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Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effect of folic acid supplementation beyond the first trimester on maternal plasma unmetabolised folic acid in late gestationTaking folic acid containing supplements prior to and during early pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube defects. Neural tube defects occur prior to 28 days postconception, after which, there is no proven benefit of continuing to take folic acid. However, many women continue to take folic acid containing supplements throughout the pregnancy.
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Association between food-outlet availability near secondary schools and junk-food purchasing among Australian adolescentsWe sought to investigate the association between food-outlet availability near Australian secondary schools and frequency of Australian students’ discretionary food purchases.
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Study protocol for Healthy Conversations @ Playgroup: a multi-site cluster randomized controlled trial of an intervention to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours in young children attending community playgroupsEarly childhood is a critical window for preventing obesity and chronic disease. Yet, 1 in 4 Australian children aged 5 years and under are affected by overweight or obesity; and significant proportions of children under 5 years fail to meet guidelines for diet quality, physical activity (PA), screen time, and sleep.
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Built Environments and Child Health: A Policy Review’, Life Course Centre Working Paper Series, 2021-22Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century and is affected not only by individual choice but also by societal and environmental influences. Childhood obesity is higher in children living in regional and remote compared with major cities, in one-parent families and for those with a disability.
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Changes to the Gut Microbiome in Young Children Showing Early Behavioral Signs of AutismThe human gut microbiome has increasingly been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is a neurological developmental disorder, characterized by impairments to social interaction.
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Nutritional approaches for the primary prevention of allergic disease: An updateThe dramatic rise in early childhood allergic diseases indicates the specific vulnerability of the immune system to early life environmental changes.
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Individual, social, and environmental correlates of healthy and unhealthy eatingThis study aims to examine associations between individual, social, home, & neighbourhood environmental factors & dietary intake among adults.
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Food environments and dietary intakes among adults: Does the type of spatial exposure measurement matter? A systematic reviewAvailability measures may produce significant and greater effect sizes than accessibility measures
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The western dietary pattern is prospectively associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescenceIn centrally obese adolescents with NAFLD, a healthy dietary pattern may be protective, whereas a Western dietary pattern may increase the risk.
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Baseline investigations of folate status in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal West Australians prior to the introduction of mandatory fortificationOur study aimed to establish baseline folate status data in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Western Australians.