical activity interventions for children (5-12yrs) have aimed to change determinants associated with self-report physical activity behaviour (PAB) and/or sedentary behaviour (SB), however, the associations between these determinants and PAB/SB in different settings are uncertain. The present study aimed to identify modifiable determina...

Purpose The Youth-Physical Activity Towards Health (Y-PATH) programme is an evidence-based physical literacy intervention, aimed at enhancing provision of physical education (PE). Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of Y-PATH at increasing children’s physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills in Ireland. As Northern I...

Introduction Globally, 81% of children fail to meet physical activity (PA) guidelines and the causes of such inactivity are complex and multifactorial. Parents can influence the PA levels of their children through modelling, co-participation, encouragement and family support. A meta-analysis by Brown et al (2016) showed family-based PA intervention...

Purpose Levels of physical inactivity in children remains a serious public health concern. The school and home setting provide a promising environment to support children’s physical activity (PA). Understanding the factors that influence PA in childhood is key in the development of effective strategies for increasing activity levels and overcoming...

Purpose Approximately 20% of post-primary school pupils in Northern Ireland (NI) receive the recommended 120 minutes of physical education (PE) per week. A more detailed understanding of NI schoolchildren’s perceptions of context specific physical activity, the participation barriers they face in relation to PE, in addition to factors that support...

We acknowledge an error in the BMI data in our publication [...]

Background Physical inactivity in adolescents is a major public health issue. Schools are important settings for physical activity interventions. The WISH Study was a peer-led, school-based walking intervention that aimed to increase physical activity levels of adolescent girls. This study uses the RE-AIM Framework to present the process evaluation...

Background Although physical activity (PA) is associated with significant health benefits, only a small percentage of adolescents meet recommended PA levels. This systematic review with meta-analysis explored the modifiable determinants of adolescents’ device-based PA and/or sedentary behaviour (SB), evaluated in previous interventions and examined...

Introduction: Currently, we know little about the impact of determinants of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) in children and adolescents with disabilities. This systematic review aims to summarise the existing evidence concerning the determinants of PA and SB in this population. Method: The systematic review was based on the DE-P...

Introduction: Currently, we know little about the impact of determinants of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) in children and adolescents with disabilities. This systematic review aims to summarise the existing evidence concerning the determinants of PA and SB in this population. Method: The systematic review was based on the DE-P...

Background Most adolescent girls fail to meet current physical activity guidelines. Physical activity behaviours track from childhood into adulthood and providing adolescent girls with opportunities to be physically active may have health benefits beyond childhood. The effects of walking interventions on adult cardiometabolic health are known, howe...

Background The Ireland North and South Report Card on Physical Activity (PA) for Children and Adolescents aims to monitor progress in PA participation across a range of internationally established indicators. Methods Data were collated for 11 indicators and graded following the harmonised Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance report card process. Si...

Background Young people have the right to be informed and consulted about decisions affecting their lives. Patient and public involvement (PPI) ensures that research is carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ young people rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them. The aim of this paper is to outline how youth PPI can be embedded within a physical activity interve...

Purpose The aim of the Walking In ScHools (WISH) Study was to investigate the effectiveness of a school-based, peer-led, walking intervention, delivered across the school year, at increasing adolescent girls (12-14 years) physical activity (PA) levels. The intervention was delivered in schools across Northern Ireland (n6) and the Republic of Irelan...

Background Regular physical activity (PA) is associated with many benefits for physiological and mental wellbeing in children and adolescents. Despite this, many children and adolescents are failing to meet current PA guidelines. Given the age-related declines in PA as children move into adolescence, and then adulthood, the development of intervent...

Purpose Adolescent girls are failing to meet current physical activity (PA) guidelines. PA behaviours track from childhood to adulthood so providing adolescent girls with opportunities to be physically active may have benefits well beyond childhood. The effects of walking interventions on adult health are known, however less is understood about the...

Background: Physical activity (PA) can reduce young peoples' risk of depressive symptoms. Associations between PA and depressive symptoms are often investigated over timeframes spanning minutes to weeks. Less is known about whether childhood/adolescent PA can predict depressive symptoms in early adulthood. Methods: Using a nationally representat...

Physical activity (PA) is a modifiable health behaviour that can support and improve mental health. The tendency for activity levels to track over time suggests that through continued participation, those most active in youth may experience better long-term mental health than less active peers. Exploring the extent to which mental health benefits o...

Background: Physical activity (PA) surveillance, policy, and research efforts need to be periodically appraised to gain insight into national and global capacities for PA promotion. The aim of this paper was to assess the status and trends in PA surveillance, policy, and research in 164 countries. Methods: We used data from the Global Observator...

For the first time, data on children and adolescents with disabilities in Ireland are reported based on the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance Para Report Card methodology. The most recent data from the last 10 years were used in the grading process (A+ to F), and indicators with insufficient data were graded as incomplete. Of the 10 indicators fr...

Background: The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve acomprehensive understanding of the global variation in children’s and adolescents’ (5–17 y) PA, related measures, and keysources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix 4.0...

Despite a clear distinction between aerobic and muscle strengthening (MS) components in the physical activity guidelines, public health surveillance has largely focused only on aerobic components, limiting the reach of epidemiological research on the physical activity guidelines. Hence, this study investigated the association between adherence to b...

Background: The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global variation in children’s and adolescents’ (5–17 y) PA, related measures, and key sources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix 4...

Background: The Global Matrix 4.0 on physical activity (PA) for children and adolescents was developed to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the global variation in children's and adolescents' (5-17 y) PA, related measures, and key sources of influence. The objectives of this article were (1) to summarize the findings from the Global Matrix...

Physical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the substantial efforts made by researchers and policymakers. Identifying and furthering our understanding of potential modifiable determinants of physical activity behaviour (PAB) and sedentary behaviour (SB) is crucial for the development of interventions that promote...

Background Regular physical activity is associated with physiological and mental health benefits for adolescents including improved fitness and cardiometabolic health, increased muscle and bone strength and reduced risk of obesity. Despite this, globally, many adolescents (81%) fail to meet physical activity guidelines. Physical activity levels dec...

Background Young people have the right to be informed and consulted about decisions affecting their lives. Youth Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) should be encouraged to ensure research is carried out ‘with' or ‘by' young people rather than ‘to', ‘about' or ‘for' them. PPI can ensure research is relevant, results are accessible and recruitment...

Background Walking interventions, delivered within the school setting, have the potential to increase physical activity (PA) in adolescents. Previous research has shown that walking is an acceptable form of PA for adolescent girls, and that walking interventions may be effective at increasing PA in this group. Findings from the Walking In ScHools (...

To prepare the 2022 Ireland North and South Physical Activity Report Card, the strengths and weakness of the 2016 & 2014 Report Cards were reviewed. One of the primary strengths the 2022 edition was the inclusion of representatives in the research working group from across the island of Ireland, as this builds connections and allows for continued c...

BACKGROUND Older adults have an increased risk of falls, injury, and hospitalization. Maintaining/increasing participation in physical activity (PA) into older age can prevent some of the age-related declines in physical functioning that may contribute to loss of independence and lower reported quality of life. ‘Exercise snacking’ has been created...

Background: Older adults are at increased risk of falls, injury, and hospitalization. Maintaining or increasing participation in physical activity during older age can prevent some of the age-related declines in physical functioning that contribute to loss of independence and low reported quality of life. Exercise snacking may overcome some common...

In Northern Ireland (NI), many children do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity (PA). To reduce the prevalence of physical inactivity and associated health conditions, it is important to understand the influences on children's PA, which in turn has the potential to inform future intervention design. The purpose of this formative stu...

Background: To suppress the transmission of coronavirus, many governments, including that of the island of Ireland, implemented a societal lockdown, which included school closures, limits on social gatherings, and time outdoors. This study aimed to evaluate changes in physical activity (PA), mental health, sleep, and social media use among adolesc...

Background Intelligent personal assistants such as Amazon Echo and Google Home have become increasingly integrated into the home setting and, therefore, may facilitate behavior change via novel interactions or as an adjunct to conventional interventions. However, little is currently known about their potential role in this context. Objective This...

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Internationally, insufficient physical activity (PA) is a major health concern. Children in Northern Ireland (NI) are recorded as having the lowest levels of PA in the United Kingdom (UK). To date, validated and representative data on the PA levels of NI school children are limited. The aim of this study was to provide surveillance data on self-rep...

Approximately one quarter of children living in Northern Ireland are overweight or obese. Intelligent personal systems (IPS) such as Amazon Echo and Google Home have become increasingly integrated into the home setting and therefore, may facilitate behaviour change via novel interactions or as an adjunct to conventional interventions. However, litt...

Background: Adolescent girls in the UK and Ireland are failing to meet current physical activity guidelines. Physical activity behaviours track from childhood to adulthood and it is important that adolescent girls are provided with opportunities to be physically active. Walking has been a central focus for physical activity promotion in adults and...

Abstract Background Anxiety is an adaptive response to an objective or perceived threat; however, when symptoms become severe and chronic it that can become a maladaptive anxiety disorder. Limited evidence suggests that physical activity may be associated with prevention against anxiety. This study uses data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Age...

BACKGROUND Intelligent personal assistants such as Amazon Echo and Google Home have become increasingly integrated into the home setting and, therefore, may facilitate behavior change via novel interactions or as an adjunct to conventional interventions. However, little is currently known about their potential role in this context. OBJECTIVE This...

Background Despite the large number of studies and reviews available, the evidence regarding the biological determinants of physical activity (PA) is inconclusive. In this umbrella review, we summarized the current evidence on the biological determinants of PA across the life course, by pooling the results of the available systematic literature rev...

Research has highlighted the importance of peers for determining health behaviors in adolescents, yet these behaviors have typically been investigated in isolation. We need to understand common network processes operating across health behaviors collectively, in order to discern how social network processes impact health behaviors. Thus, this syste...

Background Public health guidelines suggest that physical activity can be accumulated in multiple short bouts dispersed through the day. A synthesis of the evidence for this approach is lacking. Objective Our objective was to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine if exercise interventions consisting of a single bout of exercis...

Background Increasing physical activity in the workplace can provide physical and mental health benefits for employees and economic benefits for the employer through reduced absenteeism and increased productivity. However, there is limited evidence on effective behaviour change interventions in workplace settings that led to maintained physical act...

Schools have the potential to promote physical activity (PA) in adolescents through physical education (PE) and extra-curricular PA. The aims of this study were to firstly understand the experiences of adolescent females who participated in a school-based walking programme (the Walking In ScHools (WISH) study) and secondly, to assess the potential...

Background: Time spent in university represents a period of transition and may be an appropriate time to promote physical activity among young adults. The aim of this study was to assess participation of university students in sport and physical activity in Ireland and to explore the association between physical activity and perceptions of overall...

Background: Depression is a prevalent, debilitating, and often recurrent mood disorder for which successful first-line treatments remains limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cross-sectional associations between self-reported physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms and status among Irish adults, using two existing datas...

Background To date, the scientific literature on socioeconomic correlates and determinants of physical activity behaviours has been dispersed throughout a number of systematic reviews, often focusing on one factor (e.g. education or parental income) in one specific age group (e.g. pre-school children or adults). The aim of this umbrella review is t...

Objective: Regular physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of disease and premature death. Knowing factors associated with PA might help reducing the disease and economic burden caused by low activity. Studies suggest that socio-cultural factors may affect PA, but systematic overviews of findings across the life course are scarce. This umbrella sy...

Purpose: Parent-child active play interventions can increase physical activity (PA) levels and improve health and wellbeing in children and their families. ‘Ag Súgradh le Chéile’ engages parents and children (4-8 years old) in active play during a school-based workshop including music, rhyme and traditional games. The aim of the programme is to pro...

Background: Despite the large number of studies and reviews available, the evidence regarding the policy determinants of physical activity (PA) is inconclusive. This umbrella systematic literature review (SLR) summarizes the current evidence on the policy determinants of PA across the life course, by pooling the results of the available SLRs and m...

Background The utilisation of available cross-European data for secondary data analyses on physical activity, sedentary behaviours and their underlying determinants may benefit from the wide variation that exists across Europe in terms of these behaviours and their determinants. Such reuse of existing data for further research requires Findable; Ac...

Low levels of physical activity (PA) are reported to contribute to the occurrence of non-communicable diseases over the life course. Although psychological factors have been identified as an important category concerning PA behavior, knowledge on psychological determinants of PA is still inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of this umbrella systematic...

Results of the included reviews. BMI: Body Mass Index; ERS: Ex Referral Schemes; ES: Effect Size; Ex: Exercise; LTPA: Leisure-Time Physical Activity; MA: Meta-Analysis; MVPA: Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity; N.A.: Not Applicable; PA: Physical Activity; SLR: Systematic Literature Review. (DOC)

Search strategy and key words used for the literature research. (PDF)

Outcomes, determinants and results of included reviews. (PDF)

Categorization of extracted potential physical environmental determinants. (PDF)

PRISMA 2008 checklist. (DOC)

Purpose: Effective active play interventions are needed to increase physical activity (PA) levels and improve health and wellbeing in young children. The Ag Súgradh le Chéile (Playing Together) programme engages parents and children (aged 4-8 years) in active play during a school-based workshop including music, rhyme and traditional games. This stu...

Background Low levels of physical activity (PA) are a global concern and increasing PA engagement is becoming a priority in current public health policies. Despite the large number of studies and reviews available, the evidence regarding the behavioral determinants of PA is still inconclusive. Thus, the aim of this umbrella systematic literature re...