Lay summary
This is a Postdoctoral application and the applicant is based at the University of Auckland. The applicant is a past recipient of a PhD award and successfully completed his PhD. This research study will investigate the content and implementation of policies (organisational, local, national) that impact on the food-, built-, and social- environment to promote healthier behaviours. Identification and evaluation of obesity action groups will also supplement this research. To achieve this, the study will systematically canvas policy documents and obesity-related health interventions and this will be followed by a literature review on key stakeholder organisations that have produced/successfully implemented such policies. In-depth interviews will be undertaken extensively to ascertain/clarify/establish the nature of the policy content and the critical factors behind successful policy/interventions and implementation. Systematic thematic analyses will be used to analyse the qualitative interviews. Finally, a framework will be developed from which identification and evaluation of the impact that obesity action/prevention groups have made in Australia, New Zealand, US and the UK. The supervisors for this study are Dr Patricia Metcalf and advisors Professor Rod Jackson and Professor Boyd Swinburn from the University of Auckland.