The South American Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Network (SAPASEN)
Creators: name: Baldew, Se-Sergio
name: Martins, Clarice
name: Da Silva, Danilo Rodrigues Pereira
name: Werneck, André Oliveira
name: Sadarangani, Kabir P.
Publisher: name: The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada
Year: 2022

description: Purpose: To present the aims, initial findings, and perspectives of the SAPASEN. Description: This symposium will highlight the importance collaboration in the battle against physical activity and sedentary behavior and the initiation of a new network of researchers and policymakers from South American countries. This network is created to design and implement effective ways to reduce physical inactivity and sedentary behavior among South America countries. The social, cultural and economic diversity and the varying pattern of disease between and within the South American countries form a challenging environment to implement interventions that have been proven effective in other parts of the world. Therefore, it was important to access information from national health surveys, evaluating their quality, and interpreting them to understand specific frequency, distribution and correlates of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior in this sub-continent. Parallel to this, actions have been taken to add interested people in the network and work closer to the health sector of each South American country. Thus, we see this symposium as a unique opportunity to present the SAPASEN for the scientific community and to strengthen the potential of the network. Chair: Dr. Se-Sergio Baldew, Anton de Kom University of Suriname. Introduction to Symposium. The chair will also highlights the main initiatives on physical activity and sedentary behavior around the world and reasons for this new network. Presenter 1: Danilo Rodrigues Pereira da Silva, Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil. Presentation about the creation of SAPASEN, since the idea, first contacts and organization. The main aims, membership and work policy of the network will be also presented. Presenter 2: André Oliveira Werneck, University of São Paulo, Brazil. The initial findings from the SAPASEN will be presented in order to demonstrate the current state of the work and how these data could be used in public health actions on physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. Presenter 3: Kabir Sadarangani, Diego Portales University, Chile. The challenges faced, the next steps, expectations and prospects for SAPASEN will be discussed. Results: SAPASEN has been analyzing available information on physical activity and sedentary behavior from participating South American countries. We already have data from approximately 91% of the South American population, which allowed the identification of specific correlates of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior in each country/region. The next steps include the approximation of health sectors to think of ways to assess physical activity and sedentary behavior in health surveys as well as strategies to use the information provided by these surveys effectively. Conclusions: The SAPASEN’s goals are strongly related to the general ISPAH aims. We propose to view this new network as a regional eye of the global approach that the ISPAH promotes. Also, we hope to advance in advocating for the effective promotion of an active lifestyle, with attention to health disparities around the world.
description: The Health &amp; Fitness Journal of Canada, Vol. 14 No. 3 (2021): Proceedings from the 8th International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congress