IMPROVE
EQUITY:
Implementation of an Innovative Model for Policy Reform Towards Obesity Prevention
Welcome to IM-EQ!
Our website is currently under construction, but exciting developments are underway!
IM-EQ (Improving Equity in Obesity Prevention) is a 3-year EU-funded project dedicated to addressing health inequities in obesity prevention. We are a European research consortium that brings together citizens, researchers, and stakeholders to co-research and co-create innovative solutions for fostering healthy, active lifestyles—especially in deprived neighborhoods.
The project spans five countries: The Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Spain, and Türkiye. Our website will showcase the research areas and highlight the work of our stakeholders in each country.
Designed for community members, researchers, and policymakers, the website will be a hub for sharing the latest developments, news, and findings related to our project.
Stay tuned as we build this platform to inform and inspire! Together, we can pave the way toward healthier, more equitable communities.
Check back soon!
For inquiries, feel free to contact us at info@improvingequity.eu
PROJECT TEAM
NL
NETHERLANDS
Jeroen Pronk
The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)
Suhendan Adiguzel-van Zoelen
Medical Pharmacology
Pepijn van Empelen
Social Psychologist
Guido Veldhuis
Radboud University
Lisanne Vonk
Maastricht University
PL
POLAND
Aleksandra Luszynska
SWPS University
Zofia Szczuka
SWPS University
Ewa Kulis
SWPS University
Maria Siwa
SWPS University
Natalia Paduszynska
SWPS University
Julia Kuzminska
SWPS University
Marta Torzewska
SWPS University
DE
DEUTSCHLAND
Jörg Noennig
HafenCity Universität Hamburg
Anne Kis
HafenCity Universität Hamburg
Hana Elattar
HafenCity Universität Hamburg
ES
SPAIN
Joan Paredes Carbonell
FISABIO
TR
TURKEY
Sibel Sakarya
Koç University
İlker Kayı
Koç University
Sibel Kıran
Koç University
Işık Karlı
Koç University
Raissa Uwera
Koç University
ABOUT IM-EQ
The aim of IM-EQ over a 3-year period is to develop and test an innovative strategy to reduce local health inequalities of vulnerable groups around obesity/overweight, by:
- understanding factors that lead to health inequalities
- a policy approach to reduce structural inequalities in obesity
Characteristics of the approach:
Active involvement of citizens and other key figures
Multidisciplinary policy: Social & environmental
Local tailoring for specific area or program
Quadruple Helix: Policy, practice, science and citizens
OUR METHODOLOGY
Overweight and obesity
Obesity is one of the world’s leading health risks, contributing to chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. With nearly 40% of adults and 18% of youth worldwide struggling with overweight or obesity, the need for effective prevention strategies has never been greater. In Europe, these numbers are even higher, with 59% of adults and 28% of youth affected.
40
Adults
(Worldwide)
18
Youth
(Worldwide)
59
Adults
(In Europe)
28
Youth
(In Europe)
Obesity and overweight have consequences go beyond individual health, affecting public health systems, economies, and society.
Factors such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, and insufficient sleep are key contributors to the obesity epidemic. However, the true drivers are often systemic, rooted in social health determinants, including poverty, limited access to healthy foods, unsafe environments for physical activity, and inadequate healthcare access.
We seek to address these underlying factors by:
Understanding the complex interplay of factors that influence obesity, including economic, environmental, and social factors.
Focusing on people living in deprived areas with low Social Economic Position who face additional challenges in accessing healthy lifestyles.
Advocating for systemic policy solutions that extend beyond indivvidual behavior changes and tackle the root causes of obesity and health inequity.
Who we are, and how we will implement a model to prevent obesity:
IM-EQ Improve Equity research is carried out by a team with mix expertise with regard to governance and policy, urban planning, behavior change, co-creation and community engagement, public health and implementation research.
Meet the team
IM-EQ shares and builds on existing methodologies, frameworks and data developed by consortium partners to identify how to harmonize data across countries, to understand contextual differences between countries, regions and settings.
Deutschland
Hamburg-Harburg
Hamburg-Harburg is located in the south of the Hanseatic city of Hamburg, south of the Elbe, and forms the centre of the district of the same name.
RESULTS
Insight in and knowledge on the most important local factors of health inequalities from science and practic
Identification of (policy) interventions and their potential local impact
Support method for a multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder policy process
Visibility & international knowledge exchange
Examples:
- The accessibility of sports and playgrounds in the neighborhood can be improved through traffic modifications (busy roads, crosswalks, walking and cycling routes, one-way traffic).
- The ratio of healthy vs unhealthy food outlets in the neighborhood can be improved through the environmental law by future choices for healthy food outlets and/or banning advertising of unhealthy food.
- The school (yard) environment can be improved in terms of greenery and bicycle accessibility and become part of social sports and exercise programs with, for example, the neighborhood sports coach.
WE WILL DELIVER
4 Technical Reports
2 Research Papers
2 System Models
4 Policy Briefs
WE WILL ORGANISE
1 Scientific Conference
1 Virtual Seminar
12 Workshops in Each Countries
(60 Workshops)
OUR TEAM
Boilerplate:
IM-EQ Improve Equity is an EU-funded research project conducted by five European research institutions with five primary objectives: engagement of citizens in the policy planning decision making process, including those of low socioeconomic position (SEP), identification of the complex interplay of determinants within the obesity system, design of structural multilevel policies to promote obesity prevention actions towards health equity, evaluation of the adoption and implementation of these policy actions, dissemination of project findings to stakeholders.
WP1
Stakeholder Involvement and Engagement Leader: FISABIO
The main objective of WP 1 is to engage citizens and other stakeholders in the decision-making process of the implementation of structural multilevel policies.
WP2
System Dynamics Modelling of determinants of obesity-related behaviors, and possible policy actions Leader: TNO
The main objective of WP 2 is to identify the complex interplay and mechanism of obesity on the micro, meso, and macro levels through system dynamics modelling and understand how these feed into potential structural multilevel policies.
WP3
POLICY DESIGN: Strategic place-based multilevel structural policies Leader: HCU
The main objective of WP3 is to co-design tailored, place-based structural multilevel policy plans with policy makers, citizens and stakeholders to promote obesity prevention taking into account the physical, sociocultural and economic environment.
WP4
POLICY IMPACT: Implementation and Evaluation of the potential impact of place-based policy approaches Leader: SWPS
The main objective of WP 4 is to evaluate the adoption and implementation of structural multilevel policies.
WP5
Dissemination, exploitation and Impact Leader: KU
This WP is dedicated to exploit the project results and disseminate them in a tailored manner to the respective target groups.
Project Management Leader: TNO
Project management is dedicated to ensuring that IM-EQ achieves its goals with high quality, on time, and within budget. This involves guaranteeing its smooth and successgul implementation of the project, as well as efficient financial and administrative management. Additionally, this package encompasses all communication, consultations, reporting and negotiations with the EU and National funding organisations.
IM-EQ Improve Equity is a research project carried out by five research institutions, exploring how to develop an innovative strategy to reduce health inequity in obesity prevention. We take a multidisciplinary approach and use innovative stakeholder participation and decision making methods to gain insight into: (1) the social and environmental contextual changes needed for citizens living in deprived neighborhoods to maintain healthy and active lifestyles, and (2) structural multilevel obesity prevention policies that support health equity.
We seek to prevention policies for the obesity that are moved beyond the individual or interpersonal level, and have impact on the drivers of obesity and health inequalities:
- a complex systems model of obesity drivers and policy solutions for people in deprived areas with low SEP,
- decision making tools that support the planning of acceptable place-based obesity prevention policies,
- insight into implementation factors for place-based policy recommendations.