Rob is a Reader in Health and Education in the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing. He joined the University of Bolton in 2022 having previously worked at the University of Liverpool, Edge Hill University and Liverpool John Moores University. He has experience teaching across a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses spanning psychology, sport and exercise science and physical education.

Rob graduated with a BA (Hons) in Sport Development with Inclusion in 2013 and was awarded his PhD entitled: An investigation into children’s out-of-school physical activity, from Liverpool John Moores University in 2017. His PhD was awarded the Professor Tom Reilly Doctoral Dissertation of the Year Award by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Rob’s research relates primarily to the environmental and behavioural determinants of health. Specific research interests include physical activity promotion, wellbeing and health inequalities. Much of his recent work has focused on socioeconomic inequalities in childhood obesity with a specific focus on disparities in activity and healthy eating due to obesogenic environments. He is also very much interested in qualitative methodologies and has developed and used a range of child-centred methodologies including drawings, photography and digital apps.

Publications and Research:
Peer-reviewed journal articles

1. Bhandel, J., & Noonan, R. J. (2022). Motivations, perceptions and experiences of cycling for transport: A photovoice study. Journal of Transport & Health 25, 101341.

2. Cox, A., Noonan, R. J., & Fairclough, S. J. (2022). PE Teachers’ Perceived Expertise and Professional Development Requirements in the Delivery of Muscular Fitness Activity: PE Teacher EmPOWERment Survey. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 0(0), 1-17.

3. Cox, A., Noonan, R., & Fairclough, S. J. (2022). The Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online CPD Programme to Enhance PE Teachers’ Knowledge of Muscular Fitness Activity. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 19, 12132.

4. Fairclough, S. J., Hurter, L., Dumuid, D., Gába, A., Rowlands, A. V., del Pozo Cruz, B., Cox, A., Crotti, M., Foweather, L., Graves, L. E. F., Jones, O., McCann, D., Noonan, R. J., Owen, M., Rudd, J., Taylor, S. L., Tyler, R., & Boddy, L. M. (2022). The physical behaviour intensity spectrum and body mass index in school-aged youth: a compositional analysis of pooled individual participant data. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 8778.

5. Noonan, R. J. (2022). The influence of adolescent sport participation on body mass index tracking and the association between body mass index and self-esteem over a three-year period. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 19, 15579.

6. Atkin, A. J., Dainty, J. R., Dumuid, D., Kontostoli, E., Shepstone, L., Tyler, R., Noonan, R. J., Richardson, C., & Fairclough, S. J. (2021). Adolescent time-use and mental health: A cross-sectional, compositional analysis in the Millennium Cohort Study. BMJ Open, 11, e047189.

7. Cox, A., Fairclough, S. J., & Noonan, R. J. (2021). “It’s just not something we do at school”. Adolescent boys’ understanding, perceptions, and experiences of muscular fitness activity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 4923.

8. Noonan, R. J. (2021). Family income matters! Tracking of habitual car use for school journeys and associations with overweight/obesity in UK youth. Journal of Transport & Health, 20, 100979.

9. Cox, A., Fairclough, S. J., Kosteli, M. C., & Noonan, R. J. (2020). Efficacy of school-based interventions for improving muscular fitness outcomes in adolescent boys: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 50, 543–560.

10. Harrison, R., Van Hout, M. C., Cochrane, M., Eckley, L., Noonan, R. J, Timpson, H., & Sumnall, H. (2020). Experiences of sustainable abstinence-based recovery: an exploratory study of three recovery communities (RC) in England. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 18, 640–657.

11. Noonan, R. J. (2020). To what extent do unhealthy behaviour indicators explain the neighbourhood deprivation gradient in overweight among 11-year-old English children? SSM - Population Health, 10, 100541.

12. Robinson, R., Boyland, E., Chisholm, A., Harrold, J., Maloney, N., Marty, L., Mead, B., Noonan, R. J, & Hardman, C. (2020). Obesity, eating behavior and physical activity during COVID-19 lockdown: A study of UK adults. Appetite, 156, 104853.

13. Boddy, L. M., Noonan, R. J., Rowlands, A. V., Hurter, L., Knowles, Z. R., & Fairclough, S. J. (2019). Backward compatibility of sedentary time estimates derived from wrist worn GENEActiv accelerometers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22, 814–820.

14. Fairclough, S. J., Christian, D. L., Saint-Maurice, P. F., Hibbing, P., Noonan, R. J., Welk, G. J., Dixon, P., & Boddy, L. M. (2019). Calibration and validation of the Youth Activity Profile as a physical activity and sedentary behaviour surveillance tool for English youth. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 3711.

15. Fairclough, S. J., Taylor, S. L., Rowlands, A. V., Boddy, L. M., & Noonan, R. J. (2019). Average acceleration and intensity gradient of primary school children and associations with indicators of health and wellbeing. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37 (18), 2159-2167.

16. Noonan, R. J. (2019). The effect of childhood deprivation on weight status and mental health in childhood and adolescence: longitudinal findings from the Millennium Cohort Study. Journal of Public Health, 41(3), 456-461.

17. Noonan, R. J., Christian, D., Boddy, L. M., Saint-Maurice, P. F., Welk, G. J., Hibbing, P. R., & Fairclough, S. J. (2019). Accelerometer and self-reported measures of sedentary behaviour and associations with adiposity in UK youth. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(16), 1919-1925.

18. Noonan, R. J., Boddy, L. M., Knowles, Z. R., & Fairclough, S. J. (2019). Predisposing, reinforcing and enabling factors for physical activity in boys and girls from socially disadvantaged communities. Health Education Journal, 78(2), 149-162.

19. Owen, M, B., Kerner, C., Newson, L., Noonan, R. J., Curry, W. B., Kosteli, M. C., & Fairclough, S. J. (2019). An exploration study to investigate adolescent girls’ perceptions and experiences of school-based physical activity. Journal of School Health, 89(9), 730-738.

20. Boddy, L. M., Noonan, R. J., Kim, Y., Rowlands, A. V., Welk, G. J., Knowles, Z. R., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). Comparability of children’s sedentary time estimates derived from wrist worn GENEActiv and hip worn ActiGraph accelerometer thresholds. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21, 1045–1049.

21. Brazendale, K., Beets, M. W., Rowlands, A. V., Chandler J. L., Fairclough S. J., Boddy L. M., Olds, T. S., Parfitt, G., Noonan R. J., Downs S. J., & Cliff D. P. (2018). Converting between estimates of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity derived from raw accelerations measured at the wrist and from ActiGraph counts measured at the hip: The Rosetta Stone. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(22), 2603-260.

22. Noonan, R. J. (2018). Prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in Liverpool between 2006 and 2012: evidence of widening socioeconomic inequalities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 2612.

23. Noonan, R. J. (2018). Poverty, weight status and dietary intake among UK adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 1224.

24. Noonan, R. J., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). Social disadvantage, maternal psychological distress and difficulties in children’s social-emotional well-being. Behavioral Sciences, 8, 103.

25. Noonan, R. J., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). Cross-sectional associations between body mass index and social-emotional wellbeing among differentially active children. European Journal of Public Health, 29(2), 303–307.

26. Noonan, R. J., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). Is there a deprivation and maternal education gradient to child obesity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity? Findings from the Millennium Cohort Study. Pediatric Obesity, 13(7), 458-464.

27. Owen, M. B., Kerner, C., Taylor, S. L., Noonan, R. J., Newson, L., Kosteli, M. C., Curry, W. B., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). The feasibility and acceptability of the girls peer activity (G-PACT) peer-led mentoring intervention. Children, 5, 9.

28. Owen, M, B., Kerner, C., Taylor, S. L., Noonan, R. J., Newson, L., Kosteli, M. C., Curry, W. B., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). The feasibility of a novel school peer-led mentoring model to improve the physical activity levels and sedentary time of adolescent girls: The girls’ peer activity (G-PACT) project. Children, 5, 67.

29. Taylor, S. L., Noonan, R. J., Knowles, Z. R., McGrane, B., Curry, W., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). Acceptability and feasibility of single-component primary school physical activity interventions to inform the AS:Sk Project. Children, 5, 171.

30. Taylor, S. L., Noonan, R. J., Knowles, Z. R., Owen, M. B., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). Process evaluation of a pilot multi-component physical activity intervention - Active Schools: Skelmersdale. BMC Public Health, 18, 1383.

31. Taylor, S. L., Noonan, R. J., Knowles, Z. R., Owen, M. B., McGrane, B., Curry, W. B., & Fairclough, S. J. (2018). Evaluation of a pilot school-based physical activity clustered randomised controlled trial—Active Schools: Skelmersdale. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 1011.

32. Noonan, R. J., Boddy, L. M., Knowles, Z. R., & Fairclough, S. J. (2017). Fitness, fatness and active school commuting among Liverpool Schoolchildren. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 995.

33. Noonan, R. J., Fairclough, S. J., Knowles, Z. R., & Boddy, L. M. (2017). One size does not fit all: Contextualising family physical activity using a write, draw, show and tell approach. Children, 4, 59.

34. Noonan, R. J., Fairclough, S. J., Knowles, Z. R., & Boddy, L. M. (2017). Context matters! Sources of variability in weekend physical activity among families: A repeated measures study. BMC Public Health, 17, 330.

35. Noonan, R. J., Boddy, L. M., Kim, Y., Knowles, Z. R., & Fairclough, S. J. (2017). Comparison of children’s free-living physical activity derived from wrist and hip raw accelerations during the segmented week. Journal of Sport Sciences, 35(21), 2067-2072.

36. Noonan, R. J., Boddy, L. M., Fairclough, S. J. & Knowles, Z. R. (2017). Parental perceptions on children’s out-of-school physical activity and family-based physical activity interventions. Early Child Development and Care, 187(12), 1909-1924.

37. Rowlands, A. V., Cliff, D., Fairclough, S. J., Boddy, L. M., Olds, T. S., Parfitt, G., Noonan, R. J., Downs, S. J., Knowles, Z. R., & Beets, M. (2016). Moving forward with backwards compatibility: Translating wrist accelerometer data. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(11), 2142–2149.

38. Taylor, S. L., Curry, W. B., Knowles, Z. R., Noonan, R. J., McGrane, B., & Fairclough, S. J. (2017). Predictors of segmented school day physical activity and sedentary time in children from a northwest England low-income community. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 534.

39. Fairclough, S. J., Noonan, R. J., Rowlands, A. V., van Hees, V., Knowles, Z., & Boddy, L. M. (2016). Wear compliance and activity in children wearing wrist- and hip-mounted accelerometers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(2), 245–253.

40. Noonan, R. J., Boddy, L. M., Fairclough, S. J., & Knowles, Z. R. (2016). Write, draw, show, and tell: A child-centred dual methodology to explore perceptions of out-of-school physical activity. BMC Public Health, 16:326.

41. Noonan, R. J., Boddy, L. M., Knowles, Z. R., & Fairclough, S. J. (2016). Cross-sectional associations between high-deprivation home and neighbourhood environments, and health-related variables among Liverpool children. BMJ Open, 6:e008693.

Book chapters
1. Fairclough, S. J., & Noonan, R. J. (2020). Chapter 12: Introduction to physical activity measurement. In Brusseau, T. A. Fairclough, S. J. & Lubans, D. R. (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Youth Physical Activity. London: Routledge.

2. Fairclough, S. J., Noonan, R. J., & Curry, W. (2018). Chapter 6: Measuring physical activity behaviours and outcomes in children and adults. In Draper N. & Stratton, G. (Eds). Physical Activity Promotion: A multidisciplinary introduction. London: Routledge.