It is widely accepted that population health is a product of the environments and systems that we live within. The food we consume, the activity we undertake, the broader health-related behaviours that we practice are all influenced by a complex web of interconnected drivers, not limited to our social connections, built environment, the commercial determinants, political factors, and the wider determinants of health. 

In the last decade, we have seen a surging interest in the application of systems science within our discipline. This relates to the methods and methodologies used to study these complex phenomena, the implementation of multi-sectoral systems approaches, and the application of a systems lens to evaluating public health efforts. However, work within this discipline is challenging, not only due to the novelty and complicated nature of the methods, but also due to a substantive lack of collective agreement as to what we all mean by systems approaches, systems science, systems thinking, whole-of-systems approaches to name but a few.

Goals

There has been a growing body of systems science research submitted to, and presented within, the ISBNPA annual conferences and the IJBNPA. Therefore, the timing feels right to have a SIG which focuses specifically on the application of systems science in dietary, physical activity, and broader population health related fields. The broad aims for the SIG are to: 

– Showcase the innovative systems science work within the ISBNPA remit.

– Raise the profile of systems science, and its utility, within the ISBNPA remit.

– Identify the strengths and weaknesses of current systems science application and identify opportunities for its advancement.

– Create a dedicated network of ISBNPA members who seek to advance the use of systems science. 

 Join our membership or contact us

You can become a member of this SIG by going to your membership profile and adding the SIG to your preferences or by contacting is via the email below.
 

Benefits to SIG members

This SIG will provide ISBNPA members with an up-to-date account of the contemporary issues in the systems science field. We anticipate that the SIG, running alongside other similar networks / communities of interest, will contribute to enhancing the research, practice and policy carried out in this discipline area. SIG members should therefore be able to capitalise on this opportunity to ensure that their work accounts for, and builds upon, the strong foundation already in place. 
 
Find out about the SIG leadership team after the news section. 

News

SIG Leadership

(Co-chair) Dr James Nobles, Senior Research Fellow, School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, UK.

(Co-chair) Dr Alexandra Potts, Senior Lecturer, School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, UK.


Dr Angie Luna Pinzon, Post Doctoral Researcher, Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands. 

Dr Anneke Vang Hjort, Researcher, Centre for Childhood Health, Denmark.

Dr Candice Christie, Associate Professor, Rhodes University, South Africa. 

Eline Meuleman, PhD student, Vrije University, Netherlands. 

Dr Harriet Wingfield, Research Fellow, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.

Dr Harriet Koorts, Associate Professor, Deakin University, Australia.

Dr Jennifer Hall, Senior Research Fellow, Born in Bradford, UK.

Dr Laura Belmon, Post-doctoral Researcher, Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands. 

Dr Leandro Garcia, Lecturer, Queens University Belfast, UK.

Dr Sophie Jones, Research Fellow, Queens University Belfast, UK. 

Dr Nicole den Braver, Assistant Professor, Amsterdam UMC, Netherlands. 

Naomi de Pooter, PhD student, Utrecht University, Netherlands. 

Professor Steven Allender, Professor, Deakin University, Australia.