The University of Western Australia

Professor Fiona Bull

Professor/Director, Centre for the Built Environment and Health
School of Population Health

Contact details

Address

School of Population Health
The University of Western Australia (M431)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 1249

Fax

6488 1188

Email

fiona.bull@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

BEd Exe., MSc Lough., PhD W.Aust.

Biography

Professor Fiona Bull is recognized for her work on physical activity and public health and her contribution to research and practice in this field in Australia, the UK and internationally through her extensive international research collaborations and work with the World Health Organisation. Since 1997 Professor Bull’s work has focussed on the development of methods and our understanding of the measurement and patterns of participation in physical activity in developed and developing countries. These interests underpin her work on the development and testing of population based approaches to influencing patterns of activity and improving health. Her work has focussed mostly on adult populations but more recently has included several studies involving young people. Professor Bull also holds a fractional appoint at UWA and is also Professor of Physical Activity and Health at the School of Exercise and Sports Science, Loughborough University in the UK and co directs the BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health.

Key research

Population based approaches to physical activity

Urban design and health behaviours,particularly physical activity

Health benefits of physical activity (including dose response)

Population health measures of physical activity international comparability

Intervention research on physical activity in youth and adults

Urban design—impact on physical activity

Global and national policy and action on physical activity

Publications

(2009-2006)
1.Bauman A, Bull FC, Chey T, Craig CL, Ainsworth BE , Sallis JF, Bowles HR, Sjostrom M, Pratt M, Hagstromer M. The International Prevalence Study on Physical Activity: Results from 20 countries. IJBNPA Accepted May 2009.
2.Bull FC, Maslin TS. Armstrong T. Global Physical Activity Questionnaire: 9-country reliability and validity. Journal of Physical Activity and Health Accepted April 2009
3.Daugbjerg S, Kahlmeier S, Racioppi F, Martin-Diener E, Martin B, Oja P, Bull FC. Promotion of physical activity in the European region: Content analysis of 27 national policy documents. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. Accepted December 2008 In Press.
4.Sallis J, Bowles HR, Bauman A, Ainsworth BE, Bull FC, Craig C, et al. Neighborhood Environments Are Related to Physical Activity Among Adults in 11 Countries. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. [Accepted January 30, 2009].
5.Bellew B, Schöppe S, Bull FC, Bauman AE. The rise and fall of Australian physical activity policy 1996 - 2006: a national review framed in an international context. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy. 5:18: 2008: (31 July 2008).
6.Kolbe-Alexander T, Buckmaster C, Nossel C, Dreyer L, Bull F, Noakes TD, Lambert EV. Chronic disease risk factors, healthy days and medical claims in South African employees presenting for health risk screening. BMC: Public Health. 8:228: 2008: (4 July 2008).
7.Yates T, Davies M. Brady E. Webb D. Gorely T. Bull FC Talbot D. Sattar N. Khunti K. Walking and Inflammatory Markers in Individuals Screened for Type 2 Diabetes. Preventive Medicine. 47(4): 2008: 417-21.
8.Bull FC, Bauman AE. Consistent risk factor monitoring systems underpins good public health practice. Preventive Medicine 2008: 47(2); 154-155.
9.Yates T, Davies M, Gorely T, Bull FC & Khuni K. Rationale, design and baseline data from the PREPARE (Pre-diabetes Risk Education and Physical Activity Recommendation and Encouragement) programme study: a randomized controlled trial, Patient Education and Counseling, 73(2): 2008: 264-271.
10.Giles-Corti B., Kuiman M., Timperio A., Van Niel K Pikora TJ., Bull FC., Shilton T. Bulsara M. Evaluation of the implementation of a state-government community design policy aimed at increasing local walking: Design issues and baseline results from RESIDE, Perth Western Australia Preventive Medicine. 2008: 46; 46-54.
11.Cutt H., Giles-Corti, B. Bull FC. Knuiman M. Understanding dog owners’ increased levels of physical activity: results from the RESIDE study. American Journal of Public Health 98: 2008: 66-69.
12.Rosenberg D, Bull FC, Sallis J, Bauman AE, Marshall A. Assessment of Sedentary Behavior with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2008:5 (supp1);S30-S44.
13.Cameron C., Craig CL., Bull FC, Bauman AE. Canada’s Physical Activity Guides: Has their release had an impact? Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2007: 32; S161–S169.
14.Joubert J, Norman R, Lambert E, Groenewald P, Schneider M, Bull F, Bradshaw D. Estimating the burden of disease of physical inactivity in South Africa in 2000. South African Medical Journal, 97(8): 2007: 725-731.
15.Giles-Corti B, Knuiman M, Pikora TJ, Van Neil K, Timperio A, Bull FCL, Shilton T and Bbulsara M. Can the impact on health of a government policy designed to create more liveable neighbourhoods be evaluated? An overview of the RESIDential Environments Project. NSW Public Health Bulletin. 18 (11-12): 2007: 238-242. (Special Issue on the built environment and health following Fenner Conference).
16.Yates T, Khunti K, Bull F, Gorely T & Davies MJ. The role of physical activity in the management of impaired glucose tolerance: a systematic review, Diabetologia. 2007: 50, 1116-1126.
17.Yates T, Khunti K, Bull F, Gorely T & Davies MJ. Increased physical activity is a cornerstone in the prevention of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals. Reply to Laaksonen DE, Lindström J, Tuomilehto J, Uusitupa M, Diabetologia. 2007 2609-2610
18.Shilton T, Bauman AE, Bull, FC, Sarmiento O. Effectiveness and challenges in promoting physical activity globally. Editors McQueen and Jones Global Public Health and Health Promotion. Springer: New York 2007.
19.Bauman AE and Bull FC. Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity And Walking in Adults and Children: A Review of Reviews. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. London, February 2007.
20.Bauman AE and Bull FC. Review of correlates and interventions on physical activity. Chapter for World Cancer Research Fund revision of 1996 World Cancer Report. WCRF; London Dec 2006.
21.Giles-Corti B., Cutt H., Timperio A., Pikora TJ., Bull FC., Kuiman M., Bulsara M., Van Niel K., Shilton T. Development of a reliable measure of walking within and outside the local neighborhood: The RESIDE project. Preventive Medicine. 2006: 42; 455-459.
22.Shannon T., Giles-Corti B., Pikora T., Bulsara M., Shilton T., Bull FC. Active commuting in a university setting: Assessing commuting habits and potential for modal change. Transport Policy 2006: 13; 240-253.
23.Pikora T, Giles-Corti B, Knuiman MK, Bull FC Jamrozik KJ, Donovan RD. Neighborhood environmental factors correlated with walking near home: using SPACES. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 38 (4) 708-714.

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Professor
Co Director BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health, UK
Physical Activity
Evaluation
Health Promotion
Population surveillance of risk factors

Future research

National policy and population monitoring of physical activity
Measurement of physical activity in low and middle income countries
Environmental determinants of active lifestyles
Intervention trials promoting healthy lifestyles

Funding received

1.Living Streets, UK Evaluation of the active transport programme 2008-20011 £163 000 Adams, E and Bull FC.
2.Engineering and Physical Science Research Council, UK 2008 – 2013 £2, 300 000
3.iConnect (Impact of Constructing Non-motorised Networks and Evaluating Changes in Travel). Multiple university consortium (Southampton, Bristol, Cambridge, Loughborough, Oxford, Strathclyde, UEA, UE)
4.The Big Lottery Fund, Natural England, NHS, Health Scotland, 2008-2009 £93 000
5.Sustrans, The Scottish Executive, The Sports Council for Wales, UK. Assessment of physical activity using a single item measure. Bull FC, Milton K.
6.EU Commission Director General Public Health [DG SANCO] 2007-2009 €57 000
7.ALPHA Assessing levels of physical activity and related health determinants [PI Dr M Sjostrom – Total grant €1 692,536] Bull, F.C.
8.Department of Health, UK Evaluation of the Physical Activity Care Pathway 2007-2008 £93 000 Bull, F.C., Buxton, K., Milton, K.
9.National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (UK) 2007-2008 £260 000
10.Systematic Reviews: Children and Physical Activity Bull, F.C., Cavil, N., Foster, C
11.National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (UK) 2006-2007 £220 000
12.Systematic Reviews: Physical Activity and the Environment Bull, FC, Cavil, N, Foster C, Buxton K.
13.British Heart Foundation 2005-2007 £330 000 National Evaluation of Worksite heath promotion intervention: ‘Well @ Work.’ Bull, FC.
14.National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (UK) Systematic Rapid Reviews on 4 Physical Activity Interventions Bull, F.C., Cavil, N., Foster, C., Buxton K. 2005-2006, 80 000
15.Sport England Cognitive testing of the Active People Survey Bull, FC. 2005£ 15 000
16.World Health Organization Reliability and Validity Testing of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire Bull, FC. 2003- 2005 US$23 000
17.Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway) Research Grant
18.“Livable Neighbourhoods – A prospective Study of Urban Design and Physical Activity” Corti B, Bull, FC, Knuiman M, Pikora T, and Timpero,A.2003-2007 $574 000
19.Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway) Research Grant
20.“Commuting patterns to University of Western Australia” Corti B, Bull, FC, and Pikora T. 2003 – 2005 $100 000 Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway) Research Grant
21.“Validity of self reported accumulation of moderate-intensity physical activity ”Bull FC, Booth M, & Rosenberg M. 2000 – 2001 $75 130
22.National Health and Medical Research Council “Physical environmental factors that influence transport-related and recreational activity” Corti B, Bull, FC, Donovan R, Jamrozik K, Clarkson, J. 1999 – 2001 $171 000
23.Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care Division of Population Health “Reliability and Validity of Recall of Moderate Intensity Physical Activity among Australian Adults” F Bull 2000 $18,400.

Memberships

Member of the Australian Health Promotion Association
Member of International Society of Physical Activity and Health

Honours and awards

2008 Healthway Award in recognition of excellence in health promotion for the RESIDE project. Category: Research project grants targeting priority health issues or priority population groups: My role: Co Investigator 2003-2008
2006 Healthway Award Finalist. In recognition of excellence in health promotion for the Active Commuting Project. Category: research project grants targeting priority health issues or priority population groups. My role: co investigator.
2002 Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding performance in International health, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, USA.
1998 Excellence in Health Promotion, Finalist.
1997-2000 NHMRC Post doctoral Fellowship

Previous positions

Senior Lecturer, School of Human Movement and Exercise Science, University of Western Australia [Jan 2003 - July 2004]
World Health Organization Non communicable Disease and Mental Health Physical Activity Advisor, Cross Cluster Surveillance [Aug 2002 – Dec 2002]
Research Scientist Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Federal Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity [July 2000 – Jan 2003]
National Health and Medical Research Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Public Health, University of Western Australia March [1997 – July 2000]

Teaching

PUBH8754 Health Promotion 1
International Short Course on Physical Activity and Public Health: Mexico (January 2006); SE Asia (March 2006, August 2007); Canada (2006, 2007, 2008); South Africa (March 2007), Australia and Pacific Islands (Sydney, 2008), WPRO Region (Manilla, Phillipines Dec 2008)

Current external positions

Chair: Global Advocacy on Physical Activity (GAPA): Council of the International Society of Physical Activity and Health (www.globalpa.org.uk)
Member of the Expert Reference Group for NCD Surveillance, World Health Organisation
Member of Evaluation and Monitoring Working Group, Western Australian Physical Activity Task Force
Expert Advisor: International Union of Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE)
Peer Reviewer: Landscape and Urban Planning
Peer Reviewer: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Peer Reviewer: Medical Journal of Australia
Peer Reviewer: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Peer Reviewer: Active Living Policy and Environmental Studies
Peer Reviewer: American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Peer Reviewer: Preventive Medicine
Peer Reviewer: National Health and Medical Research Council
Peer Reviewer: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Peer Reviewer: British Journal of Health Psychology

Current projects

RESIDE: longitudinal natural experiment evaluating the state government's Liveable Neighbourhood Guidelines
Global Burden of Disease and Comparative Risk Assessment Project
iConnect: Impact of Constructing Non-motorised Networks and Evaluating Changes in Travel (UK)
Evaluation of the Living Streets active transport programme (UK)
Assessment of physical activity using a single item measure (UK)
Assessing levels of physical activity and related health determinants (Project ALPHA) (EU)
Evaluation of the Physical Activity Care Pathway in primary care practice (UK)

Research profile

Research profile and publications