Health, sport and physical activity in Australian children

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Health issues in young Australians:

Australia has 9 national health priority areas (NHPA’s), these are:

• cancer control

• cardiovascular health

• injury prevention and control

• mental health

• diabetes mellitus

• asthma

• arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions

• obesity

Of these there are 3 that are most relevant to primary school aged children, these are

• Asthma

• mental health

• obesity

asthma

• 1 in 9 Australian school aged children suffers from asthma (children and asthma, n.d)

• Incurable lung disease

• Characterised by 4 domains: symptoms, variable airway obstruction, airway inflammation and airway hyperreponsiveness (Asthma in Australia, 2011)

• General symptoms are :shortness of breath and persistent wheezing

• Cause is not really understood but evidence points to lifestyle, environmental factors and genetics will increase the child’s risk of developing asthma.

• Some triggers include: viral infections, exercise, tobacco smoke, air pollutants, exposure to allergens for example animals, dust mites, pollen.

• Tobacco smoke can make an asthma suffers condition worse or it can be the cause of the child’s asthma, this is the reason that it may be considered child neglect to smoke around your child if they suffer asthma. (Bahareh, 2014)

Mental health

45.5% of the population will suffer from a mental illness in their lives

• most common mental illnesses are: depression, anxiety and oppositional defiant disorder

• Factors that contribute to someone's mental health include: biological factors, early life events, recent life events, internal factors and misuse of drugs.

• Common signs and symptoms include: low-self esteem, abnormally poor performance at school, feeling worried frequently, a change in eating habits, loss of sleep, feeling sad for no apparent reason and loss of interest in activities they usually enjoy.

• Stigma surrounding mental health needs to be changed.

Image retrieved from: http://www.anickdotes.com/improving-your-mental-health-tips/

obesity• 1 in 4 Australian children are overweight or obese.

(overweight and obesity, 2013)

• The body stores unused energy as fat deposits causing people who do not use all their energy to become overweight of obese.

• Risk factors for childhood obesity include genetics, food choices, not enough physical activity, overweight parents and spending to much time engaging in activities that involve sitting for long periods.

• Overweight or obese children are more susceptible to type 2 diabetes, liver problems, eating disorders, sleep apnoea and respiratory diseases.

• Possible parental neglect if parent provides unhealthy food and the child becomes obese (association, 2010)

Image retrieved from: http://www.stopchildhoodobesity.com/

Patterns and causes• Reasons for decline in child mortality rates are: a decline in infant mortality,

greater awareness of sudden infant death syndrome, vaccinations against diseases and a drop in fatal motor vehicle accidents.

• Main causes of death in young people: injury including motor vehicle accidents and accidental drowning, cancer and diseases of the nervous system.

• General population more likely to die of coronary heart diseases

• Indigenous Australians more likely to die from circulatory conditions, cancer an injury.

• Indigenous young people are more likely to die from injury and infectious or parasitic diseases.

Factors that impact young peoples health

Individual: • Genetics

• Gender

• Personal skills

• Attitudes

• Sexual orientation

• Socioeconomic:• Socioeconomic status

• Employment

• Education

Sociocultural:FamilyPeersThe mediaReligionCultureBeing Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

Environmental• Geographic location• Assess to health services• Use of technology

Achieving better health outcomes

• PE classes are not enough to meet children’s physical activity requirements

• Children should be engaged in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily (Stefanie Verstraete, 2006)

• Physical activity improves psychological and physiological health (Stefanie Verstraete, 2006)

• Benefits there self-concept

• Reduces the risk of high blood pressure (Thomas McKenzie, 1996)

• risk of the child becoming overweight or obese is reduced

School responsibility and health

• Many strategies schools an implement to increase physical activity but not all of them are easy to introduce when school hours are limited

• Playground equipment and sporting areas with n the playground for use during lunch and recess allows activity during those periods

• Access to equipment like skipping ropes and balls allows the children to active during lunch and recess.

• This strategy is easy and simple to implement and most schools already have a variety of equipment to play on such as basketball hoops, soccer or football goals nd playing equipment.

• Adding physical activities to the children’s homework would be effective to a point parental support would be required t ensure the tasks are completed.

references

• Anickdotes. (2010). Improving Your Mental Health- Tips. Retrieved from anickdotes: http://www.anickdotes.com/improving-your-mental-health-tips/

• Anxiety and depression in young people. (n.d.). Retrieved from youth beyond blue: www.youthbeondblue.com/understand-what's-going-on/depression

• association, A. M. (2010). Does pediatric obesity indicate child neglect? American Medical Association Journal of ethics , 263-267.

• Asthma in Australia 2011. (2011). Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=107374201597

• Australian Center for asthma Monitoring, 2. (20011). Asthma in Australia 2011: wit a focus chapter on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: <http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737420159>

• Children and asthma. (n.d.). Retrieved from Asthma Australia: www.asthmaaustralia.org.au/asthma-and-children.aspx

• children's mental health is without doubt the most important aspect of any child's social and cognitive development. (n.d.). Retrieved from kids mental health: www.kidsmentalhealth.org

• J S McCarthy, J. R. (2010, April 20). parasitic diseases of remote Indigenous communities in Australia. Retrieved from Menzies School of health research, Charles Darwin University, NT: www.ncbi.nlm.gov/pubmed/20412810

references

• Keith Bahareh, K. H. (2014). is parental smoking neglect of an asthmatic child? American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, 252-256.

• Overweight and obesity. (2013). Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: http://www.aihw.gov.au/overweight-and-obesity/

• Ruskin, R. (2013). outcomes 2 personal development, health and education HSC ourse 5th edition. Milton: Jacarnda.

• statistics on mental health. (2012, March). Retrieved from mental health Australia: mhaustralia.org/resources/fact-sheets

• statistics, A. B. (2005, 10 14). The health and welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, 2005. Retrieved from Australian Bureau of statistics: www.abs.gov.au/ausstatslabs@.nsf/0/A769A335236FA634CA25709900025B8C?open

• Stefanie Verstraete, G. C. (2006). increasing children's physical activity levels during recess periods in elementary schools: the effects of providing game equipment. European Journal of Public Health, 415-419.

• strategies to encourage involvement in sport and physical activity- child based strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved from ausport: www.ausport.gov.au/information/nsr/research_reports/children/strategies_to_encourage_involvement_in_sport_and_physical_actiity

• Thomas McKenzie, e. a. (1996). School Physical Education: Effect of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health. Preventative Medicine, 423-431.

references

• Timothy P Gill, e. a. (2009). Childhood obesity in Australia remains a widespread health concern that warrants population-wide prevention programs. lifestyle, 146-48.

• University, D. (2013, May). obesity. Retrieved from Better Health Channel: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/obesity

• University, D. (2013). Obesity in children. Retrieved from Better health channel: www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/obesity_in_children

• Welfare, A. I. (2013). child health. Retrieved from Australian Institute of Health nd Welfare: www.aihw.gov.au/media-release-detail/?id=6442464291

• what is mental health? (n.d.). Retrieved from reach out: au.reachut.com/what-is-mental-health?gclid=Clmlero8MCFUEV7AodyRYAug#mental

• William Strong, e. a. (2004). Evidence based physical activity for school-aged youth. original articles.