Tessa M. Pollard
Senior Ledturer
Department of Anthropology
Durham University
United Kingdom
Biography
Tessa's current research draws on approaches from medical anthropology, public health and epidemiology to investigate the place of health-related practices, particularly physical activities such as walking, in everyday lives. She also draws on an evolutionary perspective, which considers how past adaptations may have led to today's health problems. For some time she has applied these approaches to investigate risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in migrant and minority groups in the UK, and she currently has a particular interest in women's walking. She leads a Physical Activity Lab using a variety of technologies, as well as qualitative methods, to investigate everyday practices such as walking.
Research Interest
Evolutionary perspectives on 'western' diseases, Lifestyle, inequalities and cardiovascular diseases / type 2 diabetes, The health of migrant populations in the UK, especially in relation to South Asians, Early life influences on health (e.g. the thrifty phenotype) in relation to populations in transition, Stress and health.
Publications
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Hornby-Turner, Y.C., Hampshire, K.R. & Pollard, T.M. (2014). A comparison of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in 9-11 year old British Pakistani and White British girls: a mixed methods study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 11: 74.
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Abbas, S.Z., Pollard, T.M., Wynn, P., Learmonth, A., Joyce, K. & Bambra, C. (2015). The effectiveness of using the workplace to identify and address modifiable health risk factors in deprived populations. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 72(9): 664-669.
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Pollard, Tessa M. & Wagnild, Janelle M. (2017). Gender differences in walking (for leisure, transport and in total) across adult life: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 17(1): 341.
