Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Dr Claire Griffiths
Reader
Before joining the Carnegie School of Sport Claire was the research coordinator for MoreLife, who deliver weight management and health improvement programmes to individuals, families, local communities and within workplaces. As part of this role Claire developed and delivered weight management programmes to overweight and obese children and families in both residential and community settings. In addition to overseeing all research activities as part of these programmes.
Claire's doctoral research, funded by Leeds Beckett University and supervised by Professor Paul Gately, Dr Paul Marchant and Professor Carlton Cooke, investigated the prevalence of obesity considering important demographic factors such as deprivation, ethnicity and educational attainment.
Current Teaching
Claire contributes to a range of modules across the Carnegie School of Sport including obesity management, active lifestyles and multidisciplinary modules that are delivered across the Faculty.
Claire also teaches research methods at both undergraduate and masterÂ’s level of study. In addition she supervises a number of undergraduate and postgraduate research projects.
Research Interests
Measurement and classification of childhood obesity: "Claire is particularly interested in this area and perhaps more importantly the health consequences associated with increased body weight during childhood.
Obesity and the environment: - Claire is particularly interested in investigating how the environment, including access to food outlets and opportunities for physical activity and lifestyle behaviours influence obesity. Claire's research also considers the relationship between area level deprivation and lifestyle behaviours / obesity.
Both areas of work have particular importance to public health - central to improving the prevention and treatment of obesity is to identify those most at risk and identify the actual role (over the assumed role) of the environment in which people live.
Currently projects including:
- Investigating the prevalence of obesity from a longitudinal perspective, comparing different classifications / measures of obesity
- Investigating the relationship between different measures of obesity for predicting the development of obesity related diseases
- Investigating the relationship between food access / density of food outlets and obesity prevalence
- Investigating the relationship between green space / access to physical activity and obesity prevalence
- Understanding behaviours (e.g. fast food consumption / physical activity) in relation to the environment and obesity
- Examining obesity levels in children and the relationship with socioeconomic group
- Examining physical activity levels and diet quality in children and the relationship with socioeconomic group
Ask Me About
- Obesity
- Physical Activity
Selected Outputs
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Simmonds M; Burch J; Llewellyn A; Griffiths C; Yang H; Owen C; Duffy S; Woolacott N (In press) The use of measures of obesity in childhood for predicting obesity and the development of obesity-related diseases in adulthood: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Technology Assessment, 19 (43), pp. 1-336.
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Wilkins EL; Radley D; Morris M; Hobbs M; Christensen A; Lameck Marwa W; Morrin A; Griffiths C (2019) A systematic review employing the GeoFERN framework to examine methods, reporting quality and associations between the Retail Food Environment and obesity. Health and Place, 57 pp. 186-199.
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Hobbs M; Griffiths C; Green MA; Christensen A; McKenna J (2019) Examining longitudinal associations between the recreational physical activity environment, change in body mass index, and obesity by age in 8864 Yorkshire Health Study participants. Social Science and Medicine, 227 pp. 76-83.
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Hobbs M; Griffiths C; Green MA; Jordan H; Saunders J; Christensen A; McKenna J (2019) Fast-food outlet availability and obesity: Considering variation by age and methodological diversity in 22,889 Yorkshire Health Study participants. Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology, 28 pp. 43-53.
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Vogel C; Zwolinsky S; Griffiths C; Hobbs M; Henderson E; Wilkins E (2019) A Delphi study to build consensus on the definition and use of big data in obesity research. International Journal of Obesity, 43
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Morris MA; Wilkins E; Timmins KA; Bryant M; Birkin M; Griffiths C (2018) Can big data solve a big problem? Reporting the obesity data landscape in line with the Foresight obesity system map. International Journal of Obesity, 42 pp. 1963-1976.
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Lichtenauer M; Wheatley SD; Martyn-St James M; Duncan MJ; Cobayashi F; Berg G; Musso C; Graffigna M; Soutelo J; Bovet P (2018) Efficacy of anthropometric measures for identifying cardiovascular disease risk in adolescents: Review and meta-analysis. Minerva Pediatrica, 70 (4), pp. 371-382.
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Green M; Radley D; Lomax N; Morris M; Griffiths C (2018) Is adolescent body mass index and waist circumference associated with the food environments surrounding schools and homes? A longitudinal analysis. BMC Public Health, 18
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Hobbs M; Griffiths C; Green M; Jordan H; Saunders J; McKenna J (2018) Associations between the combined physical activity environment, socioeconomic status, and obesity: a cross-sectional study. Perspectives in Public Health, 138 (3), pp. 169-172.
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Wilkins EL; Radley D; Morris M; Griffiths C (2017) Examining the validity and utility of two secondary sources of food environment data against street audits in England. Nutrition Journal, 16
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Hobbs M; Griffiths C; Saunders J; McKenna J (2017) Neighbourhood typologies and associations with body mass index and obesity: a cross-sectional study. Preventive Medicine, 111 pp. 351-357.
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Hobbs M; Green MA; Griffiths C; Jordan H; Saunders J; Grimmer H; McKenna J (2017) Access and quality of parks and associations with obesity: A cross-sectional study. SSM - Population Health, 3 pp. 722-729.
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Nobles JD; Griffiths C; Pringle A; Gately P (2017) Why Consistent Completion Criterion are Required in Childhood Weight Management Programmes. Public Health Journal, 152 pp. 79-85-79-85.
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Backhouse SH; Griffiths C; McKenna J (2017) Tackling doping in sport : a call to take action on the dopogenic environment. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52 pp. 1485-1486.
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Hobbs M; Green M; Griffiths C; Jordan H; Saunders J; McKenna J (2017) How different data sources and definitions of neighbourhood influence the association between food outlet availability and body mass index: A cross-sectional study. Perspectives in Public Health, 137 (3), pp. 158-161.
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Wilkins EL; Morris MA; Radley D; Griffiths C (2017) Using Geographic Information Systems to measure retail food environments: discussion of methodological considerations and a proposed reporting checklist (Geo-FERN). Health and Place, 44 pp. 110-117.
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Nobles JD; Griffiths C; Pringle A; Gately P (2016) Design Programmes to Maximise Participant Engagement: A Predictive Study of Programme and Participant Characteristics Associated with Engagement in Paediatric Weight Management. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 13
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Zwolinsky S; McKenna J; Pringle A; Widdop P; Griffiths C (2015) Physical activity assessment for public health: efficacious use of the single-item measure. Public Health, 129 (12), pp. 1630-1636.
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Griffiths C; Frearson A; Taylor A; Radley D; Cooke C (2014) A cross sectional study investigating the association between exposure to food outlets and childhood obesity in Leeds, UK. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 11
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Griffiths C; Gately P; Marchant P; Cooke C (2013) A five year longitudinal study investigating the prevalence of childhood obesity: comparison of BMI and waist circumference. Public Health
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Griffiths C; Gately P; Marchant PR; Cooke CB (2013) Response to 'area-level deprivation and adiposity in children: Is the relationship linear?'. International Journal of Obesity, 38 (1), pp. 161-162.
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Griffiths C; Gately P; Marchant PR; Cooke CB (2013) Area-level deprivation and adiposity in children: Is the relationship linear?. International Journal of Obesity, 37 (4), pp. 486-492.
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Griffiths C; Marchant P; Gately P; Cooke CB (2012) Cross Sectional Comparisons of Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference in British Children: Mixed Public Health Messages. Obesity, 20 pp. 1258-1260.