36 results on '"Erjavec, Mihela"'
Search Results
2. Psychological variables and lifestyle in children with type1 diabetes and their parents: A systematic review.
- Author
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Alazmi, Afrah, Bashiru, Masha Boi, Viktor, Simon, and Erjavec, Mihela
- Subjects
LIFESTYLES ,FEAR ,PEOPLE with diabetes ,PSYCHOLOGICAL distress ,MENTAL health ,RESEARCH funding ,FAMILY relations ,PARENTING ,ANXIETY ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,TYPE 2 diabetes ,PSYCHOLOGICAL stress ,PSYCHOLOGY of parents ,PSYCHOSOCIAL factors ,MENTAL depression ,HYPOGLYCEMIA ,CHILD behavior ,CHILDREN - Abstract
Diabetes may impact physical and psychosocial well-being; the diabetes incidence has seen a drastic increase globally. There is also a rise in poor mental health and well-being in children with and without chronic illness; problems are being seen at a younger age. The objective of this review was to understand the determinants of these problems in a family context. We conducted a systematic review to investigate what lifestyle and psychological factors influence children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents. A focused literature search was performed using a combination of keywords that covered the relevant terminology for diabetes, target population, and associated emotional distress, using electronic bibliographic databases containing publications until May 2022. Methodological quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tools for Quantitative Studies. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Quality scores were weak because of a lack of comparison groups, information about the type of therapy, or adequate sample sizes. Many of the studies included a wide age range in their sample. The majority of the studies reported that parents and their children showed depression symptoms, fear of hypoglycaemia, and higher parenting stress. We conclude that sufficiently powered studies employing appropriate control groups and measures are needed to elucidate the psychological variables associated with Type1 diabetes in children and the effects on parents, especially considering primary-age children who are increasingly reported to suffer from poor mental health, and its implications. This should help to introduce better targeted interventions and improve behavioural outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Using Nudges to Promote Healthy Food Choices in the School Dining Room: A Systematic Review of Previous Investigations
- Author
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Marcano-Olivier, Mariel I., Horne, Pauline J., Viktor, Simon, and Erjavec, Mihela
- Abstract
Background: There is a growing interest in low-cost interventions that modify obesogenic environments and encourage positive behavior change. We conducted a systematic review of studies that used behavioral nudges to promote a healthy school cafeteria environment. Methods: A literature search was conducted using 5 databases; of 381 papers noted, we included 25 and assessed them using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Results: Most studies used relatively small, convenience samples and data collection methods that could not be described as robust, necessitating cautious interpretation of their results. A range of behavioral nudges were employed. Seventeen studies reported positive effects on children's selection and 11 studies reported improvements in their consumption of target foods, effected by changing the order of serving; increasing the convenience, attractiveness, and normativeness of selecting healthy options; increasing the variety available; and attractive target food labeling. Conclusions: Overall, this review identified the requirement for well-designed and well-controlled investigations into the effects of changing the choice architecture in school cafeterias, assessing short-, medium-, and long-term changes in individual children's consumption, utilizing validated measures, and conducted across a variety of settings, including dining rooms of schools outside the United States.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Nudge with caution: targeting fruit and vegetable consumption in primary schools
- Author
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Erjavec, Mihela, Williams, Samantha, Viktor, Simon, and Marcano-Olivier, Mariel
- Subjects
Fruit -- Health aspects ,Elementary school students -- Food and nutrition -- Health aspects ,Behavior modification -- Methods ,Vegetables -- Health aspects ,Food/cooking/nutrition ,Health - Abstract
Most children in the UK are not eating enough fruit and vegetables to support optimum health. Evidence-based interventions are needed to change this trend. In the present pilot study, effectiveness of simple behavioural nudges on children's lunchtime consumption of fruit and vegetables was tested in two primary (elementary) schools. Children's (n = 107) lunchtime consumption was measured directly through the use of a validated digital photography protocol; measures were taken at baseline and again after a 3-week long intervention. Changes to the choice architecture of dining rooms included improved presentation and provision of target foods, attractive advertisements and labelling, and prompting by staff. For children who took school lunches (n = 67), both selection and consumption of fruit increased as the result of the intervention. Their selection of vegetables did not change over time, however, and their consumption ether remained unchanged or declined. No changes were observed in the comparison group (n = 40), who brought their lunch boxes from home. These results caution against using selection (serving sizes), as estimates of consumption or a measure of behaviour changes. They also show that all evaluations should consider the effects of each intervention on children's eating overall, rather than just report changes in target item consumption, to check for any unintended consequences of the intervention., Author(s): Mihela Erjavec [sup.1] , Samantha Williams [sup.1] , Simon Viktor [sup.1] , Mariel Marcano-Olivier [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) Bangor University, Bangor, UK (2) Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK Background [...]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Do Infants Show Generalized Imitation of Gestures? II. The Effects of Skills Training and Multiple Exemplar Matching Training
- Author
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Erjavec, Mihela, Lovett, Victoria E., and Horne, Pauline J.
- Abstract
The determinants of generalized imitation of manual gestures were investigated in 1- to 2-year-old infants. Eleven infants were first trained eight baseline matching relations; then, four novel gestures that the infants did not match in probe trials were selected as target behaviors. Next, in a generalized imitation test in which matching responses to baseline models were intermittently reinforced, but matching responses to target models were not eligible for reinforcement, the infants matched baseline models but not the majority of their target behaviors. To ensure their failure to match the target behaviors was not due to motor constraints, the infants were trained, in a multiple-baseline procedure, to produce the target responses under stimulus control that did not include an antecedent model of the target behavior. There was no evidence of generalized imitation in subsequent tests. When the infants were next trained to match each target behavior to criterion (tested in extinction) in a multiple-baseline-across-behaviors procedure, only 2 infants continued to match all their targets in subsequent tests; the remaining infants matched only some of them. Seven infants were next given mixed matching training with the target behaviors to criterion (tested in extinction); they subsequently matched these targets without reinforcement when interspersed with trials on which matching responses to baseline models were intermittently reinforced. In repeat tests, administered at 3-week intervals, these 7 children (and 2 that did not take part in mixed matching training) continued to match most of their target behaviors. The results support a trained matching account, but provide no evidence of generalized imitation, in 1- to 2-year-old infants. (Contains 3 tables and 7 figures.)
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Determinants of gestural imitation in young children
- Author
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Erjavec, Mihela and Horne, Pauline
- Subjects
155 ,Behaviour analysis - Abstract
Generalised imitation has often been cited in the behaviour analytic literature as a paradigm case of a higher-order response class. However, its determinants have not been established, When, as is the case in published experimental studies of children's imitative performances to date, the to-be-matched behaviours are actions on objects, many nonimitative processes can result in apparently emergent matching. Such confounding sources of control are minimised when the target behaviours are arbitrary gestures. The present experiments explored the matching of (i) arbitrary actions on novel objects with minimal affordances in 3 infants (9 - 15 months), and (ii) gestures alone in 13 infants (15 - 25 months), and in 20 young children (24 - 42 months). In Experiment 1, the infants' performance of the target actions was measured firstly in response to each of four novel objects (Baseline) and next to the target action (Modelling) on each of these objects. In Experiments 2 and 3, participants' unreinforced responses to target behaviours, and their intermittently-reinforced responses to four behaviours that featured in their trained baseline matching relations, were measured. No evidence of higber-order matching was found; rather, the performances of the infants in Experiments 1 and 2, and of the young children in Experiment 3, could be explained in terms of generalisation of extra-experimentally trained matching repertoires. Infants' bigher-order matching abilities were directly tested in Experiments 4 and 5- Following training of four baseline matching relations, and identification of four target behaviours that the infants failed to match, they were trained to produce the target behaviours in the absence of the corresponding modelled behaviour. Infants' unreinforced responses to the modelled target behaviours, interspersed with modelling of the intermittently reinforced baseline behaviours, were then re-tested. The data showed no evidence of higher-order matching and suggest that infants' higher-order matching abilities, not previously directly tested, have been overestimated in the behaviour analytic literature.
- Published
- 2002
7. A low-cost Behavioural Nudge and choice architecture intervention targeting school lunches increases children’s consumption of fruit: a cluster randomised trial
- Author
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Marcano-Olivier, Mariel, Pearson, Ruth, Ruparell, Allycea, Horne, Pauline J., Viktor, Simon, and Erjavec, Mihela
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Outcomes of a Comparison Study into a Group-Based Infant Parenting Programme
- Author
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Jones, Catrin Hedd, Erjavec, Mihela, Viktor, Simon, and Hutchings, Judy
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. The Impact of Body-Part-Naming Training on the Accuracy of Imitative Performances in 2- to 3-Year-Old Children
- Author
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Camoes-Costa, Vera, Erjavec, Mihela, and Horne, Pauline J.
- Abstract
A series of three experiments explored the relationship between 3-year-old children's ability to name target body parts and their untrained matching of target hand-to-body touches. Nine participants, 3 per experiment, were presented with repeated generalized imitation tests in a multiple-baseline procedure, interspersed with step-by-step training that enabled them to (i) tact the target locations on their own and the experimenter's bodies or (ii) respond accurately as listeners to the experimenter's tacts of the target locations. Prompts for on-task naming of target body parts were also provided later in the procedure. In Experiment 1, only tact training followed by listener probes were conducted; in Experiment 2, tacting was trained first and listener behavior second, whereas in Experiment 3 listener training preceded tact training. Both tact and listener training resulted in emergence of naming together with significant and large improvements in the children's matching performances; this was true for each child and across most target gestures. The present series of experiments provides evidence that naming--the most basic form of self-instructional behavior--may be one means of establishing untrained matching as measured in generalized imitation tests. This demonstration has a bearing on our interpretation of imitation reported in the behavior analytic, cognitive developmental, and comparative literature. (Contains 2 tables and 10 figures.)
- Published
- 2011
10. Rapid Word Learning in 13- and 17-Month-Olds in a Naturalistic Two-Word Procedure: Looking versus Reaching Measures
- Author
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Gurteen, Paula M., Horne, Pauline J., and Erjavec, Mihela
- Abstract
This study investigated infants' rapid learning of two novel words using a preferential looking measure compared with a preferential reaching measure. In Experiment 1, 21 13-month-olds and 20 17-month-olds were given 12 novel label exposures (6 per trial) for each of two novel objects. Next, in the label comprehension tests, infants were shown both objects and were asked, "Where's the [label]?" (looking preference) and then told, "Put the [label] in the basket" (reaching preference). Only the 13-month-olds showed rapid word learning on the looking measure; neither age group showed rapid word learning on the reaching measure. In Experiment 2, the procedure was repeated 24 h later with 10 participants per age group from Experiment 1. After a further 12 labels per object, both age groups now showed robust evidence of rapid word learning, but again only on the looking measure. This is the earliest looking-based evidence of rapid word learning in infants in a well-controlled (i.e., two-word) procedure; our failure to replicate previous reports of rapid word learning in 13-month-olds with a preferential reaching measure may be due to our use of more rigorous controls for object preferences. The superior performance of the younger infants on the looking measure in Experiment 1 was not straightforwardly predicted by existing theoretical accounts of word learning. (Contains 4 figures.)
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Determinants of Imitation of Hand-to-Body Gestures in 2- and 3-Year-Old Children
- Author
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Erjavec, Mihela and Horne, Pauline J.
- Abstract
Twenty children, ten 2-year-olds and ten 3-year-olds, participated in an AB procedure. In the baseline phase, each child was trained the same four matching relations to criterion under intermittent reinforcement. During the subsequent imitation test, the experimenter modeled a total of 20 target gestures (six trials each) interspersed with intermittently reinforced baseline trials. In each session, target gestures were selected in a pre-randomized sequence from: Set 1--ear touches; Set 2--shoulder touches; Set 3--midarm touches; and Set 4--wrist touches; subjects' responses to targets were not reinforced. In each target set, half the gestures featured in nursery matching games and were termed "common targets" whereas the remainder, which were topographically similar but did not feature in the games, served as "uncommon targets". The children produced significantly more matching responses to common target models than to uncommon ones. Common responses were also produced as mismatches to uncommon target models more often than vice versa. Response accuracy did not improve over trials, suggesting that "parity" did not serve as a conditioned reinforcer. All children showed a strong bias for "mirroring"--responding in the same hemispace as the modeler. The 2-year-olds produced more matching errors than the 3-year-olds and most children showed a bias for responding with their right hands. The strong effects of training environment (nursery matching games) are consistent with a Skinnerian account, but not a cognitive goal theory account, of imitation in young children. (Contains 4 tables and 6 figures.)
- Published
- 2008
12. Do Infants Show Generalized Imitation of Gestures?
- Author
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Horne, Pauline J. and Erjavec, Mihela
- Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate generalized imitation of manual gestures in 1- to 2-year-old infants. In Experiment 1, 6 infants were first trained four baseline matching relations (e.g., when instructed "Do this," to raise their arms after they saw the experimenter do so). Next, four novel gestures that the infants did not match in probe trials were selected as target behaviors during generalized imitation Test 1; models of these gestures were presented on unreinforced matching trials interspersed with intermittently reinforced baseline matching trials. None of the infants matched the target behaviors. To ensure that these behaviors were in the infants' motor skills repertoires, the infants were next trained to produce them, at least once, under stimulus control that did not include an antecedent model of the target behavior. In repeat generalized imitation trials (Test 2), the infants again failed to match the target behaviors. Five infants (3 from Experiment 1) participated in Experiment 2, which was identical to Experiment 1 except that, following generalized imitation Test 1, the motor-skills training was implemented to a higher criterion (21 responses per target behavior), and in a multiple-baseline, across-target-behaviors procedure. In the final generalized imitation test, 1 infant matched one, and another infant matched two target behaviors; the remaining 17 target behaviors still were not matched. The results did not provide convincing evidence of generalized imitation, even though baseline matching was well maintained and the target behaviors were in the infants' motor skills repertoires, raising the question of what are the conditions that reliably give rise to generalized imitation. (Contains 2 tables, 5 figures and 1 footnote.)
- Published
- 2007
13. Validation of food diaries as measures of dietary behaviour change
- Author
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Pears, Sally L., Jackson, Margaret C., Bertenshaw, Emma J., Horne, Pauline J., Fergus Lowe, C., and Erjavec, Mihela
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Increasing pre-school children's consumption of fruit and vegetables. A modelling and rewards intervention
- Author
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Horne, Pauline J., Greenhalgh, Janette, Erjavec, Mihela, Lowe, C. Fergus, Viktor, Simon, and Whitaker, Chris J.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Rapid word learning in 13- and 17-month-olds in a naturalistic two-word procedure: Looking versus reaching measures
- Author
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Gurteen, Paula M., Horne, Pauline J., and Erjavec, Mihela
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Exploring the determinants of mental health, wellbeing, and lifestyle in 8–11 year old children with type 1 diabetes and their healthy counterparts in Kuwait.
- Author
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Alazmi, Afrah, Viktor, Simon, and Erjavec, Mihela
- Subjects
TYPE 1 diabetes ,WELL-being ,MENTAL health ,MENTAL illness ,DIABETES in children ,PARENT-child relationships - Abstract
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease with an early onset, but little is known about its psychological effects in middle childhood. The present study was the first to explore the relationship between mental health, wellbeing, and lifestyle of 8–11 years old children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents, and a healthy comparison group. A total of 200 parent-child dyads were recruited in diabetic clinics and from primary schools in Kuwait. Both groups completed a series of behavioural and physical assessments relating to health, wellbeing, and lifestyle. A significant relationship was found between higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and poorer mental health, including low academic self-esteem, depression, and anxiety, in the diabetes group. This group had significantly higher mean scores in mental health problems, and lower scores in wellbeing, compared with control group. Both groups had poor dietary habits and low levels of physical activity. Unlike previous studies, no differences were found between parents' mental health for children with Type 1 diabetes and parents of the control group. Although elevated problem scores on a variety of indices remained within normal range, the pattern of results indicates that children with diabetes would profit from early screening and preventative intervention to reduce the likelihood of psychological and behavioural difficulties later on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Do infants show generalized imitation of gestures?
- Author
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Horne, Pauline J. and Erjavec, Mihela
- Subjects
Infants -- Behavior ,Gesture -- Research ,Psychology and mental health ,Sociology and social work - Abstract
Experimental studies are conducted to investigate the generalized imitation of manual gestures in one to two-year-old infants. The result of study provides little evidence of generalized imitation in the sample subjects.
- Published
- 2007
18. Comprehension and production of body part labels in 2- to 3-year-old children
- Author
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Camões-Costa, Vera, Erjavec, Mihela, and Horne, Pauline J.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. The effects of modelling, local stimulus enhancement, and affordance demonstration on the production of object-directed actions in 6-month-old infants
- Author
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Horne, Pauline J., Erjavec, Mihela, and Lovett, Victoria E.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Changes in the nutritional content of children's lunches after the Food Dudes healthy eating programme.
- Author
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Marcano-Olivier, Mariel, Sallaway-Costello, Jake, McWilliams, Lorna, Horne, Pauline J., Viktor, Simon, and Erjavec, Mihela
- Subjects
FOOD habits ,SCHOOL food ,SCHOOL children ,VITAMIN E ,LUNCHEONS ,LONGEVITY ,VITAMIN C - Abstract
Previous research into the effectiveness of healthy eating programmes has shown increases in healthful eating behaviour in primary schools; however, data collection methods have not been sufficiently sensitive to detect micronutrient changes. The present study extends the literature by measuring individual children's intake of macro- and micronutrients at lunchtime, before and after a programme targeting children's consumption of fruit and vegetables, to identify evidence-based health benefits of programme participation. Baseline data were collected over 4 d at lunchtime in two primary schools. The Food Dudes programme was then implemented in the intervention school. Follow-up data were collected over 4 d in each school 2 months after baseline. We employed a validated and sensitive photographic method to estimate individual children's (N 112) consumption of fruit, vegetables, and their intake of calories, macro- and selected micronutrients. Significant changes were observed in the intervention school but not in the control school: Children's consumption of fruit, vegetables, vitamin C and E intake increased, while their total energy consumption, fat, saturated fat, and sodium intake decreased. The present results show that the Food Dudes programme produced a positive nutritional change, with implications for its application as a healthy eating and obesity prevention intervention. These optimistic conclusions should be tested by further research to establish the longevity of the positive effects presented here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Using Nudges to Promote Healthy Food Choices in the School Dining Room: A Systematic Review of Previous Investigations.
- Author
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Marcano‐Olivier, Mariel I., Horne, Pauline J., Viktor, Simon, and Erjavec, Mihela
- Subjects
FOOD preferences ,HEALTH behavior ,HEALTH promotion ,SCHOOL health services ,SYSTEMATIC reviews - Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest in low‐cost interventions that modify obesogenic environments and encourage positive behavior change. We conducted a systematic review of studies that used behavioral nudges to promote a healthy school cafeteria environment. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using 5 databases; of 381 papers noted, we included 25 and assessed them using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. RESULTS: Most studies used relatively small, convenience samples and data collection methods that could not be described as robust, necessitating cautious interpretation of their results. A range of behavioral nudges were employed. Seventeen studies reported positive effects on children's selection and 11 studies reported improvements in their consumption of target foods, effected by changing the order of serving; increasing the convenience, attractiveness, and normativeness of selecting healthy options; increasing the variety available; and attractive target food labeling. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this review identified the requirement for well‐designed and well‐controlled investigations into the effects of changing the choice architecture in school cafeterias, assessing short‐, medium‐, and long‐term changes in individual children's consumption, utilizing validated measures, and conducted across a variety of settings, including dining rooms of schools outside the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Do infants show generalized imitation opf gestures? II. the effects of skills training and multiple exeemplar matching training
- Author
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Erjavec, Mihela, Lovett, Victoria E., and Horne, Pauline J.
- Subjects
Infant psychology -- Analysis ,Imitation -- Analysis ,Gesture -- Analysis ,Psychology and mental health ,Sociology and social work - Published
- 2009
23. Determinants of imitation of hand-to-body gestures in 2- and 3-year-old children
- Author
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Erjavec, Mihela and Horne, Pauline J.
- Subjects
Gesture -- Evaluation ,Infants -- Behavior ,Psychology and mental health ,Sociology and social work - Abstract
The article explains the experiment done on ten 2-year-old and ten 3-year-old to find out the determinants of imitation of hand-to-body gestures by giving them training. Findings show that the 2-year-olds produced more matching errors that the ten 3-year-olds and most showed bias for responding with their right hands.
- Published
- 2008
24. Measuring lunchtime consumption in school cafeterias: a validation study of the use of digital photography.
- Author
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Marcano-Olivier, Mariel, Erjavec, Mihela, Horne, Pauline J, Viktor, Simon, and Pearson, Ruth
- Subjects
- *
IMAGE encryption , *SCHOOL lunchrooms, cafeterias, etc. , *DIGITAL photography , *DIGITAL images , *FOOD consumption , *PUBLIC works , *FOOD service statistics , *LUNCHEONS , *RESEARCH methodology , *PHOTOGRAPHY , *SCHOOL health services , *SCHOOLS , *SURVEYS , *RESEARCH bias ,RESEARCH evaluation - Abstract
Objective: The present study tested the validity of a digital image-capture measure of food consumption suitable for use in busy school cafeterias.Design: Lunches were photographed pre- and post-consumption, and food items were weighed pre- and post-consumption for comparison.Setting: A small research team recorded children's lunchtime consumption in one primary and one secondary school over seven working days.ParticipantsA primary-school sample of 121 children from North Wales and a secondary-school sample of 124 children from the West Midlands, UK, were utilised. Nineteen children were excluded because of incomplete data, leaving a final sample of 239 participants.Results: Results indicated that (i) consumption estimates based on images were accurate, yielding only small differences between the weight- and image-based judgements (median bias=0·15-1·64 g, equating to 0·45-3·42 % of consumed weight) and (ii) good levels of inter-rater agreement were achieved, ranging from moderate to near perfect (Cohen's κ=0·535-0·819). This confirmed that consumption estimates derived from digital images were accurate and could be used in lieu of objective weighed measures.Conclusions: Our protocol minimised disruption to daily lunchtime routine, kept the attrition low, and enabled better agreement between measures and raters than was the case in the existing literature. Accurate measurements are a necessary tool for all those engaged in nutrition research, intervention evaluation, prevention and public health work. We conclude that our simple and practical method of assessment could be used with children across a range of settings, ages and lunch types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Validity and reliability of the Fitbit Zip as a measure of preschool children's step count.
- Author
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Sharp, Catherine A., Mackintosh, Kelly A., Erjavec, Mihela, Pascoe, Duncan M., and Horne, Pauline J.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
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26. The Parent Infant Play Observation code (PIPOc): development and testing of a new positive parenting measure.
- Author
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Jones, Catrin Hedd, Hutchings, Judy, Erjavec, Mihela, and Viktor, Simon
- Subjects
EXPERIMENTAL design ,FACTOR analysis ,PREMATURE infants ,RESEARCH methodology ,SCIENTIFIC observation ,PARENTING ,RESEARCH funding ,STATISTICS ,VIDEO recording ,DATA analysis ,INTER-observer reliability ,MEDICAL coding - Abstract
Objective:To develop a new observational code of parents playing with their infant in the first 18 months.Background:There is a lack of observational codes to analyse early interactions between parents and infants. We developed and tested this measure – the Parent Infant Play Observation code (PIPOc) – to be developmentally appropriate for infants, brief and easy to code after training, reliable and potentially suitable for clinical and research use.Method:The PIPOc was developed for use in a repeated measures trial of a new parenting programme. Mothers were filmed at home playing with their infant for 10 minutes with a six-month follow-up visit. The author also collected IT-HOME inventory data at the homes. A coding manual was developed to train an independent coder.Results:Six positive parenting behaviours were coded (Talk, Play, Touch, Move, Mind and Respond) with excellent to very good inter-rater reliability between the author and independent coder. Principal component analysis of the coded behaviours resulted in a three-component model termed -positive physical encouragement, sensitive parenting and verbal engegement components. A further analysis for the scores at follow-up resulted in the same component solution. Concurrent validity of the three components with subscale scores from the IT-HOME inventory subscales is reported.Conclusions:The PIPOc shows promising psychometric properties which are robust and reliable over six months. More extensive use of the PIPOc observation scores comparing intervention and control parents’ scores on the observation components will further test the code’s sensitivity to change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Parent and group leader reflections on a group-based programme for parents and babies.
- Author
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Jones, Catrin H., Director, Judy Hutchings, Erjavec, Mihela, and Hughes, J. Carl
- Subjects
COST control ,PARENT-infant relationships ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,SUPPORT groups ,SAMPLE size (Statistics) ,PARENT attitudes ,PARENTING education ,EVALUATION of human services programs ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
There is growing interest in supporting families during children's early years to encourage optimal infant development. The data were collected from an evaluation of the Incredible Years (IY) eight-week parenting group for parents and their babies. Feedback obtained from parents (n= 34) and leaders (n= 13) was positive. Retention and attendance rates were high. A detailed costing for the groups indicated that this programme can be delivered for a reasonable cost to meet health visitor objectives with families in the first postpartum months and provides an opportunity to inform parents about resources and other support available for them and their infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
28. THE IMPACT OF BODY-PART-NAMING TRAINING ON THE ACCURACY OF IMITATIVE PERFORMANCES IN 2- TO 3-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN.
- Author
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CAMÕ ES-COSTA, VERA, ERJAVEC, MIHELA, and HORNE, PAULINE J.
- Subjects
- *
INTELLIGENCE testing in children , *COGNITIVE ability , *COGNITIVE training , *CHILD psychology , *NONVERBAL communication - Abstract
A series of three experiments explored the relationship between 3-year-old children's ability to name target body parts and their untrained matching of target hand-to-body touches. Nine participants, 3 per experiment, were presented with repeated generalized imitation tests in a multiple-baseline procedure, interspersed with step-by-step training that enabled them to (i) tact the target locations on their own and the experimenter's bodies or (ii) respond accurately as listeners to the experimenter's tacts of the target locations. Prompts for on-task naming of target body parts were also provided later in the procedure. In Experiment 1, only tact training followed by listener probes were conducted; in Experiment 2, tacting was trained first and listener behavior second, whereas in Experiment 3 listener training preceded tact training. Both tact and listener training resulted in emergence of naming together with significant and large improvements in the children's matching performances; this was true for each child and across most target gestures. The present series of experiments provides evidence that naming -the most basic form of self-instructional behavior-may be one means of establishing untrained matching as measured in generalized imitation tests. This demonstration has a bearing on our interpretation of imitation reported in the behavior analytic, cognitive developmental, and comparative literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. In memoriam: C. fergus lowe 1946-2014.
- Author
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Erjavec, Mihela, Horne, Pauline, Hughes, Carl, and Sharp, Catherine
- Subjects
- *
BEHAVIORAL scientists - Abstract
The article presents an obituary for C. Fergus Lowe, a behavioral scientist.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Implementing a healthy eating programme: changing children's eating habits for life.
- Author
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Erjavec, Mihela, Viktor, Simon, Horne, Pauline, and Lowe, Fergus
- Subjects
CHILD nutrition ,FOOD habits ,EVALUATION of human services programs - Abstract
The article focuses on the importance to produce long-term improvements in implementing a healthy eating programme that should start with children in Great Britain. It mentions the Food Dudes Healthy Eating Programme, which makes a valuable contribution to the fight against obesity and brings a range of other health benefits to children. It notes that the food programme is based on behaviour change principles which include role-modelling, rewards, and repeated tastings.
- Published
- 2012
31. The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on mental health, well-being, and lifestyle of primary-age children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents in Kuwait
- Author
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Alazmi, Afrah, Erjavec, Mihela, and Viktor, Simon
- Subjects
type 1 diabetes ,mental health ,parenting ,chronic disease ,children - Abstract
Diabetes is a long-term health condition. All individuals with diabetes should have access to psychological care and support to alleviate psychological suffering and promote self-management (Diabetes UK, 2022). Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood and affects both children and their families. However, to date, there had been very little research into psychological effects on primary-age children (8-11 years) and their carers. This thesis explored the relationship between mental health, well-being, and lifestyle of children with Type 1 diabetes and their healthy counterparts in Kuwait. It also investigated the effects that COVID-19 restrictions had on psychological functioning and lifestyle variables in childparent dyads. The thesis consists of three main sections. • Systematic reviews of the literature: These present what is known about psychological and lifestyle characteristics in children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents. It was concluded that most studies examined wide age ranges, and few were adequately powered with appropriate control groups. There was a gap in the literature for using developmentally appropriate, narrower age range and appropriate methodology to elucidate the psychological variables associated with Type 1 diabetes in children and the effects on parents, particularly when primary-age children are increasingly reported to have poor mental health. • A comparison study was conducted to investigate the link between the mental health, well-being, and lifestyle of 8-11-year-old children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents, as well as a healthy comparison group (N=200 dyads). It was concluded that children with Type 1 diabetes may experience more mental health and well-being concerns than their peers. Moreover, a relationship between higher BMI and poorer mental health was found in the diabetes group. It was concluded that concerns can be identified at a young age, which would be helpful in designing preventative interventions. However, no differences in mental health and well-being were detected between parents of children with Type 1 diabetes and parents of the control group. • COVID-19 study: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Kuwait's first lockdown on the mental health, well-being, and lifestyle of children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents (N=70 dyads). Baseline measures came from the diabetes cohort in the comparison study, and follow-up measures were administered a year later. The findings suggest that the COVID-19 lockdown had a significant psychological and possibly physiological effect on children and parents with Type 1 diabetes. As a result, there is a need for mental health support services tailored to these populations. Overall, the findings reported in this thesis add to the literature investigating psychological functioning of primary-age children with Type 1 diabetes and their parents, and call attention to the importance of healthy lifestyle, well-being, and mental health in this, previously under-researched, population.
- Published
- 2023
32. Changing children's eating behaviour : using digital photography to measure the effects of two school-based interventions on children's intake of macro- and micro-nutrients at lunchtime
- Author
-
Marcano-Olivier, Mariel and Erjavec, Mihela
- Subjects
150 - Abstract
Poor childhood nutrition is a global phenomenon, contributing to obesity and the development of non-communicable diseases. The present thesis explores methods of improving child nutritional intake in a school setting. Here, we present four papers: • A methodological paper, describing the validation of a newly designed method of collecting nutritional data in a canteen setting. We find that it is possible to accurately estimate nutritional intake in a fast-paced free-living environment using digital photography; • An evaluation paper, exploring the impact of a school-based multicomponent intervention, the Food Dudes programme, on lunchtime nutritional composition. Results indicate that participation in the Food Dudes programme is associated with an increase in the consumption of fruit and vegetables, and a decrease in consumption of unhealthy food items; • A systematic review, describing those studies in the literature focussed on improving children’s eating behaviour through behavioural nudging. We report that, though many studies are successful, few studies use validated and reliable data collection methodologies, rendering results inconclusive; • An experimental pilot study, exploring the influence of behavioural nudges on the fruit and vegetable consumption of primary school children. Significant improvements in fruit, vitamin C, and fibre consumption were observed following a simple behavioural nudge intervention. The results presented in this thesis contribute to the literature investigating methods to measure, and promote childhood nutrition, and have implications for promoting research best-practice, and policy targeting poor childhood nutrition.
- Published
- 2018
33. Development and evaluation of a healthy eating and physical activity behaviour change intervention targeting 3-4 year old children at school, extending to the home
- Author
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Sharp, Catherine Angharad, Horne, Pauline, and Erjavec, Mihela
- Subjects
616.3 - Abstract
The global obesity epidemic is a multifactorial problem associated with severe health consequences. The lifestyle behaviours of diet and physical activity are learned early, often tracking into adulthood. Identifying preventive interventions to establish children’s healthy lifestyle behaviours, in line with recommended guidelines, is a public health priority. The ‘Food Dudes’ programme is a well-evidenced behaviour change intervention, producing large and lasting increases in children’s consumption of fruit and vegetables in primary school settings. An extension of the programme, targeting physical activity, is the novel ‘Dynamic Dudes’intervention, recently trialled in primary schools. This thesis aimed to develop and evaluate a ‘Super Dynamic Food Dudes’ intervention, underpinned by the same behavioural principles as the respective primary school programmes. Chapter 1 provides a detailed literature review and identifies a paucity of such interventions. Chapter 2 modified and evaluated the Food Dudes Early Years intervention designed to increase pre-school children’s consumption of fruit and vegetables. To identify a suitable activity measurement tool, Chapter 3 validated use of the consumer-grade Fitbit Zip accelerometer to measure pre-school children’s step counts. Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 describe the development and feasibility of two physical activity components, interactive stories and in-class exercise DVDs, respectively, which were later integrated in a controlled pilot of the new physical activity intervention in Chapter 6. Drawing on outcomes and process evaluation from the preceding chapters, Chapter 7 describes and justifies further modifications to the interventions. Chapter 8 presents a controlled evaluation of the finalised two-pronged multi-component intervention in the school setting, with extension to the home. Main short-term outcomes were large and significantly greater increases in consumption of fruit and vegetables, and physical activity, in the intervention conditions, compared to the control conditions, replicating findings in primary school children. The pre-school multi-component intervention provides a promising method of preventing childhood obesity.
- Published
- 2017
34. The relation between gestural imitation and naming in young children
- Author
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Camoes-Costa, Vera, Erjavec, Mihela, and Horne, Pauline
- Subjects
155.419 - Abstract
Humans are distinguished from other animals by their extensive imitation repertoires, but the determinants of this behaviour are still not fully established. The present programme of research explored the relationship between children's ability to name the components of modelled actions and their matching accuracy, in tests that presented them with modelling of empty-handed gestures that terminated on different parts of body. A total of 106 children, aged between 2 and 4 years, participated in seven experiments. The first two studies, presented in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6, employed correlational group designs to establish which body parts and movements children can accurately name in response to the experimenter's modelling, and produce in response to the experimenter's verbal instructions. Children's responses were more accurate for body parts than for body movements; they responded best to those body parts that commonly feature in naming-and-matching games played with their caregivers; and their patterns of errors were similar to those previously observed in imitation tests. Next, three single-case experiments presented in Chapter 7 systematically tested the effects of tact and listener training of previously unnamed body parts on children's generalised imitation of gestures that terminated on these locations. Children's matching of hand-to-body gestures markedly improved as the result of body part naming training. Next, a single-case experiment presented in Chapter 8, and a group experiment presented in Chapter 9, tested the effects of training the children to name the movements "across" and "to the side" on the accuracy of their matching of hand-to-body gestures that incorporated these movements. This training was effective in reducing the rates of ipsilateral mismatches to contralateral models, which are typically very high in imitation tests. These results are in agreement with the predictions of the naming account of Horne and Lowe (1996), who consider naming to be the earliest form of self-instructional behaviour. The present results show that the ability to name features of the actions that they see is an important determinant of imitation in children. These findings have wide-reaching implications for the interpretation of children's performances in matching tests, and for the evaluation of behaviour-analytic and cognitive-developmental accounts and theories of imitation.
- Published
- 2011
35. The determinants of imitation in infants and young children
- Author
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Lovett, Victoria Elizabeth, Horne, Pauline, and Erjavec, Mihela
- Subjects
155.4131523 - Abstract
It is widely agreed that imitation drives the acquisition of novel behaviours in children. However, there is less agreement about how this behaviour is established. This thesis explores two areas of research in an attempt to identify the determinants of imitation in young infants. Chapter 2 investigated the effects of local stimulus enhancement and objects' affordances on imitation tests. Infants aged 6-, 9- and 12-months-old were presented with a puppet wearing a mitten (with a bell inside) and observed either a demonstration of mitten removal (modelling group), the experimenter pointing at the mitten (stimulus enhancement group), the mitten falling off, apparently by itself (affordance demonstration group), or no actions directed at the mitten ( control group). Next all infants were presented with the puppet, and their mitten removal behaviours were recorded. The results indicated that local stimulus enhancement and affordance demonstration were as effective as full modelling in evoking the target action in 6-month-old infants. The results from the 9- and 12-month-old infants did not replicate this finding. A further study was conducted with the older infants to investigate the effect of locating the bell in the mitten, but the results were inconclusive. The behaviour analytic account of imitation ( which explains the development of imitation in terms of trained matching and generalised imitation) was evaluated in Chapter 4. The determinants of generalised imitation were investigated in a multiple-baseline single-participant design. Infants were trained to match eight baseline gestures; next, four novel gestures that infants did not match in probe trials were selected as target behaviours. Imitation was then tested after (i) repeated modelling, (ii) skills-training, (iii) staggered matching training, and (iv) mixed matching training of the target behaviours. Only the last intervention resulted in matching of all targets in subsequent generalised imitation tests, showing that to establish durable new matching relations infants require extensive matching training. The study found no evidence of untrained matching in generalised imitation tests in infants under 2-years-old.
- Published
- 2008
36. The impact of body-part-naming training on the accuracy of imitative performances in 2- to 3-year-old children.
- Author
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Camões-Costa V, Erjavec M, and Horne PJ
- Subjects
- Child Development, Child, Preschool, Female, Gestures, Human Body, Humans, Male, Verbal Behavior, Vocabulary, Child Behavior psychology, Imitative Behavior
- Abstract
A series of three experiments explored the relationship between 3-year-old children's ability to name target body parts and their untrained matching of target hand-to-body touches. Nine participants, 3 per experiment, were presented with repeated generalized imitation tests in a multiple-baseline procedure, interspersed with step-by-step training that enabled them to (i) tact the target locations on their own and the experimenter's bodies or (ii) respond accurately as listeners to the experimenter's tacts of the target locations. Prompts for on-task naming of target body parts were also provided later in the procedure. In Experiment 1, only tact training followed by listener probes were conducted; in Experiment 2, tacting was trained first and listener behavior second, whereas in Experiment 3 listener training preceded tact training. Both tact and listener training resulted in emergence of naming together with significant and large improvements in the children's matching performances; this was true for each child and across most target gestures. The present series of experiments provides evidence that naming--the most basic form of self-instructional behavior--may be one means of establishing untrained matching as measured in generalized imitation tests. This demonstration has a bearing on our interpretation of imitation reported in the behavior analytic, cognitive developmental, and comparative literature.
- Published
- 2011
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