DE-PASS Network Meeting, Porto, May 2022
The DE-PASS Network Meeting for 2022 took place in Porto on the 4th & 5th of May 2022 with 65 members from 30 countries attending on the day or virtually.
There were many key highlights at Work Group (WG)/Deliverable level as well as at the Management Committee (MC) meeting where Albania were approved and welcomed to join DE-PASS. The new updated COST rules were presented by co-chair Ciaran MacDonncha as well as previous minutes of MC meeting, updates on the budget, members and participant breakdown between the WG, upcoming STSM / VM grants (which will be announced this week so keep an eye out on our twitter) as well as an overall update of the action to date and future plans for each WG.
On day one, WG 2, 3 and 4 met to discuss, decide, refine and plan their next key tasks and actions before the leaders presented this at the MC meeting to update members on the current aims and next steps for each WG and Deliverable:
WG 2 – Aim to prepare consensus statements and guidelines regarding key determinants of Physical Activity Behaviours (PABs) and their prioritisation and utilisation within public policies and interventions. D2.3 will provide a new and updated EuropeaN Physical Activity Determinants (EN-PAD) consensus framework and are currently progressing the concept mapping platform to facilitate factor brainstorming and listing and subsequent online factor sorting and rating. D2.4 will formulate European specific guidelines on how the five highest ranked setting specific determinants can be modified and translated into effective public policies and interventions. D2.5 will prepare Best Evidence Statements (BESt) of high quality research on the determinants of physical activity behaviours (PABs) across the lifespan. A protocol paper on the BESt of children and adolescents has been prepared and submitted. DE-PASS participants are now required and invited to support the preparation of BESt for adults and older adult. Keep an eye out for STSM and VM grant opportunities coming soon for deeper engagement with these deliverables.
WG 3 – To develop a EuropeaN Physical Activities Determinants Toolkit (EN-PADT) to measure the determinants of PA and sedentary behaviour in the family, home, school and neighbourhood settings, focusing on children and adolescents aged 9-19. In the context of this aim D3.1 are currently identifying key determinants of PABs, incorporating related inputs from members and identifying validated measurement methodologies. In the Autumn of 2022 WG 3 will provide WG 4 with a methodology to drive harmonised data collection across Europe regarding the determinants of PABs, having an initial focus on children in late primary school and their families. D3.2. will develop an online determinant measurement toolkit. It will be organised around a high functioning online platform, facilitating data upload, ecological momentary assessment, manual data addition, database linkage and integration etc. D3.3 are now working on a draft of proposed definitions of selected determinants. They will discuss and refine definitions with support from an expert committee and progress towards a consensus of definitions.
WG 4 – European framework for harmonised data collection of physical activity behaviours and their determinants. D4.2 will now implement the research harmonisation audit tool (R-HAT) and report on the potential for research harmonisation across Europe. D4.5 will finalise the proposal for DE-PASS Training School 3 which will take place early November 2022 – “Application of a harmonised research protocol and analytical methods to measure PAB and their determinants in children and their family members”. D4.5 is currently preparing for a Proof of Concept study to support the harmonized data collection of European PABs and their determinants using objectively measured PABs in 200 families from ≥ 5 countries.
As well as the updates from the co-chair and WG leaders at the MC meeting we also had an update from CDE on the website, blog and twitter analytics which we hope to increase as the WG’s begin to start preparing and submitting outputs and publications as well as promoting STSM’s and VM grants. As the WGs progress tasks we will begin blog updates and we hope to have a LinkedIn page up and running soon.
We had four key note speakers at the DE-PASS Policy Translation and Sustainability meeting which discussed capacity building through the DE-PASS Knowledge Transfer Platform (KTP) i.e. the co-production of knowledge between researchers and policy makers. Challenges occur in policy making and implementation due to different national laws/policies, different environments and settings. The main points for action are to align top/down and bottom/up approaches, stakeholder capacity building – people first, and to put the knowledge into practice – acting local for meaningful impacts to society. Emphasis needs to be put on lifelong physical activity and calls for programmes for monitoring physical fitness as an evidence-based indicator of health of an individual and the population as a whole.
Porto 2022 was a valuable and enjoyable experience for all, the benefits of an annual opportunity to meet face to face were clearly evident. Thanks goes to all involved in organising but also in participating and huge thanks is extended to the Faculty of Sport, University of Porto and to Prof José Ribeiro for being excellent hosts of the meeting.
