Research Areas Healthy Lifestyle in a Supporting Environment
- Learning to move well
The first research area focuses on the four building blocks of physical literacy for lifelong physical activity: competence (including motor skills), confidence, knowledge and motivation among youth (2-24 years), parents/caregivers and professionals. - Sustainable healthy lifestyle;
The second research area focuses on sustainable behaviour change with regard to nutrition and exercise among young people (2-24 years) who have been or are at risk of developing an unhealthy lifestyle, as well as the parents/caregivers and the professionals involved. - Stimulating, healthy environment.
The third research area focuses on creating and evaluating the possibilities of the social and physical living environment of children, adolescents and young adults (home, school, daycare, neighborhood, sports, online) to facilitate and stimulate a healthy lifestyle, with or without the use of interactive technology.
Learning to move well
The first research area focuses on the four building blocks of physical literacy for lifelong physical activity: competence (including motor skills), confidence, knowledge and motivation among youth (2-24 years), parents/caregivers and professionals.
Research into the quality of movement is crucial to enable people to enjoy lifelong exercise. Applied research plays a vital role in this. It connects scientific insights with the daily realities of sports and exercise. By conducting research within the contexts in which children and young people are active, knowledge is generated that is directly applicable and aligned with the needs and preferences of the target group.
The Healthy Lifestyle in a Supporting Environment research group strengthens this process by conducting research on various building blocks of physical literacy. For example, we systematically map the motor skills scores of primary school children, and we design an approach for young children to stimulate physical activity in this target group. Research has been conducted on the observational behavior of professionals during physical education lessons, and researchers are currently investigating children's observational behavior during sports and play situations. Schools are also supported with programs related to the dynamic school day. Furthermore, we strive to understand children's motivation to exercise during the transition from primary to secondary education. In these studies, we employ (innovative) qualitative and quantitative research methods and utilize new technologies. The researchers within this research line complement each other and have diverse expertise.
Sustainable healthy lifestyle
The second research area focuses on sustainable behaviour change regarding nutrition and exercise among young people (2-24 years) who have or are at risk of developing an unhealthy lifestyle, as well as their parents/caregivers and the professionals involved.
In short, we focus on prevention and impact for lasting lifestyle change in young people. Where appropriate, we utilize technology. For this, we draw on the expertise of fellow researchers within and outside the research group. Consider, for example, the development of the influencer game, a serious game, designed to strengthen VMBO students' resilience to health-related misinformation on social media
Our target groups include young people themselves, their parents and relevant professionals. We always approach this from the child's perspective. By consciously choosing themes and target groups, we aim to contribute to reducing health inequalities. For example, we have a project titled "MBO Student in Action for Plant-Based Foods" (MAP), which examines the current food choice behavior of MBO students. Students then develop ideas that encourage more plant-based behavior, offering actionable perspectives for impactful interventions.
Another example is VMBO in Beweging (VIBE), which aims to increase the physical activity and motivation among pre-vocational secondary education students by 10%.
Healthy@HHs is an example of "practice what you preach." We want to create a healthier, more inclusive, and more sustainable food environment in and around The Hague, in co-creation with all stakeholders.
Sustainability in this research area also means truly bringing about lasting change. Through our various research projects, we aim to make an impact and make this impact measurable. For example, we are a partner in the SPRONG PASS project. SPRONG PASS focuses on tackling wicked problems related to sports and exercise. The medical delta program CUPIDO refers to Community-Up Plant-based Innovations for healthy diets and new business opportunities. In this program, a systems approach in the quadruple helix is further developed and evaluated for, by, and with various target groups to improve access to healthy, plant-based food for various target groups. In addition, there is the Medical Delta Living Lab VIT for Life and the SPRONG Vitale Delta, in which we are committed to increasing the vitality of people in our region.
Finally, in projects such as Gezond Verder and BiBoZ, we focus on supporting lifestyle and healthcare professionals in encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle among their clients.
Stimulating, healthy environment
The third research area focuses on creating and evaluating the possibilities of the social and physical living environment of children, adolescents and young adults (home, school, daycare, neighborhood, sports, online) to facilitate and stimulate a healthy lifestyle, with or without the use of interactive technology.
Questions addressed within this research line include: How do you create child and exercise-friendly cities? Where do primary school children play outdoors, and how do they experience public spaces as a place to play? How do children and parents assess their immediate living environment, and what impact does this have on their freedom of movement? How does the environment influence young people's eating habits? How healthy or unhealthy is the food selection on shopping streets? Which complex problems influence health inequalities, and how can these be addressed through systemic change?
To answer these questions, we use various research methods, such as questionnaires, interviews, sensors, co-creation, observations, mental mapping, photovoice, and walk-alongs. For example, the "Play-Friendly Cities" study involved collaboration with children who took photos of their (less) favorite places and accompanied us on walks, allowing them to share and demonstrate what they value. For the "Healthy Together in the Neighborhood" and "Moerwijk Cycling Trail" studies, we conduct pre- and post-measurements using questionnaires, observations, and interviews to gauge the use and appreciation of redesigned public spaces.
The user perspective is always central to our research. For example, by observing actual behavior in shared play areas or examining the use of exertion games: playful, interactive technology deployed in (semi-)public environments. We also work closely with neighborhood residents by involving them as co-researchers, as in the Bloesem study, where community researchers help uncover the underlying causes of social and health problems, so that together with other stakeholders, societal solutions can be developed.
We believe it's important to listen to, gather, and translate the experiences of users into practical and applicable solutions for improving the environment in terms of eating, playing, and exercising habits of (young) people. Based on this new knowledge, we make recommendations for municipalities, housing corporations, welfare organizations, and designers, among others.