Ingirid Geirsdatter Heald Kjær

Ingirid Geirsdatter Heald Kjær serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education at the University of Agder. She leads the "Nature, Health and Movement" (NHB) course in Workplace-based Kindergarten Teacher Education (ABLU) and lectures in health and movement for both ABLU and regular kindergarten teacher education (BLU) programs. Her academic role also includes teaching health and sports subjects within the school of sports and participating in the MobiBLU (Mobilization for mobility in BLU) project.

Dr. Kjær's research spans multiple interconnected domains including health-related physical fitness, body composition assessment, obesity prevalence studies, and physical activity interventions. Her work demonstrates a clear progression from foundational studies on adolescent weight management to comprehensive investigations of adult physical fitness and more recently to psychological and educational aspects of physical education. She is an active member of the ROPE (Research in Outdoor and Physical Education) research group, which examines the intersection of outdoor activities, physical education, and health outcomes.

Her publication record reveals consistent expertise in developing and evaluating tailored exercise interventions, particularly telephone and email-based programs for physically inactive adults. More recent work has expanded into professional identity development among early childhood educators and psychosocial factors affecting youth sports participation. Dr. Kjær demonstrates a strong commitment to translating academic research into practical applications through extensive media engagement.

Through numerous contributions to major Norwegian media outlets including Fædrelandsvennen, Sunnmørsposten, and Stavanger Aftenblad, she has effectively communicated research findings on children's play, physical activity, and health to the general public. Her media presence complements her academic work, creating a bridge between scholarly research and practical implementation in educational and community settings.