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A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a dog-facilitated physical activity minimal intervention on young children's physical activity, health and development: the PLAYCE PAWS trial

Pet ownership brings many health benefits to individuals. In children developmental benefits can extend to improved self-esteem, better social competence and decreased loneliness. The majority of households with children own a dog, however only a small proportion of children gain the benefits of dog ownership through dog walking and play. There are few intervention studies investigating the impact of dog-facilitated physical activity in children. The PLAYCE PAWS study aims to test a minimal-contact intervention through the use of mobile health ("mhealth") strategies, i.e. text (SMS) messages, to parents to encourage their children to walk and play with their dog more, and evaluate the impact on children's overall physical activity and development.

Understanding obesity among companion dogs: New measures of owner's beliefs and behaviour and associations with body condition scores

The findings provide a method for assessing a wide range of factors that may be associated with obesity among companion dogs

Children's neighbourhood physical environment and early development: an individual child level linked data study

The neighbourhood physical environment has a weak but significant association with early childhood development

Exploring stakeholders' perceptions of the acceptability, usability, and dissemination of the australian 24-hour movement guidelines for the early years

This study examined stakeholders' perceptions regarding the acceptability, usability, and dissemination of the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines

Nature play and fundamental movement skills training programs improve childcare educator supportive physical activity behavior

Both the Nature play and fundamental movement skills professional development programs were effective in improving educators’ self-efficacy to engage children

Shade coverage, ultraviolet radiation and children’s physical activity in early childhood education and care

The provision of shade, particularly through natural forms such as tree canopy, is an important sun protection strategy and enabler of outdoor time

Exploring variation in beach environments and physical activity by neighbourhood socioeconomic status in Perth, Australia

Beaches are important settings for physical activity, with their quality (safety, amenities, aesthetics) influencing how well they support health. The quality of beaches may differ across neighbourhoods, with higher socioeconomic status neighbourhoods having disproportionately better access to beaches. This study examined the attributes of and activities taking place in beaches by neighbourhood socioeconomic status.

Educators’ Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity Policy Implementation in the Childcare Setting: Qualitative Findings From the Play Active Project

We explored childcare educators’ perceived barriers and facilitators to policy implementation in order to inform the development and implementation of an early childhood education and care (ECEC) specific physical activity policy. This study was part of the Play Active (2019-2023) project which aimed to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based physical activity policy to improve physical activity levels in children attending ECEC.

Is early childhood development impeded by the birth timing of the younger sibling?

This study investigated whether the timing of birth of the younger siblings was associated with the risk of the older siblings’ developmental vulnerability in early childhood.

Association between vaccination status, symptom identification and healthcare use: Implications for test negative design observational studies

To test the internal validity of the test-negative design (TND) by investigating associations between maternal influenza vaccination, and new virus detection episodes (VDEs), acute respiratory illness, and healthcare visits in their children.