Professor Vincent O. Onywera is a member of staff at Kenyatta University, Department of Recreation Management and Exercise Science. He has a Bachelor of Education (Honors) in Physical and Health Education from Kenyatta University. His graduate training was from the same University where he obtained his M.Ed (Physical and Health Education). He later completed his PhD (Exercise and Sports Science) where his research focus was on the role of genetics, nutrition and sociocultural factors in explaining the phenomenon performance of Kenyan middle and distance runners. He is a Physical Activity and Active Transport Researcher with extensive national and international research networks. Vincent has worked as the Director of the Center for International Programmes and Collaboration at Kenyatta University and is currently the Registrar in-charge of Research, Innovation and Outreach at Kenyatta University. He volunteers his time working at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Academy at Kenyatta University and also currently instrumental in the establishment of a Kenyatta University Sports Complex complete with a stadium and recreation centre. Vincent has published widely and has been involved in a number of national, regional and international academic endevours aimed at capacity building, surveillance and research for focusing on healthy active living in the greater Eastern Africa and Great Lakes Region (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi and Southern Sudan) and beyond. He is involved in various research endeavors and collaborations such as:
- The Kenyan International Development Study- Canadian Activity Needs (KIDS-CAN) Research Alliance. This is an alliance that brings together two countries (Kenya and Canada) to fight childhood obesity and promote physical activity.
- The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) Research Group whose aim is to is to determine the relationship between lifestyle characteristics and obesity in a large multi-national study of children, and to investigate the influence of behavioural settings, and physical, social and policy environments on the observed relationships from over 14 countries from six major regions of the world (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Pacific)
- The Canada and Mexico Battling Childhood Obesity (CAMBIO) Research Group which was a multidisciplinary, international network of investigators participating in a project to enhance research capacity in the field of Childhood Obesity;
- Assessment of physical activity and active transport among school children in Eastern, Western and Southern Regions of Africa: The case of Kenya, Mozambique and Nigeria. This is a 3 year IDRC funded research project.(The PAAT Study)
Vincent is a member of several professional bodies such the International Union for Health Promotion and Education(IUHPE); American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM),International Physical Activity and the Environment Network (IPEN); International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance (ICHPER•SD) Research; Canadian Obesity Network; Africa Association of Health, PE, Recreation, Sport and Dance-(AAHPERSD); East Africa Association of Health, PE, Recreation, Sport and Dance- (EAAHPERSD); Kenya Association of Health, PE, Recreation, Sport and Dance- (KASHPESD) just to mention a few. He currently is a peer reviewer for many international journals and serves on a number of Kenyatta University Committees and sub-committees. Vincent is a mentor, academic advisor and supervisor to several undergraduate and graduate students within the Eastern African Region and beyond. He is happily married to Mary and they are blessed with three children: Fidel (15 years), Meeghan (8 years) and Meresa (2 years).
Research Interests:
- Pediatric Physical Activity and Obesity
- Kinanthropometry
- The remarkable performance of Kenyan runners
- Fitness Testing and Exercise prescription for various populations
- Physical Activity Surveillance
Research Publications:
§ Pantelis T. Nikolaidis, Vincent O. Onywera, And Beat Knechtle: Running Performance, Nationality, Sex, And Age In The 10-Km, Half-Marathon, Marathon, And The 100-Km Ultramarathon Iaaf 1999–2015: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research National Strength and Conditioning Association, VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 8 | AUGUST 2017
§ Taru Manyanga, Mark S. Tremblay, Jean-Philippe Chaput1, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Mikael Fogelholm, Gang Hu, Rebecca Kuriyan, Anura Kurpad, Estelle V. Lambert, Carol Maher, Jose Maia, Victor Matsudo, Timothy Olds, Vincent Onywera, Olga L. Sarmiento, Martyn Standage, Catrine Tudor-Locke, Pei Zhao, Vera Mikkila, Stephanie T. Broyles (2017) Socioeconomic status and dietary patterns in children from around the world: different associations by levels of country human development? BMC Public Health (2017) DOI 10.1186/s12889-017-4383-8
§ Blanca Roman-Viñas, Jean-Philippe Chaput, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Mikael Fogelholm, Estelle V. Lambert,Carol Maher, Jose Maia, Timothy Olds, Vincent Onywera, Olga L. Sarmiento, Martyn Standage, Catrine Tudor-Locke, Mark S. Tremblay and for the ISCOLE Research Group (2017) Proportion of children meeting recommendations for 24-hour movement guidelines and associations with adiposity in a 12-country study International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity DOI 10.1186/s12966-016-0449-8
§ Muia, E. N., Wright, H. H., Onywera, V. O., & Kuria, E. N. (2016). Adolescent elite Kenyan runners are at risk for energy deficiency, menstrual dysfunction and disordered eating. Journal of sports sciences, 34(7), 598-606.
§ Oyeyemi AL, Conway TL, Adedoyin RA, Akinroye KK, Aryeetey R, Assah F, Cain KL, Gavand KA, Kasoma SS, Kolbe-Alexander TL, Lambert EV, Larouche R, Mos SJ, Ocansey R, Onywera VO, Prista A, Tremblay MS, Sallis JF. (In press). Construct Validity of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale for Africa. Medicine and science in sports and exercise.
§ Knechtle, B., Nikolaidis, P. T., Onywera, V. O., Zingg, M. A., Rosemann, T., & Rüst, C. A. (2016). Male and female Ethiopian and Kenyan runners are the fastest and the youngest in both half and full marathon. SpringerPlus, 5(1), 1.
§ Samaah Sullivan, Stephanie T Broyles, Tiago V Barreira, Jean-Philippe Chaput, Mikael Fogelholm, Gang Hu, Rebecca Kuriyan, Anura Kurpad, Estelle V Lambert, Carol Maher, Jose Maia, Victor Matsudo, Tim Olds, Vincent Onywera, Olga L Sarmiento, Martyn Standage, Mark S Tremblay, Catrine Tudor-Locke, Peter T Katzmarzyk, Associations between Neighborhood Social Environment Attributes and Physical Activity and Obesity among 9-11 year old Children from 12 Countries(Submitted): Social Science & Medicine.
§ Jean-Philippe Chaput, Madyson Weippert, Allana G LeBlanc, Mads F Hjorth, Kim F Michaelsen, Peter T Katzmarzyk, Mark S Tremblay, Tiago V Barreira, Stephanie T Broyles, Mikael Fogelholm, Gang Hu, Rebecca Kuriyan, Anura Kurpad, Estelle V Lambert, Carol Maher, Jose Maia, Victor Matsudo, Timothy Olds, Vincent Onywera, Olga L Sarmiento, Martyn Standage, Catrine Tudor-Locke, Pei Zhao, Anders M Sjödin. (2016). Are children like Werewolves? Full Moon and its association with sleep and activity Behaviors in an international sample of children. Frontiers in pediatrics 4 (2016).
§ Chaput JP, Katzmarzyk PT, Barnes JD, Fogelholm M, Hu G, Kuriyan R, Kurpad A, Lambert EV, Maher C, Maia J, Matsudo V, Olds T, Onywera V, Sarmiento OL, Standage M, Tudor-Locke C, Zhao P, Tremblay MS for the ISCOLE Research Group. Mid-upper arm circumference as a screening tool for identifying children with obesity: a 12-country study. Pediatric obesity (2016).
§ Deirdre M. Harrington, Fiona Gillison, Stephanie T. Broyles, Jean-Philippe Chaput, Mikael Fogelholm, Gang Hu,Rebecca Kuriyan, Anura Kurpad, Allana G. LeBlanc, Carol Maher, Jose Maia, Victor Matsudo, Timothy Olds,Vincent Onywera, Olga L. Sarmiento, Martyn Standage, Mark S. Tremblay, Catrine Tudor-Locke, Pei Zhao, andPeter T. Katzmarzyk, for the ISCOLE Research Group: Household-Level Correlates of Children’s Physical ActivityLevels in and Across 12 Countries
§ Pei Zhao,Enqing Liu, Yijuan Qiao,Peter T. Katzmarzyk,Jean-Philippe Chaput, Mikael Fogelholm, William D. Johnson, Rebecca Kuriyan, Anura Kurpad, Estelle V. Lambert, Carol Maher, José A.R. Maia,Victor Matsudo, Timothy Olds, Vincent Onywera, Olga L. Sarmiento, Martyn Standage, Mark S. Tremblay, Catrine Tudor-Locke, Gang Hu (2016), Maternal gestational diabetes and childhood obesity at age 9–11:results of a multinational study,Diabetologia, DOI: 10.1007/s00125-016-4062-9
§ Beat Knechtle1, Pantelis T. Nikolaidis, Vincent O. Onywera4, Matthias A. Zingg, Thomas Rosemann and Christoph A. Rüst: Male and female Ethiopian and Kenyan runners are the fastest and the youngest in both half and full marathon.
§ Stella K. Muthuri, Lucy-Joy M. Wachira, Vincent O. Onywera, and Mark S. Tremblay: Associations Between Parental Perceptions of the Neighborhood Environment and Childhood Physical Activity: Results from ISCOLE-Kenya.
§ Zakrzewski J.K., F.B. Gillison, S. Cumming, T.S. Church, P.T. Katzmarzyk, S.T. Broyles, C.M. Champagne, J.-P. Chaput, K. D. Denstel, M. Fogelholm, G. Hu, R. Kuriyan, A. Kurpad, E.V. Lambert, C. Maher, J. Maia, V. Matsudo, E.F. Mire, T. Olds, V. Onywera, O.L. Sarmiento, M.S. Tremblay, C. Tudor-Locke, P. Zhao and M. Standage for the ISCOLE Research Group. Associations between breakfast frequency and adiposity indicators in children from 12 countries. International Journal of Obesity Supplements 2015;5(2):S80-S88.
§ Chaput J.P., P.T. Katzmarzyk, A.G. LeBlanc, M.S. Tremblay, T.V. Barreira, S.T. Broyles, M. Fogelholm, G. Hu, R. Kuriyan, A. Kurpad, E.V. Lambert, D.E. Rae, C. Maher, J. Maia, V. Matsudo, V. Onywera, O.L. Sarmiento, M. Standage, C. Tudor-Locke, P. Zhao, and T. Olds for the ISCOLE Research Group. Associations between sleep patterns and lifestyle behaviors in children: An international comparison. International Journal of Obesity Supplements 2015;5(2):S59-S65.
§ Mark S. Tremblay, Silvia A. Gonzalez, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Vincent O. Onywera,John. J. Reilly, and Grant Tomkinson,Physical Activity Report Cards: Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance and the Lancet Physical Activity Observatory,Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2015, 12, 297 -298
§ Catrine Tudor-Locke1, Emily F Mire1, Kara N Dentro1, Tiago V Barreira1,John M Schuna Jr, Pei Zhao,Mark S Tremblay, Martyn Standage, Olga L Sarmiento, Vincent Onywera, Tim Olds, Victor Matsudo,José Maia, Carol Maher, Estelle V Lambert, Anura Kurpad, Rebecca Kuriyan, Gang Hu1, Mikael Fogelholm,Jean-Philippe Chaput, Timothy S Church, Peter T Katzmarzyk, (2015),A model for presenting accelerometer paradata in large studies: ISCOLE,International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
§ Broyles S.T., K. Dentro, T.S. Church, J.P. Chaput, M. Fogelholm, G. Hu, R. Kuriyan, A. Kurpad, E.V. Lambert, C. Maher, J. Maia, V. Matsudo, T. Olds, V. Onywera, O.L. Sarmiento, M. Standage, M.S. Tremblay, C. Tudor-Locke, P. Zhao and P.T. Katzmarzyk for the ISCOLE Research Group(Submitted). The epidemiologic transition and obesity in children across 12 countries. International Journal of Epidemiology.
§ Katzmarzyk P.T., T.V. Barreira, S.T. Broyles, C.M. Champagne, J.-P. Chaput, M. Fogelholm, G. Hu, W.D. Johnson, R. Kuriyan, A. Kurpad, E.V. Lambert, C. Maher, J. Maia, V. Matsudo, T. Olds, V. Onywera, O.L. Sarmiento, M. Standage, M.S. Tremblay, C. Tudor-Locke, P. Zhao and T.S. Church for the ISCOLE Research Group(Submitted). Relationship Between Lifestyle Behaviors and Obesity in 9-11 year old Children: Results from a 12-Country Study. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders.
§ Katzmarzyk P.T., T.V. Barreira, S.T. Broyles, C.M. Champagne, J.-P. Chaput, M. Fogelholm, G. Hu, W.D. Johnson, R. Kuriyan, A. Kurpad, E.V. Lambert, C. Maher, J. Maia, V. Matsudo, T.S. Olds, V. Onywera, O.L. Sarmiento, M. Standage, M.S. Tremblay, C. Tudor-Locke, P. Zhao and T.S. Church for the ISCOLE Research Group (Submitted). Physical activity, sedentary time and obesity in an international sample of children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
§ Research priorities for child and adolescent physical activity and sedentary behaviours: an international perspective using a twin-panel Delphi procedure,International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2013, 10:112,Lauren Gillis, Grant Tomkinson1, Timothy Olds, Carla Moreira, Candice Christie, Claudio Nigg, Ester Cerin,Esther Van Sluijs, Gareth Stratton, Ian Janssen, Jeremy Dorovolomo, John J Reilly, Jorge Mota2,Kashef Zayed, Kent Kawalski, Lars Bo Andersen, Manuel Carrizosa, Mark Tremblay, Michael Chia,Mike Hamlin, Non Eleri Thomas, Ralph Maddison, Stuart Biddle, Trish Gorely, Vincent Onywera and Willem Van Mechelen
§ Cejka N, Rüst CA, Lepers R, Onywera V, Rosemann T, Knechtle B.,2013, Participation and performance trends in 100-km ultra-marathons worldwide., Journal of Sports Sciences
§ Katzmarzyk PT, Barreira TV, Broyles ST, Champagne CM, Chaput JP, Fogelholm M, Hu G, Johnson WD, Kuriyan R, Kurpad A, Lambert EV, Maher C, Maia J, Matsudo V, Olds T, Onywera V, Sarmiento OL, Standage M, Tremblay MS, Tudor-Locke C, Zhao P, Church TS., 2013, The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE): design and methods., BMC Public Health 2013, 13:900