Exploring Sugary Drink Consumption and Perceptions among Primary-School-Aged Children and Parents in Australia.

Background: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) account for a significant proportion of sugar in the diet of children and are directly associated with obesity in this group. While there have been many studies on adolescent SSB consumption, few studies have examined the predictors of SSB consumption in primary-school-aged children. The aim of this study was to understand the degree to which a child's consumption across a range of beverages is influenced by their own attitudes and by their parents' attitudes and parents' consumption behaviours.

The lasting impact of the Go for 2&5 campaign.

Issue Addressed: Little is known about the executional techniques that are most likely to make healthy eating messages memorable over the longer term. The aim of this exploratory study was to identify factors contributing to the ongoing salience of the Go for 2&5 social marketing campaign among older audience members.

Methods: Interviews were conducted with 75 Western Australians aged 60+ years.

Dimensions of the diet-exercise relationship in later life: A qualitative study.

Objective: Diet and physical activity are two lifestyle behaviours that are critical for healthy ageing. The aim of this study was to explore how older adults negotiate dietary and physical activity decisions to identify areas of intersection between these two behaviours and inform health promotion interventions targeting both diet and exercise.

Methods: This exploratory study utilised a novel data collection approach that involved lay interviewers recruiting their peers to (i) participate in two interviews over a period of six months and (ii) make notes on their thoughts relating to diet and physical activity.

Health halo or genuine product development: Are better-for-you alcohol products actually healthier?

Issue Addressed: Alcoholic products marketed as better-for-you is an emerging trend in Australia that has received limited research attention to date. This study aimed to examine the nutrient profiles of alcoholic products marketed as better-for-you that are available in the Australian market.

Methods: We extracted the details of alcoholic product announcements published on the Drinks Trade website in 2019 and 2020 containing at least one keyword used to promote better-for-you products.

A Recipe for Success? A Nutrient Analysis of Recipes Promoted by Supermarkets.

Recipe use impacts eating habits, yet there is limited research investigating the nutritional quality of recipes. Supermarket recipe magazines command large readerships, with over 4 million readers for each of the two major Australian supermarket publications. Assessing the nutrient content of featured recipes is therefore of public health interest.

Objective assessment of compliance with a state-wide school food-service policy via menu audits.

Objective: The Healthy Food and Drink Policy was implemented in Western Australian government schools in 2007. The aim of the present study was to assess the compliance of Western Australian school canteen menus with the policy a decade after its introduction.

Design: The traffic-light system that underpins the Healthy Food and Drink Policy categorises foods and drinks into three groups: 'green' healthy items, 'amber' items that should be selected carefully and 'red' items that lack nutritional value.

A process and outcome evaluation of an in-class vegetable promotion program.

Objective: Nutrition interventions that target both fruits and vegetables are effective in increasing fruit consumption, but have been limited in their ability to improve vegetable intake. To address the low proportion of children meeting vegetable intake guidelines, approaches specifically targeting vegetables are needed. This paper reports on a mixed-method analysis of a 10-week vegetable promotion pilot project that aimed to increase vegetable intake as part of the existing Crunch&Sip in-class fruit and vegetable break program.

A qualitative exploration of the factors underlying seniors' receptiveness to entomophagy.

Entomophagy presents a novel approach to securing a nutritive and environmentally sustainable food source to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population. To date, research exploring the receptiveness of Western consumers towards entomophagy has focused on younger age groups and there has been little examination of the views of older adults. The aims of this study were to (i) explore the factors associated with older people's attitudes towards entomophagy and (ii) identify strategies to encourage seniors to adopt the practice.

Assessing parents' receptiveness to a vegetable-focussed in-school nutrition intervention.

Objective: Crunch&Sip is an Australian school-based initiative designed to increase the consumption of fruit, vegetables, and water among primary school children. To address the significant deficiencies in children's vegetable intake, the present study aimed to examine the responsiveness of parents (the main providers of food for Crunch&Sip) to a modified version of the program that focuses primarily on vegetable consumption.

Participants: A total of 329 Western Australian parents completed an online questionnaire examining their support for a vegetable focus for Crunch&Sip and any perceived barriers, motivators, and facilitators.

Tea and flavonoid intake predict osteoporotic fracture risk in elderly Australian women: a prospective study.

Background: Observational studies have linked tea drinking, a major source of dietary flavonoids, with higher bone density. However, there is a paucity of prospective studies examining the association of tea drinking and flavonoid intake with fracture risk.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the associations of black tea drinking and flavonoid intake with fracture risk in a prospective cohort of women aged >75 y.