Do parents, teachers and children use the SDQ in a similar fashion?

Few studies have investigated whether parents’, teachers’ and children’s responses to the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) have equivalence. In this study, data from 854 matched questionnaires collected in Malaysia were subjected to tau equivalence confirmatory factor analysis, to assess if all three groups responded to the same target (the child) similarly. We first fitted Goodman’s (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581–586, (1997a); Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 40, 791–801, 1997b) five factor model, but found that this did not fit the model despite attempts to improve and rectify model fit. We thereafter attempted to fit Dickey and Blumberg (Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 43, 1159–1167, 2004) three factor model, but similarly found a lack of fit. We then undertook an exploratory model with a random half of the data, obtaining a three factor solution, and tested this in a confirmatory tau equivalence model. The Unconstrained Model provided a fit to the data, revealing a similar structure across the three informant groups. As this fit was for the Unconstrained Model, it reveals that groups differ in the value they place on each of the variables but overall that held a similar underlying factor structure. The findings are discussed in relation to the possible cultural issues involved and the use of the SDQ.

The Harbour outdoors: Investigating how children and educators engage with the outdoor learning space at the Harbour Family and Children's Centre

The aim of the research was to carry out an in-depth case study of the outdoor space at a purposively designed outdoor learning space in a demonstration childcare program in an Australian city. The design of the outdoor space emphasises natural elements and sustainability, while the program uses an indoor/outdoor approach with multi-age sharing of the space. The report included staff, management and researcher perspectives on how the outdoor space worked for children and staff, and provided findings that could inform the ongoing professional processes of reflection on the learning environment at the centre. In addition, the researchers also sought the views of the original designers of the outdoor space, and od centre management at the time when outdoor space was being designed and built. The researchers considered that their perspectives, along with those of current management and staff, could assist in addressing questions of long-term sustainability and practicality in the design of outdoor spaces in childcare centres.

Tube-weaning infants and children: a survey of Australian and international practice

The aim of this study was to describe paediatric feeding-tube weaning practice in Australian children's hospitals and to compare this with practice in tube weaning programmes internationally.

Clustering of attitudes towards obesity: a mixed methods study of Australian parents and children

BACKGROUND: Current population-based anti-obesity campaigns often target individuals based on either weight or socio-demographic characteristics, and give a 'mass' message about personal responsibility. There is a recognition that attempts to influence attitudes and opinions may be more effective if they resonate with the beliefs that different groups have about the causes of, and solutions for, obesity. Limited research has explored how attitudinal factors may inform the development of both upstream and downstream social marketing initiatives. METHODS: Computer-assisted face-to-face interviews were conducted with 159 parents and 184 of their children (aged 9-18 years old) in two Australian states. A mixed methods approach was used to assess attitudes towards obesity, and elucidate why different groups held various attitudes towards obesity. Participants were quantitatively assessed on eight dimensions relating to the severity and extent, causes and responsibility, possible remedies, and messaging strategies. Cluster analysis was used to determine attitudinal clusters. Participants were also able to qualify each answer. Qualitative responses were analysed both within and across attitudinal clusters using a constant comparative method. RESULTS: Three clusters were identified. Concerned Internalisers (27% of the sample) judged that obesity was a serious health problem, that Australia had among the highest levels of obesity in the world and that prevalence was rapidly increasing. They situated the causes and remedies for the obesity crisis in individual choices. Concerned Externalisers (38% of the sample) held similar views about the severity and extent of the obesity crisis. However, they saw responsibility and remedies as a societal rather than an individual issue. The final cluster, the Moderates, which contained significantly more children and males, believed that obesity was not such an important public health issue, and judged the extent of obesity to be less extreme than the other clusters. CONCLUSION: Attitudinal clusters provide new information and insights which may be useful in tailoring anti-obesity social marketing initiatives.

Don't eat that, you'll get fat! Exploring how parents and children conceptualise and frame messages about the causes and consequences of obesity

Family interactions about weight and health take place against the backdrop of the wider social discourse relating to the obesity epidemic. Parents (and children) negotiate complex and often contradictory messages in constructing a set of beliefs and practices around obesity and weight management. Despite this, very little research attention has been given to the nature of family-unit discourse on the subject of body weight and it's potential influence on the weight-related behaviours of family members. This includes the broad influence that dominant socio-cultural discourses have on family conceptualisations of weight and health. Using in-depth qualitative interviews with 150 family 'groups' comprised of at least one parent and one child in Victoria and South Australia, we explored how parents and children conceptualise and discuss issues of weight- and health-related lifestyle behaviours. Data were analysed using Attride-Stirling's (2001) thematic network approach. Three thematic clusters emerged from the analysis. First, both parents and children perceived that weight was the primary indicator of health. However, parents focused on the negative physical implications of overweight while children focused on the negative social implications. Second, weight and lifestyle choices were highly moralised. Parents saw it as their responsibility to communicate to children the 'dangers' of fatness. Children reported that parents typically used negatively-framed messages and scare tactics rather than positively-framed messages to encourage healthy behaviours. Third was the perception among parents and children that if you were thin, then eating habits and exercise were less important, and that activity could provide an antidote to food choices. Results suggest that both parents and children are internalising messages relating to obesity and weight management that focus on personal responsibility and blame attribution. These views reflect the broader societal discourse, and their consolidation at the family level is likely to increase their potency and make them resistant to change.

Burning books and burying scholars: on the policies of the short-lived Qin Dynasty in ancient China (221-207 BC)

In 221 BC, the battle-hardened warriors of the Qin state, the western frontier state and the most aggressive of the Warring States, subjugated the last of its rival states, thus establishing the Qin dynasty, with itscapital in Xianyang, near the modern Xi’an. The Qin dynasty is customarily regarded by Chinese and Western scholars as the beginning of a new age – the Chinese empire – that lasted until 1911 AD. The dynasty lasted only fifteen years. This study examines the main policies of the Qin dynasty and seeks to address the question what brought the quick downfall of the Qin rule. This paper takes the cultural and political contexts carefully into consideration, and argues that the Qin annexation of its rival states might be better understood as an end of an old era as much as a beginning of a new epoch.

Chocolate and children's food and flavour preferences

Chocolate in Health and Nutrition represents the first comprehensive compilation of the newest data on the actions of the flavonoids and microorganisms associated with the beneficial effects of chocolate.

Something normal in a very, very abnormal environment – Nursing work to honour the life of dying infants and children in neonatal and paediatric intensive care in Australia

The majority of deaths of children and infants occur in paediatric and neonatal intensive care settings. For nurses, managing an infant/child's deterioration and death can be very challenging. Nurses play a vital role in how the death occurs, how families are supported leading up to and after the infant/child's death. This paper describes the nurses' endeavours to create normality amidst the sadness and grief of the death of a child in paediatric and neonatal ICU. Focus groups and individual interviews with registered nurses from NICU and PICU settings gathered data on how neonatal and paediatric intensive care nurses care for families when a child dies and how they perceived their ability and preparedness to provide family care. Four themes emerged from thematic analysis: (1) respecting the child as a person; (2) creating opportunities for family involvement/connection; (3) collecting mementos; and (4) planning for death. Many of the activities described in this study empowered parents to participate in the care of their child as death approached. Further work is required to ensure these principles are translated into practice.

Parents' and children's perceptions of active video games: a focus group study

Energy expenditure studies have shown that playing Active Video Games (AVGs) is positively associated with increases in heart rate and oxygen consumption. It is proposed that playing AVGs may be a useful means of addressing inactivity and obesity in children. This study explored children's and parents' perceptions of AVGs and the likely facilitators and barriers to sustained use of AVGs. Data were gathered using focus group interviews: seven with children, four with adults. Both children and parents reported that AVGs offered a way to increase activity and improve fitness. Barriers to sustained engagement, according to parents, were the cost of AVGs and lack of space in the home to play the games. According to children, the likelihood of long-term engagement with AVGs depended on game content and child age, with AVGs being seen as more appropriate for younger children than teenagers. It would appear that there is potential for AVGs to reduce inactivity in young people. However, barriers to widespread, sustainable adoption would need to be addressed if this potential is to be realized.