Anyone can be a member of PAPREN! If you are not currently receiving our e-newsletter or emails from us, submit your contact information through our form or email us at papren@umassmed.edu.
What’s the difference between Affiliate Members and General Members?
Any individual who actively engages in one or more PAPREN Work Group is eligible to be an Affiliate Member. Work Group members are expected to actively participate in the development of Work Group projects and products and assist in identifying potential dissemination plans. More information about membership categories can be found in the PAPREN Policies and Procedures.
Physical activity policy is defined as legislative action, organized guidance, or rule that may affect the physical activity environment or behavior at a population level (Schmid et al 2006). These policies can be in the form of formal written codes, written standards that guide choices, or common practices. Relevant policies may be enacted at the local, state, or federal level.
What is implementation science, and why is it important for physical activity policy?
Implementation science seeks to identify systematic and adaptable strategies to improve the adoption of evidence-based programs, practices, and policies into delivery settings. It has focused mostly on health care, but public health is increasingly encouraged to adopt this approach. Physical activity policy implementation research in the built environment presents challenges, because public health does not control policy levers such as land use planning or transportation. Yet public health officials can successfully engage in cross-sector policy processes.
I’m interested in PAPREN, but I’m too busy right now to be active. Is there a way I can still be involved?
Yes! Any individual with an interest in the goals and priority areas of PAPREN can participate as a General Member. General Members will be included in the PAPREN listserv, receive Network-wide communications, and can participate in PAPREN Network-wide activities including virtual Grand Rounds and other Network-wide activities.
How is PAPREN related to PAPRN or PAPRN+?
PAPREN is the latest generation of a network funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Special Interest Project that first started as the Physical Activity Policy Research Network (PAPRN, 2004-2009 and 2009-2014) and was followed by the Physical Activity Policy Research Network Plus (2014-2019).
How is PAPREN different from the earlier networks, PAPRN and PAPRN+?
Whereas the earlier networks focused more broadly on physical activity policy, PAPREN’s focus is on built environment strategies that influence the opportunity for physical activity. The built environment is defined broadly as the physical makeup of where we live, learn, work, and play, which can inhibit or facilitate physical activity for recreation, transport, or exercise. Another difference is PAPREN’s strong emphasis on growingcollaboration among researchers and non-researchers (practitioners) from a range of sectors to conduct applied research and evaluation. A third advance is PAPREN’s emphasis on applied research and evaluation that yields results and products that practitioners can use.
