Early Development of Professional Skills Benefits Students & Community Partners

Poster advocating Early Development of Professional Skills Benefits Students & Community Partnershttps://arrow.tudublin.ie/civpostbk/1030/thumbnail.jp

Associations Between Home Environment, Children’s and Parents’ Characteristics and Children’s TV Screen Time Behavior

In Ireland, television (TV) screen time is a highly prevalent sedentary behavior among children aged less than five years. Little is known about the influence of parental rules and policies or screen time availability and accessibility within the home on children\u27s TV screen time behaviors. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the extent to which parents\u27 sociodemographic and sedentary behaviors are associated with children\u27s TV screen time; and to determine the associations between parents\u27 rules and practices, home physical environment and children\u27s daily TV viewing. Three hundred and thirty-two children aged 3-5 years and their parents participated in the study. Children\u27s TV screen time and home environmental characteristics (parents\u27 rules and practices and the physical environment) were assessed using questions from standardized and validated questionnaires. The data were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Within the different sedentary behaviors evaluated, parents\u27 TV viewing was positively associated with children\u27s TV screen time (OR 1.65, 95%CI 1.09-2.50, p = 0.018). Leaving the TV on, whether or not it was being watched, was associated with a 38% increased probability of children watching ≥ 1 h TV daily. Children whose parents restricted their outdoor activity were more likely to watch ≥ 1 h TV daily (OR 2.01, 95%CI 1.04-3.88, p = 0.036). Findings from the study demonstrated that parents\u27 own screen time behaviors, leaving the TV on whether it was being watched or not and restricting outdoor play were associated with higher children\u27s TV viewing in the home environment. This knowledge is essential to inform future interventions aimed to address the increase in screen time among young children

Associations between Neighborhood Deprivation Index, Parent Perceptions and Preschooler Lifestyle Behaviors

Parental perceptions and use of neighborhood facilities are important factors that are related to children’s dietary intake and physical activity. The aim of this study was to examine the association between neighborhood deprivation index, parents’ perceptions of their neighborhood environment, and healthy/unhealthy markers of child dietary intake, physical activity, and TV screen time. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Dublin, Ireland. The lifestyle behaviors among children and parental perceptions of their neighborhood environment were reported by the parents of 276 children aged 3–5 years by using parent-completed questionnaires. Deprivation index was assessed using the geographic information system (GIS). Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression, adjusting for socio-demographic confounders. In adjusted models, high deprivation index was associated with parental perception of the neighborhood as unsafe for walking and cycling due to crime (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.04–2.43, p = 0.031) and children’s low engagement in structured physical activity (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.17–0.72, p = 0.004). Parental perceptions of an unsafe neighborhood due to heavy traffic were negatively correlated with children’s active play (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55–0.95, p = 0.022). Children whose parents reported high satisfaction with the number of local sit-in and takeaway restaurants were 41% more likely to consume confectionary/sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) weekly. In this age group, parents play an important role in children’s lifestyle behaviors; therefore, a better understanding of parents’ perceptions and their use of neighborhood facilities could contribute to creating a healthy environment for this age group

Associations Between the Home Environment, Feeding Practices and Children’s Intakes of Fruit, Vegetables and Confectionary/Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Within the home environment, parents influence their children’s dietary intakes through their parenting and dietary practices, and the foods they make available/accessible. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the associations between home environmental characteristics and children’s dietary intakes. Three hundred and thirty-two children aged three–five years and their parents participated in the study. Home environmental characteristics, including parental control feeding practices, were explored using validated and standardized questionnaires such as the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ), the Physical and Nutritional Home Environment Inventory (PNHEI) and the Healthy Home Survey (HHS). Parent and child food consumption was also measured. Pressure to eat from parents was associated with lower fruit intake in children (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47–0.96, p = 0.032). Greater variety of fruit available in the home increased the likelihood of fruit consumption in children (OR 1.35 95% CI 1.09–1.68, p = 0.005). Watching television for ≥1 h per day was associated with a decreased probability of children eating vegetables daily (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.20–0.72, p = 0.003) and doubled their likelihood of consuming confectionary/sugar-sweetened beverages more than once weekly (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.06–4.38, p = 0.034). Children whose parents had lower vegetable consumption were 59% less likely to eat vegetables daily. This study demonstrates that modifiable home environmental characteristics are significantly associated with children’s dietary intakes

New Innovations in the Development of Practice Placement Education for Student Dietitians

This paper discusses the collaborative approach between the higher education institution and the practice placement educators on this work-based learning partnership. The partnership work has highlighted the need for an inclusive approach to all practice placement settings which facilitates the creation of a clear support structure for placement mentors/assessors. A standardised, explicit assessment process that contributes to progressive skills acquisition and the requirement that practice placement is fully integrated into the academic curriculum have, furthermore, been identified. Self-directed learning, self-assessment and reflective practice are professional skills which need to be viewed as outcomes of practice placement and the training of practice placement educators must be within a process that acknowledges and uses their experience

Healthy Incentive Scheme in the Irish Full-day-care Pre-school Setting

A pre-school offering a full-day-care service provides for children aged 0-5 years for more than 4 hid. Researchers have called for studies that will provide an understanding of nutrition and physical activity practices in this setting. Obesity prevention in pre-schools, through the development of healthy associations with food and health-related practices, has been advocated. While guidelines for the promotion of best nutrition and health-related practice in the early years\u27 setting exist in a number of jurisdictions, associated regulations have been noted to be poor, with the environment of the child-care facility mainly evaluated for safety. Much cross-sectional research outlines poor nutrition and physical activity practice in this setting. However, there are few published environmental and policy-level interventions targeting the child-care provider with, to our knowledge, no evidence of such interventions in Ireland. The aim of the present paper is to review international guide­ lines and recommendations relating to health promotion best practice in the pre-school setting: service and resource provision; food service and food availability; and the role and involvement of parents in pre-schools. Intervention programmes and assessment tools available to measure such practice are outlined; and insight is provided into an intervention scheme, formulated from available best practice, that was introduced into the Irish full-day­ care pre-school setting

Novel implementation of experiential learning in health and wellbeing in a university setting

[EN] Healthy UCD is a health promotion initiative in University College Dublin (UCD) which aims to create a sustainable healthy campus for all members of the UCD community. In recent years, Healthy UCD has worked with staff from across the university to provide opportunities for experiential learning to UCD students in areas related to health and wellbeing. The initiative currently has involvement in three modules: 1) Practice Placement – a core MSc in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics module where students plan and implement a university-wide Healthy Eating Week, 2) Event Management – a core module undertaken by second-year BSc Sport & Exercise Management students, and 3) Student Health & Wellbeing – an undergraduate elective module which challenges students to reflect on issues which affect their own health and wellbeing and that of those around them and then develop a student-focused Healthy UCD campaign. This paper will outline how experiential learning is implemented in these modules, how students are assessed, and the perceptions of students who complete these modules.Heffernan, M.; Fitzpatrick, P.; Bermingham, A.; Neville, R.; Dervan, N.; Corish, C.; Murrin, C.... (2021). Novel implementation of experiential learning in health and wellbeing in a university setting. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1035-1042. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13069OCS1035104