Early childhood predictors of toddlers\u27 physical activity: longitudinal findings from the Melbourne InFANT program

Background:&nbsp;Young children are at risk of not meeting physical activity recommendations. Identifying factors from&nbsp;the first year of life which influence toddlers&rsquo; physical activity levels may help to develop targeted intervention&nbsp;strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine early childhood predictors of toddlers&rsquo; physical activity across&nbsp;the domains of maternal beliefs and behaviours, infant behaviours and the home environment.&nbsp;Methods: Data from 206 toddlers (53% male) participating in the Melbourne InFANT Program were collected in 2008&ndash;2010 and analysed in 2012. Mothers completed a survey of physical activity predictors when their child was 4- (T1) and&nbsp;9- months old (T2). Physical activity was assessed by ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers at 19- months (T3) of age.Results: One infant behaviour at T1 and one maternal belief and two infant behaviours at T2 showed associations with&nbsp;physical activity at T3 and were included in multivariate analyses. After adjusting for the age at which the child started&nbsp;walking and maternal education, the time spent with babies of a similar age at 4-months (&beta; = 0.06, 95% CI [0.02, 0.10])&nbsp;and the time spent being physically active with their mother at 9-months (&beta; = 0.06, 95% CI [0.01, 0.12]) predicted&nbsp;children&rsquo;s physical activity at 19-months of age.&nbsp;Conclusions: Promotion of peer-interactions and maternal-child co-participation in physical activity could serve as a&nbsp;health promotion strategy to increase physical activity in young children. Future research is required to identify other&nbsp;early life predictors not assessed in this study and to examine whether these factors predict physical activity in later life&nbsp;stages.</div

Tracking of maternal self-efficacy for limiting young children\u27s television viewing and associations with children\u27s television viewing time: a longitudinal analysis over 15-months

BACKGROUND: Mothers\u27 self-efficacy for limiting their children\u27s television viewing is an important correlate of this behaviour in young children. However, no studies have examined how maternal self-efficacy changes over time, which is potentially important during periods of rapid child development. This study examined tracking of maternal self-efficacy for limiting young children\u27s television viewing over 15-months and associations with children\u27s television viewing time. METHODS: In 2008 and 2010, mothers (n&thinsp;=&thinsp;404) from the Melbourne InFANT Program self-reported their self-efficacy for limiting their child\u27s television viewing at 4- and 19-months of age. Tertiles of self-efficacy were created at each time and categorised into: persistently high, persistently low, increasing or decreasing self-efficacy. Weighted kappa and multinomial logistic regression examined tracking and demographic and behavioural predictors of change in self-efficacy. A linear regression model examined associations between tracking categories and children\u27s television viewing time. RESULTS: Tracking of maternal self-efficacy for limiting children\u27s television viewing was low (kappa&thinsp;=&thinsp;0.23, p&thinsp;&lt;&thinsp;0.001). Mothers who had persistently high or increasing self-efficacy had children with lower television viewing time at 19-months (&beta;&thinsp;=&thinsp;-35.5; 95 % CI&thinsp;=&thinsp;-54.4,-16.6 and &beta;&thinsp;=&thinsp;37.0; 95 % CI&thinsp;=&thinsp;-54.4,-19.7, respectively). Mothers of children with difficult temperaments were less likely to have persistently high self-efficacy. Mothers who met adult physical activity guidelines had 2.5 greater odds of increasing self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to increase and maintain maternal self-efficacy for limiting children\u27s television viewing time may result in lower rates of this behaviour amongst toddlers. Maternal and child characteristics may need to be considered when tailoring interventions

The climate of Mt Wilhelm

In 1966, the Australian National University with assistance from the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Hawaii, established a field station beside the lower Pindaunde Lake at an altitude of 3480 m on the southeast flank of Mt Wilhelm, the highest point in Papua New Guinea. The field station has been used by a number of workers in the natural sciences, many of whose publications are referred to later in this work. The present volume arises from observations made by three botanists and their collaborators when members of the Department of Biogeography and Geomorphology, during the course of their work on Mt Wilhelm while based on the ANU field station. It is the second in the Departmental series describing the environment and biota of the mountain, and will be followed by others dealing with different aspects of its natural history

Influences on physical activity and screen time amongst postpartum women with heightened depressive symptoms: a qualitative study

Background: Postpartum women are at higher risk of depression compared to the general population. Despite the mental health benefits an active lifestyle can provide, postpartum women engage in low physical activity and high screen time. Very little research has investigated the social ecological (i.e. individual, social and physical environmental) influences on physical activity and screen time amongst postpartum women, particularly amongst those with depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study sought to examine the influences on physical activity and screen time amongst postpartum women with heightened depressive symptoms. Methods: 20 mothers (3–9 months postpartum) participating in the Mums on the Move pilot randomised controlled trial who reported being insufficiently active and experiencing heightened depressive symptoms participated in semi-structured telephone interviews exploring their perceptions of the key influences on their physical activity and screen time across various levels of the social ecological model. Strategies for promoting physical activity and reducing screen time were explored with participants. Thematic analyses were undertaken to construct key themes from the qualitative data. Results: Findings showed that postpartum women with depressive symptoms reported individual (i.e. sleep quality, being housebound, single income), social (i.e. childcare, social support from partner and friends) and physical environmental (i.e. weather, safety in the local neighbourhood) influences on physical activity. Postpartum women reported individual (i.e. screen use out of habit and addiction, enjoyment) and social (i.e. positive role modelling, social isolation) influences on screen-time, but no key themes targeting the physical environmental influences were identified for screen time. Strategies suggested by women to increase physical activity included mother’s physical activity groups, home-based physical activity programs and awareness-raising. Strategies to reduce screen time included the use of screen time tracker apps, increasing social connections and awareness-raising. Conclusions: Amongst postpartum women with heightened depressive symptoms, influences on physical activity encompassed all constructs of the social ecological model. However, screen time was only perceived to be influenced by individual and social factors. Intervention strategies targeting predominantly individual and social factors may be particularly important for this high-risk group. These findings could assist in developing targeted physical activity and screen time interventions for this cohort

Contrasting influences of inundation and land use on the rate of floodplain restoration

This study examined the assisted natural restoration of native vegetation in an Australian floodplain wetland where flows were reinstated and the river was reconnected to the floodplain, following cessation of agricultural cultivation. Extant vegetation was surveyed three times during an inundation event at plots with different land‐use histories. Restoration rate was more influenced by past land use than long‐term inundation frequency and success decreased with antecedent land‐use intensity. Prolonged land‐use history (>3 years cultivation) restricted restoration success. Sites with longer cultivation histories tended to have fewer aquatic species, more terrestrial species and exotic species. For example, amphibious responders with floating leaves were found only in reference plots and less frequently in farmed treatment plots. In this scenario, increased persistence of exotics and dryland species suggested alternative trajectories. Fields with a short land‐use history (1–3 years of clearing and cultivation) resembled undisturbed floodplain communities, consistent with a ‘field of dreams’ hypothesis. Although river–floodplain reconnections can restore wetlands, legacy effects of past land use may limit the pace and outcomes of restoration.Australian Postgraduate AwardAustralian Research Council. Grant Number: DE120102221ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions Australian Research Council Linkage Project. Grant Number: LP088416

Sedentary Behavior Research Network (SBRN) - Terminology Consensus Project process and outcome

Background: The prominence of sedentary behavior research in health science has grown rapidly. With this growth there is increasing urgency for clear, common and accepted terminology and definitions. Such standardization is difficult to achieve, especially across multi-disciplinary researchers, practitioners, and industries. The Sedentary Behavior Research Network (SBRN) undertook a Terminology Consensus Project to address this need. Method: First, a literature review was completed to identify key terms in sedentary behavior research. These key terms were then reviewed and modified by a Steering Committee formed by SBRN. Next, SBRN members were invited to contribute to this project and interested participants reviewed and provided feedback on the proposed list of terms and draft definitions through an online survey. Finally, a conceptual model and consensus definitions (including caveats and examples for all age groups and functional abilities) were finalized based on the feedback received from the 87 SBRN member participants who responded to the original invitation and survey. Results: Consensus definitions for the terms physical inactivity, stationary behavior, sedentary behavior, standing, screen time, non-screen-based sedentary time, sitting, reclining, lying, sedentary behavior pattern, as well as how the terms bouts, breaks, and interruptions should be used in this context are provided. Conclusion: It is hoped that the definitions resulting from this comprehensive, transparent, and broad-based participatory process will result in standardized terminology that is widely supported and adopted, thereby advancing future research, interventions, policies, and practices related to sedentary behaviors