Oliver Webb BSc PhD
Lecturer
Contact details
Room: JB1.09c
Phone: +44 (0)1509 226306
Fax: +44 (0)1509 226301
Email: O.Webb@lboro.ac.uk
Background
Oliver studied at the University of Birmingham, where he gained a BSc. in Sport and Exercise Science (2002) and a PhD. in Physical Activity Promotion (2007). After lecturing at Kingston University in Surrey (2006-07), Oliver moved to Loughborough in 2007, where he became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Oliver lectures on physical activity promotion and quantitative statistics.
Research Interests
Oliver's research focuses on ‘lifestyle physical activities’ (LPAs), in particular stair climbing. LPAs are incidental everyday activities which, due to their intensity, have potential to benefit individuals’ health. They offer an alternative to structured sport/exercise, as a means of addressing public health issues such as obesity.
Oliver’s research activities fall into four main categories:
- Identifying psychological determinants of lifestyle physical activities.
- Exploring the influence of environmental factors on lifestyle physical activities (e.g. architecture, climate).
- Designing and evaluating interventions to promote lifestyle physical activities in diverse settings (e.g. workplaces, train stations, shopping centres).
- Investigating the content / wording of health promotion campaigns to optimise their impact on population behaviour.
Selected Publications
- Webb OJ, Eves FF. (in press). Promoting stair climbing: the importance of consistent practice when conducting and reviewing interventions. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
- Ryan J, Lyon K, Webb OJ, Eves FF, Ryan CG. (2011). Promoting physical activity in a low socioeconomic area: results from an intervention targeting stair climbing. Preventive Medicine; 52: 352-354.
- Webb OJ, Eves FF, Kerr J. (2011). A statistical summary of mall-based stair climbing interventions. Journal of Physical Activity and Health; 8: 558-565.
- Webb OJ, Eves FF, Smith L. (2011). Investigating behavioural mimicry in the context of stair/escalator choice. British Journal of Health Psychology; 16: 373-385.
- Webb OJ, Cheng T-F. (2010). An informational stair climbing intervention with greater effects in overweight pedestrians. Health Education Research; 25: 936-944.
- Webb OJ, Eves, FF. (2007). Promoting stair climbing: effects of message specificity and validation. Health Education Research; 22: 49-57.
- Webb OJ, Eves FF. (2007). Promoting stair climbing: intervention effects generalize to a subsequent stair ascent. American Journal of Health Promotion; 22: 114-119.
- Webb OJ, Eves FF. (2007). Effects of environmental changes in a stair climbing intervention: generalization to stair descent. American Journal of Health Promotion; 22: 38-44.
- Eves FF, Webb OJ, Mutrie N. (2006). A workplace intervention to promote stair climbing: greater effects in the overweight. Obesity; 14: 2210-2216.
- Eves FF, Webb, O.J. (2006). Worksite interventions to increase stair climbing; reasons for caution. Preventive Medicine; 43: 4-7.
- Webb OJ, Eves FF. (2005). Promoting stair use: single versus multiple stair-riser messages. American Journal of Public Health; 95: 1543-1544.
You can view a fuller publications list on the University Publications Database.
External Activities
Oliver has served as an invited reviewer for the Medical Research Council (UK), Ministry of Health (Singapore) and 10 academic journals (e.g. Journal of Adolescent Health, Journal of Health Psychology, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Preventive Medicine).
Oliver worked as a research consultant on the following, externally-funded, projects:
- NHS Health Scotland (2004-05):
Incremental stair climbing at a worksite; An assessment of the efficacy of a worksite intervention employing new point-of choice prompts and multiple messages on stair risers. - Heart of Birmingham Teaching NHS Trust (2005):
Prompted stair-climbing; Worksite campaigns targeting heart health and obesity. - Department of Health, Catalunya, Spain (2006):
Testing of stair climbing point-of-choice prompts in the Barcelona Metro.
Oliver has presented his findings at meetings of The European Health Psychology Society, The North American Association for Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, and The International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.