Presentations

IMPAQT

2026

17th HEPA Europe Conference; Ljubljana Slovenia (September 8th - September 10th)

Pre-Conference Workshops

Physical activity policy implementation: Measures, methods and means of evaluation. Presenters: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf and Sven Messing (UL), Petru Sandu (Romania), Nicolette Den Braver (Netherlands) HEPA Europe (Ljubljana, Slovenia), 7th of September 2026.

Symposia

Exploring new approaches to assess physical activity policy implementation: Reflections from six EU member states Chair: Sven Messing (FAU / UL). IMPAQT Presentations:

1. Creating the PA-EPI Evidence Document: Learnings from Romania and Ireland Authors: Kevin Volf, Laszlo Peter, Emilia Glodici, Enrique García Bengoechea, Petru Sandu, Catherine Woods.
2. Validating the PA-EPI Evidence Document: Reflections on collaborating with policymakers from Poland and Lithuania Authors:Joanna Zukowska, Rasa Jankauskienė, Miglė Bacevičienė, Wojciech Kustra, Kevin Volf, Catherine Woods.
3. Stakeholder engagement in benchmarking physical activity policy implementation and developing policy recommendations: Learnings from Germany and the Netherlands Authors: Fleur Heuvelman, Leonie Birkholz, Sven Messing, Nicolette R den Braver.
4. Comparing physical activity policy implementation across six EU member states: Preliminary results of the IMPAQT project Authors: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, Enrique García Bengoechea, Nicolette R den Braver, Joanna Zukowska, Petru Sandu, Rasa Jankauskiene, Sven Messing.

Oral Presentations

Co-creating policy recommendations to strengthen physical activity promotion in Germany: a study using the physical activity environment policy index Authors: Leonie Birkholz; Johannes Brandl; Michael Becker; Antonina Tcymbal; Simone Kohler; Julian Resch; Eriselda Mino; Karim Abu-Omar; Wolfgang Geidl;  Klaus Pfeifer; Sven Messing. Part of the symposium: Co-creating evidence-based guidance for physical activity and physical activity promotion: experiences from Germany

How can the physical activity environment policy index be used at the local level? results from an expert survey in European countries. Authors: Leonie Birkholz; Aurélie van Hoye; Enrique García Bengoechea; Kevin Volf; Petru Sandu; Laszlo Peter; Nicolette R Den Braver; Fleur Heuvelman; Joanna Zukowska; Joanna Wachnika; Anna Gobis; Rasa Jankauskiene; Miglė Bacevičienė; Catherine Woods; Sven Messing 

Mapping urban design policies for PA: an analysis of the Romanian policy environment – gaps and challenges. Authors: Laszlo Peter, Petru Sandu.

Mechanisms shaping inequity in physical activity-related policy systems: an expert-based conceptual systems model. Authors: Fleur Heuvelman; Joline WJ Beulens; Jeroen Lakerveld; Sven Messing; Catherine Woods; Enrique Garcia Bengoechea; Petru Sandu; Nicolette R den Braver

Stakeholders’ engagement in the PA-EPI national evidence validation stage: insights from the Romanian context​. Authors: Emilia Alexandra Glodici, Laszlo Peter, Petru Sandu.

25th ISBNPA Conference; Cadíz, Spain (May 27th - May 30th)

Pre-Conference Workshops

Physical activity policy implementation: Measures, methods and means of evaluation. Presenters: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, Enrique García Bengoechea and Sven Messing (UL) Petru Sandu (Romania), Joanna Zukowska (Poland). ISBNPA (Cadíz, Spain) 26th of May 2026.

Symposia

From Monitoring to Action: Advancing Knowledge on Physical Activity Policy Practice and Implementation Chair: Catherine Woods, Discussant: Susana Aznar Laín (Spain). IMPAQT Presentations:

1. Current approaches to physical activity policy evaluation:  A comparative analysis of international tools. Authors: Sven Messing, Kevin Volf, Catherine Woods.
2. PA-EPI Evidence Documents: A comprehensive account of physical activity policy in six European Countries. Authors: Kevin Volf, Enrique García Bengoechea, Anna Barrero, Rasa Jankauskiene, Migle Baceviciene, Joanna Zukowska, Anna Gobis, Joanna Wachnicka, Petru Sandu, Laszlo Peters, Leonie Birkholz, Sven Messing, Fleur Heuvelman, Nicolette R Den Braver, Catherine Woods.
3. The added value of a subnational PA-EPI: Reflections based on a review of existing subnational physical activity policy monitoring tools. Authors: Leonie Birkholz, Aurelie van Hoye, Antonina Tcymbal, Karim Abu-Omar, Petru Sandu, Peter Laszlo, Fleur Heuvelman, Nicolette R Den Braver, Peter Gelius, Joanna Zukowska, Joanna Wachnicka, Anna Gobis, Rasa Jankauskiene, Catherine Woods, Sven Messing.

Oral Presentations

Systematically Integrating Equity in Physical Activity Policy Recommendations. Authors: Fleur Heuvelman, Peter Gelius, Enrique García Bengoechea, Sven Messing, Catherine Woods, Nicolette R Den Braver. Part of the symposium S.2.24 Policies and environments: Advancing Equity in Food and Physical Activity Policy: Strategies, Participatory Approaches, and Evaluation.

Poster Presentations

Mapping and Understanding PA Policies in Poland and Lithuania: Lessons learned from National Evidence Documents Development Process. Authors: Joanna Zukowska, Rasa Jankauskiene, Wojciech Kustra, Migle Baceviciene and Catherine Woods

33rd European Congress on Obesity; Istanbul, Turkey (May 12th - May 15th)

Oral Presentations

Improving Physical Activity policies and their impact on health eQuiTy: Learnings from six EU countries as part of the IMPAQT study Authors: Catherine Woods Past of the sessions: T2 Policy Adoption & Implementation: Evidence-Driven Adoption of Public Health Policies.

Other presentations in 2026

Creating the PA-EPI Evidence Document. Author: Kevin Volf CIRcUL Conference (Limerick, Ireland) June 2026.

2025

16th HEPA Europe Conference; Kaunas, Lithuania

Pre-Conference Workshops

Physical activity policy implementation: Measures, methods and means of evaluation. Presenting Authors: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf and Sven Messing (UL) Peter Gelius (Switzerland). Visit to Institute of Sports Science (Bern, Switzerland) October 30th - 31st 2025.

Symposia

Advancing knowledge on equitable physical activity policy implementation: Learnings from the IMPAQT consortium Presenting Authors: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, Sven Messing and Aurelie Van Hoye (UL), Peter Gelius (Switzerland), Petru Sandu (Romania), Rasa (Lithuania) Joanna Zukowska (Poland), Nicole den Braver (Netherlands), WHO HEPA Conference (Kaunas, Lithuania), 16-19th September 2025.

1.  A rapid review examining the impact of public policy on equity in physical activity. Authors: Fleur Heuvelman, Leonie Birkholz, Dr. Antonina Tcymbal, Dr. Jeroen Lakerveld, Prof. Joline WJ Beulens, Prof. Catherine Woods, Dr. Karim Abu-Omar, Dr. Kevin Volf, Dr. Petru Sandu, Dr. Rasa Jankauskiene, Anna Gobis, Dr. Joanna Wachnicka, Prof. Joanna Żukowska,  Prof. Peter Gelius, Linda J Schoonmade, Dr. Sven Messing & Dr. Nicolette R den Braver.
2. Providing Guidance on Equity and Physical Activity Policy: The development of the PA-EPI Equity Module. Authors: Sven Messing, Leonie Birkholz, Karim Abu-Omar, Antonina Tcymbal, Peter Gelius, Nicole den Braver, Fleur Heuvelman, Petru Sandu, Enrique Garcia Bengoechea, Kevin Volf, Joanna Zukowska, Rasa Jankauskiene, Christopher Gidlow, Adrian Bauman, Catherine Woods.
3. Equitable recruitment of expert and citizens councils: Guidance from the IMPAQT project on physical activity policy benchmarking. Authors: Inès Abdelli, Peter Gelius.
4. Showcasing Great Physical Activity Policy; Development of IMPAQTs list of Best Practice Exemplars Authors: Kevin Volf, Rasa Jankauskiene, Wojciech Kustra, Anna Barrero, Aurelie Van Hoye, Enrique García Bengoechea, Migle Bacevicience, Anna Gobis, Joanna Wachicha, Joanna Zukowska, Fleur Heuvelmans, Nicole Den Braver, Leonie Birkholz, Sven Messing, Laszlo Peters, Petru Sandu, Catherine Woods.

24th ISBNPA Conference; Auckland, New Zealand (June 11th - June 14th)

Symposia

Increasing health equity through promoting healthy diets and physical activity (Health Equity) Joint symposium with the e-PRO-SCHOOLS project Chair: Joanna Zukowska. IMPAQT presentations:

1. Improving Physical Activity policies in urban design to enhance their impact on physical activity and health equity. Presenting Authors: Kevin Volf, Wojciech Kustra, Rasa Jankauskiene, Migle Baceviciene, Anna Barrero, Anna Gobis, Joanna Wachnicka, Leonie Birkholz, Sven Messing, Fleur Heuvelman, Nicolette R Den Braver, Petru Sandu, Laszlo Peters, Aurelie Van Hoye, Enrique García Bengoechea, Joanna Żukowska & Catherine Woods.
2. A scoping review examining the evidence for enhancing equity in physical activity (PA) through public policy.   Fleur Heuvelman, Dr. Sven Messing, Leonie Birkholz, Dr. Antonina Tcymbal, Prof. Catherine Woods, Dr. Jeroen Lakerveld, Prof. Joline Beulens, Dr. Karim Abu-Omar, Dr. Kevin Volf, Dr. Petru Sandu, Dr. Rasa Jankauskiene, Anna Gobis, Dr. Joanna Wachnicka, Prof. Joanna Żukowska,  Prof. Peter Gelius, Linda J Schoonmade & Dr. Nicole R den Braver.

Other workshops in 2025

Physical activity policy implementation: Measures, methods and means of evaluation. Presenters: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, Sven Messing and Aurelie Van Hoye (UL) Ulysses Project Collaboration with University of Lorraine (Nancy, France) October 28th 2025.

Physical activity policy implementation: Measures, methods and means of evaluation. Presenting Authors: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, Sven Messing and Aurelie Van Hoye (UL) Peter Gelius (Switzerland), Petru Sandu (Romania), Rasa Jankauskiene (Lithuania) Joanna Zukowska (Poland), Nicolette den Braver (Netherlands)  HEPA Europe (Kaunas, Lithuania), 16th September 2025.

Physical activity policy implementation: Measures, methods and means of evaluation. PAfH Summer School (Limerick, Ireland) September 2025.

Other presentations in 2025

Addressing Equity in Traffic Safety: Application of the PA-EPI Methodology within the IMPAQT Framework. Presenting Author: Joanna Zukowska. RS5C, February 2025.

Translating physical activity research into policy: Current approaches and challenges.  Presenting Author: Sven Messing. All-Island Obesity Forum (Online), 17th June 2025.

How to reduce social inequities in the field of physical activity policy?   Co-producing policy recommendations in 6 EU countries. Presenting Author: Sven Messing. ICPP (Chiang Mai, Thailand), July 2025.

2024

Scottish Physical Activity Research Connections 2024 (SPARC24); Edinburgh, Scotland (December 4th)

Oral Presentations

Reducing inequalities through physical activity policies. Authors: Sven Messing. Fleur Heuvelman, Leonie Birkholz, Kevin Volf, Catherine Woods & Nicole den Braver. 

Poster Presentations

Collaborative policy implementation assessment; why the PA-EPI process should be used in Scotland. Authors: Kevin Volf, Sven Messing, Catherine Woods. 

10th ISPAH Congress; Paris, France (October 28th to October 30th)

Pre-Conference Workshops

Physical activity policy implementation: Measures, methods and means of evaluation. ​​​Presenting Authors: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, Sven Messing and Aurelie Van Hoye (UL) Peter Gelius (Switzerland), Petru Sandu (Romania), Rasa (Lithuania) Joanna Zukowska (Poland), Nicolette den Braver (Netherlands). ISPAH Congress (Paris, France), 28-31st October 2024.

Symposia

When policy solutions are necessary but insufficient to address physical inactivity: Are we up to the challenge?  Presenting Authors: Catherine Woods (UL) Adrian Bauman (Sydney), Andrea Ramirez (Texas), Justin Richards (New Zealand), Katje Siefkin (Germany), Wanda Wendel Vos (Netherlands). ISPAH Congress (Paris, France), 28-31st October 2024.

15th HEPA Europe Conference; Dublin, Ireland (August 19th - August 21st)

Symposia

IMPAQT Overview. Presenting Authors: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, Sven Messing and Aurelie Van Hoye (UL), Peter Gelius (Switzerland), Petru Sandu (Romania), Rasa (Lithuania) Joanna Zukowska (Poland), Nicolette R den Braver (Netherlands).

PA-EPI Overview. Presenting Authors: Catherine Woods, Kevin Volf, Sven Messing and Aurelie Van Hoye.

Pre-IMPAQT

Nutrition-related abstracts and publications are available on the PEN website:
https://www.jpi-pen.eu/outcome/presentations/pen-presentations.html
 

2021

Webinars

• Implementation of direct fruit and vegetables provision interventions in schools, led by Biljana Meshkovska at the Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, 4 May 2021.

Poster Presentation

• A pan-European approach to assess the impact of policies on health behavior. Author: Stefanie DO. Digital Public Health organized by the Early Career Researcher Academy Bremen and Digital Health Malta, online presentation, October 2021.

2020

Workshops

• Identifying the 'best buys' in public policy for promotion of physical activity and healthy nutrition; Can we do it? If yes, How? Why? and What we can learn from each other. Pre-Conference Workshop at the 19th Meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) - Advancing Behaviour Change Science, Auckland, New Zealand, 17-20 June 2020.
• Virtual joint workshop: Disrupting childhood obesity trends across Europe; a joint symposium of CO-CREATE, STOP and PEN 
      - CO-CREATE: CO-CREATE: Cocreating policies with youth in Europe (Professor Knut-Inge Klepp)
      - STOP: Strengthening evidence and engaging different actors (Professor Franco Sassi)
      - PEN: Monitoring and accountability of public policies across Europe (Professor Wolfgang Ahrens)
  at the European and International Congress on Obesity (ECO-ICO 2020), 2 Septemer 2020.

Symposia

• Virtual joint symposium „Addressing health policy and research at the STOP/ CO-CREATE/ PEN Symposium”, 30^th June 2020. A virtual joint symposium of the STOP, CO-CREATE and PEN was organized with key members of the three consortia as an opportunity for the projects to collaborate and share updates on progress to date. Quotes from the coordinators of the STOP, CO-CREATE and PEN project, as well as the link to the recorded symposium on 30th June 2020 can be found at the website of the STOP project here.
• What can we learn from food and physical activity policy evaluation to maximise impact on health and sustainability: The intersection between research and practice. Symposium at the 19th Meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) - Advancing Behaviour Change Science. Auckland, New Zealand, 17-20 June 2020.

Webinars

• Measuring policy actions for healthy and sustainable food and physical activity environments - A SIG Policies and Environment webinar, webinar led by PEN and the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA), 22 September 2020. Find more information and the recording of this webinar here.

Oral Presentations

• Key indicators for harmonized European population health surveillance: an iterative approach. Speaker: Stefanie Do. Talk at the 16th World Congress on Public Health /EUPHA 2020 - Public health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action, virtual meeting, Rome, Italy, October 2020.
• Health surveillance indicators: what is available in European data sets for policy evaluation?. Speaker: Isobel Stanley. Talk at the 16th World Congress on Public Health /EUPHA 2020 - Public health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action, virtual meeting, Rome, Italy, October 2020.
• Systematic review examining the evidence for impact of school policies on physical activity. Speaker: Catherine Woods. Talk at the 16th World Congress on Public Health /EUPHA 2020 - Public health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action, virtual meeting, Rome, Italy, October 2020.
• Evaluation of policy measures to promote a healthy diet and physical activity – The PEN Project. Speaker: Wolfgang Ahrens. Talk at the 16th World Congress on Public Health /EUPHA 2020 - Public health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action, virtual meeting, Rome, Italy, October 2020.
• A Physical Activity Policy Audit of four PEN countries: What can we learn for sustainability and health promotion? Measuring policy actions for healthy and sustainable food and physical activity environments. Speaker: Sven messing. At the SIG Policies and Environment webinar,PEN/ISBNPA, 22 September 2020.
• Policy impact evaluation: Simulation modeling and quasi-experimental methods. Spaeker: Michael Laxy. Talk at the Joint STOP/ CO-CREATE/ PEN symposium, virtual Conference, June 2020.
• Monitoring and benchmarking government policies and actions to improve the healthiness of food environments in Europe: Progress on Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) in Europe. Speaker: Janas Harrington. Talk at the Joint STOP/ CO-CREATE/ PEN symposium, virtual Conference, June 2020.
• Politische Rahmenbedingungen für Ernährung in Deutschland: Eine Politikfeldanalyse mit Expertenbefragung. Speaker: Peter von Philipsborn. Talk at the 36th Annual Meeting of the German Association for the Study of Obesity, Leipzig, Germany, June 2020.
• Building a literature-based systems map of determinants of dietary intake in low-income groups as a basis for health equity policies. Speaker: Alexia Sawyer. Talk at the ISBNPA Xchange, virtual meeting, June 2020.
• The Work of the WHO CC for Physical Activity and Public Health at FAU. Speaker: Peter Gelius. Invited talk at the Kick-off meeting of the EU-sponsored LOGOPAS project. Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 4-5 February 2020.

Poster Presentations

• Policy implementation evaluation: a stakeholder-centred approach. Author: Daniel Scheller. 16th World Congress on Public Health /EUPHA 2020 - Public health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action, virtual meeting, Rome, Italy, October 2020.
• Talk Sub-national structures matter when evaluating physical activity promotion: Lessons from Germany. Author: Sarah Forberger. 16th World Congress on Public Health /EUPHA 2020 - Public health for the future of humanity: analysis, advocacy and action, virtual meeting, Rome, Italy, October 2020.
• Policy Evaluation: a comprehensive European approach by the JPI HDHL Network PEN.  Author: Antje Hebestreit. European and International Congress on Obesity (ECO-ICO 2020), Dublin, Ireland, 17-20 May 2020.

2019

Workshops

• Policy impact indicators. Expert workshop at the Robert Koch Institute. Berlin, Germany, 26-27 September 2019.
• Taxation policies regarding sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and other junk foods. Learning from experience. Workshop at the 4th V4 Public Health Conference. Debrecen, Hungary, 25 April 2019.
• Health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) policy audit tool (PAT) Training. HEPA-PAT training workshop at the Kick-off Meeting of the PEN project. Bremen, Germany, 5 February 2019.
• Overview of Food Environment Policy Index (Food EPI) Processes. Food-EPI training workshop at the Kick-off Meeting of the PEN project. Bremen, Germany, 4 February 2019.
• European Food Environment Policy Index (Food EPI) Roadmap development. Food-EPI training workshop at the Kick-off Meeting of the PEN project. Bremen, Germany, 4 February 2019.
• Workshop for stakeholders consultation. Stuttgart, Germany, 4 February 2019.

Oral Presentations

• Public policies addressing health-related behaviours in Europe. Speaker: Wolfgang Ahrens. Expert workshop to identify indicators important for monitoring and surveillance in young and adult populations. Berlin, Germany, 26-27 September 2019.
• The Physical activity and sedentary behaviour side of PEN. Speaker: Catherine Woods. Invited talk at the 15th Annual meeting and 10th conference of HEPA Europe. Odense, Denmark, 28-30 August 2019.
• The Work of the WHO CC for Physical Activity and Public Health at FAU. Speakers: Peter Gelius, Karim Abu-Omar. Invited talk at the meeting of the Workgroup “Physical activity in everyday life” of the German Ministry of Health. Berlin, Germany, 7 May 2019.
• Public policies addressing health-related behaviours in Europe
  Policy mapping and EPI development. Speaker: Janas Harrington. Invited talk at the JPI HDHL 5th International Conference, Brussels, Belgium, 20 February 2019.

Poster Presentations

• European Project Policy Evaluation Network (PEN): geriatric point of view. Roma Krzymińska-Siemaszko et al. 15th International Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS). Krakow, Poland, 25-27 September 2019.
• Effectiveness of Existing Policies for Lifestyle Interventions – Policy Evaluation Network – WP4 Implementation. Daniel Scheller et al. 8th Conference of the European Initiative for Exercise in Medicine (EIEIM). Amsterdam, Netherlands, 20-21 September 2019.
• Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) - Fostering Sustainable and Active Transport in Copenhagen. Noah Peters & Lucia Reisch. ‘Festival for the Global Goals’ organised by Frederiksberg Municipality and hosted by Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Copenhagen, Denmark, 13-14 September 2019.
• Siec ewaluacji polityk – projekt europejski; zadania Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Poznaniu (European Project Policy Evaluation Network: from the perspective of Poznan University of Medical Sciences). Katarzyna Wieczorowska-Tobis et al. National conference for dieticians. Poznan, Poland, 2 March 2019.

2018

Workshops

• Health Policies, Theories and Implementation Research. Pre-PEN Workshop at the 7th European Exercise is Medicine Conference, Warsaw, Poland, 21-23 September 2018.

Oral presentations

• Policy Evaluation Network (PEN). Speaker: Catherine Woods. Invited talk at the ISPAH conference. London, United Kingdom, 15-17 Oktober 2018.
• Policy Evaluation Network (PEN). Speaker: Catherine Woods. Invited talk at the working group of the European network for the promotion of health-enhancning physical activity (HEPA). Video conference, 11 June 2018.
• Effectiveness of existing policies for lifestyle interventions - Policy Evaluation Network (PEN). Speaker: Lucia Reisch. Internal event at the Copenhagen Business School. Copenhagen, Denmark, 23 March 2018.
• Effectiveness of existing policies for lifestyle interventions - Policy Evaluation Network (PEN). Speaker: Antje Hebestreit & Sarah Forberger. Internal event ("Jour-Fixe") at BIPS, Bremen, Germany, 5 February 2018.

2017

Oral Presentations

Effectiveness of existing policies for lifestyle interventions - Policy Evaluation Network (PEN). Speaker: Wolfgang Ahrens. Invited talk at the 4th JPI HDHL Conference. Brussels, Belgium, 1 December 2017.