Shania Boom

Shania Boom is a WRDTP 3+1 student at the University of Bradford, currently starting her MSc in Social Sciences Research in Healthcare. Her current research focus has been towards Physically Active Learning in primary schools. In her previous role as a research assistant at the University of Leeds she tested whether increasing physical activity during curriculum time, using either Physically active learning or a Movement break, resulted in increases in children’s attentional control and in-class behaviour and whether this, in turn, had knock on benefits in terms of their learning. 

Her future research focus during her PhD will be addressing the current health and well-being issues that influence healthy living for children within Bradford’s local community, by bringing local groups to the table and co-creating the development of greenspace infrastructure. Using behavioural psychology and sociology to understand how children and their families engage within green space. As well as evaluating the impact of these co-designed green spaces on physical activity behaviour in children within an ethnically diverse community. Hoping it will drive research as a force for change in developing a healthy childhood. 

Shania’s own values and observations of society means she is passionate about underrepresented groups being given a fairer chance. Throughout her previous studies has noticed the vast majority of studies in her discipline have been conducted by white researchers on white middle-class children.