Dear members of the ISBNPA Ageing SIG,

We hope you are all doing well and finding some time for self-care including a balanced diet and physical activity. 😊

The in-person 2023 ISBNPA annual conference will be held June 14-17 in Uppsala, Sweden. In September 2023, ISBNPA will host an online-only event, so you can select one of the formats or attend both meetings. The call for symposia and abstracts are now open.  We are looking forward to seeing the research contributions of our SIG at the annual meeting. Awards will be given for top presentations. As you know, ISBNPA is one of the best networking opportunities as physical activity and nutrition researchers across the globe come together. In this edition of the Ageing SIG newsletter we introduce our new Pilot Grant Program, the Ageing SIG Twitter Takeover, and our November webinar. We hope you enjoy the October newsletter! If you have any comments, please let us know: ageing_sig@isbnpa.org Follow us on Twitter at @ISBNPA_Ageing

Best wishes,

NEW PILOT FUNDING AVAILABLE

2023 Early Career Researcher/PhD Student Seed Funding

Due November 11, 2022 by 11:59pm ET

This seed funding opportunity has been developed to assist ECRs and/or senior PhD students to undertake research that supports a planned future funding application for a larger research project. This funding, of up to $1,500 USD, is available for a one-year period. Awarding and distribution of funds is contingent on available funding for that year and subject to final review and recommendation by the ISBNPA executive committee. Please complete the application form (attached to this email) and submit it to the co-chairs of the Ageing Special Interest Group at: earichar@purdue.edu

Eligibility criteria:

●      Early career researchers (including trainees) who are no more than 5 years post-PhD or senior PhD students who are in their final year of study. If post 5 years due to a career disruption, please provide a statement of explanation.

●      Scope of the project must fit with theme of ageing

●      Maximum of ONE project submission per applicant

●      Must be a member of the Ageing SIG (You can join the SIG at or before you submit your application)

Applications are available here.

NOVEMBER WEBINAR DETAILS

Age-related inequalities in physical activity:

Does the built environment matter?

November 10^th 20:00 UTC

The Ageing SIG is partnering with the Policies & Environment SIG to host Professor Takemi Sugiyama of Swinburne University of Technology for our next webinar. 

There is relatively little research on age-related inequalities in physical activity (PA), in contrast to the plethora of studies on gender inequalities and socioeconomic inequalities in PA. Thus, little is known about how the built environment is involved in the disparities in PA between younger and older adults. It appears that there are two approaches to better understand this issue. One is to explore whether the built environment “explains” the age-related difference in PA, and the other is to investigate whether built environmental attributes are more “important” for older adult’s PA (than for younger adults’ PA). Dr. Sugiyama will discuss previously published relevant studies and present findings for these analyses using travel survey data.

To register, please use this link.

The 2023 ISBNPA Annual Meeting is sure to bring a stimulating scientific program, which will include an outstanding line-up of keynote speakers, oral and poster presentations, and pre-conference workshops. There will be excellent opportunities for participating in physical activity, and networking social events that will also help you discover what Uppsala has to offer.

The call for abstracts is now open. You can choose to submit to the in-person meeting or the online only meeting during the submission.

You can find more information and submit your abstract here.

SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE

Join us for our first ISBNPA Ageing SIG Twitter Takeover!

What is it? We hand over the Twitter account to a new person each month and allow them to post what they want, when they want, and how they want (of course within some guidelines).  

Why? 1) To spice up our Twitter feed; 2) To bring diversity in the topics tweeted; 3) To engage SIG members more; 4) To highlight our amazing members; 5) Encourage others to join our SIG

Interested? Send us an email at: earichar@purdue.edu

Since one of the aims of the Ageing SIG is to enhance networking, advertise post doc positions, job opportunities and research exchanges, we would like to use the newsletter to invite one Early Stage Researcher to talk about their PhD topic and future expectations. Could you suggest any of your PhD students for our next issue? Please send them to: ageing_sig@isbnpa.org.

Tell us about your area of research for your PhD. What attracted you to this area of research?

I have a long-standing interest in health and well-being, and a work history across clinical and public health research contexts. My research focuses on chronic disease prevention and program evaluation. For my PhD, I evaluated a remotely delivered weight loss and lifestyle modification maintenance program for private health insurance members with a chronic disease, and with overweight and obesity. The project fitted well with my research interests, and I felt that it would translate well to future research opportunities. The participants in the program were primarily mid-older adults and I particularly enjoyed interviewing them about their experiences. I also appreciated working in partnership with the practice-based service provider and gained a valuable understanding of the unique perspectives of all players in an intervention partnership.

What have been your most exciting achievements to date?

Submitting my thesis was a huge achievement in itself, and not something I ever expect to do. Even more exciting was the prospect of having guilt-free weekends back in my life! The smaller achievements along the way, like having papers and conference abstracts accepted were also extremely satisfying.

Most challenging aspect of doing a PhD?

I found my PhD journey rewarding, but at times I was caught up in the minutiae of each study and had trouble stepping back to see the bigger picture.

Any tips for others completing a PhD?

Two tips helped me to get from the beginning to the end of my PhD.

1.      Someone told me to remember that my life was bigger than the thesis. This was    good advice. While the PhD is totally absorbing and important at the time, it is not who you are. Spend time away from your research, keep up with friends and what you enjoy doing outside of your PhD. You will need the distraction and social connections to sustain your energy.

2.      Start writing. It does not need to be your best work, but until you have words on a page you have nothing to show for your hard work, and nothing to edit and improve on.

Tell us about your current role.

I work as a Research Fellow and explore applied and translational public health at the intersection of research, policy and practice. This role allows me to work in my areas of interest, facilitating the improvement of the health and quality of life of individuals affected by lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Although I have worked across all life stages (my previous clinical work as an occupational therapist was in paediatrics, and my current research is not limited to older adults), I continue to enjoy the parts of my role which involve research relating to ageing and older adults, as well as collaborating with real-world public health practitioners and policy makers.

What research publications would you like to highlight?

I love to read and escaping into a good book is always a pleasure. Working in a sedentary role, but researching physical activity is a constant reminder to keep moving. I enjoy walking, which is an established part of my everyday life. It can be as simple as walking the dog with my family, or a multi-day hike, but it is always fun and part of who I am. 

I had the opportunity to present some of my PhD research at ISBNPA conferences (as part of the Ageing SIG). Two publications resulting from this research are:

McGill B, Bauman A, Phongsavan P, Grunseit A, Lees D, Shepherd L, Lawler L, O’Hara B. Beyond weight loss: impact of a weight management program for mid-older Australians in private health insurance. Clinical Obesity. 2020; e12359; https://doi.org/10.1111/cob.12359.

McGill B, O’Hara B, Phongsavan P, Bauman A, Lawler L, Grunseit A. “I’m still on track”: participant experiences of a weight loss maintenance program. Healthcare 2020; 8, 21; https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/8/1/21. 

More recent publications which are relevant to the Ageing SIG include:

McGill B, Corbett L, Grunseit A, Irving M, O’Hara BJ. Co-Produce, Co-Design, Co-Create, or Co-Construct—Who Does It and How Is It Done in Chronic Disease Prevention? A Scoping Review. Healthcare 2022, 10,647; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10040647.

Kite J, Huang B, Laird Y, Grunseit A, McGill B, Williams K, Bellew B, Thomas M. Influence and effects of weight stigmatisation in media: A systematic review. EClinicalMedicine 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101464.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love to read and escaping into a good book is always a pleasure. Working in a sedentary role, but researching physical activity is a constant reminder to keep moving. I enjoy walking, which is an established part of my everyday life. It can be as simple as walking the dog with my family, or a multi-day hike, but it is always fun and part of who I am.