Dr Jenny Veitch is a National Heart Foundation of Australia funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (C-PAN), within the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. She works part-time at 0.6 (EFT) and currently holds a four year fellowship (2009-2012). Dr Veitch is an active researcher in understanding and influencing physical activity and sedentary behaviour in populations, in particular children and families.
Dr Veitch’s postdoctoral research involves investigating how the neighbourhood social and physical environment is associated with children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour and overweight and obesity. She has a particular research focus on the neighbourhood physical environment and how features and design of places such as public open spaces may promote opportunities for physical activity. Her recent research has involved qualitative studies with children and families who have demonstrated “resilience” to unhealthy behaviours, as well as quantitative studies including observational studies, park audits, and a natural experiment involving a local neighbourhood park.
Awards and prizes
Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Influences of the neighbourhood physical and
social environment on children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and overweight and obesity.
(2009-2012).
Heart Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship. An investigation of the influences on children’s active
free-play. (2006-2007).
Winner, Sport and Recreation Victoria, Research Award, October 2008
Winner, Australian Council for Health Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) Doctoral Award of Distinction for the Most Outstanding Research, May 2008.
Parks Victoria Research Partners Conference Prize for excellent research to assist Parks Victoria, November 2007.
Memberships
International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Australasian Society of Behavioural Health and Medicine
Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society
Service to the University, discipline or community
Reviewer of International Research Grants and manuscripts.
Member of local organising committee for the International Society for Behavioural
Nutrition and Physical Activity 2011 Annual Meeting.
Conference chair at national and international conferences.
Reviewer of abstracts for national and international conferences.
Conferences
Veitch J, Ball K, Abbott, Crawford D, Salmon J. 2011. ‘Neighbourhood parks and physical activity; a natural experiment’ (oral presentation). International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Melbourne, Australia.
Veitch J, Hume C, Ball K, Crawford D, Salmon J. 2011. ‘What helps children to be active? A qualitative exploration of resilience among children’ (oral presentation). International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Melbourne, Australia.
Veitch J, Timperio A, Crawford D, Abbott G, Giles-Corti B, Salmon J. 2011. ‘Is the neighbourhood environment associated with sedentary behaviour outside of school hours among children?’ (oral presentation). Heart Foundation Conference - Heart to Heart: from Access to Action, Melbourne, Australia.
Veitch J, Salmon J, Timperio, A, Crawford D, Abbott G, Giles-Corti B. 2010. ‘Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between the neighbourhood environment and sedentary behaviours among children’ (oral presentation). The Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Sydney, Australia.
Veitch J, Salmon J, Timperio A, Crawford D, Abbott G, Giles-Corti B. 2010. ‘Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between the neighbourhood environment and sedentary behaviours among children: the CLAN study’ (oral presentation). International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Minneapolis, US.
Veitch J, Salmon J, Ball K. 2010. ‘Associations between features of local parks and playgrounds and children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour and overweight and obesity’ (oral presentation). Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress, Melbourne, Australia.
Veitch J, Salmon J, Ball K. 2008. ‘Children’s use of outdoor spaces for active free-play’ (oral presentation). International Congress of Behavioural Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Veitch J, Salmon J, Ball K. 2007. ‘An investigation of children’s perceptions relating to the use of parks/playgrounds for active free-play’ (oral presentation). Parks Victoria Research Partners Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
Veitch J, Salmon J, Ball K. 2006. “Where do children play? A behavioural mapping study of children’s active free-play’ (oral presentation). International Congress of Behavioural Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand.
Veitch J, Salmon J, Ball K. 2006. ‘Where do children play? A behavioural mapping study of children’s active free-play’ (oral presentation). 7th International Conference on Walking and Liveable Communities, Melbourne, Australia.
