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Objective To extend the limited international evidence on youth in-vehicle second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure by examining trends in New Zealand, a country with a national smoke-free goal and indoors smoke-free environment legislation. Methods We tracked exposure rates and explored the associations between in-vehicle SHS exposure and smoking behaviours. In-home exposure was also examined for comparative purposes. Data were collected in annual surveys of over 25 000 year 10 school students (14-15-year olds) for a 7-year period (2006-2012). Questions covered smoking behaviour, exposure to smoking and demographics. Results Youth SHS exposure rates in-vehicle and in-home trended down slightly over time (p<0.0001 for both) with 23% exposed in-vehicle in the previous week in 2012. However, marked inequalities in exposure between ethnic groups, and by school-based socioeconomic position, persisted. The strongest association with SHS exposure was parental smoking (eg, for both parents versus neither smoking in 2012: in-vehicle SHS exposure adjusted OR: 7.4; 95% CI: 6.5 to 8.4). After adjusting for seven other factors associated with initiation, logistic regression analyses revealed statistically significant associations of in-vehicle SHS exposure with susceptibility to initiation and smoking. Conclusions The slow decline in SHS exposure in vehicles and the lack of progress in reducing relative inequalities is problematic. To accelerate progress, the New Zealand Government could follow the example of other jurisdictions and prohibit smoking in cars carrying children. Other major policy interventions, beside enhanced smoke-free environments, will also likely be required if New Zealand is to achieve its 2025 smoke-free nation goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a response to an article in the issue concerning child poverty in New Zealand written by Jonathan Boston. Topics discussed include the theories of public choice and human capital, the reasons why poverty reduction programs should focus on child poverty, rather than poverty in the country in general, and neoliberalism.

This paper highlights the complex relations between public and private spaces with regard to young children's bilingual learning, and the importance of developing a pedagogy that allows for the interaction of learning across the two spaces. It uses findings from a qualitative study to illustrate nuanced (mis)alignments between dominant language discourses in New Zealand early childhood education and Chinese immigrant families' aspirations regarding the languages they want their children to learn and use. The study involved analysing a range of institutional documents to identify early childhood education discourses promoted in New Zealand. Alongside this, individual interviews were conducted with a group of Chinese immigrant parents to investigate their involvement in children's early childhood education. Families' aspirations, experiences and practices regarding children's bilingual learning were frequently mentioned during the interviews, and these are valuable knowledge for teachers. This paper presents findings related to these dual language learning expectations. It uses theoretical constructs of social spaces to interpret the findings and their implications for a responsive pedagogy that embraces bi/multilingualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of 'Kia Tika, Kia Pono – Honouring Truths' (Te Rōpū Arotahi 2022), an ethical framework to guide engagement with tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people) who are care experienced (that is, who currently or at some stage in their lives have been in foster or residential care). Centring the voices and priorities of rangatahi with care experience, 'Kia Tika, Kia Pono' is intended for use by organisations and others working across the range of sectors and services that seek to engage tamariki and rangatahi who are care experienced in governance, policy making, service design, media or research. Its purpose is to ensure that these efforts are ethical, meaningful, and culturally safe. Grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and participatory rights frameworks, 'Kia Tika, Kia Pono' is responsive to the cultural context of New Zealand. It is also distinctive in its centring of rangatahi with care experience as both knowledge-holders and knowledge-creators. In summarising the key elements of the 'Kia Tika, Kia Pono' framework, we also draw upon our insights from the research process regarding participatory practice with rangatahi with care experience. Kupu Māori/glossary of Māori words: Aroha: love, compassion, empathy; hapū: kinship group, sub-tribe, sub-nation, to be pregnant; hui: gathering, meeting, assembly, seminar, conference; iwi: extended kinship group, tribe, nation, people, bone; kai: food, meal; karakia: incantation; a set form of words to state or make effective a ritual activity; kaupapa: purpose, agenda; koha gift; especially one maintaining social relationships and has connotations of reciprocity; korowai: ornamented cloak; mana: spiritually sanctioned or endorsed influence, power, and authority; manaakitanga: showing and receiving care, respect, kindness, and hospitality; māramatanga: enlightenment, insight, understanding; mauri: life principle, life force, vital essence; pono: to be absolutely true, unfeigned, genuine; rangatahi: younger generation; rangatira: chiefly, esteemed, leader; tamariki: children; Te Tiriti o Waitangi: the Māori version of the Treaty of Waitangi; tika: what is right/good for any particular situation; tikanga Māori: customary system of values and practices that have been developed over time and are deeply embedded in the social context; tūāpapa: foundation, platform; ūkaipō: a place of nurturing and of spiritual and emotional strength; wairuatanga: spirituality; wānanga: to meet, discuss, deliberate, consider; whanau: to be born, extended family, family group; whanaungatanga: relationship, kinship, sense of family connection; a relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary healthcare services have principal responsibility for providing child and youth wellbeing and mental health services, but have lacked appropriate measurement instruments to assess the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth or to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services designed to meet their needs. This review assesses the availability and characteristics of measurement instruments that have been applied in primary healthcare services in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States (CANZUS countries) to assess the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth. Methods: Fifteen databases and 12 websites were searched in December 2017 and again in October 2021. Pre-defined search terms pertained to Indigenous children and youth, CANZUS country names, and wellbeing or mental health measures. PRISMA guidelines were followed, with eligibility criteria guiding screening of titles and abstracts, and selected full-text papers. Results are presented based on the characteristics of documented measurement instruments assessed according to five desirability criteria: development for Indigenous youth populations, adherence to relational strength-based constructs, administration by child and or youth self-report, reliability and validity, and usefulness for identifying wellbeing or risk levels. Results: Twenty-one publications were found that described the development and or use by primary healthcare services of 14 measurement instruments, employed across 30 applications. Four of the 14 measurement instruments were developed specifically for Indigenous youth populations, four focused solely on strength-based wellbeing concepts but none included all Indigenous wellbeing domains. Conclusion: There is a diversity of measurement instruments available, but few fit our desirability criteria. Although it is possible that we missed relevant papers and reports, this review clearly supports the need for further research to develop, refine or adapt instruments cross-culturally to measure the wellbeing of Indigenous children and youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the intersection between place, culture and identity as evidenced through photographic narratives of Pacific Island children, based in Samoa and a diasporic community in New Zealand. The study was undertaken with 71 children aged 6–14 in Samoa (35) and New Zealand (36). A Talanoa/fa'afaletui (conversation-based) Pacific research approach was used to analyse 1285 children's photos of 'things that matter to them'. Most photos showed multiple layers of meaning (e.g. sensory, love, pride, memory). Plants were most frequently featured in Samoan children's photos and family in New Zealand. Through the photos and conversations, children articulate dynamic and multi-layered connections to place, identity and belonging. For diasporic children, their Island of origin is central to their identity and articulated through cultural, family and community connections. An adapted place attachment model is proposed to help better understand children's place attachment, sense of belonging and their Pacific Island identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measures of individual mobility, such as activity space, have been previously used to help improve our understanding of individuals' interactions with their everyday environments. However, such methods have rarely been adopted in studying children's physical activity and active travel behavior. In this study, we use a combination of participatory mapping and accelerometer data collected from children aged 8–13 years living in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand, to describe children's travel behavior and explore associations of active travel, physical activity, and socio-demographic characteristics with environmental attributes. The results from this study reveal complex associations between these different layers. Density of cycling routes was consistently associated with higher levels of physical activity captured via moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), prevalence of active travel, and total activity space exposure. Nevertheless, population density, greenspace, and land-use mix revealed varying associations across different activity behaviors including MVPA, number of steps, and prevalence of active travel. The results from this study not only reassert the complexity of person–environment relationships, but also highlight the potential impacts of measurement and analytical methods on the study results. The novel combination of participatory mapping and accelerometer data together with activity space analysis provided new analytical insights which we discuss in this paper. This study concludes by reporting its observations and envisioning future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curriculum policy and enactment in early childhood education is a political phenomenon that plays out in particular cultural contexts. Comparative lenses to curriculum articulate locally constructed and implicit knowledge to external audiences. In doing so, global commonalities and tensions may become explicit. This paper interrogates curricular documents in Greece and New Zealand using selected questions from Joseph's (2011a) heuristic of 'curriculum as culture'. We do this through writing letters to each other that share our local knowledge and experiences and raise further questions. Although New Zealand and Greece are geographically and culturally two worlds apart, their curricular practices share certain discourses and have both been influenced by international trends. We argue that both countries' documents relate to first-order change where the policy document may not, in itself, update or change prior practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The involvement of speech and language therapists (SLTs) within paediatric palliative care (PPC) settings has been recognized within the extant literature. However, there is little understanding of SLT's specific roles and practices when working with this vulnerable cohort of children and their families. As part of a larger body of work to develop consensus‐based recommendations for SLTs working in PPC, it is important to investigate demographic and caseload characteristics. Aims: This exploratory study aimed to gather previously undocumented international demographic data pertaining to SLT service provision, caseload and training in PPC. Additionally, it sought to ascertain the current treatment and assessment approaches of SLTs, and if variations exist in beliefs and practices. Methods & Procedures: An anonymous cross‐sectional survey was designed and reported according to the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E‐Surveys (CHERRIES). The online survey consisted of 40 items spanning four domains: (1) demographic information, (2) caseload information, (3) service provision and (4) training and education. SLTs from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and the United States were recruited using a purposive snowball sampling approach. Descriptive analysis of closed‐ended survey responses and content analysis of open‐ended responses are presented. Outcomes & Results: A total of 52 respondents completed the survey. SLTs worked in a variety of PPC settings, with patients of varying age and disease groups. Over 50% of participants reported working in PPC for ≤ 4 years. Genetic disorders (34%), oncology (27%) and neurological conditions (21%) made up a significant portion of respondents' caseloads. Reported treatments and assessment approaches used by SLTs are not unique to a PPC population. Barriers and enablers for practice were identified. A portion of participants did not feel trained and prepared to assess (19.2%) or treat (15.4%) PPC clients. Conclusions & Implications: This study confirms that SLTs internationally have a role in the management of communication and swallowing impairments in a PPC context. However, whether current training and resources adequately support SLTs in this role remains questionable. This paper helps to provide SLTs, administrators, professional associations and tertiary institutions with foundational data to help inform workforce planning, advocacy efforts and training priorities. What this paper addsWhat is already known on the subjectThe published multidisciplinary literature has identified that SLTs have a role in PPC. However, there has been no targeted research investigating the professional characteristics of clinicians in this context, nor any detailed information regarding associated clinician beliefs or management approaches.What this paper adds to existing knowledgeThis study is a snapshot of attributes, practice patterns and beliefs of SLTs who work with a PPC population. It highlights SLT perspectives of education and training, as well as meta‐perceptions of themselves within the multidisciplinary team.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?Data presented in this paper will help to enable SLTs, organizations and associations to augment service provision and determine future professional development priorities within the field of PPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last 25 years have seen considerable strides made in the development, validation and field use of self-report oral health scales. New Zealand researchers have played important roles in that work, particularly in respect of child-focused measures. This paper provides an overview of that contribution by describing first the work on child informant scales, followed by an overview of New Zealand researchers' contribution to the proxy informant scales. The paper concludes by considering the way forward for such work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand has a reputation for having one of the most inclusive education systems in the world. However, research and anecdotal evidence show that many parents of young children with disabilities have difficulties accessing intervention and health-care services and may be less satisfied when they do receive services. In addition, though a plethora of research has been done on inclusive education, little attention has been given by researchers to low-income parents' perspectives on early childhood inclusion in New Zealand. This paper draws on findings from a qualitative study on 30 parents' experiences of early childhood inclusive education in New Zealand. Parents participating in this study came from different religious backgrounds, represented diverse ethnicities, all had at least one child who had a diagnosis of disabilities and/or chronical illness, and met the low-income criteria of New Zealand. Results showed that though the majority of the families appreciated the flexible time and structures of the early childhood programs their children attended, parents were concerned about the lack of intervention services for their children. In addition, these low-income families reported that they had limited access to early interventions and resources. The findings also highlight the importance of the use of positive coping methods (e.g., maintaining a positive outlook and seeking social support), and the role faith plays in family life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internationally, nurses have been in the forefront of delivering health care services in the school environment and whilst health care delivery in secondary and high schools is evaluated, this is not the case for services delivered in primary/elementary schools. In countries such as New Zealand there is no significant inter-service collaboration between health and education; therefore, the delivery of health services remains fragmented and underdeveloped. Objectives: This discussion paper reviews the history and development of nurse-led schoolbased health services internationally and provides an insight into the current provision of primary school-based health services in New Zealand. Design: The initial approach to this paper was to gain an understanding of the history of schoolbased health services internationally and to explore the relationship between health and education in relation to this. This assisted in providing some context and comparison with the current provision of school-based health services in New Zealand. Discussion outcome: Internationally, it is acknowledged that schools provide not only a location to deliver health services to children but also the opportunity to reach entire families and communities yet surprisingly, the development of school-based health services within the primary/elementary school sector has received minimal attention in New Zealand and worldwide. Conclusions:This paper supports the need for further research concerning the feasibility, provision and effectiveness of school-based health services in primary/elementary schools. In order to be effective, this should incorporate the shared needs and values of all stakeholders. The authors argue the need to develop an inter-service, collaborative, national framework for the delivery of school nursing services within the primary school sector in New Zealand. Impact statement: A collaborative framework for health service delivery into primary schools can enable early establishment of supportive health relationships with families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indigenous children living in high income countries have a consistently high prevalence of mental health problems. We aimed to identify psychosocial risk and protective factors for mental health in this setting. Methods: A systematic review of studies published between 1996 and 2016 that quantitatively evaluated the association between psychosocial variables and mental health among Indigenous children living in high income countries was conducted. Psychosocial variables were grouped into commonly occurring domains. Individual studies were judged to provide evidence for an association between a domain and either good mental health, poor mental health, or a negligible or inconsistent association. The overall quality of evidence across all studies for each domain was assessed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. Results: Forty-seven papers were eligible (mainland US 30 [64%], Canada 8 [17%], Australia 7 [15%], Hawaii 4 [9%]), including 58,218 participants aged 4-20 years. Most papers were cross-sectional (39, 83%) and measured negative mental health outcomes (41, 87%). Children's negative cohesion with their families and the presence of adverse events appeared the most reliable predictors of increased negative mental health outcomes. Children's substance use, experiences of discrimination, comorbid internalising symptoms, and negative parental behaviour also provided evidence of associations with negative mental health outcomes. Positive family and peer relationships, high self-esteem and optimism were associated with increased positive mental health outcomes. Conclusions: Quantitative research investigating Indigenous children's mental health is largely cross-sectional and focused upon negative outcomes. Indigenous children living in high income countries share many of the same risk and protective factors associated with mental health. The evidence linking children's familial environment, psychological traits, substance use and experiences of discrimination with mental health outcomes highlights key targets for more concerted efforts to develop initiatives to improve the mental health of Indigenous children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper addresses a hitherto unexamined phenomenon in the geography of health promotion: the use of postage stamps. We 'read' health stamps as featuring imagery and exhortations that reflect temporally-specific understandings of children's health and wellbeing. As a case study, we examine examples of the stamps sold annually since 1929 as a fund-raiser for New Zealand Children's Health Camps Foundation. This government-supported voluntary sector agency sought to offer respite for children from unhealthy environments and enhance their wellbeing through offering opportunities in semi-rural locations focusing on nutrition and exercise. Recently, emphasis changed to concern with behavioural issues such as self-esteem. The annual stamp appeal continued until 2016 with nuanced themes (e.g., birds and butterflies, invoking associated ideas of children as vulnerable yet precious and needing protection). Our goal is two-fold: first, we seek to theorise the role of the postage stamp in mobilising health-promoting messages; and, second, we examine changing imaginaries associated with child health included in this annual series of stamps. Drawing on assemblage theory, we read the act of purchasing children's health stamps as offering a tacit seal of approval for child health. Through assembling resources, personnel and ideas about health, they reflected and reproduced the nation state and its goals for children's health while also crossing national boundaries. Highlights • We argue that stamps can reflect health-related aspirations of the nation state. • We read health stamps as part of assemblages of people, resources and ideas. • We analyse New Zealand health stamps noting changing constructions of child health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a hitherto unexamined phenomenon in the geography of health promotion: the use of postage stamps. We 'read' health stamps as featuring imagery and exhortations that reflect temporally-specific understandings of children's health and wellbeing. As a case study, we examine examples of the stamps sold annually since 1929 as a fund-raiser for New Zealand Children's Health Camps Foundation. This government-supported voluntary sector agency sought to offer respite for children from unhealthy environments and enhance their wellbeing through offering opportunities in semi-rural locations focusing on nutrition and exercise. Recently, emphasis changed to concern with behavioural issues such as self-esteem. The annual stamp appeal continued until 2016 with nuanced themes (e.g., birds and butterflies, invoking associated ideas of children as vulnerable yet precious and needing protection). Our goal is two-fold: first, we seek to theorise the role of the postage stamp in mobilising health-promoting messages; and, second, we examine changing imaginaries associated with child health included in this annual series of stamps. Drawing on assemblage theory, we read the act of purchasing children's health stamps as offering a tacit seal of approval for child health. Through assembling resources, personnel and ideas about health, they reflected and reproduced the nation state and its goals for children's health while also crossing national boundaries. • We argue that stamps can reflect health-related aspirations of the nation state. • We read health stamps as part of assemblages of people, resources and ideas. • We analyse New Zealand health stamps noting changing constructions of child health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates child agency in Ethiopian and Colombian refugee families in New Zealand. Emerging scholarship has highlighted ways in which children's actions may influence family language policies. However, the existing descriptions are typically not embedded in a wider social theory, and have generally not included refugees. This study draws on 3 years of ethnographic observations, interviews with 29 mothers and 17 children and recordings of naturally occurring home interactions from three families. The families were part of a governmental programme for the resettlement of refugees. Data from both ethnic communities indicate that children influence their parents' socialisation practices through (1) metalinguistic comments, (2) medium requests, (3) language brokering, (4) sociocultural socialisation and (5) majority language teaching. As a theoretical contribution, I argue that child agency is most fruitfully interpreted theoretically within a Bourdieusian framework of structure and agency. At a more micro-level, the notion of 'cleft-habitus' supplies a useful tool to discuss the effects of the children's divergent cultural socialisation. From a practical perspective, targeting children along with parents may be beneficial for promoting language maintenance efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How computers in schools impact on children's learning has been studied through research that explores student achievement at one point in time or by comparing different classroom contexts with differing results. The introduction of an optional netbook purchasing scheme for children in a low socio‐economic community provided an opportunity to compare the academic improvement for those who joined the scheme with those who did not with both groups learning within the same context with the same teachers. Using nationally calibrated assessment tools that test reading, writing, and mathematical skill progression, the student achievement data from six schools across a 2‐year period were analysed using chi‐square testing, regression analysis, propensity score matching, and cumulative logit modelling. The results identified few significant differences between the students in most aspects of achievement and no significant difference in academic improvement between the two groups. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Whole class use of netbooks can improve achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.Children in low socio‐economic contexts have limited access to the Internet or netbooks for learning. What this paper adds to this: The use of netbooks alone has an insignificant effect on achievement in standardized assessments.Academic progress of children in the same context is similar whether using netbooks or not. Implication of study findings for practitioners: Introduction of netbook schemes should enable all students to have dedicated access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the past three decades the global prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has increased by 47%. Marketing of energy-dense nutrient-poor foods and beverages contributes to this worldwide increase. Previous research on food marketing to children largely uses self-report, reporting by parents, or third-party observation of children's environments, with the focus mostly on single settings and/or media. This paper reports on innovative research, Kids'Cam, in which children wore cameras to examine the frequency and nature of everyday exposure to food marketing across multiple media and settings. Methods: Kids'Cam was a cross-sectional study of 168 children (mean age 12.6 years, SD = 0.5) in Wellington, New Zealand. Each child wore a wearable camera on four consecutive days, capturing images automatically every seven seconds. Images were manually coded as either recommended (core) or not recommended (non-core) to be marketed to children by setting, marketing medium, and product category. Images in convenience stores and supermarkets were excluded as marketing examples were considered too numerous to count. Results: On average, children were exposed to non-core food marketing 27.3 times a day (95% CI 24.8, 30.1) across all settings. This was more than twice their average exposure to core food marketing (12.3 per day, 95% CI 8.7, 17.4). Most non-core exposures occurred at home (33%), in public spaces (30%) and at school (19%). Food packaging was the predominant marketing medium (74% and 64% for core and non-core foods) followed by signs (21% and 28% for core and non-core). Sugary drinks, fast food, confectionary and snack foods were the most commonly encountered noncore foods marketed. Rates were calculated using Poisson regression. Conclusions: Children in this study were frequently exposed, across multiple settings, to marketing of non-core foods not recommended to be marketed to children. The study provides further evidence of the need for urgent action to reduce children's exposure to marketing of unhealthy foods, and suggests the settings and media in which to act. Such action is necessary if the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity's vision is to be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Families play important roles in children's learning. Yet, teachers' values and beliefs may sway how families may participate in assessment of their child's learning within early childhood education. This paper reports on a qualitative case study in a New Zealand early childhood setting that explored teachers' views about involving families in assessment of infants’ and toddlers’ dispositional learning. Methods comprised interviews with five teachers, researcher field notes and documentation about children's learning. Findings suggested that teachers’ views about learning dispositions, teaching and assessment positioned families as consumers of, rather than participants in, assessment. Theoretical tensions arose between Gerber's Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) approach that guided teachers' philosophy and practice andTe Whāriki, the mandated early childhood curriculum of New Zealand. The paper argues that weaving RIE with a national curriculum framework requires teacher engagement in critical thinking and discussion regarding actively involving families in assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Physical activity, through independent outdoor play, has come to the fore as a way to improve children's health through it fostering healthy mental and social as well as physiological development. However, in many high-income countries children's autonomous play opportunities have diminished due to urban intensification and declining parental license. Regardless of this trend, children's play varies across countries, cities, cultures and seasons. This paper offers new insights into the complexities of play as a vital aspect of children's wellbeing. Within the context of New Zealand – whose citizens generally regard themselves as outdoor people – this paper explores why ‘play’ might resonate differently across localities and seasons. We contrast the play affordances provided by Auckland's central city (dominated by apartment living) with Beach Haven, a suburban area. We employed a multi-method approach and included 20 children and their parents who were recruited through school and summer holiday programs embracing different gender and ethnicities to reflect the general cultural mix of the respective neighbourhoods. We advance two arguments. First, we suggest that the rarity of children playing outdoors unsupervised normalises supervised indoor play and reduces children's opportunities to see outdoor play as an alternative to interior or supervised pastimes. Second, we follow Bourdieu's theory of practice to argue that the regard parents and children have towards outdoor play reflects locally constituted beliefs about what is seasonally ‘appropriate’ children's activity. We found that extra-curricular activities and supervised excursions are undertaken in the central city all year around and only vary between social groups by the type of destination. In the suburb, independent outdoor play in summer represents children's main business after school in ways that enhance their environmental literacy and potential future health gain. For others these symbolic values were replaced by safety concerns. In contrast, it seems that even in a relatively mild climate winter is the time to relax and stay indoors unless children have an outdoor habitus. We find that the determinants of seasonal outdoor play transcend modifiable barriers such as traffic and unsuitable play spaces as well as the inevitable issue of inclement weather. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyses the inter-relatedness of layers of involvement, as contributing to learning, within a school sustainability project (the eco-classroom project). This engaged students, staff and community members (including professional practitioners) in an architectural co-design project that resulted, after 4 years, in a built classroom. The paper utilises an “ecology of learning” diagram to indicate layers and show connections, which are evidenced by findings from the project, alongside relevant literature in geographies of architecture and childhood, pedagogies of sustainable learning and children's participatory and co-design examples. In conclusion, the ecology of learning approach is critiqued and encouragement of more sustainability co-design projects with children is recommended. It is proposed this could lead to improved processes for all participants while promoting authentic and relevant sustainability learning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To inform a larger research programme on informal teaching and learning in everyday settings in Aotearoa New Zealand, two parallel pilot studies were conducted to determine an appropriate method for capturing the everyday learning of culturally and socio-economically diverse children. The studies took place during the six-week holiday break between school years. In one, three Māori children participated, in the other three Tongan children. This paper discusses the unanticipated issues that arose as a result of the ‘ethic of cultural responsiveness’ that the research team developed during the course of the research. These included: the insights made visible by culturally informed interpretation of unremarkable everyday activities; the effects on family dynamics of the research; and responsibilities to participants. It is argued that for Māori and Tongan children culture and family are central to everyday learning and therefore the research process and interpretation of data must be culturally informed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a multicultural country, such as New Zealand, multicultural education has become the subject of early childhood polices and research. Increased national and international attention towards minority rights has resulted in the development and implementation of multicultural practice for realizing quality early childhood education for children and families of diverse cultural backgrounds. The study addressed in this paper set out to examine the multicultural education of early childhood settings in New Zealand from the experiences and perspectives of Chinese immigrant young children, their teachers and parents. It analyses data in the conceptualization of children as active agents, with the emphasis on the influence of their homes and the early childhood centres, giving rise to a tension between the children's needs to fit in the centres and the children's and their parents' right to inclusion and be different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent government moves in many countries have seen coding included in school curricula, or promoted as part of computing, mathematics or science programmes. While these moves have generally been associated with a need to engage more young people in technology study, research has hinted at possible benefits from learning to program including fostering general thinking skills. However, little research has been carried out exploring these ideas. This study analysed data collected while 5- and 6-year-old students in a New Zealand primary school were using Scratch Jnr. to learn about basic shapes, as part of a numeracy topic. Analysis combined Brennan and Resnick's (2012) computational thinking skills framework and Krathwohl's (2002) revision of Bloom's Taxonomy to evaluate any role general thinking skills played in these students' coding work. Results suggest including basic coding in primary curricula provides teachers with an effective means of exercising their students' general and higher order thinking skills. They build on Brennan and Resnick's (2012) framework by including conceptualization as an important element in students' computational work and highlight the role of predictive thinking in debugging code. Findings support historical arguments that more needs to be done to investigate students' cognitive processes when undertaking computational work. Lay description What is already known about the topic: Computational learning is an emerging area of school curricula;, Limited research exists exploring thinking processes within computational learning;, Early studies challenge more recent claims of thinking skill transfer from computational work., What this paper adds: Computational work supports a range of general and higher order thinking skills;, Task design and teacher skills are critical to achieving higher order thinking outcomes from computational work;, Computational work in teams can support collaborative, cooperative and self-management key competencies., Implications for practice and/or policy: Findings broaden the base of empirical support for including computational work in school curricula;, Coding provides an engaging means of exercising complex thinking skills and key competencies in students;, The data methods used provide teachers with visible evidence of students' thinking processes during computational work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in English-speaking jurisdictions, including Australia, North America, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, about the prevention of sexual abuse perpetrated by children against other children. The aim of this review was to identify opportunities for research, policy and practice which could enhance the prevention agenda relating to the perpetration of sexual abuse by children through conducting a Critical Interpretive Synthesis. Eleven electronic databases were searched in the period from 22 April to 23 May 2013 and included: SocINDEX, Social Services Abstracts, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Family and Society Studies Worldwide, Project Muse, PsychINFO, Family and Society Plus, Jstor, Expanded Academic ASAP, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Key individual journals were also searched, including Child Abuse and Neglect and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, as well as the grey literature. The search was guided by the research question: How could the prevention agenda relating to sexual abuse perpetrated by children be enhanced? The systematic literature search yielded 3323 titles, and 34 of these papers were included in the final synthesis. The authors identified five domains operating in the evidence base: characteristics, causes, communications, interventions and treatments. A synthesising construct emerged from the review: prevention-enhancing interactions. This construct referred to the potential for enhancing the prevention agenda which exists as the evidence domains interact with one another, and with the public health model of prevention. The authors consider this review to be a timely contribution to the current agenda pertaining to sexual abuse perpetrated by children. It provides researchers, policy makers and practitioners in the field with an evidence-informed conceptualisation of opportunities for enhancing prevention work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper builds on political geographies of children and youth by looking at the ways children express their political agency through acts of caring. Ethnographic research was conducted with a group of 19 children aged 9–11 years old in a rural town in New Zealand. This paper discusses the results of a photojournal project in which the children were given disposable cameras to use as a way to explain their cares and concerns in their daily lives and in the larger world around them. Drawing on Tronto''s care ethic framework in which subjects are active in maintaining, continuing and repairing their worlds, the children''s photojournals illuminated their abilities and efforts to care for their worlds. As a political concept, care brings attention to interdependences, connections and relationships that are essential to our individual and collective survival and often overlooked in liberal political theory. This paper demonstrates that the framework of care and exploring children''s everyday caring practices help us better understand the often unacknowledged political agency of children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

New Zealand ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1993 with three reservations including one against Article 32(2) which requires a minimum age or ages for admission to employment. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, the monitoring body of the CRC, recommends the reservations be removed, and that New Zealand ratify ILO Minimum Age Convention (No. 138 of 1973) which also requires a legislated minimum age for entry to employment. Using data collected in 2003 this paper highlights the diversity of children's work experiences in a minority world country with a multi-ethnic population and a high level of socio-economic inequality. It argues that New Zealand should focus on promoting the best interests of children, and that this requires consultation with children, not blanket minimum-age legislation. The paper identifies a need for research into the meanings that different cultural groups attach to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Play is the context for acquiring social skills. While it is logical to suspect that the difficulties associated with ADHD would affect play, there is surprisingly little work in that area. Further, there is almost no previous research describing the playmates of children with ADHD. This study involved children with ADHD ( n = 112) playing with a usual playmate ( n = 112), and pairs of age-, ethnicity-, and sex-matched children ( n = 126) playing together. In this paper, the authors interpret the data from the perspective of the playmates. The overall finding was that the play behavior of the playmates closely resembled that of the children with ADHD; it was characterized by low levels of empathy. A primary purpose of this paper is to explore possible explanations for this surprising finding. Two possible explanations are explored. First, children with ADHD are demanding playmates so that children who play with them mirror their negative behaviors. Second, although the playmates did not have ADHD, their play behaviors might reflect the known risk of negative behaviors reported amongst siblings and peers of children with ADHD. Evidence to support both explanations is presented and new lines of research are proposed to examine each possibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Given the raised profile that parenting support and education is currently receiving on government family policy agendas in many nations, this paper reviews the ways in which parenting support and education policies are embedded within eight OECD countries. Drawing out the similarities and differences of policy and practice, and comparing the financial support each country affords to parenting support, it assesses the effectiveness of parenting support programmes in relation to national expenditure and links parenting policy to child outcomes. The paper concludes with some recommendations for policy makers and programme developers. The countries reviewed are: The UK, Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, the US, Finland, Australia and New Zealand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Globally, the issue of energy use and climate change is at the forefront of many national and international agendas, and also an issue central to children's lives and well-being. This paper examines how children are both affected by and contribute to the problems associated with unsustainable energy use as it relates to the growth of car dependent lives. The paper presents the findings of a study of travel as it relates to the everyday lives of children in the city of Dunedin in New Zealand. The study found that children currently lead complex car dependent lives. This extensive car reliance presents a serious and largely unrecognised challenge to the sustainable planning and management of the urban environment. The move towards more sustainable transportation can bring benefits for both the environment and for children's lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I explain and utilise Bernstein's theory of recontextualisation as a means to consider the influence of constructivism as one of the key 'rulers of consciousness' or recontextualising principles that has become hegemonic within education. In considering this influence I draw on the literature to clarify some of the confusion surrounding constructivism that has been utilised as a central theory for the curriculum and pedagogy. I suggest that in New Zealand there is a largely doxic acceptance of a romanticised and often confused view of constructivism developed in response to the lurking spectre of education as transmission. By drawing on three examples of tensions between official discourses and teacher autonomy I explore the lack of clarity surrounding constructivism and the implications for the 'play' of ideology and agency. I conclude by suggesting that constructivism has much to offer in developing approaches to pedagogy but serious limitations when applied to matters of epistemology and ontology. It is particularly important to clarify the limitations of constructivism before it morphs into a new twenty-first century future focused version of itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries today, digital technology and instant communication are embedded in children's everyday lives to the extent that their play frequently incorporates smartphones, the Internet and other technologies. In this paper, we explore the recent historical conditions within the New Zealand context that have increased the accessibility of these technologies and imbued them with particular meanings. We suggest that from a Foucauldian perspective, these technologies can be seen as a form of subtle disciplinary power using techniques of governmentality through which children's ways of thinking are shaped to benefit societal requirements of the current historical era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedentary behaviour (SB) has emerged as a potential risk factor for metabolic health in youth. Knowledge on the determinants of SB in youth is necessary to inform future intervention development to reduce SB. A systematic review was conducted to identify predictors and determinants of SB in youth. Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched, limiting to articles in English, published between January 2000 and May 2014. The search strategy was based on four key elements and their synonyms: (a) sedentary behaviour, (b) determinants, (c) types of sedentary behaviours, (d) types of determinants. The full protocol is available from PROSPERO (PROSPERO 2014:CRD42014009823). Cross-sectional studies were excluded. The analysis was guided by the socio-ecological model. 37 studies were selected out of 2654 identified papers from the systematic literature search. Most studies were conducted in Europe (n = 13), USA (n = 11), and Australia (n = 10). The study quality, using the Qualsyst tool, was high with a median of 82 % (IQR: 74-91 %). Multiple potential determinants were studied in only one or two studies. Determinants were found at the individual, interpersonal, environmental and policy level but few studies examined a comprehensive set of factors at different levels of influences. Evidence was found for age being positively associated with total SB, and weight status and baseline assessment of screen time being positively associated with screen time (at follow-up). A higher playground density and a higher availability of play and sports equipment at school were consistently related to an increased total SB, although these consistent findings come from single studies. Evidence was also reported for the presence of safe places to cross roads and lengthening morning and lunch breaks being associated with less total SB. Future interventions to decrease SB levels should especially target children with overweight or obesity and should start at a young age. However, since the relationship of many determinants with SB remains inconsistent, there is still a need for more longitudinal research on determinants of SB in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of people living in a city is often most visible on inner city streets. These streets are also the neighbourhood environment of children who live in the central city. In the past, the wellbeing and sensibilities of children have been marginalised in planning practices in western cities but this is beginning to change with child-friendly and inclusive city discourses now more common. In this paper we report on children's experiences confronting diversity in inner-city Auckland. In 2012, 40 inner-city children, 9–12 years, participated in walking interviews in their local streets and school-based focus group discussions. As the children talked about their lives, moving and playing around neighbourhood streets, many described distress and discomfort as they confronted homelessness, drunkenness, and signs of the sex industry. A few older children also described strategies for coping with these encounters, an emerging acceptance of difference and pride in becoming streetwise. New Zealand (NZ) has a history of progressive social policy. In 2003, it became the first country in the world to decriminalise all forms of prostitution. Securing the health and human rights of sex workers were the primary drivers of the reforms. Similar concerns for health and rights underpin broadly inclusive local policies towards homelessness. To promote the health and wellbeing of inner city children their presence on city streets, alongside those of other marginalised groups, needs to be at the forefront of planning concerns. However we conclude that there are inherent tensions in promoting a child-friendly city in which diversity and inclusiveness are also valued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns have been expressed about adult behaviour at children's sporting events in New Zealand. As a consequence, covert observation was identified as the optimal research method to be used in studies designed to record the nature and prevalence of adult sideline behaviour at children's team sporting events. This paper explores whether the concerns raised by the ethics committee about the use of this controversial method, particularly in relation to the lack of informed consent, the use of deception, and researcher safety, were effectively managed. This is achieved by reflecting on the conduct and findings of the research and by drawing on the perspectives of research assistants who carried out the covert observation. The authors argue that in the context of these studies, the ends have justified the means and with careful attention to the design of the study the complex ethical tensions arising from the use of this method can be managed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jonathan Boston provides an insightful analysis of the emergence and persistence of child poverty in New Zealand (Boston, 2014, Educational Philosophy and Theory). His remarks on why child poverty matters are brief but, as he reports, “[t]here is a large and robust body of research on the harmful consequences of child poverty” (Boston 2014, pp. 10–11). One cost he does not explicitly mention is the increased risk of maltreatment faced by children living in poverty. Given the clear correlation between risk of abuse and poverty, Boston’s recommendations might be expected to go some way to addressing New Zealand’s appalling child maltreatment statistics. However, Boston himself identifies both fiscal and political barriers to the implementation of his proposed strategy. “Fundamentally”, he observes, “without adequate multi-party agreement, it will be hard to reduce child poverty on a durable basis” and “[c]urrently, such agreement is lacking” (Boston, 2014, p. 21). Even if we accept Boston’s strategies for child-poverty reduction, then, it is prudent to consider other responses to the consequences of child poverty. Significant and controversial aspects of New Zealand’s 2013 White Paper for Vulnerable Children can be read in this light, and one of them – the proposal to use predictive risk modeling (PRM) to identify children at risk of maltreatment – is the focus of this commentary. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes the drama-based research strategy ‘researcher-in-role’, developed during the two-yearConnecting Curriculum, Connecting Learningproject, based in New Zealand. First, a definition of researcher-in-role is offered along with a survey of relevant literature. Then the evolution and implementation of the strategy within the project is described, and the importance of clear signalling and implications for notions of ‘informed consent’ are explored. Next, the paper shares the data generated where researcher-in-role was used during learning conversations with students. Responses to the researcher-in-role are compared to data generated by a traditional researcher in the same three classrooms. It is shown how the researcher-in-role strategy resulted in data of a different, more complex discursive quality than that generated by the traditional researcher. The data arising, and the strategy itself, are considered through the lens of positioning theory. It is argued that the researcher-in-role strategy entailed a repositioning of the researcher, which in turn opened possibilities for new storylines and admissible actions – including speech acts – to be played out by children within the research relationship. It is also argued that this repositioning resulted in generation of more authentic data, with children more comfortable to reveal their emergent understandings, in the form of advice, instruction or exhortation. The article concludes by suggesting that the researcher-in-role strategy should be of interest not only to drama education researchers but also for other classroom researchers interested in repositioning children and engaging in complex dialogic exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, we examine how New Zealand children engage with public health agendas that seek to shape their understandings of health. We shed light on the ways children make sense of what they see, hear and come to know through public health ‘work’, and consider what effects this has for how they come to think of their ‘selves’ and relations with others. We pay attention to the way public health messages assemble, bolstered by dispositions, behaviours and ruminations expressed in schools, families and communities. Children’s talk exemplifies the sheer volume of public health missives saturating their worlds and the range of media used to reach into children’s lives. In many cases, children are ‘doing it for themselves’ in the sense that they are attempting to enact health imperatives about healthy eating, regular exercise and weight management. However, alongside the willingness of many to simply believe and enact health information, we draw attention to the capacity of some children to think through public health messages, negotiate and make sense of them in relation to their own lives. Despite the ubiquity and mantra-like quality of public health messages currently directed at children we contend they are variously interpreted and embedded in children’s lives. We regard the messiness and complexity of children’s engagement as affirmation that a critically informed variety of public health could provide opportunities for children to come to know health as more than simply eating the right foods and running a lot. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper critically examines current concerns regarding professional issues in labour force development for teachers with children up to two years of age (UtoT). The concerns in New Zealand (NZ) relate to whether initial teacher-education (ITE) qualifications prepare teachers to work with children UtoT, involving synergy between ITE and the early childhood curriculum, and if there is widespread acknowledgement that in-depth knowledge is needed for teachers as leaders in this field. The background to these issues involves low teacher status with children UtoT and high staff turnover, and a lack of specialised knowledge, accompanied by increasing enrolments for this age group. A recent document analysis of ITE programmes in NZ revealed an increasingly generalised view of children under five years rather than specialised knowledge of young children in the first years. A more knowledgeable and professional labour force would provide much needed leadership in this expanding part of the education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The prevalence of asthma for Indigenous New Zealand Māori is amongst the highest in the world. Recent evidence shows ethnic differences in asthma symptom prevalence in New Zealand have widened, with asthma symptoms and hospitalisation rates consistently higher for Māori across all age-groups, especially children and adolescents. This paper: outlines our qualitative, longitudinal research exploring the practical issues Māori children and their families face trying to achieve optimum asthma outcomes; details the research methods used within this study; and discusses the process evaluation findings of the features that made this approach successful in engaging and retaining participants in the study. Methods: Thirty-two Māori families were recruited using a Kaupapa Māori (Māori way) Research approach. Each participated in a series of four in-depth interviews that were carried out at seasonal intervals over the course of one year. Families also took part in an interviewer-administered questionnaire and participated in a Photovoice exercise. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and independently coded by two researchers. The research team then conducted the analysis and theme development. The questionnaires were analysed separately, with explanations for findings explored within the qualitative data. Results: The methodology produced a 100 percent retention rate of the participating families over the course of the follow-up. This was attributed to the research collaboration, the respectful research relationships established with families, and the families' judgement that the methods used enabled them to tell their stories. The acceptability of the methodology will add to the validity and trustworthiness of the findings. Conclusion: Given the extent and persistence of ethnic disparities in childhood asthma management, it is imperative that an indigenous approach be taken to understanding the core issues facing Māori families. By conducting community-partnership research underpinned by an indigenous methodology, and employing a range of appropriate methods, we have successfully recruited and retained a cohort of Māori families with experiences of childhood asthma. We aim to make their voices heard in order to develop a series of culturally relevant interventions aimed at remediating these disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Australian and New Zealand children in the early decades of the 20th century, much of their learning about the Pacific Islands came through missionary material, often aimed directly at them. This paper examines the representation of Pacific peoples and societies in a number of monthly journals, sections within adult journals, books and plays designed to enthuse Sunday school children and educate them about missionary activity. Early attempts were ponderous, but Australasian societies soon followed the example of the London Missionary Society's News from Afar (available through Australian Congregational churches), which included adventure stories about children in India, China and the Pacific; news of the various John Williams ships; competitions; specialised artwork; and a generally child-friendly philosophy. Few were as successful, but some imaginative attempts were made by Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican authorities to encourage Australian and New Zealand children to identify with the missionary needs of the Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early intervention for children with behavioural difficulties can be effective in terms of outcomes for both the children and their families. Early intervention can save a child from long-term outcomes such as school failure, peer rejection and later offending. However, in terms of accurate assessment of young children's behavioural difficulties, there is disparity between what the research suggests as best practice and what actually occurs in kindergartens and schools. This paper challenges current thinking about the timing of behavioural assessments for young children and describes the elements of an effective screening procedure for these children. The authors’ own behaviour screening tool is described. The implications of screening young children for behavioural difficulties are discussed, as is teachers’ reluctance to do this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates Mexican and New Zealand children’s conception of the environment and their understandings of environmental issues, focusing on how personal experiences, culture and school-based environmental education (EE) programmes influence their perspectives. Sixty Year 5 children (age 9–11) from three schools in Dunedin (New Zealand) and three schools from Ensenada (Mexico), their teachers and school principals were interviewed. The study found that children from both cities had limited opportunities for contact with nature. Most children understood the environment as nature, and did not typically link environmental problems to human activities or social causes. Rarely were children critical of the effect of socio-economic structure on the environment. The analysis shows that children’s understandings of the environment are connected to their personal experiences and mediated by culture. Children from Ensenada had a more global perspective on environmental issues but a more passive attitude towards their local environment, participating in fewer environmental activities than children from Dunedin. In both countries, children from schools with an EE programme did translate environmental practices learnt at school into environmental practices at home. Based on our results, EE could be improved by considering the cultural context, enhancing children’s contact with nature, encouraging critical thinking and more environmental activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Increased understanding of why and how physical activity impacts on health outcomes is needed to increase the effectiveness of physical activity interventions. A recent randomized controlled trial of an active video game (PlayStation EyeToy™) intervention showed a statistically significant treatment effect on the primary outcome, change from baseline in body mass index (BMI), which favored the intervention group at 24 weeks. In this short paper we evaluate the mediating effects of the secondary outcomes. Objective: To identify mediators of the effect of an active video games intervention on body composition. Methods: Data from a two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial of an active video game intervention (n = 322) were analyzed. The primary outcome was change from baseline in BMI. A priori secondary outcomes were considered as potential mediators of the intervention on BMI, including aerobic fitness (VO2Max), time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and food snacking at 24 weeks. Results: Only aerobic fitness at 24 weeks met the conditions for mediation, and was a significant mediator of BMI. Conclusion: Playing active video games can have a positive effect on body composition in overweight or obese children and this effect is most likely mediated through improved aerobic fitness. Future trials should examine other potential mediators related to this type of intervention. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Website: http://www.anzctr.org.au Study ID number: ACTRN12607000632493 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper defines who is Maori, and traditional Maori attitudes to health and children. It notes the differing levels of engagement of Maori with their culture and the reliance of most Maori on Non Maori practitioners for their medical services. Three relatively common paediatric problems are then used to illustrate the challenges of neither underplaying nor overplaying environmental factors in working with Maori families. The key role of the word respect in working towards positive encounters with Maori is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide array of health policies and initiatives have emerged in New Zealand recently in an attempt to resurrect a presumed 'lost', adventure-loving, physically capable and non-obese Kiwi kid. Chief among these is Mission-On—a 67 million dollar package of 10 initiatives designed to explicitly target the eating and exercise dispositions of young people. I suggest that Mission-On, together with the raft of other avowedly health-promoting resources being directed at young people, provides an exemplary case of body pedagogies at play both via its far-ranging formally enunciated objectives and due to its annexing of these to popular cultures, familial obligations and educational missives. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to examine how pedagogies, like those regularly deployed under the Mission-On rubric, are made sense of by young children. The key habits and dispositions children believe are needed to achieve a healthy 'self' are highlighted, together with some of the ways in which young people come to assess the veracity of health knowledge. Analysis of interviews with New Zealand primary school students suggests that children engage with, enact and disrupt health imperatives in multiple ways, often linked to their differing social and spatial locations in home, school and community contexts. While their testimony points to small fissures in the Mission-On armoury, it is suggested that in a climate so thoroughly saturated with messages around healthy eating and exercise, it remains challenging for children to imagine themselves as the adventurous, confident, fun-loving 'kiwi kids' government desires to 'bring back'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighbourhoods are changing as people lead more spatially dispersed lives diminishing their local social connections. This paper explores the way children interact with their neighbourhoods to see whether they are still socially connected to their neighbourhoods or leading more spatially dispersed social lives. It reports findings from a study of 92 children aged 9-11 in Dunedin, New Zealand. The study found that while many children did have minimal social contact with their neighbourhood, other children retained strong social connections. Key factors determining children's levels of social connectivity include attendance at the local school, levels of independence, neighbourhood urban form, road density and locally accessible classmates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores whether industry self-regulation of food advertising to children protects child rights. The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) system is analysed with respect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). Content analysis of data sources such as the ASA website and key documents is used. Eight decisions on public complaints about advertising are analysed. This research finds that implementation of the codes includes partial, unjustified and inconsistent decision making by the complaints board; failure to implement changes to codes; and failure to prevent unhealthy food advertisements being developed and aired. The ASA system is found to be reactive, to have limited sanctions, to provide little incentive for restraint by advertisers, and to lack independent monitoring. This analysis suggests the New Zealand advertising standards system does not protect the rights of children by failing to enact the spirit of UNCROC and specifically by not adequately addressing Articles 3, 6 and 13. Given the extent of the harm to children worldwide of unhealthy eating patterns, the evidence of the contribution of marketing to poor nutrition and the findings of this research, it is concluded that government regulation of marketing of food to children should be implemented globally. This would assist governments to reduce the effects of one of the key environmental contributors to unhealthy eating patterns and enable them to meet their obligations in international law to protect the rights of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Houses in New Zealand have inadequate space heating and a third of households use unflued gas heaters. As part of a large community intervention trial to improve space heating, we replaced ineffective heaters with more effective, non-polluting heaters. This paper assesses the contribution of heating and household factors to indoor NO2 in almost 350 homes and reports on the reduction in NO2 levels due to heater replacement. Homes using unflued gas heaters had more than three times the level of NO2 in living rooms [geometric mean ratio (GMR) = 3.35, 95% CI: 2.83–3.96, P < 0.001] than homes without unflued gas heaters, whereas homes using gas stove-tops had significantly elevated living room NO2 levels (GMR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.05–1.93, P = 0.02). Homes with heat pumps, flued gas heating, or enclosed wood burners had significantly lower levels of NO2 in living areas and bedrooms. In homes that used unflued gas heaters as their main form of heating at baseline, the intervention was associated with a two-third (67%) reduction in NO2 levels in living rooms, when compared with homes that continued to use unflued gas heaters. Reducing the use of unflued gas heating would substantially lower NO2 exposure in New Zealand homes. Practical Implications Understanding the factors influencing indoor NO2 levels is critical for the assessment and control of indoor air pollution. This study found that homes that used unflued gas combustion appliances for heating and cooking had higher NO2 levels compared with homes where other fuels were used. These findings require institutional incentives to increase the use of more effective, less polluting fuels, particularly in the home environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disabled young people have lower levels of participation in community life than nondisabled peers across a number of domains, including sporting activities, with profound implications for health, wellbeing and life course opportunities. Playing sport is a defining feature of identity for many young people in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Participation in sporting activities provides opportunities to develop competencies, to have fun and to compete, while also providing a sense of inclusion and peer group belonging. However, despite policies promoting inclusion of disabled young people in school and club sport, ableist attitudes and practices still function to exclude individuals who do not fit able-bodied norms. Drawing on recent 'assemblage thinking' in health and cultural geography, this paper explores the material, social and affective dimensions of 'enabling' and 'disabling' sporting assemblages, drawing on interviews with 35 disabled young people (12–25 years), parents and key informants. Many reported instances of demoralising exclusion in mainstream sporting activities. Some turned to adaptive sporting codes, designed for inclusion. In our exploration of participants' embodied experiences of enabling and disabling assemblages we employ assemblage theory to examine how social, affective and material forces and processes converge to either enable or constrain participation in local sporting activities. We close with a brief assessment of the implications of our analysis for ongoing efforts to promote inclusion for disabled youth in physical activity. • Disabled young people have lower sports participation levels than non-disabled peers. • Ableist attitudes and practices frequently exclude those who do not fit able-bodied norms. • Ableist attitudes produce social, cultural and physical barriers to participation. • Disability-specific sports can enable experiences of pleasure, freedom and inclusion. • Assemblage thinking has helped identify forces that enable/constrain participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]