@article{ref1,
title="The Physical Activity Environment Policy Index for monitoring government policies and actions to improve physical activity",
journal="European journal of public health",
year="2022",
author="Woods, Catherine B. and Kelly, Liam and Volf, Kevin and Gelius, Peter and Messing, Sven and Forberger, Sarah and Lakerveld, Jeroen and den Braver, Nicolette R. and Żukowska, Joanna and García Bengoechea, Enrique",
volume="32",
number="Suppl 4",
pages="iv50-iv58",
abstract="BACKGROUND: A multifaceted response, including government action, is essential to improve population levels of physical activity (PA). This article describes the development process of the 'Physical Activity Environment Policy Index' (PA-EPI) monitoring framework, a tool to assess government policies and actions for creating a healthy PA environment. <br><br>METHODS: An iterative process was undertaken. This involved a review of policy documents from authoritative organizations, a PA policy audit of four European countries, and a systematic review of scientific literature. This was followed by an online consultation with academic experts (N = 101; 20 countries, 72% response rate), and policymakers (N = 40, 4 EU countries). During this process, consensus workshops were conducted, where quantitative and qualitative data, alongside theoretical and pragmatic considerations, were used to inform PA-EPI development. <br><br>RESULTS: The PA-EPI is conceptualized as a two-component 'policy' and 'infrastructure support' framework. The two-components comprise eight policy and seven infrastructure support domains. The policy domains are education, transport, urban design, healthcare, public education (including mass media), sport-for-all, workplaces and community. The infrastructure support domains are leadership, governance, monitoring and intelligence, funding and resources, platforms for interaction, workforce development and health-in-all-policies. Forty-five 'good practice statements' or indicators of ideal good practice within each domain conclude the PA-EPI. A potential eight-step process for conducting the PA-EPI is described. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Once pre-tested and piloted in several countries of various sizes and income levels, the PA-EPI good practice statements will evolve into benchmarks established by governments at the forefront of creating and implementing policies to address inactivity.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1101-1262",
doi="10.1093/eurpub/ckac062",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckac062"
}