Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101053
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,556.00
Summary
Influence of parent and educator feeding practices on child self-regulation. This project aims to be the first study to investigate whether children who experience consistent and responsive feeding practices both at home and in early childhood education and care have higher levels of self-regulation, optimal eating behaviour and diet quality. The project expects to develop simple and low-cost strategies that parents and educators can use at mealtimes to enhance child self-regulation. With one mi ....Influence of parent and educator feeding practices on child self-regulation. This project aims to be the first study to investigate whether children who experience consistent and responsive feeding practices both at home and in early childhood education and care have higher levels of self-regulation, optimal eating behaviour and diet quality. The project expects to develop simple and low-cost strategies that parents and educators can use at mealtimes to enhance child self-regulation. With one million Australian children in care during their parent’s working week, outcomes of this project have widespread benefits. Higher self-regulation improves a child's health and well-being and provides short- and long-term social and economic benefits including school readiness, academic achievement and workforce participation.Read moreRead less
Addressing Child Nutritional Deficiency Through Development of a Nutritious Food Based on Dried Vegetable or Fruit. A significant proportion of Australian children are deficient in nutrients that dramatically affect mental and physical development. To improve health and wellness, micronutrients must be in a palatable form and be sufficiently absorbed to improve nutritional status. To optimise stability during processing, sensory quality and metabolic absorption, appropriate micronutrient food fo ....Addressing Child Nutritional Deficiency Through Development of a Nutritious Food Based on Dried Vegetable or Fruit. A significant proportion of Australian children are deficient in nutrients that dramatically affect mental and physical development. To improve health and wellness, micronutrients must be in a palatable form and be sufficiently absorbed to improve nutritional status. To optimise stability during processing, sensory quality and metabolic absorption, appropriate micronutrient food fortification technology must be used. This project proposes a unique linkage between three distinct University faculties and Industry, to combine the development of novel fortified dried-vegetable and/or fruit leathers with an efficient process for their production, nutritional studies to assess their absorption, and target market (young children) acceptance studies.Read moreRead less
Seeding Success: Identifying Factors That Contribute To Positive Early Childhood Health And Development In Aboriginal Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$692,845.00
Summary
This study will identify the key drivers of positive early childhood health and development in Aboriginal children, and the features of local communities and early childhood service provision that make a tangible difference, using a large population-based cohort of children in NSW. We will apply novel methods for using linked population data that can be used to inform program planning and evaluation nationally, and will advance theory, research and practice to "seed success" for Aboriginal child ....This study will identify the key drivers of positive early childhood health and development in Aboriginal children, and the features of local communities and early childhood service provision that make a tangible difference, using a large population-based cohort of children in NSW. We will apply novel methods for using linked population data that can be used to inform program planning and evaluation nationally, and will advance theory, research and practice to "seed success" for Aboriginal children.Read moreRead less
Achieving Better Mental Health For Maltreated Children: Translating Population Data Into Policy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$522,706.00
Summary
This project uses linked population data to determine (a) the earliest indicators of risk of harm, and (b) mental health outcomes and health-care costs associated with children receiving child protection services, in partnership with the NSW department of Family and Community Services. The findings will ensure timely and effective responses to the most vulnerable children to mitigate adverse mental health and other outcomes associated with early life adversity.
How eating patterns interact with activity, sleep and mood. This project aims to understand temporal eating patterns (the timing and distribution of food intake and eating occasions across the day) among adults and how these eating patterns interact with activity and sleep patterns. Eating, activity and sleep patterns form a lifestyle triad which may be important for well-being and productivity. The project will study eating, activity and sleep patterns in daily life, to examine their social dri ....How eating patterns interact with activity, sleep and mood. This project aims to understand temporal eating patterns (the timing and distribution of food intake and eating occasions across the day) among adults and how these eating patterns interact with activity and sleep patterns. Eating, activity and sleep patterns form a lifestyle triad which may be important for well-being and productivity. The project will study eating, activity and sleep patterns in daily life, to examine their social drivers, interactions and effect on mood. This project could enable these behaviours to be targeted, with the potential to promote healthy lifestyles and improve health, quality of life and productivity.Read moreRead less
Child health and developmental inequities: Evidence for precision policy. The project aims to use cutting edge analytic approaches applied to existing data to identify how policy interventions related to parents’ mental health, preschool programs, and the built environment can be optimised to reduce inequities in children’s mental, academic, and physical health outcomes. The project will be informed by our partners and advisers from across government portfolios and service delivery, ensuring tha ....Child health and developmental inequities: Evidence for precision policy. The project aims to use cutting edge analytic approaches applied to existing data to identify how policy interventions related to parents’ mental health, preschool programs, and the built environment can be optimised to reduce inequities in children’s mental, academic, and physical health outcomes. The project will be informed by our partners and advisers from across government portfolios and service delivery, ensuring that the evidence generated has contemporary policy relevance. The project expects to identify clear and actionable policy pathways to reduce child inequities in Australia, which can benefit decision makers by helping them to direct limited public funds towards intervention opportunities that will have the greatest impact.Read moreRead less
Sleep Health And Sleep Problems In Early Childhood: What Role Does Childcare Play?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
Sleep is significant for young children’s health and development and impacts on family functioning. Increasingly childcare is part of the young child’s sleep environment. This study focuses on the role of childcare in supporting sleep health and identifying sleep, and associated behavioural problems, in the early years of life. The study responds to the policy, practice and legislative demand for evidence to guide appropriate provision for sleep and rest in the childcare context.
Preventing mental health problems in children: a population-based cluster controlled trial. The National Mental Health Survey (2000) found 1 in 7 children have externalising (aggression) and internalising (anxiety, depression) problems. Early mental health problems beget later problems with high costs to society, including clinical, remedial education and criminal justice services. Hence, early prevention is vital for national well-being and productivity. The few preventive early childhood progr ....Preventing mental health problems in children: a population-based cluster controlled trial. The National Mental Health Survey (2000) found 1 in 7 children have externalising (aggression) and internalising (anxiety, depression) problems. Early mental health problems beget later problems with high costs to society, including clinical, remedial education and criminal justice services. Hence, early prevention is vital for national well-being and productivity. The few preventive early childhood programs to date are limited in effectiveness and not truly population-based. The proposed parenting / family support trial aims to overcome these obstacles, by comparing and costing two approaches that can be implemented within whole communities. The trial will help clarify optimal primary care to prevent mental health problems early in life.Read moreRead less
Popping the Bubblewrap, Unleashing the Power of Play. The long-term costs of childhood obesity, bullying and poor mental health are staggering. Despite the investment of billions of dollars for prevention and intervention, the statistics continue to worsen. We offer a simple, sustainable, cost-effective programme of prevention aimed at important national priorities within health and research. We expect to demonstrate a significant effect on children's activity levels, coping and social skills th ....Popping the Bubblewrap, Unleashing the Power of Play. The long-term costs of childhood obesity, bullying and poor mental health are staggering. Despite the investment of billions of dollars for prevention and intervention, the statistics continue to worsen. We offer a simple, sustainable, cost-effective programme of prevention aimed at important national priorities within health and research. We expect to demonstrate a significant effect on children's activity levels, coping and social skills through strategies that are replicable in every school playground in the nation and to contribute to policy regarding play, health, and education.Read moreRead less
Socioeconomic inequality and diet: a multilevel study of why socioeconomic groups differ in their food purchasing behaviours. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups experience higher mortality and morbidity rates for many chronic diseases (e.g. heart disease and type 2 diabetes). Dietary quality, and factors affecting this such as food purchasing choice, play a key role in the onset and progression of these types of diseases, and the lower quality diets of families from disadvantaged backgrounds ....Socioeconomic inequality and diet: a multilevel study of why socioeconomic groups differ in their food purchasing behaviours. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups experience higher mortality and morbidity rates for many chronic diseases (e.g. heart disease and type 2 diabetes). Dietary quality, and factors affecting this such as food purchasing choice, play a key role in the onset and progression of these types of diseases, and the lower quality diets of families from disadvantaged backgrounds contribute to their poorer health. This Project will determine why socioeconomic groups differ in their food purchasing behaviours, by examining the influence of environmental and individual-level factors. Project findings will increase our understanding about socioeconomic differences in diet, and inform public policy, health policy, and health promotion.Read moreRead less