IMproving Physical Activity policies and their impact on health eQuiTy: The IMPAQT project

Background: The growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) creates a need for effective public policy to change systems instead of individuals and create supportive contexts that reduce NCDs and health inequity. A determinant of disease reduction is physical activity (PA). Many countries have policies in place, but the implementation of those policies is unknown.
Purpose: To show how six countries, namely, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland and Romania intend to make cross-country comparisons on the extent of implementation of PA policies and their health equity impact.
Methods: An innovative tool, the PA-Environment Policy Index modified for Equity (PA-EPIQ) will be used to test and promote policy evaluation and benchmarking as a tool to improve policy implementation in six countries. Mixed methods including evidence synthesis, document analysis and case reports will ‘evidence ground’ countries’ policy implementation status in relevant domains, e.g. health, sport, education, transport, urban design. Quantitative and qualitative evidence validation with policymakers will ensure the comprehensive representation of government action. While engagement with stakeholders –both experts and citizens – from each country will independently assess the evidence on their governments’ action, comparing it to international best practice.
Results: IMPAQT will generate six country-specific policy index scores, which will be translated into report cards containing critical implementation gaps and policy recommendations for each country. It will also bring the individual country reports together and create a unified report for citizens, scientific communities, policymakers and the European Parliament.
Conclusion: IMPAQT is based on scientific research as well as the involvement of policymakers, experts and citizens through a co-production approach in six EU countries. Transnational comparisons will provide international benchmarks for healthy and equitable PA policy environments.
Practical Implication: IMPAQT is an innovative project focusing on how to enhance health equity in physical activity policy development and monitoring.