Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal Statement
I joined the University in 2011 as John Anderson Research Leader and Professor of Physical Activity & Public Health Science. I was formerly Professor of Paediatric Energy Metabolism at the University of Glasgow.
My research work focuses on: prevention of child and adolescent obesity worldwide; the consequences of obesity and low physical activity in children and adolescents globally; the development and consequences of sedentary behaviour during childhood and adolescence globally; global monitoring of physical activity , sedentary behaviour and sleep in children and adolescents. I have been involved in a range of national and international Knowledge Exchange projects, including the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance www.activehealthykids.org, WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (ECHO) https://www.who.int/end-childhood-obesity/en/ WHO Guideline Development Group on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep for the under 5’s https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/311664 • Chair of the UK Health Departments physical activity guidelines update for the Under 5’s https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/physical-activity-guidelines
Current Knowledge Exchange projects include:
FitBack Scotland- development of a system for national monitoring physical fitness in children and adolescents https://www.actify.org.uk/fitbackscot - Towards a Sustainable Monitoring System to Address the Physical Fitness Crisis in Scottish Children: FitBack Scotland (scottishinsight.ac.uk)
Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Cards on COVID-19 Impacts (2024; funded by the ESRC -IAA) and Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Card (2026) www.activehealthykidsscotland.co.uk
Early Childhood Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep in Malawi: Impact Activities from Current Research and Co-creation of Future Research Plans with Stakeholders in Malawi. International Science Partnerships –Scottish Funding Council Funded 2024-25.
Publications
I have almost 400 peer-reviewed papers with an h index (December 2024) of 93 (Web of Science) and 103 (Google Scholar). Recent publications include the following:
https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108984
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-024-02104-2
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2824006
https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-024-01650-2h
https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0711.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2024.03.006
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100869
https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdae022
https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2023-0679
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114523000387
https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12628
Expertise & Capabilities
has expertise in:
- childhood obesity: aetiology; diagnosis; prevention; treatment; consequences
- objective measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviour
- longitudinal (birth cohort) studies, in particular with ALSPAC and GMS in the UK
- systematic reviewing: evidence appraisal, and evidence - based guideline development
- Physical activity and sedentary behaviour interventions in children and adolescents
Teaching Interests
I teach on the BSc Sport & Physical Activity degree, mainly in the Physical Activity & Health classes (e.g. Sports Nutrition), and supervise students doing mini-research projects in 3rd year and larger research dissertation projects in 4th year.
Research Interests
See Personal Statement above for Research Interest.
A number of recent research projects have been included in news articles in The Conversation- links below
https://theconversation.com/obesity-is-more-common-than-you-think-heres-why-131341
https://theconversation.com/why-fidgeting-could-be-good-for-your-childs-health-122346
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Social Science, University of Wales
Award Date: 1 Jan 1987
Bachelors in Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow
Award Date: 1 Jan 1984
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Investigating 24-hour movement behaviours in young people with Intellectual Disabilities in Scotland
Muirhead, F. (Principal Investigator), Bardid, F. (Co-investigator), Crawford, M. (Co-investigator), Donnachie, C. (Co-investigator) & Reilly, J. (Co-investigator)
1/05/25 → 30/04/26
Project: Research
-
Move for brain health: Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Card
Bardid, F. (Principal Investigator) & Reilly, J. (Co-investigator)
1/04/25 → 1/10/26
Project: Knowledge Exchange
-
Geocultural differences in pre-schooler sleep profiles and family practices: an analysis of pooled data from 37 countries
Zhang, Z., Abdeta, C., Chelly, M. S., del Pozo-Cruz, J., Draper, C. E., Engberg, E., Florindo, A., Germana, L., Ghofranipour, F., Guan, H., Ha, A.S.-C., Hamdouchi, A. E. L., Tang, H. K., Hossain, M. S., Jambaldorj, B., Kim, D. H., Koh, D., Kontsevaya, A., Löf, M. & Lubree, H. & 19 others, , 11 Apr 2025, In: SLEEP. 48, 4, 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Enhancing fundamental motor skills through active play: a systematic review and meta-analysis of educational contexts
Ramos-Munell, J., Gallardo-Gómez, D., Álvarez-Barbosa, F., Alfonso-Rosa, R. M., Reilly, J. J., Okely, A., del Pozo-Cruz, B. & del Pozo-Cruz, J., 5 Apr 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. p. 1-21 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
-
Data for: "Development and feasibility testing of a physical activity intervention for youth with anxiety and depression: a study protocol"
Kodal, A. (Creator), Muirhead, F. (Creator), Reilly, J. J. (Creator), Wergeland, G. J. H. (Creator), Thorsen, P. J. B. (Creator), Bovim, L. P. (Creator) & Elgen, I. B. (Creator), figshare, 4 Apr 2023
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5872913.v1
Dataset
-
Data for: "Variations in accelerometry measured physical activity and sedentary time across Europe – harmonized analyses of 47,497 children and adolescents"
Steene-Johannessen, J. (Creator), Hansen, B. H. (Contributor), Dalene, K. E. (Creator), Kolle, E. (Creator), Northstone, K. (Creator), Møller, N. C. (Creator), Grøntved, A. (Creator), Wedderkopp, N. (Creator), Kriemler, S. (Creator), Page, A. S. (Creator), Puder, J. J. (Contributor), Reilly, J. J. (Creator), Sardinha, L. B. (Creator), Van Sluijs, E. M. F. (Contributor), Andersen, L. B. (Creator), Van Der Ploeg, H. (Contributor), Ahrens, W. (Creator), Flexeder, C. (Creator), Standl, M. (Creator), Shculz, H. (Creator), Moreno, L. A. (Creator), De Henauw, S. (Contributor), Michels, N. (Creator), Cardon, G. (Creator), Ortega, F. B. (Creator), Ruiz, J. (Contributor), Aznar, S. (Creator), Fogelholm, M. (Creator), Decelis, A. (Creator), Olesen, L. G. (Creator), Hjorth, M. F. (Creator), Santos, R. (Creator), Vale, S. (Creator), Christiansen, L. B. (Creator), Jago, R. (Creator), Basterfield, L. (Creator), Owen, C. G. (Creator), Nightingale, C. M. (Creator), Eiben, G. (Creator), Polito, A. (Creator), Lauria, F. (Creator), Vanhelst, J. (Creator), Hadjigeorgiou, C. (Creator), Konstabel, K. (Creator), Molnár, D. (Creator), Sprengeler, O. (Creator), Manios, Y. (Creator), Harro, J. (Creator), Kafatos, A. (Creator), Anderssen, S. A. (Creator) & Ekelund, U. (Creator), figshare, 4 Apr 2023
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4898460.v1
Dataset
-
Active Healthy Kids Scotland (Event)
Reilly, J. (Member)
2013Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee
-
WHO Geneva Working Group (External organisation)
Reilly, J. (Member)
2013Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee