Sources and determinants of free sugars intake by 5-year-old Australian children in the SMILE cohort.

Reducing free sugars intake is important for the prevention of dental caries and obesity in children. The study aimed to determine the amount and sources of free sugars known to contribute to dental caries, and identify sociodemographic determinants of intake by children aged 5 years in Australia. Cross-sectional analysis of dietary data from a cohort study, collected using a customized food frequency questionnaire were used to calculate free sugars intake as grams/day and percentage contribution to Estimated Energy Requirement (EER).

Predictors of Free Sugars Intake Trajectories across Early Childhood-Results from the SMILE Birth Cohort Study.

Foods and beverages high in free sugars can displace healthier choices and increase the risk of weight gain, dental caries, and noncommunicable diseases. Little is known about the intake of free sugars across early childhood. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal intake from 1 to 5 years of free sugars and identify the independent maternal and child-related predictors of intake in a cohort of Australian children participating in the Study of Mothers' and Infants' Life Events Affecting Oral Health (SMILE).

Development and internal validation of the SMILE-FSS: a Free Sugars Screener for Australian children aged 2 and 5 years.

Objective: To develop and internally validate a Free Sugars Screener (FSS) for Australian children aged 2 and 5 years.

Design: Using data collected from a ninety-nine-item (2-year-olds) and ninety-eight-item (5-year-olds) FFQ in the Study of Mothers' and Infants' Life Events affecting oral health (SMILE-FFQ), a regression-based prediction modelling approach was employed to identify a subset of items that accurately estimate total free sugars intake (FSI). The predictors were grams of free sugars (FSg) for individual items in the SMILE-FFQ and child's age and sex.

Evaluation of symptoms in respiratory syncytial virus infection in adults: psychometric evaluation of the Respiratory Infection Intensity and Impact Questionnaire™ symptom scores.

Background: The Respiratory Infection Intensity and Impact Questionnaire (RiiQ™) is a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess symptoms and impacts of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. This study evaluated the construct validity, reliability, and responsiveness of the RiiQ™ Respiratory and Systemic Symptoms Scale scores.

Methods: Prospective data were analyzed from a total of 1795 participants, including from non-hospitalized patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI) and no coinfections enrolled in a Phase 2b RSV vaccine study (RSV-positive: n = 60; RSV-negative: n = 1615), and two observational studies of patients hospitalized with RSV (n = 20; n = 100).

Trajectories of child free sugars intake and dental caries - a population-based birth cohort study.

Objectives: To investigate the association between trajectories of free sugars intake during the first five years of life and dental caries experience at five years.

Methods: Data from the SMILE population-based prospective birth cohort study, collected at one, two and five years old, were used. A 3-days dietary diary and food frequency questionnaire were used to estimate free sugars intake (FSI) in grams.

Effectiveness of a food literacy and positive feeding practices program for parents of 0 to 5 years olds in Western Australia.

Issue Addressed: Lifelong eating behaviours are established in childhood. Improving parents' food literacy skills is essential, as parents play a fundamental role in establishing their children's healthy eating behaviours and preferences for nutritious food. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an innovative program that combines food literacy with positive parent feeding practices, targeting parents in disadvantaged areas of Western Australia.

Achieving reductions in the unmet need for contraception with postpartum family planning counselling in Ethiopia, 2019-2020: a national longitudinal study.

Background: An unmet need for contraception is associated with unintended pregnancy and adverse maternal and childhood outcomes. Family planning counselling is linked with reduced unmet need for contraception. However, evidence is lacking in Ethiopia on the impact of integrated family planning counselling on the unmet need for contraception.

Mapping breastfeeding and COVID-19 related content and engagement on Facebook: Results from an online social listening study.

Issue Addressed: The COVID-19 pandemic has seen evidence and advice evolve quickly. Since the start of the pandemic there has been confusion and concern about breastfeeding and COVID-19, and advice for this group has at times been contradictory. The volume of information on social media has exacerbated this.

The role of family planning counselling during maternal and child health services in postpartum modern contraceptive uptake in Ethiopia: A national longitudinal study.

Family planning counselling can help improve the postpartum modern contraceptive uptake. However, studies in Ethiopia indicate inconsistent effects of integrated family planning counselling on postpartum modern contraceptive uptake. This study aimed to determine the extent of family planning counselling and its role in improving postpartum contraceptive uptake among women in Ethiopia.

Investigating Maternal Perspectives of Breastfeeding Support Targeted Towards Fathers in the Milk Man Mobile App Intervention.

Background: The support of her infant's father is one of the most important factors influencing a mother's breastfeeding success, and an increasing number of interventions are targeted towards fathers. Engaging fathers as agents to influence a maternal behavior is potentially problematic, yet few studies report on maternal experiences.

Objective: This study aims to explore mothers' perspectives of their partners' use of Milk Man, a father-focused breastfeeding smartphone app, and the acceptability of this approach.

Australian Consumers' Attitudes towards Sustainable Diet Practices Regarding Food Waste, Food Processing, and the Health Aspects of Diet: A Cross Sectional Survey.

Environmentally sustainable diets are increasingly aspired to in food-based dietary guidelines across the world. However, little is known about consumer attitudes toward these diets when making food decisions. This study aimed to identify the demographic characteristics of Australian adults based on the level of attention they paid to the healthfulness of their diet, their consideration of the level of food processing, and their concern about household food waste and sustainable packaging disposal.

Short interpregnancy interval and its predictors in Ethiopia: implications for policy and practice.

Introduction: interpregnancy interval (IPI) is the time elapsed between the birth of one live child and the conception of subsequent pregnancies. Several studies in Ethiopia indicated a high prevalence of a short interbirth interval - a proxy indicator of IPI. However, these studies were prone to selection bias as they did not include women who did not go on to have another pregnancy.

Interbirth interval and maternal anaemia in 21 sub-Saharan African countries: A fractional-polynomial analysis.

Background: Maternal anaemia is a global public health problem contributing to adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. In addition to other risk factors, interbirth interval has been identified as a potentially modifiable risk factor of maternal anaemia. However, the current evidence for the association between interbirth interval and maternal anaemia remains inconclusive.

Pairwise approach for analysis and reporting of child's free sugars intake from a birth cohort study.

Objectives: The prospective cohort design is an important research design, but a common challenge is missing data. The purpose of this study is to compare three approaches to managing missing data, the pairwise (n = 1386 children), the partial or modified pairwise (n = 1019) and the listwise (n = 546), to characterize the trajectories of children's free sugars intake (FSI) across early childhood.

Methods: By applying the Group-based Trajectory Model Technique to three waves of data collected from a prospective cohort study of South Australian children, this study examined the three approaches in managing missing data to validate and discuss children's FSI trajectories.

Ethical Considerations for the Inclusion of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Clinical Research: The PRO Ethics Guidelines.

Importance: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can inform health care decisions, regulatory decisions, and health care policy. They also can be used for audit/benchmarking and monitoring symptoms to provide timely care tailored to individual needs. However, several ethical issues have been raised in relation to PRO use.

Measuring User Engagement with a Socially Connected, Gamified Health Promotion Mobile App.

Participant engagement is an important consideration in mHealth interventions and there are no standardised measurements available to guide researchers. This paper describes the engagement index customised for the Milk Man app, a mobile app designed to engage fathers with breastfeeding and parenting information. Participants were recruited from maternity hospitals in Perth, Western Australia.

Group-based trajectories of maternal intake of sugar-sweetened beverage and offspring oral health from a prospective birth cohort study.

Objectives: To investigate the trajectory of maternal intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) during the first five years of their child's life and its effect on the child's dental caries at five years-of-age.

Methods: This is an ongoing prospective population-based birth cohort study in Adelaide, Australia. Mothers completed questionnaires on their SSB intake, socioeconomic factors and health behaviors at the birth of their child and at the ages of one, two and five years.

Digital Marketing of Commercial Complementary Foods in Australia: An Analysis of Brand Messaging.

The digital marketing of commercial complementary foods (CCF) is an emerging area of concern in Australia. Although research into traditional methods has identified a range of problems, the marketing and messaging strategies employed within digital spaces have gone largely unscrutinized. This study sought to examine the methods used by CCF manufacturers to promote Australian baby foods and brands in a digital space.

Impact of Dietary Trajectories on Obesity and Dental Caries in Preschool Children: Findings from the Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids Study.

This study examines the impact of longitudinal dietary trajectories on obesity and early childhood caries (ECC) in preschool children in Australia. Mother-infant dyads from the Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids study were interviewed at 4 and 8 months, and 1, 2, and 3 years of age. Children underwent anthropometric and oral health assessments between 3 and 4 years of age.

Impact of a Face-To-Face Versus Smartphone App Versus Combined Breastfeeding Intervention Targeting Fathers: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Despite the recognized health and economic benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, few Australian infants are exclusively breastfed beyond 5 months of age. Social support for breastfeeding, in particular the support of an infant's father, has been identified as a crucial element for successful breastfeeding.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various father-focused breastfeeding interventions in terms of key infant feeding outcomes.

Sources and Determinants of Wholegrain Intake in a Cohort of Australian Children Aged 12-14 Months.

In the first two years of life, exposure to wholegrain foods may help establish life‑long consumption patterns associated with reduced risk of chronic disease, yet intake data are lacking for this age group. This cross‑sectional analysis aimed to determine intakes and food sources of wholegrains in a cohort of 828 Australian children aged 12-14 months, and to identify determinants of wholegrain intake. Three non‑consecutive days of dietary intake data were collected using a 24‑h recall and 2‑day estimated food record.

Correction: Improving Nutrition and Activity Behaviors Using Digital Technology and Tailored Feedback: Protocol for the Tailored Diet and Activity (ToDAy) Randomized Controlled Trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/12782.].

Factors Influencing the Early Introduction of Sugar Sweetened Beverages among Infants: Findings from the HSHK Birth Cohort Study.

Understanding the determinants of early introduction of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) may assist in designing effective public health interventions to prevent childhood weight related conditions (obesity). This study explores the relationship between family/infant characteristics and the early introduction of SSBs among infants in Sydney, Australia. Mothers ( = 934) from an ongoing birth cohort study were interviewed at 8, 17, 34, and 52 weeks postpartum.

Study of Mothers' and Infants' Life Events Affecting Oral Health (SMILE) birth cohort study: cohort profile.

Purpose: The long-term goal of the Study of Mothers' and Infants' Life Events Affecting Oral Health (SMILE) birth cohort study is to identify and evaluate the relative importance and timing of critical factors that shape the oral health of young children. It will then evaluate those factors in their inter-relationship with socioeconomic influences.

Participants: SMILE is a single-centre study conducted in Adelaide, Australia.

Maternal caries experience influences offspring's early childhood caries-a birth cohort study.

Objective: To describe early childhood caries (ECC) patterns and evaluate the associations with maternal caries experience and other factors.

Methods: A secondary analysis was undertaken using data from the Study of Mothers' and Infants' Life Events Affecting Oral Health (SMILE), a population-based birth cohort study. It used data from 1040 mother/child dyads.