Accelerating implementation of adolescent digital health prevention programs: analysis of insights from Australian stakeholders.

Background: Chronic disease risk factors are increasing amongst adolescents, globally. Digital health prevention programs, which provide education and information to reduce chronic disease risk factors need to be equitable and accessible for all. For their success, multiple highly engaged stakeholders should be involved in development and implementation.

Targeted dietary approaches for the management of obesity and severe obesity in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is a need for a detailed understanding of effective dietary interventions for children with obesity. This systematic review examined the effectiveness of diets of varying energy content as a component of weight treatment in children and adolescents with obesity, severe obesity and obesity-related comorbidity. A systematic search of six databases, from 2000 to 2021, for intervention studies of targeted dietary treatment for obesity in children aged 2-18 years identified 125 studies.

Obesity, lifestyle behaviours and psychological effects of the COVID-19 lockdown: A survey of patients attending a tertiary weight loss clinic.

Lockdown measures due to coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) have impacted lifestyle factors. This study aimed to explore whether health and lifestyle behaviours changed during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown among patients with obesity. A specifically designed online survey and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) were administered to patients scheduled to attend a tertiary weight management service between 6 June-12 August 2020.

Dietary and/or physical activity interventions in women with overweight or obesity prior to fertility treatment: protocol for a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

Introduction: Dietary and/or physical activity interventions are often recommended for women with overweight or obesity as the first step prior to fertility treatment. However, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) so far have shown inconsistent results. Therefore, we propose this individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dietary and/or physical activity interventions in women with infertility and overweight or obesity on reproductive, maternal and perinatal outcomes and to explore if there are subgroup(s) of women who benefit from each specific intervention or their combination (treatment-covariate interactions).

Adolescence and young adulthood: an untapped window of opportunity for obesity prevention.

Adolescence and young adulthood (AYA) are formative life stages, second only to the first 1000 days. Yet young people have historically been 'forgotten' in our health system. Major health risk factors, like adolescent obesity, have largely been left untreated, resulting in significant chronic disease burdens and health costs later in life.

An analysis of current obesity strategies for adolescents in NSW against best practice recommendations: Implications for researchers, policymakers and practitioners.

Issue Addressed: Obesity is a significant health challenge facing adolescents. There is a critical need for government action to support all adolescents to improve risk factors for obesity. This study critically appraised initiatives, guidelines and policies (termed "strategies") from local health districts (LHDs), speciality health networks and Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across New South Wales (NSW), relevant to the prevention and management of obesity amongst adolescents and compare these to best practice recommendations.

Clinician and healthcare managers' perspectives on the delivery of secondary and tertiary pediatric weight management services.

Clinician and healthcare managers' (HCMs) views on weight management service delivery are imperative for informing the nature of future services to treat children with obesity. This qualitative study used semi-structured focus groups and one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Participants were 27 clinicians (medical, nursing, or allied health) and nine HCMs (senior executives in the hospital) who worked in six secondary or tertiary pediatric weight management clinics across five public hospitals in New South Wales, Australia.

Effect of a smartphone application (Perx) on medication adherence and clinical outcomes: a 12-month randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To determine whether the Perx app improves medication adherence and clinical outcomes over 12 months compared with standard care in patients requiring polypharmacy.

Design: Randomised controlled trial with 12-month follow-up.

Setting: Outpatient clinics in three tertiary hospitals in Sydney, Australia.

Promoting healthy weight for all young children: a mixed methods study of child and family health nurses' perceptions of barriers and how to overcome them.

Background: Childhood obesity is a global health concern. Early intervention to help parents adopt best practice for infant feeding and physical activity is critical for maintaining healthy weight. Australian governments provide universal free primary healthcare from child and family health nurses (CFHNs) to support families with children aged up to five years and to provide evidence-based advice to parents.

Satisfaction and acceptability of paediatric weight management services amongst parents and carers: A mixed-methods study.

To optimize treatment for children and adolescents with obesity and minimize attrition, consideration of parents' engagement and satisfaction with paediatric weight management services is crucial. The aim of this study was to conduct a mixed-methods evaluation of parental acceptability and satisfaction of available paediatric weight management services in New South Wale, Australia's most populous state. Parents/carers referred to one of six weight management services between March 2018 and July 2019 were invited to participate.

The influence of maternal obesity on pregnancy intention: A cross-sectional analysis.

This prospective cross-sectional study of 1498 pregnant women in early pregnancy sought to investigate the prevalence of pregnancy intention between women of differing body mass index (BMI) categories. There was no difference in the risk of unintended pregnancy between women who were in the healthy weight, overweight or obesity BMI categories. The study identifies and highlights the potential missed opportunities for all women to engage in healthy reproductive life planning behaviours to support health in pregnancy and beyond.

Turning the tables on obesity: young people, IT and social movements.

Despite the rising incidence of childhood obesity, international data from Eurostat show that the prevalence of obesity among those aged 15-19 years remains under 5%, which offers an important opportunity for preventing subsequent adult obesity. Young people engage poorly, even obstructively, with conventional health initiatives and are often considered 'hard to reach'. However, when approached in the language of youth, via IT, they express great concern, and unwanted weight gain in young people can be prevented by age-appropriate, independent, online guidance.

Effect of nutrition interventions on diet-related and health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a systematic review.

Objective: To review the literature on nutrition interventions and identify which work to improve diet-related and health outcomes in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Study Design: Systematic review of peer-reviewed literature.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, CINAHL, Informit, PsychInfo and Cochrane Library, Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet.

The acceptability, effectiveness, and impact of different models of care for pediatric weight management services: protocol for a concurrent mixed-methods study.

Background: Pediatric obesity is a serious, but clinically neglected, chronic health problem. Despite the high prevalence, excess weight problems are rarely managed when children attend clinical services. It is recommended that obesity treatment uses a "chronic-care" approach to management, with different types and intensity of treatment dependent upon severity of obesity.

Unintended pregnancy amongst an early pregnancy clinic cohort: Identifying opportunities for preventative health interventions.

Background: A relationship between maternal weight and unintended pregnancy has previously been reported. Researchers have found women who are overweight and obese women are less likely to use contraception, and more likely to have unplanned pregnancies, thus limiting their ability to optimise their health before conception.

Aims: This study sought to examine the relationship between pregnancy intention and body mass index (BMI) amongst women attending a service managing early pregnancy complications.

Effects of a low-glycemic index diet during pregnancy on offspring growth, body composition, and vascular health: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Elevated maternal blood glucose concentrations may contribute to macrosomia, adiposity, and poorer vascular health in the offspring.

Objective: The aim was to explore the effect of a low-glycemic index (low-GI) diet during pregnancy on offspring growth, adiposity, and arterial wall thickness during infancy.

Design: This was a longitudinal follow-up study in a self-selected subgroup of mother-infant pairs (n= 59) participating in a larger randomized trial comparing the effects on perinatal outcomes of a low-GI diet and a conventional high-fiber (HF) diet during pregnancy.

Fetal growth, omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis: preventing fetal origins of disease? The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Background: Impaired fetal growth is independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in adulthood. Prevention strategies that can be implemented during adulthood have not been identified.

Objective: The objective was to determine whether habitual omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid intake is associated with the rate of increase of carotid intima-media thickness during adulthood in individuals with impaired fetal growth.