ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6590-0486
Current Organisation
Deakin University
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Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 14-08-2023
DOI: 10.2196/50696
Abstract: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with the prevention, identification, and management of eating disorders and body image concerns is exciting, but it is not without risk. Technology is advancing rapidly, and ensuring that responsible standards are in place to mitigate risk and protect users is vital to the success and safety of technologies and users.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 17-09-2018
Abstract: urrently, Australian children and adults are eating too much salt, increasing their risk of cardiovascular-related conditions. Web-based programs provide an avenue to engage the parents of primary schoolchildren in salt-specific messages, which may positively impact their own salt-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KABs). his pilot study aimed to determine whether parents’ salt-related KABs improved following participation in the Digital Education to LImit Salt in the Home (DELISH) Web-based education program. he DELISH program was a 5-week, home-delivered, Web-based intervention, with a pre- and posttest design, targeting schoolchildren aged 7 to 10 years and their parents. Parents received weekly Web-based educational newsletters and text messages and completed online pre- and postprogram surveys assessing salt-related KABs. Upon completion of the program, all parents were also invited to complete an online evaluation survey. Changes in KABs outcomes were assessed using McNemar tests and paired t tests. f the 80 parents that commenced the program, 73 parents (mean age 41.0, SD 7.0 years 86% (63/73) females) completed both pre- and postsurveys. Overall, mean score for salt-related knowledge improved (+3.6 [standard error (SE) 0.41] points), and mean behavior score also improved (+4.5 [SE 0.61] points), indicating a higher frequency of engaging in behaviors to reduce salt in the diet, and mean attitude score decreased (−0.7 [SE 0.19] points), representing lower importance of using salt to enhance the taste of food (all P .001). Following participation, the proportion of parents aware of the daily salt intake recommendation increased from 40% (29/73) to 74% (54/73) (P .001), and awareness of bread as the main source of salt increased from 58% (42/73) to 95% (69/73) (P .001). The proportion of parents who agreed that salt should be used in cooking to enhance the flavor of food decreased from 30% (22/73) to 11% (8/73) (P=.002) and the proportion who agreed that sodium information displayed on food labels was difficult to understand decreased from 52% (38/73) to 32% (23/73) (P=.009). There was a reduction in the proportion of parents who reported adding salt during cooking (55% [40/73] vs 41% [30/73] P=.03) and at the table (32% [23/73] vs 18% [13/73] P=.002). Of the 16 parents who completed the evaluation survey, 75% (12/16) enjoyed the program, and all parents found the newsletters to be useful. Almost all parents (15/16, 94%) agreed that the DELISH program would be useful to other parents. he improvement in salt-related KABs in the DELISH program indicates the potential for online technology, to disseminate simple salt reduction education messages to families with primary school–aged children. Future work should seek to improve the quality of data collected by including a larger s le size and a control group to integrate the program within the school setting to enable wider dissemination.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JNEB.2018.04.002
Abstract: To determine the efficacy of a Web-based salt reduction program on children's salt-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KABs), self-efficacy, and intake of dietary salt. Pretest and posttest. An online survey determined KABs and self-efficacy and a 24-hour urine collection revealed salt intake. Victoria, Australia. Child-parent dyads (n = 102) recruited from 5 government schools. A 5-week behavior-based education program delivered via weekly online interactive education sessions. Change in KABs, self-efficacy, and daily salt intake. Changes in outcomes were assessed using McNemar test, paired t test, and Cohen's δ (CD). A total of 83 children participated (mean age, 9.2 years [SD, 0.8 years] 59% girls) 35% to 76% of children viewed weekly education session. Children with complete survey data (n = 75) had improved scores for salt-related knowledge (+3.6 ± 0.4 points P < .001 CD: 1.16), behaviors (+1.3 ± 0.1 points P < .001 CD: 1.08), and self-efficacy (+0.9 ± 0.2 points P < .001 CD: 0.64), but not attitude. Children with valid urine collections (n = 51) showed no change in salt intake. Participation resulted in improvement of salt related knowledge, self-efficacy and behavior. Further research is required to confirm these results using a more robust study design which includes a control group. In addition, the long term impact on children's salt intakes of comparable education programs needs to be assessed.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-07-2020
DOI: 10.1093/HER/CYAA015
Abstract: This study explored the views of participants who completed a 5-week, online, interactive, family-based, salt reduction education program (Digital Education to LImit Salt in the Home). A secondary aim was to explore the views of school staff on the delivery of food and nutrition education in schools. Children aged 7–10 years, their parents and principals/teachers from participating schools located in Victoria, Australia, completed a semi-structured evaluation interview. Audio-recordings of interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using NVivo. Twenty-eight interviews (13 children 11 parents 4 school staff) were included. Thematic analysis revealed that the program was well received by all groups. Children reported that the interactivity of the education sessions helped them to learn. Parents thought the program was interesting and important, and reported learning skills to reduce salt in the family diet. School staff supported the delivery of nutrition education in schools but indicated difficulties in sourcing well-packed nutrition resources aligned with the curriculum. It appears that there is support from parents and teachers in the delivery of innovative, engaging, nutrition education in schools, however such programs need to be of high quality, aligned with the school curriculum and readily available for incorporation within the school’s teaching program.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-02-2021
DOI: 10.1002/EAT.23469
Abstract: Gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances are a frequent and burdensome experience for patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). How GI symptoms respond to current interventions is not well characterized, yet is critical to facilitate treatment success, and to inform the development of new treatments for AN. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to identify which treatments are effective in improving GI symptoms in patients with AN. A systematic search for studies of AN treatments measuring GI symptoms pre‐ and post‐treatment was conducted in May 2020 (PROSPERO ID: CRD42020181328). After removal of duplicates, title and abstracts of 3,370 studies were screened. Methodological quality was assessed using National Institute of Health Quality Assessment Tool. Following full‐text screening, 13 studies (12 observational studies and 1 randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial) with 401 participants met eligibility criteria and were included. All observational studies included a component of nutritional rehabilitation, with half ( n = 6) involving concurrent psychological treatment. The randomized controlled trial reported a drug therapy. Eleven studies reported an improvement in all ( n = 6) or at least one ( n = 5) patient‐reported GI symptom following treatment. Two studies reported no change. Methodological quality was fair or poor across all studies. This is the first systematic review to synthesize available evidence on the trajectory of patient‐reported GI symptoms from commencement to end of treatment for AN. The results suggest that most studies showed improvement in one or more GI symptom in response to current treatments. Future therapeutic approaches should consider GI symptoms within their design for optimal treatment adherence and outcomes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2021
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 13-02-2019
DOI: 10.3390/NU11020388
Abstract: Australian children consume too much salt, primarily from processed foods where salt is often used to enhance flavour. Few studies have assessed children’s salt preference in commercially available foods. This study aims to assess (1) children’s preference and ability to discriminate between salt levels in two commercially available foods and (2) if preference or ability to discriminate between salt levels changes after an education program. Chips and corn flakes were tasted at three levels of salt concentration. Children ranked which they liked best (preference) and which was saltiest (ability to discriminate). The proportion of children across categorical responses was assessed (Chi squared and McNemar’s test) together with changes in preference and ability to discriminate between salt levels from timepoint 1 (T1) to timepoint 2 (T2). Ninety-two children (57% female, mean age 9.1 years (SD 0.8)) participated. At T1 approximately one-half and two-thirds of children preferred the highest salt chip and cornflake, respectively, (both p 0.05). Fifty-seven percent and 63% of children identified the highest level of salt in chips and cornflakes as the saltiest, respectively. Preference and ability to discriminate between salt levels were unchanged between timepoints. Results support product reformulation to decrease salt content of foods provided to children.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 13-07-2023
Abstract: he use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with the prevention, identification, and management of eating disorders and body image concerns is exciting, but it is not without risk. Technology is advancing rapidly, and ensuring that responsible standards are in place to mitigate risk and protect users is vital to the success and safety of technologies and users.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 25-02-2019
DOI: 10.2196/12234
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 23-08-2020
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 30-09-2022
DOI: 10.3390/JCM11195833
Abstract: Despite advances in treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN), current therapeutic approaches do not fully consider gastrointestinal disturbances (GID), often present in AN. Addressing GID, both symptoms and disorders, is likely to improve treatment adherence and outcomes in people with AN. GID are complex and are linked to a range of factors related to eating disorder symptomology and can be impacted by nutritional treatment. It is not known which dietetic practices are currently used to address GID in AN. Therefore, this survey aimed to explore the perceived knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of Australian dietitians treating AN and co-occurring GID. Seventy dietitians participated by completing an online survey. Knowledge scores were calculated based on correct responses to knowledge items (total: 12 points) and two groups were generated: higher knowledge (≥10 points, n = 31) and lower knowledge (≤9 points, n = 39). A greater proportion of dietitians with higher knowledge recognized the role of GID in pathogenesis of AN (p = 0.002) and its impact on quality of life (p = 0.013) and screened for GID (p ≤ 0.001), compared with those with lower knowledge. These results suggest that attitudes and practices toward patients presenting with AN and GID differ depending on level of knowledge. This may have important implications for treatment outcomes for in iduals with AN and GID.
Publisher: JMIR Publications Inc.
Date: 31-05-2017
DOI: 10.2196/RESPROT.7597
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-06-2020
DOI: 10.1002/EAT.23322
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-11-2020
DOI: 10.1007/S00394-019-02151-W
Abstract: Urinary iodine concentration (UIC (μg/ml) from spot urine s les collected from school-aged children is used to determine the iodine status of populations. Some studies further extrapolate UIC to represent daily iodine intake, based on the assumption that children pass approximately 1 L urine over 24-h, but this has never been assessed in population studies. Therefore, the present review aimed to collate and produce an estimate of the average 24-h urine volume of children and adolescents ( 1 year and 19 years) from published studies. EBSCOHOST and EMBASE databases were searched to identify studies which reported the mean 24-h urinary volume of healthy children ( 1 year and 19 years). The overall mean (95% CI) estimate of 24-h urine volume was determined using a random effects model, broken down by age group. Of the 44 studies identified, a meta-analysis of 27 studies, with at least one criterion for assessing the completeness of urine collections, indicated that the mean urine volume of 2–19 year olds was 773 (654, 893) (95% CI) mL/24-h. When broken down by age group, mean (95% CI) 24-h urine volume was 531 mL/day (454, 607) for 2–5 year olds, 771 mL/day (734, 808) for 6–12 year olds, and 1067 mL/day (855, 1279) for 13–19 year olds. These results demonstrate that the average urine volume of children aged 2–12 years is less than 1 L, therefore, misclassification of iodine intakes may occur when urine volumes fall below or above 1 L. Future studies utilizing spot urine s les to assess iodine status should consider this when extrapolating UIC to represent iodine intakes of a population.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-08-2023
DOI: 10.1002/EAT.24033
Abstract: The gut microbiota is implicated in several symptoms and biological pathways relevant to anorexia nervosa (AN). Investigations into the role of the gut microbiota in AN are growing, with a specific interest in the changes that occur in response to treatment. Findings suggest that microbial species may be associated with some of the symptoms common in AN, such as depression and gastrointestinal disturbances (GID). Therefore, researchers believe the gut microbiota may have therapeutic relevance. Whilst research in this field is rapidly expanding, the unique considerations relevant to conducting gut microbiota research in in iduals with AN must be addressed. We provide an overview of the published literature investigating the relationship between the gut microbiota and symptoms and behaviors present in AN, discuss important challenges in gut microbiota research, and offer recommendations for addressing these. We conclude by summarizing research design priorities for the field to move forward. Several ways exist to reduce participant burden and accommodate challenges when researching the gut microbiota in in iduals with AN. Recommendations from this article are foreseen to encourage scientific rigor and thoughtful protocol planning for microbiota research in AN, including ways to reduce participant burden. Employing such methods will contribute to a better understanding of the role of the gut microbiota in AN pathophysiology and treatment. The field of gut microbiota research is rapidly expanding, including the role of the gut microbiota in anorexia nervosa. Thoughtful planning of future research will ensure appropriate data collection for meaningful interpretation while providing a positive experience for the participant. We present current challenges, recommendations for research design and priorities to facilitate the advancement of research in this field.
Location: Indonesia
No related grants have been discovered for Madeline West.