Field of work
Anthony Okely is a Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the University of Wollongong, Australia, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Western Norway. He is recognised as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, reflecting the global influence of his scholarship. His research focuses on understanding and promoting healthy movement behaviours—including physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep—among children and young people. He has led large-scale international collaborations, including the SUNRISE Study, which is examining 24-hour movement behaviours in children across more than 65 countries, with a strong emphasis on low- and middle-income contexts.
He works at the interface of research, policy, and practice, and his contributions have informed global public health guidelines, including the World Health Organization’s guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep for children under five years of age. His work also addresses the translation of evidence into effective interventions, policy, and practice to reduce health inequities and improve child development outcomes worldwide.
In addition to research leadership, Professor Okely is actively involved in capacity building and mentoring of early and mid-career researchers, and has worked extensively in cross-sectoral collaborations with governments, NGOs, and international agencies such as WHO and UNICEF.
Research Areas
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Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep in children and young people
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Development and evaluation of interventions to promote healthy movement behaviours
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Global surveillance and epidemiology of child and adolescent health
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Translation of evidence into policy and practice
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Health equity and child development in low- and middle-income countries
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Cross-sectoral collaboration in public health