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Childhood Precursors Of Adult Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity And Diabetes- 16 Year Follow Up Of A Longitudinal Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$835,631.00
Summary
There is a world wide 'epidemic' of obesity and diabetes with rates tripling in young adults in the last twenty years. This is likely to lead to an upsurge in heart attack and stroke and to reverse many of the gains seen in this area in Australia. This project aims to study the childhood and antenatal precursors for the risk of adult obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The study involves The Perth longitudinal childrens 'Raine' cohort, a unique group of just under 3000 children, first m ....There is a world wide 'epidemic' of obesity and diabetes with rates tripling in young adults in the last twenty years. This is likely to lead to an upsurge in heart attack and stroke and to reverse many of the gains seen in this area in Australia. This project aims to study the childhood and antenatal precursors for the risk of adult obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The study involves The Perth longitudinal childrens 'Raine' cohort, a unique group of just under 3000 children, first monitored in the womb before mid pregnancy and then repeatedly through to the age of 13 years. Every 2 to 3 years the study children have been carefully assessed for changes in fatness, blood pressure and more recently, nutrition, physical activity and fitness, blood cholesterol and tendency to diabetes. Families have also been carefully monitored for a range of social characteristics and mental health. We already have evidence that about a fifth of the children at age 8 are particularly at risk of obesity, diabetes and cholesterol problems and high blood pressure. We now plan to study the children after puberty at age 16, when they will be adopting a range of more adult behaviours which may profoundly affect these risks. This study will provide comprehensive information on the children from before birth to adolescence and help pinpoint ways in which growth in the womb, and subsequent childhood behaviour interacts with influences of family, social factors, environment and mental health to affect long term risk of obesity, premature diabetes or heart disease. The study will also provide a basis for future examination of the links between genes, environment and health.Read moreRead less
Obesity, Self Image, Eating Behaviour, Nutriton And Activity In Australian Preadolescent School Children.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$167,328.00
Summary
Obesity in children is increasing, but there is a great deal of concern about whether education about diet and obesity will produce eating disorders. While there is a lot of information about the eating practices, body image worries and self esteem in teenagers, there is no information really available about what primary school children in this country know about eating, about whether they diet or not, where they get their information about dieting and about their self esteem and body image part ....Obesity in children is increasing, but there is a great deal of concern about whether education about diet and obesity will produce eating disorders. While there is a lot of information about the eating practices, body image worries and self esteem in teenagers, there is no information really available about what primary school children in this country know about eating, about whether they diet or not, where they get their information about dieting and about their self esteem and body image particularly if they are overweight or very thin. It is important to gather this information as it is in the teen years that problems about eating and body image really emerge. These concerns must be starting in primary school children, This study aims to gather this information and more from 2442 primary school children across NSW. This information will enable proper education programs about eating, body image and obesity to be developed so no harm is caused by trying to reduce obesity. This study will also gather important information about how many children are obese or have eating disorders and will see what part their physical activity plays in their weight and the way they go about controlling it. To have healthy adults in the next generation, with less obesity and eating problems, it is important to gather information about nutrition and eating beliefs, dieting, body image and self esteem in children now.Read moreRead less
A Dietary Intervention In Gestational Diabetes To Reduce Child Obesity: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,715.00
Summary
Women with gestational diabetes (GDM) whose blood glucose levels (BGL) are not well controlled have a higher chance of giving birth to large babies. These babies are at high risk of becoming overweight children and adults. Preventing child obesity therefore requires appropriate intervention during pregnancy complicated with GDM. This study will determine the ability of specific dietary advice (aimed at reducing maternal BGL) to reduce the risk of large babies in a typical ante-natal setting.
Positive Feeding Practices And Food Preferences In Very Early Childhood - A Primary Care Obesity Prevention Program
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,459,238.00
Summary
The more than 1:5 and rapidly increasing number of overweight Australian children are at a substantially increased risk of becoming fat adults resulting in increased illness, mortality, health care burden and costs. Adult eating habits are influenced and formed by food preferences and capacity to self-regulate in response to behaviours developed in childhood. Thus parent feeding practices in very early childhood are critical. This study aims to show that a program of parent education and peer su ....The more than 1:5 and rapidly increasing number of overweight Australian children are at a substantially increased risk of becoming fat adults resulting in increased illness, mortality, health care burden and costs. Adult eating habits are influenced and formed by food preferences and capacity to self-regulate in response to behaviours developed in childhood. Thus parent feeding practices in very early childhood are critical. This study aims to show that a program of parent education and peer support to initiate and maintain positive feeding practices in very young children (6-10 months) will (1) promote healthy eating behaviours and (2) prevent excess weight gain and overweight in children. A successsful intervention will provide evidence for policies and programs that can be implemented within a large primary care service to equip and support mothers-carers in developing the confidence and skills to introduce positive feeding practices in very early childhood. This is consistent with current community interest in early childhood as the foundation for health and well-being.Read moreRead less
An RCT To Promote Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours From Infancy: An Intervention To Prevent Childhood Overweight
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$578,631.00
Summary
In Australia, one in four school-aged children is currently overweight and childhood obesity rates are continuing to rise. In the last five years it has become clear that rates of overweight and obesity are also rapidly increasing in pre-school age children. These are issues that are of concern to health officials as well as to parents. We understand that these rising rates in fatness relate to children's diet and activity patterns, and that these patterns, once established are likely to be patt ....In Australia, one in four school-aged children is currently overweight and childhood obesity rates are continuing to rise. In the last five years it has become clear that rates of overweight and obesity are also rapidly increasing in pre-school age children. These are issues that are of concern to health officials as well as to parents. We understand that these rising rates in fatness relate to children's diet and activity patterns, and that these patterns, once established are likely to be patterns for life. To date, there has been relatively little research regarding the chance to support parents to establish the eating and activity patterns that will protect their children from the very beginning of life. This project seeks to support first-time parents to establish healthy eating and activity behaviours in their children using the highly utilised Maternal and Child Health Centres first time parents' groups. We believe that these groups will provide a strongly supportive environment in which to provide parents with strategies and knowledge for promoting healthy eating and activity patterns for their children, and in turn, promote healthy weight gain. This project will assess the effectiveness of this intervention.Read moreRead less