Search

The Kids researcher takes out top prize at 2020 WA Tall Poppy Science Awards

The Kids Research Institute Australia and University of Western Australia physical activity researcher Hayley Christian has been named Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year at the 2020 WA Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.

Childcare centres urged to adopt new policy to boost kids’ physical activity

Childcare 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.

Pre-term kids get green light to exercise

Parents of children born prematurely have expressed concerns about their child’s lung health when they exercise, with symptoms such as breathlessness.

Organizational readiness and implementation fidelity of an early childhood education and care-specific physical activity policy intervention: findings from the Play Active trial

Many children do not accumulate sufficient physical activity for good health and development at early childhood education and care (ECEC). This study examined the association between ECEC organizational readiness and implementation fidelity of an ECEC-specific physical activity policy intervention.

Australian children's physical activity and screen time while in grandparental care

The objective of this study was to explore Australian children's engagement in physical activity and screen time while being cared for by their grandparents.

Evaluating the scale-up of the Play Active programme for children’s physical activity in early childhood education and care services: a national type III hybrid effectiveness-implementation

Physical activity is crucial for young children's health and development. Many young children do not meet the recommended 3 hours of daily physical activity, including 60 min of energetic play. Early childhood education and care (ECEC/childcare) is a key setting to intervene to improve children's physical activity. The Play Active programme is a scalable evidence-informed ECEC-specific physical activity policy intervention with implementation support strategies to improve educators' physical activity-related practices.

Scalability and scaling-up strategy of a physical activity policy intervention in Australian childcare centres

There is an urgent need for scalable interventions to promote physical activity in early childhood. An early childhood education and care physical activity policy intervention with implementation support strategies (Play Active) has been proposed for scale-up in Australia. 

Acceptability, feasibility, and program outcomes of an equity-focused, adapted community-based healthy lifestyle program for children, young people, and their families

International guidelines recommend multidisciplinary intervention programs for addressing childhood obesity. In Western Australia, community-based healthy lifestyle programs for children and young people are insufficient for demand, especially for those over-represented in obesity statistics relating to prevalence. This protocol outlines the implementation and evaluation of an adapted, evidenced, community-based program in Perth, Western Australia.

Experiences of exercise services for individuals with severe mental illness: A qualitative approach

Regular exercise can be beneficial for people living with a severe mental illness. By better understanding the perspectives and challenges of adults with severe mental illness who are engaged in exercise, we can enhance the design and implementation of exercise programs to better support their mental health and recovery.

What helps cardiac patients exercise after treatment, and when? Understanding physical activity and exercise participation following exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation

Despite evidence suggesting regular exercise (i.e. structured, repetitive and purposeful physical activity) attenuates cardiac patients’ decline in health, our understanding of factors affecting long-term exercise participation among this patient cohort is limited. This problem is pertinent, given that less than half of cardiac patients adhere to exercise following discharge from formal exercise-based rehabilitation programmes. In this study, we explored factors influencing exercise participation after an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme.