Dr Jo Pearce MSc RNutr (Public Health) FHEA
Senior Lecturer
Summary
Jo is a researcher and lecturer, passionate about the wellbeing of women, infants, and children through adequate and appropriate nutrition. Her current research includes leading studies on complementary feeding, baby-led weaning and food provision in schools and early years settings. Jo is the course leader for the MSc in Nutrition with public health management and MSc Food consumer marketing and product development courses.
About
Jo is a researcher, lecturer, and registered nutritionist with a particular interest in the wellbeing of women, infants, and children. She has an MSc in Public Health Nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2003) and PhD by published works (University of Nottingham, 2022), where she worked as an Assistant Professor (teaching specialist) prior to joining SHU in 2019.
Jo also worked in several organisations prior to academia, including the NHS, SureStart and the Children’s Food Trust. She uses this experience to enhance the learning and work readiness of students studying in the Sheffield Business School. Jo’s main research interests are baby-led weaning, complementary feeding and food provision within schools and early years settings. Also food insecurity and the impact this has on families with children.
Lecturer
Teaching
Sheffield Business School
Subject area -
Sustainable futures and supply chain
Courses -
MSc Nutrition with public health management
MSc Food and nutrition sciences
MSc Food consumer marketing and product development
BSc Human nutrition and health
BSc Food and nutrition
Research
Scale and scope of dark kitchens in the north of England (NIHR)
Early years nutrition in settings (Impact on Urban Health/Bremner & Co)
Food Insecurity in children living with excess weight (Sheffield Children's Hospital)
Publications
Journal articles
Nield, L., Martin, H., Wall, C., Pearce, J., Rundle, R., Bowles, S., ... Beaumont, J.D. (2024). Consumer knowledge of and engagement with traditional takeaway and dark kitchen food outlets. NIHR Open Research, 4. http://doi.org/10.3310/nihropenres.13735.1
Wall, C., & Pearce, J. (2024). Greenhouse gas emissions of school lunches provided for children attending school nurseries: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. http://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.13345
Wall, C., & Pearce, J. (2023). Energy and nutrient content of school lunches provided for children attending school-based nurseries: A cross-sectional study. Public Health Nutrition. http://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023002331
Pearce, J., & Wall, C.J. (2023). School lunch portion sizes provided for children attending early years settings within primary schools: a cross‐sectional study. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. http://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.13183
Pearce, J., & Rundle, R. (2022). Baby‐led weaning: a thematic analysis of comments made by parents using online parenting forums. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. http://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.13078
Langley‐Evans, S.C., Pearce, J., & Ellis, S. (2022). Overweight, obesity and excessive weight gain in pregnancy as risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes: A narrative review. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. http://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12999
Pearce, J., & Langley-Evans, S.C. (2021). Comparison of food and nutrient intake in infants aged 6–12 months, following baby-led or traditional weaning: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. http://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12947
Swift, J.A., Strathearn, L., Morris, A., Chi, Y., Townsend, T., & Pearce, J. (2018). Public health strategies to reduce sugar intake in the UK: An exploration of public perceptions using digital spaces. Nutrition Bulletin, 43 (3), 238-247. http://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12346
Swift, J.A., Langley-Evans, S.C., Pearce, J., Jethwa, P.H., Taylor, M.A., Avery, A., ... Elliott-Sale, K.J. (2017). Antenatal weight management: Diet, physical activity, and gestational weight gain in early pregnancy. Midwifery, 49, 40-46. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2017.01.016
Goodchild, G.A., Faulks, J., Swift, J.A., Mhesuria, J., Jethwa, P., & Pearce, J. (2017). Factors associated with universal infant free school meal take up and refusal in a multicultural urban community. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 30 (4), 417-428. http://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12442
Swift, J.A., Pearce, J., Jethwa, P.H., Taylor, M.A., Avery, A., Ellis, S., ... McMullen, S. (2016). Antenatal Weight Management: Women's Experiences, Behaviours, and Expectations of Weighing in Early Pregnancy. Journal of pregnancy, 2016. http://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8454759
Heikkilä, K., Pearce, J., Mäki, M., & Kaukinen, K. (2015). Celiac disease and bone fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 100 (1), 25-34. http://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-1858
McGiveron, A., Foster, S., Pearce, J., Taylor, M.A., McMullen, S., & Langley-Evans, S.C. (2015). Limiting antenatal weight gain improves maternal health outcomes in severely obese pregnant women: findings of a pragmatic evaluation of a midwife-led intervention. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 28, 29-37. http://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12240
Pearce, J., Wood, L., & Stevens, L. (2013). Portion weights of food served in English schools: have they changed following the introduction of nutrient-based standards? Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association, 26 (6), 553-562. http://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12067
Pearce, J., Taylor, M.A., & Langley-Evans, S.C. (2013). Timing of the introduction of complementary feeding and risk of childhood obesity: a systematic review. International journal of obesity (2005), 37 (10), 1295-1306. http://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.99
Pearce, J., Wood, L., & Nelson, M. (2013). Lunchtime food and nutrient intakes of secondary-school pupils; a comparison of school lunches and packed lunches following the introduction of mandatory food-based standards for school lunch. Public health nutrition, 16 (6), 1126-1131. http://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980012003928
Pearce, J., & Langley-Evans, S.C. (2013). The types of food introduced during complementary feeding and risk of childhood obesity: a systematic review. International journal of obesity (2005), 37 (4), 477-485. http://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.8
Pearce, J., & Nelson, M. (2011). Comparison between school lunches and packed lunches in secondary schools. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 70 (OCE4). http://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665111002199
Pearce, J., Harper, C., Haroun, D., Wood, L., & Nelson, M. (2011). Short communicationKey differences between school lunches and packed lunches in primary schools in England in 2009. Public health nutrition, 14 (8), 1507-1510. http://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980010003605
Storey, H.C., Pearce, J., Ashfield-Watt, P.A.L., Wood, L., Baines, E., & Nelson, M. (2011). A randomized controlled trial of the effect of school food and dining room modifications on classroom behaviour in secondary school children. European journal of clinical nutrition, 65 (1), 32-38. http://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.227
Golley, R., Baines, E., Bassett, P., Wood, L., Pearce, J., & Nelson, M. (2010). School lunch and learning behaviour in primary schools: an intervention study. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 69 (OCE1). http://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665109991923
Golley, R., Baines, E., Bassett, P., Wood, L., Pearce, J., & Nelson, M. (2010). School lunch and learning behaviour in primary schools: an intervention study. European journal of clinical nutrition, 64 (11), 1280-1288. http://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.150
Conference papers
Wall, C., & Pearce, J. (2024). Energy and nutrient content of school lunches provided for children attending early years settings within primary schools: a cross-sectional study [abstract only]. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 82 (OCE5). http://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665123004068
Thomas, M., Coneyworth, L., Stubberfield, J., Pearce, J., & Welham, S. (2021). Investigating the iron and zinc content of a popular meal in the diet of UK children and its contribution to daily micronutrient intake for females aged 11–14 years. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 80 (OCE1). http://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665121000124
Kaklamanou, D., Wood, L., Pearce, J., Storey, C., & Nelson, M. (2012). Methodological Bias in the School Lunch, Perception and Behaviour Study. PSYCHOLOGY & HEALTH, 27, 238.