Welcome from the SIG Co-chairs

Dear Policies and Environment SIG members,

Welcome to the May 2026 Edition of the Policies and Environment Special Interest Group (SIG) Newsletter!

We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at this year’s ISBNPA conference in Cádiz, Spain! We’re excited to welcome all SIG members and interested colleagues, and we encourage you to connect with us while you’re there. Catherine, Nicole, Jack, Kevin, Pia, Marilyn, and Melissa will be attending—don’t hesitate to say hello!

As part of the wider ISBNPA community, our Policies and Environment SIG is dedicated to improving access to nutrition and physical activity by addressing the upstream barriers that prevent people from leading healthier, more sustainable lives. Our SIG community contributes to this mission by informing policy, advancing theoretical frameworks, and conducting cutting-edge research. At the heart of our work is a commitment to ensuring that healthy behaviours are equitably distributed across all socioeconomic groups through upstream policy interventions, to enhance global health and wellbeing.

In this issue, we highlight recent papers of interest and introduce you to one of our inspiring Early Career Researchers.

Finally, a call to action—we’re currently seeking new members to join our Policies and Environments SIG leadership team. If you're interested in taking on one of the many available roles, please reach out. We’d love to have you on board!

Have a wonderful conference and enjoy Cádiz,

Catherine and Janas,

Policies & Environment SIG Co-Chairs

Get Involved at ISBNPA 2026 – Workshops and SIG Engagement Opportunities

The Organizing Committee of the ISBNPA 2026 Annual Meeting is pleased to offer a wide selection of workshops, taking place in Cádiz, Spain on May 27, 2026. These workshops provide an excellent opportunity to deepen your skills, explore new methodologies, and engage with fellow researchers ahead of the main conference.

There are a couple of workshops led by Policy and Environment SIG members we’d like to draw a spotlight on:

• Environments in Action – Field-Based Training in Observational and Audit Tools in Cádiz (Room 6, 8:30am-12:30pm) This interactive, outdoor workshop will train participants to use environmental audit and behavioral observation tools to evaluate how public spaces shape behavioral outcomes across diverse contexts. Participants will rotate through field sites in small groups and apply multiple validated environmental audit and observation tools, allowing them to compare how different methods capture different aspects of the same environment. The workshop will also introduce emerging technological approaches, international applications for research and policy, and strategies for community engagement. This session is particularly relevant for researchers interested in built environment measurement, physical activity environments, and interdisciplinary methods. Make sure to bring water and wear comfortable shoes! We will be walking around Cádiz. 

• Physical Activity Policy Implementation: Measures, Methods and Means of Evaluation (Room 4, 8:30am-12:30pm) This workshop will share lessons learned from major European policy research initiatives, including the Policy Evaluation Network (PEN) and the IMPAQT ERA4Health project. The session will provide attendees with knowledge and practical experience in evaluating physical activity policy implementation at national, regional, and local levels. Participants will learn about global developments in physical activity policy, explore policy evaluation and monitoring tools, and gain hands-on experience using the PA-Environment Policy Index to assess policy implementation and compare progress against international best practice. The workshop will also guide participants in identifying implementation gaps, prioritizing actions, and developing feasible policy recommendations, with time for reflection on how these approaches can inform future research and practice.

These workshops highlight the growing importance of policy and environmental approaches within ISBNPA and provide excellent opportunities for skill-building, collaboration, and engagement with the Policy and Environment SIG community.

ISBNPA Policies & Environments SIG Symposium

THURSDAY MAY 28, MORNING

1. S.1.02 Policies and environments: Collaborative approaches to transform retail food environments for health promotion

Thursday, May 28, 08:30 AM – 09:45 AM, Room 1

Purpose: This symposium explores innovative, systems-oriented strategies to create healthier food environments through multi-level, cross-sector collaboration. While research on food retail and restaurant settings has often focused on isolated behavioral or policy interventions, this session integrates systems science with community-engaged methods, multi-country policy collaborations, and practical environmental interventions, demonstrating how systems thinking can inform scalable change in the retail food sector.

Chair and Discussant: Alexandra Ross (Boston, United States)

2. S.1.09 Policies and environments Demand- and supply-side responses to mandatory food policies around the world

Thursday, May 28, 08:30 AM – 09:45 AM, Room 8

Purpose: This symposium will provide an overview and global examples of how mandatory food policies (taxes, front-of-package labels and menu labels) that have been passed and implemented may result in responses by different stakeholders as well as heterogeneity within stakeholders. The session will include discussions around how the designs of mandatory policies can result in catalysing larger system-wide changes, equity implications, and what are some opportunities as well as risks that should be considered for informing on future policies.

Chair: Shu Wen Ng (Chapel Hill, United States)

Discussant: Lindsey Smith Taillie (Chapel Hill, United States)

3. S.1.10 Policies and environments How as well as how much. Can evidence for the importance of physical behaviour micro-patterns inform future guidelines and policies? Evidence from the ProPASS Consortium.

Thursday, May 28, 08:30 AM – 09:45 AM, Room 9

Purpose: To provide new evidence for the importance of the physical behaviour micro-patterns for health, and discussion regarding implications and opportunities for future guidelines and policies.

Chair: Matthew Ahmadi (Sydney, Australia)

Discussant: Femke van Nassau (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

THURSDAY MAY 28, AFTERNOON

4. S.1.13 Policies and environments Aligning Physical Activity Promotion with Planetary Health

Thursday, May 28, 04:50 PM – 06:05 PM, Room 1

Purpose: The purpose of this symposia is to provide examples on how physical activity research can closer align to concepts of planetary health. To this date, physical activity research on the interconnections between physical activity and planetary health is still underdeveloped.

Chair: Antonina Tcymbal (Erlangen, Germany)

Discussant: Karim Abu-Omar (Erlangen, Germany)

5. S.1.20 Policies and environments From Monitoring to Action: Advancing Knowledge on Physical Activity Policy Practice and Implementation

Thursday, May 28, 04:50 PM – 06:05 PM, Room 8

Purpose: This symposium will present key learnings from two complementary projects focused on physical activity (PA) policy. PLATO is an EU-funded Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship which ultimately aims to develop a Physical Activity Policy Toolkit to help bridge the gap between research and practical policy implementation. IMPAQT is a collaborative project of six EU countries which aims to improve health equity in and through PA by utilising the Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI) (www.ul.ie/research/impaqt). Together, the symposium presentations will argue that evidence-informed policy evaluation, co-creation and benchmarking as a process can guide more effective, inclusive, and systemically sustainable actions to increase physical activity and reduce health disparities across populations.

Chair: Catherine B. Woods (Limerick, Ireland)

Discussant: Susana Aznar Lain (Toledo, Spain)

6. S.1.21 Policies and environments Environmental correlates of physical activity in Europe: an OBCT symposium

Thursday, May 28, 04:50 PM – 06:05 PM, Room 9

Purpose: This symposium presents recent pan European research on the physical activity environment, integrating novel geospatial and epidemiological analyses of environmental measures and current evidence on social disparities in environmental access.

Chair: Thao Minh Lam (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Discussant: Delfien van Dyck (Ghent, Belgium)

FRIDAY MAY 29, MORNING

7. S.2.24 Policies and environments: Advancing Equity in Food and Physical Activity Policy: Strategies, Participatory Approaches, and Evaluation

Friday, May 29, 08:30 AM – 09:45 AM, Room 1

Purpose: This symposium will showcase innovative approaches for embedding health equity into food and physical activity policy research across Europe, with a spotlight on three projects funded by the EU’s ERA4Health Equity stream. The session highlights evidence-based advocacy, participatory systems research, and novel evaluation techniques, linking upstream policy, participatory mapping with marginalized populations, and frameworks to integrate equity in physical activity policy. The interdisciplinary approach of the session offers actionable strategies addressing health inequalities at systemic, community, and practice levels.

Chair: Margaret Steele (Cork, Ireland)

Discussant: Wilma Waterlander (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

8. S.2.31 Policies and environments Policies for planetary diets: the nexus of climate change, nutrition, and health

Friday, May 29, 08:30 AM – 09:45 AM, Room 8

Purpose: This session provides unique perspectives on the intersectional relationships of climate change (CC), nutrition (including food and water security and diet quality), and health, including adverse effects, methodological tools, and policy solutions.

Chair: Lindsey Smith Taillie (Chapel Hill, United States)

Discussant: Laina Ewoldt (Chapel Hill, United States)

FRIDAY MAY 29, AFTERNOON

9. S.2.35 Policies and environments Advancing Global Evidence for Active, Healthy, and Sustainable Cities: Cross-Regional Insights from the Global Observatory of Healthy and Sustainable Cities

Friday, May 29, 05:25 PM – 06:40 PM, Room 1

Purpose: Rapid urbanisation presents both challenges and opportunities for creating cities that support health, equity, and sustainability. The Global Observatory for Healthy and Sustainable Cities (GOHSC) provides an evidence-based platform and open-science tools to benchmark and advance policy and spatial indicators across diverse global contexts.

Chair: Erica Hinckson (Northcote, New Zealand)

Discussant: Anna Puig-Ribera (Vic, Spain)

10. S.2.43 Policies and environments Contrasting Approaches to Food and Nutrition Security: Targeted Nutrition Incentives vs. Universal Food Aid Reform

Friday, May 29, 05:25 PM – 06:40 PM, Room 9

Purpose: This session will explore innovative strategies to improve food and nutrition security through two contrasting country case studies. Each case highlights a distinct approach: targeted nutrition incentives (United States) versus broad-based food aid reform grounded in rights-based frameworks (Spain) and examines their relative effectiveness in improving diet quality, and the potential for long-term health outcomes and sustainability. This session is innovative in that we juxtapose a targeted vs. systemic approach, drawing on real-world examples in diverse policy contexts.

Chair: Alison Tovar (Providence, United States)

SATURDAY MAY 30, MORNING

11. S.3.46 Policies and environments Public green spaces as health-promoting environments across continents: integrating observational evidence, lived experiences and methodological innovation

Saturday, May 30, 08:30 AM – 09:45 AM, Room 1

Purpose: This symposium brings together evidence from three continents to examine how design of public green spaces can promote physical activity, social interaction, and health and how individuals experience participating in a Virtual Reality (VR) study on this topic. It will integrate context specific data from Latin America (Ecuador), Asia (India), and Europe (Belgium), with expert reflection from Australia, and highlight how methodological diversity can advance global understanding of green spaces as inclusive settings for promoting health. The session is innovative in linking observational, qualitative, and VR methods within one coherent discussion on the public health value of green spaces.

Chair: Benedicte Deforche (Ghent, Belgium)

Discussant: Jenny Veitch (Melbourne, Australia)

12. S.3.53 Policies and environments From Schools to Early Care: Comparative Approaches to Building Healthier Food Environments for Children

Saturday, May 30, 08:30 AM – 09:45 AM, Room 8

Purpose: This symposium showcases innovative, cross-context approaches to improving food environments for children across school and early care settings. By integrating epidemiological and implementation research, it offers a systems view of how local and global evidence can guide effective action. The session emphasizes methodological and contextual innovation—linking environmental surveillance, synthesis of intervention evidence, and community-based research—to advance understanding of how diverse strategies can converge toward equitable, sustainable improvements in children’s nutrition environments.

Chair and Discussant: Melissa Fuster (New Orleans, United States)

Spotlight on PhD Researchers and Early Career Researchers – Get Involved!

Over the coming year, we’re excited to showcase the inspiring work of PhD Researchers and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in our SIG community. This is a fantastic opportunity to highlight innovative projects, share key findings, and introduce the fresh perspectives that emerging scholars bring to the field of research into food, nutrition and physical activity policies and environments.

Are you a PhD Researcher or an Early Career Researcher—or do you know someone whose work deserves the spotlight? We’d love to feature their research journey, current projects, and future goals.

To express interest or nominate a colleague, please contact either Kevin Volf (kevin.volf@ul.ie) or Pia Chaparro (pchap@uw.edu).

Let’s celebrate the next generation of changemakers shaping healthier, fairer systems for all.  

Spotlight On Early Career Researcher

Dr. Katie Burford is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at North Carolina State University, and she also holds a Postdoctoral Research Scientist Position at Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University in New York City where she lives. She is postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Geospatial Analytics at NC State, is a member of the Built Environment and Health Research Group at Columbia University, and is also a fellow in the Columbia Population Research Center.

Katie's research is broadly focused on how urban policy and design impact physical activity and injury outcomes related to active transportation. She is most excited about her ongoing work to generate scientific evidence that supports the equitable expansion and sustainability of the Open Streets for Schools Program in NYC. Her research agenda is guided by her belief that all communities should have access to safe opportunities for walking, bicycling, playing, and all other forms of physical activity. To connect with her or learn more about her work, check out her website [HERE]

Spotlight On Early Career Researcher

Dr. Megan Knapp is an Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Knapp conducts research on factors that shape food environments, food security, and dietary behaviors. Specifically, her work focuses on improving access to, and availability of, healthy foods as a key strategy for addressing health disparities and reducing chronic disease risk. She employs both quantitative and qualitative methods, drawing on primary and secondary data to examine complex nutrition and policy issues. Currently, Dr. Knapp is co-leading an evaluation of a recently passed healthy default beverage policy for children’s menus in New Orleans, LA, USA, designed to improve restaurant environments and reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among children. She is also examining the impact of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchase waivers on dietary patterns and food access. In addition, her research addresses food security in early childhood settings and higher education institutions.

As an Assistant Professor at Xavier University of Louisiana, Dr. Knapp teaches courses in research methodology and nutrition, with a focus on developing critical thinking and research skills among the next generation of public health practitioners and scholars.

Check out Dr. Knapp’s most recent paper published in the Journal of Urban Health (in press): Knapp MK, Muñoz MM, Wang Y, Stoecker C, Hofmann L, Fuster M. Mapping the relationship between neighborhood-level factors and nutrition environments of restaurants offering children’s menus. 

SIG Co-Chair

Professor Catherine Woods

Catherine.Woods@ul.ie

Read her profile here:

Catherine Woods - University of Limerick

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest

Development of national physical activity policies.

Physical activity policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Systems approaches to addressing physical inactivity.

Current Work

Prof. Woods is lead of the ERA4Health EU IMPAQT project, ‘IMproving Physical Activity policies and their impact on health eQuiTy’, (www.ul.ie/research/impaqt) She was vice co-ordinator of a Joint Programme Initiative, Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life; the Policy Evaluation Network (https://www.jpi-pen.eu/). This network of 28 research groups across Europe is examining the impact of public policy on improving healthy eating, physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour. Catherine is leading on the development of the Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI)>.

The I-PARC project (Irish Physical Activity Research Collaboration) jointly led by Prof. Woods and Dr. Fiona Mansergh (Department of Health, Healthy Ireland), will bring together researchers, policy makers and practitioners from PA in order to develop a systematic method for identifying examples of effective PA interventions and effective implementation strategies (https://i-parc.ie/).

SIG Co-Chair

Prof. Janas Harrington

j.harrington@ucc.ie

https://research.ucc.ie/profiles/j.harrington@ucc.ie

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6238-7031

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest

• the upstream determinants of population diets
• the association between diet patterns and chronic disease. 
• of national physical activity policies.
• Food and nutrition policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Systems approaches to addressing physical inactivity.

Current Work

Prof. Harrington is currently focusing on the impact of Government food policies on the healthiness of food environments and identification of best practice for developing sustainable food-based dietary guidelines. 

I am a work package co-leader for the Horizon Europe FEAST project https://feast2030.eu/ and PI of the ERA4Health funded project FOODPATH https://www.ucc.ie/en/foodpath/. FOODPATH is a consortium of researchers from universities and research institutes in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Türkiye. We all have different backgrounds and expertise, but we share a common interest in understanding why some communities and groups have access to healthy and sustainable diets, while others don’t. The overarching aim of FOODPATH is to identify and understand the societal, commercial and political determinants and mechanisms of food-related inequalities, and to provide solutions which have the potential to break through the cycles maintaining unhealthy dietary behaviours and food-related inequalities in Europe.   

Dr Sarah Forberger

forberger@leibniz-bips.de

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest

Implementation/Health Policy Nexus

Development of implementation pathways at individual and structural level

Implementation evaluation at individual and structural level

 Policy analysis

NCD prevention (nutrition, physical activity, tobacco control)

Current Work

I work in the area aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles through the combination of individual and structural approaches. In doing so, I examine both individual and structural levels. Currently, I am evaluating the use of a lifestyle recommender system to promote healthier eating/fostering PA, the implementation of national food-based dietary guidelines in Europe, the implementation of healthy school meals in the city municipality of Bremen, and national, sub-national physical activity approaches in different countries.

Dr. Nicole R. den Braver

n.denbraver@amsterdamumc.nl

LinkedIn

Read her research output here

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest

Impact of built environments on lifestyle and health outcomes

Impact of policy changes on health

Effective policy implementation

Current Work

Nicole den Braver is an assistant professor in the department of Epidemiology & Data Science in the Amsterdam UMC. Her research is focussed on the impact of living environment and policy changes on health, and the effective implementation of (health) policies. She is committed to foster synergy between academia and practice.

Nicole co-leads the evaluation of reduced speed limits to 30 km/h on health, behavioural and social outcomes in the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Furthermore, she was the principal investigator in the national implementation of the Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI), funded by ZonMw. Building on this, she is work package lead within the ERA4Health funded IMPAQT consortium (Improving Physical Activity policies and their impact of health equity). She is further involved in the EXPOSOME-NL consortium. Nicole is a coordinator in the Amsterdam Prevention Network.

Dr. Jack Benton

jack.benton@manchester.ac.uk

@jacksbenton

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest

Understanding how built environments influence physical activity. 

Physical activity measurement and evaluation.

Using natural experimental methods to evaluate ‘real-world’ interventions.

Current Work

I am a Research Fellow within the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) at The University of Manchester, having recently been awarded a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship. My research aims to develop new tools and insights for understanding how changes in built environments impact physical activity. I have worked with researchers, policy makers and urban developers in multiple natural experimental research collaborations, including the EU Horizon 2020 funded GrowGreen project to evaluate the health and wellbeing impacts of nature-based solutions in cities across Europe and China (https://growgreenproject.eu/).

I am a member of the IJBNPA Editorial board (https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/about/editorial-board), where I support the publication of high-quality physical activity-environment research.

Dr Kevin Volf

Kevin.volf@ul.ie

@kevin_volf

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest  

Using reviews studies to synthesis evidence

Policy benchmarking

Assessing physical activity policy implementation

Current Work

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Limerick, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences. As part of the Improving Physical Activity policies and their impact on health equity (IMPAQT) project (https://www.ul.ie/research/impaqt), my research focuses on the development and utilisation of the physical activity environment policy index (PA-EPI).

As part of the development of the PA-EPI I have been involved in studies utilising systematic review methods and online consultations to gather and synthesis policy-relevant information. I am presently working to identify exemplary physical activity policies which can be used to benchmark policy implementation.

Dr Pia Chaparro

pchap@uw.edu

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest

Food and nutrition policy

Measurement of the food environment

Impact of social policies on nutritional outcomes

Current work

II am an Assistant Professor in the Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program at the University of Washington School of Public Health (Seattle, Washington, USA). My work centers on food access (or lack thereof) as a key pathway by which social and environmental inequities affect health. In particular, I examine structural determinants of food insecurity and appropriate policy responses, with a primary focus on food and nutrition assistance programs. More info: https://foodsystems.uw.edu/person/pia-chaparro/ 

Dr. Marilyn Wende

Marilyn.wende@ufl.edu

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest

Epidemiology of physical (in)activity

Measurement of physical activity and healthy eating environments

Identification of environmental resource and health disparities

Community-based approaches to rural active living

Aging in place and age-friendly environments

Current Work

My research takes an environmental justice approach to uncover neighborhood resource disparities and their impact on health behaviors and outcomes, including physical activity, mental health, social relationships, and cardiovascular health. I focus on how neighborhood features—such as walkability, green spaces, parks, trails, community programming, and socioeconomic conditions—shape health and well-being.

A key aspect of my work is promoting aging in place, identifying environmental factors that help older adults maintain physical activity and independence. To address health disparities, I evaluate community-led physical activity and health promotion initiatives using natural experimental methods.

I currently serve as a subject lead for the Physical Activity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (PAPREN) Rural Hub, a multidisciplinary network of researchers and practitioners dedicated to advancing active living research and supporting the implementation and evaluation of physical activity initiatives in rural communities.

Dr. Melissa Fuster

Mfuster@tulane.edu

Policy/Environment Issue of Expertise/Interest

Structural and cultural factors influencing food practices and policy implementation

Implementation Science and policy evaluation

Healthy food environments, with an emphasis on restaurants (foods away from home) and local food producers

Current Work:

I am an Associate Professor at the Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (New Orleans, Louisiana). My work examines food systems, policy implementation, and the sociocultural factors shaping food practices. Using human-centered design, implementation science, and systems thinking, I explore how policies and interventions impact food choices, health outcomes, and local food economies. My current research focuses on the restaurant sector and its capacity to facilitate healthier options for low-resourced communities. Building on this work, I am expanding into a new area of research exploring how green infrastructure in urban settings can promote food and nutrition security while enhancing climate resilience.

I am part of the leadership team for the Nutrition and Obesity Policy and Research Evaluation Network Healthy Food Retail Workgroup, and I also serve as a member of the editorial collective for Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS BY POLICIES AND ENVIRONMENT SIG MEMBERS:

• Benton, JS., Anderson, J., Morley, A., Ye, J., Barker, E., Wu, T., Macintyre, VG., Rothwell, J., Dennis, M. and French, DP. Long-term impacts of co-designed sustainable park improvements on physical activity and other wellbeing behaviours: a 7-year natural experimental study in a deprived urban area. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-026-01918-9
• Freije, SL., Lederer, AM., Rose, D., Nobari, TK., Galvez, A., Knapp, M. and Chaparro, P. Institutional determinants of food insecurity and dietary behaviors among post-secondary students in the United States: a multilevel analysis. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2025.02.001
• Fuster, M., Wang, Y., Stoecker, C., Rose, D., Hofmann, LP. Pasterz, A., and Knapp, M. Factors Associated with High Sugary Beverage Intake Among Children in Louisiana: A Survey of Caregivers in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Nutrients (2025). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050799
• Heuvelman, F., Birkholz, L., Tcymbal, A., Lakerveld, J., Beulens, JW., Woods, CB., Abu-Omar, K., Volf, K., Sandu, P., Jankauskiene, R., and Gobis, A. The impact of public policy on socioeconomic equity in physical activity: a systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-026-01880-6
• Heuvelman, F., Lakerveld, J., Volf, K., Woods, CB., van Mourik-Boelema, S., van den Berg, S. and den Braver, NR. The implementation of physical activity policies in the Netherlands: a study applying the Physical Activity Environment Policy Index (PA-EPI). Health Research Policy and Systems (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-025-0059-9
• Ogaki, K., Seto, E., Harris, C. and Chaparro, P. Accessibility to ethnic food stores authorized by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Washington State. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-025-01753-3
• Muñoz, MM., Gartner, DJ., Hasan, S., and Fuster, M. Food Security Dimensions in US Disaster Plans: A Comparative Analysis of States and Territories Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (2025) https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2025.98
• Ramírez Varela, A., Bauman, A., Woods, CB., Shawar, YR., Hallal, PC., Salvo, D., Siefken, K., Wendel-Vos, W., Miranda, JJ., Mejía-Grueso, J., Sallis, JF., Hinckson, E., Lee, I.-M., Reis, RS., Ding, D., Ekelund, U., Kohl III, HW., Shiffman, J. and Pratt, M. Low global physical activity despite two decades of policy progress. Nature Health (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44360-025-00044-3
• Sundermeir, SM., Winkler, MR., Davis, JN., Falbe, J., Mack, A., and Fuster, M. Policy on Paper vs. Policy in Practice: A Study of Healthy Default Beverage Implementation and Enforcement in the United States. Curr Dev Nutr (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2026.107674 
• Till, M., Volf, K., Tristram, C., Do, S., Gelius, P., Hebestreit, A., Oberwöhrmann, S. and Messing, S. Evidence on the effectiveness of public policies for physical activity promotion in the early childcare education and care setting: a systematic review. Child: Care, Health and Development (2025). https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.70078
• Umstattd Meyer, MR., Wende, ME., Stroope, J., Kellstedt, DK., Johnson, AM., Gamble, A., Edwards, MB., Beck, AM., Moore, JB., Abshire, DA., Anderson, RE., Aytur, SA., Balis, LE., Davis, K., Gabbert, KD., Gustat, J., John, D., Maruca, DL., King, KA., Needham-Arnold, BD., Orzech, KM., Pickett, AC., Rhoades, RR., Riveron, N., Slater, SJ., Smock, CR., Villwock-Witte, NM., Wilson, K., Baskin, ML., Perry, CK. and Abildso, CG. Rural Active Living: A Call to Action 2.0, 10-Year Review and Recommendations to Advance the Field. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000002281
• van de Geest, JDS., Cuenca, VC., Schoonmade, LJ. et al. Socioeconomic inequalities in exposure to neighbourhood environments for physical activity: a systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-026-01912-1
• Wende, ME., Stroope, J., Valentine Goins, K., Umstattd Meyer, MR., Gustat, J. and Aytur, SA. A national, ecological study on the impact of extreme precipitation on walking and cycling to work, 2005–2018. Sustainability (2026). https://doi.org/10.3390/su18041874
• Wende, ME., Umstattd Meyer, MR., Enriquez, S., Bridges Hamilton, CN., Prochnow, T. and Sharkey, JR. Multilevel determinants of paternal and child physical activity: qualitative research using dyadic interviews among Mexican heritage fathers living near the Texas–Mexico border. BMC Public Health (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23956-x

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