Physical activity conference helps to bridge gaps

Hosting the third Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity (ASPA) Conference in November 2023 opened doors for Te Hau Kori (Centre for Physical Activity and Wellbeing). The centre is a partnership between Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Sport NZ — Ihi Aotearoa.

Te Hau Kori co-director Dr Justin Richards says the successful event exceeded expectations.

Intending to broaden the conference’s existing Australia-centric focus, Justin says the conference helped to advance the science and practice of physical activity in the Asia-Pacific region. It also allowed APSA 2023’s organising committee to extend the conference’s reach in New Zealand. As well as bridging the gap between research and policymaking in the sport and physical activity sector.

“There were many comments from people working at Regional Sports Trusts about the value of being able to attend a conference like this,” says Justin.

They could interact with researchers and organisations that analyse the data they help generate. There was real value in the direct connection that occurred.”

The theme for the ASPA 2023 conference was “Mahi Tahi — Working Together”. It took place alongside the Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand (SESNZ) annual conference. Being at the same venue allowed for a crossover day of content and networking opportunities.

The event attracted more than 320 people, and the New Zealand contingent was five times bigger than previous ASPA events.

The event also put Te Hau Kori on the map, which opened in 2022. In the long term, Te Hau Kori wants to increase enrolments, funding, and research collaborations for the centre. Justin says he received more than 15 enquiries from people keen to work with Te Hau Kori, including prolific researcher Professor Adrian Bauman from Sydney.

Narrowing the gap between research and policy-making

Justin says another issue ASPA wanted to address was the gap between turning research into policy and practice.

“We have decisions being made that are not evidence-based. There’s a 17-year gap between the generation of evidence and this being taken up by policymakers.”

Organisers addressed this by introducing new conference streams. Around 20% of presentations were about policy and practice, rather than academic presentations.

Hosting the event in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital and seat of government, provided easy access to policymakers. Having SESNZ and ASPA in one location ensured that the right people attended.

“It certainly helped to close a very big gap,” Justin says.

He gives an example of one of his PhD students who presented her work on Pacific people and physical activity in Aotearoa.

“Members of Sport NZ attended the session. As a result, they’ve reached out to her, helping to shape her future research to make it even more valuable and aligned to their needs.”

Justin says organisers also wanted to ensure government agencies learned from each other, creating new ideas and connections.

Before the conference, a satellite event to talk about policy agendas connected key people from education, sport, and health agencies from New Zealand and Australia.

“Feedback was extremely positive and this international satellite symposium will now be held annually alongside the conference,” Justin says.

Focus on culture

Te Hau Kori is a Treaty of Waitangi-based organisation, and APSA organisers wanted to embrace this aspect to include Indigenous voices and change the way the conference runs internationally.

“Our data shows Māori and Pasifika people are among the most physically active despite inequity of access — so how do we lean into this area of strength?” Justin says. “We keep hearing from our international colleagues that New Zealand is ahead in embracing the Indigenous and Māori contexts. And Australians are keen to learn from us.”

As a result, there was Māori representation on the organising committee. The conference began with a traditional mihi whakatau . Delegates then attended a cultural workshop to learn a waiata . Representatives from mana whenua wrote the waiata for the conference and gifted it to attendees.

Conference content included specific sessions about Indigenous experiences and bringing mātauranga Māori into the sector’s research. Two of the four keynote speakers were Māori.

Feedback about the event's cultural components has been positive, says Justin, with it adding value to the conference.

“Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand is now adding a Māori sub-committee on its board. Others are also now looking to embed Indigenous knowledge within their conference.

“We’ve not just set the example, we’re driving change.”