Dr Natalie Pearson

Dr Natalie Pearson graduated from Loughborough University Bachelor of Science programme in Sport and Exercise Sciences in 2004. She then went on to obtain master's (2005) and doctoral (2010) degrees at Loughborough University in the area of physical activity and health with a focus on behavioural nutrition and physical activity in young people and families. During her PhD, Dr Pearson spent time at Deakin University, Melbourne, where she conducted part of her doctoral research.

Following her PhD, Dr Pearson worked as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at Deakin University, Melbourne (2010-2011) and was appointed as Research Associate in the School of Sport, Exercise & Health Sciences at Loughborough University in 2011. In March 2023, Dr Pearson became a Senior Lecturer in the area of Behavioural Epidemiology and Public Health.

Dr Pearson actively researches a range of issues related to the factors influencing the nutrition, eating behaviours, physical activity, and sedentary behaviours of children and adolescents.  Dr Pearson’s research focuses on behavioural, social, and environmental influences on children’s and adolescents’ eating behaviours, sedentary behaviours and physical activity. Her research particularly focuses on the relationship between the family environment and children’s and adolescents’ eating behaviours, sedentary behaviour and physical activity, and how these health behaviours co-exist, with a focus on informing behaviour change and intervention design. Dr Pearson has conducted several systematic reviews and meta-analyses as a means of summarising evidence.

Dr Pearson has expertise in longitudinal and intervention study design, behaviour change, systematic reviewing and meta-analyses.

Selected research projects and sources of funding

• Kids FIRST: Development and Feasibility of a Family-based Intervention to Reduce Snacking and Screen Time in Children. Funded by the British Heart Foundation. Dr Natalie Pearson, Dr Emma Haycraft (co-PIs), Professor Stuart Biddle, Sonia McGeorge and Dr Paula Griffiths (2013-16).
• CLAHRC- ‘Move to Teach, Move to Learn’ - A collaborative school based programme to decrease sedentary time in primary school students. Funded by CLAHRC, NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research East Midlands. Dr Lauren Sherar (PI), Dr Natalie Pearson, Dr Stacy Clemes, Dr Lorraine Cale, Dr Charlotte Edwardson, Dr Chris Glazebrook, Dr Deidre Harrington, Professor Stuart Biddle, Professor Kamlesh Khunti (2014-2018).

Member of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2007 – Present)

Reviewer

Regular reviewer for a number of academic journals including: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Appetite, Public Health Nutrition, British Journal of Nutrition, Journal of Pediatrics, International Journal of Obesity, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Journal of Adolescence, Preventive Medicine, BMC Public Health, Journal of Public Health, Obesity, Obesity Reviews, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Children & Media.

External examiner (PhD/MSc)

University of Oslo, The Netherlands; University of Granada, Spain; University of La Rioja, Spain; Deakin University, Australia; University of Otago, New Zealand; University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.

• Kontostoli, E., Jones, A.P., Pearson, N., Foley, L., Biddle, S.J.H., Atkin, A.J. (2021). Age-related change in sedentary behavior during childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. doi: 10.1111/obr.13263
• Chen, Y-L., Tolfrey, K., Pearson, N., Bingham, D., Edwardson, C., Cale, L., Dunston, D., Barber, S.E., Clemes, S.A. (2021). Stand Out in Class: Investigating the Potential Impact of a Sit-Stand Desk Intervention on Children's Sitting and Physical Activity during Class Time and after School. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Apr 29; 18(9):4759.
• Sherry, A.P., Pearson, N., Ridgers, N., Johnson, W., Barber, S., Bingham, D., Nagy, L., Clemes, S.A. (2020). Impacts of a standing desk intervention within an English primary school classroom. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 26;17(19):7048
• Clemes, S.A., Bingham, D.D., Pearson, N., Chen, Y., Edwardson, C.L, McEachan, R., Tolfrey, K., Cale, L., Richardson, G., Fray, M., Bandelow, S., Bhupendra Jaicim, N., Salmon, J., Dunstan, D., Barber, S.E. (2018). Stand Out in Class: restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sitting time – finding from a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial. (2020) International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 29;17(1):55.
• Johnson, W., Norris, T., De Freitas, R., Pearson, N., Hamer, M., Costa, S. (2020). Is the positive relationship of infant weight gain with adolescent adiposity attenuated by moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in childhood? International Journal of Obesity, doi.org/10.1038/s41366-020-00656-7
• Haycraft, E., Sherar, L.B., Griffiths, P., Biddle, S.J.H., Pearson, N. (2020). Screen-time during the after-school period: A contextual perspective. Preventive Medicine Reports, 19 (101116).
• Pearson, N., Biddle, S.J.H., Griffiths, P., Sherar, L.B., McGeorge, S., Haycraft, E. (2020). Reducing screen-time and unhealthy snacking in 9-11 year old children: the Kids FIRST pilot randomised controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 20 (122).
• Pearson, N., Sherar, L.B., Hamer, M. (2019). Prevalence and correlates of meeting sleep, screen-time, and physical activity guidelines among UK adolescents. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(10): 993-994.
• Sherry, A.P., Pearson, N., Ridgers, N.D., Barber, S.E., Bingham, D.D., Nagy, L.C., Clemes, S.A. (2019). activPAL-measured sitting levels and patterns in 9-10 year old children from a UK city. Journal of Public Health, 41(4): 757-764.
• Pearson, N., Biddle, S.J.H., Griffiths, P., Johnston, J.P., Haycraft, E. (2018). Clustering and correlates of screen-time and eating behaviours among young children. BMC Public Health, 18(1): 753.
• Clemes, S.A., Bingham, D.D., Pearson, N., Chen, Y., Edwardson, C.L, McEachan, R., Tolfrey, K., Cale, L., Richardson, G., Fray, M., Bandelow, S., Bhupendra Jaicim, N., Salmon, J., Dunstan, D., Barber, S.E. (2018). Stand Out in Class: Restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sedentary behaviour in 9 – 10 year olds – study protocol for a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 4 (103).
• Biddle, S.J.H., Pearson, N., & Salmon, J. (2018). Sedentary behaviors and adiposity in young people: causality and conceptual model. Exercise & Sport Sciences Reviews, 46(1): 18-25.