Dr Jessica Kerr

Position	Research Fellow
Department	Department of Psychological Medicine (Christchurch)
Research summary	Dr Kerr's research examines early-life determinants of poor cardiometabolic and mental health

Research

Dr Kerr holds joint positions at University of Otago, Christchurch and the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne. She has expertise in the fields of adolescent and adult nutrition, obesity, cardiovascular and mental health (with special interests in personality).

Currently, Dr Kerr works on projects examining optimal environments for health, focusing on neighbourhood characteristics; and is beginning to build the TIME Consortium (The International Mortality in Early life Consortium) to harmonise mature cohort studies and examine risk factors for premature mortality.

Publications

Gorrell, S., Hughes, E. K., Patton, G. C., Sawyer, S. M., Le Grange, D., & Kerr, J. A. (2023). Weight status and weight-control exercise in adolescents: A longitudinal population-based study. Eating Behaviors, 49, 101725. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2023.101725

Wang, Y., Crowe, M., Knibbs, L. D., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Mygind, L., Kerr, J. A., … Lycett, K. (2023). Greenness modifies the association between ambient air pollution and cognitive function in Australian adolescents, but not in mid-life adults. Environmental Pollution, 324, 121329. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121329

Priest, N., Guo, S., Gondek, D., Lacey, R. E., Burgner, D., Downes, M., … Kerr, J. A., … O'Connor, M. (2022). The effect of adverse and positive experiences on inflammatory markers in Australian and UK children. Brain, Behavior & Immunity: Health. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100550

Sullivan, K., Kuijer, R. G., & Kerr, J. A. (2022). Stress, eating and weight change in first year students: The moderating role of self-compassion. Psychology & Health. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/08870446.2022.2122461

Lange, K., Kerr, J. A., Mansell, T., O'Sullivan, J. M., Burgner, D. P., Clifford, S. A., … Saffery, R. (2022). Can adult polygenic scores improve prediction of body mass index in childhood? International Journal of Obesity. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1038/s41366-022-01130-2

Journal - Research Article

Lycett, K. M., Wijayawickrama, D. J., Liu, M., Grobler, A., Burgner, D. P., Baur, L. A., … Kerr, J. A. (2022). Does an inflammatory diet affect mental wellbeing in late childhood and mid-life? A cross-sectional study. British Journal of Nutrition, 127, 939-947. doi: 10.1017/S0007114521001616

Journal - Research Article

Andraos, S., Jones, B., Lange, K., Clifford, S. A., Thorstensen, E. B., Kerr, J. A., … O’Sullivan, J. M. (2021). Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is not associated with cardiometabolic phenotypes and inflammatory markers in children and adults. Current Developments in Nutrition, 5, nzaa179. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa179

Journal - Research Article

Kerr, J. A., Liu, R. S., Gasser, C. E., Mensah, F. K., Burgner, D., Lycett, K., … Wake, M. (2021). Diet quality trajectories and cardiovascular phenotypes/metabolic syndrome risk by 11–12 years. International Journal of Obesity, 45(7), 1392-1403. doi: 10.1038/s41366-021-00800-x

Journal - Research Article

Kerr, J. A., Mavoa, S., Schroers, R.-D., Eagleson, S., Exeter, D. J., Watkins, A., & Thornton, L. (2021). Measuring area-level disadvantage in Australia: development of a locally sensitive indicator. Australian Population Studies, 5(2), 15-28. doi: 10.37970/aps.v5i2.90

Journal - Research Article

Matricciani, L., Dumuid, D., Paquet, C., Fraysse, F., Wang, Y., Baur, L. A., … Kerr, J. A., … Olds, T. (2021). Sleep and cardiometabolic health in children and adults: Examining sleep as a component of the 24-h day. Sleep Medicine, 78, 63-74. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2020.12.001

Journal - Research Article

Oakley, J., Peters, R. L., Wake, M., Grobler, A. C., Kerr, J. A., Lycett, K., … Mavoa, S. (2021). Backyard benefits? A cross-sectional study of yard size and greenness and children’s physical activity and outdoor play. BMC Public Health, 21, 1402. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-11475-4

Journal - Research Article

Saraf, S., Grobler, A., Liu, R. S., Liu, M., Wake, M., Olds, T., … Kerr, J. A. (2021). Takeaway food, sugar-sweetened beverages and preclinical cardiometabolic phenotypes in children and adults. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 28, 1784-1794. doi: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwaa070

Journal - Research Article

Andraos, S., Lange, K., Clifford, S. A., Jones, B., Thorstensen, E. B., Kerr, J. A., … O’Sullivan, J. M. (2020). Plasma trimethylamine N-oxide and its precursors: Population epidemiology, parent-child concordance, and associations with reported dietary intake in 11- To 12-Year-old children and their parents. Current Developments in Nutrition, 4(7), nzaa103. doi: 10.1093/CDN/NZAA103

Journal - Research Article

Juonala, M., Lau, T., Wake, M., Grobler, A., Kerr, J. A., Magnussen, C. G., … Lycett, K. (2020). Early clinical markers of overweight/obesity onset and resolution by adolescence. International Journal of Obesity, 44, 82-93. doi: 10.1038/s41366-019-0457-2

Journal - Research Article

Liu, M., Lycett, K., Moreno-Betancur, M., Wong, T. Y., He, M., Saffery, R., … Kerr, J. A., … Burgner, D. P. (2020). Inflammation mediates the relationship between obesity and retinal vascular calibre in 11-12 year-olds children and mid-life adults. Scientific Reports, 10, 5006. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61801-w

Journal - Research Article

Liu, M., Lycett, K., Wake, M., He, M., Kerr, J. A., Saffery, R., … Wong, T. Y. (2020). Cardiovascular health and retinal microvascular geometry in Australian 11–12 year-olds. Microvascular Research, 129, 103966. doi: 10.1016/j.mvr.2019.103966

Journal - Research Article

Liu, M., Lycett, K., Wong, T. Y., Kerr, J. A., He, M., Juonala, M., … Wake, M. (2020). Do body mass index and waist-to-height ratio over the preceding decade predict retinal microvasculature in 11–12 year olds and midlife adults? International Journal of Obesity, 44, 1712-1722. doi: 10.1038/s41366-020-0584-9

Journal - Research Article

Lycett, K., Juonala, M., Magnussen, C. G., Norrish, D., Mensah, F. K., Liu, R., … Kerr, J. A., … Wake, M. (2020). Body mass index from early to late childhood and cardiometabolic measurements at 11 to 12 years. Pediatrics, 146(2), e20193666. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-3666

Journal - Research Article

Clifford, S. A., Davies, S., Wake, M., on behalf of the Child Health CheckPoint Team, including Kerr, J. A. (2019). Child Health CheckPoint: Cohort summary and methodology of a physical health and biospecimen module for the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. BMJ Open, 9(Suppl. 3), 3-22. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020261

Journal - Research Article

Davis, A., Liu, R., Kerr, J. A., Wake, M., Grobler, A., Juonala, M., … Lycett, K. (2019). Inflammatory diet and preclinical cardiovascular phenotypes in 11–12 year-olds and mid-life adults: A cross-sectional population-based study. Atherosclerosis, 285, 93-101. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2019.04.212

Journal - Research Article

Derks, I. P. M., Gillespie, A. N., Kerr, J. A., Wake, M., & Jansen, P. W. (2019). Associations of infant sleep duration with body composition and cardiovascular health to mid-adolescence: The PEAS Kids Growth Study. Childhood Obesity, 15(6), 379-386. doi: 10.1089/chi.2018.0310

Journal - Research Article

Gasser, C. E., Mensah, F. K., Clifford, S. A., Kerr, J. A., Cassim, R., & Wake, M. (2019). Bidirectional associations between diet and body composition measures from 2 to 15 years: Longitudinal study of Australian children. British Journal of Nutrition, 121(2), 212-220. doi: 10.1017/S0007114518003173

Journal - Research Article

Hughes, E. K., Kerr, J. A., Patton, G. C., Sawyers, S. M., Wake, M., Le Grange, D., & Azzopardi, P. (2019). Eating disorder symptoms across the weight spectrum in Australian adolescents. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52(8), 885-894. doi: 10.1002/eat.23118

Journal - Research Article

Kerr, J. A., Jansen, P. W., Mensah, F. K., Gibbons, K., Olds, T. S., Carlin, J. B., … Wake, M. (2019). Child and adult snack food intake in response to manipulated pre-packaged snack item quantity/variety and snack box size: A population-based randomized trial. International Journal of Obesity, 43, 1891-1902. doi: 10.1038/s41366-019-0407-z

Journal - Research Article

Vivarini, P., Kerr, J. A., Clifford, S. A., Grobler, A. C., Jansen, P. W., Mensah, F. K., … Wake, M. (2019). Food choices: Concordance in Australian children aged 11-12 years and their parents. BMJ Open, 9, 147-156. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020898

Journal - Research Article

Gasser, C. E., Mensah, F. K., Clifford, S. A., Kerr, J. A., & Wake, M. (2018). Parental health behaviour predictors of childhood and adolescent dietary trajectories. Public Health Nutrition, 21(10), 1874-1885. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018000563

Journal - Research Article

Kerr, J. A., Gillespie, A. N., Gasser, C. E., Mensah, F. K., Burgner, D., & Wake, M. (2018). Childhood dietary trajectories and adolescent cardiovascular phenotypes: Australian community-based longitudinal study. Public Health Nutrition, 21(14), 2642-2653. doi: 10.1017/S1368980018001398

Journal - Research Article

Lycett, K., McNamara, C., Mensah, F. K., Burgner, D., Kerr, J. A., Muller, J., & Wake, M. (2018). Associations of mental health with cardiovascular risk phenotypes and adiposity in adolescence: A cross-sectional community-based study. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 54(6), 677-684. doi: 10.1111/jpc.13943

Journal - Research Article

Wake, M., Kerr, J. A., & Jansen, P. W. (2018). Child BMI over time and parent-perceived overweight. Pediatrics, 142(6), e20173985. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-3985

Journal - Research Article

Gasser, C. E., Kerr, J. A., Mensah, F. K., & Wake, M. (2017). Stability and change in dietary scores and patterns across six waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. British Journal of Nutrition, 117(8), 1137-1150. doi: 10.1017/S0007114517000897

Journal - Research Article

Gasser, C. E., Mensah, F. K., Kerr, J. A., & Wake, M. (2017). Early life socioeconomic determinants of dietary score and pattern trajectories across six waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 71(12), 1152-1160. doi: 10.1136/jech-2017-209641

Journal - Research Article

Kerr, J. A., Long, C., Clifford, S. A., Muller, J., Gillespie, A. N., Donath, S., & Wake, M. (2017). Early-life exposures predicting onset and resol of childhood overweight or obesity. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 102(10), 922-929. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311568

Journal - Research Article

Liu, R. S., Mensah, F. K., Carlin, J., Edwards, B., Ranganathan, S., Cheung, M., … on behalf of the Child Health CheckPoint Investigator Group, including Kerr, J. A. (2017). Socioeconomic position is associated with carotid intima-media thickness in mid-childhood: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Journal of the American Heart Association, 6(8), e005925. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.005925

Journal - Research Article

Sutin, A. R., Kerr, J. A., & Terracciano, A. (2017). Temperament and body weight from ages 4 to 15 years. International Journal of Obesity, 41(7), 1056-1061. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2017.62

Journal - Research Article

Boyce, J. A., & Kuijer, R. G. (2015). Perceived stress and freshman weight change: The moderating role of baseline body mass index. Physiology & Behavior, 139, 491-496. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.12.011

Journal - Research Article

Boyce, J. A., Gleaves, D. H., & Kuijer, R. G. (2015). Measuring dietary restraint status: Comparisons between the Dietary Intent Scale and the Restraint Scale. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2, 8. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2015.00008

Journal - Research Article

Kuijer, R. G., Boyce, J. A., & Marshall, E. M. (2015). Associating a prototypical forbidden food item with guilt or celebration: Relationships with indicators of (un)healthy eating and the moderating role of stress and depressive symptoms. Psychology & Health, 30(2), 203-217. doi: 10.1080/08870446.2014.960414

Journal - Research Article

Boyce, J. A., & Kuijer, R. G. (2014). Focusing on media body ideal images triggers food intake among restrained eaters: A test of restraint theory and the elaboration likelihood model. Eating Behaviors, 15(2), 262-270. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.03.003

Journal - Research Article

Kuijer, R. G., & Boyce, J. A. (2014). Chocolate cake. Guilt or celebration? Associations with healthy eating attitudes, perceived behavioural control, intentions and weight-loss. Appetite, 74, 48-54. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.11.013

Journal - Research Article

Boyce, J. A., Kuijer, R. G., & Gleaves, D. H. (2013). Positive fantasies or negative contrasts: The effect of media body ideals on restrained eaters' mood, weight satisfaction, and food intake. Body Image, 10(4), 535-543. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2013.07.002

Journal - Research Article

Lycett, K., & Kerr, J. A. (2021). A helpful reminder of BMI's nuances but little support for the "obesity paradox". Journal of Nutrition, 151(5), 1051-1052. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxab035

Journal - Research Other

Kerr, J. A., Loughman, A., Knox, A., Koplin, J. J., Allen, K. J., & Wake, M. (2019). Nutrition-related interventions targeting childhood overweight and obesity: A narrative review. Obesity Reviews, 20(Suppl. 1), 45-60. doi: 10.1111/obr.12768

Journal - Research Other

Koplin, J. J., Kerr, J. A., Lodge, C., Garner, C., Dharmage, S. C., Wake, M., & Allen, K. J. (2019). Infant and young child feeding interventions targeting overweight and obesity: A narrative review. Obesity Reviews, 20(Suppl. 1), 31-44. doi: 10.1111/obr.12798

Journal - Research Other

Lycett, K., Miller, A., Knox, A., Dunn, S., Kerr, J. A., Sung, V., & Wake, M. (2017). ‘Nudge’ interventions for improving children's dietary behaviors in the home: A systematic review. Obesity Medicine, 7, 21-33. doi: 10.1016/j.obmed.2017.06.001

Journal - Research Other

Boyce, J. A., Martens, A., Schimel, J., & Kuijer, R. G. (2012). Preliminary support for links between media body ideal insecurity and women's shoe and handbag purchases [Brief research report]. Body Image, 9(3), 413-416. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.03.001

Journal - Research Other

Kuijer, R. G., & Boyce, J. A. (2012). Emotional eating and its effect on eating behaviour after a natural disaster [Short communication]. Appetite, 58(3), 936-939. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2012.02.046

Journal - Research Other

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Dr Jessica Kerr

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