Biography
Elaine Murtagh is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences. Elaine was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Physical Education) and a PhD from Ulster University. She also holds a Specialist Diploma in Teaching, Learning & Scholarship from the University of Limerick.
Elaine joined UL in March 2020. Prior to this appointment she was a lecturer in Physical Education at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick from 2008. Elaine also held the post of Athena SWAN Project Director at MIC and led the College's successful application for a Bronze Institutional award.
Elaine is currently Co-Chair of the World Health Organisations HEPA Europe (European network for the promotion of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity) working group on children and young people. From 2014-2017 Elaine served as Co-Director of PEPAYS Ireland, a national research centre examining issues relating to Physical Education, Physical Activity and Youth Sport across the lifespan.
Research Interests
Elaine Murtaghs research interests are in physical activity and physical education. Her work focuses on developing and evaluating programmes to enhance physical activity opportunities for children and adults. She also examines the effect of physical activity on health. Elaine has co-authored approx 50 peer-reviewed journal articles to date.
Current projects include:
- Learning in Motion: embedding gender-responsive, play-based pedagogies in teacher education in Palestine
- Development of a National Statement on Physical Literacy
- Moving to Learn Ireland Practitioner Forum: A forum for teachers to engage with and share practice of a movement integration programme for primary school children
- Supporting Our Lifelong Engagement: Mothers and Teens Exercising (SOLE MATES)
Research Collaborators
- Prof Marie Murphy - International Collaboration Type - University of Ulster -Northern Ireland -.
- Dr Sarahjane Belton - Joint Publication - Dublin City University
- Prof Charlie Foster - Joint Publication - University of Bristol -England
- Prof Philip Morgan - University of Newcastle -Australia
- Dr Karen Milton - University of East Anglia -England
- Dr Rosemarie Martin
- Dr Richard Bowles
- Dr Wesley O'Brien - University College Cork
- Dr Jaimie McMullen - University of Northern Colorado
Publications
Other Journal
The Way That You Do It: An Exploratory Study Investigating a Process- versus Outcome-Oriented Approach to School-Based Physical Activity Promotion
McGann, J; Meegan, S; Murtagh, E; Duff, C; Belton S
Advances in Physical Education
DOI: 10.4236/ape.2020.103022
Other Publication
Adolescent Girls’ Perceptions of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies
Corr M.;McSharry J.;Murtagh E.
American Journal Of Health Promotion
DOI: 10.1177/0890117118818747
Peer Reviewed Journal
The Influence of Role Models on the Sedentary Behaviour Patterns of Primary School-Aged Children and Associations with Psychosocial Aspects of Health
Hegarty L.;Murphy M.H.;Kirby K.;Murtagh E.;Mallett J.;Mair J.L.
International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155345
Interventions outside the workplace for reducing sedentary behaviour in adults under 60 years of age.
Murtagh EM;Murphy MH;Milton K;Roberts NW;O'Gorman CS;Foster C;
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012554.pub2
Global Matrix 3.0 physical activity report card for children and youth: a comparison across Europe.
Coppinger T;Milton K;Murtagh E;Harrington D;Johansen D;Seghers J;Skovgaard T; ;Chalkley A;
Journal Of Public Health
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.07.025
Supporting Our Lifelong Engagement: Mothers and Teens Exercising (SOLE MATES); a feasibility trial
Corr M.;McMullen J.;Morgan P.;Barnes A.;Murtagh E.
Women & Health
DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2019.1688446
Attaining the Active School Flag: how physical activity provision can be enhanced in Irish primary schools
Bowles R, Ní Chróinín D, Murtagh EM.
European Physical Education Review
‘No one ever asked us’: a feasibility study assessing the co-creation of a physical activity programme with adolescent girls
Corr M.;Murtagh E.
Global Health Promotion
DOI: 10.1177/1757975919853784
Adolescent Girls' Perceptions of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies.
Corr M;McSharry J;Murtagh EM;
American Journal Of Health Promotion : Ajhp
DOI: 10.1177/0890117118818747
The Effects of Continuous Compared to Accumulated Exercise on Health: A Meta-Analytic Review.
Murphy MH;Lahart I;Carlin A;Murtagh E;
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
DOI: 10.1007/s40279-019-01145-2
Effectiveness of mother and daughter interventions targeting physical activity, fitness, nutrition and adiposity: A systematic review.
Barnes AT;Young MD;Murtagh EM;Collins CE;Plotnikoff RC;Morgan PJ;
Preventive Medicine
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.12.033
Self-rated walking pace and all-cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality: individual participant pooled analysis of 50 225 walkers from 11 population British cohorts
Stamatakis, E;Kelly, P;Strain, T;Murtagh, EM;Ding, D;Murphy, MH
British journal of sports medicine
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-098677
Mothers and teenage daughters walking to health: using the behaviour change wheel to develop an intervention to improve adolescent girls' physical activity
Murtagh, EM;Barnes, AT;McMullen, J;Morgan, PJ
Journal Of Public Health
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.01.012
Associations between metabolic syndrome components and markers of inflammation in Welsh school children
Thomas, NE,Rowe, DA,Murtagh, EM,Stephens, JW,Williams, R
European Journal Of Pediatrics
DOI: 10.1007/s00431-017-3065-y
What works to promote walking at the population level? A systematic review.
Foster C;Kelly P;Reid HAB;Roberts N;Murtagh EM;Humphreys DK;Panter J;Milton K;
British journal of sports medicine
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-098953
Effects of frequency, intensity, duration and volume of walking interventions on CVD risk factors: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis of randomised controlled trials among inactive healthy adults
Oja, P;Kelly, P;Murtagh, EM;Murphy, MH;Foster, C;Titze, S
British journal of sports medicine
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-098558
Active Classrooms: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effects of a Movement Integration Intervention on the Physical Activity Levels of Primary School Children
Martin, R,Murtagh, E
Journal Of Physical Activity & Health
DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2016-0358
Sedentary Behavior Research Network (SBRN) - Terminology Consensus Project process and outcome
Tremblay M.;Aubert S.;Barnes J.;Saunders T.;Carson V.;Latimer-Cheung A.;Chastin S.;Altenburg T.;Chinapaw M.;Aminian S.;Arundell L.;Hinkley T.;Hnatiuk J.;Atkin A.;Belanger K.;Chaput J.;Gunnell K.;Larouche R.;Manyanga T.;Gibbs B.;Bassett-Gunter R.;Biddle S.;Biswas A.;Chau J.;Colley R.;Coppinger T.;Craven C.;Cristi-Montero C.;de Assis Teles Santos D.;del Pozo Cruz B.;del Pozo-Cruz J.;Dempsey P.;do Carmo Santos Gonçalves R.;Ekelund U.;Ellingson L.;Ezeugwu V.;Fitzsimons C.;Florez-Pregonero A.;Friel C.;Fröberg A.;Giangregorio L.;Godin L.;Halloway S.;Husu P.;Kadir M.;Karagounis L.;Koster A.;Lakerveld J.;Lamb M.;LeBlanc A.;Lee E.;Lee P.;Lopes L.;Manns T.;Ginis K.;McVeigh J.;Meneguci J.;Moreira C.;Murtagh E.;Patterson F.;da Silva D.;Pesola A.;Peterson N.;Pettitt C.;Pilutti L.;Pereira S.;Poitras V.;Prince S.;Rathod A.;Rivière F.;Rosenkranz S.;Routhier F.;Santos R.;Smith B.;Theou O.;Tomasone J.;Tucker P.;Meyer R.;van der Ploeg H.;Villalobos T.;Viren T.
The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity
DOI: 10.1186/s12966-017-0525-8
Involvement of Fathers in Pediatric Obesity Treatment and Prevention Trials: A Systematic Review.
Morgan PJ;Young MD;Lloyd AB;Wang ML;Eather N;Miller A;Murtagh EM;Barnes AT;Pagoto SL;
The Journal of pediatrics
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-2635
Interventions outside the workplace for reducing sedentary behaviour in adults under 60
Murtagh E.;Murphy M.;Foster C.;Milton K.;Roberts N.;O'Gorman C.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012554
Teachers' and students' perspectives of participating in the 'Active Classrooms' movement integration programme
Martin, R,Murtagh, EM
Teaching And Teacher Education
DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2017.01.002
Effect of Active Lessons on Physical Activity, Academic, and Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Martin R.;Murtagh E.
Research Quarterly For Exercise And Sport
DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2017.1294244
School-based Interventions to Reduce Sedentary Behaviour in Children: A Systematic Review.
Hegarty LM;Mair JL;Kirby K;Murtagh E;Murphy MH;
Aims Public Health
DOI: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.3.520
The effect of a classroomactivity break on physical activity levels and adiposity in primary school children
Drummy, C,Murtagh, EM,McKee, DP,Breslin, G,Davison, GW,Murphy, MH
Journal Of Paediatrics And Child Health
DOI: 10.1111/jpc.13182
Determinants of uptake and maintenance of active commuting to school
Murtagh, EM,Dempster, M,Murphy, MH
Health & Place
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.04.009
Moving to learn Ireland - Classroom teachers' experiences of movement integration
McMullen, JM,Martin, R,Jones, J,Murtagh, EM
Teaching And Teacher Education
DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2016.08.019
Preliminary findings of Active Classrooms: An intervention to increase physical activity levels of primary school children during class time
Martin, R,Murtagh, EM
Teaching And Teacher Education
DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2015.09.007
An intervention to improve the physical activity levels of children: Design and rationale of the 'Active Classrooms' cluster randomised controlled trial
Martin, R,Murtagh, EM
Contemporary Clinical Trials
DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2015.01.019
The effect of walking on risk factors for cardiovascular disease: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised control trials.
Murtagh EM;Nichols L;Mohammed MA;Holder R;Nevill AM;Murphy MH;
Preventive Medicine
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.12.041
Psychosocial factors related to childrens active school travel: A comparison of two European regions
McMinn, D; Rowe, DA; Murtagh, S; Nelson, NM; Čuk, I; Atiković, A; Peček, M; Breslin, G; Murtagh, EM; Murphy, MH
International Journal Of Exercise Science
In their shoes: exploring a modified approach to peer observation of teaching in a University setting
Kenny, A. D. Ní Chróinín, E. Mitchell, E. Vaughan & E. Murtagh
Innovations In Education And Teaching International
DOI: 10.1080/14703297.2013.771971
How can pre-service primary teachers' perspectives contribute to a pedagogy that problematises the 'practical' in teacher education?
Ní Chróinín D.;Mitchell E.;Kenny A.;Murtagh E.;Vaughan E.
Irish Educational Studies
DOI: 10.1080/03323315.2013.798524
Bizzy break! the effect of a classroom-based activity break on in-school physical activity levels of primary school children
Murtagh E.;Mulvihill M.;Markey O.
Pediatric Exercise Science
DOI: 10.1123/pes.25.2.300
Seasonal and annual variation in young children's physical activity
McKee D.;Murtagh E.;Boreham C.;Nevill A.;Murphy M.
Medicine and science in sports and exercise
DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182464db5
Flying the 'Active School Flag': Physical activity promotion through self-evaluation in primary schools in Ireland
Chróinín D.;Murtagh E.;Bowles R.
Irish Educational Studies
DOI: 10.1080/03323315.2012.710066
Active travel to school and physical activity levels of irish primaryschoolchildren
Murtagh E.;Murphy M.
Pediatric Exercise Science
DOI: 10.1123/pes.23.2.230
Estimates of the number of people in England who attain or exceed vigorous intensity exercise by walking at 3 mph
Kelly, P.;Murphy, M.;Oja, P.;Murtagh, E.M.;Foster, C.;
Journal Of Sports Sciences
Physical Activity Prescription for Public Health
Murphy, MH; McNeilly, AM; Murtagh, EM
Proceedings Of The Nutrition Society
Walking: the first steps in cardiovascular disease prevention.
Murtagh EM;Murphy MH;Boone-Heinonen J;
Current Opinion In Cardiology
DOI: 10.1097/HCO.0b013e32833ce972
Accumulated versus continuous exercise for health benefit: a review of empirical studies.
Murphy MH;Blair SN;Murtagh EM;
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
DOI: 10.2165/00007256-200939010-00003
The effect of walking on fitness, fatness and resting blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised, controlled trials.
Murphy MH;Nevill AM;Murtagh EM;Holder RL;
Preventive Medicine
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2006.12.008
The effect of a worksite based walking programme on cardiovascular risk in previously sedentary civil servants [NCT00284479].
Murphy MH;Murtagh EM;Boreham CA;Hare LG;Nevill AM;
Bmc Public Health
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-6-136
An 8-week randomized controlled trial on the effects of brisk walking, and brisk walking with abdominal electrical muscle stimulation on anthropometric, body composition, and self-perception measures in sedentary adult women
Anderson A.;Murphy M.;Murtagh E.;Nevill A.
Psychology Of Sport And Exercise
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2006.04.003
Acute responses of inflammatory markers of cardiovascular disease risk to a single walking session
Murtagh E.;Boreham C.;Nevill A.;Davison G.;Trinick T.;Duly E.;El-Agnaf M.;Murphy M.
Journal of Physical Activity and Health
DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2.3.324
The effects of 60 minutes of brisk walking per week, accumulated in two different patterns, on cardiovascular risk.
Murtagh EM;Boreham CA;Nevill A;Hare LG;Murphy MH;
Preventive Medicine
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.10.008
Speed and exercise intensity of recreational walkers.
Murtagh EM;Boreham CA;Murphy MH;
Preventive Medicine
DOI: 10.1006/pmed.2002.1090