REsearch into POlicy to enhance Physical Activity
More to come.
Read about our kick-off meeting and our EPH conference workshop. REPOPA group photo included.
See the news on the upcoming project kick-off meeting Nov 9-10th and the following EPH conference workshop on REPOPA.
REPOPA contract has been signed with official start on October 1st.
REsearch into POlicy to enhance Physical Activity (REPOPA) is a five year project within the EU research funded Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). REPOPA is part of the programme on 'Cooperation', which supports research activities carried out by different research bodies in trans-national cooperation and aims to gain or consolidate leadership in key scientific and technology areas.
Background
Evidence supports the importance of physical activity to promote health. Physical activity depends not only on individual factors and health care action, but also on policies, social factors, the natural and built environment, the transport sector, etc.
In spite of abundant research knowledge on physical activity and health as well as existing policies targeting physical activity, very little know-how exists on how to link research and policy making, especially across sectors in societies.
The main ideas in REPOPA stem from an international collaboration between researchers in the EIRA network (Evidence Into Research and Action). EIRA functioned from 2009 and the network has now been merged with REPOPA.
Aim and objectives
REPOPA aims to integrate scientific research knowledge, expert know-how and real world policy making process to increase synergy and sustainability in promoting health and preventing disease, and to promote physical activity in structural policy making, by:
- Building on evidence and experiences on policy making processes
- Studying innovative ’win-win’ ways to collaborate between academia and policy makers
- Establishing structures and best practices for future health promotion
Expected outcomes
- Increased use of research evidence in policy making
- Closer understanding and collaboration between academia, practice and policy makers/politicians
- Increased collaboration across sectors in physical activity policy making
- Sustainable knowledge integration
- Improved theoretical and methodological competences
Project coordinating partner
University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Unit for Health Promotion Research, Denmark