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PLAYCE PAWS: The health and developmental benefits of companion animals for young childrenHayley Liz Steve Christian Wenden Zubrick BSc (1st Class Hons), PhD W.Aust. BHlthSc MPH FASSA, FAAMHS, MSc AM PhD Program Head, Healthy Behaviours
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The relationship between dog ownership, dog play, family dog walking, and pre-schooler social-emotional development: findings from the PLAYCE observational studyRegular physical activity provides children with health and developmental benefits. This study investigated if active play and walking with the family dog was associated with better social-emotional development in young children.
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Built Environments and Child Health: A Policy Review’, Life Course Centre Working Paper Series, 2021-22Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century and is affected not only by individual choice but also by societal and environmental influences. Childhood obesity is higher in children living in regional and remote compared with major cities, in one-parent families and for those with a disability.
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Study protocol for Healthy Conversations @ Playgroup: a multi-site cluster randomized controlled trial of an intervention to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours in young children attending community playgroupsEarly childhood is a critical window for preventing obesity and chronic disease. Yet, 1 in 4 Australian children aged 5 years and under are affected by overweight or obesity; and significant proportions of children under 5 years fail to meet guidelines for diet quality, physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep.
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Prevalence and pattern of energy drink intake among Australian adolescentsEnergy drinks (ED) are popular among young people despite evidence of associated health risks. Research into the prevalence and pattern of ED intake among young people is sparse. The present study investigates the prevalence and pattern of ED intake among a large sample of adolescents, including how many consume them, how often, for what reasons and in what contexts.
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A cross-sectional study of factors associated with regular dog walking and intention to walk the dogDog walking is important for public health and dog welfare, yet some owners do not walk with their dogs regularly. This study examined factors associated with participation in regular dog walking and intention to dog walk, in order to inform physical activity interventions.
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Healthy Conversations @ PlaygroupHayley Christian BSc (1st Class Hons), PhD W.Aust. Program Head, Healthy Behaviours and Environments; National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow
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The Role of Grandparents in Facilitating Children’s Physical ActivityResearch suggests there is considerable opportunity to improve children's movement behaviors while they are being cared for by their grandparents. An understanding of the extent to which grandparent practices facilitate children's engagement in physical activity is critical to the development of health interventions targeting grandparent caregivers.
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Population-referenced percentiles for total movement and energetic play at early childhood education and careChildcare services such as preschools and long day care centres have been identified as a key setting to promote physical activity in early childhood as they provide access to large numbers of children for prolonged periods. Yet, specific standards for the type and amount of physical activity children accumulate whilst attending childcare are lacking. The purpose of this study was to derive population-referenced percentile values for children's total movement and energetic play whilst attending early childhood education and care services.
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Movement behavior policies in the early childhood education and care setting: An international scoping reviewMeeting 24-h movement behavior guidelines for the early years is associated with better health and development outcomes in young children. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a key intervention setting however little is known about the content and implementation of movement behavior polices in this context. To inform policy development this international scoping review examined the prevalence, content, development and implementation of ECEC-specific movement behavior policies.