J M Harrington
Biographic Data
| ID | 6161286 |
|---|---|
| NAME | J M Harrington |
| GIVEN NAMES | J M |
| FAMILY NAME | Harrington |
| SIGNATURE | HARRINGTON J M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College Cork |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6238-7031 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 37 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 8 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 37 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1991 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Identifying barriers and facilitators to psychosocial care for people living with HIV in Ireland: A mixed methods study
Community-based organisations contribute significantly to the facilitation of psychosocial support for PLWH in Ireland, and greater integration of community services could promote a more holistic, patient-centred approach to meeting the diverse needs of this growing cohort. PLWH benefit from multidisciplinary care teams, and the facilitation of safe and effective peer support should be encouraged to afford opportunities to disclose and receive so…
Mapping competency profiles of schools of public health: Implications for public health workforce education and training in Israel
Aim: Competency frameworks are essential for analyzing capabilities of Schools of Public Health to adequately prepare public health (PH) professionals to address contemporary challenges. This study maps the competency profiles of PH training programs in Israel using a novel curriculum mapping tool. Methods: This study assessed all five Israeli Health Education Institutions (HEIs) offering MPH or Bachelors in Public Health (BPH) degrees across 57 …
Associations of self-reported physical activity and anxiety symptoms and status among 7,874 Irish adults across harmonised datasets: A Dedipac-study
Meeting physical activity guidelines is associated with lower odds of anxiety, but the strength of associations did not increase considerably with increased physical activity levels
Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and association with weight status in Irish children: A cross-sectional study prior to the introduction of a government tax on sugar-sweetened beverages
Objective: To provide baseline evidence of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in a sample of Irish children prior to the introduction of the SSB tax; to identify the energy contribution of SSB to daily energy intake; and to explore the association between SSB consumption and overweight/obesity. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Primary schools in Cork, Ireland in 2012. Participants: 1075 boys and girls aged 8–11 years. SSB consumpti…
Advancing the evidence base for public policies impacting on dietary behaviour, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Europe: The Policy Evaluation Network promoting a multidisciplinary approac…
28 research institutes have joined in the Policy Evaluation Network (PEN). • PEN studies EU policies on diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. • PEN advances knowledge on impact and effective implementation of these policies. • We here describe the rationale and specific goals of PEN, and highlight innovations. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of global mortality. As the social and economic costs of NCDs have esca…
Barriers and facilitators to adoption, implementation and sustainment of obesity prevention interventions in schoolchildren– a Dedipac case study
Successful implementation and scale up of public health anti-obesity interventions in schools is dependent on good contextual fit, engagement and leadership at multiple levels and secure funding. Recommendations to overcome barriers include: capacity to deliver within an already overcrowded curriculum and clear specification of intervention components within a conceptual framework to facilitate evaluation. Our findings are generalisable across di…
Understanding engagement in a family-focused, multicomponent, childhood weight management programme delivered in the community setting
Objective To describe public health nurses’ (PHN) experiences of referring to, and families’ experiences of being referred to, a multicomponent, community-based, childhood weight management programme and to provide insight into families’ motivation to participate in and complete treatment. Design Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and the draw-and-write technique. Setting Two geographical regions in the south and west of Ireland. …
Associations of self-reported physical activity and depression in 10,000 Irish adults across harmonised datasets: A Dedipac-study
Depression is a prevalent, debilitating, and often recurrent mood disorder for which successful first-line treatments remains limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cross-sectional associations between self-reported physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms and status among Irish adults, using two existing datasets, The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and The Mitchelstown Cohort Study. The two selected databases…
A systematic review of methods to assess intake of sugar-sweetened beverages among healthy European adults and children: A Dedipac (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity) study
Objective Research indicates that intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) may be associated with negative health consequences. However, differences between assessment methods can affect the comparability of intake data across studies. The current review aimed to identify methods used to assess SSB intake among children and adults in pan-European studies and to inform the development of the DEDIPAC (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity) to…
A systematic review of methods to assess intake of fruits and vegetables among healthy European adults and children: A Dedipac (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity) study
Objective Evidence suggests that health benefits are associated with consuming recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables (F&V), yet standardised assessment methods to measure F&V intake are lacking. The current review aims to identify methods to assess F&V intake among children and adults in pan-European studies and inform the development of the DEDIPAC (DEterminants of DIet and Physical Activity) toolbox of methods suitable for use in future …
Levels and sociodemographic correlates of accelerometer-based physical activity in Irish children: A cross-sectional study
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore levels and sociodemographic correlates of physical activity (PA) over 1 week using accelerometer data. METHODS: Accelerometer data was collected over 1 week from 1075 8-11-year-old children in the cross-sectional Cork Children's Lifestyle Study. Threshold values were used to categorise activity intensity as sedentary, light, moderate or vigorous. Questionnaires collected data on demographic factors…
Dietary quality in children and the role of the local food environment
Diet is a modifiable contributor to many chronic diseases including childhood obesity. The local food environment may influence children's diet but this area of research is understudied. This study explores if distance to and the number of supermarkets and convenience stores in the local area around households are associated with dietary quality in nine year olds whilst controlling for household level socio-economic factors. This is a secondary a…
Protective lifestyle behaviours and depression in middle-aged Irish men and women: A secondary analysis
Objective To examine the association between protective lifestyle behaviours (PLB) and depression in middle-aged Irish adults. Design Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study. PLB (non-smoker, moderate alcohol, physical activity, adequate fruit and vegetable intake) were assessed using a general health and lifestyle questionnaire and a validated FFQ. Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. A score…
The use of a dietary quality score as a predictor of childhood overweight and obesity
The findings suggest that diet quality may be an important factor in childhood obesity. A simple DQS developed from a short dietary assessment tool is significantly associated with childhood obesity
Capturing changes in dietary patterns among older adults: A latent class analysis of an ageing Irish cohort
Objective Data-driven approaches to dietary patterns are under-utilized; latent class analyses (LCA) are particularly rare. The present study used an LCA to identify subgroups of people with similar dietary patterns, explore changes in dietary patterns over a 10-year period and relate these dynamics to sociodemographic factors and health outcomes. Design The 1998 baseline and 2008 follow-up of the Cork and Kerry Diabetes and Heart Disease Study. …
Age-period-cohort analysis for trends in body mass index in Ireland
We notice a generally positive age and period effect but a slightly negative cohort effect. Knowing this, we have a better understanding of the different risk groups which allows for effective public intervention measures to be designed and targeted for these specific population subgroups
PP08 Work Status and Blood Pressure – “A Job of Work”
Background The effect of work on blood pressure (BP) relative to a non-working status with appropriate adjustment for confounders is not well defined. High job control has been found to be associated with lower BP and with nocturnal BP dipping. However, with older workers this may be compromised. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of the Irish general population. In total, 2,047 males and females aged 50-69 years were rec…
PP16 The Contribution of Changes in Diet and other Risk Factors to recent Favourable Trends in Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged Irish Adults
Background Recent declines in cardiovascular mortality in Ireland and other developed countries are partially attributable to favourable secular trends in blood pressure (BP). However the underlying causes of these BP trends are not well defined. In particular, the contribution of changes in the dietary and other lifestyle determinants of population BP levels is unclear. We examined changes in distribution and determinants of systolic blood press…
PP33 A N Age-Period-Cohort Analysis for Trends in Body Mass Index in the Republic of Ireland in 18,016 Participants in Slan (Surveys of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition) 1998-2007
Background Obesity has increased in prevalence worldwide in the last 20 years and is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes. It is valuable to examine these trends in relation to age, period and birth cohort, in conjunction with several evolving environmental factors. Age-period-cohort (APC) analysis is a popular analytic approach, since knowing the separate effects of age, period and cohort allows for a better understanding of the …
OP28 Diet Quality and Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged Men and Women
Background Findings from both observational and experimental studies (including the DASH Trial -Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) are consistent with a significant, causal role for dietary salt intake in the distribution of blood pressure (BP) in populations. The DASH diet quality score, based on the intervention arm in the DASH-trial, has emerged as a potentially useful measure of diet quality in adult populations. We have studied associa…
PS12 Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Prevalence Rates in the Survey of Lifestyles, Attitude and Nutrition (Slan) in the Republic of Ireland
Background To date estimates of the prevalence of diabetes in Ireland have been based on models of UK data. Since 2009 the International Expert Committee has recommended that the diagnosis of diabetes and pre-diabetes can be made on the basis of HbA1c levels. The objectives of this study are to estimate the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in a nationally representative sample of adults living in private households in Ireland and to assess…
The clustering of health behaviours in Ireland and their relationship with mental health, self-rated health and quality of life
The current study identifies discernible patterns of lifestyle behaviours in the Irish population which are similar to those of our European counterparts. Healthier clusters (Former Smokers, Temperate and Healthy Lifestyle) reported higher levels of energy vitality, lower levels of psychological distress, better self-rated health and better quality of life. In contrast, those in the Multiple Risk Factor cluster had the lowest levels of energy and…
Sociodemographic, lifestyle, mental health and dietary factors associated with direction of misreporting of energy intake
Objective To estimate the extent of under- and over-reporting, to examine associations with misreporting and sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics and mental health status and to identify differential reporting in micro- and macronutrient intake and quality of diet. Design A health and lifestyle questionnaire and a semi-quantitative FFQ were completed as part of the 2007 Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition. Energy intake (EI) an…
The impact of a workplace catering initiative on dietary intakes of salt and other nutrients: A pilot study
Objective Owing to modern lifestyles, individuals are dependent on out-of-home eating. The catering sector can have a pivotal role in influencing our food choices. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of a structured catering initiative on food choices in a public sector workplace setting. Design A cross-sectional comparison study in two hospitals, one of which had implemented a catering initiative designed to provide nutr…
Sociodemographic, health and lifestyle predictors of poor diets
Objective Poor-quality diet, regarded as an important contributor to health inequalities, is linked to adverse health outcomes. We investigated sociodemographic and lifestyle predictors of poor-quality diet in a population sample. Design A cross-sectional analysis of the Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLÁN). Diet was assessed using an FFQ ( n 9223, response rate = 89 %), from which a dietary score (the DASH (Dietary Approaches to S…
Irish exceptionalism? local food environments and dietary quality
OBJECTIVE: To explore whether distance to and density of food outlets within the local area have an impact on individual dietary quality, controlling for the socioeconomic characteristics of individuals and their households. METHODS: An analysis of the Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition in Ireland (SLÁN), a two-stage clustered sample of 10,364 individuals aged 18+ from the Republic of Ireland. Socioeconomic status was measured using net…
Advancing the evidence base for public policies impacting on dietary behaviour, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Europe: The Policy Evaluation Network promoting a multidisciplinary approac…
28 research institutes have joined in the Policy Evaluation Network (PEN). • PEN studies EU policies on diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. • PEN advances knowledge on impact and effective implementation of these policies. • We here describe the rationale and specific goals of PEN, and highlight innovations. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of global mortality. As the social and economic costs of NCDs have esca…
Levels and sociodemographic correlates of accelerometer-based physical activity in Irish children: A cross-sectional study
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore levels and sociodemographic correlates of physical activity (PA) over 1 week using accelerometer data. METHODS: Accelerometer data was collected over 1 week from 1075 8-11-year-old children in the cross-sectional Cork Children's Lifestyle Study. Threshold values were used to categorise activity intensity as sedentary, light, moderate or vigorous. Questionnaires collected data on demographic factors…
Commentary
Work environment and cardiovascular disease of working conditions on cardiovascular health. This bias would be larger among women, as a considerable proportion has not worked regularly outside the home, and minor among men, as almost all men are (or have been) working
The Epping jaundice outbreak: A 24 year follow up
STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to trace 84 cases of jaundice that occurred following accidental ingestion of methylene dianiline (MDA) in Epping in 1965, and to look at long term health effects. DESIGN--The original case notes of the cases were used to identify the patients. Subsequent tracing procedures included local general practitioners, the Central NHS Registry, electoral rolls, and company records. SETTING--This was a community based survey. …
Planning environmental monitoring programs within the environmental impact assessment process
Monitoring of impacts resulting from proposed projects has been included as a component within the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process of numerous countries and entities since the mid‐1980s. Many studies have delineated both purposes and benefits of such monitoring. However, lesser attention has been given to technical guidance for planning and implementing monitoring programs as part of the EIA process. This paper summarizes several te…
Prevalence of overweight and obesity on the island of Ireland: Results from the North South Survey of Children's Height, Weight and Body Mass Index, 2002
These figures confirm the emergence of the obesity epidemic among children in Ireland, a wealthy country with the European Union. The results serve to underpin the urgency of implementing broad intersectoral measures to reduce calorie intake and increase levels of physical activity, particularly among children
Food poverty and dietary quality: Is there a relationship
examined and compared treatment of Ma ori (Indigenous) and non-Ma ori New Zealanders with colon cancer. Methods: From the New Zealand Cancer Registry we identified a population-based cohort of 629 patients diagnosed with colon cancer between 1996 and 2003. We reviewed medical notes and compared surgical and oncology treatment in Ma ori and non-Ma ori patients. We adjusted treatment differences for tumour characteristics, patient comorbidity and t…
The heights and weights of Irish children from the post-war era to the Celtic tiger
BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a significant global health issue. National level data on long-term secular trends are relatively sparse. METHODS: Data were obtained from three large-scale surveys of school-aged children in Ireland involving measurements of height and weight in 1948, the 1970s and 2002. RESULTS: Significant increases in height and weight were observed in both boys and girls and in all age groups across the decades. The increases…
A 10-year decline in self-recognition of obesity: Trends in sensitivity and specificity from three population surveys in ireland
Child Health Record (PCHR).The study population was a subsample of children from ALSPAC who had height/length or weight measured both at an ALSPAC clinic and in the PCHR within two months of the ALSPAC clinic.Since ALSPAC and PCHR measurements were taken at slightly different ages, and since young children grow rapidly, comparisons needed to take account of age differences of measurements.To allow for this, comparisons were made between standard …
Temporal trends in misclassification patterns of measured and self-report based body mass index categories - findings from three population surveys in Ireland
BMI values based on self-reported determinations of height and weight in population samples are underestimating the true prevalence of the obesity epidemic and this underestimation is increasing with time. The decreased sensitivity and consistently high specificity scores in the obese category across time, highlights the limitation of self-report based BMI classifications and the need for simple, readily comprehensible indicators of obesity
P40 Local food environments and dietary quality
Introduction Dietary quality is an important predictor of health outcome and plays a prominent role in premature death from a number of chronic health conditions including cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Socio-economic gradients in food consumption are observed worldwide. Inadequate nutritional intake and poor dietary habits are also associated with food poverty, a well documented global public health problem, which is a complex and mult…
P43 Dietary salt intake in Irish adults
Objectives To estimate dietary salt intakes in the Irish population, including variation by age, sex, and measures of obesity. Design Two cross-sectional studies. Settings and Participants (i) A nationally representative household sample of 10 364 adults, 62% response rate (SLAN study), (ii) samples of adults aged from 18–81 years (N=599) recruited from the general population, a worksite screening exercise and third level students (Safefood study…
P42 The impact of a catering initiative in determining food choices and salt intake in the public sector
Background The epidemic of obesity and diet-related chronic diseases are due to a considerable increase in energy intake from sugar, fat and salt in addition to a decreasing level of physical activity. Due to changes in modern lifestyles, individuals now depend on out-of-home eating. There is evidence that the catering sector can have a pivotal role in influencing our food choices. Objective To examine whether a structured catering initiative cou…
The clustering of health behaviours in Ireland and their relationship with mental health, self-rated health and quality of life
The current study identifies discernible patterns of lifestyle behaviours in the Irish population which are similar to those of our European counterparts. Healthier clusters (Former Smokers, Temperate and Healthy Lifestyle) reported higher levels of energy vitality, lower levels of psychological distress, better self-rated health and better quality of life. In contrast, those in the Multiple Risk Factor cluster had the lowest levels of energy and…
Sociodemographic, lifestyle, mental health and dietary factors associated with direction of misreporting of energy intake
Objective To estimate the extent of under- and over-reporting, to examine associations with misreporting and sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics and mental health status and to identify differential reporting in micro- and macronutrient intake and quality of diet. Design A health and lifestyle questionnaire and a semi-quantitative FFQ were completed as part of the 2007 Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition. Energy intake (EI) an…
The impact of a workplace catering initiative on dietary intakes of salt and other nutrients: A pilot study
Objective Owing to modern lifestyles, individuals are dependent on out-of-home eating. The catering sector can have a pivotal role in influencing our food choices. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of a structured catering initiative on food choices in a public sector workplace setting. Design A cross-sectional comparison study in two hospitals, one of which had implemented a catering initiative designed to provide nutr…
Sociodemographic, health and lifestyle predictors of poor diets
Objective Poor-quality diet, regarded as an important contributor to health inequalities, is linked to adverse health outcomes. We investigated sociodemographic and lifestyle predictors of poor-quality diet in a population sample. Design A cross-sectional analysis of the Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition (SLÁN). Diet was assessed using an FFQ ( n 9223, response rate = 89 %), from which a dietary score (the DASH (Dietary Approaches to S…
Irish exceptionalism? local food environments and dietary quality
OBJECTIVE: To explore whether distance to and density of food outlets within the local area have an impact on individual dietary quality, controlling for the socioeconomic characteristics of individuals and their households. METHODS: An analysis of the Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition in Ireland (SLÁN), a two-stage clustered sample of 10,364 individuals aged 18+ from the Republic of Ireland. Socioeconomic status was measured using net…
OP28 Diet Quality and Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged Men and Women
Background Findings from both observational and experimental studies (including the DASH Trial -Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) are consistent with a significant, causal role for dietary salt intake in the distribution of blood pressure (BP) in populations. The DASH diet quality score, based on the intervention arm in the DASH-trial, has emerged as a potentially useful measure of diet quality in adult populations. We have studied associa…
PS12 Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Prevalence Rates in the Survey of Lifestyles, Attitude and Nutrition (Slan) in the Republic of Ireland
Background To date estimates of the prevalence of diabetes in Ireland have been based on models of UK data. Since 2009 the International Expert Committee has recommended that the diagnosis of diabetes and pre-diabetes can be made on the basis of HbA1c levels. The objectives of this study are to estimate the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in a nationally representative sample of adults living in private households in Ireland and to assess…
Age-period-cohort analysis for trends in body mass index in Ireland
We notice a generally positive age and period effect but a slightly negative cohort effect. Knowing this, we have a better understanding of the different risk groups which allows for effective public intervention measures to be designed and targeted for these specific population subgroups
PP08 Work Status and Blood Pressure – “A Job of Work”
Background The effect of work on blood pressure (BP) relative to a non-working status with appropriate adjustment for confounders is not well defined. High job control has been found to be associated with lower BP and with nocturnal BP dipping. However, with older workers this may be compromised. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of the Irish general population. In total, 2,047 males and females aged 50-69 years were rec…
PP16 The Contribution of Changes in Diet and other Risk Factors to recent Favourable Trends in Blood Pressure in Middle-Aged Irish Adults
Background Recent declines in cardiovascular mortality in Ireland and other developed countries are partially attributable to favourable secular trends in blood pressure (BP). However the underlying causes of these BP trends are not well defined. In particular, the contribution of changes in the dietary and other lifestyle determinants of population BP levels is unclear. We examined changes in distribution and determinants of systolic blood press…
PP33 A N Age-Period-Cohort Analysis for Trends in Body Mass Index in the Republic of Ireland in 18,016 Participants in Slan (Surveys of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition) 1998-2007
Background Obesity has increased in prevalence worldwide in the last 20 years and is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes. It is valuable to examine these trends in relation to age, period and birth cohort, in conjunction with several evolving environmental factors. Age-period-cohort (APC) analysis is a popular analytic approach, since knowing the separate effects of age, period and cohort allows for a better understanding of the …
Capturing changes in dietary patterns among older adults: A latent class analysis of an ageing Irish cohort
Objective Data-driven approaches to dietary patterns are under-utilized; latent class analyses (LCA) are particularly rare. The present study used an LCA to identify subgroups of people with similar dietary patterns, explore changes in dietary patterns over a 10-year period and relate these dynamics to sociodemographic factors and health outcomes. Design The 1998 baseline and 2008 follow-up of the Cork and Kerry Diabetes and Heart Disease Study. …
The use of a dietary quality score as a predictor of childhood overweight and obesity
The findings suggest that diet quality may be an important factor in childhood obesity. A simple DQS developed from a short dietary assessment tool is significantly associated with childhood obesity
Dietary quality in children and the role of the local food environment
Diet is a modifiable contributor to many chronic diseases including childhood obesity. The local food environment may influence children's diet but this area of research is understudied. This study explores if distance to and the number of supermarkets and convenience stores in the local area around households are associated with dietary quality in nine year olds whilst controlling for household level socio-economic factors. This is a secondary a…
Medicine (34 works) · Environmental health (22 works) · Demography (19 works) · Internal Medicine (18 works) · Gerontology (17 works) · Nutritional Studies and Diet (16 works) · Obesity (16 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (16 works) · Demography (12 works) · Cross-sectional study (11 works)