Socioeconomic inequality profiles in physical and developmental health from 0-7 years : Australian National Study

Background: Early and persistent exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage impairs children’s health and wellbeing. However, it is unclear at what age health inequalities emerge or whether these relationships vary across ages and outcomes. We address these issues using cross-sectional Australian population data on the physical and developmental health of children at ages 0-1, 2-3, 4-5 and 6-7 years. Methods: 10 physical and developmental health outcomes were assessed in 2004 and 2006 for two cohorts each comprising around 5000 children. Socioeconomic position was measured as a composite of parental education, occupation and household income. Results: Lower socioeconomic position was associated with increased odds for poor outcomes. For physical health outcomes and socio-emotional competence, associations were similar across age groups and were consistent with either threshold effects (for poor general health, special healthcare needs and socio-emotional competence) or gradient effects (for illness with wheeze, sleep problems and injury). For socio-emotional difficulties, communication, vocabulary and emergent literacy, stronger socioeconomic associations were observed. The patterns were linear or accelerated and varied across ages. Conclusions: From very early childhood, social disadvantage was associated with poorer outcomes across most measures of physical and developmental health and showed no evidence of either strengthening or attenuating at older compared to younger ages. Findings confirm the importance of early childhood as a key focus for health promotion and prevention efforts.

Identifying parents' perceptions about physical activity : a qualitative exploration of salient behavioural, normative and control beliefs among mothers and fathers of young children

Drawing on the belief-based framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study employs qualitative methodology involving individual and group interviews to examine the beliefs associated with regular physical activity performance among parents of young children (N = 40). The data were analysed using thematic content analysis. A range of advantages (e.g. improves parenting practices), disadvantages (e.g. interferes with commitments), barriers (e.g. time), and facilitators (e.g. social support) to performing physical activity are identified. Normative pressures are also identified as affecting parents’ activity behaviour. These identified beliefs can be used to inform interventions to challenge inactivity among this at-risk group.

Identifying key belief-based targets for promoting regular physical activity among mothers and fathers with young children

We investigated the key beliefs to target in interventions aimed at increasing physical activity (PA) among mothers and fathers of young children. Parents (288 mothers and 292 fathers) completed a Theory of Planned Behaviour belief-based questionnaire and a 1-week follow-up of PA behaviour. We found that a range of behavioural, normative, and control beliefs were significantly correlated with parents’ PA intentions and behaviour, with only a few differences observed in correlations between PA beliefs and intention and behaviour by gender. A range of key beliefs was identified as making independent contributions to parents’ PA intentions; however, the behavioural beliefs about improving parenting practices (β = 0.13), interfering with other commitments (β = −0.29); normative beliefs about people I exercise with (β = 0.20); and control beliefs about lack of time (β = −0.24), inconvenience (β = −0.14), lack of motivation (β = −0.34), were revealed as significant independent predictors of actual PA behaviour. Furthermore, we found that a limited amount of parents already hold these beliefs, suggesting that these key beliefs warrant changing and, therefore, are appropriate targets for subsequent intervention. The current study fills an empirical gap in the PA literature by investigating an at-risk group and using a well established theoretical framework to identify key beliefs that guide parents’ PA decision-making. Overall, we found support for parents being a unique group who hold distinctive behavioural, normative, and control beliefs toward PA. Attention to these key underlying beliefs will assist intervention work aimed at combating inactivity among this at-risk population.

Green fireballs and ball lightning

This paper presents evidence of an apparent connection between ball lightning and a green fireball. On the evening of the 16th May 2006 at least three fireballs were seen by many people in the skies of Queensland, Australia. One of the fireballs was seen passing over the Great Divide about 120 km west of Brisbane, and soon after, a luminous green ball about 30 cm in diameter was seen rolling down the slope of the Great Divide. A detailed description given by a witness indicates that the phenomenon was probably a highly luminous form of ball lightning. An hypothesis presented in this paper is that the passage of the Queensland fireball meteor created an electrically conductive path between the ionosphere and ground, providing energy for the ball lightning phenomenon. A strong similarity is noted between the Queensland fireball and the Pasamonte fireball seen in New Mexico in 1933. Both meteors exhibit a twist in the tail that could be explained by hydrodynamic forces. The possibility that multiple sightings of fireballs across South East Queensland were produced owing to fragments from comet 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 is discussed.

Addressing childhood obesity through increased physical activity

Obesity is affecting an increasing proportion of children globally. Despite an appreciation that physical activity is essential for the normal growth and development of children and prevents obesity and obesity-related health problems, too few children are physically active. A concurrent problem is that today’s young people spend more time than previous generations did in sedentary pursuits, including watching television and engaging in screen-based games. Active behavior has been displaced by these inactive recreational choices, which has contributed to reductions in activity-related energy expenditure. Implementation of multifactorial solutions considered to offer the best chance of combating these trends is urgently required to redress the energy imbalance that characterizes obesity. The counterproductive ‘shame and blame’ mentality that apportions responsibility for the childhood obesity problem to sufferers, their parents, teachers or health-care providers needs to be changed. Instead, these groups should offer constant support and encouragement to promote appropriate physical activity in children. Failure to provide activity opportunities will increase the likelihood that the children of today will live less healthy (and possibly shorter)lives than their parents.

An overview of physical growth and maturation

An understanding of physical growth and maturation is relevant to many disciplines, including exercise and sport science, anthropology, human biology, medicine, psychology and education. Growth and maturation is governed by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. There is increasing evidence that physical activity plays an important role in normal growth, development, health and well-being of children and youth, however, caution is required in the activity setting so that growth and maturation is not jeopardised. To appreciate the impact of physical activity and/or exercise on growth and maturation, a thorough understanding of the general principles of auxology is useful. Following an introduction to terminology, an overview of physical growth and development is provided in the context of morphological changes. Detailed information is provided regarding individual variability in growth and development along with sexual dimorphism. A small degree of sexual dimorphism exists at birth however striking differences develop during the pubertal years. Sexual dimorphism in body composition is largely regulated by endocrine factors with critical roles played by growth hormone and gonadal steroids.

Are Active Australia physical activity questions valid for older adults?

Objective The Active Australia Survey (AAS) is used for physical activity (PA) surveillance in the general Australian adult population, but its validity in older adults has not been evaluated. Our aim was to examine the convergent validity of the AAS questions in older adults. Design The AAS was validated against pedometer step counts as an objective measure of PA, self-reported physical function, and a step-test to assess cardiorespiratory fitness. Method Participants were community-dwelling adults, aged 65-89 y, with the ability to walk 100 m. They completed a self-administered AAS and the step-test in one interview. One week earlier, they completed the Short Form-36 physical function subscale. Between these two interviews, they each wore a YAMAX Digiwalker SW200 pedometer and recorded daily steps. Using the AAS data, daily walking minutes and total PA minutes (walking, moderate-intensity PA and vigorous-intensity PA) were compared with the validity measures using Spearman rank-order correlations. Fifty-three adults completed the study. Results Median daily walking minutes were 34.2 (interquartile range [IQR] 17.1, 60.0), and median daily total PA minutes were 68.6 (IQR 31.4, 113.6). Walking and total PA minutes were both moderately correlated with pedometer steps (Spearman correlation r=0.42, p=0.003, for each) but not with step-test seconds to completion (r=-0.11, p=0.44; r=-0.25, p=0.08, respectively). Total PA minutes were significantly correlated with physical function scores (r=0.39, p=0.004), but walking minutes were not (r=0.15, p=0.29). Conclusions This initial examination of the psychometric properties of the AAS for older adults suggests that this surveillance tool has acceptable convergent validity for ambulatory, community-dwelling older adults.

Physical function and health-related quality of life of older adults undergoing hospital rehabilitation : how strong is the association?

The purpose of this research is to report preliminary empirical evidence regarding the association between common physical performance measures and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of hospitalized older adults recovering from illness and injury. Frequently, these patients do not return to premorbid levels of independence and physical ability. Rehabilitation for this population often focuses on improving physical functioning and mobility with the intention of maximizing their HRQoL for discharge and thereafter. For this reason, longitudinal use of physical performance measures as an indicator of improvement in physical functioning (and thus HRQoL) is common. Although this is a logical approach, there have been mixed results from previous investigations into the association between common measures of physical function and HRQoL amongst other adult patient populations.1,2 There has been no previous investigation reporting the association between HRQoL and a variety of common physical performance measures in hospitalized older adults.

Intelligent physical modelling systems - Why?

“What did you think you were doing?” Was the question posed by the conference organizers to me as the inventor and constructor of the first working Tangible Interfaces over 40 years ago. I think the question was intended to encourage me to talk about the underlying ideas and intentionality rather than describe an endless sequence of electronic bricks and that is what I shall do in this presentation. In the sixties the prevalent idea for a graphics interface was an analogue with sketching which was to somehow be understood by the computer as three dimensional form. I rebelled against this notion for reasons which I will explain in the presentation and instead came up with tangible physical three dimensional intelligent objects. I called these first prototypes “Intelligent Physical Modelling Systems” which is a really dumb name for an obvious concept. I am eternally grateful to Hiroshi Ishii for coining the term “Tangible User Interfaces” - the same idea but with a much smarter name. Another motivator was user involvement in the design process, and that led to the Generator (1979) project with Cedric Price for the world’s first intelligent building capable of organizing itself in response to the appetites of the users. The working model of that project is in MoMA. And the same motivation led to a self builders design kit (1980) for Walter Segal which facilitated self-builders to design their own houses. And indeed as the organizer’s question implied, the motivation and intentionality of these projects developed over the years in step with advancing technology. The speaker will attempt to articulate these changes with medical, psychological and educational examples. Much of this later work indeed stemming from the Media Lab where we are talking. Related topics such as “tangible thinking” and “intelligent teacups” will be introduced and the presentation will end with some speculations for the future. The presentation will be given against a background of images of early prototypes many of which have never been previously published.

Physical and functional interaction of the archaeal single-stranded DNA-binding protein SSB with RNA polymerase

Archaeal transcription utilizes a complex multisubunit RNA polymerase and the basal transcription factors TBP and TF(II)B, closely resembling its eukaryal counterpart. We have uncovered a tight physical and functional interaction between RNA polymerase and the single-stranded DNA-binding protein SSB in Sulfolobus solfataricus. SSB stimulates transcription from promoters in vitro under TBP-limiting conditions and supports transcription in the absence of TBP. SSB also rescues transcription from repression by reconstituted chromatin. We demonstrate the potential for promoter melting by SSB, suggesting a plausible basis for the stimulation of transcription. This stimulation requires both the single-stranded DNA-binding domain and the acidic C-terminal tail of the SSB. The tail forms a stable interaction with RNA polymerase. These data reveal an unexpected role for single-stranded DNA-binding proteins in transcription in archaea.

MobileMums: A randomized controlled trial of an SMS-based physical activity intervention

Background Postnatal women (<12 months postpartum) are at increased risk of physical inactivity. Purpose To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a theory-based physical activity (PA) intervention delivered to postnatal women primarily via mobile telephone short message service (SMS). Methods Eighty-eight women were randomized to the intervention (n=45) or minimal contact control (n=43) condition. The 12-week intervention consisted of a face-to-face PA goal-setting consultation, a goal-setting magnet, three to five personally tailored SMS/week and a nominated support person who received two SMS per week. SMS content targeted constructs of social cognitive theory. Frequency (days/week) and duration (min/week) of PA participation and walking for exercise were assessed via self-report at baseline, 6 and 13 weeks. Results Intervention participants increased PA frequency by 1.82 days/week (SE±0.18) by 13 weeks (F(2,85)=4.46, p=0.038) and walking for exercise frequency by 1.08 days/ week (SE±0.24) by 13 weeks (F(2,85)=5.38, p=0.02). Positive trends were observed for duration (min/week) of PA and walking for exercise. Conclusions Intervention exposure resulted in increased frequency of PA and walking for exercise in postnatal women.

Exploiting system fluctuations. Differential training in physical prevention and rehabilitation programs for health and exercise

Background: Traditional causal modeling of health interventions tends to be linear in nature and lacks multidisciplinarity. Consequently, strategies for exercise prescription in health maintenance are typically group based and focused on the role of a common optimal health status template toward which all individuals should aspire. ----- ----- Materials and methods: In this paper, we discuss inherent weaknesses of traditional methods and introduce an approach exercise training based on neurobiological system variability. The significance of neurobiological system variability in differential learning and training was highlighted.----- ----- Results: Our theoretical analysis revealed differential training as a method by which neurobiological system variability could be harnessed to facilitate health benefits of exercise training. It was observed that this approach emphasizes the importance of using individualized programs in rehabilitation and exercise, rather than group-based strategies to exercise prescription.----- ----- Conclusion: Research is needed on potential benefits of differential training as an approach to physical rehabilitation and exercise prescription that could counteract psychological and physical effects of disease and illness in subelite populations. For example, enhancing the complexity and variability of movement patterns in exercise prescription programs might alleviate effects of depression in nonathletic populations and physical effects of repetitive strain injuries experienced by athletes in elite and developing sport programs.

A sense of control : virtual communities for people with mobility impairments

The purpose of this book is to show why we should be concerned about virtual communities for people with physical, or more particularly mobility, impairments. The well-being model through a virtual community introduced here goes towards advancing the work begun by others, by adding for example a socio-political component. The model presented here provides practical insights into how strategic community investment can support people with disabilities and their families. Virtual communities are about engagement, quality of life and support, not just about information. The role of information technology in building and raising community capacity and social capital in socially and economically disadvantaged communities is also examined. Practical insights are offered into community support for people with chronic illness.

Expected values for pedometer-determined physical activity in youth

This review assembles pedometry literature focused on youth, with particular attention to expected values for habitual, school day, physical education class, recess, lunch break, out-of-school, weekend, and vacation activity. From 31 studies published since 1999, we constructed a youth habitual activity step-curve that indicates: (a) from ages 6 to 18 years, boys typically take more steps per day than girls; (b) for both sexes the youngest age groups appear to take fewer steps per day than those immediately older; and (c) from a young age, boys decline more in steps per day to become move consistent with girls at older ages. Additional studies revealed that boys take approximately 42-49% of daily steps during the school day; girls take 41-47%. Steps taken during physical education class contribute to total steps per day by 8.7-23.7% in boys and 11.4-17.2% in girls. Recess represents 8-11% and lunch break represents 15-16% of total steps per day. After-school activity contributes approximately 47-56% of total steps per day for boys and 47-59% for girls. Weekdays range from approximately 12,000 to 16,000 steps per day in boys and 10,000 to 14,000 steps per day in girls. The corresponding values for weekend days are 12,000-13,000 steps per day in boys and 10,000-12,000 steps per day in girls.

Response to "a step in the right direction : commentary on expected values for pedometer-determined physical activity in youth"

The figure Beets took exception to displays sex‐ and age‐specific median values of aggregated published expected values for pedometer determined physical activity.