Chair's Welcome

Welcome to the latest ISBNPA Young Adult Special Interest Group Newsletter.

We hope you are all busy preparing your abstracts for talks or symposia on Young Adult nutrition, physical activity or sleep, ready for our 2026 annual conference in Cadiz. Meanwhile, we are planning some more low key exchange and networking in the form of a series of online SIG networking events. Do get in touch if you'd like an opportunity to introduce your research and meet others interested in similar areas.

For those who'd like to get more involved with the Young Adult SIG we have a few of our committee members who will be stepping down at the end of the year, leaving some spaces on our committee (see below). Do get in touch if you'd like to join the committee... All researchers working in this area, at any stage of their career are very welcome to apply - please get in touch!

Dr. Eleanor Winpenny, Chair of ISBNPA Young Adult SIG

ISBNPA 2025: Looking Back

A Conference Reflection

By Dr. Lee Ashton

It had been a few years since I last attended an ISBNPA annual conference, but joining this year’s gathering in Auckland, New Zealand (June 11–14) was an inspiring reminder of the incredible work being done across our field. Guided by the theme “Manaaki Taiao, Manaaki Tāngata, Manaaki Meake Nei - Take care of the environment, take care of the people, take care of the future” the conference powerfully reflected the influence of Indigenous perspectives, highlighting the deep connections between health, community, and care for the world around us. Over four days, participants engaged with four keynote speakers, more than 400 oral and short presentations, 370 posters, and nearly 60 symposia - a true testament to the diversity and depth of behavioural nutrition and physical activity research.

A highlight was the Young Adults Award Session, which showcased innovative and inspiring research from emerging researchers. Laura Marchese received the SIG Award for her study on “Trajectories of plant-based dietary patterns and their longitudinal associations with cardiometabolic health among young Australian adults”. Other finalists, including Ella Creagh (“Who hangs out with who and why? Peer crowds as a pathway to understanding and promoting youth physical activity”) and Asha Collier (“Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Insomnia among United States Adolescents and Young Adults”), delivered equally engaging talks that captured the breadth of young adult research within our field.

Another personal highlight was Dr Ihi Heke’s keynote, “Climate Change, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Well-Being: Contributions of Generative AI,” which explored ancestral Māori health practices and emphasised the importance of connection to land, culture, and community in fostering wellbeing.

The conference was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect, learn, and share ideas, while feeling part of a global community working toward healthier, more sustainable futures.

Young Adult SIG Award Winners

Conference Awards

Best Oral Presentation

The Best Oral Presentation Award this year went to Dr. Laura Marchese for her presentation titled "Trajectories of plant-based dietary patterns and their longitudinal associations with cardiometabolic health among young Australian adults". Dr. Marchese is an Associate Research Fellow in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University. Her research is focused on understanding plant-based dietary patterns and their associations with cardiometabolic health across adulthood. Join us in congratulating Dr. Marchese

Click here for Dr. Marchese's associated manuscript.

Marchese LE, McNaughton SA, Hendrie GA, Machado PP, O’Sullivan TA, Beilin LJ, Mori TA, Dickinson KM, Livingstone KM. Trajectories of plant-based dietary patterns and their sex-specific associations with cardiometabolic health among young Australian adults. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2025 May 27;22(1):62.

Join the ISBNPA YA Leadership Team

Leadership Team Openings

Enhance your impact and consider taking a leadership role in the Young Adult SIG. Open roles are:

Events Officer: Lead organization of SIG online events and contribute to conference planning.

Membership Officer: Maintain a membership database and head new member outreach efforts.

If interested, email Eleanor Winpenny at e.winpenny@imperial.ac.uk

ISBNPA Young Adult SIG Networking Event

Want to learn more about research being done in young adults?

Want to chat with like-minded researchers with shared interests?

Want to connect with colleagues outside of the annual conference?

Join us at our upcoming network event!

Time and date forthcoming!

ISBNPA 2026

The call for abstracts for ISBNPA 2026 in Cadiz, Spain is now open! Submit your recent work in young adults to share with your colleagues in May. Make sure to tag your submission within the Young Adult SIG to be considered for our conference awards. As a small, but mighty, SIG we are always looking for exciting new research to recognize!

Recent Publications

Don’t miss these new publications relevant to young adults’ health and wellness. Have a new publication you’d like us to feature on X (Twitter) or our next newsletter? Email our communications chairs here.

Bailey CP, Elmi A, Qian J, DiPietro L, Tackney MS, Napolitano MA. Longitudinal timing of physical activity and associated cardiometabolic and behavioral health outcomes in young adults. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2025 Jan;59(1):kaae084.

Braune T, Livingstone KM, Adams J, Winpenny EM. Development of inequalities in fruit and vegetable intake through early adulthood: insights from household panel surveys in the United Kingdom and Australia. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2025 Apr 3:1-9.

Hayes JF, Darling KE, Tomashek H, Elwy AR, Wing RR. Behavioral weight loss interventions in college health centers: A qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation. Obesity Science & Practice. 2024 Dec;10(6):e70021.

Liang K, Le F, Chi P, Chen S, Huang L, Chi X. Move more today, sleep better tonight? Daily associations between physical activity and sedentary behavior with sleep among young adults with and without insomnia symptoms. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2025 Jan 1;76:102758.

Ogden CL, Ansai N, Fryar CD, Wambogo EA, Brody DJ. Depression and diet quality, US adolescents and young adults: National health and nutrition examination survey, 2015-March 2020. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2025 Feb 1;125(2):247-55.

Ong ZP, Ng AK, Majid HA. A Scoping Review of Dietary Intake among Young Adults in Low-and Middle-Income Countries. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health. 2025 May;37(4):347-60.

Oxenham AF, Braune T, van Sluijs E, Fairbrother H, Martin A, Winpenny EM. New job, new habits? A multilevel interrupted time series analysis of changes in diet, physical activity and sleep among young adults starting work for the first time. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2025 Jan 28;22(1):10.

Rousham O, Braune T, Mori TA, Beilin LJ, Winpenny EM. Parental and individual socioeconomic position show distinct associations with trajectories of diet quality across adolescence and early adulthood. Appetite. 2025 Jun 18:108165.

Valle CG, Heiling HM, Deal AM, Diamond MA, Hales DP, Nezami BT, Rini CM, Pinto BM, LaRose JG, Tate DF. Examining sociodemographic and health-related characteristics as moderators of an mHealth intervention on physical activity outcomes in young adult cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. 2025 Oct;19(5):1611-22.

Encourage your colleagues to sign up for our SIG newsletter!

You or your colleagues can join this mailing list by updating your membership profile and adding the SIG to your preferences; or by filling out this google form.

Contributors to this Newsletter: Dr. Jacqueline Hayes, Dr. Eleanor Winpenny