Professor Jantine (A.J.) Schuit (1964) is Vice Rector Magnificus and member of the Executive Board of Tilburg University. She is professor of Health, Behavior and Society. Previously she was Dean of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Before joining Tilburg University she was head of the Center for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and she worked as endowed professor of Health Promotion and Policy at VU University in Amsterdam.

Jantine Schuit graduated from Wageningen University (Household and Consumer Sciences, Msc) with a specialization in Health and Epidemiology in 1989. She obtained her PhD from the same university for her research on the effect of physical activity and coronary heart disease in elderly in 1997.

She is senior scientist in the field of health behavior and health promotion. Her research focusses on the contribution and/or effectiveness of behavioral interventions, environmental interventions and upstream policy measures on health and health behavior, with special attention for people in lower socio-economic position. Apart from effectiveness studies she also investigates the feasibility of these interventions and policies and she works on new developments in methodology for evaluation. Finally her expertise covers the translation of scientific evidence into effective public policy and practice.

Jantine Schuit has an extended national and international network in her field. She has obtained funding and has supervised several PhDs in various research projects in the field of health behavior, health promotion and epidemiology. She is (co)author of more than 100 national and international publications in the field of epidemiology and health promotion.

Professor Jantine Schuit is senior scientist in the field of health behavior and health promotion. Promotion of health is challenging because many factors outside the realm of the health sector itself have impact on health and behavior, e.g. social and community networks, living and working conditions and the general socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions. Acknowledging this, unhealthy lifestyles can only be addressed when there is understanding of the broader context. Single interventions are not sufficient and therefore health promotion should combine (individual or community based) behavioral interventions with upstream policies that shape living circumstances that affect health and health behavior. The research of Jantine Schuit focusses on the contribution and/or effectiveness of behavioral interventions, environmental interventions and upstream policy measures on health and health behavior.  Examples are the contribution of social and built environments of neighborhoods on the physical activity level of children; effectiveness of food polices and pricing policies on a healthy diet and the impact of transport policies on active behavior.  In her research she pays special attention to people in lower socio-economic position.

Furthermore her research includes effectiveness of intersectoral approaches, such as health in all policies (HiAP), or ?whole of government approaches, in which different policy sectors work together on health in a coordinated manner. She is also interested in asset based approaches and community participation in which citizens are more involved in defining the health issues, and identifying their determinants and solutions. Apart from effectiveness studies she also investigates the feasibility of these interventions and policies and she works on new developments in methodology for evaluation. Finally her expertise covers the translation of scientific evidence into effective public policy and practice.

Key words 

• Effectiveness of health promotion
• Feasibility
• Health in all Polices
• Community based interventions
• Translation of research into policy and practice
• Social determinant of health and health behavior
• Citizen science and participation
• Methodology of evaluation