REPOPA (REsearch into POlicy to enhance Physical Activity) is a 5-year project funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), taking place in six European countries (Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Romania) and Canada with the aim of studying the relationship between scientific results and decision-making processes in the physical activity sector. Recommendations and policies to promote physical activity have been developed in various countries and also at the EU level. It is recognized that physical activity depends not only on individual factors and interventions in the health sector, but also on policies activated in other sectors, as well as on social, cultural, and environmental factors. Consequently, the research is multidisciplinary and is based on the “health promotion“ approach, aimed at fostering collaboration between researchers, experts, and policymakers and integrating knowledge, priorities, and values.

The project begins with an initial phase of mapping national and local case studies and concludes with the identification of best practices and the definition of guidelines, according to participatory methodologies, involving representatives from politics, research, various professional fields, and citizens.

The study has a strong operational and experimental component, utilizing methodologies such as document content analysis, interviews with public decision-makers and experts, case study analysis, and qualitative surveys, which include various participatory methodologies (including the Policy Delphi).

The National Research Council is the leader of WP 4 and participates in most of the other WPs through two different institutes: IRPPS (Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies) and IFC (Institute of Clinical Physiology).

The coordinator of the International Repopa project is Prof. Arja Aro from Syddansk Universitet. The coordinator of the Italian research group (which includes IRPPS and IFC) is Dr. Adriana Valente from IRPPS-CNR.