AboutEmployees
Emma Charlott Andersson Nordbø

Emma Charlott Andersson Nordbø

Associate Professor

  • Department of Public Health Science

Emma Charlott Nordbø has solid expertise and a strong research background in the field of public health, holding both a master’s degree and a PhD in public health science from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). The aspirations for creating health-promoting and socially sustainable neighborhoods, local communities and settings of everyday life that promote active living, health and wellbeing across the lifespan represent the key drivers behind her research interest. She is particularly interested in understanding how physical and social environmental factors influence health and wellbeing across different population groups. Nordbø’s research is especially relevant to planning and local community development, as well as systematic public health work.

Nordbø also has extensive experience in participating in and leading large interdisciplinary research projects, as well as commissioned research funded by government agencies, county authorities, and municipalities. Recently, she has been involved in projects and studies related to green spaces, meeting places, shopping centers, and air pollution, as well as the development and evaluation of public health initiatives in municipalities.

She has experience with various research methods and tools, including the use of data from large population surveys, geographic information systems (GIS), and map-based participatory methods (PPGIS). She has extensive experience in linking geographical data with public health data. Through the research project Co-creation of activity spaces Nordbø is also involved in testing an innovative tool for monitoring use of meeting places based on artificial intelligence.

  • Areas of Work
    • Folkehelsevitenskap
    • Master i folkehelsevitenskap
  • Publications

    List of publications from my research. (Cristin)

    Peer-reviewed publications in the last 5 years:

    • Moe, E., Ihlebæk, C., Pawlowski, C.S., Nordbø, E.C.A., Pedersen, I. (2025). Co-creation in the public sector for developing health-promoting activity spaces in local communities: A qualitative study of stakeholders’ experiences. Planning Practice & Research, https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2025.2516546

    • Nordbø, E. C. A., & Nordh, H. (2025). Green space visitation: A capacity builder for self-perceived health and subjective wellbeing among urban citizens. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 107, 128777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2025.128777
       
    • Malnes, L., Haugen, T., Nordbø, E.C.A. et al. (2025). Objectively measured environmental factors in relation to school travel mode among adolescents: a decision tree analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 22, 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-025-01727-6.

    • Ånestad, R.M., Nordbø, E.C.A, & Ihlebæk, C. (2024). Social sustainability in local communities in Norway: which factors are associated with people’s satisfaction with their local community as a place to live now and in the future? Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 14034948241288758.

    • Ihlebæk C., Ånestad R.M., Nordbø E.C.A. (2024). Bridging discourses on health promotion and social sustainability towards healthy community development. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 0(0). doi:10.1177/14034948241290282

    • Ånestad, R.M., Nordbø, E.C.A., & Ihlebæk, C. (2024). Revisiting the conceptualization of social sustainability from a health promotion perspective: A scoping review. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 14034948241277863.

    • Nordh, H., Aamodt, G., & Nordbø, E.C. (2024). Greater perceived access to green spaces near homes: Safer and more satisfied residents. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 96, 102332.
       
    • Ormsettrø, M., Oftedal, B., Krog, N.H., & Nordbø, E.C.A. (2024). Findings of Environmental Inequality by Settlement Type: The Association Between Educational Level and Exposure to Ambient air Pollution Among Residents in Oslo and Akershus County. Kart og Plan, 117(1), 122-138.

    • Pettersen, G. R., Nordbø, E. C., Skipstein, A., & Ihlebæk, C. (2024). Shopping centres as third places: Sociodemographic differences in use of shopping centres and non-shopping motivations for visits. Cities, 153, 105268.
       
    • Ihlebæk, C., Katralen, H., Nordbø, E.C.A. & Skipstein, A. (2023). The role of social capital for wellbeing in people with long-term illness and disease. Nordic Journal of Wellbeing and Sustainable Welfare Development, 2 (2): 53-67.
       
    • Ulset, V.S., Venter, Z., Kozák, M., Nordbø, E.C.A., von Soest, T. (2023). Increased nationwide use of green spaces in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. Environment International, 180: 108190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108190
       
    • Aamodt, G., Nordh, H., & Nordbø, E.C.A (2023). Relationships between socio-demographic/socio-economic characteristics and neighborhood green space in four Nordic municipalities–results from NORDGREEN. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 127894. DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127894.

    • Pettersen, G.R., Nordbø, E.C.A., Ese, J., Ihlebæk, C. (2023) Can shopping centres foster wellbeing? A scoping review of motivations and positive experiences associated with non-shopping visits. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 4:100133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2023.100133 
       
    • Juul, V., Nordbø, E.C.A. (2023). Examining activity-friendly neighborhoods in the Norwegian context: green space and walkability in relation to physical activity and the moderating role of perceived safety. BMC Public Health 23, 259. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15170-4 
       
    • Nordbø, E.C.A., Raanaas, R.K., Nordh, H., Aamodt, G. (2020). Disentangling how the built environment relates to children’s well-being: Participation in leisure activities as a mediating pathway among 8-year-olds based on the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Health & Place, 64: 102360. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102360
       
    • Nordbø, E.C.A., Nordh, H., Raanaas, R.K., Aamodt, G. (2020). Promoting activity participation and well-being among children and adolescents: A systematic review of neighborhood built-environment determinants. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 18:3, 370-458. DOI: 10.11124/JBISRIR-D-19-00051
  • Teaching

    Nordbø is involved in both teaching and supervision in the master's program in Public Health Science at NMBU. She is the course responsible for M30-FOL (Master's thesis) and SDG250 (Socially sustainable local communities), also and contributes to several other courses within the master's program. Additionally, Nordbø is responsible for a continuing education course on socially sustainable local communities.