Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Offers guidance on policy and programmatic actions local governments can take, with community input, to promote healthy eating and physical activity and to ensure equal opportunities for healthy living in low-income neighborhoods. Profiles best practices

The selection of content for health courses in terms of pupils' health problems

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1948. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Community-engaged student research: online resources, real world impact

The global economic crisis, the cost of socialising enormous bank debts and exchequer fiscal ‘corrections’ in the Irish economy (see Kirby and Murphy 2011), have sharpened recent debates on the role and functions of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in society. Key debates have centred on public sector pay and performance, and the contribution HEIs should make in building the knowledge economy and driving Ireland’s economic growth. However, HEIs also have a significant part to play in civil society. HEIs are often criticised for primarily serving the elites, the powerful and the economically privileged sections of society; but all citizens, groups and organisations should have a right to participate in HEI activities, and be facilitated to share their mutual knowledge and expertise, and to collaborate on the creation of new knowledge. Civil society organisations (CSOs) can become engaged in higher education, particularly in the research activities of HEIs, through the process of community-based research (CBR), often facilitated through a knowledge exchange or community liaison office. Civil society organisations include: voluntary and community organisations, residents’ groups, non-profit organisations, associations, pressure and faith groups, and trade unions. CBR - also known in Europe as “Science Shop”, from a Dutch phrase meaning “knowledge workshop” - involves students and/or academic staff collaborating with community partners to address local and/or societal research questions identified by CSOs. In this chapter, we argue that the bottom up CBR approach, facilitated by the use of on-line resources, enhances the ability of HEIs to meet their civic engagement obligations contained in the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 (Hunt 2011). CBR also makes HEIs more responsive to society, enhances student researchers’ knowledge, skills and competencies, and contributes to community development. This chapter begins by introducing community-based research and its development on the Island of Ireland. We then outline and evaluate our experiences of using online resources in similar ways in two HEIs – Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and University College Cork (UCC) - to facilitate student recruitment to CBR projects, as well as supporting the involvement of community partners and academic supervisors. This is very much a discussion paper based on evolving work practices, rather than a definitive evaluation of a finalised product. Throughout the chapter we argue for HEIs using such digital resources as a way to promote and facilitate staff and student involvement in civically engaged research. We will conclude the paper with a brief discussion of our publication of completed CBR reports on our websites, in light of the open access to research movement

The educator's role in preschool dramatic story reenactments : scaffolding in action

This research study explored the role educators play in supporting Dramatic Story Reenactments. Dramatic Story Reenactments (DSRs) involve children re-creating or acting out familiar stories by themselves or with the guidance of a teacher (Martinez, 1993). It has been proposed that experiences with DSRs provide children with opportunities to practice language skills and enhance their understanding of story (Martinez, 1993). The participants in this study were two experienced educators and their groups of ten 4- and 5-year-olds. The educators were asked to implement DSRs three times a week for four weeks with their groups of children in a daycare centre in Montreal. Prior to the DSR intervention the educators received a brief training session from the researcher. The stories read for the DSR were videotaped for analysis, as was the DSR process. Grounded theory methodologies were used to analyze the scaffolding strategies the educators used during the DSR process. The categories of scaffolding that emerged from the data were analyzed and described in order to generate a theory for best practices. Findings from this study suggest that there were several interactive behaviours educators used when reading the story prior to the DSR that enhanced and supported the DSR process. Educator scaffolds were many and varied over the course of the DSR intervention and fell under four broad categories that included story structure supports, dramatization supports, story language supports, and positive guidance supports. Based on these findings, implications for practice are recommended and discussed

BMI trajectories and risk factors among 2-11-year-old children by their immigrant status: Evidence from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Objective This study aimed to identify body mass index (BMI) trajectories and their predictors in Australian children by their maternal immigrant status. Methods Data on 4142 children aged 2–3 years were drawn from the birth cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. BMI was calculated according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points. Immigrant status was determined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Index criteria. Latent class growth analysis estimated distinct BMI trajectories, and multinomial logistic regression analysis examined factors associated with these BMI trajectories. Results Two BMI groups and six BMI trajectories were identified. The stable trajectories group included high-risk (10%, n=375), moderate-risk (5%, n=215) and low-risk (68%, n=2861) BMI trajectories. The changing trajectories group included delayed-risk (6%, n=234), gradual-risk (8%, n=314) and declining-risk (3%, n=143) BMI trajectories. We found some evidence that children of immigrants from low-and middle-income countries were more likely to have moderate-risk and high-risk BMI trajectories compared with low-risk BMI trajectory. However, these associations were insignificant in fully adjusted models. The explanatory risk factors for moderate-risk and high-risk BMI trajectory were birth weight, family socioeconomic position, and organised sports participation. Our results also suggest that 4–7 years of age may be important for the prevention of overweight/obesity in children. Discussion A better understanding of the risk factors associated with distinct BMI trajectories in immigrant children will inform effective preventive strategies. Some of these risk factors such as non-participation in organised sports, and high screen time, may also impede the integration of immigrant children into the host culture. Obesity prevention strategies aimed at increasing physical activities in immigrant children could help deliver a social and health benefit by increasing social integration among children of immigrants and Australians

Understanding the Context for Health Behavior Change with Cognitive Work Analysis and Persuasive Design

Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) and Persuasive Design (PD) can be complementary approaches for designing behavior change systems. CWA can provide insights into persuasive context, identify ineffective behavior paths and suggest more effective behaviors. However, PD can contribute design ideas to create that behavior change. These methods, and how they can be used together, are discussed. The example of blood pressure management is used to show how new behavior change paths can be identified and encouraged

Quantitative prediction of stratigraphic architecture in fluvial overbank successions

Most outcrop-based studies of fluvial successions predominantly focus on sand-prone channel complexes; less attention has been directed towards fluvial overbank successions. Crevasse-splay deposits represent an important component of the stratigraphic record of fluvial overbank systems and yield information about the size, form and behaviour of formative fluvial systems. Quantitative facies and architectural-element analysis was undertaken on outcrop successions from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) and the Castlegate and Nelsen formations, Mesaverde Group (Upper Cretaceous), this was then supported by analysis of 10 modern fluvial systems to better constrain the planform variations in overbank areas. Lithofacies arrangements are used to establish the following: (i) recognition criteria for splay elements; (ii) criteria for the differentiation between distal parts of splay bodies and flood plain fines; and (iii) empirical relationships with which to establish the extent (ca. 280-500 m long by 180-1000 m wide) and planform shape of splay bodies in the Morrison Formation (teardrop) and Castlegate and Neslen formations(semi-elliptical). A nested, hierarchical stacking of the deposits of fluvial overbank successions are recognized and records accumulation of the following components: (i) lithofacies; (ii) individual event beds comprising an association of lithofacies; (iii) splay elements comprising genetically related beds that stack vertically and laterally and represent the deposits of individual flood events; (iv) splay complexes comprising one or more genetically related elements that have a common breakout point and represent the deposits of multiple flood events. Splay accumulations occur as parts of larger successions in which floodplain-dominated intervals accumulate and become preserved in response to longer-term autogenic controls, such as rate of lateral migration and avulsion frequency of parent channels, and allogenic controls, such as changes in subsidence, climate, base-level and sediment supply. Sandy splays contribute ‘hidden’ volume to fluvial reservoirs and may form significant connectors that link otherwise isolated primary channel bodies, thereby contributing to reservoir connectivity