February 2024

President's Message

ISBNPA Annual Meeting 2024

Membership

Climate Action

NESI

Latest @IJBNPA

I am hopeful that that the year has started well for you all. Belated wishes for a very healthy and happy 2024 … and Lunar New Year too! We, in the Southern hemisphere, have returned from the summer break and are getting ready for another - hopefully healthy, enjoyable and productive - academic year.

While the last couple of months have been relatively quiet for many of us, it certainly has not been so for the Annual Meeting Committee. Under the leadership of Amy Yaroch and Paul Estabrooks, they have been working hard on creating an inspiring and memorable experience for you in Omaha. Please have a look at the related news item below and, if you have not done so, submit your latest research ASAP as the deadline for late breaking abstracts and poster submissions is nearing (29 February). Hurry up! 

Do not miss this fantastic opportunity to showcase your research and connect with ISBNPA’s prolific and innovative scientific community. As part of the scientific program, you will also have the unprecedented opportunity to learn from, and connect with, representatives of funding agencies. We all know how difficult it is to get research funding. Therefore, Omaha 2024 is bringing this new initiative to the table so that the ISBNPA community can continue producing groundbreaking research in behavioural nutrition and physical activity. Thank you, Omaha 2024 committee for the fantastic idea!!  

You may wonder what other unique, enriching experiences Omaha 2024 might bring to you. 

Lots! … but let me focus on one in particular. You will remember from the previous newsletter that we expanded ISBNPA’s mission statement to reflect its ‘climate action’ strategic initiative and research. Well … in line with this statement, Omaha 2024 will help you to become more aware of your own carbon footprint associated with attending the meeting and provide suggestions as to how you can reduce it. 

Next … on the first day of the meeting, a Climate Action Plenary session will kick off an in-depth discussion on how our society can contribute to planetary health. We want you involved and will greatly appreciate your feedback during and after the plenary session and meeting. Believe it or not, it appears that our society is leading the race in this space. Congratulations to the climate action strategic initiative! However, of course, this is just the start of a challenging journey to a healthier planet and healthier people.

Stay active, healthy and sustainable!

Ester

The Annual Meeting Committee convened in Omaha on January 29-30 to develop the scientific program for the upcoming event. 

During this meeting, the committee utilized the feedback from reviewers to curate the oral presentations, short-orals, and poster sessions. The program for the ISBNPA Annual Meeting is structured according to Special Interest Groups (SIGs), ensuring a cohesive and organized schedule.

The development of the program has been incredibly exciting, as we have managed to gather a whopping 357 presentations that showcase the very best in behavioral nutrition and physical activity research from all corners of the globe.

Although the main focus of our program revolves around Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches to Impact Health Equity, we were also delighted to include research from various other subjects. Specifically, the 182 oral sessions that were carefully selected and organized can be categorized as follows:

Our annual meeting features a comprehensive program, including 18 symposia, 6 short-oral sessions, and currently 76 posters. It is important to note that the submission deadline for late-breaking abstracts has been extended until Feb 29, so we anticipate these numbers to rise.

We are pleased to inform you that we will be able to provide the notifications regarding your presentation type ahead of schedule. Kindly check your inbox over the upcoming weekend for the outcome of this selection process. 

This year, we are expanding the opportunities for late-breaking abstract submissions at the ISBNPA 2024 Annual Meeting in Omaha. In addition to being considered for posters, the Annual Meeting Committee will now also evaluate and select some late-breaking abstracts for short-orals.

This exciting development gives you an even greater incentive to prepare your best research and submit it to our prestigious event. The deadline for submissions is February 29, so make sure to submit your work before then.

We understand the importance of timely notifications, and we have scheduled the notifications for this call on March 15. This will allow you ample time to plan your attendance and make any necessary arrangements once you receive the results.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to showcase your research and contribute to the scientific discussions at our Annual Meeting. Submit your abstract today and join us in Omaha for an unforgettable event.

All the keynote speakers for our meeting have been confirmed. We are excited to announce them.

Additionally, we will be featuring up to 4 "One to Watch" invited plenary talks, which are currently being selected by the Annual Meeting Committee. These talks will consist of 30-minute presentations from students and early career researchers who show great potential in the field of behavioral nutrition and physical activity.

Furthermore, on the first day of the conference, there will be 12 awards sessions. Each session will showcase the top 3 submissions in every SIG, providing a fantastic opportunity for learning from the best in each field. It's definitely a great way to start off the conference!

Lastly, we have included a plenary session on climate action. Learn more below..

1. Stay tuned for the plenary section at ISBNPA2024

As a key component of the ISBNPA Strategic Plan, we are excited to announce that we will be hosting a thought-provoking plenary session on Climate Action during the first day of the conference. This dynamic event will feature an engaging debate and round-table discussion focused on our collective efforts to reduce the CO2e emissions associated with ISBNPA.

We strongly believe that tackling this issue is not solely the responsibility of society as a whole, but also requires individual commitment and accountability. Therefore, we encourage you to actively participate in this session by sharing your innovative ideas and perspectives on how we can make a tangible difference.

Be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming details regarding this session. 

Together, let's pave the way towards a more sustainable future for ISBNPA and beyond!

2. And for some advice on how to limit your CO2e to attend ISBNPA2024

In ISBNPA 2023, we have calculated that each participant contributed approximately 4.5 tonnes of CO2e emissions in order to attend the meeting. However, we are committed to reducing this number. To achieve this goal, ISBNPA is collaborating with a team of experts to develop a range of practical actions that each of us can take to minimize our CO2e footprint. It is important to note that ISBNPA has now incorporated the objective of promoting planetary health into its mission. For more information on our mission, please visit ISBNPA Mission Page.

We are delighted to announce that ISBNPA has finalized the recipients of the Pioneers Program scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year. The deserving awardees are as follows:

1. Jacktan Josephat Ruhighira

2. Neha Rathi

3. Regina Akuffo Darko

4. Natalia Gomes Goncalves

5. Stanley Kagunda Kinuthia

Each scholarship is valued at 1500 USD, which will enable the recipients to pursue their respective studies. Furthermore, the outcome of their research will be bolstered by additional financial support of up to 1500 USD for presenting their findings at our esteemed Annual Meeting.

We extend our warmest congratulations to the scholarship recipients and wish them success in their academic endeavors.

2024 Membership renewal

Join the ongoing membership renewal campaign for 2024 now! By renewing your membership, you will gain access to numerous member benefits, such as a 50% reduction on the associated publication cost at ISBNPA and reduced fees to register for our ISBNPA 2024 Annual Meeting.

MEMBERSHIP WEBSITE

Meet your NESI representatives and committee members for 2023-2024! 

Welcome to our newest committee members: Olivia Alliott, Cristina Gago, and Thomas Keiser. Olivia and Cristina have joined the Communications Team and Thomas is the newest Webinar & Workshop Team member. 

New on the NESI Blog

As you enter into new years/semesters, how do you set goals as a student or ECR? This month, NESI member Amanda Folk shares her reflection and goal-setting process.

Looking for Writing Experience?

We’re looking to increase our blog content and we want your help! This is a great outlet for NESI students and ECRs to practice non-scientific writing skills - if you want to submit a blog topic please send [an email](mailto:nesi.isbnpa@gmail.com) with the subject line “NESI Blog Pitch.” 

Reach us!

Follow @ISBNPA on Twitter and #NESI_ISBNPA for NESI-related tweets. Any questions or comments? A publication to highlight? Email us anytime!

Brown, V., Sheppard, L., Salmon, J. et al. Cost-effectiveness of reducing children’s sedentary time and increasing physical activity at school: the Transform-Us! Intervention. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 21, 15 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01560-3

Barnett, L.M., Verswijveren, S.J.J.M., Colvin, B. et al. Motor skill competence and moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity: a linear and non-linear cross-sectional analysis of eight pooled trials. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 21, 14 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01546-7

Mudd, A.L., Bal, M., Verra, S.E. et al. The current state of complex systems research on socioeconomic inequalities in health and health behavior—a systematic scoping review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 21, 13 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01562-1

Si, K., Cao, Z., Liu, Q. et al. Accelerometer-measured physical activity, sedentary behavior, and risk of incident pelvic organ prolapse: a prospective cohort study in the UK Biobank. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 21, 12 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01559-w