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: Objective: To report the prevalence of healthy weight and related behaviours among Victorian Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal children and explore associations between these factors and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: Analysis of cross‐sectional data from two cluster randomised controlled trials using logistic and linear mixed models. The sample included Aboriginal (n=303) and non‐Aboriginal (n=3,026) children aged 8–13 years. Results: More than two‐thirds of Aboriginal children met guidelines for fruit (75.9%), sweetened drinks (66.7%), sleep (73.1%), screen time (67.7%) and objectively measured physical activity (83.6%); and 79.1% reported consuming take‐away foods less than once per week. Aboriginal children were more likely to meet vegetable consumption guidelines (OR=1.42, 95%CI: 1.05, 1.93), but less likely to have a healthy weight (OR=0.66, 95%CI: 0.52, 0.85) than non‐Aboriginal children. Mean HRQoL scores were significantly higher among non‐Aboriginal children and both Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal children meeting health guidelines. Conclusions: Most Aboriginal children in this study met guidelines for fruit, physical activity, screen time and sleep, and those meeting these guidelines had significantly higher HRQoL. Implications for public health: Promoting nutrition, physical activity and sleep is likely to benefit all children. Aboriginal community‐controlled organisations can use these data to design culturally‐specific programs that may improve disparities in healthy weight and HRQoL., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have lived on the lands, now known as Australia, for over 65,000 years, and are one of the world's oldest continuous populations.[sup.1] Compared to [...]

Implementation of effective cross-sectoral nutrition policies remains a challenge worldwide. By reviewing reports from World Health Organization meetings and consultations - convened for policy-makers representing Member States of the Western Pacific Region--we provide an insight into how national policy-makers and external actors can support different dimensions of nutrition policy implementation. Key insights of policy-makers attending food and nutrition-centred meetings include that country-level implementation of nutrition policy relies on strong policy design, organizational planning and governance mechanisms that promote collective responsibility across multiple sectors. Policy-makers responsible for implementing nutrition policies face major challenges resulting from limited capacity, both within and external to government, particularly in relation to monitoring and enforcement activities. Successful implementation of nutrition policy measures will require greater political will to provide the requisite resources and institutional structures to ensure sustained policy effectiveness. Nongovernmental partners, including international agencies and researchers, have an opportunity to support policy implementation by providing technical support to Member States to frame action on nutrition in a more compelling way. They can also help policy-makers to build the organizational and structural capacity to coordinate cross-sectoral policy. Improved policy design, planning and governance and strategic capacity-building, supported by external partners, can strengthen the sustained implementation of cross-sectoral nutrition policy and improve nutrition outcomes. Le deploiement de mesures nutritionnelles intersectorielles efficaces reste un defi a travers le monde. En examinant des rapports de reunions et consultations convoquees par Organisation mondiale de la Sante (OMS) pour les representants des Etats Membres de la Region du Pacifique occidental, nous analysons la maniere dont les responsables politiques nationaux et les acteurs externes peuvent y contribuer a differents niveaux. Parmi les principaux enseignements tires des responsables ayant participe a des reunions sur l'alimentation et la nutrition, citons la necessite d'elaborer une politique solide pour appliquer des mesures nutritionnelles a l'echelle nationale, la planification organisationnelle et les mecanismes de gouvernance qui font appel a la responsabilite collective dans de multiples secteurs. Les legislateurs charges d'appliquer ces mesures nutritionnelles sont confrontes a des defis majeurs car ils disposent de capacites limitees, tant au sein du gouvernement qu'en dehors, en particulier lorsqu'il s'agit d'activites de surveillance et d'execution. Pour que la mise en reuvre de telles mesures soit couronnee de succes, il faut consolider la volonte politique afin de fournir les ressources et les structures institutionnelles requises pour garantir une efficacite durable. Les partenaires non gouvernementaux, notamment les chercheurs et les organismes internationaux, peuvent soutenir cette mise en reuvre en apportant une assistance technique aux Etats Membres, dans le but d'encadrer les mesures nutritionnelles de facon plus convaincante. Ils peuvent egalement aider les legislateurs a developper les capacites structurelles et organisationnelles leur permettant de coordonner les politiques intersectorielles. Ameliorer la gouvernance, la planification, l'elaboration de politiques et la creation de capacites strategiques avec le concours de partenaires externes peut renforcer l'application a long terme de politiques nutritionnelles intersectorielles et generer de meilleurs resultats en matiere de nutrition. La aplicacion de politicas intersectoriales de nutricion efectivas sigue siendo un desafio a nivel mundial. Mediante la revision de los informes de las reuniones y consultas de la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS), dirigidas a los responsables de formular politicas que representan a los Estados miembros de la region del Pacifico Occidental, se presenta una reflexion sobre como los responsables de formular las politicas nacionales y los agentes externos pueden apoyar las diferentes dimensiones de la aplicacion de las politicas de nutricion. Entre los principales puntos de vista de los responsables de formular politicas que asistieron a las reuniones sobre alimentacion y nutricion figura la idea de que la aplicacion de las politicas de nutricion a nivel nacional depende de un diseno solido de las politicas, de la planificacion organizativa y de los mecanismos de gobernanza que promueven la responsabilidad colectiva en multiples sectores. Las autoridades responsables de aplicar las politicas de nutricion se enfrentan a importantes retos derivados de la limitada capacidad, tanto dentro como fuera del gobierno, sobre todo en relacion con las actividades de seguimiento y cumplimiento. El exito de la aplicacion de las medidas politicas sobre nutricion requerira una mayor voluntad politica para suministrar los recursos necesarios y las estructuras institucionales que garanticen la efectividad sostenida de las politicas. Los asociados no gubernamentales, incluidos los organismos internacionales y los investigadores, tienen la oportunidad de apoyar la aplicacion de las politicas al proporcionar apoyo tecnico a los Estados miembros para estructurar las medidas sobre nutricion de manera mas convincente. Tambien pueden ayudar a los responsables de formular politicas a crear la capacidad organizativa y estructural necesaria para coordinar las politicas intersectoriales. La mejora del diseno, la planificacion y la gobernanza de las politicas, asi como la creacion de capacidades estrategicas, con el apoyo de asociados externos, pueden reforzar la aplicacion sostenida de las politicas intersectoriales de nutricion para mejorar sus resultados. [phrase omitted], Introduction Since 2015, undernourishment as well as the prevalence of overweight and obesity have increased in many countries. (1) The burden of malnutrition is a global health priority and Member [...]

Background: Over a quarter of children aged 2–17 years living in Australia are overweight or obese, with a higher prevalence reported in regional and remote communities. Systems thinking approaches that seek to support communities to generate and implement locally appropriate solutions targeting intertwined environmental, political, sociocultural, and individual determinants of obesity have the potential to ameliorate this. There have however been reported challenges with implementation of such initiatives, which may be strengthened by incorporating implementation science methods. Methods: This pilot randomised controlled trial protocol outlines the development and proposed evaluation of a multicomponent implementation strategy (Action-RESPOND). to increase the implementation of community-based systems thinking child obesity prevention initiatives The target of this intervention is ten rural and regional communities (or local government areas as the unit of allocation) within Northeast Victoria who were participants in a whole-of-systems intervention (RESPOND). Action-RESPOND builds on this intervention by assessing the impact of offering additional implementation strategies to five communities relative to usual care. The development of the multicomponent implementation strategy was informed by the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework and consists of seven implementation strategies primarily delivered via 'facilitation' methods. Implementation strategies aimed to ensure initiatives implemented are i) evidence-based, ii) address community's specific needs and iii) are suitable for local context. Strategies also aimed to increase the community's capacity to implement, through iv) improving the health promotion team's implementation knowledge and skills, fostering v) leadership, vi) physical resources and vii) community culture to drive implementation. The feasibility, acceptability, potential impact, and cost of the strategy will be assessed at baseline and follow up using surveys administered to key representatives within the community and internal records maintained by the research team. Discussion: By leveraging an existing community-based whole-of-systems intervention, Action-RESPOND offers a unique opportunity to collect pilot feasibility and early empirical data on how to apply implementation and systems science approaches to support obesity prevention in rural and regional communities in Victoria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]