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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.
Research
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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Prevalence and pattern of energy drink intake among Australian adolescentsEnergy drinks (ED) are popular among young people despite evidence of associated health risks. Research into the prevalence and pattern of ED intake among young people is sparse. The present study investigates the prevalence and pattern of ED intake among a large sample of adolescents, including how many consume them, how often, for what reasons and in what contexts.
Research
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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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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Can a simple dietary index derived from a sub-set of questionnaire items assess diet quality in a sample of australian adults?This study describes a method that was used to develop a simple index for ranking individuals according to their diet quality in a longitudinal study

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Kids swamped by ads for junk food and alcoholAn audit of outdoor food advertising near Perth schools has found that three-quarters of the promotions were for junk food and alcohol.
Research
Exercise alone reduces insulin resistance in obese children independently of changes in body compositionThe number of obese children with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes is increasing, but the best management strategy is not clear.
Research
Essential fatty acids and mood: A systematic review of observational studiesEssential polyunsaturated (omega-3 and omega-6) fatty acids have been proposed to play a role in the aetiology of mood disorders. However, a systematic...