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Cristina Padez

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Ciência Vitae profile

Research Interests
Childhood obesity
socioeconomic inequalities
gender
sedentary behaviors

Cristina Padez has received her PhD in Biological Anthropology, from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and is currently an Associate Professor with Aggregation at the Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal.  She is also the Coordinator of the Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), University of Coimbra, Portugal. Her areas of interest include childhood obesity, social inequalities, gender, sedentary behaviors, human adaptation, human growth, age at menarche and secular trend in height. She coordinated national projects on childhood obesity in Portugal providing the first prevalence’s in the country. Her focus is specially on the inequalities in childhood obesity related to the past economic, political, and social crises in the country. She is currently interested on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic, and now the indirect effects of the Ukrainian war in child health.  Her research focuses on a biocultural and evolutionary approaches to health and disease.

Teaching

Undergraduate
Human Ecology and Adaptation
Introduction to Medical Anthropology

Pos-graduate
Food, Health and Social Inequalities
Human Adaptation

Main Publications

Rodrigues, D; Machado‐Rodrigues, A.; Gama, A.; Nogueira, H.; Silva, M-R.; Padez, C. 2022 The Portuguese economic crisis is associated with socioeconomic and sex disparities on children’s health‐related behaviors and obesity: A cross‐sectional study. American Journal Human Biology, 34 (12): DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23796

Rodrigues, D; Costa, D.; Gama, A.; Machado‐Rodrigues, A.; Nogueira, H.; Silva, M-R.; Rosado-Marques, V.; Padez, C. 2022 Socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Portuguese preschool‐aged children: Changes from 2009 to 2016. American Journal Human Biology, 34:e23582. DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23582

Zorrilla‐Revilla, G.; Rodrigues, D; Machado‐Rodrigues, A.; Mateos, A.; Rodríguez, J.; Padez, C. 2021 Sex‐specific differences in somatic investment and strategies of physical activity among Portuguese schoolchildren. American Journal Human Biology, 34 (2).  DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23626

Pereira, M.; Padez, C.; Nogueira, H. 2019 Describing studies on childhood obesity determinants by Socio-Ecological Model level: a scoping review to identify gaps and provide guidance for future research. International Journal of Obesity, 43: 1883-1890. DOI: 10.1038/s41366-019-0411-3

Costa, D.; Cunha, M.; Ferreira, C.; Gama, A.; Machado-Rodrigues, A.; Rosado-Marques, V.; Nogueira, H.; Silva, R.; Padez, C. 2020 Self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in Portuguese primary school-aged children BMC Psychiatry, 20. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02498-z

Ezzati, M.; Bentham, J.; Di Cesare, M.; et al. Padez. C. 2017. Worldwide trends in children’s and adolescents’ body mass index, underweight, overweight and obesity, in comparison with adults, from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2,416 population-based measurements studies with 128.9 million participants. Lancet, Vol. 390 (10113): 2627-2642. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32129-3.

Research Projects

PAS GRAS – DE-RISKING METABOLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DETERMINANTS OF OBESITY IN CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS.
Principal Investigator: Paulo Oliveira
Duration: 2023-2028
HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-01-05.

SCREENHEALTH – Screen Media Use Trajectories, Inequalities, and Long-Term Effects on Children’s Obesity and Mental Health
Principal Investigator: Daniela Rodrigues
Duration: 2023-2026
Sponsor: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

Inequalities in childhood obesity: the impact of the socioeconomic crisis in Portugal from 2009 to 2015
Principal Investigator: Cristina Padez
2016-2020
Sponsor: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia PTDC/DTP-SAP/1520/2014
PT Publicações