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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Assessment Of Fundamental Movement Skills In Australian Children: The Validation Of A Fundamental Motor Skills Quotient (Fmsq), Beth Hands, Fleur Mcintyre Jun 2016

Assessment Of Fundamental Movement Skills In Australian Children: The Validation Of A Fundamental Motor Skills Quotient (Fmsq), Beth Hands, Fleur Mcintyre

Beth Hands

Objectives: The development of proficient fundamental movement skills (FMS) in children is important for physical, cognitive and social development, and to establish a foundation for an active lifestyle. Many teachers, coaches and physical activity program deliverers use real time observation of individual skill performances during physical activities to assess proficiency in young children. However, a valid method to quantify these observations to provide an overall motor competence is not available. Design: A small pilot validation study using the Bland Altman method to compare scores on the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND) and a Fundamental Movement Skill Quotient (FMSQ) (M …


The Associations Between Physical Activity, Screen Time And Weight From 6 To 14 Years: The Raine Study, Beth P. Hands, Paola Chivers, Helen Parker, Garth Kendall, Lawrence Beilin, Dawne Larkin Jun 2016

The Associations Between Physical Activity, Screen Time And Weight From 6 To 14 Years: The Raine Study, Beth P. Hands, Paola Chivers, Helen Parker, Garth Kendall, Lawrence Beilin, Dawne Larkin

Paola Chivers

To examine the strength and direction of the relationship between physical activity level, screen use and BMI in a cohort at ages 6, 8, 10 and 14 yrs as part of a prospective longitudinal cohort study. The sample comprised 1403 males and females who participated in the follow-up survey at 14 yrs of age between 2003 and 2005. Exploratory structural equation modelling was used to examine the interrelationships between physical activity level, BMI and screen time at 6, 8, 10 and 14 yrs. Predictors of BMI at 6, 8, 10 and 14 yrs explained 1.3, 76.1, 80.1 and 73.1 percent …


Development Of The Levels Of Emotional Awareness Scale For Children (Leas-C), Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank Deane, Jane Bajgar, Richard Lane Jul 2015

Development Of The Levels Of Emotional Awareness Scale For Children (Leas-C), Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank Deane, Jane Bajgar, Richard Lane

joseph Ciarrochi

A performance-based assessment of the structure and complexity of emotional awareness was developed, the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale for Children (LEAS-C). A pilot study (N=6, ages 9-12, M(age) =10.2 years) was conducted to construct, trial, and select scenarios suitable for the scale. A larger validity study (N=51, ages 10-11, M(age) =10.3 years) examined the relationship between the LEAS-C and two emotion knowledge tasks: emotion expressions and emotion comprehension; two verbal tasks: vocabulary and verbal productivity; and a cognitive developmental measure: the Parental Descriptions Scale (PDS). Gender differences in LEAS-C performance were also examined. The LEAS-C was significantly related to …


Association Between Chlorinated Pesticides In The Serum Of Prepubertal Russian Boys And Longitudinal Biomarkers Of Metabolic Function, Jane Burns, Paige Williams, Susan Korrick, Russ Hauser, Oleg Sergeyev, Boris Revich, Thuy Lam, Mary Lee Jun 2015

Association Between Chlorinated Pesticides In The Serum Of Prepubertal Russian Boys And Longitudinal Biomarkers Of Metabolic Function, Jane Burns, Paige Williams, Susan Korrick, Russ Hauser, Oleg Sergeyev, Boris Revich, Thuy Lam, Mary Lee

Mary M. Lee

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been linked to adult metabolic disorders; however, few studies have examined these associations in childhood. We prospectively evaluated the associations of baseline serum OCPs (hexachlorobenzene, beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) in Russian boys with subsequent repeated measurements of serum glucose, insulin, lipids, leptin, and calculated homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (IR). During 2003-2005, we enrolled 499 boys aged 8-9 years in a prospective cohort; 318 had baseline serum OCPs and serum biomarkers measured at ages 10-13 years. Multivariable generalized estimating equation and mediation regression models were used to examine associations and direct and indirect (via body mass …


Online Advertising: Examining The Content And Messages Within Websites Targeted At Children, Lisa Kervin, Sandra Jones, Jessica Mantei Jul 2013

Online Advertising: Examining The Content And Messages Within Websites Targeted At Children, Lisa Kervin, Sandra Jones, Jessica Mantei

Jessica Mantei

It is recognised that from a young age children spend considerable portions of their leisure time on the Internet. In Australia a number of child-targeted magazines have associated websites, which have high and ever-increasing readership. We do not yet know the impact of this medium upon children. Overt advertising is evident on webpages, but so too are hidden advertisements in the written text, images and games. This material usually does not comply with existing broadcasting codes of practice for mainstream advertising. This article examines the instances of overt and covert advertisements for food within three websites monitored over a 12-month …


Branded Food References In Children's Magazines: 'Advertisements' Are The Tip Of The Iceberg, Sandra C. Jones, Parri Gregory, Lisa K. Kervin Jun 2013

Branded Food References In Children's Magazines: 'Advertisements' Are The Tip Of The Iceberg, Sandra C. Jones, Parri Gregory, Lisa K. Kervin

Sandra Jones

Objective: While children's magazines 'blur the lines' between editorial content and advertising, this medium has escaped the calls for government restrictions that are currently associated with food advertisements aired during children's television programming. The aim of this study was to address significant gaps in the evidence base in relation to commercial food messages in children's magazines by systematically investigating the nature and extent of food advertising and promotions over a 12-month period. Method: All issues of Australian children's magazines published in the calendar year 2009 were examined for references to foods or beverages. Results: Approximately 16% of the 1678 food …


You Are What Your Children Eat: Using Projective Techniques To Investigate Parents' Perceptions Of The Food Choices Parents Make For Their Children, Gary I. Noble, Sandra C. Jones, Danielle Mcvie Jun 2013

You Are What Your Children Eat: Using Projective Techniques To Investigate Parents' Perceptions Of The Food Choices Parents Make For Their Children, Gary I. Noble, Sandra C. Jones, Danielle Mcvie

Sandra Jones

The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying reasons for parents' decisions about their children's diets. This study used the projective methodologies of picture response and third-person techniques (projective questioning), which are designed to elicit people's underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes and concerns, particularly those beliefs which people find hard to articulate. We found a significant difference in parents' perceptions of the woman in the scenario in response to all four of the statements that related directly to food choices. This study provides support for the contention that parents reports of their intentions and behaviours regarding food choices for …


Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Challenges And Opportunities In After-School Programs: Providers’ Perspectives, Heather Thomas, L. Fellner, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin May 2013

Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Challenges And Opportunities In After-School Programs: Providers’ Perspectives, Heather Thomas, L. Fellner, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin

Trish Tucker

The purpose of this study was to understand after-school program providers’ perspectives of (a) current physical activity and nutrition curriculum, practices, and challenges, and (b) necessary modifications, program suggestions or resource needs to improve the healthy eating and active living practices within their after-school program for children aged 6 to 12 years. This qualitative study targeted a sample of nine after-school program providers in London, Ontario. Data was collected via in-depth interviews and a demographic survey between January and April 2009. Strategies to enhance data trustworthiness were incorporated throughout. After-school program providers identified insufficient healthy eating curriculum and requested interactive, …


The Impact Of Complex Survey Design On Prevalence Estimates Of Intakes Of Food Groups In The Australian National Children's Nutrition And Physical Activity Survey, Sandy Burden, Yasmine Probst, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell Dec 2012

The Impact Of Complex Survey Design On Prevalence Estimates Of Intakes Of Food Groups In The Australian National Children's Nutrition And Physical Activity Survey, Sandy Burden, Yasmine Probst, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell

Professor David Steel

No abstract provided.


Dietary Glycemic Index And Glycemic Load Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Children Aged 10-12 Years, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, Josephine Gwynn, Nicole Turner, Janine Cochrane, John Wiggers, Victoria Flood Nov 2012

Dietary Glycemic Index And Glycemic Load Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Children Aged 10-12 Years, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, Josephine Gwynn, Nicole Turner, Janine Cochrane, John Wiggers, Victoria Flood

Jimmy Chun Yu Louie

No abstract provided.


Consumption Of 'Extra' Foods By Australian Children: 2007 Children's Survey Results, Janis Kwan, Anna Rangan, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie Nov 2012

Consumption Of 'Extra' Foods By Australian Children: 2007 Children's Survey Results, Janis Kwan, Anna Rangan, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie

Jimmy Chun Yu Louie

No abstract provided.


Carbohydrate Nutrition Is Associated With Changes In The Retinal Vascular Structure And Branching Pattern In Children, Bamini Gopinath, Victoria Flood, Jie Wang, Wayne Smith, Elena Rochtchina, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, Tien Wong, Jennie Brand-Miller, Paul Mitchell Nov 2012

Carbohydrate Nutrition Is Associated With Changes In The Retinal Vascular Structure And Branching Pattern In Children, Bamini Gopinath, Victoria Flood, Jie Wang, Wayne Smith, Elena Rochtchina, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, Tien Wong, Jennie Brand-Miller, Paul Mitchell

Jimmy Chun Yu Louie

No abstract provided.


Poor Food And Nutrient Intake Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Rural Australian Children, Josephine D. Gwynn, Victoria M. Flood, Catherine A. D'Este, John R. Attia, Nicole Turner, Janine Cochrane, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, John H. Wiggers Nov 2012

Poor Food And Nutrient Intake Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Rural Australian Children, Josephine D. Gwynn, Victoria M. Flood, Catherine A. D'Este, John R. Attia, Nicole Turner, Janine Cochrane, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, John H. Wiggers

Jimmy Chun Yu Louie

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe the food and nutrient intake of a population of rural Australian children particularly Indigenous children. Participants were aged 10 to 12 years, and living in areas of relative socio-economic disadvantage on the north coast of New South Wales. METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study 215 children with a mean age of 11.30 (SD 0.04) years (including 82 Indigenous children and 93 boys) completed three 24-hour food recalls (including 1 weekend day), over an average of two weeks in the Australian summer of late 2005. RESULTS: A high proportion of children consumed …


Utility Of Virtual Communities For `Carers Of Children And Disabilities', Rodney J. Clarke, Elias Kyriazis, Gary I. Noble, Jennifer Ann Algie Sep 2012

Utility Of Virtual Communities For `Carers Of Children And Disabilities', Rodney J. Clarke, Elias Kyriazis, Gary I. Noble, Jennifer Ann Algie

Gary Noble

A pilot study of services for children with disabilities conducted in the Illawarra (Noble et al.2005) identified a basic lack of awareness on the part of parents and carers about available services. In particular, there was a lack of awareness of the availability of different support services, application processes to acquire assistance, information about specific disabilities,and the location of various support services. The study indicated that there was no centralsource of information for parents and carers of children with a disability in the Illawarra. Instead, parents and carers had to learn about these issues by `word of mouth', raising issues …


Utility Of Virtual Communities For `Carers Of Children And Disabilities', Rodney J. Clarke, Elias Kyriazis, Gary I. Noble, Jennifer Ann Algie Sep 2012

Utility Of Virtual Communities For `Carers Of Children And Disabilities', Rodney J. Clarke, Elias Kyriazis, Gary I. Noble, Jennifer Ann Algie

Elias Kyriazis

A pilot study of services for children with disabilities conducted in the Illawarra (Noble et al.2005) identified a basic lack of awareness on the part of parents and carers about available services. In particular, there was a lack of awareness of the availability of different support services, application processes to acquire assistance, information about specific disabilities,and the location of various support services. The study indicated that there was no centralsource of information for parents and carers of children with a disability in the Illawarra. Instead, parents and carers had to learn about these issues by `word of mouth', raising issues …


Non-Helicobacter Pylori Related Duodenal Ulcer Disease In Children, Yoram Elitsur, Zandra Lawrence Sep 2012

Non-Helicobacter Pylori Related Duodenal Ulcer Disease In Children, Yoram Elitsur, Zandra Lawrence

Yoram Elitsur

Background. In spite of the worldwide distribution of Helicobacter pylori infection, recent data have reported an increased rate of non-H. pylori, non-NSAIDs-duodenal ulcer disease in adults. The estimated rate of these ulcers in children is unknown. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of non-H. pylori, non-NSAIDs-peptic ulcer disease in our pediatric patients who undergo upper endoscopic procedures. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 622 upper endoscopic reports was performed. Reports that documented mucosal ulcerations were included in our study. The demographic, clinical, endoscopic, and histological data were retrieved. The H. pylori-negative, duodenal/gastric ulcer-positive patients were compared with H. pylori-positive, duodenal/gastric ulcer-positive …


Relationship Between Plantar Pressures, Physical Activity And Sedentariness Among Preschool Children, Karen J. Mickle, Dylan P. Cliff, Bridget J. Munro, Anthony D. Okely, Julie R. Steele Jun 2012

Relationship Between Plantar Pressures, Physical Activity And Sedentariness Among Preschool Children, Karen J. Mickle, Dylan P. Cliff, Bridget J. Munro, Anthony D. Okely, Julie R. Steele

A. D. Okely

It has been speculated that high plantar pressures might cause foot pain and discomfort which, in turn, may discourage children from being physically active and result in them spending more time in sedentary activities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether plantar pressure distributions generated by preschool children were correlated with objectively measured time spent in physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Dynamic plantar pressures were measured for 33 preschool children (age = 4.3±0.6 years; height = 1.06±0.1 m; mass = 18.4±2.9 kg; 17 boys) as they walked across an emed AT-4 pressure platform. Physical activity was objectively assessed …


Do Australian Primary School Environments Affect Children's Playground Physical Activity Levels?, Anne-Maree Parrish, Donald Iverson, Kenneth Russell, Heather Yeatman Jun 2012

Do Australian Primary School Environments Affect Children's Playground Physical Activity Levels?, Anne-Maree Parrish, Donald Iverson, Kenneth Russell, Heather Yeatman

Don C. Iverson

No abstract provided.


Using Interviews And Peer Pairs To Better Understand How School Environments Affect Young Children's Playground Physical Activity Levels: A Qualitative Study, Anne-Maree Parrish, Heather Yeatman, Donald Iverson, Ken Russell Jun 2012

Using Interviews And Peer Pairs To Better Understand How School Environments Affect Young Children's Playground Physical Activity Levels: A Qualitative Study, Anne-Maree Parrish, Heather Yeatman, Donald Iverson, Ken Russell

Don C. Iverson

School break times provide a daily opportunity for children to be active; however, research indicates this time is underutilized. Reasons for low children’s playground activity levels have primarily focused on physical barriers. This research aimed to contribute to physical environmental findings affecting children’s playground physical activity levels by identifying additional variables through the interview process. Thirteen public schools were included in the sample (total 2946 children). Physical activity and environmental data were collected over 3 days. Environmental variables were manually assessed at each of the 13 schools. Observational data were used to determine which three schools were the most and …


'Like Me, Want Me, Buy Me, Eat Me': Relationship-Building Marketing Communications In Children's Magazines, Sandra C. Jones, Nadia L. Mannino, Julia Green Dec 2010

'Like Me, Want Me, Buy Me, Eat Me': Relationship-Building Marketing Communications In Children's Magazines, Sandra C. Jones, Nadia L. Mannino, Julia Green

Sandra Jones

Objective: Television, Internet and print media are saturated with advertisements for unhealthy food that use marketing tactics aimed to build long-term brand loyalty and ‘relationships’ with children. While research in this area has largely focused on television, the current study examines children’s responses to relationship-building marketing communications found in popular children’s magazines. Design: A qualitative study consisting of friendship-pair interviews in which children were interviewed and asked to comment on a range of recent food advertisements. Setting: A university-based after-school care programme in New SouthWales, Australia. Subjects: Ten children aged 6–13 years, interviewed in self-selected friendship pairs. Results: The children …


Children's Magazines: Reading Resources Or Food Marketing Tools?, Sandra C. Jones, Amanda Reid Dec 2010

Children's Magazines: Reading Resources Or Food Marketing Tools?, Sandra C. Jones, Amanda Reid

Sandra Jones

Objective: Magazines targeted at children under 12 years old are growing in popularity; past studies have asserted that food items are rarely exposed, but methodological issues may have covered the true extent of covert promotion. The primary purpose of the present study was to quantify the nature and extent of the promotion of branded food products in Australian children’s magazines. Design: We conducted a content analysis of possible food promotions in seven top-selling Australian children’s magazines published in 2005. In addition to regular food advertisements, the number of advertisements for premiums, editorials, puzzles or games, competitions and branded non-food promotions …


Understanding Screen-Related Sedentary Behavior And Its Contributing Factors Among School-Aged Children: A Social-Ecologic Exploration, Meizi He, Stewart Harris, Leonard Piché, Charlene Beynon Aug 2009

Understanding Screen-Related Sedentary Behavior And Its Contributing Factors Among School-Aged Children: A Social-Ecologic Exploration, Meizi He, Stewart Harris, Leonard Piché, Charlene Beynon

Leonard Piché

Purpose: To explore the factors that contribute to children's screen-related sedentary (S-RS) behaviors. Settings: Elementary schools. Subjects: A random sample of children in grades five and six and their parents. Measures: The outcome measure was children's S-RS activity level measured by a self-administered questionnaire. A full spectrum of potential contributing factors for children's S-RS behaviors was obtained through surveys. Multilevel linear regression methods were used to determine the associations between these factors and children's screen time (hours per day) and results were expressed as regression coefficients (g). Results: Of 955 child-parent pairs in 14 participating schools, 508 pairs (53%) completed …