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Nutrition

The science that interprets the way nutrients and other substances in food affect maintenance, growth, reproduction, health and disease.

Infant Diet Is Associated With BMI Later in Childhood: A Nation-Wide Mother-Child Cohort Study in Iceland (ICE-MCH)

Few studies have explored associations between indexes incorporating both breastfeeding and complementary feeding and future risk of overweight/obesity. The aim of this study was to explore associations between a previously developed Infant Diet Score (IDS; higher score reflecting better alignment with breastfeeding and complementary feeding guidelines in the first year of life), and the risk of overweight and/or obesity in childhood.

ASCIA Guideline: Infant Feeding for Food Allergy Prevention

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) Guideline: Infant Feeding for Food Allergy Prevention is an update of the 2016 ASCIA guideline. This updated guideline provides recommendations specifically in relation to infant feeding for food allergy prevention. 

Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia

Low vitamin D status and intake are prevalent among the Australian population, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We hypothesised that some traditional foods could contain vitamin D, and measured vitamin D in foods from Nyoongar Country, Western Australia. Samples of kangaroo, emu, squid/calamari and lobster/crayfish were collected and prepared by Aboriginal people using traditional and contemporary methods.

Indigenous infants in remote Australia retain an ancestral gut microbiome despite encroaching Westernization

Studies of traditional Indigenous compared to 'Western' gut microbiomes are underrepresented, and lacking in young children, limiting knowledge of early-life microbiomes in different cultural contexts. Here we analyze the gut metagenomes of 50 Indigenous Australian infants (median age <one year) living remotely with variable access to Western foods, compared to age- and sex-matched non-Indigenous infants living in urban Australia.

Restricting outdoor advertising of unhealthy food: can Australia's food category-based classification system be applied consistently?

Most outdoor food advertising (e.g. billboards and bus stops) features foods that are considered unhealthy. The most important technical challenge when designing policies to restrict unhealthy outdoor food advertising is defining 'unhealthy food'. To date, most restriction policies have used nutrient profiling models (i.e. foods are classified according to their nutritional composition) to determine which foods and beverages may be advertised. In Australia, state governments have endorsed a food category-based classification system, with no prescribed nutrient limits, which may create ambiguity when multiple users are identifying food advertisements to be restricted. 

Concentration of food allergens in breastmilk and association with maternal factors– A systematic review

Common food allergens have been detected in breast milk with wide inter-individual variations in concentrations. As maternal factors, such as age, smoking, and body mass index have been associated with breast milk composition, we aimed to identify maternal characteristics associated with the concentration of food allergens in breast milk.

Parent and Child Choice of Sugary Drinks Under Four Labelling Conditions

The majority of Australian children exceed the World Health Organization's recommended dietary intake of free sugar, particularly through the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Front-of-pack nutrition labels increase perceived risk and deter the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. 

Teaching Kitchens: An innovative program for enhancing self-management skills in adolescents living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) – A feasibility study

Adolescents living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are faced with unique challenges to nutrition management. The current Perth Children's Hospital (PCH) T1D management model includes individualised education at diagnosis and annual reviews. Currently, no group education is provided to develop self-management skills for healthy meal preparation. Teaching Kitchens offers a skills-based program in food literacy and nutrition. This feasibility study explored if a Teaching Kitchens program at PCH engaged adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years, living with T1D.

The Association Between Breakfast Skipping and Positive and Negative Emotional Wellbeing Outcomes for Children and Adolescents in South Australia

The prevalence of child and adolescent breakfast skipping is concerning, and limited existing evidence suggests an association between skipping breakfast and negative emotional wellbeing outcomes. However, positive emotional wellbeing outcomes have been neglected from research in this space.