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Maternal prebiotic supplementation during pregnancy and lactation modifies the microbiome and short chain fatty acid profile of both mother and infantImproving maternal gut health in pregnancy and lactation is a potential strategy to improve immune and metabolic health in offspring and curtail the rising rates of inflammatory diseases linked to alterations in gut microbiota. Here, we investigate the effects of a maternal prebiotic supplement (galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides), ingested daily from <21 weeks' gestation to six months' post-partum, in a double-blinded, randomised placebo-controlled trial.
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The built environment and child obesity: A review of Australian policiesChild obesity is a serious public health challenge affected by both individual choice and societal and environmental factors. The main modifiable risk factors for child obesity are unhealthy eating and low levels of physical activity, both influenced by aspects of the built environment.
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Exposure to unhealthy food and beverage advertising during the school commute in AustraliaFood marketing exposure has the potential to influence children's dietary behaviours and health status, however, few studies have identified how 'obesogenic' the outdoor food marketing environment is along public transport (bus and/or train) or walking routes that children take to school.
News & Events
Endgame for deadly heart disease will save hundreds of livesRheumatic heart disease, a deadly yet entirely preventable heart disease taking the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, is finally on the verge of elimination thanks to new research
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Additional Insulin Is Required in Both the Early and Late Postprandial Periods for Meals High in Protein and Fat: A Randomized TrialThe pattern and quantity of insulin required for high-protein high-fat (HPHF) meals is not well understood. This study aimed to determine the amount and delivery pattern of insulin required to maintain euglycemia for 5 hours after consuming a HPHF meal compared with a low-protein low-fat (LPLF) meal.
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Could foodomics hold the key to unlocking the role of prebiotics in gut microbiota and immunity?Prebiotics research in the last decade has come a long way due to the maturation of omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and foodomics) and bioinformatics tools.
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Food Outlets Dietary Risk (FODR) assessment tool: study protocol for assessing the public health nutrition risks of community food environmentsAvailability and accessibility of nutritious foods can vary according to the food outlets present within a neighbourhood or community. There is increasing evidence that community food environments influence food choice.
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Variation in nutrition education practices in SWEET pediatric diabetes centers-an international comparisonNutrition education is central to pediatric type 1 diabetes management. Dietary management guidelines for type 1 diabetes are evidence based, but implementation may be challenging and inconsistent. We describe variation in the practice of nutrition education across pediatric diabetes centers globally and explore associations with A1c and BMI.
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Clustering of psychosocial symptoms in overweight childrenThe aims of the present study were to (i) examine the relationship between children's degree of adiposity and psychosocial functioning; and (ii) compare patterns of clustering of psychosocial measures between healthy weight and overweight/obese children.
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Early Onset Binge Eating and Purging Eating Disorders: Course and Outcome in a Population-Based Study of AdolescentsPurging at age 17 and externalising behaviour problems at age 14 were the strongest predictors of eating disorder persistence to age 20.
News & Events
For kids, by kids: New “Boom Boom” song teaches children how to prevent deadly heart diseaseOnce you hear it, you won’t be able to get it out of your head – and that’s exactly the point of the new song ‘Boom Boom’.
News & Events
Urgent action needed to stop 500 preventable deathsA new report predicts rheumatic heart disease (RHD) will lead to over 500 preventable deaths and cost the Australian health system $317 million by 2031 if no further action to tackle the disease is taken.
News & Events
Bupa pledges half a million dollars to end rheumatic heart diseaseResearchers will extend a unique community-led project to end rheumatic heart disease in Aboriginal communities, thanks to nearly half a million dollars in funding from Bupa.
News & Events
RHD a notifiable conditionWestern Australian doctors are now required by law to report all cases of rheumatic heart disease.
News & Events
Major grants fuel child health researchSix researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia have been awarded $8.9 million in prestigious Investigator Grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council.
News & Events
International collaboration awarded $US8 million to design world-first diagnostic tool for acute rheumatic feverResearchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia are joining forces with international experts in acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) to transform the diagnosis of these diseases thanks to an $US8 million grant from the Leducq Foundation.
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Housing Initiatives to Address Strep A Infections and Reduce RHD Risks in Remote Indigenous Communities in AustraliaAsha Rosemary Bowen Wyber BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD FAHMS OAM MBChB MPH FRACGP PhD Head, Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Senior Research Fellow
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NEARER SCAN (LENO BESIK) evaluation of a task-sharing echocardiographic active case finding programme for rheumatic heart disease in Australia and Timor-LesteRheumatic heart disease (RHD) is underdiagnosed globally resulting in missed treatment opportunities and adverse clinical outcomes. We describe the protocol for a study which aims to co-design, implement and conduct an evaluation of a task-sharing approach to echocardiographic active case finding for early detection and management of RHD in high-risk settings in Australia and Timor-Leste.
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Estimating the true number of people with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease from two data sources using capture-recapture methodologyIn Australia, accurate case ascertainment of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) diagnoses for disease surveillance and control purposes requires the use of multiple data sources, including RHD registers and hospitalisation records. Despite drawing on multiple data sources, the true burden of ARF/RHD is likely to be underestimated.