Nurturing children's development through healthy eating and active living: Time for policies to support effective interventions in the context of responsive emotional support and early learning.
Journal: Health & social care in the community
Volume: 30
Issue: 6
Year of Publication: 2022
Affiliated Institutions:
Health and Social Care Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
Judith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Victoria, Bundoora, Australia.
Child Development Centre Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
Centre for Health, Wellbeing and Behaviour Change, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK.
University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Institute for Health & Sport, Victoria University, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Launceston, Australia.
Australian Catholic University, Victoria, Fitzroy, Australia.
Yoorrook Justice Commission, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Management, La Trobe University, Victoria, Bundoora, Australia.
Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Clayton, Australia.
University of Michigan, Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
University College London, London, UK.
BC Children's Hospital Research Institute/School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
School of Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Non-communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council & School of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
Executive Office, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Victoria, Bundoora, Australia.
Tilda Goldberg Centre for Social Work and Social Care, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK.
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, Houston, USA.
Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Victoria, Geelong, Australia.
Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK.
Department of Nursing, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, California, Los Angeles, USA.
The Sax Institute, Sydney, Australia.
Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia.
Good Shepherd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
Duke Global Health Institute, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
School of Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
Abstract summary
Fostering the growth, development, health, and wellbeing of children is a global priority. The early childhood period presents a critical window to influence lifelong trajectories, however urgent multisectoral action is needed to ensure that families are adequately supported to nurture their children's growth and development. With a shared vision to give every child the best start in life, thus helping them reach their full developmental potential, we have formed the International Healthy Eating Active Living Matters (HEALing Matters) Alliance. Together, we form a global network of academics and practitioners working across child health and development, and who are dedicated to improving health equity for children and their families. Our goal is to ensure that all families are free from structural inequality and oppression and are empowered to nurture their children's growth and development through healthy eating and physical activity within the context of responsive emotional support, safety and security, and opportunities for early learning. To date, there have been disparate approaches to promoting these objectives across the health, community service, and education sectors. The crucial importance of our collective work is to bring these priorities for early childhood together through multisectoral interventions, and in so doing tackle head on siloed approaches. In this Policy paper, we draw upon extensive research and call for collective action to promote equity and foster positive developmental trajectories for all children. We call for the delivery of evidence-based programs, policies, and services that are co-designed to meet the needs of all children and families and address structural and systemic inequalities. Moving beyond the "what" is needed to foster the best start to life for all children, we provide recommendations of "how" we can do this. Such collective impact will facilitate intergenerational progression that builds human capital in future generations.
Authors & Co-authors:
Skouteris Helen H
Green Rachael R
Chung Alexandra A
Bergmeier Heidi H
Amir Lisa H LH
Baidwan Sukhpreet Kaur SK
Chater Angel Marie AM
Chamberlain Catherine C
Emond Ruth R
Gibbons Kay K
Gooey Michelle M
Hatzikiriakidis Kostas K
Haycraft Emma E
Hills Andrew P AP
Higgins Daryl J DJ
Hooper Oliver O
Hunter Sue-Anne SA
Kappelides Pam P
Kleve Sue S
Krakouer Jacynta J
Lumeng Julie C JC
Manios Yannis Y
Mansoor Athar A
Marmot Michael M
Mâsse Louise C LC
Matvienko-Sikar Karen K
Mchiza Zandile June-Rose ZJ
Meyer Caroline C
Moschonis George G
Munro Emily R ER
O'Connor Teresia Margareta TM
O'Neil Adrienne A
Quarmby Thomas T
Sandford Rachel R
Schneiderman Janet U JU
Sherriff Simone S
Simkiss Doug D
Spence Alison A
Sturgiss Elizabeth E
Vicary Dave D
Wickes Rebecca R
Wolfenden Luke L
Story Mary M
Black Maureen M MM
Study Outcome
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