Factors in youth physical activity participation : from psychological aspects to environmental correlates

Understanding influences on children\u27s physical activity and how these vary by activity and subgroup, such as age and sex of the child, is important for informing the development of effective and targeted interventions. Two cohort studies were conducted across socioeconomic areas of Melbourne, Australia, between 2001 and 2008 among a combined sample of more than 2,700 children aged 5-6 years and 10-12 years at baseline. Data were collected via surveys, and children wore the Actigraph accelerometer for 8 days. Five individual, 10 social, and 17 physical environmental factors were significantly associated with children\u27s physical activity. Patterns of association varied according to the age and sex of the child and also according to the type of activity. These studies provide some insights into the various levels of influence on children\u27s physical activity. More longitudinal and intervention research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of change in children\u27s physical activity behaviour. <br /

Early childhood nutrition concerns, resources, and services for Aboriginal families in Victoria

Abstract Objective: To investigate the child nutrition concerns of Aboriginal families with young children attending Aboriginal health and early childhood services in Victoria; training needs of early childhood practitioners; and sources of nutrition and child health information and advice for Aboriginal families with young children. Method: Qualitative needs assessment involving consultation with Aboriginal parents of young children aged 0–8 years attending Aboriginal health and early childhood services, and early childhood practitioners from Aboriginal health and early childhood services in urban and regional Victoria. Focus groups were conducted with 35 Aboriginal parents and interviews conducted with 45 health and early childhood practitioners. Thematic analysis was used to generate and then refine distinct, internally consistent common themes from the data. Results: The most frequent issues identified were low levels of breastfeeding, inappropriate introduction of solids, reliance on bottles, sweet drinks, and energy‐dense foods, poor oral health and overweight. Concerns about staff training and capacity, and access to maternal and child health services were also common. Conclusion and implication: This study identifies major gaps in service delivery for Aboriginal families with young children and points to the need for a coordinated, culturally responsive systems approach to providing support for breastfeeding and child nutrition advice and support for Aboriginal families, including capacity building for staff, and supportive systems and policy

Earth observation for sustainable urban planning in developing countries: needs, trends, and future directions

Abstract: Cities are constantly changing and authorities face immense challenges in obtaining accurate and timely data to effectively manage urban areas. This is particularly problematic in the developing world where municipal records are often unavailable or not updated. Spaceborne earth observation (EO) has great potential for providing up-to-date spatial information about urban areas. This article reviews the application of EO for supporting urban planning. In particular, the article overviews case studies where EO was used to derive products and indicators required by urban planners. The review concludes that EO has sufficiently matured in recent years but that a shift from the current focus on purely science-driven EO applications to the provision of useful information for day-to-day decision-making and urban sustainability monitoring is clearly needed

Consumption patterns of sweet drinks in a population of Australian children and adolescents (2003–2008)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intake of sweet drinks has previously been associated with the development of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. The present study aimed to assess the consumption pattern of sweet drinks in a population of children and adolescents in Victoria, Australia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data on 1,604 children and adolescents (4–18 years) from the comparison groups of two quasi-experimental intervention studies from Victoria, Australia were analysed<it>.</it> Sweet drink consumption (soft drink and fruit juice/cordial) was assessed as one day’s intake and typical intake over the last week or month at two time points between 2003 and 2008 (mean time between measurement: 2.2 years).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Assessed using dietary recalls, more than 70% of the children and adolescents consumed sweet drinks, with no difference between age groups (p = 0.28). The median intake among consumers was 500 ml and almost a third consumed more than 750 ml per day. More children and adolescents consumed fruit juice/cordial (69%) than soft drink (33%) (p < 0.0001) and in larger volumes (median intake fruit juice/cordial: 500 ml and soft drink: 375 ml). Secular changes in sweet drink consumption were observed with a lower proportion of children and adolescents consuming sweet drinks at time 2 compared to time 1 (significant for age group 8 to <10 years, p = 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proportion of Australian children and adolescents from the state of Victoria consuming sweet drinks has been stable or decreasing, although a high proportion of this sample consumed sweet drinks, especially fruit juice/cordial at both time points.</p

The relationship between breastfeeding and weight status in a national sample of Australian children and adolescents

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Breastfeeding has been shown consistently in observational studies to be protective of overweight and obesity in later life. This study aimed to investigate the association between breastfeeding duration and weight status in a national sample of Australian children and adolescents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A secondary analysis of the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey data involving 2066, males and females aged 9 to 16 years from all Australian states and territories. The effect of breastfeeding duration on weight status was estimated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared to those who were never breastfed, children breastfed for ≥6 months were significantly less likely to be overweight (adjusted odds ratio: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.45, 0.91) or obese (adjusted odds ratio: 0.51, 95%CI: 0.29, 0.90) in later childhood, after adjustment for maternal characteristics (age, education and ethnicity) and children's age, gender, mean energy intake, level of moderate and vigorous physical activity, screen time and sleep duration.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Breastfeeding for 6 or more months appears to be protective against later overweight and obesity in this population of Australian children. The beneficial short-term health outcomes of breastfeeding for the infant are well recognised and this study provides further observational evidence of a potential long-term health outcome and additional justification for the continued support and promotion of breastfeeding to six months and beyond.</p