On Shape and Being Shaped; The relation between overweight and obesity in London's schoolchildren and the energy-expending characteristics of their bu

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Since the '80s, global prevalence of Childhood Overweight and Obesity (COO) increased sharply. Due to its epidemic proportions and long-termimpacts on health and wellbeing of children, the WHO considers tackling obesity to be one of the most serious public health challenges of our century.Despite the plethora of multilevel COO research, its relation with characteristics of the built environment inciting energy expenditure is still insufficientlyunderstood. With an innovative approach - a sequential explanatory mixed methods design - I want to research this complex interplay between placeand COO in a PhD project. In a first, quantitative sequence, piloted during my MPhil, a spatial epidemiological study will be carried out. Relying on GISand statistical methods, general trends in the relation between COO in London schoolchildren and the characteristics of their (school) neighbourhoodsand commuting routes that foster/hinder physical activity will be searched. This is followed by a qualitative research, producing contextual andcomplementary information on these trends. Go-along interviews, NVivo, accelerometers and Qualitative GIS will be applied to hear and analyse thechildren's narratives and to explore their physical movements as they unfold in real time and space. In the final, integrative phase, the quantitativefindings will be expanded with the qualitative ones, aiming to produce knowledge that can serve public health policies and interventions to tackle COO.