Publications

@article{Er2026,

title = {‘We should be focusing on why we eat, what we eat and how it makes us feel, not how many calories it has’: a photovoice study exploring young people’s views on the out-of-home calorie labelling policy in England and their priorities for changing the local food environment},

author = {Vanessa Er, Camilla Forbes, Dalya Marks, Laura Cornelsen, Penny Breeze, Alexandra Kalbus, Cherry Law, Richard Smith & Kerry Ann Brown },

url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-26716-7},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-26716-7},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-02-24},

urldate = {2026-02-24},

journal = {BMC Public Health},

keywords = {Food, Food Policy, health, Local authority, Local Government, Policy},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Laverty2025,

title = {What is the relationship between population health and voting patterns: an ecological study in England},

author = {Anthony A Laverty, Nicholas S Hopkinson},

url = {https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/12/1/e003526},

doi = {https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/12/1/e003526},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-10-14},

urldate = {2025-10-14},

journal = {BMJ Open Respiratory Research },

keywords = {Government, Local authority, Local Government},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Akanni2025,

title = {Inequalities in school spending across local authorities in England: A time-trend analysis},

author = {Lateef Akanni, Davara Bennett, Yu Wei Chua, Alexandros Alexiou, Oluwaseun B. Esan, Hanna Creese, Obioha C. Ukoumunne, G. J. Melendez-Torres, Dougal Hargreaves, Benjamin Barr, David Taylor-Robinson},

url = {https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/berj.70052},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.70052},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-10-11},

urldate = {2025-10-11},

journal = {British Educational Research Journal },

keywords = {Inequalities, Local authority, Local Government, school, school policy},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Khalaf2025,

title = {Causally inferred evidence of the impact of green and blue spaces (GBS) on maternal and neonatal health: a systematic review and meta-analysis},

author = {Rukun K S Khalaf, Selin Akaraci, Faye D Baldwin, Rebecca S Geary, Ruwanthi Kolamunnage-Dona, Ruth F Hunter and Sarah E Rodgers},

url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2752-5309/ada8ce},

doi = {10.1088/2752-5309/ada8ce},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-27},

journal = {Environmental Research Health },

keywords = {Climate Change, Local authority, Planning, Pregnancy, Urban planning},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Garrott2024,

title = {Understanding how and why travel mode changes: analysis of longitudinal qualitative interviews},

author = {Kate Garrott, Louise Foley, David Ogilvie & Jenna Panter },

url = {https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-024-01647-x},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01647-x},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-09-02},

journal = {BMC International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity},

keywords = {Local authority, Transport, Urban planning},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Tompson2024,

title = {Assessment and Qualitative Comparative Analysis of English Local Authority Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies to Improve Health under Austerity Conditions, 2013–2017},

author = {Alice Tompson, Matt Egan, Elizabeth McGill, Chiara Rinaldi, Rebecca Mead, Paula Holland, Alexandros Alexiou, Jennie Popay and Monique Lhussier},

url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2024/4764325},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/4764325},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-07-25},

urldate = {2024-07-25},

journal = {Health & Social Care in the Community },

keywords = {health, Health Policy, Local authority, Policy, Wellbeing},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bennett2024b,

title = {Poverty and children entering care in England: A qualitative study of local authority policymakers’ perspectives of challenges in Children’s Services},

author = {Davara L. Bennett, Sophie Wickham, Ben Barr and David Taylor-Robinson},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740924002615?via%3Dihub},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107689},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-05-21},

journal = {Children and Youth Services Review},

keywords = {Children, Inequalities, Local authority, Policy, poverty},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Owen2023,

title = {Evaluating the impact on physical inactivity of Together an Active Future, a partnership approach to physical activity promotion. A difference-in-differences study},

author = {Gwilym Owen, Katie Fahy and Benjamin Barr},

url = {https://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2023/11/06/jech-2023-220891},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2023-220891},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-11-06},

journal = {Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health},

keywords = {Health inequalities, Local authority, Physical activity},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Garrott2023,

title = {Feasibility of a randomised controlled trial of financial incentives to promote alternative travel modes to the car},

author = {Kate Garrott, Louise Foley, Steven Cummins, Jean Adams and Jenna Panter},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140523001093},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2023.101673},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-08-02},

journal = {Elsevier Journal of Transport & Health },

keywords = {Environment, Local authority, Physical activity},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Akhter2023,

title = {Community empowerment and mental wellbeing: longitudinal findings from a survey of people actively involved in the big local place-based initiative in England},

author = {N Akhter, V J McGowan, E Halliday, J Popay, A Kasim and C Bambra},

url = {https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/45/2/423/6651998},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdac073},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-06-01},

journal = {Journal of Public Health},

keywords = {Communities, Local authority, Mental Health, Wellbeing},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Mason2023,

title = {Impact of cuts to local authority spending on cultural, environmental and planning services on inequalities in childhood obesity in England: A longitudinal ecological study},

author = {Kate E Mason, Alexandros Alexiou, Ben Barr and David Taylor-Robinson},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829223000369},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.102999},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-03-14},

journal = {Elsevier Health & Place },

keywords = {Inequalities, Local authority, Obesity},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{El-Yousfi2022,

title = {Health visiting teams and children’s oral health: a scoping review},

author = {Sarab El-Yousfi, Zoe Marshman, Patricia N. Albers, Samantha Watt, Ruth Kipping & Joanna G. Williams },

url = {https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12903-022-02611-6},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-022-02611-6},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-12-10},

journal = {BMC Oral Health},

keywords = {child health, Children, Local authority, oral health},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Jenkins2022,

title = {Local area public sector spending and nutritional anaemia hospital admissions in England: a longitudinal ecological study},

author = {Rosemary Jenkins, Eszter P Vamos, Kate E Mason, David Taylor-Robinson, Clare Bambra, Christopher Millett, Anthony A Laverty},

url = {https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e059739},

doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059739},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-09-29},

journal = {BMJ Open},

keywords = {Local authority},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Lawlor2022,

title = {Stakeholders’ experiences of what works in planning and implementing environmental interventions to promote active travel: a systematic review and qualitative synthesis},

author = {Emma R. Lawlor, Kate Ellis, Jean Adams, Russell Jago, Louise Foley, Stephanie Morris, Tessa Pollard, Carolyn Summerbell, Steven Cummins, Hannah Forde, Campbell Foubister, Christina Xiao & Jenna Panter},

url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01441647.2022.2119298#d1e323},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2022.2119298},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-09-26},

journal = {Taylor & Francis Transport Reviews},

keywords = {Local authority, Physical activity, Planning, Transport, Urban planning},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Baxter2022,

title = {Increasing public participation and influence in local decision-making to address social determinants of health: a systematic review examining initiatives and theories},

author = {Susan Baxter, Amy Barnes, Caroline Lee, Rebecca Mead & Mark Clowes},

url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03003930.2022.2081551},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2022.2081551},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-06-13},

journal = {Local Government Studies},

keywords = {Local authority},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Jenkins2022b,

title = {Changes to local area public sector spending and food purchasing in England: a longitudinal ecological study},

author = {Rosemary H Jenkins, Eszter P Vamos, David Taylor-Robinson, Kate E Mason and Anthony A Laverty},

url = {https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/5/1/72},

doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000346},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-03-04},

journal = {BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health },

keywords = {Food, Local authority},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Impact of free access to leisure facilities and community outreach on inequalities in physical activity: a quasi-experimental study},

author = {James Higgerson, Emma Halliday, Aurora Ortiz-Nunez, Richard Brown, Ben Barr.},

doi = {10.1136/jech-2017-209882},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-12},

journal = {Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health},

volume = {72},

number = {3},

abstract = {Background

There are large inequalities in levels of physical activity in the UK, and this is an important determinant of health inequalities. Little is known about the effectiveness of community-wide interventions to increase physical activity and whether effects differ by socioeconomic group.



Methods

We conducted interrupted time series and difference-in-differences analyses using local administrative data and a large national survey to investigate the impact of an intervention providing universal free access to leisure facilities alongside outreach and marketing activities in a deprived local authority area in the northwest of England. Outcomes included attendances at swimming and gym sessions, self-reported participation in gym and swim activity and any physical activity.



Results

The intervention was associated with a 64% increase in attendances at swimming and gym sessions (relative risk 1.64, 95% CI 1.43 to 1.89, P<0.001), an additional 3.9% of the population participating in at least 30 min of moderate-intensity gym or swim sessions during the previous four weeks (95% CI 3.6 to 4.1) and an additional 1.9% of the population participating in any sport or active recreation of at least moderate intensity for at least 30 min on at least 12 days out of the last four weeks (95% CI 1.7 to 2.1). The effect on gym and swim activity and overall levels of participation in physical activity was significantly greater for the more disadvantaged socioeconomic group.



Conclusions

The study suggests that removing user charges from leisure facilities in combination with outreach and marketing activities can increase overall population levels of physical activity while reducing inequalities.},

keywords = {Health inequalities, Inequalities, Leisure facilities, Local authority, Local Government},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{,

title = {Leisure centre entrance charges and physical activity participation in England},

author = {F Ward, E C Halliday, B Barr, J Higgerson, V Holt.},

doi = {10.1093/heapro/dax095},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-12-11},

journal = {Health Promotion International},

abstract = {Reducing or eliminating the cost to the public of using leisure facilities is one tool that local authorities have available to reduce inequalities in physical activity (PA). There is limited evidence about the effect of leisure entrance charges and their impact on participation. This study aimed to ascertain how facility pricing influenced the decisions people made about how to pay and what to pay for and how, in turn, these decisions impacted on participation for different groups. A total of 83 members of the public living in 4 local authorities in the North West of England were involved in focus groups or individual interviews. The results show that cost was a key factor which influenced PA participation in low income neighbourhoods. In practise, however, the majority of service users navigated the range of prices or payment options to find one that was suitable rather than simply reporting whether leisure was affordable or not. Whilst pre-paid options (e.g. direct debit memberships) encouraged participation, entrance charges incurred each time an individual participated had a negative impact on frequency but were a convenient way of paying for occasional use or for people who were unable to afford a pre-paid option. Free access also helped people who could not afford pre-paid membership to exercise regularly as well as incentivizing non-users to try activities. The research concluded that policies that include components of free access and offer more flexible payment options are most likely to contribute to reducing inequalities in PA.},

keywords = {Health inequalities, Inequalities, Leisure facilities, Local authority, Local Government},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}