eat well, be active...start young!
The eat well, be active…start young! (ewbasy) program has been funded by SA Health through the Australian Better Health Initiative and Out of Hospital Services to provide a statewide healthy weight program for children aged from birth to five years.
Statistics from the 2007 National Australian Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey show that in South Australia 18 -25% of two to eight year old children are overweight or obese. Research suggests that children who are overweight or obese are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults. Some of the complications of obesity in children and adolescents include poor self-esteem, body image disorder, depression, asthma, exercise intolerance, obstructive sleep apnoea, gallstones, reflux, fatty liver disorder, renal complications, musculo-skeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome.
Aims and strategies of the program
One of the most effective strategies by which to address this is to support parents to achieve healthy weight outcomes in their young children [1] In South Australia, one statewide network by which these parents can be accessed is through the Children, Youth and Women's Health Service (CYWHS) Child and Family Health Division nurses.
The eat well be active…start young! program aims to build capacity of CYWHS staff to support parents of children 0-5 to encourage children to eat well and be active.
Key Objectives
- To increase the capacity of CYWHS staff to promote breastfeeding, healthy eating, active play and healthy weight.
- To develop partnerships with key stakeholders that supports the development and implementation of the program strategies.
- To increase parents' awareness of the key eat well be active…start young! program messages.
- To assess the effectiveness of the program strategies in achieving the program goals and objectives.
Program Outputs
Ngartunna Waiendi …Babies on the move DVD
This DVD is designed for use as an educational tool to raise awareness of the benefits of play to support motor development for Aboriginal infants. This DVD is freely available to all parents, families and caregivers living in metropolitan Adelaide. DVDs will be distributed via CaFH centres, Universal Contact Visit or Family Home Visiting program, Aboriginal Health Care Services, Community Health sectors, child care and children’s services.
eat well, be active ... start young! resources - order form
eat well be active …start young! (ewbasy) DVD
This DVD is designed for use as an educational tool for CYWHS Child and Family Health (CaFH) staff to support parents of children from birth to 5 years in promoting healthy eating and active play. This DVD is freely available to all South Australian parents of a newborn. Parents will receive their DVD via CaFH staff during an Antenatal visit, Universal Contact Visit or Family Home Visit. This DVD is targeted at parents who might have difficulty accessing health information about healthy eating and active play in written formats.
eat well, be active ... start young! resources - order form
Low literature / Easy Read Pamphlets
As part of the eat well be active…start young! Program, 5 low literature / easy read pamphlets have been revised and updated in accordance with the latest evidence-based research and infant and child nutrition guidelines. These easy-read pamphlets aim to support parents with advice and strategies surrounding nutritional issues for children aged 0-5 years. These resources are freely available to all SA parents and health providers who work with families. Further publications
eat well, be active ... start young! resources - order form
Further publications
Strategies which aim to positively influence healthy weight in children aged one to five years. - a systematic review of the literature 2006
This report by Deakin University was commissioned by the CHP. It is a summary of peer reviewed literature in the area of healthy weight for 1-5 year old children. This study informed the CHP's work on recommendations regarding Healthy Weight Messages for Parents of Children Under 5 conducted in 2006.
ANGELO workshop summary report 2007
This is a summary report of the ANGELO Action Plan Development Workshop held in Adelaide 2007 as part of the eat well, be active...start young! program. ANGELO is an 'Analysis Grid of Elements Linked to Obesity'.
Strategies which aim to positively influence healthy weight in children aged zero to five years - an updated systematic review of the literature 2008
This report by Deakin University in 2008 identifies and summarises literature on healthy weight for 0-5 year old children which has been published subsequent to the 2006 review. It informs the current eat well, be active...start young! program.
EWBASY Bottle Feeding Resource - Background Paper 2008
This background paper provides a background to the development of the bottle feeding resources, including information that forms the basis of the resource, and the processes undertaken. The majority of work on the resource was undertaken between May to October, 2008, with the background material primarily gathered during May and June.
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