Objectives:

• PEN’s vision is to provide Europe with tools to identify, evaluate and benchmark policies designed to directly or indirectly address physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and sedentary behavior while accounting for existing health inequalities. Within this network our aim is to advance the methodological approaches for empirical and model-based impact evaluation of those policies. 

Background:

• The social and economic costs of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have escalated and require an intensification of population approaches. In 2010, obesity contributed to 3.5 million deaths, and it has been estimated that 10% of global disability adjusted life years are ascribed to dietary risk factors and physical inactivity. Thus, successful policy actions that encourage healthy dietary behaviors and reduce physical inactivity have the potential to influence the health and well-being of an entire population.

Methods:

• As part of work package 3, we review and apply microsimulation modeling approaches, to estimate the long-term economic and epidemiological impact of public policies targeting diet and physical activity.

Impact:

• Advancing methodological approaches for empirical and model-based impact evaluation of policies that address physical activity and healthy diet is an important step to improve the evidence around policies for NCD prevention.  

Further information: http://www.jpi-pen.eu/

Contact: Karl Emmert-Fees

Project publications:

Emmert-Fees, K.M., S. Capacci, F. Sassi, M. Mazzocchi, and M. Laxy, Estimating the impact of nutrition and physical activity policies with quasi-experimental methods and simulation modelling: an integrative review of methods, challenges and synergies. European Journal of Public Health, 2022. 32(Supplement_4): p. iv84-iv91. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckac051

Emmert-Fees, K.M., F.M. Karl, P. Von Philipsborn, E.A. Rehfuess, and M. Laxy, Simulation modeling for the economic evaluation of population-based dietary policies: a systematic scoping review. Advances in Nutrition, 2021. 12(5): p. 1957-1995. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab028

Ahrens, W., H. Brenner, M. Flechtner-Mors, J.M. Harrington, A. Hebestreit, C.B. Kamphuis, L. Kelly, M. Laxy, A. Luszczynska, and M. Mazzocchi, Dietary behaviour and physical activity policies in Europe: learnings from the Policy Evaluation Network (PEN). European journal of public health, 2022. 32(Supplement_4): p. iv114-iv125. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckac148

Lakerveld, J., C. Woods, A. Hebestreit, H. Brenner, M. Flechtner-Mors, J.M. Harrington, C.B. Kamphuis, M. Laxy, A. Luszczynska, and M. Mazzocchi, Advancing the evidence base for public policies impacting on dietary behaviour, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Europe: The Policy Evaluation Network promoting a multidisciplinary approach. Food Policy, 2020. 96: p. 101873. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckac148