Health & Human Performance

Biographical Details:

Dr. Woods is currently Head of the School of Health and Human Performance in Dublin City University. She is a senior lecturer in exercise psychology and physical activity for health. Her research interests include active living and the built environment, clinical and community interventions to promote physical activity, and developing the Policy Agenda. Catherine is currently advising the Health Services Executive on developing a physical activity plan for Ireland, and she recently consulted with WHO-Europe on establishing guidelines for the design of residential neighbourhoods in order to combat the obesity epidemic. She has four postgraduate research students, and has published three book chapters; numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, and presented her work at international and national conferences.

Research Interests:

1. Social ecological approach to understanding walkability in the Greater Dublin Area. 2. Determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and youth. 3. Design and evaluation of evidence-based interventions to promote and support health enhancing physical activity in clinical and general populations. 4. Physical activity policy evaluation and development.

Selected Peer Reviewed Journals

• Coulter, M. and Woods, C.B. 2012. Primary physical education teacher's experiences of a professional development programme. Irish Educational Studies, 31, 3, pp329-344.
• Martin, A. and Woods, C.B. 2012. What sustains longterm adherence to structured physical activity following a cardia event?. Journal Of Aging And Physical Activity, 20,, pp135-147.
• Woods, A. and Woods, C.B. 2012. An exploration of the perspectives of elite Irish rowers on the role of the Sports Physiotherapist. Physical Therapy In Sport, 13, 1, pp16-21.
• Woods, C.B. and Mutrie, N. 2012. Putting physical activity on the policy agenda. Quest, 64, 2, pp92-104.
• Woods, C.B., Tannehill, D. and Walsh J. 2012. An examination of the relationship between enjoyment, physical education, physical activity and health in Irish adolescents. Irish Educational Studies, 31, 3, pp263-280.
• Coulter, M. and Woods, C.B. 2011. An exploration of children¿s perceptions and enjoyment of school-based physical activity and physical education. Journal Of Physical Activity And Health, 8, 15, pp645-654.
• Dunning, C., Meegan, S., Woods, C. and Belton, S. 2011. The impact of the COPET programme on student PE teachers' teaching practice experience. European Physical Education Review, 1, 2, pp153-166.
• Belton, S., Meegan, S., Brady, P. and Woods C. 2010. Step count and BMI of Irish Primary School Children. Preventive Medicine, 50, 4, pp189-192.
• Belton, S., Woods, C., Dunning, C. and Meegan S. 2010. COPET: The evaluation of a cooperating physical education teachers programme. European Physical Education Review, 16, 2, pp141-154.
• Nelson, N. M., & Woods, C. B. 2010. Neighborhood Perceptions and Active Commuting to School Among Adolescent Boys and Girls. Journal Of Physical Activity And Health, 7, 2, pp257-266.
• Nelson, N.M. and Woods, C.B. 2009. Obsogenic environments: Are neighbourhoods that limit physical activity obesogenic?. Health & Place, 15, , pp915-924.
• Woods, C.B., Nelson, N., Foley, E., O¿Gorman, D. and Moyna, N. 2009. The Take PART Study: Rationale and Methodology. Journal Of Physical Activity And Health, 6, 2, pp170-177.
• Woods, C.B. and Moynihan, A. 2009. General practitioners knowledge, practice and training requirements in relation to doping in sport. Irish Medical Journal, 102, 1, pp8-10.
• Burgoyne, LN, Woods, C.B., Coleman, R. and Perry,. 2008. Neighbourhood perceptions of physical activity: a qualitative study. Bmc Public Health, 8, 101, pp101-134.
• Nelson, N., Moyna, N., Foley, E., O¿Gorman D. and Woods, C.B. 2008. How far is too far? A study of distance and its role in active commuting to school in youth. International Journal Of Behavioral Nutrition And Physical Activity, 5, 1, pp1-9.
• Woods, C.B. 2007. Applied Exercise Psychology - A practitioner¿s guide to improving client health and fitness: A review. 3, 2, pp54-59.
• Nelson, N. and Woods C. 2007. Engineering children's physical activity: 'make active choices easy'. Proceedings Of The Ice - Municipal Engineer, 160, 2, pp103-109.
• Woods, C.B., Mutrie, N. and Scott, M. 2002. A transtheoretical model based intervention to help sedentary young adults become active. Health Education Research, 17, 4, pp451-460.
• Mutrie, N, Woods, C, Lowther, M. Blamey, A, Loughlan, C. 2000. The Newcastle exercise project. Key messages are misleading and the conclusions are not evidence based. British Medical Journal (bmj), 320, , pp1470-.

Selected Books

• Walsh, J., Tannehill, D. and Woods, C.B. The Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study (CSSPA): Volunteer Study, 2011.
• Woods, C.B., Tannehill, D., Quinlan, A., Moyna, N. and Walsh, J. The Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study (CSPPA Study), 2010.

Selected Chapters

• Woods, C.B. 2006. Benefits of Exercise. Oxford Handbook of Sport & Exercise Medicine, pp85-104.
• Mutrie, N. & Woods, C. B. 2003. How can we get people to become more active? A problem waiting to be solved. Perspectives on Health and Exercise, pp129-152.

Reviews

• Woods, C.B. 2007. Applied Exercise Psychology - A practitioner¿s guide to improving client health and fitness: A review. 3, pp54-59.

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• Woods, C.B., Meegan, S. and Belton, S., The value of theory in promoting physical activity to young children: A practical example., The British Psychological Society - Northern Ireland Branch, 10-MAY-12 - 13-MAY-12, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
• Martin, A. and Woods, CB, An examination of how a peer mentoring intervention effects adherence to a community-based cardiac rehabilitation programme? Preliminary Findings., Ageing Globally - Ageing Locally: Planning All Our Futures, 02-NOV-11 - 03-NOV-11, Dublin, Ireland
• Woods, CB, Zizzi, S., Biddle, S., Hagger, M. and Nigg, C., , The 13th European Congress on Sports Psychology, 12-JUL-11 - 17-JUL-11, Madiera, Portugal
• Woods, CB, , In: Ann MacPhail, Deborah Tannehill, Mary O'Sullivan ed.AIESEP 2011 International Conference, 22-JUN-11 - 25-JUN-11, Limerick, Ireland
• Woods, CB, Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and prevention of chronic disease, Psychology, Health and Medicine Conference, 04-APR-11 - 04-APR-11, Galway, Ireland
• Nelson, N. M. & Woods, C.B, Physical activity for health in adolescents: how many days is enough?, International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, 17-JUN-09 - 19-JUN-09, Lisbon, Portugal
• Woods, C.B., Belton, S., Brady, P. and Meegan, S., An Evaluation of the PE-ASAP project, PE PAYS Research Forum, 12-JUN-08 - 13-JUN-08, Limerick, Ireland
• Woods, C.B., Norah M. Nelson; Eimear Foley; Donal J. O¿Gorman; Niall M. Moyna., Active commuting to school: how far is too far?, PE PAYS Research Forum, 12-JUN-08 - 13-JUN-08, Limerick, Ireland
• Belton, S, Meegan, S. and Woods, C.B., COPET: Co-operating Teachers Physical Education Project., PE PAYS Research Forum, 12-JUN-08 - 13-JUN-08, Limerick, Ireland
• Nelson, N. and Woods, C.B., Understanding the physical environment: evaluation and development of the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) for use with Irish adolescents., International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, 20-MAY-08 - 24-MAY-08, Banff, Canada
• Nelson, N. and Woods, C.B., Environmental perceptions and their impact on walking and cycling to School, Active Living Research Conference, 08-MAY-08 - 12-MAY-08, Washington, DC, USA
• Nelson, N. and Woods, C.B, An evaluation of the NEWS, International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health, 13-APR-08 - 17-APR-08, Amsterdam, Holland
• Coulter, M. and Woods, C.B, Primary PE ¿ An Irish Case Study, AIESEP World Congress, 15-JAN-08 - 19-JAN-08, Saporo, Japan
• Coulter, M., Claire Ni Bhrian and Woods, C.B, An examination of activity levels of primary school pupils during a PE specialist taught Outdoor and Adventure Strand of the PE curriculum, AIESEP World Congress, 15-JAN-08 - 19-JAN-08, Saporo, Japan
• Woods, C.B., McGreevy, F., McGinn, V., Tuite, O. and Coulter, M., An examination of the relationship between gender and free-play physical activity levels of children in the school playground, AIESEP World Congress, 15-JAN-08 - 19-JAN-08, Saporo, Japan
• Woods, C.B., Nelson, N., Foley, E., O¿Gorman, D. and Moyna, N., The benefits of Active Commuting to School, AIESEP World Congress, 15-JAN-08 - 19-JAN-08, Saporo, Japan
• Nelson, N. M. & Woods, C.B., Neighbourhood environments that hinder physical activity are obesogenic, Royal Geographical Society-IBG Annual International Conference, 01-AUG-07 - 03-AUG-07, London, England
• Woods, CB; Mutrie, N and Scott, M., A gender analysis of the processes and stages of change components of the TTM in physical activity, 10th World Congress of Sport Psychology, 2001, 02-JUN-01 - 08-JUN-01, Skiathos, Greece
• Woods, CB and McKenna, J., Promoting Activity in HE/FE - the latest research, British Universities and Colleges Physical Education Association, 01-APR-01 - 05-APR-01, Glasgow, Scotland
• Woods, CB; Mutrie, N. and Scott, M., Physical activity, healthy eating and smoking cessation - Is there a common link?, The British Psychological Society, Centenary Annual Conference, 2001, 29-MAR-01 - 31-MAR-01, Glasgow, Scotland
• Woods, C.B., Mutrie, N., Scott, P and Simpson, C., An examination of the relationship between physical activity stage of change and body weight in young men and women, British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, 09-JAN-01 - 09-SEP-01, Wales
• Woods, C, The promotion of physical activity and health in Ireland, BASES, 09-JAN-01 - 09-SEP-01, Wales
• Woods, C.B. and Mutrie, N, "Fitness freaks" and "crazy gym-people": A qualitative and quantitative study on the strategies that young people suggest help in the adoption and maintenance of an active lifestyle, British Association of Sport and Exercise Science, 01-SEP-00 - 08-SEP-00, Liverpool
• Woods, C.B., Mutrie, N. & Scott, M., From inactivity to activity: A study of exercise behaviour change in 16-24 year olds., British Association of Sport and Exercise Science, 03-SEP-99 - 08-SEP-99,
• Woods, C.B., Mutrie, N. and Scott, M., More Students, More Active, More Often: Exercise Behaviour Change in a Student Population., British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, 09-JAN-98 - 09-AUG-98, England