Creating healthy adolescents and secondary school environments: Use of formative research in school based obesity prevention (the CHASE project)

Students of six Rockhampton secondary schools were sampled to explore associations between Body Mass Index, involvement in moderate and physical activity and healthy nutrition with the aim of developing school-based interventions for the prevention of adolescent obesity

Nutrition

Nutrition is the sum of all the interactions between an organism and the food it consumes. In other words, nutrition is what a person eats and how the body uses it. Nutrients are organic and inorganic substances found in foods that are required for body functioning. Adequate food intake consists of a balance of nutrients: water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Foods differ greatly in their nutritive value (the nutrient content of a specified amount of food) and no one food provides all essential nutrients. Nutrients have three major functions: providing energy for body processed and movement, providing structural material for body tissues and regulating body processes

Nutrition

Nutrition is the sum of all the interactions between an organism and the food it consumes. In other words, nutrition is what a person eats and how the body uses it. Nutrients are organic and inorganic substances found in foods that are required for body functioning. Adequate food intake consists of a balance of nutrients: water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Foods differ greatly in their nutritive value (the nutrient content of a specified amount of food) and no one food provides all essential nutrients. Nutrients have three major functions: providing energy for body processed and movement, providing structural material for body tissues and regulating body processes

Characteristics of consumers using ‘better for you’ front-of-pack food labelling schemes : an example from the Australian Heart Foundation Tick

Objective: The Heart Foundation Tick aims to help consumers make healthier food choices and overcome confusion in understanding food labels. Little is known about what factors differentiate frequent from infrequent users, and effectiveness of this scheme in helping Australian’s make healthier food choices. Design: A cross-sectional survey was used to explore use of the Tick, and associations with a range of individual characteristics. Setting: A national panel of Australians, living in each state and territory completed the online survey (N=1446). Subjects: Men (41%) and women aged 18 years and over participated in the study. Results: Most trust the Heart Foundation (79%), and use the Tick at least occasionally (19% regularly, 21% often, 35% occasionally, 24% never). A majority was classified as overweight/obese (60%), 3.5 % were diagnosed with coronary heart disease, 5.2 % with diabetes, and 23 % with hypertension. Many did not meet recommendations for consumption of red meat (30%), processed meat (23%), vegetables (78%), fruit (43%), and fast foods (47%). Female frequent users tended to have hypertension, be married/defacto, older than 45 years, rural dwellers, and limit their intake of fast foods. Male frequent users tended to have hypertension, meet recommendations for fruit, vegetable and processed meats, but not have a tertiary education. Conclusions: The Heart Foundation Tick is a highly trusted, highly recognizable food labeling scheme and helpful to consumers who are motivated to make healthier food choices. More inter-sector collaboration is required to incorporate these schemes into public health campaigns to help consumers make healthier food choices

We can do that! : Collaborative assessment of school environments to promote healthy adolescent nutrition and physical activity behaviors

Evidence for effectiveness of school-based studies for prevention of adolescent obesity is equivocal. Tailoring interventions to specific settings is considered necessary for effectiveness and sustainability. The PRECEDE framework provides a formative research approach for comprehensive understanding of school environments and identification of key issues/areas to focus resources and energies. No reported studies have tested applicability of the PRECEDE framework in schools in relation to obesity. Adolescents (n=362), parents (n=349) and teachers (n=146) from six secondary schools participated in two quantitative studies and two qualitative studies. Data collected from these studies permitted confirmation of adolescent overweight/obesity a health issue for schools; the need for secondary schools to focus health promotion efforts on healthy nutrition, with inclusion of parents/homes and appreciation for gender differences in developing interventions. Community buy-in and commitment to school-based obesity prevention programs may be dependent on initially addressing what may be perceived as minor issues, and developing policies to guide practices within schools in relation to supply and access to healthy foods, use of sporting equipment and participation in physical activities. The PRECEDE framework allows systematic assessment of school environments and provided opportunity to identify realistic and relevant interventions for promoting healthy adolescent physical activity and nutrition behaviors

Public health and moral panic : sociological perspectives on the 'epidemic of obesity'

In 2007, the number of people worldwide who were chronically underfed reached 923 million, some 75 million more than in 2003-2005 (FAO, 2008). By contrast, in 1999, over 1 billion adults and approximately 18 million children were overweight or obese (WHO, 2000). Neither rising food prices, nor rising food insecurity among the world's poor - especially landless and female-headed households (FAO, 2008) - appear to be slowing the spread of weight gain and obesity, a trend that has been associated, in particular, with populations undergoing socio-economic transformations associated with urbanization, modernization and globalization (WHO, 2000)

Associations between adolescent nutrition behaviours and adolescent and parent characteristics

Aim: This study examined adolescent nutrition behaviours and associations with a range of adolescent and parent characteristics to underpin the development of key objectives for focus in the development of school-based interventions for the prevention of adolescent overweight/obesity. Methods: Three hundred and sixty-two adolescents from six secondary schools, completed questionnaires regarding their nutrition behaviours, physical activity and sedentary activities, and 349 parents completed questionnaires to report their height and body weight, nutrition behaviours, physical activity, and values of adolescent obesity related behaviours. Adolescent height and body weight were objectively measured for calculation of body mass index. Logistic regression (P<0.05) and Pearson chi-square analyses of 295 matched adolescent and parent questionnaires were conducted to examine associations. Results: Adolescent healthy nutrition behaviours were negatively associated with time spent in small screen recreation (odds ratios 0.48, P=0.02), and positively associated with time spent in sedentary education (odds ratios 2.44, P=0.004) and physical activity (odds ratios 2.53, P=0.03). Gender differences were found. No associations were found between adolescent healthy nutrition behaviours and adolescent body mass index, adolescent physical activity, parent body mass index, parent nutrition behaviours, physical activity or parent values of adolescent health behaviors. Conclusions: Interventions to promote adolescent healthy nutrition behaviours should be gender specific and include action around a range of obesity-related health behaviours including physical activity and time spent in small screen recreation

Links between adolescent physical activity, body mass index, and adolescent and parent characteristics

Identification of the relationships between adolescent overweight and obesity and physical activity and a range of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors is necessary to develop relevant interventions which target the health needs of adolescents. This study examined adolescent body mass index (BMI) and participation in moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and their associations with school year, adolescent nutrition and sedentary behaviors, parent BMI, parent physical activity, and parent support adolescent physical activity. Participants included 295 adolescents and their parents. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between adolescent BMI, MVPA, and the range of adolescent and parent characteristics. Results indicated that parents and home environments play significant roles in the development and maintenance of adolescent overweight/obesity of physical activity behaviors. School-based interventions should ensure high levels of parent involvement and target male adolescents to reduce time spent in small screen recreation and female adolescents to increase participation in MVPA

Combinations of social participation and trust, and association with health status : an Australian perspective

A limited number of studies have examined the ‘miniaturization of community’ model which is based on belief that ‘new’ individualistic, and narrower forms of social participation, do not promote generalized trust in others. Little is known about miniaturization of community and self-reported health, physical health and psychological health in Australia. Data from a 2009 computer-assisted telephone-interview survey was used to investigate generalized trust, social participation and health-related quality of life in a regional Australian population (n ¼ 1273; mean age 51.2 years). Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the associations between generalized trust, social participation and poor self-reported health (global self-rated, psychological and physical), and included four social participation/trust categories. A majority (67%) reported high generalized trust of others, 54% were categorized as high social participators. Miniaturization of community was a risk factor for poor self-rated psychological health across genders, and a risk factor for poor self-rated health for males. For women, low social participation (irrespective of trust level) was associated with poor self-reported health. Given current and previous findings, there is a need for further research in a range of contexts which explores the underlying concept of miniaturization of community, that is, the changes in social participation and social networks which may negatively impact community health

Community-oriented health services in low resource settings

The global gap between the ‘haves and the have-nots’ and the contrasting issues of under-nutrition among the poor, and over-nutrition among the wealthy, have been recognised for more than a decade (WHO, 2002). Health and health needs differ markedly between high and low-resource settings and whilst most health risks cluster around the poor or most disadvantaged, no risk occurs in isolation and each may have one or more causes. Health care systems have the potential to reduce health risks and achieve ‘good’ outcomes and efficiency when their four core functions (financing, resource generation, service delivery and stewardship) are organised and carried out in a systematic manner. Although healthcare spending (as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), varies widely across the world, merely allocating more funds/resources to health care by a country does not mean the health care system will be more effective or efficient. As an example total expenditure on health (as a percentage of GDP) in the United States is 17.7% and in Japan 9.6%, however health status (reflected by chronic disease rates and life expectancy) is better for those living in Japan than those in the United States (OECD, 2013)