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Profile of the PLAY spaces & environments for children’s physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep (PLAYCE) cohort study, Western AustraliaChildhood is a critical period for the development of movement behaviours such as physical activity, sleep and sedentary behaviour. The PLAYCE Cohort was established to investigate how movement behaviours change over early to middle childhood, across key behaviour settings and relationships with health and development. An overview of the PLAYCE cohort, summary of key findings to date, and future research opportunities are presented.
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A cross-sectional audit of the Australian community food environment highlights the prominent role of chain food outletsFood retail and food service outlets can be part of a chain, or independently operated. Chain food outlets are likely to have the most influence over community food environments but have not been routinely identified in studies which map and monitor access to food, highlighting an important knowledge gap. This study aimed to identify the food retail and food service outlets present within metropolitan Perth, including presence of chain and independent food outlets; and examine differences across local governments.
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Australian children's physical activity and screen time while in grandparental careThe objective of this study was to explore Australian children's engagement in physical activity and screen time while being cared for by their grandparents.
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Organizational readiness and implementation fidelity of an early childhood education and care-specific physical activity policy intervention: findings from the Play Active trialMany children do not accumulate sufficient physical activity for good health and development at early childhood education and care (ECEC). This study examined the association between ECEC organizational readiness and implementation fidelity of an ECEC-specific physical activity policy intervention.
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Play Active Program – physical activity policy and training for Early Childhood Education and CarePlay Active is a nationally scalable, low-cost program focused on boosting bursts of energetic play throughout the day.
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Pooled Analysis of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep among Children from 33 CountriesThe prevalence estimates of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep (collectively known as movement behaviors) in 3- and 4-year-old children worldwide remains uncertain.
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Physical Activity-Related Practices and Psychosocial Factors of Childcare Educators: A Latent Profile AnalysisLimited research investigates early childhood education and care (ECEC) educators' involvement in promoting physical activity. The aim was to identify distinct profiles based on physical activity-related practices and psychosocial factors in ECEC educators and examine how they relate to the amount of time allocated to children's physical activity. A secondary analysis of educator-reported survey data from the Play Active study was undertaken.
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Introducing the Cochrane Nutrition & Physical Activity Thematic GroupImproving nutrition and physical activity is a global health priority. Within Cochrane’s new production model, Thematic Groups (TG) with specialist content and review methods expertise have been established. The purpose of TGs is to support the development and dissemination of high-quality evidence syntheses on priority issues.
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Association between preschooler outdoor play and home yard vegetation as measured by high resolution imagery: Findings from the PLAYCE studyOutdoor play in the home yard is an important source of physical activity for many preschoolers. This study investigated if home yard size and vegetation are related to preschooler outdoor play time.

With rising levels of physical and mental health issues, ensuring children establish good physical activity behaviours early in life is more important than ever.