Miranda Thurston

• White, Chris; Bloyce, Daniel; Thurston, Miranda & Bissell, Paul (2026). Marginalising prevention during Health Devolution in Greater Manchester? A qualitative study of the perceptions and experiences of public health professionals. Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1741-3842. 48(3), p. 806–817. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdag050. Full text in Research Archive
• Powell, Katie; Thurston, Miranda & Bloyce, Daniel (2026). Using theories of power and place to evaluate community health promotion. Evaluation and Program Planning. ISSN 0149-7189. 115. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102745. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  There is some consensus that better ways of evaluating complex public health programmes are needed as experimental methods are limited in explaining the 'how' and 'why' of change. Methods like 'theory-of-change,' 'realist evaluation,' and 'systems evaluation' try to give a more complete picture of change by looking at the context of the programme. However, when these methods are used to study programmes that aim to reduce health inequalities, they often miss a crucial issue: how power affects people's health and engagement with programmes. This paper addresses that gap by reporting an ethnographic study of a community health promotion programme that was informed by a social theory of power (figurational sociology). When looking at how power dynamics played out in the targeted community, we could see why residents often did not trust the people running the programme, and why local status was so important to them. When programme staff understood these power dynamics, they were better able to connect with residents and help them improve their wellbeing. We argue that combining this way of looking at power with our observational approach gives us a much clearer understanding of how complex public health programmes work and why they succeed or fail in their aims.

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata; Torheim, Liv Elin; Terragni, Laura & Thurston, Miranda (2025). Conceptualizing the Digital Food Environment: A Framework. Urban Planning. 10, p. 1–34. doi: 10.17645/up.10635. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments are important determinants of food choice and consumption and, consequently, drivers of global health and nutrition challenges such as obesity and noncommunicable diseases. These challenges are intensified by the ubiquitous presence of digital technology, which affects food practices. The goal of this study was to develop a middle‐range theory for understanding the digital food environment in late modernity. We conducted a critical realist grounded theory study based on elicited data (from semi‐structured interviews and observation of digital platforms, tools, and services) and extant data (from interdisciplinary scientific literature). We conceptualize the digital food environment as an augmented space where social and material food practices take place, mediated, enhanced, enabled, or replaced by digital technology, influencing food consumption and impacting nutrition, health, and equity. Our proposed model represents the digital food environment as a socially co‐produced space, where the interplay between structure and agency shapes food practices, driven by late modern processes such as digitalization, informationalism, individualization, commercialization, and exposure amplification. The digital food environment has a governance model where technology companies, digital content creators, and non‐human agents are key actors, increasing the complexity of food practices and power asymmetries that affect food choice, consumption patterns, and health narratives. Policies to promote healthy food environments must consider their increasingly digitalized nature.

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata; Terragni, Laura; Torheim, Liv Elin & Thurston, Miranda (2025). The digitalization of young women's food environments in Norway. Health and Place. ISSN 1353-8292. 96, p. 1–9. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103552. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments, which significantly influence dietary patterns and health outcomes, are undergoing an accelerated process of digitalization. Young people are vulnerable to the adverse effects of food environment digitalization, with young women particularly affected due to their heavy exposure to social media. This study explores the process of digitalization of young women's food environments in Norway. Using a grounded theory approach, we conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with young women aged 18–25 years in Norway, complemented by an analysis of secondary materials such as websites, smartphone apps, and social media platforms identified during the interviews. We propose a theoretical model outlining four degrees of digitalization in young women's food environment interactions: analogue, digitally mediated, digitally enhanced, and digital-only. These interactions were influenced by processes at an individual level, through which young women strove to preserve their agency while seeking novelty, entertainment, social connection and self-optimization in relation to their food practices and bodies. Simultaneously, societal processes such as the normalization of technology use, increased personalization of digital services and intensification of exposure to digital food content and marketing shaped young women's action. These can conflict with their individual motivations or complement and reinforce them, thus creating tensions in how agency is exercised in increasingly digitalized food environments. We argue that the digitalization of food environments is likely to augment the complexity and intensity of their effects on health and nutrition, warranting further investigation.

• Mandelid, Mathias Brekke; Johansen, Jan-Michael; Resaland, Geir Kåre; Bratland-Sanda, Solfrid; Daly-Smith, Andy & Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Beyond borders: developing the core aspects of physically active learning enactment (CAPAbLE) model in the third space. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2025.2459905. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, we employed a third-space methodology to bring together two researchers and four teachers who have sustained physically active learning in their practice to explore the real-world applicability and processes of enacting physically active learning in teaching. We co-developed the Core Aspects of Physically Active Learning Enactment (CAPAbLE) model through six meetings. The model outlines 12 core aspects that can support pedagogical considerations about the purposes of enacting PAL through the iterations of planning, organising and evaluating. The CAPAbLE model may support the sustainability of PAL in schools and set the stage for future empirical investigations.

• Johansen, Patrick Foss; Green, Kenneth Stanley & Thurston, Miranda (2025). Harried and stressful or hurried and rewarding? A study of young Norwegians’ active leisure lives. Annals of Leisure Research. ISSN 1174-5398. p. 1–19. doi: 10.1080/11745398.2025.2520289. Full text in Research Archive
• Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Skulberg, Knut Ragnvald; Johansen, Patrick Foss; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland & Thurston, Miranda (2025). Promoting daily physical activity in Norway as a FYSAK school: a comparative longitudinal study of lower secondary school pupil. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 7. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1543741. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Schools have been described as “ideal settings” for promoting PA, but they have struggled to find effective and sustainable ways of doing so given the demands of the curriculum. In Norway, the FYSAK school model is an example of a population approach to PA promotion wherein daily PA is embedded into the routines of the school. Little is known about the extent to which the model supports pupils' daily PA, especially with regard to meeting the national recommendations. The paper addresses the following research question: what impact does the FYSAK model have on pupils' PA patterns over time? Methods: The paper draws on device-measured PA data from a three-year (2016–2018) longitudinal study of lower secondary school pupils from 11 schools in Norway, of which one was a FYSAK school. Data from 535 adolescents (56.1% female, mean age at baseline ± SD 13.3 ± 0.3 years) was derived and used to compare the PA level (cpm−1) of the one FYSAK school in the sample with the other 10 schools. Results: There was no difference in PA level between category of school in 2016. In 2017 and 2018 however, pupils attending the FYSAK school had significantly higher levels of PA compared to control schools (2017: 54.7 cpm−1, p ≤ .05, 2018: 59.2 cpm−1, p ≤ .05). Analyses of weekdays only, reinforced this pattern where larger differences in PA level across category of schools became evident (2017: 73.5 cpm−1, p ≤ .001, 2018: 85.7 cpm−1, p ≤ .001). Pupils attending the FYSAK school were also significantly more likely to adhere to the national recommendations for PA compared to control schools throughout all three years (2016: 57% FYSAK vs. 41% control, 2017: 62% FYSAK vs. 38% control, 2018: 52% FYSAK vs. 30% control). Conclusions: Overall, the results are indicative of a FYSAK school effect, which can be explained in terms of the sustained embedding of PA into pupils' daily routines over a three-year period. We conclude that the FYSAK model offers a framework for systematically providing realistic opportunities for being physically active during the school day.

• Barene, Svein; Johansen, Patrick Foss; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Ølberg, Rolf Inge & Thurston, Miranda (2025). Applying intervention mapping to develop a program for promoting short physical activity breaks during class time in upper secondary schools: the MOVE12 protocol study. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 6. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1460373. Full text in Research Archive
• Mandelid, Mathias Brekke; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Reinboth, Michael Sæther & Thurston, Miranda (2025). Physically active learning in education discourses: problem representations and subject positions in Norwegian policies. Journal of Education Policy. ISSN 0268-0939. doi: 10.1080/02680939.2025.2540346. Full text in Research Archive
• Baklien, Børge; Marthoenis, Marthoenis & Thurston, Miranda (2024). Existential Well-Being in Nature: A Cross-Cultural and Descriptive Phenomenological Approach. Journal of Medical Humanities. ISSN 1041-3545. 45, p. 225–225. doi: 10.1007/s10912-024-09846-0. Full text in Research Archive
• Hervik, Stein Egil Kolderup; Hervik, Astrid Kolderup; Thoresen, Trine & Thurston, Miranda (2024). "When you've been living in darkness, the light suddenly becomes frightening" - prisoners' experiences of health promotion in a Norwegian prison. International Journal of Prisoner Health. ISSN 1744-9200. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1108/IJOPH-05-2024-0026. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose: A settings-based approach to health promotion emphasizes everyday environments in shaping health. Prisons are, therefore, potentially important arenas for health promotion. However, the inherent restriction of prisoner agency presents a fundamental challenge in this regard. There is a gap in qualitative research on prisoners’ perspectives on health-related topics and a need for greater understanding of health promotion within prisons. This study aims to explore male prisoners’ experiences of a Norwegian low-security prison as a setting for health promotion. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted in Forest Prison, a Norwegian low-security facility for 125 male prisoners. The prison offers various amenities and activities to prepare inmates for reintegration into society. The research used semi-structured interviews with 20 diverse prisoners. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Gale et al.'s framework method. Findings: This study revealed varied prisoner perspectives on Forest Prison as a setting for health promotion. In prisoners’ talk, the importance of agency was evident. Restricted agency triggered negative emotions and distrust, while extended agency fostered trust and wellbeing. Although Forest Prison provides a considerable degree of agency, some prisoners did not fully benefit from this agentic context because of disparities in resources. Originality/value: Initiatives across three areas of action will strengthen Forest Prison as a setting for health promotion: extending agency, empowering prisoners and developing a prison culture with positive social relationships, effective communication and information flow. The findings of this study provide theoretical insights beyond the specific context, which can serve as a basis for developing prisons as health promoting settings.

• Johansen, Patrick Foss; Green, Kenneth Stanley & Thurston, Miranda (2024). Sports participation among Norwegian youth: a study of early sporting careers. Sport, Education and Society. ISSN 1357-3322. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2024.2333385. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Despite a growing body of evidence suggesting that establishing sporting repertoires during youth is intimately related to ongoing participation in sport, little is known about how such repertoires develop during the crucial early teenage years, when the sporting habits that provide a basis for sporting careers take shape. The aim of the study was, therefore, to describe the structure of young people’s sporting repertoires as they move through a key formative period, as a basis for theorising their retention in sports participation. By providing a detailed analysis of a cohort of young Norwegians as they progressed through lower-secondary into upper-secondary school (13–16-year-olds), this study offers insights into how different sporting forms fluctuate during a period typically characterised by heavy drop-out and drop-off from sports participation. Data were obtained from a longitudinal cohort study of Norwegian youngsters attending 11 lower secondary schools based on annual surveys conducted from grade 8 through to grade 10 and used to describe cohort changes in sports participation rates and sporting forms over time. The noticeable movement between sporting forms alongside the marked shift towards informal sports during the period is likely to provide an important insight into how Norwegian teenagers not only maintain high levels of participation during the teenage years but also enhance their sporting repertoires in a manner likely to sustain sports participation through youth into early adulthood.

• Samnøy, Solrun; Thurston, Miranda & Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland (2024). Engagement in ‘prevailing societal challenges’ as a contribution to wellbeing? An analysis of interdisciplinary topics in the Norwegian curriculum (LK20). Journal of Curriculum Studies. ISSN 0022-0272. 56(6), p. 739–757. doi: 10.1080/00220272.2024.2420361. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective This paper explores the expectations of teachers to contribute to fostering students’ wellbeing in the revised Norwegian curriculum. A new construct in the curriculum is three interdisciplinary topics – health and life skills; democracy and citizenship; and, sustainable development – included to give priority to prevailing societal challenges. Our specific concern is the content of these topics, and the extent to which they provide a framework for connecting with complex health and social issues. Method Thematic analysis is used to examine how wellbeing is framed in the curriculum texts. Results Our analysis reveals an emphasis on individualism, the responsibilizing of choice, and the importance attached to individual agency and skills in the three interdisciplinary topics. The topics emphasise the importance of informed, ethical, and wise choices in a way that disconnects people from the world around them. This limits opportunities for students to be introduced to a socioecological perspective on human existence as well as overlooking opportunities for developing a sociocritical approach to students’ wellbeing through engagement with the real world. Conclusion More emphasis on collective challenges and dilemmas might stimulate students’ engagement and could thereby connect wellbeing to empowerment and to a sense of meaning in belonging to a larger whole.

• Chalkley, Anna; Mandelid, Mathias; Thurston, Miranda; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Morris, Jade Lynne & Kallio, Jouni [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). Finding the sweet spot of physically active learning: A need for co-ownership by public health and education. Teaching and Teacher Education : An International Journal of Research and Studies. ISSN 0742-051X. 148. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2024.104695. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The growing interest in Physically Active Learning (PAL) (e.g. in practice and research) warrants exploration of multi-stakeholders’ perceptions, understandings, and enactment of PAL. Eighteen semi-structured interviews with professionals from eight countries (n = 6 researchers, n = 6 teachers and n = 6 teacher educators) were conducted and analysed thematically eliciting three themes; 1) placing PAL on a continuum, 2) putting PAL into action in the everyday, 3) navigating through PAL. A complex and nuanced representation of PAL was given, demonstrating substantial ambiguity and a need to integrate the dominant paradigms (education and public health) to develop a shared understanding of PAL.

• Johansen, Patrick Foss; Green, Kenneth Stanley & Thurston, Miranda (2024). Habitus, capital and the shaping of sporting careers: a qualitative study of Norwegian youth. Sport, Education and Society. ISSN 1357-3322. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2024.2417792. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Previous research has established that youngsters’ sporting repertoires become particularly malleable during the early- to mid-teenage years, shifting from formal, organized sports to more informal, recreational activities. This study investigated the processes underlying these changes, using the theoretical framework of social and cultural capital and habitus. Forty-one individual qualitative interviews, with 17–18-year-old middle-class Norwegians, were conducted in order to understand the role of family, friends, and peers in shaping sporting repertoires and careers. Through three analytical themes – ‘Shifting forms, shifting orientations’; ‘Sporting capital and family cultures of sport’; and Sporting repertoires and the growing significance of friends’ – our findings lend support to notions of family cultures as important in initiating young people’s sporting careers by building their sports-related ‘cultural capital’ and establishing sporting routines. However, our findings also indicate that such primary socialization into sport may not be enough for building the sporting repertoires necessary for lifelong engagement. The development of sporting habitus tends to be facilitated by social capital in the form of friendship networks within which friends become increasingly significant in shaping sporting repertoires. Understanding the dynamism and mutability of sporting repertoires during the youth life-stage is crucial for developing sports policies that foster lifelong sports engagement.

• Teslo, Ståle Bye; Jenssen, Eirik S.; Thurston, Miranda; Mandelid, Mathias Brekke; Resaland, Geir Kåre & Chalkley, Anna [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). It's the journey, not the arrival that matters – Teachers' perceptions of their practice after participating in a continuing professional development program in physically active learning. Teaching and Teacher Education : An International Journal of Research and Studies. ISSN 0742-051X. 136. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104377. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Continuing professional development (CPD) programs have been suggested as a way of supporting teachers' use of physically active learning (PAL) to enhance pupils' learning. Drawing on Dewey's theory of ‘education as growth’ (1916), this qualitative study explored teachers' perceptions of their practice after participating in a CPD program in PAL. Findings from eleven semi-structured interviews analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis illustrated that the teachers viewed their participation as beneficial by diversifying their teaching practice, stimulating their professional reflectiveness, and encouraging collaborative learning. These findings indicate that using and reflecting on PAL may support teacher learning in the longer term.

• Teslo, Ståle Bye; Thurston, Miranda; Lerum, Øystein; Mandelid, Mathias; Jenssen, Eirik S. & Resaland, Geir Kåre [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Teachers’ sensemaking of physically active learning: A qualitative study of primary and secondary school teachers participating in a continuing professional development program in Norway. Teaching and Teacher Education : An International Journal of Research and Studies. ISSN 0742-051X. 127. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104113. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Physically active learning (PAL) has been advocated as a strategy for enhancing young people's movement and learning. To understand how PAL is accepted, adapted, and used by teachers, this study interviewed 16 teachers. The concept of sensemaking and thematic analysis was used in the study. The findings illustrate that teachers made sense of PAL through the lens of professional identity, using PAL to vary their teaching and include students of varying abilities in learning. We conclude that teachers may be more likely to interact with PAL if primacy is given to its educational purposes.

• Mandelid, Mathias Brekke; Thurston, Miranda; Reinboth, Michael Sæther; Resaland, Geir Kåre & Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland (2023). “Just because it's fun, it's not without purpose”: Exploring the blurred lines of physically active learning. Teaching and Teacher Education : An International Journal of Research and Studies. ISSN 0742-051X. 133. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104297. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While physically active learning has been positioned as a research field that deals with physical activity and learning, little attention has been given to pedagogy. This study aimed to explore teachers as constitutive of the teaching-learning process and conceptualise pedagogical aspects of physically active learning by understanding its enactment in a pedagogical practice. Findings indicate blurred lines between the underpinning pedagogies of physically active learning and other teaching methods. We discuss pedagogical aspects that constitute physically active learning in terms of integrating movement into educational activities to support pupils' subjective growth through the process of learning.

• Røset, Linda; Green, Kenneth Stanley; Sigurjonsson, Thorsteinn Josef; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Cale, Lorraine & Thurston, Miranda (2023). ‘Now we have gym, now we have to perform’: Norwegian students’ perceptions of assessment and grading in physical education. European Educational Research Journal. doi: 10.1177/14749041231175565. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Assessment has become a routine feature of school life, internationally. Little is known, however, about the consequences for young people of assessment and grading in physical education (PE) – a subject often associated with physical recreation. This paper explores young Norwegian’s perceptions of assessment and grading in PE from a sociological perspective. In doing so, it contemplates the penetration of neo-liberal discourses as part of wider processes of globalization and Europeanization in school PE in Norway. The study utilizes data generated by 31 focus groups involving 148 youngsters from the 10th grade (15–16-year-olds) in eight purposively sampled secondary schools in Norway. Norwegian PE teachers continue to use tests in order to set grades in PE. The upshot is that students’ enjoyment of and engagement in PE, as well as their self-identities and self-esteem, can be compromised by apprehension towards assessment and grading. These processes seem likely to undermine or even erode the potential sociopsychological benefits of PE for some young people by reinforcing the impression that the subject is fast becoming just one more outcome-oriented subject on an academic treadmill. In this regard, the ascendancy of neo-liberalism – associated with the twin challenges of globalization and European integration – appears to merely reinforce the hegemony of competitive individualism within PE in Norway, as elsewhere.

• Chalkley, Anna; Mandelid, Mathias; Thurston, Miranda; Daly-Smith, Andy; Singh, Amika & Huiberts, Irma [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). “Go beyond your own comfort zone and challenge yourself”: A comparison on the use of physically active learning in Norway, the Netherlands and the UK. Teaching and Teacher Education : An International Journal of Research and Studies. ISSN 0742-051X. 118, p. 1–9. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2022.103825. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The adoption of physically active learning (PAL) in schools is becoming more widespread. To understand how PAL is being used in different countries and explore if and how methods and strategies differ, this paper draws cross-national comparisons in primary school teachers' use of PAL. Thirteen focus groups were conducted with 54 teachers from Norway, the Netherlands and the UK. Four themes were identified using thematic analysis: 1) teachers' values and beliefs about PAL; 2) influence of school context; 3) influence of the national policy context and; 4) managing teacher dissonance when using PAL. Use of PAL was related to teachers' values and beliefs and the degree to which these aligned with the context of the school and the wider educational system. The findings underline the importance of addressing teachers’ competence, opportunity and agency to use PAL in different contexts.

• Samnøy, Solrun; Jenssen, Eirik S.; Thurston, Miranda; Wold, Bente & Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland (2022). Enhancing Teachers’ Emotional Awareness Through Continuing Professional Development: Mission Possible? Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2022.2114539. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the context of the contemporary emphasis on the school’s role in supporting student wellbeing, this qualitative study explored the teachers’ experience of a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme, which focused on enhancing teachers’ emotional awareness within the context of everyday life. An implicit assumption in this approach is that student wellbeing can be nurtured (or undermined) through the everyday relations of teaching and learning in which emotional experiences are integrated. Focus groups with 22 primary and secondary school teachers in four schools in Norway were carried out, and a thematic analysis was conducted. The findings provide an illustration of how enhancing emotional awareness can strengthen professional competence in ways that can benefit the wellbeing of both teachers and students. The findings might inform a wider debate across national boundaries about the value of prioritising emotional awareness as an aspect of teachers’ CPD regarding their role in supporting student wellbeing.

• Røset, Linda; Green, Kenneth Stanley; Cale, Lorraine; Sigurjonsson, Thorsteinn Josef; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland & Thurston, Miranda (2022). ‘Not to judge by the looks but you can tell by the looks!’ Physical capital as symbolic capital in the individualization of health among young Norwegians. Sport, Education and Society. ISSN 1357-3322. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2022.2159361. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  ABSTRACT Introduction Methods Findings Discussion Conclusion Disclosure statement Additional information References ABSTRACT In this paper we explore how 15–16-year-old Norwegians experience social and cultural norms that shape their relationship with health and physical activity (PA) in a country where participation in PA is normative, in the sense that it is not only a widely shared practice but, in having significant cultural traction, is commonly understood as a ‘normal’ part of Norwegian daily life. The study draws upon qualitative data generated from 31 focus groups involving 148 10th graders (15–16-year-olds) in eight secondary schools in Norway. A key finding was that health was primarily viewed as synonymous with physical health and physical health as closely related to PA. A symbolic marker for physical condition – and, by extension, physical health – was physical appearance and ‘looks’ (in other words, physical attractiveness), revolving around gender normative bodily ‘shape’. In this vein, the youngsters tended towards individualistic views of health – seeing health as a responsibility that lay largely in their hands. We argue that the significance of growing up and living in a wealthy, social democratic nation-state, with high living standards and high social and cultural expectations, can have profound implications for youngsters’ perceptions of health and PA, the impact of neoliberalism notwithstanding.

• Baklien, Børge; Marthoenis, Marthoenis; Aceh, Arif Rahman & Thurston, Miranda (2022). Pasung: A qualitative study of shackling family members with mental illness in Indonesia. Transcultural Psychiatry. ISSN 1363-4615. doi: 10.1177/13634615221135254. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Use of coercion on people with mental illness is a deeply embedded practice around the world. Not only does the practice raise human rights issues, it also leads to further mental, physical, and emotional harms. In Indonesia, ‘pasung’ is a common practice of physical restraint, which involves lay people using a variety of illegal methods to tie a person. In this article, we explore the meanings families attach to their actions when using pasung by asking the question: to what extent does the use of pasung by families emerge from socioculturally prescribed norms and conventions? To explore this question, we conducted and analysed eight interviews with family members from Nias Island, Indonesia using Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method. Our findings reveal that pasung emerges in the disjunction between sociocultural demands and the family's capacity to meet these demands. Struggling to understand the behaviour of a family member with mental illness, the family tries to cope with neighbourhood reactions to ever more visible behavioural signs alongside managing their everyday life. These struggles, in turn, make their social situation increasingly stressful, which initiates a process of depersonalization as a response. Moreover, the prevailing sociocultural values convey a need to act according to expected norms. As such, pasung materializes as a socioculturally accepted practice that allows families to take back control in stressful social situations. In sum, when families feel overwhelming emotional stress and a sense of powerlessness, they try to resolve their situation by using pasung to regain control and thus manage their lives.

• Mandelid, Mathias Brekke; Resaland, Geir Kåre; Lerum, Øystein; Teslo, Ståle Bye; Chalkley, Anna & Singh, Amika [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2022). Unpacking physically active learning in education: a movement didaktikk approach in teaching? Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2022.2148271. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper explores teachers’ educational values and how they shape their judgements about physically active learning (PAL). Twenty one teachers from four primary schools in Norway participated in focus groups. By conceptualising PAL as a didaktikk approach, the findings indicated that teachers engaged with PAL in a way that reflected their professional identity and previous experiences with the curriculum. Teachers valued PAL as a way of getting to know pupils in educational situations that were different from those when sedentary. These insights illustrate how PAL, as a didaktikk approach to teaching, can shift teachers’ perceptions of pupils’ knowledge, learning, and identity formation in ways that reflect the wider purposes of education. The paper gives support to a classroom discourse that moves beyond the traditional, sedentary one-way transfer of knowledge towards a more collaborative effort for pupils’ development.

• Hervik, Stein Egil Kolderup; Hervik, Astrid Kolderup & Thurston, Miranda (2021). From science to sensational headline: A critical examination of the "sugar as toxic" narrative. Food, Culture, and Society: An International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research. ISSN 1552-8014. doi: 10.1080/15528014.2021.1899527. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Over the past few decades, some scholars have labeled sugar “toxic” and portrayed it as the primary cause of diet-related health conditions. In this paper, this sugar as toxic rhetoric – which is widely echoed in the public sphere – is critically examined in terms of its physiological basis and wider social consequences. We argue that the claims of the narrative are oversimplified and partly based on a particular interpretation of scientific studies. By exaggerating the hazards of sugar consumption often using emotive language, the claims generate public concern about it being a threat to their health, which, in the process, contributes to a sense of moral panic. The resultant anxieties give emphasis to feelings of individual responsibility for regulating sugar consumption, which can further generate feelings of guilt and shame especially among those with limited agency for altering their consumption. We contend that the science on which the sugar as toxic narrative builds tends to be ideologically driven in a way that deflects attention away from a more serious debate about food environments. We conclude that the challenges are considerable for those whose role it is to communicate public health messages, especially if the issue is complex and the science incomplete.

• Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Skulberg, Knut Ragnvald; Anderssen, Sigmund Alfred; Fagerland, Morten Wang; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland & Thurston, Miranda N. (2021). The longitudinal association between objectively measured physical activity and mental health among Norwegian adolescents. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 18:149, p. 1–11. doi: 10.1186/s12966-021-01211-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Mental health among young people in many countries, including Norway, seems to be deteriorating. Physical activity (PA) has been positively associated with mental health. However, methodological issues related to study design and measurement of PA and mental health outcomes currently limits our understanding of the relationship. The purpose of the present study is to explore the prospective relationship between objectively measured PA and mental health outcomes. More specifically, volume (total PA), intensity (moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA]) and sedentary behaviour (SED) were explored in relation to mental health problems (MHP) and mental wellbeing (MWB). Methods: Data from 599 adolescents (54.4% female, mean age at baseline ±SD 13.3 ± 0.3 years) were collected annually during their 3 years (T1, T2 and T3) at lower secondary school. PA was measured using accelerometry. MWB was measured using the ‘Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale’ and MHP by the ‘Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’. Multiple linear regression was performed to explore relationships between changes in PA/SED (between T1-T3) and MWB/MHP (at T3). The term ‘movement categories’ was used to refer to components on the movement continuum and includes volume (total PA), intensity (MVPA) and SED. Results: Among boys, any increase in SED was positively associated with MWB (β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.10), whereas a small positive association between an increase in total PA (volume) and MWB was found among girls (β = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.05 to 2.21). There were no associations between changes in any movement categories [total PA (volume), MVPA, SED] and score on MHP at T3, neither for girls nor boys. Conclusion: This study provided no clear evidence of any association between change in volume or intensity of PA and MHP among an overall healthy adolescent study sample. There was, however, evidence of a relationship between increased SED and MWB among boys and increased volume of PA and MWB among girls. The relationship between movement categories and mental health may depend on the measurement used to assess both PA/SED and variables of mental health. Future research would be strengthened by researchers clarifying what construct of mental health is being used and measured.

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata; Løvhaug, Anne Lene; Terragni, Laura; Torheim, Liv Elin & Thurston, Miranda (2021). Mapping the digital food environment: A systematic scoping review. Obesity Reviews. ISSN 1467-7881. 23(e13356). doi: 10.1111/obr.13356. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments are directly linked to diets and health outcomes such as over-weight, obesity, and noncommunicable diseases. The digitalization of food environ-ments is becoming a central issue in public health, yet little is known about thisemerging field. We performed a systematic scoping review to map the research onthe digital food environment and investigate how the eight dimensions of the foodenvironment, according to an established framework (availability, prices, vendor andproduct properties, marketing and regulation, accessibility, affordability, convenience,and desirability), might be shifting in the context of a digital society. We searchedMEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published between2000 and 2019, using search terms covering digital technology and food environ-ment, which yielded 13,580 unique records. Our analysis of 357 studies shows thatdigitalization is taking place in all dimensions of the food environment, and enablingthe emergence of new forms of buying and selling food, such as online grocery shop-ping and online food delivery, which may be changing availability of foods and affect-ing the physical distance to shops and time allocated for shopping. Systematicreviews identified indicated that digital food marketing and social media can influ-ence food choices, preferences and consumption. Our findings suggest that digitaland physical food environments are interconnected and influencing one another, butthe impact of the digital on health and nutrition is yet unclear.

• Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Skulberg, Knut Ragnvald; Anderssen, Sigmund Alfred; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland & Thurston, Miranda (2021). Physical activity and academic achievement among Norwegian adolescents: Findings from a longitudinal study. Preventive Medicine Reports. 21:101312, p. 1–7. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101312. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Regular physical activity (PA) has been associated with academic achievement, but the evidence is mainly based on cross-sectional research and self-reported measures of PA. The purpose of the current study was to explore the longitudinal relationship between objectively measured PA and academic achievement among a cohort of adolescents in Norway between 2016 and 2018. As a secondary aim, an indirect relationship via waist circumference (WC) and sleep duration was assessed. Data from 599 adolescents (54.4% female, mean age at baseline ± SD 13.3 ± 0.3 years) were collected annually during their three years at lower secondary school. PA was measured objectively using accelerometry. Academic achievement was assessed using grade point average (GPA) from school records. Linear regression analysis was performed to explore associations between longitudinal changes in measures of PA (Total PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA]) and academic achievement directly or via mediators. Results showed no significant associations between Total PA or MVPA and academic achievement, either in the main analyses or through mediation of WC and sleep duration. The results contribute to a growing evidence base of studies showing no association between objectively measured PA and academic achievement among adolescents.

• Samnøy, Solrun; Thurston, Miranda; Wold, Bente; Jenssen, Eirik S. & Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland (2020). Schooling as a contribution or threat to wellbeing? A study of Norwegian teachers' perceptions of their role in fostering wellbeing. Pastoral Care in Education: An International Journal of Personal, Social and Emotional Development. ISSN 0264-3944. doi: 10.1080/02643944.2020.1855673. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Little is known about the role of teachers in fostering wellbeing in the everyday context of school life. This paper explores the phenomenon among a sample of Norwegian teachers. Focus groups with 23 teachers in four schools (grades 1–10) in Norway were conducted. In the analysis of the findings three themes were developed: 1) fostering student wellbeing as the foundation to teachers’ everyday philosophies, 2) managing the everyday reality of student performance expectations, and 3) teachers struggling to manage these tensions and dilemmas. This study indicated that the teachers viewed concern for students’ wellbeing as integrated in their professional identity, seeing wellbeing and learning as intertwined. However, dilemmas and tensions in teachers’ every day practices were identified, which related to competing expectations and conflicting priorities in the school context. High expectations on academic performance seem to leave the teachers little room for an holistic approach to schooling, where students’ academic and personal development were interwoven. We discuss the possible consequences these findings may have for teachers’ professional identity and judgements, alongside suggestions for how to address these aspects in CPD and initial teacher training programmes.

• Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Anderssen, Sigmund Alfred; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Skulberg, Knut Ragnvald & Thurston, Miranda (2020). Physical activity, mental health and academic achievement: a cross-sectional study of Norwegian adolescents. Mental Health and Physical Activity. ISSN 1755-2966. 18. doi: 10.1016/j.mhpa.2020.100322. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background The purpose of this study was to describe associations between physical activity (PA), mental health and academic achievement in a Norwegian adolescent cohort. Methods In total, 1001 adolescents were invited to participate, of whom 599 (54.4% female, mean age ± SD 13.3 ± 0.3y) entered the study. PA was measured objectively using accelerometers, variables on mental health were assessed through an online questionnaire and academic achievement was assessed using grade point average (GPA) collected through school records. The associations between PA, mental health and academic achievement were modelled using multiple linear regression. Results PA was positively associated with mental wellbeing (p ≤ .05), self-perception of athletic competence (p ≤ .001) and self-perception of social acceptance (p ≤ .001). It was not associated with global self-esteem or mental health complaints. No significant association between PA and GPA was found. However, results showed a significant association between PA and grade in physical education among girls (p ≤ .001). Conclusion PA was associated with mental wellbeing and domain specific self-esteem although the causal significance of the association requires further investigation. The current study does not support associations between PA and mental health problems or PA and academic achievement. Further studies are necessary to investigate the longitudinal relationship between PA, variables of mental health and academic achievement amongst adolescents.

• White, Chris; Bloyce, Daniel & Thurston, Miranda (2020). The double-bind of competitive funding: Exploring the consequences of state-funded bidding processes in a locally managed cycling infrastructure project. European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research. ISSN 1567-7133. 20(4), p. 173–193. doi: 10.18757/ejtir.2020.20.4.4364. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In an era of sustained budget cuts, England’s local authorities are increasingly forced to ‘apply’ for infrastructure funding via competitive bidding processes. However, we currently know little about how this method of funding impacts implementation. Accordingly, we consider the consequences of competitive funding by exploring the constraints associated with implementing infrastructure under the state-funded Cycling Demonstration Towns programme. This was achieved via a case study in Chester, a city that was unable to deliver the ambitions of their bid. This study was informed by figurational sociology in order to focus on relational processes. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with personnel involved in the planning and implementation of the project. The key findings were: (1) participants considered the bidding process to be akin to a ‘beauty contest’ where authorities were consciously making fantasy-laden promises in order to ‘impress’ the awards panel; (2) those involved in the bid did not consult key delivery parties, many of whom held car-centric predispositions, until funding was secured, and this led to complications in the delivery process; (3) during project implementation as the chains of interdependency of those involved widened, several unintended outcomes emerged which contributed to the two ‘flagship’ infrastructure proposals being halted; (4) this led to an intervention package that was heavily weighted towards promotional, or ‘soft’, interventions. Theoretical insight from this study suggests that competitive funding is likely to encourage authorities to present bids that are largely detached from the realities of implementing infrastructure, thus leading to difficulties once funding has been awarded.

• Røset, Linda; Green, Kenneth Stanley & Thurston, Miranda (2020). 'Even if you don't care ... you do care after all': 'othering' and physical education in Norway. European Physical Education Review. ISSN 1356-336X. 26(3), p. 622–641. doi: 10.1177/1356336X19862303. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the past decade or more, improving young people’s mental health has been identified as a priority for policy-makers in many countries, including Norway. Physical education, as a setting for physical activity, is increasingly viewed as having a potentially significant role to play in addressing mental health among the young. This paper reports the findings from a study of 148 Norwegian youngsters (68 girls and 80 boys) from the 10th grade (15–16 years old) in eight secondary schools in Norway in 2017. It explores Norwegian youngsters’ experiences of physical education in relation to aspects of their mental health – specifically, being judged and, by extension, ‘othered’. The findings suggest that physical education may undoubtedly serve to generate positive feelings associated with physical activity and games and, in doing so, bolster some youngsters’ self-esteem and self-identities. On the other hand, however, for those less competent in sporting terms, and whose bodily self-image is not particularly positive, the public nature of physical education and the nature of the activities that constitute the subject can give rise to unplanned and unintended harm to some youngsters’ mental health – especially in countries, such as Norway, where sport is a significant aspect of the group habitus and collective ‘we-group’ identity.

• Mead, Rebecca; Thurston, Miranda & Bloyce, Daniel (2020). From public issues to personal troubles: individualising social inequalities in health within local public health partnerships. Critical Public Health. ISSN 0958-1596. doi: 10.1080/09581596.2020.1763916. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper explores public health policy implementation through partnership working at the local level by examining how local actors from public health, and the wider workforce make sense of and work on social inequalities in health. An ethnographic case study was used to examine policy implementation in one local strategic partnership in north-west England during a period of significant resource constraint. Semi-structured interviews were the primary method of data generation. Sensitising concepts from figurational sociology were used to develop a theoretical account of how local policy implementation directed at narrowing social inequalities in health tended to give rise to relatively fragmented and short-term services, projects and practices, which focused on lifestyle factors and behaviour change. Theorising partnership work as figurations goes some way to explaining the apparent paradox among participants who expressed a relatively detached appreciation of wider social influences, alongside emotional involvement in their work. This process of individualisation explains how local professionals tended to conceptualise health inequality and the social determinants of health as personal troubles. Individualisation meant that the social reality of working in partnerships on difficult issues was simplified. Thus, any scope for working on the social determinants of health tended to be overlooked. The extent to which this was intentional or a matter of struggling to see opportunities, or a mixture of the two, was difficult to discern. Although the policy landscape has changed, the findings give some insight into understanding how local collaborative processes reproduce local public health work underpinned by lifestyle choices.

• Thurston, Miranda & Bloyce, Daniel (2020). A quest for relaxation? A figurational analysis of the transformation of yoga into a global leisure time phenomenon. Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics. ISSN 1743-0437. p. 1–15. doi: 10.1080/17430437.2020.1814574. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Eric Dunning and Norbert Elias began developing their concept ‘quest for excitement’ in the 1960s. In this paper we consider the concept in the context of their work on the civilizing process and leisure in the spare-time spectrum, applying it to an analysis of the global diffusion and transformation of yoga. In so doing, we develop a preliminary theoretical account of its global popularity as a leisure-time movement form. We specifically consider the extent to which yoga’s transformation from the late 19th century onwards can be understood as a socially generated psychological quest for excitement rather than as a need for relaxation. We take a long-term developmental perspective, focusing on processes of globalization to explain the transformation of yoga into an increasing variety of forms. We argue that its global popularity is linked to its transformation into a diversity of styles, which provide flexible, individualized, non-competitive and health-oriented leisure opportunities that have become attractive to an increasing number of people. We conclude that the contouring of yoga in this way reflects the socially generated leisure time needs of people in complex societies. Our preliminary theoretical account, informed by the work of Dunning and colleagues, illuminates how yoga, as a polymorphous social practice, provides leisure enclaves which can lead to an upsurge of satisfying emotions and hence can be psychologically restorative.

• Calogiuri, Giovanna; Johansen, Patrick Foss; Rossi, Alessio & Thurston, Miranda (2019). Do “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?” Participation Trends and Motivational Profiles of Women in the Birkebeiner Races, Norway’s Ultimate Mass Participation Ski Event. Frontiers in Psychology. 10, p. 1–19. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02548. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mass participation sporting events (MPSEs) are viewed as encouraging regular exercise in the population, but concerns have been expressed about the extent to which they are inclusive for women. This study focuses on an iconic cross-country skiing MPSE in Norway, the Birkebeiner race (BR), which includes different variants (main, Friday, half-distance, and women-only races). In order to shed light on women’s participation in this specific MPSE, as well as add to the understanding of women’s MPSEs participation in general, this study was set up to: (i) analyze trends in women’s participation, (ii) examine the characteristics, and (iii) identify key factors characterizing the motivational profile of women in different BR races, with emphasis on the full-distance vs. the women-only races. Entries in the different races throughout the period 1996–2018 were analyzed using an autoregressive model. Information on women’s sociodemographic characteristics, sport and exercise participation, and a range of psychological variables (motives, perceptions, overall satisfaction, and future participation intention) were extracted from a market survey and analyzed using a machine learning (ML) approach (n = 1,149). Additionally, qualitative information generated through open-ended questions was analyzed thematically (n = 116). The relative prevalence of women in the main BR was generally low (< 20%). While the other variants contributed to boosting women’s participation in the overall event, a future increment of women in the main BR was predicted, with women’s ratings possibly matching the men’s by the year 2034. Across all races, most of the women were physically active, of medium-high income, and living in the most urbanized region of Norway. Satisfaction and future participation intention were relatively high, especially among the participants in the women-only races. “Exercise goal” was the predominant participation motive. The participants in women-only races assigned greater importance to social aspects, and perceived the race as a tradition, whereas those in the full-distance races were younger and gave more importance to performance aspects. These findings corroborate known trends and challenges in MPSE participation, but also contribute to greater understanding in this under-researched field. Further research is needed in order to gain more knowledge on how to foster women’s participation in MPSEs.

• Mælan, Ellen Nesset; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Baklien, Børge & Thurston, Miranda (2019). Helping Teachers Support Pupils with Mental Health Problems Through Inter-professional Collaboration: A Qualitative Study of Teachers and School Prinsipals. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. p. 1–15. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2019.1570548. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A qualitative study conducted in four lower secondary schools in Norway explored teachers’ and school principals’ experiences of collaboration with a variety of extended services (ES). Particular attention was directed to the ways (if any) they perceived collaboration to be relevant to helping teachers support pupils with mental health problems through their everyday social and pedagogic practices. Findings of the study indicated that teachers valued initiatives that could help develop mutual understandings of teachers’ and ES professionals’ roles and responsibilities. Initiatives to build inter-professional relationships were perceived as laying the foundation for more productive collaboration. However, to be able to provide coherent, sustained support in the classroom, teachers needed guidance from ES professionals. This required a shift in collaborative processes away from a focus on individualized pupil support towards helping teachers support pupils through their classroom-based social and pedagogical practices. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

• Mælan, Ellen Nesset; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Samdal, Oddrun & Thurston, Miranda (2019). Pupils' perceptions of how teachers' everyday practices support their mental health: a qualitative study of pupils aged 14-15 in Norway. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0031-3831. doi: 10.1080/00313831.2019.1639819. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study conducted in two lower secondary schools in Norway that explored pupils’ perceptions of how teachers supported their mental health through their everyday practices. Focus groups with 26 pupils aged 14–15 years old were carried out. Data were analyzed thematically, revealing four main themes: (i) relating to pupils as individuals, (ii) creating relatedness within the classroom, (iii) being responsive to pupils’ academic needs, and (iv) reducing school-related stress. The findings add to existing knowledge by revealing insight into interweaving processes through which support for learning itself can be a form of support for mental health.

• Kleppang, Annette Løvheim; Thurston, Miranda; Hartz, Ingeborg & Hagquist, Curt (2019). Psychological distress among Norwegian adolescents: Changes between 2001 and 2009 and associations with leisure time physical activity and screen-based sedentary behaviour. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1403-4948. 47(2), p. 166–173. doi: 10.1177/1403494817716374. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Aims: The aim of this work was to examine psychological distress among Norwegian adolescents in relation to changes over time and the associations with leisure time physical activity and screen-based sedentary behaviour. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on data retrieved from the Norwegian Youth Health Surveys in 2001 and 2009 in Hedmark County. Adolescents aged 15–16 years old completed a questionnaire regarding physical activity, sedentary behaviour, psychological distress and other health and lifestyle variables. The self-report Hopkins Symptom Checklist-10 was used to assess psychological distress. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse the associations between psychological distress, physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Results: Self-reported psychological distress increased significantly from 2001 to 2009 (from 19.4 to 28.2%), with the proportion of girls reporting psychological distress being twice as large as the proportion of boys. The proportion of adolescents who were physically active for ⩾11 hours per week increased significantly over the same period (from 6.0 to 10.4%). Sedentary behaviour ⩾6 hours per school day increased significantly among both sexes between 2001 and 2009. Physical activity (⩾11 hours) and sedentary behaviour (⩾6 hours) were both significantly associated with psychological distress. Conclusions: The association between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and psychological distress was weak; only high amounts of physical activity and high amounts of screen-based sedentary behaviour were associated with psychological distress. Longitudinal studies are needed to provide further insights into these associations and to understand the extent to which these variables might be causally related.

• Røset, Linda; Green, Kenneth Stanley & Thurston, Miranda (2019). Norwegian youngsters' perceptions of physical education: exploring the implications for mental health. Sport, Education and Society. ISSN 1357-3322. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2019.1634043. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Improving young people’s mental health has become a priority for policy-makers in Norway as elsewhere. Although the evidence is limited, physical activity has been identified as having a role in mental health promotion with school physical education (PE) typically being presented as a suitable setting. Few studies, however, have explored young people’s perceptions and experiences of PE and the possible consequences for their mental health – the departure point for this paper. We approach this issue sociologically by focusing on the processes through which PE is enacted. Qualitative data were generated by 31 focus groups involving 148 youngsters from the 10th grade (15–16-year-olds) in eight secondary schools in Norway. The overarching theme to emerge was that PE was valued by the students for what it was not as much as what it was. The appeal of PE often lay in being different and a break from ‘normal’ school lessons and, at the same time, an opportunity for informal social interaction and strengthening social bonds. Enjoyment of PE – even among those with limited sporting competence – was understood as giving rise to cathartic benefits and an antidote to their increasingly academic, routinized and performance-oriented school lives. However, processes relating to the organization, delivery and assessment of lessons meant that these benefits were sometimes compromised for some young people. We conclude that as far as the mental health of young people is concerned, the best justificatory defence for PE becomes physical recreation as a solution to (academic) schooling rather than PE as education.

• Kleppang, Annette Løvheim; Hartz, Ingeborg; Thurston, Miranda & Hagquist, Curt (2019). Leisure-time physical activity among adolescents and subsequent use of antidepressant and hypnotic drugs: a prospective register linkage study. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ISSN 1018-8827. 28, p. 177–188. doi: 10.1007/s00787-018-1160-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this prospective study, the association between physical activity and subsequent use of antidepressant and hypnotic drug use in adolescents aged 15–16 years was examined. This study is based on information retrieved from the Norwegian Youth Health Surveys (2000–2003) and linked to prescription data from the Norwegian Prescription Database (2004–2013). In total, the study included 10711 participants with a participation rate of 87%. Adolescents were asked how many hours per week they spent on physical activity that made them sweat and/or be out of breath outside of school. Incident psychotropic drug use (outcome measure) was defined as ≥ 1 prescription of one of the following psychotropic drugs: hypnotics and antidepressants registered in the Norwegian Prescription Database. In the crude model for the time period 2004–2007, the odds of incident hypnotic use were lower for those who were physically active 1–2 h per week (OR 0.48–0.64), compared to those who were physically inactive (< 1 h per week). However, the association become non-significant 4-year post-baseline (2008–2010 and 2011–2013). In the crude model for the time periods 2004–2007, 2008–2010 and 2011–2013, the odds of incident antidepressant use were lower for physically active adolescents (2004–2007: OR 0.46–0.71, 2008–2010: OR 0.40–0.67 and 2011–2013: OR 0.37–0.58, compared to those who were physically inactive < 1 h. However, after adjustment for confounders, the association became non-significant in all time periods except in physical activity 5–7 and 8–10 h in the period 2008–2010. Physical activity does not indicate any association with later use of antidepressants, and the significant association with incident hypnotic drug use was for short-term follow-up only and disappeared on longer term follow-up periods. Given the scarcity of longitudinal studies examining the association between physical activity and mental health as well as psychotropic drug use among young people, the current study adds to previous research.

• Thurston, Miranda (2018). Doing (figurational) Research: using semi-structured interviews in the field of public health. In Malcolm, Dominic & Velija, Philippa (Ed.), Figurational Research in Sport, Leisure and Health. Routledge. ISSN 9781138708259. p. 115–128. doi: 10.4324/9781315201214-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter explores the application of figurational sociology to qualitative research in the form of semi-structured interviews (SSIs). It illustrates how SSIs offer a particularly productive data collection method for exploring social processes within figurations, particularly in relation to blind social processes and unplanned outcomes. Attention is also given to how figurational sociology and grounded theory can be integrated in research in order to enhance the ongoing engagement with empirical data and theory in order to develop object adequate accounts of social phenomena. The chapter describes a selective review of research studying local policy implementation in healthcare organizations and community-based public health and health promotion initiatives. Increasing numbers of researchers working in health-related fields are using figurational sociology as a framework of sensitizing concepts for their research, in the manner in which Norbert Elias viewed how his theory of society should be used.

• Calogiuri, Giovanna; Litleskare, Sigbjørn; Fagerheim, Kaia Anette; Rydgren, Tore Litlere; Brambilla, Elena & Thurston, Miranda (2018). Experiencing Nature Through Immersive Virtual Environments: Environmental Perceptions, Physical Engagement, and Affective Responses During a Simulated Nature Walk. Frontiers in Psychology. 8. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02321. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  By combining physical activity and exposure to nature, green exercise can provide additional health benefits compared to physical activity alone. Immersive Virtual Environments (IVE) have emerged as a potentially valuable supplement to environmental and behavioral research, and might also provide new approaches to green exercise promotion. However, it is unknown to what extent green exercise in IVE can provide psychophysiological responses similar to those experienced in real natural environments. In this study, 26 healthy adults underwent three experimental conditions: nature walk, sitting-IVE, and treadmill-IVE. The nature walk took place on a paved trail along a large river. In the IVE conditions, the participants wore a head-mounted display with headphones reproducing a 360° video and audio of the nature walk, either sitting on a chair or walking on a manually driven treadmill. Measurements included environmental perceptions (presence and perceived environmental restorativeness – PER), physical engagement (walking speed, heart rate, and perceived exertion), and affective responses (enjoyment and affect). Additionally, qualitative information was collected through open-ended questions. The participants rated the IVEs with satisfactory levels of ‘being there’ and ‘sense of reality,’ but also reported discomforts such as ‘flatness,’ ‘movement lag’ and ‘cyber sickness.’ With equivalent heart rate and walking speed, participants reported higher perceived exertion in the IVEs than in the nature walk. The nature walk was associated with high enjoyment and enhanced affect. However, despite equivalent ratings of PER in the nature walk and in the IVEs, the latter were perceived as less enjoyable and gave rise to a poorer affect. Presence and PER did not differ between the two IVEs, although in the treadmill-IVE the negative affective responses had slightly smaller magnitude than in the sitting-IVE. In both the IVEs, the negative affective responses were mainly associated with cyber sickness, whereas PER was positively associated with enjoyment. From the qualitative analysis, it emerged that poor postural control and lack of a holistic sensory experience can also hinder immersion in the IVE. The results indicate that IVE technology might in future be a useful instrument in green exercise research and promotion, but only if image quality and cyber sickness can be addressed.

• Mælan, Ellen Nesset; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Baklien, Børge; Samdal, Oddrun & Thurston, Miranda (2018). Supporting pupils' mental health through everyday practices: a qualitative study of teachers and head teachers. Pastoral Care in Education: An International Journal of Personal, Social and Emotional Development. ISSN 0264-3944. 36(1), p. 16–28. doi: 10.1080/02643944.2017.1422005. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study aimed to explore teachers’ and head teachers’ understandings of how they work to support pupils’ mental health through their everyday practices. A qualitative study, including individual interviews with head teachers and focus groups with teachers, was conducted in lower secondary schools in Norway. Rich descriptions of teachers’ and head teachers’ everyday practices in supporting pupils’ mental health are presented in two main themes: working with individual pupils through teaching and learning, and working with the school context. Taken together, these themes illustrate the different ways teachers and head teachers (proactively and reactively) support young people’s mental health as a core aspect of their educational role, as well as some of the challenges therein. Implications for policy and practice are discussed

• Smith, Andy; Green, Kenneth Stanley & Thurston, Miranda (2018). Education, Physical Education and Physical Activity Promotion. In Piggin, Joe; Mansfield, Louise & Weed, Mike (Ed.), Routledge Handbook of Physical Activity Policy and Practice. Routledge. ISSN 9781138943087. p. 249–263. doi: 10.4324/9781315672779-17. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Physical activity, inactivity and their relationship to health are serious concerns for governments around the world. This is the first book to critically examine the policy and practice of physical activity from a multi-disciplinary, social-scientific perspective. Moving beyond the usual biophysical and epidemiological approaches, it defines and explores the key themes that are shaping the global physical activity debate. Unrivalled in its scale and scope, it presents the latest data on physical activity from around the world, including case studies from Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia. Drawing on social, economic and behavioural sciences, it covers contexts from the global to the local and introduces the dominant ideas which inform the study of physical activity. Its 41 chapters examine the use of different forms of evidence in policymaking, the role of organisations in advocating physical activity, and the practical realities of public health interventions. The Routledge Handbook of Physical Activity Policy and Practice is a landmark publication for all students, academics, policymakers and practitioners interested in the social-scientific study of sport, exercise, physical activity and public health.

• Kleppang, Annette Løvheim; Hartz, Ingeborg; Thurston, Miranda & Hagquist, Curt (2018). The association between physical activity and symptoms of depression in different contexts – a cross-sectional study of Norwegian adolescents. BMC Public Health. 18. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-6257-0. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background The purpose was to analyse the association between physical activity taking place in different contexts (sports club, gym, exercise independently and other organized physical activities) and symptoms of depression. Methods The study was based on self-reported cross-sectional data from the Ungdata survey, conducted in 2017 by the Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) institute in cooperation with regional centres for drug rehabilitation. The target group comprised 5531 15–16 years old adolescents (Grade 10 students) and 11,655 students in grades 8 and 9 in Norway. Based on Rasch analysis, six items on depressions symptoms were used to create a composite measure of depression. Binomial logistic regression was used to analyse the association between physical activities in different contexts and symptoms of depression. Results In the crude model, the odds for symptoms of depression were lower for those who were physically active in a sports club (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.30–0.53), in a sports club and gym (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.28–0.56), in a sports club and exercise or keep fit independently (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.38–0.72) and in a sports club, gym and exercise or keep fit independently (OR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.41–0.81). After adjustment for potential confounders, the association became significant only for those who were physically active in a sports club (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.40–0.81) and other organized physical activities, e.g. dance, martial arts (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.31–0.86). Analysis for grade 8 and 9 showed the same patterns for the associations between sports club and symptoms of depression (grade 8: crude model, OR: 0.47, adjusted model, OR: 0.63, grade 9: crude model, OR: 0.44, adjusted model, OR: 0.49). Conclusions Physical activity in a sports club was associated with significantly lower odds for symptoms of depression, suggesting a possible role for social interaction in addition to physical activity per se. It is important, therefore, to consider in which types of contexts physical activities take place, not only focusing on physical activity frequency and volume when investigating the association between adolescents’ physical activity and mental health. Additional research is needed to further explore these associations as well as measures of physical activity and mental health.

• Wheeler, Sharon; Green, Kenneth Stanley & Thurston, Miranda (2017). Social class and the emergent organised sporting habits of primary-aged children. European Physical Education Review. ISSN 1356-336X. p. 1–20. doi: 10.1177/1356336X17706092. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper reports on the patterns of participation in organised sports of youngsters coming towards the end of primary school, with a view to identifying emergent sporting habits in relation to social class gradients. The data for the study were generated via 90 semistructured interviews with parents and children from 62 families. The data revealed differences in organised activity participation (both at and beyond school) between an ‘under-class’ and combined middle-class groups of children, as well as within-class gradients among the middleclass sub-groups. There were, for example, substantial differences between the underclass group and the combined middle-class group in terms of both the average number of bouts of organised sports participation and the repertoire or variety of sports engaged with. In effect, the mid- and upper-middle-class children were already sporting and cultural omnivores by the final years of primary schooling. We conclude that while the primary school organised sporting ‘offer’ may be neither a sufficient nor even a necessary contribution to the emerging sporting habits of mid- and upper-middle-class children, for under-class children it is likely to be necessary even though it may still prove, in the longer run, insufficient

• Powell, Katie; Thurston, Miranda & Bloyce, Daniel (2017). Theorising lifestyle drift in health promotion: explaining community and voluntary sector engagement practices in disadvantaged areas. Critical Public Health. ISSN 0958-1596. 27(5), p. 554–565. doi: 10.1080/09581596.2017.1356909. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The past two decades have seen an increasing role for the UK community and voluntary sector (CVS) in health promotion in disadvantaged areas, largely based on assumptions on the part of funders that CVS providers are better able to engage ‘hard-to-reach’ population groups in services than statutory providers. However, there is limited empirical research exploring CVS provider practices in this field. Using ethnographic data, this paper examines the experiences of a network of CVS providers seeking to engage residents in health-promoting community services in a disadvantaged region in the North of England. The paper shows how CVS providers engaged in apparently contradictory practices, fluctuating between an empathically informed response to complex resident circumstances and (in the context of meeting externally set targets) behavioural lifestyle approaches to health promotion. Drawing on concepts from figurational sociology, the paper explains how lifestyle drift occurs in health promotion as a result of the complex web of relations (with funders, commissioners and residents) in which CVS providers are embedded. Despite the fact that research has revealed the impact of targets on the work of the CVS before, this paper demonstrates more specifically the way in which monitoring processes within CVS contracts can draw providers into the neoliberal lifestyle discourse so prevalent in health promotion.

• Perry, Catherine; Thurston, Miranda & Arch, Barbara N. (2016). Exploring overweight and obesity in pre-school children using routinely collected data: a case study of Halton, Northwest England. Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1741-3842. 38(3), p. e240–e246. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdv154. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background A growing body of evidence suggests that childhood overweight may have its roots in early life. This study aimed to explore patterns of weight in children from birth to 40 months, born between 1994 and 2006, in Halton, Northwest England. Methods Halton infants were compared with the UK-90 reference population at four time points (birth, 2 months, 8 months and 40 months) by converting heights and weights into age–sex adjusted SD scores. The mean and SD of Halton SD scores were calculated for each time point and sex. Cohort trends and gender differences in rates of children above the 85th and 95th centiles at each time point were tested for using Poisson regression modelling. Results A total of 16 381 births were analysed. At birth, 8 months and 40 months, proportions of Halton children above the 85th and 95th centiles were consistently higher than reference data. Proportions above the 85th and 95th centiles at birth did not change significantly year on year, but for all other time points the proportions increased with subsequent cohorts. Conclusions This study may provide evidence that the development of overweight and obesity has its roots in very early life and has highlighted patterns of infant overweight and obesity not previously reported.

• Ashton, John & Thurston, Miranda (2016). The New Public Health. In Quah, Stella R. (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Public Health. Academic Press. ISSN 9780128036785. p. 231–239. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-803678-5.00458-6. Full text in Research Archive
• Perry, Catherine; Thurston, Miranda; Alford, Simon; Cushing, Jill & Panter, Lee (2016). The NHS health check programme in England: a qualitative study. Health Promotion International. ISSN 0957-4824. 31(1), p. 106–115. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dau059. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Despite an extensive evidence-base linking patterns of health with social determinants, recent public health policy has emphasized 'lifestyle diseases' and risk factor modification through behavioural and pharmacological intervention. In England, one manifestation of this has been the launch of the National Health Service Health Check programme. This paper reports findings from a small-scale qualitative study exploring experiences of engaging with a community-based health check in Knowsley, England, among 17 males and 19 females, with varying levels of risk for cardiovascular disease, who agreed to be contacted for the purpose of research at the time they underwent their check. Analysis revealed that the community-based nature of the checks provided opportunities for people to find out more about their health who might not otherwise have done so. Participants expressed a range of responses to the communication of the risk score, often revealing their confusion about its meaning. Changes in behaviour were identified, which participants connected with having had a check. This study raises questions about where, how and by whom health checks are delivered. Emphasis on health checks reflects the dominant individualist ideology, but this study also suggests that the process provides opportunities to enable and empower individuals, albeit in small ways. However, they remain a 'downstream' approach to public health, emphasizing medical and behavioural options for risk factor reduction rather than focussing on primary prevention through changes to the wider environment. Furthermore, although developed as a central feature of the UK's strategy to reduce health inequalities, health checks may widen them

• Green, Kenneth Stanley; Thurston, Miranda; Vaage, Odd Frank & Moen, Kjersti Mordal (2015). Girls, young women and sport in Norway: a case of sporting convergence amid favourable socio-economic circumstances. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics. ISSN 1940-6940. 7(4), p. 531–550. doi: 10.1080/19406940.2015.1031812. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Based primarily on quantitative data from the Norwegian Statistisk Sentralbyrå (Statistics Norway) study of Mosjon, Friluftsliv og Kulturaktiviteter, this paper explores sports participation among females – and girls and young women, in particular – in Norway in the early years of the twenty-first century. In line with the observation that sport can be considered epiphenomenal, the paper argues that the comparatively high levels and marked increases in sports participation among young women are likely to have a great deal to do with their socio-economic status and, in particular, the diminishing gender gap over the past two decades. In short, the paper argues that trends in sports participation between 1997 and 2007 suggest that while young women in Norway may not be self-described feminists, they are heirs to the culture fostered by second-wave feminism: they have taken advantage of growing up in a country where standards of living are particularly high and at a time of greater equality between the sexes in order, among other things, to exploit the sporting opportunities increasingly available to them. In terms of the policy implications, the most salient lesson to be learned from the Norwegian situation – by countries keen to promote sports participation among girls and young women – is that instead of individually oriented approaches, sports policies need first and foremost to adopt society-level perspectives that address socio-economic gender disparities.

• Green, Kenneth Stanley; Thurston, Miranda; Vaage, Odd Frank & Roberts, Ken (2015). '[We're on the right track, baby] we were born this way'! Exploring sports participation in Norway. Sport, Education and Society. ISSN 1357-3322. 20(3), p. 285–303. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2013.769947. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Based on quantitative data from the Norwegian Statistisk Sentralbyrå (Statistics Norway) study of Mosjon, Friluftsliv og Kulturaktiviteter, this paper explores trends in Norwegians' participation in sports, with a focus on young people. Norway boasts particularly high levels of sports participation as well as sports club membership and young Norwegians are the quintessential sporting omnivores. Among other things, the Statistics Norway study reveals substantial increases in participation (among young people and females especially) during the period 1997–2007, a shift in the peak of participation to the late teenage years, a relatively high level of lifelong participants, a re-bound effect in the post-child rearing years and a growth in lifestyle sports. Young Norwegians grow up in a socio-economic context of relative equality between the sexes and high standards of living. An abundance of natural and artificial outdoor and indoor sporting facilities alongside a well-established voluntary sports club sector and an elementary school system that emphasizes physical exercise and recreation, as well as high levels of parental involvement, add to the favourable socio-economic conditions to create seemingly optimal circumstances for sports participation. All these reinforce the sporting and physical recreation cultures deeply embedded in Norwegian society and embodied by the very many middle-class parents in a country which, for the time being at least, remains relatively young in demographic terms. In terms of lessons to be learned for policy towards sports and physical education beyond Norway, there may be grounds for some optimism around parental involvement in children's sport as well as the potential appeal of lifestyle sports. That said, it is likely to be the greater socio-economic equalities in Scandinavian countries such as Norway that make them unrealistic benchmarks for sports participation elsewhere.

• Ashton, JR & Thurston, Miranda (2015). The New Public Health. In Caplan, Michael (Eds.), Reference Module in Biomedical Sciences. Elsevier. ISSN 9780128012383. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.92831-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The emergence of the idea of the New Public Health in recent years has provided a powerful focus for integrating action on contemporary health issues. It has also provided a stimulus for rethinking ways of working, with an emphasis on public engagement and empowerment, multidisciplinary and partnership working, and an ecological view of the city – alongside other settings – as a habitat that shapes the lives and well-being of its inhabitants. The term is not uncontested and has led to different accounts of what it comprises. It has also led to some of the most creative recent examples of public health action, such as the World Health Organization's Healthy Cities initiative. Against a backdrop of mounting disruption to world ecosystems and institutions from a multiplicity of causes, the New Public Health remains particularly prescient in the twenty-first century and offers a framework of ideas for developing pragmatic approaches to improving population health and narrowing social inequalities in health

• Hervik, Stein Egil Kolderup & Thurston, Miranda (2015). ‘It’s not the government’s responsibility to get me out running 10 km four times a week’ - Norwegian men’s understandings of responsibility for health. Critical Public Health. ISSN 0958-1596. 26(3), p. 333–342. doi: 10.1080/09581596.2015.1096914. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The individualization of health has been extensively discussed in the last few decades. Empirical work, however, has mainly had its origins within neoliberal societies. Norway, as a social democratic welfare state based on universal social rights and egalitarianism is thus of interest in understanding how people’s talk reflects national policies. Through a series of 18 in-depth interviews with a heterogeneous group of middle-aged and elderly men in rural Norway, this paper explores lay men’s understandings of individuals’ responsibility for health vis-à-vis the state’s. The men in this study expressed complex but shared notions of the state’s and the individual’s responsibility for health. The individual’s main responsibility was to act in specific ways in order to maintain good health. However, little blame was placed on those who did not act in the expected way. The state’s main responsibilities were to facilitate the healthy lifestyle of individuals and act as a safety net for those in need. The state was also viewed as being responsible for providing universal health care free of charge, regardless of the reason for the need. We argue that the political and societal values of Norway are reflected in the men’s talk about responsibility for health, alongside neoliberal ideas found in other Western societies. Importantly, however, we conclude that a social democratic welfare state system supports and facilitates agency with regard to health, lifestyle and one’s life more broadly

• Green, Kenneth Stanley; Thurston, Miranda & Vaage, Odd Frank (2015). Isn't it good, Norwegian wood? Lifestyle and adventure sports participation among Norwegian youth. Leisure Studies. ISSN 0261-4367. 34(5), p. 529–546. doi: 10.1080/02614367.2014.938771. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper explores Norwegian youngsters’ (and, to a lesser extent, adults’) engagement with conventional and lifestyle sports via an examination of recent trends. In the process, it explores the significance or otherwise of ‘nature-based settings’ and the developing character of lifestyle sports. In terms of changes in youth sport, young Norwegians are the quintessential sporting omnivores. However, the particular mix of conventional and lifestyle sports that Norwegian youngsters favour has shifted within a generation, with the latter more prominent in 2007 than they had been even a decade earlier. The changes appear emblematic of a shift among Norwegian youth towards sports activities that offer alternative forms and styles of participation to those traditionally associated with ‘the outdoors’ as a style of life. In theoretical terms, the findings suggest that, as a generic and popular collective noun, the term lifestyle sport is most useful when it draws attention to the ‘commonalities’ shared by many of the activities often corralled under it

• Buyuktuncer, Zehra; Kearney, Matthew; Ryan, C. L.; Thurston, Miranda & Ellahi, Basma (2014). Fruit and vegetables on prescription: a brief intervention in primary care. Journal of human nutrition and dietetics. ISSN 0952-3871. 27(2), p. 186–193. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12109. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is a goal for the UK. Therefore, the effectiveness of a fruit and vegetable voucher scheme coupled with key 'five-a-day' consumption messages as a brief intervention in primary care consultations was assessed in the present study. One thousand one hundred and eighty-eight vouchers as a prescription for fruits and vegetables were routinely distributed to patients attending a primary healthcare centre in a deprived area, and 124 volunteer patients routinely attending the centre were included. Telephone-based questionnaires were used to examine changes in consumption over the short and medium term. Other key aspects assessed in the evaluation related to fruit and vegetable purchasing behaviour, knowledge relating to what constitutes a portion size, the relationship between food and health, and barriers to consumption. Although 76.2% of participants used the prescription vouchers when purchasing fruits and vegetables, a significant change in the consumption or purchasing behaviour was not observed (P > 0.05). Participants' level of knowledge relating to the number of portions recommended and the portion size of different fruits and vegetables showed a moderate increase from baseline over the short and medium term. The primary barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption were reported as 'the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables' and 'the money available to spend on food'. The use of 'the fruit and vegetable on prescription' scheme was an effective method of engaging participants in improving awareness of key diet-related health messages. However, further intervention is required to produce a significant impact on the actual behaviour change.

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• Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Skulberg, Knut Ragnvald; Thurston, Miranda & Aadland, Eivind (2026). Associations between adolescent physical activity intensity spectra and mental health: a multivariate pattern analysis. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Traditionally, relationships between physical activity [PA] and mental health have been analysed using linear regression analyses. This is problematic because of the strong multicollinearity among the intensity variables constituting the PA intensity spectrum. Furthermore, the cut-points used to define these intensities vary among studies, potentially confusing interpretation and comparison of findings. Multivariate pattern analysis can handle multicollinear data through latent-variable modelling. Purpose: To gain a detailed understanding of the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between PA and mental health by exploring the associations between high-resolution PA intensity spectra and mental health problems [MHP] (internalizing and externalizing problems) and mental wellbeing [MWB] among adolescents. Methods: Data from a three-year longitudinal study of 599 adolescents (54.4 % female; aged 12/13-15 years) from Norway were analysed using a high-resolution PA intensity descriptor constituting 17 intensity variables: time spent in 0-99, 100-999, (…), ≥15.000 cpm. To increase the stability of cross-sectional data, mean PA variables across the three waves of data collection were created. Multivariate pattern analyses were used to explore relationships. Results: Significant associations between PA signatures and internalizing- and externalizing problems were found for sedentary time (0-99 cpm) (positive association) and high intensity PA (8000-9999 cpm) (negative association) in crude models. These associations disappeared when adjusting for covariates. For MWB, positive associations were found for light to moderate PA (100-3999 cpm) in both crude and adjusted models. For the longitudinal data, no significant associations were found. Conclusions: No clear evidence of a relationship between PA and MHP was found. For MWB, lower-intensity PA was significantly associated. PA may therefore influence adolescents’ MWB levels to a greater extent than their MHP. Implications for Policy and Practice: Multivariate pattern analyses may provide more detailed information about the PA-mental health relationship than traditional analyses.

• Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Johansen, Patrick Foss; Skulberg, Knut Ragnvald; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland & Thurston, Miranda (2026). Fysisk aktivitet i skulen; effekt på elevane sitt aktivitetsnivå over tid . Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Bakgrunn: På grunn av deira unike moglegheit til å nå alle barn og unge, er skular vurdert å vera ideelle settingar for å fremma fysisk aktivitet i Noreg. Likevel har det vist seg utfordrande å finna effektive og bærekraftige måtar å implementera ein meir fysisk aktiv skulekvardag på, og fleire ulike modellar er testa ut. FYSAK-modellen er eit døme på ein modell som inkluderer dagleg fysisk aktivitet integrert i skulekvardagen. Det er imidlertid mindre kunnskap om i kva grad denne modellen bidreg til elevane sin daglege fysisk aktivitet, særskilt knytt til etterleving av nasjonale anbefalingar for fysisk aktivitet. Denne studia har difor undersøkt kva påverknad FYSAK-modellen har på elevane sitt fysisk aktivitetsnivå over tid. Metode: Data er henta frå ei treårig (2016-2018) longitudinell studie av ungdomsskuleelevar frå 11 ulike ungdomsskular i Noreg der ein hadde integrert FYSAK-modellen i skulen si praksis. Analysane inkluderer innsamla data frå 535 ungdommar (56.1 % jenter, gjennomsnittsalder ved baseline ± SD 13.3 ± 0.3 år) og samanliknar akslerometermålt fysisk aktivitetsnivå (cpm-1) ved FYSAK-skulen med dei øvrige 10 skulane (kontrollskular). Resultat: Det var ingen forskjell i aktivitetsnivå mellom FYSAK-skulen og kontrollskular i 2016. I 2017 og 2018 hadde imidlertid elevane ved FYSAK-skulen eit signifikant høgare aktivitetsnivå enn elevar ved kontrollskulane (2017: 54.7 cpm-1, p ≤ .05, 2018: 59.2 cpm-1, p ≤ .05). Analysar som berre inkluderte kvardagar forsterka dette mønsteret, der større forskjellar i aktivitetsnivå vart synlege (2017: 73.5 cpm-1, p ≤ .001, 2018: 85.7 cpm-1, p ≤ .001). Elevar ved FYSAK-skulen hadde også høgare sannsyn for å etterleva dei nasjonale anbefalingane for fysisk aktivitet samanlikna med elevar frå kontrollskulane gjennom alle tre skuleår (2016: 57 % FYSAK vs. 41 % kontroll, 2017: 62 % FYSAK vs. 38 % kontroll, 2018: 52 % FYSAK vs. 30 % kontroll). Konklusjon: Resultata tyder samla sett på ein effekt av FYSAK-modellen på elevane sitt fysiske aktivitetsnivå. Dette kan forklarast med at modellen tilbyr eit rammeverk for ein systematisk og varig integrering av fysisk aktivitet i elevane sin skulekvardag. Denne tilrettelegginga medfører at alle elevar får vera fysisk aktive i løpet av skuledagen. Hovedbodskap: [IV3.1]FYSAK-modellen er ein skulebasert tilnærming for å fremma fysisk aktivitet som har potensiale til å nå alle elevar, samt redusera sosiale ulikheiter i helse generelt og i fysisk aktivitet spesielt

• Granheim, Sabrina Ionata & Thurston, Miranda (2026). Navigating health, food and misinformation in social media environments. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1403-4948. 54(1_supp), p. 26–26. doi: https:/journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14034948261479642?_gl=1*9bibpr*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTQxNzk4OTI2MS4xNzkwOTIxMzU4*_ga_60R758KFDG*czE3OTA5MjEzNTckbzEkZzEkdDE3OTA5MjE0MTgkajYwJGwxJGgxMDE5MDc5ODEw. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The digital transformation of society plays a central role in shaping contemporary health and food narratives and practices in everyday life. Social media platforms (SoMe) have become primary sources of information for many sociodemographic groups, particularly young people, providing places for social connection and the circulation of health information. In this context, trust in scientific evidence and public health expertise is increasingly mediated by commercially-driven digital environments, while the authority of public health nstitutions is increasingly challenged. The SoMe food and health (mis)information environment thus affects trust in public health expertise. Public health preparedness involves regulating digital platforms and strengthening health literacy.

• Kleppang, Annette Løvheim; Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Bjørli, Marte; Thurston, Miranda; Granheim, Sabrina Ionata & Chimhutu, Victor (2026). Videreutdanning i systematisk folkehelsearbeid: Kompetanse for framtiden. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Folkehelsearbeid er et fagfelt i vekst, med økende betydning både nasjonalt og globalt. Systematisk folkehelsearbeid forutsetter struktur, langsiktighet og et solid kunnskapsgrunnlag for å sikre effektive og bærekraftige tiltak. Pandemier, klimaendringer, en aldrende befolkning og økende sosiale ulikheter har gjort forebyggende og helsefremmende folkehelsearbeid mer relevant enn noen gang. For å møte disse utfordringene og styrke den tverrfaglige kompetansen innen folkehelsearbeid i Norge, på lokalt-, regionalt- og nasjonalt nivå, har Universitetet i Innlandet (INN) utviklet en ny videreutdanning i systematisk folkehelsearbeid. Utdanningen er spesielt rettet mot å omsette kunnskap til praksis og tar sikte på å adressere sentrale utfordringer som fragmentering og manglende koordinering i dagens folkehelsearbeid, med et tydelig fokus på helse-i-alt-vi-gjør-perspektivet.

• Thurston, Miranda & Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2026). The SDGs, Health in All Policies and public health work at municipal level. doi: https:/innlandetfylke.no/tjenester/plan-statistikk-og-folkehelse/folkehelse/folkehelsepraten-i-innlandet/. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda (2025). From physical activity interventions to physically active learning: schools as ‘ideal settings’ for promoting physical activity? Full text in Research Archive
• Baklien, Børge; Marthoenis, Marthoenis; Aceh, Arif Rahman & Thurston, Miranda (2024). Coercion, good intentions, and social convention: Limits of empathy with an example from Indonesia. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda & Ashton, John (2024). The new public health. In Quah, Stella R. (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Public Health. Academic Press. ISSN 9780323972802. p. 182–191. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-99967-0.00229-5. Full text in Research Archive
• Mandelid, Mathias Brekke; Johansen, Jan-Michael; Resaland, Geir Kåre; Bratland-Sanda, Solfrid; Daly-Smith, Andy & Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2024). Beyond Borders: Developing the Core Aspects of Physically Active Learning Enactment (CAPAbLE) Model in the Third Space. Full text in Research Archive
• Johansen, Patrick Foss; Thurston, Miranda & Green, Kenneth Stanley (2024). Shaping Sporting Careers in Norwegian Youth: a qualitative study of Family Influence, Peer Dynamics, and Socialization. Full text in Research Archive
• Johansen, Jan-Michael; Mandelid, Mathias Brekke; Resaland, Geir Kåre; Thurston, Miranda; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland & Bratland-Sanda, Solfrid (2024). Physically active learning in Norwegian schools – experiences from a collaborative action research approach. Full text in Research Archive
• Johansen, Jan-Michael; Mandelid, Mathias; Reinboth, Michael Sæther; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Thurston, Miranda & Resaland, Geir Kåre [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Physical activity during physically active lessons: expectations vs reality. Full text in Research Archive
• Reinboth, Michael Sæther; Johansen, Jan-Michael; Mandelid, Mathias; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Thurston, Miranda & Resaland, Geir Kåre [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). The relationship between motivational regulations and physical activity levels during physically active lessons among 6th and 8th grade adolescents. Full text in Research Archive
• Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Skulberg, Knut Ragnvald & Thurston, Miranda (2023). Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and mental health in Norwegian youths; a longitudinal study. Full text in Research Archive
• Hervik, Stein Egil Kolderup; Hervik, Astrid Kolderup; Thoresen, Trine & Thurston, Miranda (2023). Norwegian inmates’ experiences of a shift to self-catering: promoting health through empowerment. Full text in Research Archive
• Hervik, Stein Egil Kolderup; Hervik, Astrid Kolderup; Thoresen, Trine & Thurston, Miranda (2023). Norwegian inmates’ experiences of a shift to self-catering: promoting health through empowerment. European Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1101-1262. 33, p. ii562–ii562. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckad160.1408. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda & Green, Kenneth Stanley (2022). 'Ikke ensom, bare alene': Implikasjonene av COVID-19 for ungdoms fritidsliv i Norge. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda & Green, Kenneth Stanley (2022). ‘Not lonely, just alone’ – the implications of COVID-19 for young Norwegians’ leisure lives. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. ISSN 1403-4948. doi: 10.1177/1403494822112156. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda (2022). Reorienting health services: how can we go from disease management to salutogenesis in health care? Full text in Research Archive
• Baklien, Børge & Thurston, Miranda (2022). Blooming moments in nature. Full text in Research Archive
• Johansen, Patrick Foss; Thurston, Miranda & Green, Kenneth Stanley (2022). THE MUTABILITY OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION AND THE EMERGENCE OF INFORMAL SPORTS AMONG NORWEGIAN YOUNGSTERS. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda & Green, Ken (2021). Young people. mental health and education: where does the concept of wellbeing fit in? In Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Viig, Nina Grieg & Resaland, Geir Kåre (Ed.), Folkehelse og livsmestring i skolen; i fag, på tvers av fag og som en helhetlig tilnærming. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245034592. p. 35–50. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda (2020). Refocussing upstream: exploring the social determinants of mental health. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda (2020). Understanding physical activity in a social context: Beyond behavioural science to public health. Full text in Research Archive
• Birkheim, Siv Lene; Litleskare, Sigbjørn; Rydgren, Tore Litlere; Thurston, Miranda & Calogiuri, Giovanna (2019). (Fra) virtuell (til) virkelighet: Kan VR motivere til besøk i naturen? In Heimdal, Lasse (Eds.), Forskning i friluft 2018 : friluftsliv gjennom 150 år. Norsk Friluftsliv. p. 220–223. Full text in Research Archive
• Calogiuri, Giovanna; Rossi, Alessio; Johansen, Patrick Foss & Thurston, Miranda (2019). GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN… OR DO THEY? A MACHINE LEARNING ANALYSIS OF WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN NORWAY’S ULTIMATE MASS PARTICIPATION SKI EVENT. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Mass participation sporting events have increased in popularity in the last two decades, thought concerns have been expressed about the extent to which they are inclusive for different groups of the population, including women (Murphy & Bauman, 2015). For instance, in the iconic cross-country ski race Birkebeinerrennet (BR), women make up less than 20% of the total participants. To boost women’s participation, the event organizers have introduced a women-only race (W-BR). It is however important to shed light on the factors that encourage women’s participation in the main BR event. Using a machine learning approach, this study aims to: i) predict future trends of women’s participation rates in the BR, and ii) identify characteristics of women participating in the BR, as compared with those in the W-BR. Methods To predict future trends in women’s participation rates in the BR, a time-series analysis (i.e., autoregression) was performed on official entry records from 1996 to 2018. Secondary analysis of data from a market survey conducted in 2016 among BR and W-BR participants was also carried out in relation to women’s sociodemographic characteristics, exercise habits, motives and perceptions (n = 1187). The data were preprocessed using a recursive feature elimination with cross-validation process (RFECV) based on logistic regression to reduce the dimension of the feature set. The logistic regression was able to correctly gather the woman who took part in either the BR or W-BR (recall = 76%) with a precision of 77%. Results The time-series analysis predicted a gradual increase of women’s participation rates in the BR (MSE = 4.51%, residual error = 3.70 ± 2.58%), meaning that in 15 years the prevalence of women might match that of men. The analysis of the survey data revealed that, as compared with the W-BR, more women in the BR saw the race as a ‘motivational exercise goal’ (explained variance = 0.11; p < 0.001) and perceived themselves as ‘extreme’ and ‘fit’ (explained variance = 0.24 and 0.01; p < 0.001). At the same time, they assigned less importance to social aspects such as ‘sociability’, ‘personal tradition’, and ‘feeling part of a community’ (explained variance = 0.36, 0.09, and 0.06; p < 0.001), and were less satisfied with the race (explained variance = 0.12; p < 0.001). The likelihood of participating in the BR, as compared with the W-BR, also decreased with increasing age (explained variance = 0.02; p = 0.041). Conclusions Although women are still largely under-represented in the main BR event (as well as other mass-participation sporting events), a gradual increase is evident. This growing group appears to be primarily concerned with performance-oriented rather than social-oriented aspects. Further studies are needed to investigate the factors that might explain the lower age and satisfaction of the women in BR compared to the W-BR. References Murphy & Bauman (2015) Leisure Studies, 34(6), 758-766.

• Thurston, Miranda N.; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland & Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth (2019). Young people’s mental health and wellbeing: findings from a school-based longitudinal study of 13−15-year-olds in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Green, Ken; Thurston, Miranda & Johansen, Patrick Foss (2019). Sports participation in Norway. In Maguire, Joseph; Falcous, Mark & Liston, Katie (Ed.), The Business and Culture of Sports: Society, Politics, Economy, Environment. Macmillan Publishers Ltd.. ISSN 9780028664989. p. 413–427. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Business and Culture of Sports: Society, Politics, Economy, Environment is a peer-reviewed, academic volume that has one Editor in Chief, Joseph A. Maguire, and two Associate Editors, Mark Falcous and Katie Liston. The Business and Culture of Sports provides global perspectives on such topics as the sustainable design of sports stadiums, the use of social media and advertising in sports marketing, the economic impact on cities hosting mega events, sports governance models, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, coaching and player development, gender representation in sports, sports violence and injury, and many others. Though aimed primarily at undergraduate students, this set is also a valuable resource for high school students as well as a general audience interested in the expanding world of sports studies.

• Birkheim, Siv Lene; Litleskare, Sigbjørn; Rydgren, Tore Litlere; Thurston, Miranda & Calogiuri, Giovanna (2018). (FRA) VIRTUEL (TIL) VIRKELIGHET: KAN VIRTUELLE NATUROPPLEVELSER MOTIVERE MENNESKER TIL Å BESØKE NATUROMRÅDER? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Perspektiv og bakgrunn. Naturområder har et stort folkehelsepotensiale siden det kan gi en rekke helsefordeler og samtidig legge til rette for fysisk aktivitet. VR har dukket opp som et verdifullt verktøy innen livsstilsendrede tiltak og det kan brukes for å motivere folk til å besøke ekte naturområder. Så er problemstilling i denne studien: -Hvilket potensiale har virtuell virkelighet (VR) som verktøy for å motivere mennesker til å besøke naturområder? -Vil kombinasjonen av VR og fysisk aktivitet (dvs å gå på en tredemølle) gi et større motiverendeeffekt enn å se på VR uten fysisk aktivitet? Metode. Denne studien er en del av et større prosjekt som undersøker opplevelser av virtuelle friluftsaktiviter (Calogiuri et al., 2018). I et eksperiment gjennomgikk en gruppe friske voksne en ‘sittende-VR’ og en ‘tredemølle-VR’. VR-briller ble brukt for å vise en 360o video av en gåtur ved Glomma. Etter hvert eksperiment ble følgende variabler samlet inn: opplevd motivasjon for å besøke naturområdet i virkeligheten (‘motiverende effekt’), trivsel, humør, opplevd nærvær i den virtuelle verdenen, og miljøets restorativ kvalitet (‘fascinasjon’ og ‘komme vekk’). I tillegg ble kvalitative data samlet inn for dypere innsikt i deltakernes oppfatninger og meninger. Resultater. Det var stor variasjon i den motiverende effekten blant deltagerne, men det var ingen signifikant forskjell mellom de to VR-forholdene (tredemølle/sittende). En korrelasjonsanalyse viste signifikante sammenheng mellom den motiverende effekten opplevd nærvær (‘realisme’ og ‘være der’), miljøets restorativ kvalitet (‘fascinasjon’ og ‘komme vekk’) og, kun i tredemølle intervensjonen, trivsel. I tråd med de kvantitative funnene, viste den kvalitative analysen at dårlige videokvalitet og fakta at flere ble svimmel og uvel var avgjørende for opplevelsen av VR og potensiale til å motivere folk til å besøke naturområder. Videre mente deltakerne at en VR video med mer fascinerende naturområder ville vært positivt for den motiverende effekten. På den annen side, selv om opplevde deltakerne at VR ikke kunne gi ‘ekte’ naturopplevelser, gjorde VR deltakerne nysgjerrige på miljøet og de fikk lyst til å gå ut og oppleve naturen. Konklusjoner. Funnene antyder at VR kunne ha en potensiale som verktøy for å motivere mennesker til å besøke ekte naturområder. Videoer med høy realisme og fascinerende naturområder kunne fører til en større motiverende effekt. Det er ikke klart om kombinasjonen av VR og fysisk aktivitet kan fører til et større motiverendeeffekt. Derimot er «cybersykdom» en stor utfordring. Det er behov for videre forskning med oppfølgingsmålinger av deltagernes atferd for å vurdere i hvilken grad VR kan fører til at man besøke naturområder. Referanser Calogiuri, G., Litleskare, S., Fagerheim, K. A., Rydgren, T. L., Brambilla, E., & Thurston, M. (2018). Experiencing Nature through Immersive Virtual Environments: Environmental Perceptions, Physical Engagement, and Affective Responses during a Simulated Nature Walk. Front Psychol, 8(2321). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02321

• Mælan, Ellen Nesset; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Baklien, Børge & Thurston, Miranda (2018). Læreres og rektorers erfaringer med å støtte ungdommers psykiske helse. Bedre Skole. ISSN 0802-183X. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda & Calogiuri, Giovanna (2018). Public health: a contested and confusing academic field? In Calogiuri, Giovanna & Knudsen, Per Egil (Ed.), Institutt for Folkehelse - ÅRBOK 2017-2018. Høgskolen i Hedmark. p. 18–21. Full text in Research Archive
• Calogiuri, Giovanna; Litleskare, Sigbjørn; Birkheim, Siv Lene & Thurston, Miranda (2018). (FROM) VIRTUAL (TO) REALITY: CAN VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES OF NATURE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VISIT NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction Visiting natural environments has been shown to be beneficial for people’s health: not only can being in nature facilitate physical activity, it can also promote psychophysiological restoration from stress. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a potentially valuable tool in the field of lifestyle-change interventions. Specifically, it might also be used to encourage people to engage in ‘active visits’ to natural environments. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the potential of VR as a tool for eliciting enhanced motivation for visiting real natural environments. Methods This study is part of a larger project investigating the effectiveness of VR in reproducing ‘green-exercise’ outcomes (Calogiuri et al., 2017). Twenty-six healthy adults (46% females; 26±8 yo; BMI: 23.12±5.03) were exposed, in a randomized cross-over design, to two VR conditions: one while sitting on a chair and one while walking on a manually driven treadmill. The VR technology consisted of a head-mounted display with headphones reproducing a first-person 360o video and sound of a nature walk. After each condition, the participants reported their motivation for visiting the natural environment shown in the VR video (‘motivational effect’; ME), alongside measurements of enjoyment and affect. Additional measurements included presence, perceived environmental restorativeness (PER), and background characteristics (sex, age, BMI, and exercise levels). Moreover, data from open-ended questions were analysed thematically to give in-depth insight into participants’ perceptions. Results The ME did not significantly differ between the sitting and the treadmill condition, although enjoyment and positive affect were significantly higher in the treadmill. The ME was significantly and positively correlated with ‘realism’, PER and (in the treadmill) enjoyment, whereas no significant correlation was found with affect or any of the background characteristics. In both conditions, a mediational analysis showed an indirect effect of ‘realism’ on ME via the PER component ‘fascination’. The qualitative data corroborated the quantitative findings, but also revealed large inter-individual differences in participants’ perceptions of the VR experience as well as the extent to which they thought it could influence people’s motivation. Discussion VR technology might have the potential to encourage people to engage in ‘active visits’ to natural environments, especially if the VR is highly realistic and shows environments with high restorative value. Because of better affective responses, administering the VR in concomitance with treadmill-based walking might have a stronger effect on future behaviour. In order to explore these associations further, future studies should apply intervention designs with follow-up assessments. References Calogiuri, G., et al. (2017) Frontiers in Psychology 8, 2321

• Thurston, Miranda; Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Røset, Linda & Mælan, Ellen Nesset (2018). Skole, læring og psykisk helse: erfaringer med fysisk aktivitet og kroppsøving. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda; Green, Kenneth Stanley; Johansen, Patrick Foss & Calogiuri, Giovanna (2018). Sport for all? The public health reach of the Birkebeiner races. In Calogiuri, Giovanna & Knudsen, Per Egil (Ed.), Institutt for Folkehelse - ÅRBOK 2017-2018. Høgskolen i Hedmark. p. 38–41. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda & Calogiuri, Giovanna (2017). Being a researcher and a teacher in an era of ‘fake news. In Calogiuri, Giovanna; Skille, Eivind & Knudsen, Per Egil (Ed.), Institutt for Tannpleie og Folkehelse - Årbok 2016-2017. Høgskolen i Hedmark. p. 14–16. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda; Green, Kenneth Stanley; Moss, Samantha; Highton, Jamie; Johansen, Patrick Foss & Calogiuri, Giovanna (2017). Birkebeiner: Sport for all? Part 1: The public health reach of the Birkebeiner races Part 2: Successful pacing strategies for all participants. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Part 1: The public health reach of the Birkebeiner races Prof Miranda Thurston & Prof Ken Green Mass participation sporting events, such as the Birkebeiner races, have Not only become popular at a global level in recent years, they have also been increasingly viewed as encouraging enhanced and regular exercise in the population. However, the public health potential of mass participation sporting events, and especially the BR, remains an under-researched phenomenon. In particular, there are concerns about the extent to which BR attract people from social groups of relevance to public health and exercise promotion, such as women, older adults, and people with lower socioeconomic status. In this project we have examined the characteristics and motivations of current participants in BR. This findings provide a better understanding of the public health reach of these events, and can help maximizing their potential in the future. Part 2: Successful pacing strategies for all participants Dr Sam Moss & Dr Jamie Highton In a demanding sporting event such as the Birkebeiner races, a mindful pacing strategy, i.e. the distribution of the energetic resources, is important. Knowing how to best distribute the effort in relation with a person’s characteristics and level of experience, can help participants prepare appropriately for the race as well as increase the likelihood of positive race experiences and continuing participation. This is especially relevant for those participants who are less experienced and want to use the Birkebeiner races as a motivational strategy to become more active. In this project, we examined the pacing strategies adopted by different groups of participants in the Birkebeinerrittet: males/ females, age category, experience level, and performance standard.

• Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Anderssen, Sigmund Alfred; Tjomsland, Hege Eikeland; Skulberg, Knut Ragnvald & Thurston, Miranda (2017). Fysisk aktivitet, psykisk helse of skoleprestasjoner blant ungdomsskoleelever. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda (2017). Mental wellbeing: what's school got to do with it? Full text in Research Archive
• Calogiuri, Giovanna; Moss, Samantha; Fagerheim, Kaia; Highton, Jamie; Green, Ken & Thurston, Miranda (2017). Sport for all? Exploring the public health reach of the Birkebeiner races, Norway’s ultimate mass-participation sporting events. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction Inclusion in sports, especially with respect to groups that tend to be the least active (e.g. elderly, ethnic minorities, low socioeconomic status) is viewed as a key strategy for improving population health. Mass-participation sporting events have been increasingly viewed as an arena for inclusion and exercise promotion. However, the public health reach of such events remains an under-researched phenomenon and concerns about the extent of their inclusiveness for all individuals have been raised (Murphy & Bauman, 2007). The Norwegian annual Birkebeiner races (BR) are a popular series of long-distance running, biking and skiing races on forest terrain. Despite efforts to broaden their range of participants, for example by introducing half-distance races and a series of non-timed events, BR are seen by many as an exclusive phenomenon. The aims of this project are to obtain in-depth knowledge about (1) the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants in BR, (2) different psychological factors and perceptions of the race, and (3) which factors are related to participation in the different BR events. Methods Data were retrieved from a series of market-surveys carried out by BR organizers. Questionnaire data obtained from the 2016 cohort of Birken participants (overall n = 10,484; age > 15 years) were analysed. Sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, residence, income, education, and occupation) were examined and possible associations with psychological factors (motives for participating, satisfaction with the race, and future participation intention) were investigated. Qualitative data generated by participants’ responses to open-ended questions were analysed thematically in order to understand their subjective experience of the race. Results The study started the 1st February 2017. The analyses are ongoing and preliminary findings will be presented at the 22th ECSS conference. These will include descriptive statistics of the sociodemographic characteristics and psychological factors, as well as findings of nominal logistic regression modelling the relation of these variables with participation in the different races. Major themes emerging from the qualitative analysis will also be presented. Discussion The findings of this study have the potential to inform campaigns targeting under-represented groups of participants, enhancing the inclusion profile of future BR events and thus maximizing their public health reach. Continuation of this work will seek to analyse data over time (up to 16 years) in an attempt to better understand possible trends among participants Thus, in collaboration with event organisers it is hoped that this research will facilitate the provision of better support to disadvantaged groups. References Murphy NM & Bauman A (2007) J Phys Activ Health, 4, 193-203.

• Thurston, Miranda (2016). Sport, mental wellbeing and academic achievement: exploring school effects in Norwegian secondary schools 2015-2019. Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda (2015). Public health is everybody's business ... and that means you! Full text in Research Archive
• Thurston, Miranda; Torheim, Liv Elin; Terragni, Laura & Granheim, Sabrina Ionata (2026). A Grounded Theory of the Digital Food Environment. Universitet i Innlandet / University of Inland Norway. ISSN 9788283806144. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Food environments are widely acknowledged as critical determinants of dietary practices, nutrition, and health. Unhealthy food environments contribute to global health challenges, including obesity and noncommunicable diseases, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged groups. The increasing role of digital technology and the internet in daily life is a global phenomenon. This digital transformation is likely to be accompanied by consequences (positive or negative) in the physical world, affecting how food environments are built and experienced, and ultimately the health and nutritional status of individuals and populations. Despite the increasing attention to the role of digitalization in contemporary society, existing approaches to the food environment are largely silent about the role of digital technology. This study aimed to address this gap by developing a conceptual definition of digital food environments and a theoretical framework addressing the characteristics and functioning of this social phenomenon. Using a critical realist grounded theory approach, the study abductively combined elicited and extant data. Elicited data was gathered through semistructured online interviews with 14 young women aged 18–25 years, and observation of digital tools and platforms they used. Extant data was gathered through an interdisciplinary systematic scoping review. The resulting middle-range theory indicates that digitalization affects all dimensions of the food environment, however little is known about the actual impact on health and nutrition. Food practices in the digital food environment were found to be digitalized to varying degrees, ranging from analogue practices in which digital technologies play no role, to digitally replaced practices in which food-related decision making is delegated to technological systems. The digital food environment was thus conceptualized as an augmented space where social and material food practices take place, mediated, enhanced, enabled or replaced by digital technology, influencing food consumption and impacting nutrition, health and equity. The framework represents the digital food environment as a socially co-produced space, where the interplay between structure and agency shapes food practices, driven by late modern processes such as informationalism, individualization, commercialization, exposure amplification, and digitalization itself. Overall, the study indicates that digitalization is more than a superimposed layer on traditional food environments, representing a transformative force that requires new approaches and policies to safeguard nutrition, health, and equity.

• Johansen, Patrick Foss; Vedøy, Ingeborg Barth; Barene, Svein; Green, Kenneth Stanley & Thurston, Miranda (2026). Egenorganisert fysisk aktivitet blant unge i Norge. Nasjonal kartleggingsundersøkelse av unge 15–30 år. Universitetet i Innlandet. ISSN 9788283806052. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Egenorganisert fysisk aktivitet spiller en stadig viktigere rolle i unges liv, men kunnskapen om hvordan, hvorfor og hvor unge faktisk er aktive har vært begrenset. Denne rapporten presenterer resultater fra en nasjonal kartlegging av fysisk aktivitet blant unge i Norge i alderen 15–30 år, med vekt på egenorganiserte aktivitetsformer. Rapporten tilbyr et kunnskapsgrunnlag for videre utvikling av politikk, planlegging og praksis innen fysisk aktivitet og nærmiljøutvikling. Målet er å bidra til bedre tilrettelegging for et mer inkluderende og bærekraftig aktivitetslandskap for unge i Norge.

• Thurston, Miranda & Storberget, Ida (2014). Sør-Østerdal Region in Motion. A rapid evaluation of the Active Learning Project. Høgskolen i Hedmark. ISSN 9788276719482. Full text in Research Archive

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