Conference Agenda

Background and Aim: Nature-rich yards expand movement affordances, support motor development and strengthen participatory learning environments. In Finland, national Get Finland Moving -programme promotes physical activity in all cycles of life. The Ministry of Education and Culture is funding the On the Move -programme family, including Joy in Motion (ECEC) and Schools on the Move, that addresses different age groups. We examined nature elements in ECEC and school yards and their role in everyday movement.

Methods: Two nationwide surveys (autumn 2025) gathered responses from 562 ECEC units and 573 schools. Data were collected via online questionnaires on nature elements, seasonal usability, indoor/outdoor facilities, and learningenvironment development.

Results: ECEC respondents rated movement opportunities positively, but small yards constrained use. Trees, shrubs and mounds were common; natural forest and water were rare, and heat and limited shade limited use in over onethird of units. Pedagogical use of nature was inconsistent. Primary yards were more versatile and naturerich than lowersecondary yards; over half reported opportunities with natural elements. Schools needed clearer guidance on integrating nature into yard design and pedagogy.

Conclusions and Practice Implications: Development of green yards can proceed in baby steps, enhancing movement affordances, equity and climate resilience, aligning with national programmes emphasising learning environments and school culture. Priorities include stronger pedagogical use of nature, improved shade and microclimate solutions, and participatory yard development with children and staff. Based on the surveys, we co‑create practices and recommendations for greener learning environments and implement them through the programmes’ networks.

Background: Ski and snowboard teachers can play an important role in addressing the problem of litter in ski resorts. This study aimed to identify determinants related to reducing and collecting litter in ski resorts among aspirant ski and snowboard teachers.

Methods: On the second day of a 5-day internship, aspirant ski and snowboard teachers (n = 14) were educated about planetary boundaries and the ecological footprint of winter sports. At the end of this session they were encouraged to collect litter in the ski resort while encouraging their pupils to do the same during the following three days, and to send a photograph of each item to the research team. Two days after their internship, nine aspirant teachers participated in a semi-structured focus group discussion to identify determinants related to reducing and collecting litter in the ski resort.

Results: All focus group participants reported to have collected litter with their group, which was confirmed by the submitted photographs (4-21 items/group). The identified determinants for reducing and collecting litter were categorized at the intrapersonal (e.g., awareness, sense of responsibility), interpersonal (e.g., role-modelling, gamification), environmental (e.g., natural vs. built environment), and organizational levels (e.g., ski resort initiatives, availability of litter bins).

Conclusion: This pilot study shows that, to optimally engage (aspirant) ski and snowboard teachers in environmental stewardship, various determinants should be targeted. Further (impact) studies should examine whether and how environmental stewardship can be embedded within relevant curricula and explore how it can be facilitated by ski resort policies.

Background and Aim: The term ‘outdoor play’ might not directly translated to languages spoken across Europe, including Slovenia, where specialists in this area may be from different disciplines. We completed scoping review of outdoor play literature in Slovenia, and translated resources from the 2025 Outdoor Play Position Statement into the Slovenian language, to disseminate this global initiative at the local level.

Methods: A scoping review was performed (Dec 2024-Feb 2025) and resources were translated (Feb 2026), for dissemination within the Slovenia-specific context.

Results: Slovenia currently emphasises outdoor play to a greater extent in early childhood development, whereas in later years, outdoor education (izobraževanje na prostem), teaching (pouk na prostem) and forest pedagogy (gozdna pedagogika) become more prominent. Schools in nature (šola v naravi) are also mandatory in primary schools, i.e., a special organisational form which takes place at least three days away from the pupil’s place of residence, usually in a natural environment. Although nature schools have an educational focus, pupils engage in various physical activities outdoors (e.g., skiing, hiking, swimming, biking) spending most of their free time playing outside. Spontaneous, active outdoor play has not yet been consistently studied in Slovenia.

Conclusions: Slovenia has several regions which may have their own regional or local experts in the “outdoor play” space, but this area of work has not been systematically interrogated to its fullest potential, likely due to several factors, including the topic falling between research areas (e.g. pedagogy, sport science, urban planning, early childhood education).

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (2021), 18 million people died prematurely from NCDs before reaching the age of 70. NCDs affect all age groups, and key behavioural risk factors - physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and harmful lifestyle habits - substantially contribute to their development. The aim of this study was to assess the health behaviours of the population of the city of Rijeka, including mental health. As part of the HORUS project (GA No. 101136516), an anonymous survey entitled “Health Barometer of the City of Rijeka” was conducted in 2024 on a sample of 2,447 adult participants. The questionnaire covered key indicators of health status, lifestyle behaviours, mental health, and use of the urban environment. The results indicated that the surveyed population in Rijeka is relatively physically active; however, certain barriers were identified, including health problems and fatigue. Moderate to elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were also observed. These findings served as one of the foundations for the development and implementation of HORUS public health interventions utilising urban environmental resources, including physical activity programmes, mindfulness workshops, and forest therapy. Previous studies have demonstrated beneficial effects of physical activity, mindfulness, and forest therapy on mental health in older adults; however, it remains to be determined whether and to what extent similar effects will be observed in the present study.

Background and aim:
Active transportation has been linked to beneficial cardiovascular outcomes, but evidence on long-term associations with stroke is limited. This study aimed to examine the association between primary commuting mode and incident stroke in a large Swedish population, and to explore dose–response relations between commuting distance and stroke risk.

Methods:
This population-based cohort study used data from the Västerbotten Intervention Program (1989–2019). Participants reported their primary mode of transportation to work and commuting distance. Individuals consistently using the same transport mode in at least three of four seasons were classified accordingly. Incident stroke diagnoses were obtained from the Swedish Stroke Register. Associations between transportation mode, commuting distance, and stroke incidence were analyzed using cause-specific Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors including leisure-time physical activity.

Results:
Among 107,752 participants (mean age 45.7 years; 49.5% female), 3,507 experienced incident stroke during a median 17-year follow-up. Cycling to work was associated with a lower risk of stroke compared with car driving, but this association was attenuated after adjustment for leisure-time physical activity. Among car commuters, longer commuting distance showed linear association with higher stroke risk, whereas cyclists displayed a nonlinear pattern with lowest risk at moderate distances. Walking to work was not associated with stroke risk, likely due to shorter distances and limited physical activity exposure.

Conclusions:
Active transportation, particularly cycling, may contribute to stroke prevention as part of an overall physically active lifestyle. Promoting active transport could support sustainable cardiovascular disease prevention at the population level.

Neighbourhood environmental characteristics play a critical role in shaping health behaviors and well-being, yet empirical evidence within the context of Saudi Arabian youth remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association between neighbourhood environmental attributes and health risk factors among adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

A total of 335 secondary school students (175 males and 160 females), aged 15–19 years, were recruited. Anthropometric assessments included body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, while physical activity was objectively measured using pedometers to record daily step counts. Perceptions of the neighbourhood environment were evaluated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Environment Module (IPAQ-E).

Significant differences were observed among youth residing in urban, rural farm, and rural desert settings with respect to BMI, waist circumference, daily physical activity, accessibility, infrastructure, social environment, household vehicle ownership, perceived safety, and access to recreational facilities (p < 0.001). Adolescents in rural desert areas demonstrated lower levels of physical activity and higher BMI values compared with those in other settings. Gender-based differences were identified in perceptions of the social environment, with males reporting greater neighbourhood social engagement than females. Furthermore, negative associations were found between daily step counts and perceived neighbourhood safety as well as crime rates.

These findings indicate that geographical context, cultural norms, and environmental accessibility substantially influence physical activity participation and weight status among Saudi youth. Environmental factors such as residential density, safety, transportation availability, and social surroundings appear to be particularly influential.

Background and Aim: Temporary Urban Environment Changes (TUECs) are reversible, adaptable street and public-space modifications for active living, endorsed by the WHO’s 2025 Promoting Walking and Cycling toolkit. However, UK evidence from real-world schemes remains limited. Using temporary road closures in Holyrood Park (Edinburgh; closed vs open to motor traffic) as a policy-defined TUEC, we compared physical activity during closure and non-closure periods and assessed whether any change reflected higher activity overall or shifts in activity-type composition.

Methods: In this pre-registered natural-experiment study, trained observers collected MOHAWk (Method for Observing Physical Activity and Wellbeing) data at three park locations. Physical activity (total and by type) and visible user characteristics (e.g., age/sex/dog-walking) were recorded at the same clock-hours on closure and non-closure days (n=40 site-hours) to inform equity-relevant interpretation. Differences were analysed using negative binomial models for counts and stacked-count models for composition, with sensitivity analyses for robustness.

Results: Total physical activity counts were higher when the road was closed to motor traffic than when open (IRR 1.55, 95% CI 1.26–1.90), including walking (1.51, 1.17–1.93) and cycling (2.02, 1.30–3.15). Composition changes were small and imprecise (e.g., cycling share +2.46 pp, 95% CI −1.83 to +6.86). Sensitivity analyses were directionally consistent.

Conclusions: In this policy-defined TUEC case, scheduled road closure was associated with higher observed health-enhancing physical activity during affected hours. The study adds real-world evidence to inform the monitoring and evaluation of temporary, “trial-and-learn” interventions for active living. Additional data collection will improve precision and enable seasonal comparison.

Funding: CSC Scholarship.

Background: Adolescence is a critical period for brain development and executive functions related to academic performance, yet evidence on whether school-based physical activity benefits cognition and achievement remain inconclusive. Therefore, we evaluated a multi-component school-based physical activity program to examine its effects on cognitive performance and academic grades.

Methods: This cluster-randomized trial implemented a 7-month school intervention adding three weekly hours split between (a) physical activities, (b) homework support with activity breaks, and (c) audiobook walks. Cognitive performance was measured with tasks for working memory, episodic memory, and perceptual speed, and grades in English, Swedish, and Mathematics. Effects were analyzed using hierarchical linear mixed-effects models.

Results: Thirty-four schools (14 intervention, 20 control; n = 1,014 students, mean age 14.3 years) participated. Student participation was over 80% of all sessions offered. The intervention improved perceptual speed (group difference 10.47, 95% CI 2.46–18.48, p = 0.011), particularly in boys, while girls showed a positive trend in episodic memory; no effects were seen for working memory. Grades increased in both groups, with a small advantage in Swedish grades for controls, but this was not supported in sensitivity analyses, no differences were found for English or Mathematics.

Conclusions: The intervention resulted in modest improvements in perceptual speed, but no effects on other cognitive outcomes or academic grades. Observed sex differences suggest differential responsiveness, underscoring the need for future research to examine how individual and contextual factors shape intervention effects.

Funding Source: Knowledge Foundation (grant no. 20210002), Skandia, Kamprad Foundation, Swedish ESF Council, SFO-V.