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BackgroundThe Prevention of Overweight in Infancy (POI) randomized controlled trial assessed the effect of a more conventional food, physical activity, and breastfeeding intervention, with a more novel sleep intervention on weight outcomes at 2 years of age. The trial had 58% uptake at recruitment, and retention was 86% at age 2 years, 77% at age 3.5 years, and 69% at age 5 years. Children who received the brief sleep intervention in infancy had just half the risk of obesity at 2 years of age compared to those who did not receive the sleep intervention. Importantly, this substantially reduced risk was still apparent at our follow-up at 5 years of age. ObjectiveThe primary aim of this follow-up at age 11 years is to determine whether differences in BMI z-score and obesity risk remain apparent now that it is at least 9 years since cessation of the sleep intervention. Several secondary outcomes of interest will also be examined including 24-hour movement patterns, mental health and wellbeing, and use of electronic media, particularly prior to sleep. MethodsWe will seek renewed consent from all 734 of the original 802 POI families who expressed interest in further involvement. Children and parent(s) will attend 2 clinics and 1 home appointment to obtain measures of anthropometry and body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan), 24-hour movement patterns (sleep, sedentary time, and physical activity measured using an AX3 accelerometer), mental health and wellbeing (validated questionnaires), family functioning (validated questionnaires), use of electronic media (wearable and stationary cameras, questionnaires), and diet and eating behaviors (24-hour recall, questionnaires). ResultsThis follow-up study has full ethical approval from the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee (H19/109) and was funded in May 2019 by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (grant 19/346). Data collection commenced in June 2020, and first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2022. ConclusionsLong-term outcomes of early obesity intervention are rare. Despite the growing body of evidence linking insufficient sleep with an increased risk of obesity in children, interventions targeting improvements in sleep have been insufficiently explored. Our initial follow-up at 5 years of age suggested that an early sleep intervention may have long-term benefits for effective weight management in children. Further analysis in our now preteen population will provide much-needed evidence regarding the long-term effectiveness of sleep interventions in infancy as an obesity prevention approach. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT00892983; https://tinyurl.com/y3xepvxf International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/24968

Background and Aims: Previous studies describe the occurrence of unacceptable behaviors reported by students pursuing health professional education in Aotearoa, New Zealand and across the globe. These include, but are not limited to, experiences of verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on race/ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, and sexual orientation. University of Otago teaching staff across the various health professional programs often receive anecdotal reports of these phenomena from their clinical students. Our study will investigate the extent and sources of unacceptable behaviors, whether students report those events, and possible institutional responses to these behaviors. Methods: A student codesign panel was formed alongside the research team to guide study design and data collection. This study will use a sequential two‐phase mixed methods design. The first phase will include a cross‐sectional survey using a modified version of a validated online questionnaire administered to all clinical students across the seven health professional programs at the University of Otago. The second phase will recruit students to participate in semi‐structured interviews. Descriptive and thematic analysis will be applied. Conclusion: This novel mixed‐method study may offer valuable insights into the prevalence and impact of unacceptable behaviors on health professional students at the University of Otago, while ensuring student perspectives are incorporated into both the research design and the university's response strategies. Summary: The research team includes a multidisciplinary group of clinicians and researchers who represents the views of different health professional clinical student groups through the student codesign panel.The study uses a mixed‐method design that includes a validated instrument and interviews to address research questions.The questionnaire surveyed a wide range of health professional students who interact with patients, university staff and other clinicians in multiple clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Lung function reaches a peak/plateau in early adulthood before declining with age. Lower early adult lung function may increase the risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in mid‐late adult life. Understanding the effects of multiple childhood/adolescent exposures and their potential interactions on plateau lung function would provide insights into the natural history of COPD. Methods: Longitudinal spirometry data from 688 participants with complete data from a population‐based birth cohort (original n = 1037) were used to investigate associations between a wide range of childhood/adolescent exposures and repeated measures of FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC during the early‐adult plateau phase. Generalized estimating equations were used to accommodate the multiple timepoints per participant. Results: FEV1 reached a peak/plateau between ages 18 and 26 and FVC from 21 to 32 years, whereas FEV1/FVC declined throughout early adulthood. Childhood asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness were associated with lower early adult FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. Smoking by age 18 was associated with lower FEV1/FVC. Higher BMI during early adulthood was associated with lower FEV1 and FVC and lower FEV1/FVC. Physical activity during adolescence was positively associated with FEV1 and FEV1/FVC but this was only statistically significant in men. There was no convincing evidence of interactions between exposures. Conclusion: Childhood asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness are associated with lower lung function in early adulthood. Interventions targeting these may reduce the risk of COPD in mid‐late adult life. Promotion of physical activity during adolescence, prevention of cigarette smoking and maintenance of a healthy body weight in early adulthood are also priorities. Childhood asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness, and higher adult body mass index are associated with lower lung function in early adulthood and may enhance the risk for COPD in later life. Conversely, physical activity is associated with higher adult lung function, especially among boys, and may be protective. See relatededitorial [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine which growth indicator (weight, weight‐for‐length, BMI) and time frame (6‐ or 12‐month intervals between 0 and 24 months) of rapid infant weight gain (RIWG) best predicted obesity risk and body composition at 11 years of age. Methods: RIWG (increase ≥0.67 z scores between two time points) was calculated from weight and length/height at birth, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 years. The predictive value of each measure and time frame was calculated in relation to obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) and body fat (fat mass index [FMI], dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry scan) at 11 years. Results: The sensitivity (1.5% to 62.1%) and positive predictive value (12.5% to 33.3%) of RIWG to predict obesity varied considerably. Having obesity at any time point appeared a stronger risk factor than any indicator of RIWG for obesity at 11 years. Obesity at any age during infancy consistently predicted a greater FMI of around 1.1 to 1.5 kg/m2 at 11 years, whereas differences for RIWG were inconsistent. Conclusions: A simple measure of obesity status at a single time point between 6 and 24 months of age appeared a stronger risk factor for later obesity and FMI than RIWG assessed by any indicator, over any time frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]