Children

There is clear and compelling evidence that childhood overweight and obesity is a public health concern issue in NSW. It is important to monitor trends in children’s weight status and obesity-related behaviours (eg diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours) in order to guide policies and programs.

NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (SPANS) 2010

On Monday 21 November, the NSW Minister for Healthy Lifestyles, Kevin Humphries, and the NSW Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli released the 2010 NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (SPANS) at Athelstane Public School in Arncliffe. SPANS 2010 is the third Ministry of Health funded monitoring survey of NSW school aged children aged 5-16 years. The survey included measuring the children’s weight status and weight-related behaviours to ascertain current and temporal trends. SPANS 2010 reported on a representative sample of school students in NSW – 8,058 children in Years K, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 – from a total of 101 government, Catholic and independent schools in urban and rural areas.

View Full Report here

The report provides invaluable information for guiding policies and programs to reduce childhood overweight and obesity and promote children’s health. The information can be used directly by different jurisdictions to identify issues of concern and priorities for action.

View Short Report here

Like earlier surveys, SPANS 2010 provides key information on the health behaviours of school aged children and is used to (i) monitor the health of NSW children and (ii) assist policy and practice decisions related to the health of school aged children. The results of this survey, conducted by PANORG on behalf of NSW Health, have been released recently.

Schools Fitness and Physical Activity Survey 1997, SPANS 2004 and SPANS 2010 comprise a series of representative population based surveys of school students in Years K, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 from Government, Catholic and Independepent schools in urban and rural areas of NSW.

Weight and weight related behaviours among NSW students from low SES and non-English speaking backgrounds: Secondary analysis of the NSW SPANS 2010

Using SPANS 2010 data, PANORG has released a new report showing significant socioeconomic and cultural variations in students’ health behaviours.View report here.

Weight and weight related behaviours among NSW Kindergarten children: Secondary analysis of the SPANS 2010

Using SPANS 2010 data, PANORG has prepared a report specifically focused on Kindergarten students. View report here.

Publications:

Hardy LL, King L (2012) Weight and weight related behaviours among NSW Kindergarten children: Physical Activity Nutrition Obesity Research Group. University of Sydney: NSW Ministry of Health.

Hardy LL, King L (2012) Report on students’ weight and weight-related behaviours by SES and cultural background: Physical Activity Nutrition Obesity Research Group. University of Sydney: NSW Ministry of Health.

Merom D, Rissel C, Reinten-Reynolds T, Hardy L. Changes in active travel of school children from 2004 to 2010 in New South Wales, Australia. Preventive Medicine 2011; 53(6): 408-410

Hardy LL, Cosgrove C, King L, Venugopal K, Baur LA, Gill T. Shifting curves? Trends in thinness and obesity among Australian youth, 1985 to 2010. Pediatric Obesity 2012; (article first published online 1 February 2012: doi:10.1111/j.2047-6310.2011.00016.x)

Rissel C, Reinton-Reynolds T, Wen LM, Hardy LL. Soft drink consumption and obesity in NSW school students. Med J Aust 2012; 196(3): 171-172

Hardy LL, King L, Espinel P, Okely AD, Bauman A. Methods of the NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey 2010 (SPANS 2010). J Sci Med Sport 2011; 14(5): 390-396