ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6585-7836
Current Organisations
Organisation
,
University of Adelaide
,
University of Wollongong
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-09-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S10995-013-1369-8
Abstract: To examine whether items comprising a preschool well-child check for use by family doctors in Australia with 4-5-year old children predicts health and academic outcomes at 6-7 years. The well-child check includes mandatory (anthropometry, eye/vision, ear/hearing, dental, toileting, allergy problems) and non-mandatory (processed food consumption, low physical activity, motor, behaviour/mood problems) items. The predictive validity of mandatory and non-mandatory items measured at 4-5 years was examined using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Outcomes at 6-7 years included overweight/obesity, asthma, health care/medication needs, general health, mental health problems, quality of life, teacher-reported mathematics and literacy ability (n = 2,280-2,787). Weight or height >90th centile at 4-5 years predicted overweight/obesity at 6-7 years with 60% sensitivity, 79% specificity and 40% positive predictive value (PPV). Mood/behaviour problems at 4-5 predicted mental health problems at 6-7 years with 86% sensitivity, 40% specificity and 8% PPV. Non-mandatory items improved the discrimination between children with and without mental health problems at 6-7 years (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.75 compared with 0.69 for mandatory items only), but was weak for most outcomes. Items used in a well-child health check were moderate predictors of overweight/obesity and mental health problems at 6-7 years, but poor predictors of other health and academic outcomes.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-2020
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 12-2009
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 16-12-2022
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980021004870
Abstract: Research on the consequences of breakfast skipping among students tends to focus on academic outcomes, rather than student well-being or engagement at school. This study investigated the association between breakfast skipping and cognitive and emotional aspects of school engagement. Cross-sectional study using data from a population-level survey of children and adolescents’ well-being and engagement at school. Linear regression with adjustment for confounders was used to estimate the effect of breakfast skipping on school engagement. Government schools (i.e. public schools) in South Australia. The participants were students, Grades 4–12, who completed the Wellbeing and Engagement Collection in 2019. The analysis s le included 61 825 students. Approximately 9·6 % of students reported always skipping breakfast, with 35·4 % sometimes skipping and 55·0 % never skipping. In the adjusted linear regression models, children and adolescents who always skipped breakfast reported lower levels of cognitive engagement ( β = −0·26 (95 % CI −0·29, −0·25)), engagement with teachers ( β = −0·17 (95 % CI −0·18, −0·15)) and school climate ( β = −0·17 (95 % CI −0·19, −0·15)) compared with those who never skipped breakfast, after controlling for age, gender, health, sleep, sadness and worries, parental education, socio-economic status and geographical remoteness. Consistent with our hypothesis, skipping breakfast was associated with lower cognitive and emotional engagement, which could be due to mechanisms such as short-term energy supply and long-term health impacts. Therefore, decreasing the prevalence of breakfast skipping could have a positive impact on school engagement.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2013
Abstract: Diet in the first 2 y of life may be a pivotal period regarding effects on future blood pressure (BP). However, data on early-life diet and BP in childhood are sparse. We prospectively assessed associations between types of diet spanning infancy and toddlerhood (ie, transition diets across the complementary feeding period) and BP at age 7.5 y. In a birth cohort study (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children United Kingdom), a total of 1229 children had complete dietary intake data at 6, 15, and 24 mo BP data at 7.5 y of age and all 18 covariables. Of the 2 transition diets that were extracted by using principal components analysis, the less-healthy diet was associated with an increase in systolic BP of 0.62 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.00, 1.24 mm Hg) and an increase in diastolic BP of 0.55 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.10, 1.00 mm Hg) for every one-unit (SD) increase in the less-healthy-diet score after adjustment for 15 potential confounders, including maternal characteristics and sociodemographic factors, birth variables, and breastfeeding duration. In contrast with systolic BP, the positive association between the less-healthy transition-diet score and diastolic BP persisted after additional adjustment for child body-size factors [height, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference] at 7.5 y. A less-healthy transition diet by age 2 y was associated with higher BP at 7.5 y. The BMI-related reduction in effect size reinforces the importance of BMI on the diet-BP relation.
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 08-2015
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 12-09-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-09-2019
DOI: 10.1111/DME.14131
Abstract: A hypothesized mechanism for increased type 1 diabetes risk among caesarean births is lack of exposure to the vaginal microbiota. Children born by prelabour caesarean are not exposed to the vaginal microbiota, whereas caesarean births during labour (intrapartum) may be exposed. The aim of this study was to estimate type 1 diabetes risk among children born by caesarean compared with normal vaginal delivery. This whole-of-population study linked routinely collected, de-identified administrative data from the South Australian Early Childhood Data Project for all births from 1999 to 2013. Type 1 diabetes cases were identified using inpatient hospitalizations from 2001 to 2014 (ICD-10-AM codes E10-E109). Type 1 diabetes risk for caesarean was assessed by Cox regression using two models: (i) caesarean vs. vaginal and (ii) prelabour or intrapartum caesarean vs. vaginal. Analyses were adjusted for confounding and multiple imputation was used to address missing data. A total of 286 058 children born between 1999 and 2013 contributed to 2 200 252 person-years, of which 557 had type 1 diabetes. Of all births, 90 546 (31.7%) were caesarean, and of these 53.1% were prelabour and 46.9% intrapartum caesarean. Compared with vaginal delivery, the adjusted hazard ratio for type 1 diabetes was 1.05 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86-1.28) for caesarean, 1.02 (95% CI 0.79-1.32) for prelabour caesarean and 1.08 (95% CI 0.82-1.41) for intrapartum caesarean. There may be a small increased type 1 diabetes risk following caesarean, but confidence intervals included the null. The lower estimate for prelabour compared with intrapartum caesarean, and the potential for unmeasured confounding suggest that neonatal vaginal microbiota might not be involved in type 1 diabetes.
Publisher: Center for Open Science
Date: 06-10-2022
Abstract: Over the past decades, increasing research interest has been directed towards the psychosocial factors that impact Aboriginal health, including stress, coping and social support. However, there has been no study that examined whether the behaviours, cognitions and emotions related to stress, coping and social support constitute a psychological network in an Aboriginal population and that examined its properties. To address this gap, the current study employed a new methodology, network psychometrics, to evaluate stress, coping and social support in an Aboriginal Australian population. This study conducted a secondary analysis of the South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC) study, a randomized controlled trial in South Australia, which included 367 pregnant Aboriginal women at study baseline. The Gaussian Graphical Model was estimated with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Node centrality was evaluated with eigencentrality, strength and bridge centrality. Network communities were investigated with the walktrap algorithm. The findings indicated that stress, coping and social support constituted a connected psychological network in an Aboriginal population. Furthermore, at the centre of the network were the troubles experienced by the Aboriginal pregnant women, bridging their perceptions of stress and coping and constituting a potential target for future interventions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
Abstract: The complementary feeding period is an important stage of child development. The study aim was to develop an index reflecting the degree of adherence to complementary feeding guidelines, evaluate its convergent validity, and explore associations with socio-demographic factors and dietary pattern scores in childhood. Data were analyzed from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 6065) using parent-completed dietary questionnaires at 6 mo of age, socio-demographic information, and dietary patterns derived by principal component analysis at age 3 y. The Complementary Feeding Utility Index (CFUI) consists of 14 components: breastfeeding duration, feeding to appetite, timing of introduction to solids, exposure to iron-rich cereals, fruit and vegetable intake, exposure to high-fat/-salt/-sugar foods including sugary drinks, food texture, and meal/snack frequency. Regression analyses were undertaken to investigate associations between index scores, socio-demographic factors, food and nutrient intakes, and dietary pattern scores at age 3 y. Milk and food intake at 6 mo and nutrient intake at 8 mo of age varied across quintiles of index score in largely the expected directions. Associations were found among index score, maternal age, education, social class, maternal smoking history, and prepregnancy BMI. After adjustment for socio-demographic factors, the index score was associated with "processed" [β = -0.234 (95% CI = -0.260, -0.209)] and "healthy" [β = 0.185 (95% CI = 0.155, 0.215)] dietary pattern scores at age 3 y. The CFUI is able to discriminate across food intake, nutrient intake, and socio-demographic factors and is associated with later dietary patterns.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 03-2007
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2011
Abstract: The docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake of pregnant women is lower than estimates of the DHA accretion by the fetus, and recommendations were made to increase the DHA intake of pregnant women. The objective of this study was to determine whether the supplementation of pregnant women with DHA improved the visual acuity of infants at 4 mo. We conducted a blinded assessment of a subset of healthy, full-term infants born to women enrolled in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial called the DHA for Maternal and Infant Outcomes (DOMInO) trial. Women were randomly assigned to consume DHA-rich fish-oil capsules (≈800 mg DHA/d in the treatment group) or vegetable oil capsules (control group) from midpregnancy to delivery. The primary outcome was the sweep visual evoked potential (VEP) acuity at 4 mo. The VEP latency at 4 mo was a secondary outcome. Mean (±SD) VEP acuity did not differ between treatment and control groups [treatment group: 8.37 ± 2.11 cycles per degree (cpd), n = 89 control group: 8.55 ± 1.86 cpd, n = 93 P = 0.55]. VEP latencies also did not differ between groups. Irrespective of the group, maternal smoking in pregnancy was independently associated with poorer VEP acuity in the infant. DHA supplementation in women with singleton pregnancies does not enhance infant visual acuity in infants at 4 mo of age. Visual acuity in infancy is adversely associated with maternal smoking in pregnancy. This trial was registered at www.anzctr.org.au as ACTRN12606000327583. The DOMInO trial was registered at www.anzctr.org.au as ACTRN12605000569606.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-12-2016
DOI: 10.1111/IJPO.12180
Abstract: Cesarean birth leads to a markedly different microbiome compared to vaginal birth, and the microbiome has been implicated in childhood obesity. Among mothers who had a previous cesarean, we compared anthropometry of 3- to 6-year-old children who were subsequently born by cesarean section versus vaginal birth. This large population-based study involved linking de-identified administrative perinatal and anthropometric data. Children's weight and height were collected at community-based clinics and converted to age- and sex-adjusted z-scores of height-for-age (HFAz), weight-for-age (WFAz) and BMI-for-age (BMIz). The average treatment effect (ATE) of cesarean versus vaginal birth was calculated from augmented inverse probability weighted analyses accounting for a wide range of confounding variables. There was little evidence of an effect of cesarean birth on HFAz (ATE = 0.26 95%CI -0.35, 0.87, n = 3993), WFAz (ATE = 0.35, 95%CI -0.19, 0.89, n = 4817) or BMIz (ATE = 0.11, 95%CI -0.25, 0.46, n = 3909). Cesarean section was not associated with anthropometry among children aged 3-6 years.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 02-2021
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2020-043559
Abstract: The South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC) is a prospective, longitudinal birth cohort established to: (1) estimate Aboriginal child dental disease compared with population estimates (2) determine the efficacy of an early childhood caries intervention in early versus late infancy (3) examine if efficacy was sustained over time and (4) document factors influencing social, behavioural, cognitive, anthropometric, dietary and educational attainment over time. The original SAABC comprised 449 women pregnant with an Aboriginal child recruited February 2011 to May 2012. At child age 2 years, 324 (74%) participants were retained, at age 3 years, 324 (74%) participants were retained and at age 5 years, 299 (69%) participants were retained. Fieldwork for follow-up at age 7 years is underway, with funding available for follow-up at age 9 years. At baseline, 53% of mothers were aged 14–24 years and 72% had high school or less educational attainment. At age 3 years, dental disease experience was higher among children exposed to the intervention later rather than earlier in infancy. The effect was sustained at age 5 years, but rates were still higher than general child population estimates. Experiences of racism were high among mothers, with impacts on both tooth brushing and toothache. Compared with population estimates, levels of self-efficacy and self-rated oral health of mothers at baseline were low. Our data have contributed to a better understanding of the environmental, behavioural, dietary, biological and psychosocial factors contributing to Aboriginal child oral and general health, and social and emotional well-being. This is beneficial in charting the trajectory of cohort participants’ health and well-being overtime, particularly in identifying antecedents of chronic diseases which are highly prevalent among Aboriginal Australians. Funding for continued follow-up of the cohort will be sought. ACTRN12611000111976 Post-results.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-04-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S12887-022-03284-4
Abstract: Interventions to promote breakfast consumption are a popular strategy to address early life inequalities. It is important to understand the epidemiology of children and adolescents who skip breakfast so that interventions and policy can be appropriately considered. This study investigated the prevalence of breakfast skipping among a contemporary, population-wide s le of children and adolescents in Australia. Participants were grade 4–12 students ( n = 71,390, 8–18 years) in South Australian government (public) schools who took part in the 2019 Wellbeing and Engagement Collection. The prevalence of breakfast skipping (never, sometimes, often, or always) was calculated for the overall s le and stratified by gender, school grade, socioeconomic status and geographical remoteness. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the relative risk ratio of sometimes, often, and always skippers compared with never skippers, according to demographic characteristics. Overall, 55.0% of students reported never skipping breakfast, 17.4% reported sometimes skipping, 18.0% reported often skipping, and 9.5% reported always skipping breakfast. Skipping breakfast was more prevalent among females, students in senior grades, and those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged and regional and remote areas. Analyses disaggregated by gender revealed that grade level gradients in breakfast skipping were more marked among females compared to males. Breakfast skipping among children and adolescents appears considerably more prevalent than previous research suggests. Drivers of breakfast skipping across population sub-groups need to be explored to better inform strategies to promote breakfast consumption.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
Date: 09-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.INFBEH.2015.04.001
Abstract: The original norms for the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire (RITQ) were published in 1978 and were based on a small s le from the US. The aim of this study is to compare temperament scores from the original RITQ against scores from a large population-based cohort of infants from the UK. This study consists of 10,937 infants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) born between April 1991 and December 1992 in the southwest of England. Infant temperament at 6 months of age was reported by parents using the adapted RITQ. Responses were scored according to the RITQ manual and then categorized into temperament groups (easy, intermediate low, intermediate high, and difficult) using either the RITQ norms or norms derived from the data. The scores for each temperament subscale and the proportion of children in each temperament group were compared across the two methods. Subscale scores for the ALSPAC s le were higher (more "difficult") than the RITQ norms for rhythmicity, approach, adaptability, intensity, and distractibility. When RITQ norms were applied, 24% infants were categorized as difficult and 25% as easy, compared with 15% difficult and 38% easy when ALSPAC norms were used. There are discrepancies between RITQ norms and the ALSPAC norms which resulted in differences in the distribution of temperament groups. There is a need to re-examine RITQ norms and categorization for use in primary care practice and contemporary population-based studies.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 17-10-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-1995
DOI: 10.1016/0021-9150(95)05553-9
Abstract: Neutrophils have been implicated in ischaemic heart disease, unstable angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction. Alterations in dietary levels of specific 18- and 20-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids have significant clinical benefits in cardiovascular disease. However, to date there has been no concerted effort to identify the structural basis for polyunsaturated fatty acid-induced alterations in key neutrophil functions. We have investigated the influence of fatty acid structure and involvement of lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase pathways on fatty acid-induced neutrophil functions. When neutrophils were incubated with 18-carbon fatty acids containing one to four double bonds (10-33 mumol/l), a significant increase in adherence and release of specific granule constituents occurred compared with control cells. In general, as the number of double bonds in the 18-carbon fatty acid increased, so did its ability to stimulate these functions. There was less stimulation of adherence and specific granule release by 18:3(n-3) than its isomer 18:3(n-6). Smaller effects were seen on azurophilic granule release. A further increase in adherence and degranulation was observed with increasing carbon chain length (20:3(n-6) and 20:4(n-6)). Differences were found in the ability of isomers of 20:3 to stimulate neutrophil function. Of the fatty acids tested only 20:4(n-6) was able to induce significant neutrophil-mediated endothelial detachment. Introduction of either internal hydroperoxy or hydroxyl groups into 20:4(n-6) abolished its adherence stimulating activity and considerably reduced its ability to stimulate release of both specific and azurophilic granules. Preincubation of neutrophils with either lipoxygenase (caffeic acid) or cyclooxygenase (indomethacin) inhibitors had no effect on 20:4(n-6) stimulated function. These studies show that the number and position of double bonds, carbon chain length and oxidation state can be critical to the neutrophil stimulatory properties of these fatty acids.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 13-08-2012
DOI: 10.3390/NU4080935
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-1995
DOI: 10.1016/0021-9150(95)05538-8
Abstract: The procoagulant response of endothelium to pathophysiological agents such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) alters the expression of proteins such as tissue factor. The modulation of such procoagulant activity (PCA) by the polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid (20:4,n-6) and its 15-hydroperoxy (15-HPETE) and 15-hydroxy (15-HETE) metabolites was examined since this may have important implications in cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) for 30 min with 20:4, 15-HPETE or 15-HETE before induction of PCA with TNF alpha (100 U) or PMA (10(-7) M) caused a significant inhibition of PCA. This inhibition was seen at 2-5 microM fatty acids. Dose response curves with TNF alpha indicated that the inhibition was greatest at higher concentrations of TNF alpha (> or = 250U TNF alpha/ml). The mode of administration of the fatty acid was not critical as fatty acids presented as DPC-fatty acid micelles or solubilised in ethanol gave similar inhibitions of PCA. 20:4, 15-HPETE or 15-HETE did not alter the binding of I125-labelled TNF alpha to its surface receptors on HUVEC, suggesting that the effect of these fatty acids was not mediated by events at the cell surface receptor level. In support of this, these fatty acids were found to inhibit PCA induced by PMA which bypasses cell surface receptors to activate protein kinase C directly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 07-11-2019
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 27-11-2019
Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Date: 07-2013
Abstract: The objective was to examine associations of neonatal weight gain (NWG) and head circumference gain (HCG) with IQ scores and behavior at early school age. We used data from the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial, involving Belarusian infants born full term and weighing ≥2500 g. NWG and HCG were measured as the percentage gain in weight and head circumference over the first 4 weeks relative to birth size. IQ and behavior were measured at 6.5 years of age by using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), respectively, with SDQ collected from parents and teachers. The associations between the exposures (NWG, HCG) and children’s IQ and SDQ were examined by using mixed models to account for clustering of measurements, and adjustment for potentially confounding perinatal and socioeconomic factors. Mean NWG was 26% (SD 10%) of birth weight. In fully adjusted models, infants in the highest versus lowest quartile of NWG had 1.5-point (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8 to 2.2) higher IQ scores (n = 13 840). A weak negative (protective) association between NWG and SDQ total difficulties scores was observed for the teacher-reported (β = −0.39, 95% CI −0.71 to −0.08, n = 12 016), but not the parent-reported (β = −0.12, 95% CI −0.39 to 0.15, n = 13 815), SDQ. Similar associations were observed with HCG and IQ and behavior. Faster gains in weight or head circumference in the 4 weeks after birth may contribute to children’s IQ, but reverse causality (brain function affects neonatal growth) cannot be excluded.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2009
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-02-2019
DOI: 10.1111/AJO.12952
Abstract: Vaginal instrumental delivery is a common obstetrical intervention, but its effect on children's later development is not well known. To determine if vaginal instrumental delivery is associated with adverse neurodevelopment as measured by school achievement. We performed a whole‐of‐population study involving linkage of routinely collected perinatal data with school assessments among children born in South Australia from 1999 to 2008. Participants were singleton children born by forceps ( n = 5494), ventouse ( n = 6988), or normal delivery ( n = 80 803). School achievement was measured through performance on the National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), at around eight years of age. This assessment involved five domains and scores were categorised according to performing at or above National Minimum Standards (NMS). Effects of instrumental versus normal vaginal delivery were analysed via augmented inverse probability weighting (AIPW), taking into account a variety of maternal, perinatal and sociodemographic characteristics. In unadjusted analyses, instrumental delivery was not associated with poor NAPLAN scores. AIPW analyses also suggested that instrumental delivery had minimal adverse effect on NAPLAN scores, with the largest difference being lower spelling scores among forceps‐delivered children (−0.022 (95% CI −0.0053–0.009)) compared with spontaneous vaginal births. The findings were consistent among exploratory subgroup analyses involving births in the absence of prolonged labour, with APGAR ≥ 9, and among normotensive and non‐diabetic mothers. In singleton children born at term, instrumental delivery does not have an adverse effect on neurodevelopment as measured by NAPLAN performance at age eight.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-01-2023
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0279954
Abstract: In Australia, despite social support increasingly being reported as playing an important role in influencing health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, measures of social support have not yet been validated for Aboriginal people. The current study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Social Support Scale in an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population. The Social Support Scale (SSS) is a 4-item psychological instrument that was designed to evaluate four social support functions, instrumental, informational, emotional and appraisal support. Data included participants from two different s les: (1) Teeth Talk Study (n = 317), an oral-health randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted with Aboriginal adults and (2) the South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort Study (n = 367), a prospective longitudinal birth cohort study in which pregnant Aboriginal women were interviewed at baseline. The SSS psychometric properties were examined with Graphical Loglinear Rasch Models (GLLRM). The overall fit to a GLLRM was established (χ 2 (96) s le1 = 52.7, p = 0.06 χ 2 (25) s le2 = 22.2, p = 0.62) after accounting for local dependence between items 3 and 4. Item 2 displayed differential item functioning by employment status in S le 1. Regarding dimensionality, the SSS was unidimensional in both s les (γ obs1 = 0.80 γ exp1 = 0.78, p = 0.65 γ obs2 = 0.75, γ exp2 = 0.77, p = 0.16). The instrument also displayed good reliability (R s le1 = 0.82, R s le2 = 0.84). Despite a few identified limitations (such as poor targeting), the findings indicated that the SSS is a promising instrument to provide culturally-valid and reliable measurement of social support among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adults. Future studies should further investigate the instrument psychometric properties in other Aboriginal s les and the development and inclusion of culturally-sensitive items are also recommended.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-03-2015
Abstract: To examine the risk of poor child development according to week of gestation at birth, among children born ≥ 37 weeks' gestation. Population-based study using linked data (n = 12,601). South Australia. All births ≥ 37 weeks' gestation. Relative risks of developmental vulnerability for each week of gestation were calculated with adjustment for confounders and addressing missing information. Child development was documented by teachers during a national census of children attending their first year of school in 2009, using the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI). Children scoring in the lowest 10% of the AEDI were categorised as developmentally vulnerable. The percentage of children vulnerable on one or more AEDI domains for the following gestational ages 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42-45 weeks was 24.8, 22.3, 20.6, 20.0, 20.4 and 24.2, respectively. Compared with children born at 40 weeks, the adjusted relative risks [(95% confidence interval (CI)] for vulnerability on ≥ 1 AEDI domain were 37 weeks 1.13 (0.99-1.28), 38 weeks 1.05 (0.96-1.15), 39 weeks 1.02 (0.94-1.12), 41 weeks 1.00 (0.90-1.11) and 42-45 weeks 1.20 (0.84-1.72). Children born at 40-41 weeks' gestation may have the lowest risk of developmental vulnerability at school entry, reinforcing the importance of term birth in perinatal care. Early term or post-term gestational age at birth can help clinicians, teachers and parents recognise children with potential developmental vulnerabilities at school entry.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2023
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2022.03.005
Abstract: The majority of South Australian pregnant women who smoke do not quit during pregnancy. Additionally, the prevalence of smoking is higher among pregnant women living in socially disadvantaged areas. Understanding challenges in midwives' provision of smoking cessation care can elucidate opportunities to facilitate women's smoking cessation. We aimed to understand midwives' perspectives on current practices, perceived barriers and facilitators to delivery of smoking cessation care, and potential improvements to models of smoking cessation care. An exploratory qualitative research methodology and thematic analysis was used to understand the perspectives of midwives in five focus groups. Four themes were generated from the data on how midwives perceived their ability to provide smoking cessation care: Tensions between providing smoking cessation care and maternal care Organisational barriers in the delivery of smoking cessation care Scepticism and doubt in the provision of smoking cessation care and Opportunities to enable midwives' ability to provide smoking cessation care. A combination of interpersonal, organisational and in idual barriers impeded on midwives' capacities to approach, follow-up and prioritise smoking cessation care. Working with women living with disadvantage and high rates of smoking, the midwife's role was challenging as it balanced delivering smoking cessation care without jeopardising antenatal care. Providing midwives with resources and skills may alleviate the sense of futility that surrounds smoking cessation care. Provision of routine training and education could also improve understandings of the current practice guidelines.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-11-2019
Abstract: The aim of this study was to describe stunting in infants and young children in the ethnic communities of northern Thailand and to explore associations with dietary ersity and household factors including food security. A cross-sectional survey of households with children under 5 years from eight villages. Adult respondents provided information on foods consumed by each child and details of the household. Heights and weights of children were measured. Adults from 172 households and 208 children participated. Overall, 38% of children were stunted. Exclusive breastfeeding was rare, but the proportion consuming breastmilk at 24 months (75%) was high. Few children (7%) aged 6–11 months met minimum dietary ersity. Stunted children were less likely than non-stunted children to meet minimum dietary ersity (63 versus 82%). Widespread food insecurity did not discriminate between stunted and non-stunted children. Stunting was elevated when households had little land and few animals. Stunting was widespread in children under 5 years of age, in part reflecting poor dietary ersity, especially at age 6–11 months. Stunting was worst in households with least assets. Small increases in land or animals, or equivalent resources, appear to be required to improve child nutrition in extremely poor families.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
Date: 09-2019
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
Date: 09-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-03-2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1111/PPE.12149
Abstract: There is limited longitudinal data from high-income countries on the sequelae of anaemia during pregnancy. The aim of this study is to examine whether anaemia of pregnancy is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes and with children's developmental vulnerability. We conducted a population-based study to link routinely collected government administrative data that involved all live births in the state of South Australia 1999-2005 (n = 124 061) and a subset for whom developmental data were collected during a national census of children attending their first year of school in 2009 (n = 13 654). Perinatal outcomes were recorded by midwives using a validated, standardised form. Development was recorded by schoolteachers using the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI). Children in the lowest 10% of AEDI scores are indicative of developmental vulnerability. There were 8764/124 061 (7.1%) cases of anaemia. After adjustment for a range of potentially confounding factors, anaemia of pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of fetal distress [incident rate ratio (IRR) 1.20 [95% CI 1.13, 1.27]] and preterm birth <37 weeks gestation (IRR 1.23 [1.15, 1.31]), slightly higher birthweight [14 g (2, 26)] and newborns were less likely to require resuscitation (IRR 0.94 [0.91, 0.097]). Anaemia of pregnancy was not associated with children's developmental vulnerability after adjustment for maternal, obstetric and sociodemographic covariables, either in complete case analyses (n = 11 949) or after imputation for missing data (n = 13 654). Anaemia of pregnancy is associated with perinatal complications but not with children's developmental vulnerability at school entry.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-03-2013
DOI: 10.1111/EVO.12079
Abstract: Sperm competition often leads to increase in sperm numbers and sperm quality, and its effects on sperm function are now beginning to emerge. Rapid swimming speeds are crucial for mammalian spermatozoa, because they need to overcome physical barriers in the female tract, reach the ovum, and generate force to penetrate its vestments. Faster velocities associate with high sperm competition levels in many taxa and may be due to increases in sperm dimensions, but they may also relate to higher adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content. We examined if variation in sperm ATP levels relates to both sperm competition and sperm swimming speed in rodents. We found that sperm competition associates with variations in sperm ATP content and sperm-size adjusted ATP concentrations, which suggests proportionally higher ATP content in response to sperm competition. Moreover, both measures were associated with sperm swimming velocities. Our findings thus support the idea that sperm competition may select for higher ATP content leading to faster sperm swimming velocity.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 09-08-2019
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980019001915
Abstract: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of mandatory iodine fortification of bread on the iodine status of South Australian populations using newborn thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration as a marker. The study used an interrupted time-series design. TSH data collected between 2005 and 2016 ( n 211 033) were extracted from the routine newborn screening programme in South Australia for analysis. Iodine deficiency is indicated when more than 3 % of newborns have TSH 5 mIU/l. Newborns were classified into three groups: the pre-fortification group (those born before October 2009) the transition group (born between October 2009 and June 2010) and the post-fortification group (born after June 2010). The percentage of newborns with TSH 5 mIU/l was 5·1, 6·2 and 4·6 % in the pre-fortification, transition and post-fortification groups, respectively. Based on a segmented regression model, newborns in the post-fortification period had a 10 % lower risk of having TSH 5 mIU/l than newborns in the pre-fortification group (incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0·90 95 % CI 0·87, 0·94), while newborns in the transitional period had a 22 % higher risk of having TSH 5 mIU/l compared with newborns in the pre-fortification period (IRR = 1·22 95 % CI 1·13, 1·31). Using TSH as a marker, South Australia would be classified as mild iodine deficiency post-fortification in contrast to iodine sufficiency using median urinary iodine concentration as a population marker. Re-evaluation of the current TSH criteria to define iodine status in populations is warranted in this context.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-06-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S12889-022-13591-1
Abstract: We systematically reviewed the effects of community gardens on physical and psychosocial health, health behaviors and community outcomes. Quantitative studies that examined associations of health, psychosocial or community outcomes with community gardens were included in the review. Studies up to December 2020 were captured from searches of Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, EBSCOHost and CAB Abstracts. Data were extracted and study quality including risk of bias was examined. There were 53 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Studies examining associations between community gardens and nutrition or food security were most frequently reported ( k = 23). Other factors examined for associations with community gardens were health ( k = 16), psychosocial ( k = 16) and community outcomes ( k = 7). Effects appeared positive for fruit and vegetable intake, some psychosocial and community outcomes, but mixed for physical health outcomes. Evidence quality overall was low. Community gardening was associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake, positive psychosocial and community outcomes, but poor evidence quality suggests the effects of community gardening may be overestimated.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
Abstract: Whereas the influence of pregnancy diet and milk feeding on children's health and development is well characterized, the role of early food intake and eating behaviors is largely unexplored. This study aimed to determine whether the degree of adherence to complementary feeding guidelines was associated with dietary, obesity, cardiovascular, and cognitive outcomes at 7-8 y of age. Data were analyzed from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children using parent-completed dietary questionnaires at 6 mo of age to calculate a Complementary Feeding Utility Index score. Regression analysis was used to explore associations between the index score and dietary patterns derived via principal component analysis (n = 4326), body-mass index (BMI) (n = 4801), waist circumference (n = 4798), blood pressure (n = 4685), and lipids (n = 3232) measured at age 7 y and intelligence quotient (IQ) measured at age 8 y (n = 4429) after adjustment for covariates. The index score was negatively associated with a "processed" dietary pattern (β = -0.16 95% CI: -0.20, -0.13 P < 0.001) but positively associated with a "health conscious" dietary pattern [β = 0.18 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.21) P < 0.001]. A higher index score was also positively associated with total, verbal, and performance IQ scores at 8 y of age [β = 1.92 (95%CI: 1.38, 2.47) P < 0.001 for total IQ). The index score was weakly associated with waist circumference [β = -0.15 (95%CI: -0.31, -0.002) P = 0.046] and diastolic blood pressure [β = -0.24 (95%CI: -0.47, -0.01) P = 0.043] at 7 y of age but was not associated with BMI or other cardiovascular risk factors. These findings suggest that adherence to current complementary feeding guidelines may have implications for some, but not all, health and development outcomes in childhood.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-09-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JPC.15104
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 17-04-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.12.23288473
Abstract: Preterm birth (PTB), is a leading cause of child morbidity and mortality. Objective: To examine the associations of maternal pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI) with any PTB, spontaneous (SPTB) and medically indicated PTB (MPTB). A meta-analysis of eight population-based datasets. Three UK datasets, two USA datasets, and one each from South Australia, Norway and Denmark, with different characteristics and sources of bias. All pregnancies resulting in a live birth or stillbirth after 24 completed gestational weeks. Maternal pre-or early pregnancy BMI derived from self-reported or measured weight and height between 12 months pre-pregnancy and 15 weeks gestation. Any PTB (delivery completed weeks), SPTB and medically indicated PTB. Fractional polynomial multivariable logistic regression was applied to eight datasets from different high-income countries and time periods. The results were combined using a random effects meta-analysis. We found non-linear associations between pre-pregnant BMI and all three outcomes, across all datasets. The adjusted risk of any PTB and MPTB was elevated at both low and high BMIs, whereas the risk of SPTB was increased at lower levels of BMI but remained low or increased only slightly with higher BMI. In the meta-analysed data, the lowest risk of any PTB was at a BMI of 24.5 kg/m 2 (95% confidence interval: 23.1, 30.3), with a value of 21.3 kg/m 2 (20.8, 21.9) for MPTB for SPTB, the risk remained roughly constant above a BMI of around 25-30 kg/m 2 . Consistency of findings across different populations, despite differences between them in the time period covered, BMI distribution, missing data and control for key confounders, highlight the importance of promoting pre-conception BMI between 21 to 30 kg/m2 to prevent MPTB and SPTB
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 07-11-2021
Abstract: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (respectfully, subsequently referred to as Indigenous) children in Australia experience oral disease at a higher rate than non-Indigenous children. A history of colonisation, government-enforced assimilation, racism, and cultural annihilation has had profound impacts on Indigenous health, reflected in oral health inequities sustained by Indigenous communities. Motivational interviewing was one of four components utilised in this project, which aimed to identify factors related to the increased occurrence of early childhood caries in Indigenous children. This qualitative analysis represents motivational interviews with 226 participants and explores parents’ motivations for establishing oral health and nutrition practices for their children. Findings suggest that parental aspirations and worries underscored motivations to establish oral health and nutrition behaviours for children in this project. Within aspirations, parents desired for children to ‘keep their teeth’ and avoid false teeth, have a positive appearance, and preserve self-esteem. Parental worries related to child pain, negative appearance, sugar consumption, poor community oral health and rotten teeth. A discussion of findings results in the following recommendations: (1) consideration of the whole self, including mental health, in future oral health programming and research (2) implementation of community-wide oral health programming, beyond parent-child dyads and (3) prioritisation of community knowledge and traditions in oral health programming.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2010
Abstract: The visual and mental development of preterm infants improved after feeding them milk enriched with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in amounts matching the fetal accretion rate. The objective was to evaluate whether feeding preterm infants milk with a higher DHA content than that used in current practice influences language or behavior in early childhood. This was a follow-up study in a subgroup of infants enrolled in the DINO (Docosahexaenoic acid for the Improvement in Neurodevelopmental Outcome) trial. In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, infants born at <33 wk of gestation were fed milk containing 1% of total fatty acids as DHA (higher-DHA group) or approximately 0.3% DHA (control group) until reaching full-term equivalent age. The longer-term effects of the intervention on language, behavior, and temperament were measured by using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (MCDI) at 26-mo corrected age, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Short Temperament Scale for Children (STSC) between 3- and 5-y corrected age. Mean (+/-SD) MCDI scores did not differ significantly (adjusted P = 0.8) between the higher-DHA group (308 +/- 179, n = 60) and the control group (316 +/- 192, n = 67) per the Vocabulary Production subscale. Composite scores on the SDQ and STSC did not differ between the higher-DHA group and the control group [SDQ Total Difficulties: higher-DHA group (10.3 +/- 6.0, n = 61), control group (9.5 +/- 5.5, n = 64), adjusted P = 0.5 STSC score: higher-DHA group (3.1 +/- 0.7, n = 61), control group (3.0 +/- 0.7, n = 64), adjusted P = 0.3]. Feeding preterm infants milk containing 3 times the standard amount of DHA did not result in any clinically meaningful change to language development or behavior when assessed in early childhood. Whether longer-term effects of dietary DHA supplementation can be detected remains to be assessed. This trial was registered with the Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry at www.anzctr.org.au as 12606000327583.
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 15-03-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2022
DOI: 10.1111/AJO.13513
Abstract: The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing. One in three women require insulin to achieve glycaemic targets in GDM. However, it is unclear whether insulin therapy alone is the most effective treatment for all women in achieving glycaemic control and preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes. Although no oral hypoglycaemic agents are approved for pregnancy in Australia, recent research indicates that metformin is effective in preventing adverse perinatal outcomes and may even have possible benefits in the long term. Furthermore, there appears to be a specific role for both metformin and insulin among the GDM population. Metformin provides an option to offer an in idualised approach to treat GDM.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2008
Abstract: Preterm infants have improved visual outcomes when fed a formula containing 0.2-0.4% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) compared with infants fed no DHA, but the optimal DHA dose is unknown. We assessed visual responses of preterm infants fed human milk (HM) and formula with a DHA concentration estimated to match the intrauterine accretion rate (high-DHA group) compared with infants fed HM and formula containing DHA at current concentrations. A double-blind randomized controlled trial studied preterm infants born at <33 wk gestation and fed HM or formula containing 1% DHA (high-DHA group) or approximately 0.3% DHA (current practice control group) until reaching their estimated due date (EDD). Both groups received the same concentration of arachidonic acid. Sweep visual evoked potential (VEP) acuity and latency were assessed at 2 and 4 mo corrected age (CA). Weight, length, and head circumference were assessed at EDD and at 2 and 4 mo CA. At 2 mo CA, acuity of the high-DHA group did not differ from the control group [high-DHA group (x +/- SD): 5.6 +/- 2.4 cycles per degree (cpd), n = 54 control group: 5.6 +/- 2.4 cpd, n = 61 P = 0.96]. By 4 mo CA, the high-DHA group exhibited an acuity that was 1.4 cpd higher than the control group (high-DHA: 9.6 +/- 3.7 cpd, n = 44 control: 8.2 +/- 1.8 cpd n = 51 P = 0.025). VEP latencies and anthropometric measurements were not different between the high-DHA and control groups. The DHA requirement of preterm infants may be higher than currently provided by preterm formula or HM of Australian women.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 26-01-2021
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114521000325
Abstract: The study aimed to assess the associations between newborn thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration, a marker of iodine nutrition in early life, and childhood neurodevelopment and growth using data collected from two pregnancy studies, one in a borderline iodine-deficient setting (DHA to Optimize Mother Infant Outcome (DOMInO) Study) and one in an iodine-sufficient setting (Pregnancy Iodine and Neurodevelopment in Kids (PINK) Study). TSH data were obtained from routine newborn screening. Neurodevelopment was assessed at 18 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (Bayley-III). Weight, height and head circumference were measured at 18 months. In total, 1467 children were included in the analysis. Comparing the highest with the lowest TSH quartile, the mean differences (MD) in the Bayley-III scores ranged from −2·0 (95 % CI −4·7, 0·7) to −2·2 (95 % CI −5·8, 1·3) points in DOMInO and 1·0 (95 % CI −1·6, 3·6) to 2·0 (95 % CI −0·4, 4·4) points in PINK in the cognitive, language and motor scales the MD in the anthropometric z scores ranged from −0·01 (95 % CI −0·5, 0·5) to −0·5 (95 % CI −0·9, −0·1) in both studies. A 1 mIU/l increase in TSH was associated with −0·3 (95 % CI −0·9, 0·2) point and 0·2 (95 % CI −0·3, 0·7) point changes in the mean cognitive score in the DOMInO and PINK, respectively. A null association between TSH and growth was also observed in both studies. Longitudinal studies that utilise newborn TSH data and examine neurodevelopmental outcomes at later ages are warranted, as neurodevelopmental assessments in older children are more predictive of later achievement.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 19-06-2021
DOI: 10.1177/10731911211024338
Abstract: In Australia, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has been implemented in several national studies, including the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). However, three previous state-level validations indicated problems with instrument dimensionality, warranting further research. To address this gap, the current study employed exploratory graph analysis to investigate dimensionality of the caregiver-completed SDQ version 4 to 10 years in a nationally representative s le of Australian children. Data were from a dual cohort cross-sequential study (LSAC) that included more than 20,000 responses. Gaussian graphical models were estimated in each study wave and exploratory graph analysis applied. Structural consistency, item stability and network loadings were evaluated. The findings provided mixed support for the original SDQ five-factor structure. The Peer Problem scale displayed low structural consistency since items clustered with the Emotional Symptoms and Prosocial behavior, generating four-dimensional structures. Implications for future use of the SDQ version 4 to 10 years in Australia are provided.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2008
Abstract: Supplementation of preterm formulas with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) is based on their effectiveness to increase blood status and improve visual outcomes. Dispute remains over their efficacy on global development. The objective was to compare the effects of LCPUFA-supplemented with those of control formulas on neurodevelopment and diseases associated with prematurity. We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials involving preterm infants that tested LCPUFA-supplemented formulas. The weighted mean differences (WMDs) in neurodevelopmental scores and relative risk (RR) of disease were calculated to compare infants fed LCPUFA-supplemented formula with those fed control formula. No clear differences in Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) scores were observed between groups. Mental development of LCPUFA-supplemented infants was 3.4 points higher than that of control infants with BSID version II (WMD: 3.44 95% CI: 0.56, 6.31 P = 0.02 n = 879), although it was driven by 2 trials with large effect sizes and wide CIs. Psychomotor development was lower in supplemented infants tested with BSID version I (WMD: -7.99 95% CI: -14.00, -1.99 P = 0.009 n = 87) however, it was limited by small s le sizes. No differences in the RR of sepsis (1.08 95% CI: 0.79, 1.46 P = 0.63 n = 1333) or in the RR of necrotizing enterocolitis (1.13 95% CI: 0.62, 2.04 P = 0.69 n = 1333) were found. Similarly, the risks of retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were not different between groups, but data were limited by small s le sizes and trials with an increased risk of bias. LCPUFA-supplemented formula does not alter the risk of NEC or sepsis. Further work is needed to determine the extent of benefit of LCPUFA-supplemented formula on the mental development of preterm infants.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.PLEFA.2008.09.015
Abstract: Formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves retinal function of preterm infants but the optimal dose is unknown. In a randomized controlled trial we examined the effect of increasing the DHA concentration of human milk and formula on circulating fatty acids of preterm infants. Infants born <33 weeks gestation were fed high-DHA milk (1% total fat as DHA) or standard-DHA milk (0.2-0.3% DHA) until reaching their estimated due date (EDD). Milk arachidonic acid (AA) concentration was approximately 0.5% for both groups. At EDD, erythrocyte membrane phospholipid DHA was elevated in the high-DHA group compared with standard-DHA (mean+/-SD, high-DHA 6.8+/-1.2, standard-DHA 5.2+/-0.7, p<0.0005) but AA was lower (high-DHA 14.9+/-1.3, standard-DHA 16.0+/-1.2, p<0.0005). Feeding preterm infants human milk and formula with 1% DHA raises but does not saturate erythrocyte phospholipids with DHA. Milk exceeding 1% DHA may be required to increase DHA status to levels seen in term infants.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 06-09-2018
DOI: 10.1101/410506
Abstract: There is widespread interest in temperament and its impact upon cognitive and academic outcomes. Parents adjust their parenting according to their child’s temperament, however, previous studies have not accounted for parenting while estimating the association between temperament and academic outcomes. We examined the controlled direct effect of temperament (2-3 years) on cognitive and academic outcomes (6-7 years) when mediation by parenting practices (4-5 years) was held constant. Participants were from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=5107). Cognitive abilities were measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (verbal) and the Matrix Reasoning test (non-verbal). Literacy and numeracy were reported by teachers using the Academic Rating Scale. Mothers reported children’s temperament using the Short Temperament Scale for Toddlers (subscales: reactivity, approach, and persistence). Parenting practices included items about engagement in activities with children. Marginal structural models with inverse probability of treatment weights were used to estimate the controlled direct effect of temperament, when setting parenting to the mean. All temperament subscales were associated with cognitive abilities, with persistence showing the largest controlled direct effect on verbal (β=0.58 95%CI 0.27, 0.89) and non-verbal (β=0.19 0.02, 0.34) abilities. Higher persistence was associated with better literacy (β=0.08 0.03, 0.13) and numeracy (β=0.08 0.03, 0.13), and higher reactivity with lower literacy (β=−0.08 −0.11, −0.05) and numeracy (β=−0.07 −0.10, −0.04). There was little evidence that temperamental approach influenced literacy or numeracy. Overall, there was a small controlled direct effect of temperament on cognitive and academic outcomes after accounting for parenting and confounders.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 07-2022
Abstract: The health inequities of Indigenous peoples compared with non-Indigenous peoples are significant and long-standing across many countries. Colonisation and dispossession of land and culture has led to profound and devastating consequences on the health of Indigenous peoples. A lack of trust and cultural security of health services remains a barrier to participation in health care services. Similarly, engagement in research activities is also hindered by a history of unethical research practices. Creating partnerships between researchers and Indigenous communities is key in developing research studies that are culturally appropriate, acceptable and relevant to the needs of Indigenous peoples. Baby Teeth Talk was a randomised controlled trial conducted with Indigenous children and their mothers in South Australia that tested an intervention involving dental care, anticipatory guidance on oral health and dietary intake, and motivational interviewing. The study was developed in consultation and partnership with local Indigenous communities in South Australia and overseen by the study’s Aboriginal reference group. The recruitment and retention of participants in the study has been strong over numerous waves of follow-up. The purpose of this paper is to describe the strategies employed in the study that contributed to the successful and sustained engagement of the participants. These strategies included the establishment of an Aboriginal reference group, building relationships with organisations and community, flexibility of appointment scheduling and allocating adequate time, reimbursement for participant time, developing rapport with participants, encouraging participant self-determination, and adaptation of dietary data collection to better suit participants.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.APPET.2018.03.019
Abstract: Efforts to reduce sugar intake levels have been primarily limited to increasing knowledge and changing attitudes. We conducted a systematic review to (1) identify factors influencing adults' knowledge and attitudes about sugar, and (2) determine if there is an association between knowledge and attitudes about sugar and sugar intake. We searched 15 electronic databases from inception to December 2016 for English language publications including adults with relevant exposure and outcome measures. Findings were summarised meta-narratively. Of 3287 studies, 22 studies (14 for objective one and 8 for objective two) were included. In idual (liking of sugary food), interpersonal (attitudes of peers) and environmental factors (media, health professionals and food labelling) influenced adults' knowledge and attitudes about sugar, at least to some extent. Overall, quality of the studies included in our review was weak, and evidence for the application of the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior model for understanding sugar intake is limited. Protocol registered in the PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews (registration number CRD42015027540).
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 26-02-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FPSYG.2021.542257
Abstract: We aimed to investigate whether the 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) constitutes a valid and reliable measure of social support for the general adult Australian population. Data were from Australia’s National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004–2006 and included 3899 participants aged 18 years old and over. The psychometric properties were evaluated with Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis. One-, two-, and three-factor (Significant Other, Family and Friends) structures were tested. Model fit was assessed with the posterior predictive p -value (PPP χ2 ), Bayesian root mean square error of approximation (BRMSEA), and Bayesian comparative fit index (BCFI). Dimensionality was tested by comparing competing factorial structures with the Bayes factor (BF). Reliability was evaluated with the Bayesian Ω H . Convergent validity was investigated with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and discriminant validity with the Perceived Dental Control scale (PDC-3). The theoretical three-factor model (Significant Other, Family, and Friends) provided a good fit to the data [PPP χ2 & 0.001, BRMSEA = 0.089-95% credible interval (CrI) (0.088, 0.089) BCFI = 0.963-95% CrI (0.963, 0.964)]. The BF provided decisive support for the three-factor structure in relation to the other structures. The SO [BΩ H = 0.95 - 95% CrI (0.90, 0.99)], FA (BΩ H = 0.92 - 95% CrI (0.87, 0.97), and FR (BΩ H = 0.92 - 95% CrI (0.88, 0.97)] subscales displayed excellent reliability. The MSPSS displayed initial evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The MSPSS demonstrated good psychometric properties and excellent reliability in a large Australian s le. This instrument can be applied in national surveys and provide evidence of the role of social support in the Australian population.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 30-10-2019
DOI: 10.1136/ARCHDISCHILD-2019-316945
Abstract: To compare admission rate, cumulative incidence and social distribution of potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPHs) among children according to the current Australian adult definition, and the child definition developed in New Zealand. Deidentified, linked public hospital, births registry and perinatal data of children aged 0–10 years born 2002–2012 in South Australia (n=1 91 742). PPH admission rates among 0–10 year olds and cumulative incidence by age 5 under the adult and child definitions. Cumulative incidence was assessed across indicators of social and health disadvantage. PPH admission rates among 0–10 year olds were 25.6 (95% CI 25.3 to 25.9) and 59.9 (95% CI 59.5 to 60.4) per 1000 person-years for the adult and child definitions, respectively. Greater absolute differences in admission rates between definitions were observed at younger ages (age difference: 75.6 per 1000 person-years age 10 difference: 1.4 per 1000 person-years). Cumulative incidence of PPHs among 0–5 year olds was higher under the child (25.0%, 95% CI 24.7 to 25.2) than the adult definition (12.8%, 95% CI 12.6 to 13.0). Higher PPH incidence was associated with social and health disadvantage. Approximately 80% of the difference in admission rate between definitions was due to five conditions. Respiratory conditions and gastroenteritis were key contributors to the higher PPH admission rate and cumulative incidence among children when calculated under the child definition compared to the adult definition. Irrespective of definition, higher PPH cumulative incidence was associated with social and health disadvantage at birth.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-05-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-08-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JPC.15119
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-11-2018
Abstract: In Thailand, despite widespread improvements in child nutrition, stunting is still highly prevalent among northern hill tribe children. To understand how villagers and health workers (volunteers and officials) gauge health of children younger than 5 years, whether growth monitoring is salient, and the relationships of villagers with the health system in this remote location. Qualitative research was undertaken with 8 hill tribe villages. A workshop on infant and young child health and nutrition was held with 8 village health volunteers, 2 per village, selected by a public health officer. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 villagers and 2 volunteers who had children 0 to 5 years. Eight other health workers were also interviewed. All dialogue was conducted in Thai through bilingual facilitators and recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. Transcripts were coded and analyzed thematically within and across participant groups. Overall, villagers considered strength and independence of children to be hallmarks of health the size of children featured rarely. Volunteers did not perceive local benefits of growth monitoring, and the extent of child malnutrition was unclear to them. Nutrition counseling was seldom mentioned by villagers or health workers. Across all accounts, and considering silences, relationships of villagers with the health system seemed fragile. Villagers understand child health in terms of functional abilities rather than size. Volunteer health workers in this remote location have limited resources and support. Together this helps explain why, against a background of poverty and food insecurity, growth monitoring does not translate to improvements in child nutrition.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-08-2020
DOI: 10.1111/AJO.13220
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 23-05-2019
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980019001228
Abstract: To establish high intake of free sugars and its related disease burden as a significant public health challenge in Australia. We discuss five key actions to reduce intake of free sugars tailored to the Australian context. These strategies are informed by reviewing the global scientific evidence on the effectiveness of a range of policy responses to reduce intake of free sugars at the population level. Australia. Australian population. The five key actions to reduce population levels for intake of free sugars tailored to the Australian context include prioritising health in trade agreements and policy introducing a fiscal policy supporting health and promoting food reformulation regulating advertising and improving labelling strengthening the current dietary guidelines and encouraging healthy choices. The adoption and implementation of the strategies discussed in the current commentary would aid in tackling the rising health burden from the intake of free sugars in Australia.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-12-2014
DOI: 10.1111/JPC.12488
Abstract: The aim of this study is to examine the amount of non-core (unhealthy) food advertising currently on Australian television (i) during children's programmes and viewing times (ii) since the introduction of food industry self-regulatory initiatives in 2009 and (iii) whether advertising differs according to signatory status to industry initiatives. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase.com and JSTOR (media/marketing) databases grey literature and reference lists of relevant articles for studies published since 2009 that reported on food advertising on Australian television. The title and abstract of 316 articles were screened, yielding 25 articles considered potentially eligible, of which eight met the pre-defined selection criteria. Meta-analysis was not possible because of temporal and methodological differences across studies. The advertising of non-core foods was found to be negligible during programmes with a C-(children's) classification but ranged from 1.5 to 6.5/h during children's peak viewing times. From 2006 to 2011, non-core food advertising decreased by 0.18 advertisements per hour every year, whereas fast food advertising increased by 0.09/h however, these analyses are based on one study with only five time points. During children's viewing times, signatories to industry initiatives advertise non-core foods at higher rates than non-signatories. Although it is not possible to determine whether advertising has changed since the industry initiatives were introduced, signatories to the initiatives continue to advertise non-core foods at times when many children watch television. Future efforts to reduce children's exposure to food advertising should be focused on advertising during children's peak viewing times rather than by programme classifications.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 30-06-2021
DOI: 10.1177/03795721211025129
Abstract: Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) interventions can contribute to improved food security and household dietary ersity. As well as undertaking trials, contextual factors that influence sustainability need to be scoped. To explore locals' views of an NSA initiative, designed to improve food security and reduce malnutrition in children younger than 5 years, scoping future prospects 6 months after the conclusion of the trial. The initiative that was formally trialed over 6 months (November 2014 to April 2015) entailed keeping hens and home gardens. It occurred in the ethnic hill tribes of northern Thailand. In November 2015, 20 in-depth interviews were undertaken with villagers who had been involved in the initiative. Dialogue occurred in Thai with assistance of a translator and was recorded, transcribed, and translated to English. A detailed thematic analysis was undertaken. Eggs produced by the hens were appreciated and fed to children, and the message of providing children with an egg a day was widely remembered. Subsequently, the hens ceased laying or died. The home gardens had seasonal scarcity of water. Less visible, but fundamental, women lacked time for these activities due to heavy burdens of farm labor. Keeping hens has potential to become a sustainable activity. Home gardens need water infrastructure to be viable. Women do not necessarily have spare capacity for such initiatives. The required labor needs deliberation by villagers.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 14-07-2021
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114520002500
Abstract: Infants born preterm miss out on the peak period of in utero DHA accretion to the brain during the last trimester of pregnancy which is hypothesised to contribute to the increased prevalence of neurodevelopmental deficits in this population. This study aimed to determine whether DHA supplementation in infants born preterm improves attention at 18 months’ corrected age. This is a follow-up of a subset of infants who participated in the N3RO randomised controlled trial. Infants were randomised to receive an enteral emulsion of high-dose DHA (60 mg/kg per d) or no DHA (soya oil – control) from within the first days of birth until 36 weeks’ post-menstrual age. The assessment of attention involved three tasks requiring the child to maintain attention on toy/s in either the presence or absence of competition or a distractor. The primary outcome was the child’s latency of distractibility when attention was focused on a toy. The primary outcome was available for seventy-three of the 120 infants that were eligible to participate. There was no evidence of a difference between groups in the latency of distractibility (adjusted mean difference: 0·08 s, 95 % CI –0·81, 0·97 P = 0·86). Enteral DHA supplementation did not result in improved attention in infants born preterm at 18 months’ corrected age.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-05-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S12884-022-04720-0
Abstract: Maternal smoking during pregnancy can lead to serious adverse health outcomes for both women and their infants. While smoking in pregnancy has declined over time, it remains consistently higher in women with lower socioeconomic circumstances. Furthermore, fewer women in this group will successfully quit during pregnancy. This study explores the barriers to smoking cessation experienced by socially disadvantaged pregnant women and investigates how interactions with health providers can influence their smoking cessation journey. Women (either pregnant or birthed in the previous 10 years, who smoked or quit smoking in pregnancy) were recruited from a metropolitan public hospital antenatal clinic in South Australia and community organisations in surrounding suburbs. Seventeen women participated in qualitative semi-structured small focus groups or interviews. The focus groups and interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Four interconnected themes were identified: 1) smoking embedded in women’s challenging lives and pregnancies, 2) cyclic isolation and marginalisation, 3) feeling disempowered, and 4) autonomy and self-determination. Themes 3 and 4 are characterised as being two sides of a single coin in that they coexist simultaneously and are inseparable. A key finding is a strong unanimous desire for smoking cessation in pregnancy but women felt they did not have the necessary support from health providers or confidence and self-efficacy to be successful. Women would like improvements to antenatal care that increase health practitioners’ understanding of the social and contextual healthcare barriers faced by women who smoke in pregnancy. They seek improved interventions from health providers to make informed choices about smoking cessation and would like women-centred care. Women feel that with greater support, more options for cessation strategies and consistency and encouragement from health providers they could be more successful at antenatal smoking cessation. If such changes were made, then South Australian practice could align more with best practice international guidelines for addressing smoking cessation in pregnancy, and potentially improve outcomes for women and their children.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-03-2018
Abstract: Mothers of preterm infants often struggle to produce enough breast milk to meet the nutritional needs of their infant. Galactagogues such as domperidone are often prescribed to increase breast milk supply but evidence supporting their role in clinical practice is uncertain. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of domperidone for increasing breast milk volume in mothers expressing breast milk for their preterm infants. MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science were searched without language restrictions from first publication until January 2017. Bibliographies of articles and reviews were hand-searched for additional reports. Randomised controlled trials that compared domperidone with placebo in mothers of preterm infants (<37 weeks' gestation) experiencing insufficient milk supply. Two review authors independently assessed studies for inclusion, extracted data and evaluated study quality. Differences in breast milk volume and adverse events were combined using fixed effects meta-analysis. The pooled analysis of five trials consisting of 194 women demonstrated a moderate increase in daily breast milk volume of 88.3 ml/day (95% CI 56.8-119.8) with the use of domperidone compared with placebo. No difference was evident with respect to maternal adverse events (odds ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.65-1.71), with no reported cases of prolonged QTc syndrome or sudden cardiac death. Sensitivity analyses showed no important differences in the estimates of effects. Domperidone is well tolerated and results in a moderate short-term increase in expressed breast milk volume among mothers of preterm infants previously identified as having insufficient breast milk supply. Domperidone leads to short-term improvements in breast milk volume in mothers of preterm infants.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-04-2020
DOI: 10.1186/S12955-020-01343-X
Abstract: In Australia, the stress levels have increased over the years, impacting on the physical and mental health of the general population. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the PSS-14 in an Australian population. The PSS-14 was applied to a large national s le comprising 3857 Australians in the population-based cross-sectional study Australia’s National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004–2006. The psychometric properties analyzed with the Rasch model and Graphical Log-linear Rasch models were: model fit, item fit, local dependence, differential item functioning, unidimensionality, reliability, targeting and criterion validity. The PSS-14 did not fit the pure RM (χ2 (55) = 3828.3, p = 0.001) and the unidimensionality of the whole scale was rejected ( p = 0.001). The Perceived Stress (χ2 (27) = 1409.7, p = 0.001) and Perceived Control (χ2 (27) = 713.4, p = 0.001) subscales did not fit the pure RM. After the deletion of two items, the Perceived Stress subscale (χ2 (96) = 94.4, p = 0.440) fitted a GLLRM, while the Perceived Control scale (χ2 (55) = 62.50, p = 0.224) fitted a GLLRM after the exclusion of four misfitting items. The Perceived Stress subscale displayed adequate psychometric properties after the deletion of two items however, the majority of problems centered around the Perceived Control subscale. The presence of differential item functioning among four items indicates that adjustment of total scores is required to avoid measurement bias. Recommendations for future applications in Australia are provided.
Publisher: European Respiratory Society (ERS)
Date: 02-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1002/PDS.4133
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-11-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41562-018-0461-X
Abstract: Success in school and the labour market relies on more than high intelligence. Associations between "non-cognitive" skills in childhood, such as attention, self-regulation, and perseverance, and later outcomes have been widely investigated. In a systematic review of this literature, we screened 9553 publications, reviewed 554 eligible publications, and interpreted results from 222 better quality publications. Better quality publications comprised randomised experimental and quasi-experimental studies (EQIs), and observational studies that made reasonable attempts to control confounding. For academic achievement outcomes there were 26 EQI publications but only 14 were available for meta-analysis with effects ranging from 0.16 to 0.37SD. However, within sub-domains effects were heterogeneous. The 95% prediction interval for literacy was consistent with negative, null and positive effects (-0.13 to 0.79). Similarly heterogeneous findings were observed for psychosocial, cognitive and language, and health outcomes. Funnel plots of EQIs and observational studies showed asymmetric distributions and potential for small study bias. There is some evidence that non-cognitive skills associate with improved outcomes. However, there is potential for small study and publication bias that may over-estimate true effects, and heterogeneity of effect estimates spanned negative, null and positive effects. The quality of evidence from EQIs under-pinning this field is lower than optimal and more than a third of observational studies made little or no attempt to control confounding. Interventions designed to develop children's non-cognitive skills could potentially improve outcomes. The inter-disciplinary researchers interested in these skills should take a more strategic and rigorous approach to determine which interventions are most effective.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 05-2016
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 05-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
Abstract: The portrayal of diet over time is a natural progression from the characterization of diet at single time points. The transition dietary period, a dynamic period of rapid dietary change spanning infancy and toddlerhood when children shift from a milk-based to a food-based diet, has not been characterized. The objective was to summarize variation in dietary intakes spanning infancy and toddlerhood. A prospective principal components analysis was applied to dietary intakes from 3 successive follow-ups of children enrolled in the ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children). The frequency of food and beverage consumption was assessed via questionnaire at ages 6, 15, and 24 mo (n = 2169). Two types of transition diet were identified. The first transition diet was characterized by the consumption of home-prepared and raw foods ("healthy") at all time points and the second by ready-prepared and discretionary foods ("less healthy") consistently over time. Higher educational level and maternal age were associated with higher scores on the "healthy" diet, whereas younger maternal age and a lower educational level were associated with higher scores on the "less healthy" diet. Maternal BMI, number of older siblings, and lower social class were associated with the less-healthy transition diet but not with the healthy transition diet. Unique transition diets, including a less-healthy type, emerge by age 2 y. These diets are consistent with childhood and adult dietary patterns reported at single time points and show convergent validity both with known maternal sociodemographic predictors of childhood diet and with intake gradients across diet scores.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-2020
DOI: 10.1111/AP.12435
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 25-08-2020
DOI: 10.1097/01.AOA.0000693796.30926.11
Abstract: ( Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol . 2019 :677–683) Instrumental vaginal delivery is a relatively common obstetric procedure in both Australia and the UK, accounting for ∼10% to 13% of deliveries. It is typically performed in cases of prolonged second stage of labor, fetal compromise, or limited ability of the mother to push. While instrumental deliveries are performed when obstetricians believe the benefits outweigh the risks, there are numerous potential side effects for both mother and fetus. These include maternal soft tissue tears and anal and urinary sphincter dysfunction as well as fetal trauma injuries, such as intracranial and subgaleal bleeding, lacerations, and cranial nerve injuries. Researchers have been concerned about the potential long-term neurodevelopmental effects of instrumental vaginal delivery, but previous studies have not adequately compared the development of children who were born via spontaneous vaginal delivery versus those born via instrumental vaginal delivery. This study was conducted to determine whether vacuum extraction, forceps, or normal vaginal deliveries had an effect on academic performance at 8 years of age.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 08-07-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-2010
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-07-2020
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
Date: 09-2019
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-09-2023
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 14-10-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-08-2017
DOI: 10.1111/JPC.13308
Abstract: The association between fetal vitamin D [25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)] exposure and early child growth and neurodevelopment is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cord blood 25(OH)D and birth size, childhood growth and neurodevelopment. Cord blood s les from 1040 Australian women enrolled in a randomised trial of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy were analysed for 25(OH)D using mass spectroscopy. Infant length, weight and head circumference were measured at delivery. A sub-s le of 337 infants with cord blood s les were selected for growth and neurodevelopment assessment at 18 months and 4 years of age. Associations between standardised 25(OH)D and outcomes were assessed, taking into account DHA treatment, social and demographic variables. Standardised 25(OH)D in cord blood was not associated with length, weight or head circumference at birth, 18 months or 4 years of age. 25(OH)D was not associated with cognitive, motor, social-emotional or adaptive behaviour scores at 18 months, or cognitive score at 4 years of age. A 10 nmol/L increase in cord blood 25(OH)D was associated with a modest increase in average Language scores of 0.60 points at 18 months (adjusted 95% CI 0.04-1.17, P = .04) and 0.68 points at 4 years (adjusted 95% CI 0.07-1.29, P = .03) of age. Cord blood vitamin D was modestly, positively associated with language development in early childhood in our s le, although the magnitude of the association was small. Randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm a causal association and establish the potential clinical significance of the relationship between vitamin D status and language development.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 17-08-2009
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114509371664
Abstract: There is interest in the degree to which fats in dairy foods contribute to CHD. We undertook a systematic review to investigate the effect of dairy consumption on CHD using prospective cohort studies. A systematic search of electronic databases identified studies relating dairy food intake in adulthood to episodes or death from CHD, IHD and myocardial infarction. Included studies were assessed for quality based on study methodology, validity of dietary assessment, success of follow-up, standardised assessment of CHD, IHD or myocardial infarction end points and appropriateness of statistical adjustment. Data from twelve cohorts involving 000 subjects were included. Most studies had follow-up of %, adjusted statistically for three or more confounders and used standard criteria to determine end points. About half the studies used a validated FFQ, administered the FFQ more than once or had follow-up of years. Fewer than half the studies involved subjects representative of the general population. Four of the twelve cohorts found no association between dairy intake and CHD. Eight studies reported varying relationships between different dairy foods and CHD or differential associations based on race, sex or over time. Although dairy foods contribute to the SFA composition of the diet, this systematic review could find no consistent evidence that dairy food consumption is associated with a higher risk of CHD. This could be due to the limited sensitivity of the dietary assessment methods to detect an effect of a single food in a mixed diet on complex clinical outcomes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 14-01-2009
Abstract: Uncertainty exists about the benefit of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the neurodevelopment of preterm infants. To determine the effect of meeting the estimated DHA requirement of preterm infants on neurodevelopment at 18 months' corrected age. Randomized, double-blind controlled trial enrolling infants born at less than 33 weeks' gestation from April 2001 to October 2005 at 5 Australian tertiary hospitals, with follow-up to 18 months. High-DHA (approximately 1% total fatty acids) enteral feeds compared with standard DHA (approximately 0.3% total fatty acids) from day 2 to 4 of life until term corrected age. Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) at 18 months' corrected age. A priori subgroup analyses were conducted based on randomization strata (sex and birth weight or = 1250 g). Of the 657 infants enrolled, 93.5% completed the 18-month follow-up. Bayley MDI scores did not differ between the high- and standard-DHA groups (mean difference, 1.9 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.0 to 4.7). The MDI among girls fed the high-DHA diet was higher than girls fed standard DHA in unadjusted and adjusted analyses (unadjusted mean difference, 4.7 95% CI, 0.5-8.8 adjusted mean difference, 4.5 95% CI, 0.5-8.5). The MDI among boys did not differ between groups. For infants born weighing less than 1250 g, the MDI in the high-DHA group was higher than with standard DHA in the unadjusted comparison (mean difference, 4.7 95% CI, 0.2-9.2) but did not reach statistical significance following adjustment for gestational age, sex, maternal education, and birth order (mean difference, 3.8 95% CI, -0.5 to 8.0). The MDI among infants born weighing at least 1250 g did not differ between groups. A DHA dose of approximately 1% total fatty acids in early life did not increase MDI scores of preterm infants overall born earlier than 33 weeks but did improve the MDI scores of girls. anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12606000327583.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
Abstract: Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy has been positively associated with cognitive and visual abilities in the offspring, leading to the hypothesis that maternal omega-3 (n-3) long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA) supplementation improves children's neurologic and visual development. The objective was to evaluate the effect of maternal omega-3 LCPUFA supplementation in pregnancy on neurologic and visual development in the offspring. Five electronic databases were searched. Human randomized controlled trials that supplemented the maternal diet with omega-3 LCPUFAs during pregnancy, or pregnancy and lactation, and that assessed either neurologic or visual development of the offspring were included. Trial quality was assessed, and the results of eligible trials were compared in meta-analyses. Eleven RCTs involving 5272 participants were included in the review. Most trials had methodologic limitations. No differences in standardized psychometric test scores for cognitive, language, or motor development were observed between the LCPUFA-supplemented and control groups, except for cognitive scores in 2-5-y-old children, in whom supplementation resulted in higher Developmental Standard Scores (mean difference: 3.92 95% CI: 0.77, 7.08 n = 156 P = 0.01). However, this effect was from 2 trials with a high risk of bias. Because of the variety of visual assessments and age ranges, it was not possible to combine studies with visual outcomes in a meta-analysis, although 6 of the 8 assessments in 5 trials reported no difference between the supplemented and control groups. The evidence does not conclusively support or refute that omega-3 LCPUFA supplementation in pregnancy improves cognitive or visual development.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 10-03-2017
DOI: 10.1101/115691
Abstract: Success in school and the labour market is due to more than just high intelligence. Associations between traits such as attention, self-regulation, and perseverance in childhood, and later outcomes have been investigated by psychologists, economists, and epidemiologists. Such traits have been loosely referred to as “non-cognitive” skills. There has been no attempt to systematically assess the relative importance of non-cognitive skills in early life on later outcomes. The systematic review protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, CRD42013006566) in December 2013. We systematically reviewed electronic databases covering psychology, education, health and economics for articles published from database conception until September 2015. Titles and abstracts were screened for eligibility, and from eligible articles data was extracted on study design, s le type and size, age of participants at exposure and outcome, loss to follow up, measurement of exposure and outcome, type of intervention and comparison group, confounding adjustment and results. Where possible we extracted a standardised effect size. We reviewed all studies and rated their evidence quality as ‘better, weak, or poor’ on the basis of study design and potential for confounding, selection and measurement bias. We reviewed 375 studies and provided interpretation of results from 142 (38%) better quality studies comprising randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental, fixed effects including twin studies, longitudinal and some cross-sectional designs that made reasonable attempts to control confounding. In the academic achievement category outcomes were reported in 78 publications of better quality studies which were consistent with 0.1-0.2 SD effects. Psychosocial outcomes were reported in 65 better quality studies consistent with effects of 0.3-0.4 SD. For the language and cognitive category there were 42 publications reporting better quality studies consistent with effects of 0.3-0.4 SD. For physical health, results across only eight better quality studies were inconsistent but centred around zero. Analysis of funnel plots consistently showed asymmetric distributions, raising the potential of small study bias which may inflate these observed effects. The evidence under-pinning the importance of non-cognitive skills for life success is erse and inconsistent. Nevertheless, there is tentative evidence from published studies that non-cognitive skills associate with modest improvements in academic achievement, psychosocial, and language and cognitive outcomes with effects in the range of 0.2-0.4 SD. The quality of evidence under-pinning this field is generally low with more than a third of studies making little or no attempt to control even the most basic confounding (endogeneity) bias. The evidence could be improved by adequately powering studies, and using procedures and tools that improve the conduct and reporting of RCTs and observational studies. Interventions designed to develop children’s non-cognitive skills could potentially improve opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged children. The inter-disciplinary researchers interested in these skills should take a more rigorous approach to determine which interventions are most effective.
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
Date: 09-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-05-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S00228-018-2470-0
Abstract: To examine differences in longer-term breastfeeding outcomes among mothers of preterm infants according to domperidone exposure status, as well as examine the potential for effect modification according to maternal weight. Retrospective cohort study of 198 mothers of very preterm infants (born ≤ 30 weeks' gestation) who initiated breastfeeding and whose infants survived until hospital discharge. Data on domperidone use were obtained from hospital pharmacy records, with the primary outcome defined as continuation of breastfeeding at infant discharge from the Neonatal Unit. The relationship between domperidone exposure and breastfeeding status was investigated using multivariable regression analysis, adjusting for potential confounders. Additional pre-determined analyses were undertaken following stratification according to maternal weight to investigate the presence of effect modification. No overall difference was observed in the proportion of mothers continuing to breastfeed at the time of infant discharge from the Neonatal Unit according to whether or not they received domperidone (aRR 0.99 0.86-1.13). Notably, effect modification was observed according to maternal weight, with use of domperidone associated with a reduced likelihood of breastfeeding at discharge among women ≥ 70 kg (aRR 0.72 0.54-0.97), but not among those < 70 kg (aRR 1.16 0.92-1.46). Despite experiencing low milk supply, longer-term breastfeeding outcomes were similar between women who did and did not use domperidone. Differences in domperidone effectiveness according to maternal weight have important implications for clinical practice given the increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity in reproductive-age women and their higher risk of low milk supply, highlighting the importance of further research in this area.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-11-2019
DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2017.1401606
Abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of cesarean section in Ethiopia. We used data collected for Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2016. A two-stage, stratified, clustered random s ling design was used to gather information from women who gave birth within the 5-year period before each of the surveys. We analyzed the data to identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with cesarean section using log-Poisson regression models. The national cesarean section rate increased from 0.7% in 2000 to 1.9% in 2016, with increases across seven of the eleven administrative regions of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa had the highest cesarean section rate (21.4%) in 2016 and the greatest increase since 2000. In the adjusted analysis, women who gave birth in private health facility had a 78.0% higher risk of cesarean section (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) (95% CI) 1.78 (1.22, 2.58)) compared with women who gave birth in public health facility. Having four or more births was associated with a lower risk of cesarean section compared with first births (aPR (95% CI) 0.36 (0.16, 0.79)). The Ethiopian national cesarean section rate is about 2%, but the rate varies widely among administrative regions, suggesting unequal access. Cesarean sections were highest among urban mothers, first births, births to women with higher education, and births to women from the richest quintile of household wealth.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-09-2021
DOI: 10.1111/ANS.17237
Abstract: Retrospective studies have questioned the benefits of intravenous (IV) fluids during routine colonoscopies given they are performed on well patients who experience limited fluid loss, consume clear fluids up until 2 h prior and low IV volumes typically infused. This trial aims to assess the impact of IV fluid on hypotension and electrolyte changes amongst patients undergoing colonoscopy. Participants undergoing colonoscopies were randomized (single blinded) to IV fluid or no IV fluid. Primary outcomes were equivalence of intraoperative hypotensive episodes ( % drop in systolic blood pressure (SBP)) and changes in serum electrolytes post procedure. Secondary outcomes included patient reported outcome measures (PROMs). Of the 470 participants enrolled, 84/235 (35.7%) from the IV fluids group and 88/230 (38.3%) from the no IV fluids group experienced a hypotensive event (difference in prevalence −2.5, 95% CI −11.3, 6.3). Fourteen participants in each group required clinical intervention to provide haemodynamic support (difference in prevalence −0.1, 95% CI −4.4, 4.2). Postoperative electrolytes changes and PROMs were similar for both groups. Whilst definitive recommendations for IV fluid use during routine colonoscopy are not possible as this trial was underpowered to show equivalence between the groups for hypotensive events, there was no clinically meaningful difference between the groups. These findings provide important data for meta‐synthesis and for planning future work.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-06-2016
DOI: 10.1111/AJO.12475
Abstract: Caesarean birth is one of the most frequently performed major obstetrical interventions. Although there is speculation that caesarean at term may have consequences for children's later health and development, longer-term studies are needed. We aimed to evaluate risks to poor school achievement among children born by caesarean section compared with spontaneous vaginal birth. This population-based observational study involved linkage of routinely collected perinatal data with children's school assessments. Perinatal data included all children born in South Australia from 1999 to 2005. Participants were children born by elective caesarean (exposed, n = 650) or vaginal birth (unexposed, n = 2959), to women who previously had a caesarean delivery. School assessments were reported via a standardised national assessment program for children attending grade three (at ~eight years of age). Assessments included reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy and were categorised according to performing at above or ≤National Minimum Standards (NMS). Statistical analyses involved augmented inverse probability weighting (apiw) and accounted for a range of maternal, perinatal and sociodemographic characteristics. Children performing ≤NMS for vaginal birth versus caesarean section were as follows: reading 144/640 (23%) and 688/2921 (24%), writing 69/636(11%) and 351/2917 (12%), spelling 128/646 (20%) and 684/2937 (23%), grammar 132/646 (20%) and 655/2937 (22%), and numeracy 151/634 (24%) and 729/2922 (25%). Both the raw data and the aipw analyses suggested little differences in school achievement between children born by caesarean versus vaginal birth. Analyses that carefully controlled for a wide range of confounders suggest that caesarean section does not increase the risk of poor school outcomes at age eight.
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 21-03-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-02-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2012
DOI: 10.1007/S10654-012-9715-5
Abstract: Diet supplies the nutrients needed for the development of neural tissues that occurs over the first 2 years of life. Our aim was to examine associations between dietary patterns at 6, 15 and 24 months and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores at 8 years. Participants were enrolled in an observational birth cohort (ALSPAC study, n = 7,097). Dietary data was collected by questionnaire and patterns were extracted at each time using principal component analysis. IQ was measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children at 8 years. Associations between dietary patterns and IQ were examined in regression analyses adjusted for potential confounding and by propensity score matching, with data imputation for missing values. At all ages, higher scores on a Discretionary pattern (characterized by biscuits, chocolate, sweets, soda, crisps) were associated with 1-2 point lower IQ. A Breastfeeding pattern at 6 months and Home-made contemporary patterns at 15 and 24 months (herbs, legumes, cheese, raw fruit and vegetables) were associated with 1-to-2 point higher IQ. A Home-made traditional pattern (meat, cooked vegetables, desserts) at 6 months was positively associated with higher IQ scores, but there was no association with similar patterns at 15 or 24 months. Negative associations were found with patterns characterized by Ready-prepared baby foods at 6 and 15 months and positive associations with a Ready-to-eat foods pattern at 24 months. Propensity score analyses were consistent with regression analyses. This study suggests that dietary patterns from 6 to 24 months may have a small but persistent effect on IQ at 8 years.
Publisher: American Diabetes Association
Date: 11-07-2019
DOI: 10.2337/DC19-0958
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 05-2018
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 09-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2018-027497
Abstract: To examine the impact of caesarean section on breastfeeding indicators—early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months and children ever breastfed (at least once)—in sub-Saharan Africa. Secondary analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Thirty-three low-income and middle-income countries with a survey conducted between 2010 and 2017/2018. Women aged 15–49 years with a singleton live last birth during the 2 years preceding the survey. We analysed the DHS data to examine the impact of caesarean section on breastfeeding indicators using the modified Poisson regression models for each country adjusted for potential confounders. For each breastfeeding indicator, the within-country adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were pooled in random-effects meta-analysis. The within-country analyses showed, compared with vaginal birth, caesarean section was associated with aPR for early initiation of breastfeeding that ranged from 0.24 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.33) in Tanzania to 0.89 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.00) in South Africa. The aPR for exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months ranged from 0.58 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.98) in Angola to 1.93 (95% CI 0.46 to 8.10) in Cote d'Ivoire, while the aPR for children ever breastfed ranged from 0.91 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.02) in Gabon to 1.02 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.04) in Gambia. The meta-analysis showed caesarean section was associated with a 46% lower prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding (pooled aPR, 0.54 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.60)). However, meta-analysis indicated little association with exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months (pooled aPR, 0.94 (95% CI 0.88 to 1.01)) and children ever breastfed (pooled aPR, 0.98 (95% CI 0.98 to 0.99)) among caesarean versus vaginally born children. Caesarean section had a negative influence on early initiation of breastfeeding but showed little difference in exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months and children ever breastfed in sub-Saharan Africa.
Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Date: 03-2020
DOI: 10.1029/2019WR024987
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 04-06-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 04-12-2017
DOI: 10.1017/S000711451700318X
Abstract: There are marked disparities between indigenous and non-indigenous children’s diets and oral health. Both diet and oral health are linked to longer-term health problems. We aimed to investigate whether a culturally appropriate multi-faceted oral health promotion intervention reduced Aboriginal children’s intake of sugars from discretionary foods at 2 years of age. We conducted a single-blind, parallel-arm randomised controlled trial involving women who were pregnant or had given birth to an Aboriginal child in the previous 6 weeks. The treatment group received anticipatory guidance, Motivational Interviewing, health and dental care for mothers during pregnancy and children at 6, 12 and 18 months. The control group received usual care. The key dietary outcome was the percent energy intake from sugars in discretionary foods (%EI), collected from up to three 24-h dietary recalls by trained research officers who were blind to intervention group. Secondary outcomes included intake of macronutrients, food groups, anthropometric z scores (weight, height, BMI and mid-upper arm circumference) and blood pressure. We enrolled 224 children to the treatment group and 230 to the control group. Intention-to-treat analyses showed that the %EI of sugars in discretionary foods was 1·6 % lower in the treatment group compared with control (95 % CI −3·4, 0·2). This culturally appropriate intervention at four time-points from pregnancy to 18 months resulted in small changes to 2-year-old Aboriginal children’s diets, which was insufficient to warrant broader implementation of the intervention. Further consultation with Aboriginal communities is necessary for understanding how to improve the diet and diet-related health outcomes of young Aboriginal children.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-11-2019
DOI: 10.3390/NU11112811
Abstract: An unresolved question about breastfeeding is its effect on caries, in particular, early childhood caries (ECC). In secondary analyses of data from an ECC intervention, we describe breastfeeding among Aboriginal children and associations between breastfeeding and ECC. Breastfeeding (duration and exclusivity to six months) was grouped into mutually exclusive categories. ECC was observed by a calibrated dental professional. Outcomes were prevalence of ECC (% decayed, missing, and filled teeth in the primary dentition (% dmft )) and caries severity (mean number of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (mean dmfs)) in children aged three years. Analyses were adjusted for confounding. Multiple imputation was undertaken for missing information. Of 307 participants, 29.3% were never breastfed, 17.9% exclusively breastfed to six months, and 9.3% breastfed months. Breastfeeding months was associated with higher caries prevalence (adjusted prevalence ratio (PRa) 2.06 (95%CI 1.35, 3.13, p-value = 0.001) and mean dmfs (5.22 (95% CI 2.06, 8.38, p-value = 0.001), compared with children never breastfed. Exclusive breastfeeding to six months with breastfeeding months was associated with 1.45 higher caries prevalence (95% CI –0.92, 2.30, p-value = 0.114) and mean dmfs 2.04 (−0.62, 4.71, p-value = 0.132), compared with never breastfeeding. The findings are similar to observational studies on breastfeeding and caries but not with randomized controlled trials of breastfeeding interventions. Despite attending to potential biases, inconsistencies with trial evidence raises concerns about the ability to identify causal effects of breastfeeding in observational research.
Publisher: Center for Open Science
Date: 20-01-2023
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted and continues to impact the health and well-being of Australian adults. However, there has been no instrument validated to comprehensively measure how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted adults in Australia across several domains (e.g. fear of COVID-19, attitudes towards vaccination, impact of lockdowns on psychosocial ill-being). The current study conducted a rigorous psychometric process to develop and validate an instrument to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the COVID-19 Impact Scale (CIS). An initial pool of 30 items was developed based on a review of the literature and input from a panel of experts including psychologists, epidemiologists, and public health experts, among others. The study used network psychometrics to examine the psychometric properties of: (1) item score distributions (2) item redundancy (3) dimensionality (4) model fit (5) measurement invariance (6) reliability and (7) criterion validity. The 18-item CIS displayed a three-dimensional structure (“Fear”, “Attitudes”, “Psychosocial ill-being”), measurement invariance, good reliability, and criterion validity. The instrument is available to be used by Australian researchers and implemented to evaluate public policies, adapted for future pandemics, or used internationally.
Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Date: 04-2007
DOI: 10.1542/NEO.8-4-E143
Abstract: During gestation, the placenta actively enriches the fetal circulation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), and significant quantities are concentrated in brain and retinal tissues. Preterm infants are denied the usual gestational accretion of LCPUFA, prompting the addition of these fatty acids to preterm formula. Electrophysiologic assessment of visual maturation has shown improved retinal sensitivity and visual acuity with LCPUFA formula supplementation, although the optimal dose has not been determined. Developmental assessment trials of infants fed LCPUFA-supplemented formulas have shown varied results, as have trials assessing the growth of infants fed such formulas. Comparative trials have shown no increased incidence of sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia among preterm infants fed LCPUFA-supplemented formulas. Further research is required to determine the overall balance of LCPUFA in the diets of preterm infants fed either human milk or infant formula.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 24-08-2023
DOI: 10.1177/23800844231191714
Abstract: Early childhood caries (ECC) is the strongest predictor of dental caries in adulthood. Indigenous children have higher levels of ECC compared with non-Indigenous children. The study aimed to estimate the efficacy of an ECC intervention among Aboriginal Australian children. Baby Teeth Talk was an outcome assessor-blinded, closed-cohort cross-in randomized controlled trial conducted in South Australia, Australia. We randomly allocated 448 women pregnant with an Aboriginal child to either an immediate (II) or delayed (DI) intervention group between January 2011 and May 2012. The immediate intervention comprised (1) provision of dental care to mothers during pregnancy (2) application of fluoride varnish to teeth of children at ages 6, 12 and 18 mo (3) motivational interviewing delivered in conjunction and (4) anticipatory guidance. Mothers/children in the DI group received the same intervention commencing when the child was 24 mo of age. The outcomes were assessed by the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) in children aged 24, 36, and 60 mo. Regression-based approaches with generalized linear mixed effect (log-Poisson) model characterized the mean dmft to estimate risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). A total of 223 participants were randomly allocated to the II group and 225 to the DI group. Three hundred sixty-five children (178 II, 187 DI) received at least 1 dental clinical examination at 24, 36, and 60 mo of follow-up. The mean dmft was lower in the II group (0.48, 1.32, and 2.06) than in the DI group (0.82, 1.90, and 3.29) at each time point, respectively. The direct ECC intervention effect was to prevent/decrease dental decay experience (dmft) occurrence by 84% (RR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.20–2.48) after adjusting for all covariates. Our analysis indicated that the time-varied ECC intervention had immediate and longer-term effects on the prevention of ECC among Indigenous Australian children. The study aimed to estimate the efficacy of an early childhood caries (ECC) intervention among Aboriginal Australian children. The findings indicated that the culturally appropriate ECC intervention is effective for the preventive of ECC and can be used by clinicians, educators, and policy makers when planning an ECC intervention, so as to prevent and reduce ECC and meet identified oral health needs across the Australian population, which is important for preventive dental care.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.PLEFA.2010.02.034
Abstract: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) are important nutrients in the preterm diet and fixed ratios have been proposed for formula. We evaluated the intra- and inter-in idual variation in milk fatty acids from mothers of preterm infants involved in a randomised trial of tuna oil or placebo supplementation. Milk s les were collected every 2 weeks while infants were hospitalised and fatty acids analysed by capillary gas chromatography. DHA was higher in milk of supplemented mothers than control (% total fatty acids, mean+/-SD, treatment 0.9+/-0.4, control 0.3+/-0.1, p<0.0005) and ranged between 0.3-2.5% and 0.1-1.1%, respectively. AA did not differ between groups and ranged between 0.2-0.9% and 0.3-0.9%, respectively. Control mothers milk had wider AA:DHA ratio than treatment mothers (0.4-3.2 versus 0.2-2.1). Due to the wide variation in milk AA and DHA, statements recommending infant formula based on a fixed AA:DHA ratio should be re-examined.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 02-02-2017
DOI: 10.1136/ARCHDISCHILD-2016-310950
Abstract: Academic achievement varies according to gestational age but it is unclear whether achievement varies within 'term' (37-41 weeks gestation) or for 'post-term' births (≥42 weeks). We examined gestational age from preterm to post-term against a national minimum standard for academic achievement in population data. Literacy and numeracy data of 8-year-old South Australian grade 3 children in 2008-2010 were linked to routinely collected perinatal data (N=28 155). Longer gestation from 23 to 45 weeks was associated with lower risk of poor literacy and numeracy. Adjusted relative risks for being at or below national minimum standard ranged from 1.12 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.22) for 'late preterm' (32-36 weeks) for numeracy, to 1.84 (95% CI 1.48 to 2.30) for 'early preterm' (23-31 weeks) for writing. Within term, every additional week of gestational age was associated with small decreased risks of poor literacy and numeracy (eg, relative risks for poor numeracy 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20 for 37 weeks). Population-attributable fractions for poor achievement were highest among children born 'early term' (37-39 weeks) due to their higher population prevalence. Shorter gestational age was associated with increased risk of poor literacy/numeracy. While children born 'early term' experience only between 1% and 10% increased risk, they constitute a larger proportion of children with poor educational achievement than preterm children, and thus are important to consider for supportive interventions to improve population-level achievement gains. The seemingly lower risk for post-term children showed large error estimates and warrants further consideration within even larger populations.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-08-2019
Publisher: AMPCo
Date: 08-2013
DOI: 10.5694/MJA13.10562
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 07-08-2019
Publisher: Center for Open Science
Date: 20-04-2023
Abstract: Introduction: The understanding of children’s social and emotional development is critical to promote well-being throughout the life course. Children who fail to develop social and emotional competencies during middle childhood are more likely to experience social and emotional difficulties in late childhood and adolescence and, in the worst case, can develop psychopathology. Recently proposed as a theoretical and methodological development, longitudinal network models can investigate children’s social and emotional development as a system of mutually reinforcing behaviours (instead of traditionally considering development according to unobservable “traits”). The identification of behaviours that have the strongest causal effects on social and emotional development during middle childhood (rather than the identification of broader “traits”) can be useful to inform tailored behavioural interventions to promote the healthy development of children. The current study will employ Cross-Lagged Network Models (CLNMs) to investigate children’s social and emotional development among Australian children aged 6 to 10 years. Method: Data was used from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Children’s social and emotional development was measured with the caregiver-informant Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) version 4 to 10 years. The complete case s les (n=4,070) included children aged 6 to 10 years who participated in the three study follow-ups (i.e. age 6, 8, and 10) with complete responses to all 25 SDQ items. Results: The findings indicated that certain behaviours, such as reducing fights at age 6 and improving peer relationships at age 8, were important intervention targets to promote healthy social and emotional development during middle childhood. Conclusion: The current study provided new insights into children’s social and emotional development during middle childhood and identified behaviours that are key targets for intervention.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 13-03-2013
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 20-01-2022
Abstract: Despite the preventive nature of oral diseases and their significance for general wellbeing, poor oral health is highly prevalent and has unfavourable ramifications for children around the world. Indigenous children in Australia experience disproportionate rates of early childhood caries compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Therefore, this paper aims to collate parental experiences and generate an understanding of facilitators for Indigenous childhood oral health. This project aggregated stories from parents of Indigenous children across South Australia who were participants in an early childhood caries-prevention trial. This paper explores facilitators for establishing oral health and nutrition behaviours for Indigenous children under the age of three through reflexive thematic analysis. Fisher-Owens’ conceptual model for influences on children’s oral health is utilised as a framework for thematic findings. Child-level facilitators include oral hygiene routines and regular water consumption. Family-level facilitators include familial ties, importance of knowledge, and positive oral health beliefs. Community-level facilitators include generational teaching, helpful community resources, and holistic health care. Recommendations from findings include the following: exploration of Indigenous health workers and elder participation in oral health initiatives inclusion of Indigenous community representatives in mainstream oral health discussions and incorporation of child-level, family-level, and community-level facilitators to increase support for efficacious oral health programs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2018
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 30-03-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-04-2018
DOI: 10.1111/JPC.13929
Abstract: To estimate the frequency, duration and monthly pattern of discretionary food advertising on Australian free-to-air television. We logged 30 000 h of television collected in Adelaide during 2016 from one network that has four channels. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating was used to identify discretionary foods. Data were examined according to all times, to children's peak viewing times (PVTs) and to when C-(children's) rated programmes may be broadcast. Of the >800 000 advertisements logged during 2016, 11% were for foods (n = 97 837). The most frequently advertised products were: snack foods (e.g. crisps), crumbed/battered meats, fast foods/take away meals and sweetened beverages. The frequency and duration of discretionary food advertising was 1.7 times/h and 0.5 min/h respectively at all times. During children's PVTs, the frequency and duration of discretionary food advertising was 2.3 times/h and 0.7 min/h, respectively. When C-rated programmes can be broadcast, the frequency and duration of discretionary food advertising was 1.8 times/h and 0.6 min/h, respectively. Across the year, discretionary foods ranged between 41% (August) and 71% (January) of all food advertising. Discretionary foods dominate food advertising. On average, discretionary food advertising was higher during PVTs for children and during the summer school holidays (January).
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-01-2012
Abstract: Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) have previously shown that dietary patterns are observable by 3 years. However, it is not clear when dietary patterns emerge. We aimed to describe dietary patterns in early life and their associations with maternal and infant sociodemographic characteristics. Principal component analysis was applied to diet questionnaires of ALSPAC participants at 6 months (n = 7052) and 15 months (n = 5610) to extract dietary patterns. The sociodemographic factors associated with dietary patterns were investigated using regression analyses. Four dietary patterns were extracted at both 6 and 15 months. A traditional-style pattern characterized by home-prepared meats, vegetables and desserts, a second pattern characterized by ready-prepared baby foods and a third pattern characterized by discretionary foods such as biscuits, sweets and crisps were identified at both ages. At 6 months, the fourth pattern was characterized predominantly by breastfeeding and at 15 months, by contemporary-style foods including herbs, legumes, nuts, raw fruit and vegetables. Higher maternal age and education, number of siblings and lower body mass index (BMI) was associated with higher scores on the breastfeeding or meat, vegetables and desserts patterns, whereas higher discretionary food pattern scores were associated with younger maternal age, lower education, higher BMI and more siblings. Associations between sociodemographic factors and the ready-prepared baby food pattern scores were inconsistent across ages. Dietary patterns emerge from infancy and are associated with sociodemographic characteristics.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 18-08-2021
DOI: 10.3389/FPSYG.2021.573825
Abstract: In Australia, one of the most frequently used measures for assessing social and emotional well-being (SEWB) of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Previous studies on state-level validations have indicated the problems associated with the original five-factor SDQ structure, especially in the dimension of Peer Problems. The aim of this study was to use a novel psychometric methodology, namely Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA), to evaluate the dimensionality of caregiver-informant SDQ version 4–10 years at a national level in Australia. Data for this study were retrospectively collected from two independent longitudinal studies: the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) and South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC). The caregiver-informed SDQ version 4–10 years was applied across several study waves, including more than 4,000 responses. To conduct EGA, Gaussian graphical models (GGMs) were estimated using the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator. About 2,500 bootstrap s les were also employed to investigate dimensions and item stability. The findings indicated robust evidence against the construct validity of the original five-factor SDQ structure. Future studies should conduct a direct external validation of the findings with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander parents/carers and community groups to develop the guidelines for future use of the instrument among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children in Australia.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-06-2015
DOI: 10.1111/AJO.12344
Abstract: Observational studies have implicated low serum vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) levels in the development of mood disorders. Postpartum depression (PPD) is an important public health issue, although little is known about its association with serum 25(OH)D. To determine the association between 25(OH)D at delivery and the subsequent risk of PPD at six weeks and six months postpartum in a large cohort of Australian women. Cord blood s les from 1040 women participating in the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to Optimise Maternal Infant Outcome randomised controlled trial were analysed for 25(OH)D by mass spectroscopy. Maternal PPD was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at six weeks and six months postpartum. The association between standardised 25(OH)D and PPD was assessed, taking into account DHA treatment, social and demographic variables. There was no association between cord blood 25(OH)D concentration at delivery and PPD at either six weeks or six months postpartum. Cord blood 25(OH)D 25-50 and >50 nmol/L at delivery was associated with decreased risk of PPD at six weeks postpartum compared with 25(OH)D <25 nmol/L in the control group, but not the DHA group. There was no association between cord blood 25(OH)D <25 nmol/L at delivery and PPD at six months postpartum. This largest study to date of 25(OH)D levels at delivery and PPD did not reveal a consistent link with PPD.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-02-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S12913-022-07642-X
Abstract: Adverse social circumstances are a key factor in health outcomes. Hospitals are an opportune setting for assessing and addressing the unmet social needs of patients, however, the readiness of healthcare workers in hospitals to undertake such tasks requires further exploration in the Australian context. This study aimed to generate a theory of doctors’ and nurses’ readiness to assess and address patients’ social needs in a hospital setting. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was applied, with purposive and theoretical s ling used to gather erse perspectives of readiness during semi-structured interviews with twenty senior doctors and nurses from a variety of clinical specialties working in hospitals serving communities experiencing inequitable social and health outcomes. Line-by-line coding, memo writing, and diagramming were used in analysis to construct an interpretive theory of readiness. Application of constant comparison analytic processes were used to test the robustness of the theory. The readiness of doctors and nurses varies across in iduals and departments, and is founded upon a state of being comfortable and confident to assess social need as determined by a range of personal attributes (e.g. knowledge of social need skills to assess social need) a state of being willing and prepared to assess and address social need facilitated by supportive environments (e.g. departmental culture) and enabling characteristics of the clinical encounter (e.g. time, rapport). We found that the readiness of doctors and nurses is dynamic and impacted by a complex interplay of personal attributes along with contextual and situational factors. These findings indicate that any efforts to strengthen the readiness of doctors and nurses to assess and address social needs must target personal capabilities in addition to characteristics of the working environment.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-09-2021
DOI: 10.1186/S12903-021-01791-X
Abstract: During the 1970s, optimal oral health was experienced more frequently amongst Indigenous children in Australia than their non-Indigenous counterparts. As a result of public health interventions targeting oral disease, oral health has improved for most children however, Indigenous children today experience oral disease at alarmingly high rates. A history of colonisation, assimilation, racism and cultural annihilation has had profound impacts on oral health for Indigenous peoples compounded by environmental dispossession and a shift from traditional diets to one of processed and nutrient-poor foods, often high in sugar. This project aimed to identify factors related to the increased occurrence of caries in Indigenous children. Using purposive s ling from the larger project, this paper thematically analyses 327 motivational interviews to explore current barriers impeding parental efforts to establish oral health and nutrition practices for Indigenous children. Representation of socioeconomic positions of families were compared across themes, as based on maternal age, employment, residency and number of children in care. Findings resulted in a conceptual model of barriers that exist across knowledge, social, structural and parental factors. Major thematic results include: social consumption of processed foods, busy households, misleading nutrition marketing, sugar cravings and lack of oral health and nutrition knowledge. A discussion of the findings results in the following recommendations increased oral health promotion efforts in non-metropolitan areas utilisation of community experiences in creating strategies that encourage oral health and nutrition knowledge and the extension of oral health initiatives and future research to include all family members. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12611000111976 registered 01/02/2011.
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 07-05-2014
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 16-11-2022
Abstract: Over the past decades, increasing research interest has been directed towards the psychosocial factors that impact Aboriginal health, including stress, coping and social support. However, there has been no study that examined whether the behaviours, cognitions and emotions related to stress, coping and social support constitute a psychological network in an Aboriginal population and that examined its properties. To address this gap, the current study employed a new methodology, network psychometrics, to evaluate stress, coping and social support in an Aboriginal Australian population. This study conducted a secondary analysis of the South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC) study, a randomised controlled trial in South Australia, which included 367 pregnant Aboriginal women at study baseline. The Gaussian Graphical Model was estimated with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Node centrality was evaluated with eigencentrality, strength and bridge centrality. Network communities were investigated with the walktrap algorithm. The findings indicated that stress, coping and social support constituted a connected psychological network in an Aboriginal population. Furthermore, at the centre of the network were the troubles experienced by the Aboriginal pregnant women, bridging their perceptions of stress and coping and constituting a potential target for future interventions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
Abstract: To describe advertising of discretionary foods on television at times when children watch television. We randomly s led 84 days (one of each weekday for every month of the year) for 2017, viewed all food advertisements and categorised them according to type (healthy, discretionary or other). The frequency of advertisements per hour was calculated for times when most children watch television (peak viewing time PVT1) and when C-rated programs can be broadcast (PVT2). The rate of advertising of discretionary foods during PVT1 was 1.5/hour (95%CI 1.4-1.5), and during PVT2 was 1.7/hour (1.6-1.8). Children continue to be exposed to food advertising. Implications for public health: Voluntary food and grocery industry codes have not prevented children from being exposed to discretionary food advertising on television. From June 2019, all food and beverage advertising is subject to either food industry or advertising industry codes. The data presented here will form the baseline for future evaluation of whether the new arrangements reduce children's exposure to food advertising.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2021
DOI: 10.1002/UOG.23141
Abstract: To estimate the effect of elective induction of labor at 39 weeks' gestation on children's educational outcomes as measured using the Australian National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests in school year 3 (∼8 years of age), compared with expectant management. We merged perinatal data on all infants born in South Australia from 1999 to 2008 with children's school assessment data from NAPLAN. The study population included all singleton infants born without a malformation at 39–42 weeks in vertex presentation. Children who had undertaken the NAPLAN test in school year 3 were included. We excluded births to women who had a contraindication to vaginal delivery and those with a condition possibly justifying elective delivery before 39 weeks. The outcome of interest was children's educational outcome as measured using NAPLAN, which includes five learning domains (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy). Each domain was categorized according to performance at or below vs above the national minimum standard (NMS). Average treatment effects (ATEs) of elective induction of labor at 39 weeks compared with expectant management on the proportion of children performing at/below the NMS for each domain were estimated using the augmented inverse‐propensity‐weighted estimator, accounting for potential confounders. Of 53 843 children born at 39–42 weeks in vertex presentation from 1999 to 2008 and who were expected to participate in the year‐3 NAPLAN from 2008 to 2015, a total of 31 120 had at least one year‐3 NAPLAN domain. Of these, 1353 children were delivered after elective induction of labor at 39 weeks while 29 767 children were born following expectant management. The ATEs (mean differences) of elective induction of labor at 39 weeks compared with expectant management on the proportion of children scoring at/below the NMS on each domain were 0.01 (95% CI, –0.02 to 0.03) for reading, 0.02 (95% CI, 0.00–0.04) for writing, 0.01 (95% CI, –0.01 to 0.04) for spelling, 0.02 (95% CI, –0.01 to 0.04) for grammar and 0.03 (95% CI, 0.00–0.05) for numeracy. Elective induction of labor at 39 weeks did not affect children's standardized literacy and numeracy testing outcomes at 8 years of age when compared with expectant management. © 2020 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 13-04-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.APPET.2017.02.018
Abstract: Associations of parental feeding techniques with adiposity are mixed and largely rely on cross-sectional studies. We examined associations between parental food-choice control and using food to soothe at 3.5 years on adiposity at 7 and 15 years. Participants were from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 7312). Food-choice control was assessed using the item 'how much choice do you allow him/her in deciding what foods he eats at meals?'. Use of food to soothe was reported by mothers on the item 'how often do you use sweets or other foods to stop his/her crying or fussing?'. BMI at 7 and 15 years was converted to sex- and age-adjusted z-scores. Fat mass was assessed at 15 years using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. In fully-adjusted models, children given the least choice had 0.08 lower BMI z-score at age 7 years and 0.12 lower BMI z-score,1.46 kg lower fat mass at 15 years than children with the most choices. There was no evidence of an association between using food to soothe and adiposity. Contrary to some studies, higher parental control over food choice was associated with lower adiposity, but use of food to soothe was not associated with adiposity at ages 7 and 15.
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 29-12-2021
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-1172448/V1
Abstract: BackgroundMaternal smoking during pregnancy can lead to serious adverse health outcomes for both women and their infants. While smoking in pregnancy has declined over time, it remains consistently higher in women with lower socioeconomic circumstances. Furthermore, fewer women in this group will successfully quit during pregnancy. AimThis study explores the barriers to smoking cessation experienced by socially disadvantaged pregnant women and investigates how interactions with health providers can influence their smoking cessation journey.Methodsomen (either pregnant or birthed in the previous 10 years, who smoked or quit smoking in pregnancy) were recruited from a metropolitan public hospital antenatal clinic in South Australia and community organisations in surrounding suburbs. Seventeen women participated in qualitative semi-structured small focus groups or interviews. The focus groups and interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. FindingsFour interconnected themes were identified: 1) smoking embedded in women’s challenging lives and pregnancies, 2) cyclic isolation and marginalisation, 3) feeling disempowered, and 4) autonomy and self-determination. Themes 3 and 4 are characterised as being two sides of a single coin in that they coexist simultaneously and are inseparable. A key finding is a strong unanimous desire for smoking cessation in pregnancy but women felt they did not have the necessary support from health providers or confidence and self-efficacy to be successful.ConclusionWomen would like improvements to antenatal care that increase health practitioners’ understanding of the social and contextual healthcare barriers faced by women who smoke in pregnancy. They seek assistance from health providers to make informed choices about smoking cessation and would like women-centred care. Women feel that with greater support, consistency and encouragement from health providers they could be more successful at antenatal smoking cessation.
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2019
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 18-09-2020
DOI: 10.1111/PEDI.13107
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 17-08-2018
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980018001957
Abstract: To gain an in-depth understanding of infant and young child feeding practices, accompanying beliefs and their sociocultural context in the Karen and Lua ethnic communities of northern Thailand. A two-day workshop and thirty in-depth interviews were undertaken in June 2014. Dialogue occurred with the assistance of translators and was recorded, transcribed and translated. A detailed thematic analysis was undertaken. Northern Thai indigenous communities in which one-third of the children under 5 years of age are stunted. People with various roles in the local health system and twenty-six villagers who cared for infants and young children. Predominant breast-feeding was said to occur for 1 to 3 months but was not exclusive due to early introduction of water and/or rice. Exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months was impeded by the need for mothers to return to farming work, with the early introduction of solids enabling infants to be cared for by other family members. Low variety in complementary foods was typical during infancy, with few local foods having appropriate texture and special preparation of foods rarely described. A pervasive underlying issue is women’s responsibility to labour and lack of time to care for their young children. Poverty and food insecurity also featured in participants’ accounts. In combination, women’s limited time to care, poverty and food insecurity are perpetuating poor nutrition of children in early life. Agricultural solutions that are being explored should also attend to the burden of work for women.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-03-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S12011-021-02665-7
Abstract: Iodine nutrition during pregnancy can affect newborn thyroid-stimulating-hormone concentration (TSH). Associations of newborn TSH with the neurodevelopment and growth of children are inconsistent. The aim of the study was to systematically review the literature on the associations between newborn TSH and childhood neurodevelopment and growth. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, WHO, and Iodine Global Network were searched for eligible studies. Seventeen studies were included. Neurodevelopment was assessed using different tools in children aged 1-12 years of age. The associations between newborn TSH and cognitive development were negative in studies from iodine deficient populations, while a null association was found in studies from iodine sufficient populations. A null association between TSH and psychomotor development was observed regardless of iodine status of the study populations. There was no evidence of an association between newborn TSH and child anthropometry, but evidence of negative association was found between newborn TSH and birthweight. Although the associations between newborn TSH and neurodevelopment may differ based on the iodine status of populations, most of the included studies did not adjust for the key confounders and had a small s le size. Quality data-linkage studies that utilize newborn TSH data from newborn screening with adequate adjustment for potential confounders are warranted to better understand the relationship between newborn TSH and neurodevelopment and growth in children. CRD42020152878.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 10-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2018-027235
Abstract: To examine the changing temporal association between caesarean birth and neonatal death within the context of Ethiopia from 2000 to 2016. Secondary analysis of Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys. All administrative regions of Ethiopia with surveys conducted in 2000, 2005, 2011 and 2016. Women aged 15–49 years with a live birth during the 5 years preceding the survey. We analysed the association between caesarean birth and neonatal death using log-Poisson regression models for each survey adjusted for potential confounders. We then applied the ‘Three Delays Model’ to 2016 survey to provide an interpretation of the association between caesarean birth and neonatal death in Ethiopia. The adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for neonatal death among neonates born via caesarean section versus vaginal birth increased over time, from 0.95 (95% CI: 0.29 to 3.19) in 2000 to 2.81 (95% CI: 1.11 to 7.13) in 2016. The association between caesarean birth and neonatal death was stronger among rural women (aPR (95% CI) 3.43 (1.22 to 9.67)) and among women from the lowest quintile of household wealth (aPR (95% CI) 7.01 (0.92 to 53.36)) in 2016. Aggregate-level analysis revealed that an increased caesarean section rates were correlated with a decreased proportion of neonatal deaths. A naïve interpretation of the changing temporal association between caesarean birth and neonatal death from 2000 to 2016 is that caesarean section is increasingly associated with neonatal death. However, the changing temporal association reflects improvements in health service coverage and secular shifts in the characteristics of Ethiopian women undergoing caesarean section after complicated labour or severe foetal compromise.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1159/000281154
Abstract: There has been intense interest in the role of the n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), in growth and development of infants. In 2009, there are at least twelve published randomized controlled trials (RCT) assessing the effects of LCPUFA supplementation of infant formula for preterm infants and seventeen RCTs involving formula-fed term infants. In addition, at least five RCTs have investigated the effect of DHA supplementation during pregnancy and/or lactation on infant and early child development. Collectively, the published literature has demonstrated no harm of dietary LCPUFA for infants regardless of whether they are born preterm or at term. However, developmental benefit is more consistently observed in infants born preterm. This may be explained by the fact that DHA accretion to neural tissues peaks during the fetal brain growth spurt in the last trimester of pregnancy. Infants born preterm are denied the full gestation period to accumulate DHA and are at risk of incomplete DHA accumulation. New research is focused on the timing and dose of DHA supplementation needed to optimize developmental outcomes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
Abstract: To identify the characteristics of Australian adults exceeding the World Health Organization's free sugar (FS) intake recommendations of <10% and compare the sources of FS among those exceeding (high FS consumers) and complying (low FS consumers) with the recommendations. Nationally weighted data from the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011-12 was used to describe the proportions of FS consumption and sources of FS among adults aged ≥18 years (n=9,435) across demographic, socioeconomic and health behavioural subgroups. Six categories of food groups likely to contain FS were generated and analysed. Almost half of all adults (47%) were high FS consumers. More than one-third of adults in each demographic, socioeconomic and health behaviour subgroup were high FS consumers. Of the food groups containing FS, beverages contributed the most FS (37%), particularly for young adults (48%). High FS consumers obtained twice as much FS from beverages (42%) than low FS consumers (21%). A reverse age gradient was observed for the FS sourced from beverages. Almost half the Australians surveyed exceeded the FS intake recommendations. Sugary beverages were the largest source of FS, with young adults being the highest consumers. Implications for public health: Whole population strategies targeting beverages could possibly reduce Australia's high sugar intake.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-07-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1753-4887.2011.00407.X
Abstract: Early childhood is an important nutritional period that involves the transition from a milk-based diet to ordinary foods. A systematic review was conducted of studies that applied whole-of-diet analysis of children aged 1-5 years to examine associations between diet and nutrition, health, and development. Literature searches identified 40 articles using dietary indices, principal component analysis, or cluster analysis. Reports that applied indices (n = 23, 18 indices) were cross-sectional, and most measured diet quality or variety. Articles reporting principal component or cluster analyses (n =17) described between two and six dietary patterns, and most identified healthy, unhealthy, and traditional patterns. In cross-sectional analyses, mixed associations were found between index or pattern scores and nutrient intake (n = 10), nutritional biomarkers (n = 1), and anthropometry (n = 10). Five reports from two birth cohorts showed healthier dietary patterns were associated with better lean mass, cognition, and behavior, but not with bone mass or body mass index at later ages. Few studies have characterized the diets of children under 5 years of age and linked diet with health. Given the limited evidence, research establishing the predictive validity of whole-of-diet methods in childhood is needed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.NUT.2008.01.014
Abstract: We investigated the relative contribution of macronutrients to postnatal growth in preterm infants born <33 wk of gestation. An audit of daily parenteral and enteral intakes of protein, carbohydrate, fat, energy, and growth (daily weight, weekly length, and head circumference) from birth to discharge home in 138 infants at <33 wk of gestation admitted to an Australian tertiary hospital was done. A mixed-model analysis of variance with random effects (slope and intercept) for subject and controlling for time, sex, gestational age, and total energy was used to determine the relative contribution of macronutrients to growth. A higher energy intake (kilocalories per day) had a positive influence on growth. With total energy held constant, the contribution of carbohydrate to total energy had a positive relation to weight, length, and head circumference gains protein had no relation and fat was negatively associated. For every 1% increase in energy from carbohydrate, there was a 2.3-g/d increase in weight (95% confidence interval 1.6-3.0, P < 0.0001), a 0.013-cm/d increase in length (95% confidence interval 0.003-0.022, P = 0.007), and a 0.015-cm/d increase in head circumference (95% confidence interval 0.009-0.022, P < 0.0001). A re-examination of the macronutrient balance in the diet of preterm infants is required in relation to optimizing growth.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-03-2019
Abstract: To determine: (1) the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS), time to pregnancy (TTP), and infertility (2) associations between in idual and an increasing number of MetS components, TTP, and infertility and (3) whether these relationships differ by body mass index (BMI 12 months) were compared using a generalised linear model (Poisson distribution) with robust variance estimates (relative risks, RRs 95% CIs). All analyses (entire cohort and split by BMI) were controlled for a range of maternal and paternal confounding factors. Time to pregnancy and infertility. Of the 5519 women included, 12.4% (n = 684) had MetS. Compared with women without MetS, women with MetS had a longer TTP (adjusted TR 1.30 95% CI 1.15-1.46), which was similar in women who were obese and in women who were not obese. Marginal estimates for median TTP in women with MetS versus without MetS was 3.1 months (3.0-3.3 months) versus 4.1 months (3.6-4.5 months), respectively. Women with MetS were at a 62% greater risk for infertility and were at a greater risk for infertility whether they were obese (adjusted RR 1.62 95% CI 1.15-2.29) or not (adjusted RR 1.73 95% CI 1.33-2.23). Reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and raised triglycerides (TGs) were the main in idual components associated with risk for infertility. Metabolic syndrome is associated with longer TTP and infertility, independent of obesity. Additional studies, before pregnancy, are required to support our findings and to determine the applicability of which combinations of metabolic abnormalities pose the greatest risk to delayed fertility, or whether in idual components are amenable to modification. Metabolic syndrome is associated with longer time to pregnancy and infertility, independent of obesity.
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
Date: 09-2019
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Lisa Smithers.