Fitness

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An elementary school student lays on his stomach on a yoga mat outside on the school blacktop, stretching his head and chest up while his PE teacher holds a ruler under his chin.
Nutrition Policy Institute News: Article

New study finds gaps in state infrastructure for school fitness testing

May 11, 2026
In July 2025, an executive order renewed national focus on youth physical activity by reestablishing the Presidential Fitness Test; however, implementation was left up to existing state policy systems. Because effective school-based fitness testing depends on a strong physical education infrastructure,…
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A group of elementary school children in a PE class outside on the school blacktop with their PE teacher on a cloudy day.
Nutrition Policy Institute News: Article

New study examines the role of structured play in reducing chronic absenteeism in California elementary schools

April 22, 2026
Playworks, a national nonprofit organization that promotes structured, inclusive recess in low-income elementary schools, has been shown to improve student engagement, physical activity, and school climate. However, little is known about whether programs like Playworks—where trained adults lead games that…
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Peer-Reviewed Publications

Below is a comprehensive list of peer-reviewed publications by Nutrition Policy Institute researchers and our collaborators in reverse chronological order. See also our collection of PubMed indexed peer-reviewed publications by NPI researchers.View publications by year: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 …
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Reports

Nutrition Policy Institute's research and evaluation reports include documents that presents the findings of a systematic investigation in a clear, organized, and objective manner. The reports detail the research process, methods, data, and results to communicate complex information and insights to a…
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Collection

Research Briefs

Nutrition Policy Institute's research briefs are short, non-technical summaries of a study's key findings—designed to make complex research accessible to broader audiences like policymakers, practitioners, or the public—translating evidence into real-world application through plain language, bullet points,…
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Nutrition Policy Institute News: Article

Nutrition Policy Institute welcomes Hannah R. Thompson as new director

September 25, 2025
By Danielle Lee
Hannah R. Thompson began her role as the new director of the Nutrition Policy Institute beginning September 1, 2025. Thompson has served as NPI’s senior epidemiologist since 2020 while also working as an assistant research professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. She…
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