Digital Commons Network^™

All The Animals: Short Fiction About Multispecies Families, Becky Tipper

Animal Studies Journal

The five-part short story ‘All the Animals’ imagines an array of animals who feature in the life of a fictional human family over many years. The story is inspired by qualitative research into human-animal relationships in families with children in Lisbon, Portugal. ‘All the Animals’ aims to offer a fictional ‘thick description’ of multispecies families in a particular time and place, but also to provide a reflection on the role of storytelling in human-animal entanglements.

Development Of A Sociocultural Phonological Program To Support Young Indigenous Children’S Consonant Production, Carolyn D. Pogson

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Oral language proficiency and phonological skills underpin children’s literacy development. In Australian schools, literacy is based on Standard Australian English (SAE). Children who speak an Indigenous language or a different dialect of English are expected to have the same understanding of SAE as children who have been taught to speak or understand SAE from birth. For some Indigenous children, school may be the place where they first hear some SAE sounds. As indicated by a substantial body of research, oral language forms the basis of early literacy; Indigenous children, if they have no specific support in learning SAE as a …

How To Help Young Children Regulate Their Emotions And Behaviours During The Pandemic, Cathrine Marguerite Neilsen-Hewett, Steven J. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

With governments around the world asking their citizens to avoid places, activities and gatherings to save lives, this just might be the largest ever international effort to self-regulate our actions against competing desires and impulses. To achieve this, we must overcome our desire to enjoy the sun and sand, go shopping or to the pub, and even embrace family and friends. Of course, it's not so easy for young children, who must forego activities they previously enjoyed and may be confused by contradictions - like being able to see friends at, but not after, school. But there are ways parents …

Concurrent Validity Of The Actigraph Gt3x+ And Activpal For Assessing Sedentary Behaviour In 2-3-Year-Old Children Under Free-Living Conditions, Joao Rafael Rodrigues Pereira, Eduarda Sousa-Sa, Zhiguang Zhang, Dylan P. Cliff, Rute Santos

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives

ActiGraph accelerometer cut-points are commonly used to classify sedentary behaviour (SB) in young children. However, they vary from 5counts/5 s to 301counts/15 s, resulting in different estimates and inconsistent findings. The aim was to examine the concurrent validity of ActiGraph GT3X + cut-points against the activPAL for measuring SB in 2–3-year-olds during free-living conditions.

Design

Observational validation-study.

Methods

Sixty children were fitted with the activPAL and ActiGraph simultaneously for at least 2 h. Nine ActiGraph cut-points ranging from 60 to 1488 counts per minute were used to derive SB. Bland & Altman plots and equivalent tests were performed to …

5 Tips To Help Parents Navigate The Unique Needs Of Children With Autism Learning From Home, Amanda A. Webster

Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities - Papers

Children on the autism spectrum will face unique challenges as they learn from home during the COVID-19 shutdown. These children process information and learn in different ways to their peers. They may find it more difficult to independently complete tasks and struggle with managing their time. They are also more likely to have difficulty in writing tasks or ones involving high amounts of language and communication with others. Children on the autism spectrum often associate specific tasks with locations. This might mean they resist doing schoolwork at home. Anxiety levels, which are often high in this group of students, may …

Screen Time And Sleep Of Rural And Urban South African Preschool Children, Simone Tomaz, Trina Hinkley, Rachel A. Jones, Estelle Watson, Rhian Twine, Kathleen Kahn, Shane Norris, Catherine Draper

Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities - Papers

This study aimed to investigate the extent to which preschool children meet guidelines for screen time (/day) and sleep (10–13 h/24-h) and explored home factors that affect these behaviors. Parents of preschoolers across income settings in South Africa (urban high-income n = 27, urban low-income n = 96 and rural low-income n = 142) completed a questionnaire. Urban high-income children had higher rates of exceeding screen time guidelines (67.0%) than children from urban low-income (26.0%) and rural low-income (3.5%) settings. Most children (81.0%) met sleep guidelines on weekdays and on weekends (75.0%). More urban high-income children met the sleep guideline, …

The Potential Of “Let’S Go Shopping” Storybook To Influence Selection Of Healthy Food And Beverages In The Supermarket, Sameeha Binti Mohd Jamil

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Background: Poor dietary habits are one of the determinants for mortality, Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and non-communicable diseases globally. Children’s dietary behaviours and food preferences are multifactorial and as children grow, other factors such as the retail food environment impacts children’s eating behaviours and food preferences. Children’s exposure to food marketing cues such as the supermarket layout, product displays and in-store promotions increases their awareness of, desire for and intention to buy promoted products. This leads to disruptive request behaviour (or ‘pester power’). Food requests from children are predominantly unhealthy, and often result in conflict between parent and child. Studies …

Effects Of Plyometric-Based Program On Motor Performance Skills In Primary School Children Aged Seven And Eight, Andrew Sortwell

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Over the last decade, the Australian Curriculum has focused on providing a rich and engaging quality Physical Education (PE) experience for students in primary schools. An area of debate within PE has been around the need to balance engagement in physical activity with the development of motor performance skills early in life. Motor performance skill proficiency in young children is a critical determinant of participation in games, sports and physical activity. During childhood, brain development is rapid and neuroplasticity is high, making childhood a crucial time to develop motor performance skills in children. A mode of movement that has been …

'Sticky' Foods: How School Practices Produce Negative Emotions For Mothers And Children, Claire E. Tanner, Janemaree Maher, Deana Leahy, Jo Lindsay, Sian Supski, Jan Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper addresses health messages that are carried home from school - a space where childhood obesity prevention measures are being transmitted to families, and mothers in particular. We consider what emotions are being produced for mothers and children in the enactment of current school health initiatives, especially those aimed at 'improving' family food practices. Our analysis draws on interviews with parents and primary-school-aged children (n = 50) in Australia collected as part of a project on children's role as health advocates in family contexts. Using Sara Ahmed's work on emotions and John Law's concept of 'collateral realities', we consider …

Active And Safe: Preventing Unintentional Injury To Aboriginal Children And Young People In Nsw: Guidelines For Policy And Practice, Kathleen F. Clapham, Keziah R. Bennett-Brook, Kate Hunter, Karen J. Zwi, Rebecca Q. Ivers

Australian Health Services Research Institute

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a resource to assist organisations, communities and individuals to work together to prevent unintentional injury to Aboriginal children in New South Wales in a way that reflects the values, attitudes and priorities of Aboriginal people.

Exploring The Impact Of Unhealthy Food And Drink Marketing On Children’S Implicit And Explicit Brand Attitudes And Preferences, Rachel Elizabeth Smith

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Background Children live in a media-saturated environment, as the unsolicited recipients of powerful food marketing coercion. Their aptitude in digital communications, paired with their natural credulity, lack of cognitive defences and inexperience, makes children the most desirable demographic available to marketers. Marketing techniques used to promote unhealthy foods are sophisticated, persistent and influence food attitudes, preference and consumption – outcomes that are all included in a Hierarchy of Effects sequence of effects that link food promotions to individual-level weight outcomes. Childhood obesity undermines the physical, social and psychological well-being of children and is a known risk factor for adult obesity …

With Apartment Living On The Rise, How Do Families And Their Noisy Children Fit In?, Sophie-May Kerr

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A growing number of Australians live in apartments. The compact city model presents many benefits. However, living close to each other also presents challenges. Rapid growth in apartment developments in recent decades has led to a rise in noise-related complaints and disputes across urban Australia. Households with children are on the front line of such tensions. They are one of the fastest-growing demographics living in apartments. Analysis of the latest census data show, for instance, that families with children under the age of 15 comprise 25% of Sydney's apartment population. Apartment design and cultural acceptance of families in the vertical …

Normative Data For Children And Adolescents Referred For Specialist Pain Management In Australia, Hilarie Tardif, Megan B. Blanchard, Meredith P. Bryce, Janelle M. White

Australian Health Services Research Institute

This paper aims to provide normative data for the PaedePPOC measures used by specialist paediatric pain management services. This information will provide a description of the children and adolescents referred for specialist pain management in Australia during the period from January 2014 to June 2018, allowing pain management services to compare scores for individuals seen at their service to these group values.

Wrist-Based Accelerometer Cut-Points To Identify Sedentary Time In 5-11-Year-Old Children, Jessica Chandler, Michael W. Beets, Pedro Saint-Maurice, Robert Glenn Weaver, Dylan P. Cliff, Clemens Drenowatz, Justin B. Moore, Xuemei Sui, Keith Brazendale

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: The objective of this paper is to derive a wrist-placed cut-point threshold for distinguishing sedentary behaviors from light-intensity walking using the ActiGraph GT3X+ in children. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional study design, typically used in measurement-related studies. A sample of 167 children, ages 5-11 years (mean ± SD: 8.0 ± 1.8 years), performed up to eight seated sedentary activities while wearing accelerometers on both wrists. Activities included: reading books, sorting cards, cutting and pasting, playing board games, eating snacks, playing with tablets, watching TV, and writing. Direct observation verified sedentary behavior from light activity. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) …

How To Get Children To Eat A Rainbow Of Fruit And Vegetables, Yasmine Probst, Ruth Crowe

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

Worldwide, people are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. In Australia, less than 4% of us meet the Australian Dietary Guideline recommendations for vegetables by age group. Worryingly, children and teenagers are even less likely than adults to be eating enough vegetables.

Sustained Impact Of Unhealthy Food Advertising On Children’S Dietary Intake, Jennifer Anne Norman

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Background A growing body of evidence indicates that unhealthy food marketing exposure affects children’s food attitudes, preferences and consumption, most likely through a logical, cumulative sequence of cognitive and behavioural responses. An important reason impeding policy change to restrict food marketing to children is the lack of evidence showing a direct link between food marketing and children’s energy intake and the sustained effect of exposures on children’s body weight. In experimental studies, children’s food intake is the most relevant outcome measure to investigate this direct link.

Brief exposure to food advertising on television (TV) or online advergames (branded games) has …

Electroencephalogram Theta/Beta Ratio And Spectral Power Correlates Of Executive Functions In Children And Adolescents With Ad/Hd, Dawei Zhang, Hui Li, Zhanliang Wu, Qihua Zhao, Yan Song, Lu Liu, Qiujin Qian, Yufeng Wang, Steven J. Roodenrys, Stuart J. Johnstone, Frances M. De Blasio, Li Sun

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

OBJECTIVE: The electroencephalogram (EEG) has been widely used in AD/HD research. The current study firstly aimed to replicate a recent trend related to EEG theta/beta ratio (TBR) in children and adolescents. Also, the study aimed to examine the value of resting EEG activity as biomarkers for executive function (EF) in participants with AD/HD. METHOD: Fifty-three participants with AD/HD and 37 healthy controls were recruited. Resting EEG was recorded with eyes closed. Participants with AD/HD additionally completed EF tasks via the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. RESULTS: TBR did not differ between groups; however, TBR was positively correlated with inattentive symptoms …

Results Of The First Steps Study: A Randomised Controlled Trial And Economic Evaluation Of The Group Family Nurse Partnership (Gfnp) Programme Compared With Usual Care In Improving Outcomes For High-Risk Mothers And Their Children And Preventing Abuse, Jacqueline Barnes, Jane Stuart, Elizabeth Allen, Stephen Petrou, Joanna Sturgess, Jane Barlow, Geraldine Macdonald, Helen Spiby, Dipti Aistrop, Edward Melhuish, Sungwook Kim, Joshua Pink, Jessica Datta, Diana Elbourne

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Inspiring Environmentally Responsible Preschool Children Through The Implementation Of The National Quality Framework: Uncovering What Lies Between Theory And Practice, Krista Pollock, Jane D. Warren, Peter J. Andersen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR environmental sustainability (ECEfES) has become significant in the early years, as highlighted by the inclusion of ECEfES in Australia's first and current National Quality Framework (NQF) for early childhood education and care (ECEC). This article reports on the major findings from a case study (Pollock, 2014), which aimed to uncover what lies between theory and practice, as ECEC educators attempt to support young children to become environmentally responsible, through the implementation of the NQF. This article discusses some of the findings from an analysis of the documents central to the NQF as well as semi-structured interviews …

Pubertal Stage, Body Mass Index, And Cardiometabolic Risk In Children And Adolescents In Bogota, Colombia: The Cross-Sectional Fuprecol Study, Robinson Ramírez-Velez, Antonio García-Hermoso, Cesar A. Agostinis-Sobrinho, Jorge Mota, Rute Santos, Jorge Enrique Correa-Bautista, Carlos Andres Pena-Guzman, María Andrea Domínguez-Sanchez, Jacqueline Schmidt-Riovalle, Emilio Gonzalez-Jimenez

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study explored the association between pubertal stage and anthropometric and cardiometabolic risk factors in youth. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2877 Colombian children and adolescents (9¿17.9 years of age). Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. A biochemical study was performed to determine the cardiometabolic risk index (CMRI). Blood pressure was evaluated and pubertal stage was assessed with the Tanner criteria. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. The most significant variable (p < 0.05) in the prognosis of cardiometabolic risk was found to be the BMI in both boys and girls. In the case of girls, the pubertal stage was also a CMRI predictive factor. In conclusion, BMI was an important indicator of cardiovascular risk in both sexes. Pubertal stage was associated with cardiovascular risk only in the girls.

A Randomized Controlled Trial To Evaluate The Impact Of A Geo-Specific Poster Compared To A General Poster For Effecting Change In Perceived Threat And Intention To Avoid Drowning 'Hotspots' Among Children Of Migrant Workers: Evidence From Ningbo, China, Yinchao Zhu, Xiaoqi Feng, Hui Li, Yaqin Huang, Jieping Chen, Guozhang Xu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Drowning among children of migrant workers is a major, though neglected public health issue in China.

Methods

A randomised controlled trial was used to examine the potential impact of viewing a preventive health poster with/without geo-located drowning events on perceptions of drowning risk among Chinese migrant children. A total of 752 children from three schools in Jiangbei district were selected by multi-stage sampling and randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 380) or control (n = 372). Multilevel models were used to analyse changes in responses to the following questions after viewing the assigned poster for 10 …

Are Big Food's Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies Valuable To Communities? A Qualitative Study With Parents And Children, Zoe Richards, Lyn Phillipson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Recent studies have identified parents and children as two target groups whom Big Food hopes to positively influence through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. The current preliminary study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of parents and children's awareness and interpretation of Big Food's CSR strategies to understand how CSR shapes their beliefs about companies. Design: Community-based qualitative semi-structured interviews. Setting: New South Wales, Australia. Subjects: Parents (n 15) and children aged 8-12 years (n 15). Results: Parents and children showed unprompted recognition of CSR activities when shown McDonald's and Coca-Cola brand logos, indicating a strong level of …

The Relationship Between Neighbourhood Green Space And Child Mental Wellbeing Depends Upon Whom You Ask: Multilevel Evidence From 3083 Children Aged 12-13 Years, Xiaoqi Feng, Thomas E. Astell-Burt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Recent reviews of the rapidly growing scientific literature on neighbourhood green space and health show strong evidence for protective and restorative effects on mental wellbeing. However, multiple informants are common when reporting mental wellbeing in studies of children. Do different informants lead to different results? This study utilised nationally representative data on Goodman’s 25-item Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire reported by 3083 children (aged 12–13 years old), and their parents and teachers. Multilevel models were used to investigate whether similar associations between child mental wellbeing (as measured using the total difficulties score and the internalising and externalising subscales) and neighbourhood green …

Stress, Depression And Anxiety During Pregnancy: How Does It Impact On Children And How Can We Intervene Early?, Nicole M. Reilly

Australian Health Services Research Institute

There is now a strong body of evidence confirming that antenatal mental health issues are a major cause of maternal morbidity, with a number of potentially adverse consequences for pregnant women, as well as for their children and family. However poorer outcomes for children are not inevitable, and can be addressed at least in part by prevention and early intervention strategies which integrate perinatal mental health, child health and public health.

Growing Up In New Zealand: A Longitudinal Study Of New Zealand Children And Their Families. Now We Are Four: Describing The Preschool Years, Susan Morton, Cameron Grant, Sarah D. Berry, C G. Walker, Maria Corkin, Kien Ly, Teresa G. De Castro, Polly E. Atatoa Carr, Dinusha K. Bandara, Jatender Mohal, Amy L. Bird, Lisa Underwood, Jacinta Fa'alili-Fidow

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Now we are Four gives us a comprehensive look at how kiwi kids from the Growing Up in New Zealand study are faring. In particular, we can see how the situation of mothers changes when children pass from infancy to early childhood. The biggest shift for most children is that they now attend early childhood education, and most are reported to be generally happy and healthy and spending time getting to know their peers. This means that we also see greater employment of mothers, leading to improved economic circumstances for these households. Nearly half of this generation of mothers live …

Preparing The Family And Children For Surgery, Ahmad Al-Sagarat, Haytham Mohammad Al-Oran, Hala Obeidat, Adlah Mohammad Hamlan, Lorna Moxham

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The focus of this literature analysis is the concept of preparing the family and children for surgery. As posited in the literature, surgery causes stress and anxiety that have a negative impact on both parents and their children. Therefore, the need for health care professionals to facilitate positive preparation for surgery to minimize anxiety and enhance postoperative recovery is important. Preparing the family and children for surgery is discussed in depth under the following themes: Preoperative Anxiety in Children, the Impact of Preoperative Anxiety on the Pediatric Patients and Parents, Preoperative Psychological Preparation for Children and Parents, and the Role …

A Review Of Recruitment, Adherence And Drop-Out Rates In Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation Trials In Children And Adolescents, Inge S. M Van Der Wurff, Barbara J. Meyer, Renate H. M De Groot

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Introduction: The influence of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) supplementation on health outcomes has been studied extensively with randomized controlled trials (RCT). In many research fields, difficulties with recruitment, adherence and high drop-out rates have been reported. However, what is unknown is how common these problems are in n-3 LCPUFA supplementation studies in children and adolescents. Therefore, this paper will review n-3 LCPUFA supplementation studies in children and adolescents with regard to recruitment, adherence and drop-out rates. Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed and Ovid databases were searched for papers reporting on RCT supplementing children and adolescents (2¿18 …

Effects Of Integrating Movements Into The Learning Task On Preschool Children’S Cognition And Learning, Myrto F. Mavilidi

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

The purpose of the theoretical and empirical work described in this Doctoral thesis was to add to the knowledge base of intervention programs that integrate movement into learning activities among preschool-aged children. This interdisciplinary research aimed to investigate the short-term effects of integrating movement into learning activities on children’s cognitive functions and the long-term effects of integrating movement on their cognitive development, and physical and mental health.

Gross Motor Skills In The Early Years, Sanne L. Veldman

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Gross motor skills are an important component of a child’s health and development. Higher levels of competence in gross motor skills are positively associated with lower adiposity, higher levels of physical activity and physical fitness, and a higher perceived motor competence, as well as developmental outcomes such as cognitive development. However, children, and especially preschoolers, demonstrate low levels of gross motor skills. Given the importance of gross motor skills and the low levels demonstrated, early commencement of gross motor skill promotion is recommended. To address the gaps in the literature on gross motor skills in young children (under the age …

Constructing Digital Literary Texts: A Case Study Of Six Year 5 Children, Kylie Lipscombe

University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 2017+

Children’s lives have changed due to the increased access to, and focus on, information technology in contemporary western cultures. These new technologies enable children to access new forms of content, and they provide them with opportunities to contribute their own digital texts. Despite this, there have been few studies conducted that explore the literacy practices children require to construct digital texts, and fewer that have focused on the construction of digital literary texts, a significant expectation in Australian Curriculum English policy documents.

This inquiry examines the literacy practices of six Year 5 children during the construction of their own digital …