Family food environments as determinants of preschool-aged children`s eating behaviours: implications for obesity prevention policy. A review.

Children's eating behaviours are fundamental to their health. Dietary surveys indicate that children's food consumption is likely to promote a range of diet-related diseases, including overweight and obesity, which are associated with a range of psychosocial and physical disorders. With the prevalence of overweight and obesity rapidly increasing, opportunities for informed prevention have become a focus of strategy. Diet is recognised as important in the genesis of obesity. We present data that demonstrate that eating behaviours are likely to be established early in life and may be maintained into adulthood. We review literature that shows that children's eating behaviours are influenced by the family food environment. These findings suggest that the family environment should be considered in developing obesity prevention strategy for children, yet the current strategy focuses primarily on the school environment. Those factors in the family environment that appear to be important include: parental food preferences and beliefs, children's food exposure; role modelling; media exposure; and child-parent interactions around food. However, the existing data are based on small scale and unrepresentative US samples. At a population level, we have few insights regarding family food environments and consequently little information about how such environments influence children's eating behaviours and thus their risk for obesity. We suggest research that may promote a better understanding of the role of family food environments as determinants of children's eating behaviour, and consider the implications for obesity prevention in Australia. (Aust J Nutr Diet 2001;58:19-25)

How transnational environmental advocacy networks socialize international financial institutions: a case study of the international finance corporation

Environmental organizations, characterized here as transnational advocacy networks, use various strategies to "green" international financial institutions (IFIs). This article goes beyond analyzing network strategies to examine how transnational advocacy networks reconstitute the identity of IFIs. This, it is argued, results from processes of socialization: social influence, persuasion and coercion by lobbying. A case study of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), as a member of the World Bank Group, is used to analyze how an IFI internalized sustainable development norms. The IFC finances private enterprise in developing countries by providing venture capital for private projects. Transnational advocacy networks socialized the IFC through influencing its projects, policies and institutions via direct and indirect interactions to the point where the organization now sees itself as a sustainable development financier. This article applies constructivist insights to the greening process in order to demonstrate how socialization can reshape an IFI's identity.

'Motor magic' : evaluation of a community capacity-building approach to supporting the development of preschool children (part 2)

Background and Aims: This paper is the second in a series of two that presents and discusses an exploratory evaluation study of the 'Motor Magic' program conducted in Adelaide, South Australia.

Methods: A realist evaluation approach was used, and two focus groups (one with parents and one with kindergarten staff) were held to identify program outcomes and to develop and refine key hypotheses about how these outcomes occurred.

Results and Conclusions: Results for kindergarten staff involved in the program are presented and discussed in this paper, including improved early identification and early intervention for children with, or at risk of, fine motor developmental difficulties; increased confidence in the effectiveness of their practice with these children; improved practice of kindergarten staff with both targeted and all children; improved empathy with, and support for, parents; and increased interagency links and ongoing advocacy for further resources. These results suggest that the program provides an effective model for building the capacity of kindergarten staff to support children with, or at risk of, developmental difficulties.

Managing change without sacrificing quality: music teaching and learning at South African tertiary institutions

After the jubilation of the first democratic election in 1994, South African educational settings were faced with the challenge to rethink curriculum, content and delivery as part of its nation building process. Education continues to be a major player in stimulating wider change in society and is one arena where change may be readily facilitated. Changing the style and practice of teacher education programs remains a key feature in the transformation process. Twelve years on, curriculum, has undergone reform in terms of Outcomes Based Education (OBE)? Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) of 2002, accordingly, universities continue to prepare teachers for multicultural classrooms. Universities are now challenged to manage increased student intake (quantity) for teacher education programs without having to sacrifice quality for teacher education. This article focuses only on The University of Pretoria, a city university previously known as a traditional Afrikaans university situated in the greater Johannesburg area in South Africa. Through interview data with two music educators at this university, I present some of the current trends and challenges that tertiary music educators face in preparing music teachers in South Africa. This article also outlines a paradigm shift in the curriculum and argues for a holistic music education, one that endorses most of the major cultures and musics in South Africa. The question I pose is how then do we effectively manage change at tertiary level without sacrificing quality when preparing future music teachers to meet the needs and challenges of the curriculum and society.

Labour market institutions and the gender wage gap in Britain and Australia, 1973-90

The importance of wage structure is frequently interpreted as indirect evidence of the role played by labour market institutions. The current paper follows in this tradition, examining the role of wage structure in explaining the trend in the gender wage gap over the period 1973–91 for both Australia and the UK. The focus is upon whether changes in wage structure (and associated gender wage gap) both across country and over time are compatible with institutional explanations. Combining comparisons both cross‐country and over time yields a more stringent, albeit indirect, test of the role of institutions.

The social validity of interventions for promoting preschool childrens peer interactions

This analogue study investigated the social validity of classroom interventions designed to promote peer interactions in young children. The influences of child characteristics and diagnostic labels on social validity ratings were examined, as were the relationships among three components of social validity. Forty-two preschool teachers completed a 15-item social validity scale that yielded scores pertaining to intervention goals, procedures and effects. Participants rated three types of intervention, which varied according to individuals targeted and intensity of programming procedures, with reference to one of three case descriptions of children with social interaction problems. Half the participants were provided with the child’s diagnostic label. Results indicated that social validity is affected by interactions between intervention methods and child characteristics. The inclusion of diagnostic labels in the case descriptions had no effect on social validity ratings. Strong positive relationships were found among the components of social validity. Implications for the use of empirically validated interventions in inclusive preschools are discussed.

Understanding what microfinance institutions need to address to aid poverty alleviation, social inclusion and human development

Poverty, in its most basic form can be defined as a deprivation of well-being. It is an issue that has been evident in society for centuries and a concern for government policy makers and more recently for non-government organizations (NGOs). In this paper, we consider how management approaches to resolving the dilemma of poverty can be advanced by drawing on two major areas in the development arena associated with poverty, namely, ‘social exclusion’ and ‘the human development paradigm’. We put forward the argument that for groups of people where social disintegration has already occurred, only structural interventions coupled with a social development mechanism will achieve the desired effect. One method for achieving this is through the use of microfinance programs which provide a broad range of financial services to the poor and low-income households as well as to micro-enterprises. This paper contributes to both management practice and theory by developing a theoretical model that microfinance institutions need to do to aid both ‘human development’ and ‘social inclusion’ processes for the socially excluded and poor.

Development of deliberative democracy : a collection of the essays presented at the international conference on deliberative democracy and Chinese practice of participatory and deliberative institutions

Collection of the essays presented at the international conference on deliberative democray and Chinese practice of participatory and deliberative institutions