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HEALing Matters is an online professional development training program being implemented across the Victorian out‐of‐home care sector. HEALing Matters uses a trauma‐informed philosophy to guide carers' understanding of the link between young people's healthy lifestyle behaviours and improved physical and psychosocial outcomes. This article reports the findings of a qualitative evaluation, which sought to understand whether participation in HEALing Matters fostered a sense of commitment, dedication and/or the introduction of new practices to create a healthy "home." Semistructured interviews were conducted with 27 residential carers who completed the training and transcripts underwent thematic analysis. Four major themes evidencing healthy lifestyle behaviours were developed: (1) promotion of a healthy eating environment, (2) making physical activity a habit, (3) building connection through food and physical activity and (4) improved predictability and consistency. Implementation of HEALing Matters facilitated positive changes in health behaviours, supported carers to use food and activity to provide responsive caregiving and created a sense of safety and security through the introduction of household routines. The findings emphasise the importance of upskilling carers in preventative health practices and approaches to best support the health and well‐being of young people in care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Women in the preconception, pregnant, or postpartum period are susceptible to weight stigma, particularly due to the risk of excess weight gain during the reproductive life period and the negative effects of stigma on the health of both the mother and the child. Identifying the drivers and facilitators of weight stigma will help guide focused weight stigma prevention interventions. This systematic review aimed to identify the drivers and facilitators of weight stigma among preconception, pregnant, and postpartum women. In May 2022, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Maternity and Infant Care Database were searched for peer‐reviewed articles published since 2010 using search terms weight AND stigma AND preconception, OR pregnant, OR postpartum. Of the 1724 articles identified, 34 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in a narrative synthesis. Women reported facing insensitive language, misconceptions about obesity across all settings, and inappropriate media representation. The unavailability of appropriate equipment at facilities was reported by both women and health professionals. Our findings indicate that a rigorous effort by all stakeholders is necessary to promote regulatory, legal, and educational initiatives designed to reduce weight stigma and discrimination against women in the reproductive period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: The ASQ‐TRAK, a strengths‐based approach to developmental screening, has high acceptability and utility across varied Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts. While substantive knowledge translation has seen many services utilise ASQ‐TRAK, we now need to move beyond distribution and support evidence‐based scale‐up to ensure access. Through a co‐design approach, we aimed to (1) understand community partners' perspectives of barriers and enablers to ASQ‐TRAK implementation and (2) develop an ASQ‐TRAK implementation support model to inform scale‐up. Methods: The co‐design process had four phases: (i) partnership development with five community partners (two Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations); (ii) workshop planning and recruitment; (iii) co‐design workshops; and (iv) analysis, draft model and feedback workshops. Results: Seven co‐design meetings and two feedback workshops with 41 stakeholders (17 were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander), identified seven key barriers and enablers, and a shared vision – all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families have access to the ASQ‐TRAK. Implementation support model components agreed on were: (i) ASQ‐TRAK training, (ii) ASQ‐TRAK support, (iii) local implementation support, (iv) engagement and communications, (v) continuous quality improvement and (vi) coordination and partnerships. Conclusions: This implementation support model can inform ongoing processes necessary for sustainable ASQ‐TRAK implementation nationally. This will transform the way services provide developmental care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, ensuring access to high quality, culturally safe developmental care. So What?: Well‐implemented developmental screening leads to more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children receiving timely early childhood intervention services, improving developmental trajectories and optimising long‐term health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postpartum weight retention is a major contributor to obesity in later life resulting in long‐term health consequences in women. Postpartum lifestyle interventions are known to be effective in reducing postpartum weight retention and improving the overall health and wellbeing of mothers but have poor reach and engagement. This study describes the engagement of mothers with young children in the development of a theory‐ and evidence‐based intervention to reduce postpartum weight retention. Methods: A participatory design methodology with input from a community mothers' group, literature reviews and an expert advisory group was applied. Mothers who were members of 'Mothers of Preschoolers' (MOPS) were invited to participate in a focus group discussion and two co‐design workshop sessions. Results: Thirteen women participated in a focus group discussion and 12 women in each co‐design workshop. We found that mothers valued having social support from their peers, practical support such as meal delivery, and learning opportunities that focus on the mother's health and wellbeing. The advisory group suggested leveraging the unique skills and prior experiences of mothers within the group and developing a curriculum that mothers can be trained to deliver. Conclusion: A program that emphasizes the strengths and value of mothers can increase their self‐worth and self‐confidence resulting in intrinsic motivation to improve lifestyle behaviours. An intervention designed to be implemented by MOPS for its members and incorporated into their regular sessions has the potential for feasibility and acceptability among mothers with young children. Patient or Public Contribution: Mothers with young children were part of the program planners and were involved in the design and conduct of this study and in the interpretation of the findings. A member of a community mothers' group recruited other mothers with young children within the group to participate in a series of sessions to discuss their experiences of the postpartum period and preferences for a lifestyle program. The mothers identified the behavioural outcomes and program goals for a postpartum lifestyle program and then generated the program ideas based on these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The link between work and health outcomes for preconception, pregnant, and postpartum (PPP) working women is complex. Further, innovation and enhanced understanding are required to address the work‐related determinants of maternal obesity. However, workplace health promotion is not typically systems‐based nor attuned to the specific needs and context of individual PPP women. We propose that to improve health outcomes for PPP women, we must understand the pathways between paid work and health for the individual woman by taking a systems‐thinking approach. In this paper, we (a) outline the rationale for why the oversimplification or "dilution" of individual context may occur; (b) present a systems‐informed pathway model (the "Context‐Exposure‐Response" Model) and overview of potential work‐related impacts on health and wellbeing outcomes for PPP women using maternal obesity to provide context examples; (c) further investigate the role of motivational factors from a systems perspective; and (d) briefly examine the implications for policy, practice, and intervention design. It is anticipated that this research may act as a starting point to assist program developers, researchers, and policymakers to adopt a systems‐focused perspective while contributing to the health improvement and obesity prevention of PPP women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the mental health and wellbeing of health and aged care workers in Australia during the second and third years of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, overall and by occupation group. Design, setting, participants: Longitudinal cohort study of health and aged care workers (ambulance, hospitals, primary care, residential aged care) in Victoria: May–July 2021 (survey 1), October–December 2021 (survey 2), and May–June 2022 (survey 3). Main outcome measures: Proportions of respondents (adjusted for age, gender, socio‐economic status) reporting moderate to severe symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire‐9, PHQ‐9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, GAD‐7), or post‐traumatic stress (Impact of Event Scale‐6, IES‐6), burnout (abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory, aMBI), or high optimism (10‐point visual analogue scale); mean scores (adjusted for age, gender, socio‐economic status) for wellbeing (Personal Wellbeing Index–Adult, PWI‐A) and resilience (Connor Davidson Resilience Scale 2, CD‐RISC‐2). Results: A total of 1667 people responded to at least one survey (survey 1, 989; survey 2, 1153; survey 3, 993; response rate, 3.3%). Overall, 1211 survey responses were from women (72.6%); most respondents were hospital workers (1289, 77.3%) or ambulance staff (315, 18.9%). The adjusted proportions of respondents who reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression (survey 1, 16.4%; survey 2, 22.6%; survey 3, 19.2%), anxiety (survey 1, 8.8%; survey 2, 16.0%; survey 3, 11.0%), or post‐traumatic stress (survey 1, 14.6%; survey 2, 35.1%; survey 3, 14.9%) were each largest for survey 2. The adjusted proportions of participants who reported moderate to severe symptoms of burnout were higher in surveys 2 and 3 than in survey 1, and the proportions who reported high optimism were smaller in surveys 2 and 3 than in survey 1. Adjusted mean scores for wellbeing and resilience were similar at surveys 2 and 3 and lower than at survey 1. The magnitude but not the patterns of change differed by occupation group. Conclusion: Burnout was more frequently reported and mean wellbeing and resilience scores were lower in mid‐2022 than in mid‐2021 for Victorian health and aged care workers who participated in our study. Evidence‐based mental health and wellbeing programs for workers in health care organisations are needed. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12621000533897 (observational study; retrospective). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men's behaviour change programs (MBCPs) are group programs for men using family violence. This preliminary evaluation examines participants' and facilitators' perceptions of a redeveloped MBCP. Participants reported significant improvements in their ability to manage stress, understand the impact of their use of violence, and apply skills to repair the impact of their use of violence. Facilitators reported that peer support was an important component contributing to changes in the participants' knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and behaviours. Preliminary findings indicate that the program could potentially influence men's perceptions of family violence and consequently promote the safety and wellbeing of women and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Obesity in childhood is a significant global issue, and prevention is key to reducing prevalence. Healthcare providers can play an important role in the prevention of obesity. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for preventing childhood obesity with a focus on the role of medical doctors. Peer‐reviewed literature and gray literature sources were searched for CPGs published from 2010 to 2021. Eleven CPGs were identified. Quality was evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation Collaboration (AGREE II) instrument; seven CPGs were higher quality and four lower quality. Recommendations within the CPGs covered three main areas: growth monitoring, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing overweight. The importance of involving the whole family and healthy lifestyle behaviors was emphasized. The majority of the CPGs rated poorly in guideline applicability highlighting the need for practical implementation tools. Although our review identified a number of CPGs relevant to the prevention of obesity for doctors working with children and their families, more research is needed to produce high‐quality meaningful and applicable CPGs to maximize uptake, implementation, and ultimately, benefit to children and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues: The transgenerational impacts of colonisation—inclusive of dispossession, intergenerational trauma, racism, social and economic exclusion and marginalisation—places First Nations peoples in Australia at significant risk of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and its associated harms. However, knowledge and evidence supporting community‐based AOD treatment for First Nations adults is limited. Therefore, this review aimed to examine the impact and acceptability of community‐based models of AOD support for First Nations adults in Australia. Approach: A systematic search of the empirical literature from the past 20 years was conducted. Key Findings: Seventeen studies were included. Nine studies evaluated the program's impact on substance use and 10 studies assessed program acceptability (two studies evaluated both). Only three out of nine studies yielded a statistically significant reduction in substance use. Acceptable components included cultural safety, First Nations AOD workers, inclusion of family and kin, outreach and group support. Areas for improvement included greater focus on holistic wrap‐around psychosocial support, increased local community participation and engagement, funding and breaking down silos. Implications: Culturally safe, holistic and integrated AOD outreach support led by First Nations peoples and organisations that involves local community members may support First Nations peoples experiencing AOD concerns. These findings may inform the (re)design and (re)development of community‐based AOD services for First Nations peoples. Conclusion: There is a limited evidence‐base for community‐based AOD programs for First Nations peoples. First Nations‐led research that is controlled by and co‐produced with First Nations peoples is necessary to extend our understanding of community‐based programs within First Nations communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the evidence of children's agency in research about infants, toddlers and technologies. It finds that an implicit reliance on technological determinism as a theoretical perspective for positioning technologies relative to young children's development tends to shape research in terms of understanding the impact of technologies on young children. Drawing on critical constructivism as a philosophical stance on technologies, this paper argues that children's agency with technologies may be further investigated in terms of practice architectures to better understand the social mediation of infant and toddler interactions and engagements with technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the shared features of provision in exemplar school playgroups defined using the social capital concepts of bonding and bridging relationships. Relationships promote capabilities amongst people, with play a known capability for advancing children's developmental and educational outcomes. By attending to the bonding and bridging relationships in each school playgroup, exemplar groups were identified and studied to reveal their shared features of provision. Six main features of provision were identified, including materials, facilitator, space, location, scheduling and health and safety. Awareness of these features may benefit school leaders and/or governance seeking to implement a school playgroup within their own community. Findings from this project suggest high‐performing school playgroups can operate in areas of lower and higher socioeconomic status and/or parental education, and in regional and rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First responders are exposed to repetitive work‐related trauma and, thus, are at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eye‐movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy intervention designed to treat symptoms of posttraumatic stress. We conducted a systematic review to examine the viability of EMDR among first responders. The primary aim of this review was to identify studies that have trialed EMDR among first responders and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing trauma‐related symptoms; a secondary aim was to identify whether EMDR has been used as an early intervention for this cohort and determine its effectiveness as such. Four databases were searched. Studies were included if they evaluated the extent to which EMDR was effective in alleviating symptoms stemming from work‐related trauma exposure among first responders. The findings from each study were reported descriptively, and eight studies that evaluated the efficacy of EMDR in this population were included. There was substantial variation in how EMDR was implemented, particularly in the type, duration, frequency, and timing. The findings suggest that EMDR can alleviate symptoms of work‐related trauma exposure among first responders; however, findings regarding early intervention were inconclusive, and a methodological quality assessment revealed that all studies were classified as being of either weak or medium quality. Although this review provides preliminary insights into the effectiveness of EMDR for first responders, the conclusions that can be drawn from the literature are limited, and the findings highlight several gaps in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: There is an increasing interest in peer interventions in the management of chronic conditions, but evidence on peer interventions for body weight is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of peer interventions on body weight, energy intake, and physical activity in adults. Interventions delivered by peer (lay member that participants identify with) were included. We searched 14 databases. Outcomes were combined in the meta‐analysis using the inverse variance random‐effects model. From 2435 articles, 65 articles were included in the systematic review and meta‐analysis (n = 15,673). Peer interventions resulted in significant reduction in weight (mean difference [MD] −1.05 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI] −1.68, −0.43; 95% prediction interval [PI] −3.25, 1.14; 28 studies; 7142 participants), BMI (MD −0.24 kg/m2; 95% CI −0.44, −0.04; 95% PI −0.92, 0.45; 25 studies; 6672 participants), waist circumference (MD −0.75 cm; 95% CI −1.29, −0.21; 95% PI −1.36, −0.14; 12 studies; 4280 participants), and significant increase in physical activity (SMD 0.20; 95% CI 0.09, 0.32; 95% PI −0.46, 0.86; 41 studies; 10,778 participants) with no significant effect on energy intake. This study suggests peer interventions are effective in reducing waist circumference, but further research is needed to confirm its effect on other obesity‐related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The 2018 evidence‐based polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) guidelines recommend lifestyle management as first‐line treatment. This study aims to understand the preferred intervention characteristics of a PCOS lifestyle program from the perspectives of women with PCOS to inform the translation of the guidelines into practice. Methods: Women with self‐reported PCOS residing in Australia took part in semi‐structured interviews (n = 20) and an online survey (n = 286). The survey and interview schedule were developed using the template for intervention description and replication checklist. Results: Women want to take part in a lifestyle program (94.6%) and use government‐subsidised sessions to attend (83%). Sessions of 45 to 60 minutes (75%) costing less than AUD$50 are preferred (60%). Topics of most interest related to sustainable daily physical activity (58%), overcoming non‐hungry eating (54%), PCOS‐specific diets (51%) and how to overcome barriers to behaviour change (45%). A delivery mode that combines online and in‐person support is preferred (53%). Women are in need of long‐term professional lifestyle support (6‐12 months) that provides evidence‐based, PCOS‐specific, personalised prescription. Multidisciplinary support from a range of PCOS‐trained professions is also preferred to address women's physical, psychological and emotional needs. Conclusion: Women with PCOS are willing to take part in lifestyle programs that are low cost, long term, evidence based, PCOS‐specific and provide practical strategies for nutrition and physical activity changes. Future online and in‐person PCOS programs are strongly recommended to incorporate these findings to improve program engagement and patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Weight stigma is an important issue colliding with obesity‐related policies; both have population health and social impacts. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review of the peer‐reviewed literature that combined the concepts of stigma, obesity, and policy. We searched PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar for peer‐reviewed articles amalgamating terms relevant to stigma, obesity, and policy. Of 3219 records identified, 47 were included in the narrative synthesis. Two key types of studies emerged: studies investigating factors associated with support for obesity‐related policies and those exploring policy implementation and evaluation. We found that support for nonstigmatizing obesity‐related policies was higher when obesity was attributed as an environmental rather than individual problem. An undercurrent theme suggested that views that blame individuals for their obesity were associated with support for punitive policies for people living in larger bodies. Real‐world policies often implicitly condoned stigma through poor language choice and conflicting discourse. Our findings inform recommendations for policy makers that broader socioecological stigma‐reduction approaches are needed to fully address the issue of weight stigma in obesity‐related policies. Efforts are needed in the research and policy sectors to understand how to improve the design and support of nonstigmatizing obesity‐related policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Healthy lifestyle behaviors during the preconception period are important to optimize maternal and child outcomes, including weight. However, the majority of women do not have optimal preconception lifestyle behaviors. This systematic review explored enablers and barriers to women's preconception lifestyle behaviors using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour (COM‐B) model and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Preconception was defined as the time before conception, capturing planned and unplanned pregnancies. Medline Complete, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched for peer‐reviewed, quantitative and qualitative primary studies (English, 2006–2020) that explored enablers and barriers to lifestyle behaviors (diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, supplement intake). Forty‐two studies (of 3406) were included, assessing supplement use (n = 37), diet (n = 10), smoking (n = 10), alcohol use (n = 8), and physical activity (n = 5). All three COM‐B components were identified only for diet and supplement use. Of the 14 TDF domains, 7 were identified: knowledge, beliefs about capabilities, beliefs about consequences, goals, intentions, social support, and environmental context and resources. The presence/absence of knowledge on healthy behaviors was the most commonly assessed enabler/barrier. Future studies should explore a wider range of factors influencing preconception women's capability, opportunity, and motivation to modify their lifestyle behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a clear impetus for researchers to facilitate cross‐sector and interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve collective action for maternal obesity prevention. Building early‐ and mid‐career researchers' capacity to sustainably develop collective action into the future is key. Therefore, the national Health in Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Early‐ and Mid‐career Researcher Collective (HiPPP EMR‐C) was formed. Here, we describe the aim, key goals and future directions of the HiPPP EMR‐C. Guided by the Simplified Framework for Understanding Collective Action, we aim to build our capacity as researchers, form policy stakeholder relationships and focus on generating impact to optimise maternal and child health and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A healthy postpartum lifestyle is vital for the promotion of optimal maternal health, return to pre‐pregnancy weight and prevention of postpartum weight retention, but barriers exist. We performed a systematic review that aimed to describe the barriers and facilitators to a healthy lifestyle in the first 2 years postpartum from the perspectives of women and healthcare providers. Databases were searched for eligible studies published up to 26 August 2019. Following thematic analysis, identified themes were mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework and the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour model. We included 28 qualitative and quantitative studies after screening 15,643 citations and 246 full texts. We identified barriers and facilitators relating to capability (e.g., lack of knowledge regarding benefits of lifestyle behaviours; limitations in healthcare providers' skills in providing lifestyle support), opportunity (e.g., social support from partners, family, friends and healthcare providers; childcare needs) and motivation (e.g., identifying benefits of exercise and perception of personal health; enjoyment of the activity or food). We suggest intervention components to include in lifestyle interventions for postpartum women based on the identified themes. Our findings provide evidence to inform the development of interventions to support postpartum women in adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐quality mother–child interactions during the first 2,000 days, from conception to age 5 years, are considered crucial for preventing obesity development during early life stages. However, mother–child dyads interact within and are influenced by broader socio‐ecological contexts involved in shaping child development outcomes, including nutrition. Hence, the coexistence of both undernutrition and obesity has been noted in inequitable social conditions, with drivers of undernutrition and overnutrition in children sharing common elements, such as poverty and food insecurity. To date, a holistic life‐course approach to childhood obesity prevention that includes an equitable developmental perspective has not emerged. The World Health Organization (WHO) Nurturing Care Framework provides the foundation for reframing the narrative to understand childhood obesity through the lens of an equitable nurturing care approach to child development from a life‐course perspective. In this perspective, we outline our rationale for reframing the childhood narrative by integrating an equitable nurturing care approach to childhood obesity prevention. Four key elements of reframing the narrative include: (a) extending the focus from the current 1,000 to 2,000 days (conception to 5 years); (b) highlighting the importance of nurturing mutually responsive child‐caregiver connections to age 5; (c) recognition of racism and related stressors, not solely race/ethnicity, as part of adverse child experiences and social determinants of obesity; and (d) addressing equity by codesigning interventions with socially marginalized families and communities. An equitable, asset‐based engagement of families and communities could drive the transformation of policies, systems and social conditions to prevent childhood obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite clear priority and high costs of leadership capability programmes in healthcare, and significant investments into improving clinical leadership, there remains a prominent gap around evidence of effectiveness or impact on patient outcomes in Australia. We aimed to conduct a systematic review on postgraduate clinical leadership programmes to gather learnings on the processes, theoretical underpinnings, and impact of such programmes for medical and other health professionals. Our search included empirical, peer‐reviewed evaluations of Australian clinical leadership development programmes published between November 2008 and March 2019 and yielded 3284 records. Four studies met criteria. Findings revealed that currently, little value is placed on formal evaluations and peer‐reviewed publication including assessment of individual, organisational or system level impacts of clinical leadership development programmes, with limited evidence available on effective approaches to clinical leadership development in the Australian healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Physical activity and healthy diets are essential for the prevention of obesity and chronic disease that disparately impact women compared with men. Given the number of women engaged in the workforce, workplace interventions could improve lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes for women. This systematic review aimed to identify intervention characteristics of lifestyle programmes or organizational policy changes in the workplace associated with improved diet, physical activity, or weight‐related outcomes for working women using the template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist. Seven databases were searched for controlled studies published up to March 2019 that included a workplace diet and/or physical activity intervention. From 5,318 identified records, 20 studies (23 articles and 26 intervention arms) were included. Data were extracted on diet, physical activity, weight‐related outcomes, and TIDieR components. Findings indicated that group delivery may improve physical activity outcomes, and a high number of sessions may benefit weight‐related outcomes for physical activity interventions. Mixed interventions that included tailoring and input from non‐healthcare professionals may also enhance physical activity. In contrast, the role of mixed interventions in improving diet and weight‐related outcomes was less clear. Overall, workplace health programmes were effective at improving lifestyle behaviours for working women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many parenting programs delivered in Australia and Parents Building Solutions (PBS) is one of these. Collaboratively designed by Parentzone staff of Anglicare Victoria, it has a twenty year history of building the evidence base. PBS stands apart from other programs because parents actively co‐design the sessions and content with skilled facilitators. Understanding the drivers, processes and practices that make the co‐design methodology work, is fundamental to the implementation science that underpins the program.This study aimed to examine the way co‐design was used in the delivery of PBS, specifically looking at program implementation and outcomes. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with Parentzone staff (team leaders and facilitators) and parents who had recently completed a program. Ethics approval was provided and analysis was conducted using NVivo software with co‐design as the unit of analysis. Three major themes about co‐design were present across team leaders, facilitators and parents: 1) responsiveness and flexibility are central to the functionality of co‐design within PBS; 2) facilitators implement the co‐design methodology using a suite of knowledge and skills; and 3) parents report tangible results from participating in a co‐designed parenting program. There was an overwhelming appreciation from both facilitators and parents about the co‐designed implementation style. Facilitators and team leaders highly valued the flexibility of the program which enabled their ability to respond to parent's needs. Furthermore, parents believed they achieved tangible outcomes derived from strategies and support delivered in the program. The co‐design methodology used in PBS was evident for all stakeholders and was a driver of program implementation and its outcomes. The methodology described in this has practice implications for family therapists and others who work directly parents and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing use and costs associated with external management consultancy for healthcare improvement, there is a paucity of formal evaluations examining impact. This paper aims to: (i) discuss the potential benefits and disadvantages of external consultancies in addressing complex healthcare challenges and delivering healthcare improvement in Australia; and (ii) explore potential alternative models, including internal consultancy and hybrid models delivered through platforms of collaborative expertise. We propose that the substantive reliance on high cost external management consultancies without demonstrating value or benefit, is unsustainable. An integrative approach that embeds research and capacity building within healthcare services may be of value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prevention of excessive gestational weight gain during pregnancy is difficult; targeting women before pregnancy may be more effective. Aims: In order to generate knowledge that may influence the development of effective interventions to promote healthy weight in reproductive‐aged women, this study aimed to explore knowledge and belief formation regarding gestational weight gain for preconception and pregnant women. Materials and Methods: Women ≥18 years (preconception n = 265; pregnant women at 16 weeks gestation n = 271) completed questionnaires assessing knowledge and beliefs about gestational weight gain. Responses were categorised according to the 2009 Institute of Medicine gestational weight gain recommendations. Results: Preconception women exhibited poorer gestational weight gain knowledge than pregnant women, yet only half of pregnant women reported accurate gestational weight gain knowledge within the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Beliefs about gestational weight gain were also inaccurate for both preconception and pregnant women, with 34.1% of pregnant and 44.6% of preconception women expecting to gain less than recommendations. Gestational weight gain knowledge accounted for about half of the variance in gestational weight gain beliefs. Conclusions: Overall, the large inaccuracies in gestational weight gain knowledge and beliefs reported by both preconception and pregnant women suggest significant gaps in dissemination of gestational weight gain advice throughout the reproductive life phase. Knowledge is an important part of belief formation that can lead to appropriate weight gain. Hence, health professionals and policy makers should actively pursue opportunities to improve gestational weight gain knowledge in reproductive‐aged women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, there are few studies that have trialled structured intervention programmes designed to prevent excessive weight gain or combat existing overweight/obesity for young people living in out-of-home care. The Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) programme was designed to address this limitation and is, to our knowledge, the first programme that simultaneously encourages young people and their carers to engage in a healthy lifestyle. This is the second of two papers presenting the HEAL evaluation. The aim of this study was twofold: first, to explore the experiences and opinions of key stakeholders regarding the intervention programme; and second, to understand the key enablers and barriers to successful implementation of the HEAL programme in residential care. Seventeen carers and ten programme coordinators participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings demonstrated that HEAL was considered a valuable adjunct to the residential care programme, and was successful in raising awareness about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Positive behaviour change among the young people and carers' dietary, physical activity and sleeping habits, and the development of independent living skills were described. Barriers to implementation included leadership support and professional development of carers. Recommendations are made to improve implementation, particularly around the importance of increasing stakeholder 'buy-in'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Many women report declines in cognitive function during pregnancy, but attempts to empirically evaluate such changes have yielded inconsistent results. We aimed to determine whether pregnancy is associated with objective declines in cognitive functioning, and to assess the progression of any declines during pregnancy.Study Design: We undertook a meta-analysis, applying a random effects model, of 20 studies that have reported quantitative relationships between pregnancy and changes in cognition.Data Sources: Full text articles indexed by Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete, MEDLINE Complete, and PsychINFO.Data Synthesis: The 20 studies assessed included 709 pregnant women and 521 non-pregnant women. Overall cognitive functioning was poorer in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women (standardised mean difference [SMD], 0.52 [95% CI, 0.07-0.97]; P = 0.025). Analysis of cross-sectional studies found that general cognitive functioning (SMD, 1.28 [95% CI 0.26-2.30]; P = 0.014), memory (SMD, 1.47 [95% CI, 0.27-2.68]; P = 0.017), and executive functioning (SMD, 0.46 [95% CI, 0.03-0.89]; P = 0.036) were significantly reduced during the third trimester of pregnancy (compared with control women), but not during the first two trimesters. Longitudinal studies found declines between the first and second trimesters in general cognitive functioning (SMD, 0.29 [95% CI, 0.08-0.50]; P = 0.006) and memory (SMD, 0.33 [95% CI, 0.12-0.54]; P = 0.002), but not between the second and third trimesters.Conclusions: General cognitive functioning, memory, and executive functioning were significantly poorer in pregnant than in control women, particularly during the third trimester. The differences primarily develop during the first trimester, and are consistent with recent findings of long term reductions in brain grey matter volume during pregnancy. The impact of these effects on the quality of life and everyday functioning of pregnant women requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Young children from around the world are accessing the internet in ever increasing numbers. The rapid increase in internet activity by children aged 4–5 years in particular is due to the ease access enabled them by touchscreen internet‐enabled tablet technologies. With young children now online, often independently of adult supervision, the need for early childhood cyber‐safety education is becoming urgent. In this paper, we report the early findings from a project aimed at examining the development of cyber‐safety education for young children. We argue that cyber‐safety education for young children cannot be effectively developed without first considering young children's thinking about the internet. In this paper, we use Vygotsky's ideas about the development of mature concepts from the merging of everyday and scientific concepts. We identify the potential range of everyday concepts likely to form the basis of young children's thinking about the internet as a platform for cyber‐safety education in the early years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, there are few interventions that promote healthy lifestyles in the out-of-home care (OOHC) sector. The aim of this quantitative study was to measure the efficacy of the Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL) programme for young people who live in residential OOHC and their carers. Seventy young people and 177 carers were recruited between August 2012 and October 2014 from 48 residential care units across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, Australia. The HEAL programme included educational sessions for young people, and professional development for carers to foster healthy eating and physical activity. Young people and carers completed questionnaires measuring behavioural, psychosocial and motivational outcomes. Objective measures of height and weight were collected for young people and self-reported by carers. The findings revealed no evidence for the efficacy of the HEAL intervention for either young people or carers. The most likely explanation for the null result was difficulties associated with: (1) collecting quantitative data for evaluative purposes in vulnerable populations (particularly the impact of attrition on statistical power); and (2) implementing interventions in complex environments. We conclude with a summary of lessons learnt and recommendations for future research in this unique setting. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages There are a number of challenges inherent to collecting longitudinal data and/or employing a randomised trial design in this setting. Researchers working in this area need to acknowledge the critical need for this type of research but also consider alternative approaches to data collection., It is integral that organisational practices and/or policies are in place so that a HEAL philosophy is embedded in the residential OOHC culture; in other words, HEAL becomes a part of each organisation's values, goals and shared expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perinatal depression is a debilitating disorder experienced during pregnancy and/or the first year post‐partum. Recently, maternal dietary intake during pregnancy has emerged as a possible area of intervention for the prevention of mental disorders in women and their offspring. However, the relationship between antenatal diet quality and perinatal depressive symptoms remains poorly understood. The current study explored the predictive role of antenatal diet quality for antenatal and post‐natal depressive symptoms. Pregnant women (n = 167) were recruited between February 2010 and December 2011. Women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at time 1 [T1, mean weeks gestation = 16.70, standard deviation (SD) = 0.91], time 2 (T2, mean weeks gestation = 32.89, SD = 0.89) and time 3 (T3, mean weeks post‐partum = 13.51, SD = 1.97) and a food frequency questionnaire at T1 and T2. Diet quality was determined by extracting dietary patterns via principal components analysis. Two dietary patterns were identified: ‘healthy’ (including fruit, vegetables, fish and whole grains) and ‘unhealthy’ (including sweets, refined grains, high‐energy drinks and fast foods). Associations between dietary patterns and depressive symptoms were investigated by path analyses. While both ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ path models showed good fit, only one significant association consistent with study hypotheses was found, an ‘unhealthy’ diet was associated with increased depressive symptoms at 32 weeks gestation. Given that this association was cross‐sectional, it was not possible to make any firm conclusions about the predictive nature of either dietary patterns or depressive symptoms. Dietary intervention studies or larger prospective studies are therefore recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural influences on the body image of 133 female and 99 male Japanese adolescents aged 12-18 years (M = 15.9, SD = 1.2) were compared to those of a databank of 1233 female and 1149 male adolescents also aged 12-18 years (M = 14.9, SD = 1.5) from five cultures - Chinese, Malaysian, Australian, Tongan, and indigenous Fijian - surveyed previously using identical body image measures (Fuller-Tyszkiewicz et al., 2012). Japanese adolescents reported the highest levels of body dissatisfaction despite possessing among the lowest body mass index (BMI) and also reported among the highest levels of media influence on their body image. Subsequent path analyses revealed that for Japanese adolescents cultural identification with modern Japanese values were associated with increased body dissatisfaction, and that this association was mediated by level of media influence. These results highlight the importance of cultural influences, as well as individual differences in cultural values, in shaping Japanese adolescents' body image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is a period of significant cognitive, social and physiological change, presenting unique risk factors for weight gain. Childhood obesity research has traditionally focused on the influence of parent-level factors on children's eating and weight status. Increasingly, emphasis is turning towards the reciprocal nature of the parent-child relationship and its influence on health behaviour. A systematic literature review was conducted to investigate the relationship between parent-child relationship quality (defined as the felt emotional bond between parent and child) and obesogenic risk (weight status, eating attitudes and behaviours, level of physical activity and sedentary behaviour) in adolescence; 26 papers were included in the review. The results neither support nor challenge an association between parent-child relationship quality and weight, with study design flaws and limited measurement of the parent-child relationship precluding robust conclusions. The review does however suggests that several aspects of the parent-child relationship are important in understanding eating attitudes and behaviours, including the felt emotional bond between the parent and child, the child's perception of how much the parent cares for them and the mother's sensitivity towards the child. The need for further longitudinal research into the association between parent-child relationship quality and obesity risk across this developmental period is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of a health coaching (HC) intervention designed to prevent excessive gestational weight gain (GWG), and promote positive psychosocial and motivational outcomes in comparison with an Education Alone (EA) group.Design: Randomized-controlled trial.Methods: Two hundred and sixty-one women who were <18 weeks pregnant consented to take part. Those allocated to the HC group received a tailored HC intervention delivered by a Health Coach, whilst those in the EA group attended two education sessions. Women completed measures, including motivation, psychosocial variables, sleep quality, and knowledge, beliefs and expectations concerning GWG, at 15 weeks of gestation (Time 1) and 33 weeks of gestation (Time 2). Post-birth data were also collected at 2 months post-partum (Time 3).Results: There was no intervention effect in relation to weight gained during pregnancy, rate of excessive GWG or birth outcomes. The only differences between HC and EA women were higher readiness (b = 0.29, 95% CIs = 0.03-0.55, p < .05) and the importance to achieve a healthy GWG (b = 0.27, 95% CIs = 0.02-0.52, p < .05), improved sleep quality (b = -0.22, 95% CIs = -0.44 to -0.03, p < .05), and increased knowledge for an appropriate amount of GWG that would be best for their baby's health (b = -1.75, 95% CI = -3.26 to -0.24, p < .05) reported by the HC at Time 2.Conclusions: Whilst the HC intervention was not successful in preventing excessive GWG, several implications for the design of future GWG interventions were identified, including the burden of the intervention commitment and the use of weight monitoring.Statement Of Contribution: What is already known on the subject? Designing interventions to address gestational weight gain (GWG) continues to be a challenge. To date, health behaviour change factors have not been the focus of GWG interventions. What does this study add? Our health coaching (HC) intervention did not reduce GWG more so than education alone (EA). There was an intervention effect on readiness and importance to achieve healthy GWG. Yet there were no group differences regarding confidence to achieve healthy GWG post-intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our interviews suggest that motherhood during the pandemic can be stressful for these reasons, which could further contribute to the findings of Ceulemans et al. (2021).1 Postpartum women are more vulnerable to mental disorders compared with other population groups, which could be further worsened under pandemic conditions. Mental health status of pregnant and breastfeeding women during the COVID-19 pandemic - A multinational cross-sectional study. We read with great interest the article by Ceulemans et al.1 on maternal mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Extracted from the article]

Obesity in our childbearing population has increased to epidemic proportions in developed countries; efforts to address this issue need to focus on prevention. The Health in Preconception, Pregnancy and Postbirth ( HIPPP) Collaborative - a group of researchers, practitioners, policymakers and end-users - was formed to take up the challenge to address this issue as a partnership. Application of systems thinking, participatory systems modelling and group model building was used to establish research questions aiming to optimise periconception lifestyle, weight and health. Our goal was to reduce the burden of maternal obesity through systems change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Health behaviour theories acknowledge that beliefs, attitudes and knowledge contribute to health behaviours, yet the role of these cognitions in predicting weight gain during pregnancy has not been widely researched. Aims To explore and compare the predictive nature of gestational weight gain ( GWG) expectations and knowledge on weight gain during pregnancy. Materials and Methods One hundred and sixty-six women were tracked during pregnancy. Participants provided information on prepregnancy weight, height, GWG expectations and knowledge at 16-18 weeks' gestation (Time 1). To calculate gestational weight gain, prepregnancy weight was subtracted from weight at 36 weeks' gestation (collected at Time 2). Gestational weight gain above the Institute of Medicine's GWG recommendations was classified as excessive. A hierarchical regression examined the predictive nature of GWG expectations for actual GWG. Chi-square significance tests determined whether the accuracy of GWG knowledge differed depending on GWG status and prepregnancy BMI category. Results GWG expectations were a significant predictor of weight gain during pregnancy. Women who experienced excessive GWG were more likely to overestimate the minimum amount of weight that they needed to gain to have a healthy baby. Conclusions GWG expectations are predictive of actual GWG, and GWG knowledge among women is generally poor. In particular, overestimating of the minimum amount of weight to gain during pregnancy is associated with excessive GWG. As such, it may be beneficial to design interventions to prevent excessive GWG that targets these cognitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the influences of chronicity of, and time lag between, dietary restriction and binge outcome for predicting binge episode onset. Sixty-two women aged 18 to 40 years old completed an online survey at random intervals seven times daily for a 7-day period. Participants self-reported engagement in dietary restriction and/or binging, and temptation to binge. Consecutive instances of reported dietary restriction better predicted subsequent binges than single instances. As the time lag between the first report of dietary restriction and binge onset increased, a clear linear trend emerged, such that the value of restriction for predicting binges increased with the number of consecutive assessments in which they reported dietary restriction. A similar pattern was found when predicting temptation to binge. Present findings suggest that duration of restriction is a crucial determinant of binge onset. These findings have implications for clinical practice by highlighting the time course from dietary restriction to binging. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Post-partum weight retention ( PWR) has been identified as a critical pathway for long-term overweight and obesity. In recent years, psychological factors have been demonstrated to play a key role in contributing to and maintaining PWR. Design Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the relationship between post-partum psychological distress and PWR at 9 months, after controlling for maternal weight factors, sleep quality, sociocontextual influences, and maternal behaviours. Method Pregnant women ( N = 126) completed a series of questionnaires at multiple time points from early pregnancy until 9 months post-partum. Results Hierarchical regression indicated that gestational weight gain, shorter duration (6 months or less) of breastfeeding, and post-partum body dissatisfaction at 3 and 6 months are associated with higher PWR at 9 months; stress, depression, and anxiety had minimal influence. Conclusion Interventions aimed at preventing excessive PWR should specifically target the prevention of body dissatisfaction and excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Post-partum weight retention ( PWR) is a critical pathway for long-term overweight and obesity., Causes of PWR are complex and multifactorial., There is increasing evidence that psychological factors play a key role in predicting high PWR., What does this study add? Post-partum body dissatisfaction at 3 and 6 months is associated with PWR at 9 months post-birth., Post-partum depression, stress and anxiety have less influence on PWR at 9 months., Interventions aimed at preventing excessive PWR should target body dissatisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Longitudinal evidence of relationships between unhealthy diets and BMI in children is crucial for appropriately targeting obesity prevention activities. The objective was to determine the relationship between frequency of consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) and high fat foods (HFFs) and body weight in Australian children aged from 4 to 10 years. Methods Data from 4,164 children participating in four waves (wave 1, 2004; wave 2, 2006; wave 3, 2008; and wave 4, 2010) of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were analyzed. A multi-level growth model tested relationships between consumption of SSB and HFF and BMI z-scores. Results BMI z-scores were associated with daily consumption of HFF, SSB and maternal BMI independent of BMI z-scores at wave 1 (baseline); with each additional occurrence of SSB and HFF consumption intake per day, BMI z-score increased by 0.015 U ( P < 0.01) and 0.014 U ( P < 0.001), respectively. With each additional maternal BMI unit, BMI z-score increased by 0.032 ( P < 0.001). Conclusions Higher BMI z-scores were strongly associated with the consumption of SSBs and HFFs. Future efforts to prevent obesity should consider urgent action to address the impact of the consumption of SSBs and HFFs in childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing healthy eating habits early in life is one important strategy to combat childhood obesity. Given that early maternal child feeding practices have been linked to child food intake and weight, identifying the maternal correlates of maternal child feeding practices is important in order to understand the determinants of childhood obesity; this was the overall aim of the current review. Academic databases were searched for studies examining the relationship between maternal child feeding practices and parenting, personal characteristics and psychopathology of mothers with preschoolers. Papers were limited to those published in English, between January 2000 and June 2012. Only studies with mothers of normally developing children between the ages of 2 and 6 years were included. There were no restrictions regarding the inclusion of maternal nationality or socioeconomic status ( SES). Seventeen eligible studies were sourced. Information on the aim, sample, measures and findings of these was summarised into tables. The findings of this review support a relationship between maternal controlling parenting, general and eating psychopathology, and SES and maternal child feeding practices. The main methodological issues of the studies reviewed included inconsistency in measures of maternal variables across studies and cross-sectional designs. We conclude that the maternal correlates associated with maternal child feeding practices are complex, and the pathways by which maternal correlates impact these feeding practices require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Approximately 50% of Australian adult women of childbearing age are overweight or obese, and, when pregnant, the majority gain excessive weight; this is also the case in the United States and other developed nations. High gestational weight gain (GWG) is the strongest predictor of maternal overweight/obesity postbirth and is also associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity. Understanding factors that contribute to excessive GWG is vital in combating obesity. The aim of the current study was to examine whether body image attitudes (eg, feeling fat, attractive, or strong and fit, and salience of weight and shape) predict GWG. Methods Pregnant women, recruited through advertisements on pregnancy online forums and parenting magazines, completed questionnaires assessing body image, demographic variables, and GWG. The Body Attitudes Questionnaire assessed body image in early-to-middle, middle, and late pregnancy (mean of 16.8, 24.7, and 33.0 weeks' gestation, respectively). Total GWG was calculated by subtracting self-reported pre pregnancy weight from self-reported weight at 36.8 weeks' gestation. Results A total of 150 pregnant women responded to the study's advertisements, and 72% ( n = 108) took part. After controlling for pre pregnancy body mass index (BMI), lower attractiveness in early-to-middle pregnancy was associated with higher GWG. In late pregnancy, women who had the lowest feelings of fatness had greater GWG. Body image attitudes earlier in pregnancy did not predict whether GWG recommendations were exceeded. Women of higher BMI were more likely to gain excessive weight. Discussion The findings suggest that the type and timing of pregnancy, body attitudes, and the time of pregnancy when they are noted, predict GWG. However, more research in the area is needed, including assessment of the relationship between body image concerns, GWG, and other psychosocial factors. We recommend that midwives monitor body image concerns in pregnancy to help address factors affecting GWG in at-risk women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss the recommendation around the television (TV) use of pre-school children in Australia and the implication of the guidelines when considering data pertaining to their TV viewing behavior. They mention that the country's screen time recommendations have been predominately time-based. They also tackle the lacking aspects for the TV viewing recommendations, such as the issue of food advertising and its influence on eating and physical activity habits.

We administered a paper-and-pencil questionnaire to 133 female and 99 male Japanese high school students 13-18 years old ( M = 15.9, SD = 1.57) from the Kansai area to examine cultural influences on their body image and body change behaviours. Our aim was to ascertain the independent and combined influences from traditional Japanese, modern Japanese, and Western values. Cluster analyses identified four 'acculturative' groups: 'anti-modern', 'traditional', 'pro-modern/anti-traditional', and 'pro- Western/anti- Japanese'. Pro-modern and pro- Western adolescents were most dissatisfied with their bodies, and pro-Western adolescents were also most likely to attempt weight loss. The results demonstrate the value of assessing cultural interactions in Japan along three dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: The mechanisms underlying the relationship between television (TV) viewing and weight status in preschool aged children are not well understood. This study aimed to explore the relationships between preschool children's TV viewing habits (i.e. time spent viewing, content watched and foods eaten while viewing), daily food intake, general physical activity levels and their body mass index (BMI). Method: A cross-sectional sample of preschool children in Melbourne (n = 135). Mothers of preschoolers completed a 3-day TV diary; information was collected on viewing time, content and food consumed while watching TV. Mothers also reported their child's height, weight and physical activity behaviour. Associations between study and outcome variables were determined by bivariate correlations and hierarchical regression analyses. Results: Mean age of preschoolers was 4.5 years and 14% were overweight or obese. The mean daily time spent watching TV was 90.7 minutes (SD 50.7) A small, positive correlation was found between viewing TV on weekdays and child BMIz, (p<0.05). This effect was moderate when controlled for total kilojoules consumed while watching TV (on weekdays) and number of minutes spent in sedentary activities (across three days). Conclusions: This study suggests that TV viewing may affect preschool child weight status through displacement of physical activity or eating while viewing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate maternal child feeding practices, maternal parenting characteristics and mother-child interactions as cross-sectional predictors of child eating and/or weight within the one sample. Maternal pressure for her child to eat was a significant positive correlate of fussiness and a negative correlate of enjoyment. Maternal parenting warmth was associated negatively with child BMI z, while mother-child dysfunctional interaction was associated positively with child BMI z. Our findings suggest that childhood obesity research may be better informed by evaluating not just what mothers do (feeding practices) but also how they parent (parenting behaviours and interactions with their child). Longitudinal studies are needed to identify causal influences of parenting on preschool child eating and weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall aim of this study was to examine obesogenic factors in children from single and dual parent families. Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) (8,717 children) were analyzed to examine the differences in children's activity levels, dietary intake and BMI according to parental status and determine the likelihood of childhood overweight and obesity in a single-parent household. There were higher rates of overweight and obesity in girls aged four to nine whose parents were single (OR 1:60). Children in single-parent households watched more television, ate more food high in fat and sugar and less fresh fruit and vegetables than children from dual-parent households. The findings suggested that an additive effect of dietary and activity variables may contribute to the higher rates of overweight and obesity in Australian children, and that girls from single-parent households may be particularly at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to extend previous research of men's experiences of pregnancy; 48 Australian men and their pregnant partners took part. Most men reported feeling positive about the pregnancy, emotionally well supported and well informed. Men reported receiving more valuable information from their partner than from doctors/obstetricians, family or the internet and were accurate observers of women's depression levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) is growing in Australia, with women higher users than men. Yet, only a few Australian studies have explored the use of CAM during pregnancy. Aims: To explore the use of CAM, the types of CAM practitioners consulted, physical symptoms/complaints for which CAM are used by a sample of pregnant Australian women, and women's perceptions of the efficacy of CAM in treating those complaints. Methods: Three hundred and twenty-one pregnant women, who volunteered for a study exploring women's well-being during pregnancy, completed a self-report questionnaire in their late second/early third trimester. Results: Seventy-three per cent of women had used at least one kind of complementary therapy in the prior eight weeks of pregnancy. Over one-third of the women had visited at least one alternative medicine practitioner during pregnancy. Approximately one-third of the women reported taking CAM to alleviate a specific physical symptom, with 95.7% of these women reporting they either got completely better or a little bit better with use of CAM; one quarter reported planning to use an alternative therapy to assist with labour preparation. Age, number of physical symptoms experienced, income level and level of education were not associated with greater use of CAM ( P < 0.05); however, women reporting more physical symptoms were more likely to consult a CAM practitioner. Conclusion: Findings highlight the substantial use of CAM during pregnancy and the need to have all health professionals adequately informed about such therapies during this life stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]