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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #400023

Research Project: Preventing the Development of Childhood Obesity

Location: Children's Nutrition Research Center

Title: 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

Author
item SKOUTERIS, HELEN - Monash University
item GREEN, RACHEL - Monash University
item CHUNG, ALEXANDRA - Monash University
item BERGMEIER, HEIDI - Monash University
item AMIR, LISA - La Trobe University
item BAIDWAN, SUKHPREET - Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
item CHATER, ANGEL - University Of Bedfordshire
item CHAMBERLAIN, CATHERINE - La Trobe University
item EMOND, RUTH - University Of Stirling
item GIBBONS, KAY - Victoria University
item GOOEY, MICHELLE - Monash University
item HATZIKIRIAKIDIS, KOSTAS - Monash University
item HAYCRAFT, EMMA - Loughborough University
item HILLS, ANDREW - University Of Tasmania
item HIGGINS, DARYL - Australian Catholic University
item HOOPER, OLIVER - Loughborough University
item HUNTER, SUE - Yoorrook Justice Commission
item KAPPELIDES, PAM - La Trobe University
item KLEVE, SUE - Monash University
item KRAKOUER, JACYNTA - Monash University
item LUMENG, JULIE - University Of Michigan
item MANIOS, YANNIS - Harokopio University Of Athens
item MANSOOR, ATHAR - Hong Kong University Of Science
item MARMOT, MICHAEL - University College London
item MÂSSE, LOUISE - University Of British Columbia
item MATVIENKO-SITAR, KAREN - University College Cork
item MCHIZA, ZANDILE - South African Medical Research Council
item MEYER, CAROLINE - University Of Warwick
item MOSCHONIS, GEORGE - La Trobe University
item MUNRO, EMILY - University Of Bedfordshire
item O'CONNOR, TERESIA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item O'NEIL, ADRIENNE - Deakin University
item QUARMBY, TOM - Leeds Beckett University
item SANDFORD, RACHEL - Loughborough University
item SCHNEIDERMAN, JANET - University Of Southern California
item SHERRIFF, SIMONE - The Sax Institute
item SIMKISS, DOUG - Warwick Medical School
item SPENCE, ALISON - Deakin University
item STURGISS, ELIZABETH - Monash University
item VIACARY, DAVE - Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand
item WICKES, REBECCA - Griffith University
item WOLFENDEN, LUKE - University Of Newcastle
item STORY, MARY - Duke Global Health Institute
item BLACK, MAUREEN - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: Health and Social Care in the Community
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/31/2022
Publication Date: 11/19/2022
Citation: Skouteris, H., Green, R., Chung, A., Bergmeier, H., Amir, L.H., Baidwan, S.K., Chater, A.M., Chamberlain, C., Emond, R., Gibbons, K., Gooey, M., Hatzikiriakidis, K., Haycraft, E., Hills, A.P., Higgins, D.J., Hooper, O., Hunter, S.A., Kappelides, P., Kleve, S., Krakouer, J., Lumeng, J.C., Manios, Y., Mansoor, A., Marmot, M., Mâsse, L.C., Matvienko-Sitar, K., Mchiza, Z.J., Meyer, C., Moschonis, G., Munro, E.R., O'Connor, T.M., O'Neil, A., Quarmby, T., Sandford, R., Schneiderman, J.U., Sherriff, S., Simkiss, D., Spence, A., Sturgiss, E., Viacary, D., Wickes, R., Wolfenden, L., Story, M., Black, M.M. 2022. 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. Health and Social Care in the Community. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.14106.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.14106

Interpretive Summary: This is a paper from the International Healthy Eating Active Living Matters (HEALing Matters) Alliance, a global network of academics and practitioners working across child health and development who are dedicated to improving health equity for children and their families. The goal of the Alliance is to ensure that all families including those affected by various forms of disadvantage and oppression are empowered to nurture their children's growth and development through healthy eating and physical activity, in the context of responsive emotional support, safety, security and early learning. The HEALing Matters Alliance draws upon extensive research and call for collective action to promote equity and foster positive developmental trajectories for all children in this paper.

Technical Abstract: 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.