prof.dr.ir. AJ (Jantine) Schuit

Biography

Professor Jantine Schuit is senior scientist in the field of health behavior and health promotion. Promotion of health is challenging because many factors outside the realm of the health sector itself have impact on health and behavior, e.g. social and community networks, living and working conditions and the general socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions. Acknowledging this, unhealthy lifestyles can only be addressed when there is understanding of the broader context. Single interventions are not sufficient and therefore health promotion should combine (individual or community based) behavioral interventions with upstream policies that shape living circumstances that affect health and health behavior. The research of Jantine Schuit focusses on the contribution and/or effectiveness of behavioral interventions, environmental interventions and upstream policy measures on health and health behavior.  Examples are the contribution of social and built environments of neighborhoods on the physical activity level of children; effectiveness of food polices and pricing policies on a healthy diet and the impact of transport policies on active behavior.  In her research she pays special attention to people in lower socio-economic position.

Furthermore her research includes effectiveness of intersectoral approaches, such as health in all policies (HiAP), or ?whole of government approaches, in which different policy sectors work together on health in a coordinated manner. She is also interested in asset based approaches and community participation in which citizens are more involved in defining the health issues, and identifying their determinants and solutions. Apart from effectiveness studies she also investigates the feasibility of these interventions and policies and she works on new developments in methodology for evaluation. Finally her expertise covers the translation of scientific evidence into effective public policy and practice.

Key words 

• Effectiveness of health promotion
• Feasibility
• Health in all Polices
• Community based interventions
• Translation of research into policy and practice
• Social determinant of health and health behavior
• Citizen science and participation
• Methodology of evaluation