Highlights from the European Congress on Obesity and International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Meeting
Dr Dimity Dutch, Postdoctoral Researcher at University College Cork (Ireland) and EPOCH-Translate ECR, reflects on her experience attending the 33rd European Congress on Obesity and the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Annual Meeting.
I recently attended two major international conferences with support from CRE EPOCH‑Translate; the 33rd European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, Turkey and the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Annual Meeting in Cádiz, Spain.
At ECO, I presented three posters on behalf of the Standardised measurement for Childhood Obesity Prevention (SCOPE) Project and the Choosing Healthy Eating for Infant Health (CHErIsH) study, sharing work on the evaluation of infant feeding and weight‑related outcome measures, the importance of authentic caregiver involvement in improving measurement quality, and the refinement of a primary health care infant feeding intervention. ECO also provided an excellent opportunity to meet in person and showcase the expertise of EPOCH‑Translate colleagues and collaborators from the EDIT Collaboration, including Lene Seidler, Pippy Walker, Alison Hayes, Louise Baur, and Mohammad Nure Alam.
At ISBNPA, I delivered both a short oral and a poster presentation from the SCOPE Project, highlighting findings from our systematic review of outcome measurement instruments and incorporating insights from our Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) panel of parents and caregivers. I also presented a poster on behalf of the CHErIsH study, sharing our refined intervention to support positive infant nutrition and growth in Ireland. These sessions focused on how best to measure core infant feeding outcomes and the importance of caregiver perspectives in shaping high‑quality measurement. I was grateful to attend ISBNPA alongside EPOCH-Translate colleagues including Konsita Kuswara, Lene Seidler, Ioanna Katiforis, Sarah Hunter, Jazzmin Zheng, and Heilok Cheng, and to support the broader program of work being presented by colleagues.
Across both conferences, my participation enabled international dissemination of EPOCH‑Translate research, strengthened global networks and collaborations, and reinforced our shared commitment to improving the design, conduct, implementation, and evaluation of early childhood health research.
