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Childcare centres urged to adopt new policy to boost kids’ physical activityChildcare centres will be invited to help boost children’s physical activity levels by signing on to a new program which commits them to creating more opportunities for physical activity.
Research
Examining Changes in Implementation of Priority Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Practices, and Related Barriers, Over Time in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care ServicesPromoting healthy eating and physical activity in early childhood education and care is recommended within guidelines and supported by health promotion programs; however, implementation is suboptimal. Evidence suggests implementation within the sector varies over time; however, this has not been empirically examined in relation to implementation barriers.
Research
Profile of the PLAY spaces & environments for children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep (PLAYCE) cohort study, Western AustraliaChildhood is a critical period for the development of movement behaviours such as physical activity, sleep and sedentary behaviour. The PLAYCE Cohort was established to investigate how movement behaviours change over early to middle childhood, across key behaviour settings and relationships with health and development. An overview of the PLAYCE cohort, summary of key findings to date, and future research opportunities are presented.
News & Events
Up and at ’em: The Kids physical activity researcher named a WA Young Tall PoppyA The Kids Research Institute Australia researcher focused on promoting more active childhoods to improve child health and wellbeing will be named amongst WA’s most outstanding young scientists at the upcoming 2020 Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.
Research
Association between preschooler outdoor play and home yard vegetation as measured by high resolution imagery: Findings from the PLAYCE studyOutdoor play in the home yard is an important source of physical activity for many preschoolers. This study investigated if home yard size and vegetation are related to preschooler outdoor play time.
Research
Does exercise in cool water cause a higher risk of hypoglycaemia than in thermoneutral conditions in type 1 diabetes?The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that exercise in cool water results in a greater decrease in blood glucose concentration than in thermoneutral water or on land in individuals with type 1 diabetes.
Research
The Stride program: Feasibility and pre-to-post program change of an exercise service for university students experiencing mental distressRates of mental illness are disproportionately high for young adult and higher education (e.g., university student) populations. As such, universities and tertiary institutions often devote significant efforts to services and programs that support and treat mental illness and/or mental distress. However, within that portfolio of treatment approaches, structured exercise has been relatively underutilised and greater research attention is needed to develop this evidence base.
Research
Psychological Flow Training: Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of an Educational Intervention on FlowDespite there being an increasing number of applied flow studies across scientific disciplines, there exists no consistent or broadly applicable intervention to promote flow experiences. This study provides a detailed account of a new educational flow training program developed following recent advancements in the flow literature that have provided a more parsimonious understanding of flow experiences and antecedents.
Research
The intensity of a resistance exercise session can be quantified by the work rate of exerciseAthletes regularly perform resistance training, yet it is unknown how best to monitor its intensity. This study compared different resistance exercise intensity metrics to determine their sensitivity to manipulating work rate (via altering inter-set rest and load).
Research
Physical Activity-Related Practices and Psychosocial Factors of Childcare Educators: A Latent Profile AnalysisLimited research investigates early childhood education and care (ECEC) educators' involvement in promoting physical activity. The aim was to identify distinct profiles based on physical activity-related practices and psychosocial factors in ECEC educators and examine how they relate to the amount of time allocated to children's physical activity. A secondary analysis of educator-reported survey data from the Play Active study was undertaken.