M Barker MRC MR/N011848/1

Staff

Lead researchers

Professor Mary Barker PhD, C Psychol

Prof of Psychology & Behavioural Science

Research interests

Mary Barker is Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Science. She has a joint appointment in both the Faculty of Medicine and the School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton UK. Mary runs a programme of work in both the UK and in low-income countries aiming to engage young people in improving their sense of agency, well-being and mental health, to benefit their health in general but their diets and physical activity habits more specifically. Her team’s approach is participatory and combines social activism focused on engaging young people in the climate change and health agenda and testing methods of one-to-one support and digital resources including smartphone games. Much of this work takes place as part of her NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research EACH-B (Engaging Adolescents in Changing Behaviour). She partners in this activity with the TALENT network of colleagues with interests in adolescent health and well-being based in institutions in low-and-middle-income countries. Her team also ran a five-country, longitudinal qualitative study with young people throughout the pandemic exploring their experience, mental health, well-being and resilience, data from which supported UK local and national government COVID messaging to young people. She is adjunct professor at the University of Agder, Norway, and has honorary appointments at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, and University College London.

Connect with Mary

Email: meb@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Other researchers

Dr Leanne Morrison

Associate Professor

Research interests

Health Psychology
Person-based intervention development
Digital technology

Connect with Leanne

Email: L.Morrison@soton.ac.uk

Research outputs

Addressing embodied inequities in health: how do we enable improvement in women's diet in pregnancy?

L. McKerracher, S. Oresnik, T. Moffat, B. Murray Davies, J. Vickers-Manzin, L. Zalot, D Williams, D.M. Sloboda & M.E. Barker, 2020, Public Health Nutrition, 23(16), 2994-3004

DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020001093

Type: article

How do we improve adolescent diet and physical activity in India and sub-Saharan Africa? Findings from the Transforming Adolescent Lives through Nutrition (TALENT) consortium

M.E. Barker, P. Hardy-Johnson, S. Weller, A. Haileamalak, L. Jarju, J. Jesson, G. V. Krishnaveni, K. Kumaran, V. Leroy, S.E. Moore, S.A. Norris, S. Patil, S.A. Sahariah, K. Ward, C.S. Yajnik & C.H.D Fall, 2020, Public Health Nutrition

DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020002244

Type: article

‘I should be disease free, healthy and be happy in whatever I do’: a cross-country analysis of drivers of adolescent diet and physical activity in different low- and middle-income contexts

Susie Weller, Polly Hardy-Johnson, Sofia Strommer, Caroline Fall, Ulka Banavali, Harsha Chopra, Ramatoulie E. Janha, Shama Joseph, Kejal Joshi Reddy, Mubarek Abera Mengistie, Stephanie V. Wrottesley, Egnon Kouakou & Mary Barker, 2020, Public Health Nutrition, 0, 1-11

DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020001810

Type: article

Adolescent diet and physical activity in the context of economic, social and nutrition transition in rural Maharashtra, India: a qualitative study

Kejal Joshi Reddy, Veena Kamble, Pooja Kunte, Polly Hardy-Johnson, Caroline Fall, Mary Barker, Susie Weller, Chittaranjan S. Yajnik & Sarah Kehoe, 2020, Public Health Nutrition

DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020002220

Type: article

Supporting maternal and child nutrition: views from community members in rural Northern Ghana

Cornelius Debpuur, Engelbert A. Nonterah, Samuel T. Chatio, James K. Adoctor, Edith Dambayi, Paula Beeri, Esmond W. Nonterah, Doreen Ayi-Bisah, Daniella Watson, Sarah Kehoe, Maxwell A. Dalaba, Winfred Ofosu, Raymond Aborigo, Paul Welaga, Abraham R. Oduro, Marie-Louise Newell & Mary Barker, 2020, Public Health Nutrition

DOI: 10.1017/S136898002000302X

Type: article