Nourishing kai supports behaviour and concentration, tamariki learn well when food secure and eat regularly(1). Early food experiences influence our relationship with food as adults(2) and that tamariki health and wellbeing are shaped by education environments(3). WAVE (Well-being and Vitality in Education) has enduring partnerships with all preschools, kindergartens, playcentres, primary and secondary schools in our South Canterbury rohe(3), supporting healthy education environments with the goal of reducing inequities in health and education outcomes. Despite concerns about food security and processed foods, health promotion advisors note kaiako reluctance to promote nutrition using a whole-setting approach. The whole school approach(4) includes policies and procedures for kai (food) and wai (water), nutrition education within teaching and learning and nutrition messages promoted to whānau through enrolment information, learning stories/newsletters and displays, and in conversations with whānau. We describe an increase in kaiako acceptability occurring with the move from discussing nutrition as ‘healthy eating’ to using language of ‘supporting positive kai environments’. We include examples of mahi that the education settings put in place in this process. Between October 2023 and June 2024, WAVE provided internal professional development for health promotion kaimahi, focusing on supporting positive kai environments. Resources were redeveloped to align with messages about fostering positive relationships with kai and encouraging tamariki to be food explorers(5). The updated approach was widely communicated through newsletters and meetings with kaiako, alongside sharing relevant webinar and article resources from the Education Hub and Heart Foundation to support kaiako professional development. Health promotion advisors working with early childhood education and primary schools discussed nutrition within the broader context of positive kai and wai environments, aiming to develop positive relationships with food. These discussions took place through a combination of one-on-one meetings with lead kaiako each term and staff team meetings. Interview questions were sent to priority education (n=10) settings in September 2024 to gather feedback on barriers to promoting nutrition, how the change to ‘positive kai and supporting kai explorers’ has made a difference, and to hear the settings’ plans for current and future action in their setting. Responses from 8 ECE indicated that WAVE PD workshops using Heart Foundation resources were the resources they found most useful in enabling them to support tamariki as kai explorers. The shift to ‘positive kai environments’ has given kaiako consistent positive language around food, created space for tamariki to be self-directing with food, and has been mana-enhancing for tamariki and whānau. Kaiako stated that this evidence-based approach has taken the pressure off food, and kaiako are more responsive to tamariki needs. Kaiako are more willing to approach nutrition messages in a holistic manner to support tamariki.

An independent evaluation of The Resilience Project’s School Partnership Program in Australian secondary schools found that longer participation (6+ years) in this whole-school programme was associated with improved student outcomes, including reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. This commentary aims to: (a) describe whole-school approaches to improving health and well-being, with reference to their historical context and some selected key studies; (b) highlight the lack of data on the effectiveness of whole-school approaches for reducing depression and anxiety; (c) signal the potential benefits of whole-school approaches when sustainably implemented; and (d) reinforce the need for research that examines links between implementation factors and outcomes. Overall, this commentary underscores the value of viewing schools as complex social systems where multiple components can align to enhance mental health and well-being outcomes for students.

Older adults have largely been excluded from health research despite bearing a disproportionate disease burden. The Community Engagement Studio (CES) model, initially developed at Vanderbilt University in 2009, allows potential research participants to help shape research to promote greater inclusion. The University of Pittsburgh adapted the CES model for older adults (OA-CES). Tailored specifically to older adults, OA-CES addresses underrepresentation in research by gathering valuable feedback that allows investigators to make research more accessible and relevant to older people. An OA-CES toolkit will help in adapting the model in other research areas to close the gap in research inclusion.

Healthcare workers in Africa face considerable stress due to factors like long working hours, heavy workloads and limited resources, leading to psychological distress. Generally, countries in the global north have well-established policies and employee wellness programs for mental health compared to countries in the global south. This scoping review aimed to synthesize evidence from published and grey literature on workplace mental health promotion interventions targeting African healthcare workers using Social Ecological Model (SEM) and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model as an underlying theoretical framework for analysis. Arksey and O’Malley framework for scoping reviews was used. The search was conducted across multiple databases. A total of 5590 results were retrieved from Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science. Seventeen (17) studies from ten (10) African countries were included after title, abstract and full text screening. Thematic analysis identified 5 key themes namely training programs, counselling services, peer support programs, relaxation techniques and informational resources. In conclusion, even though limited workplace mental health interventions for healthcare professionals were identified in Africa, individual-level interventions have been notably substantial in comparison to organizational and policy-level initiatives. Moving forward, a multi-faceted approach unique to the African context is essential.

Background and Aim: Puerto Rico is experiencing a rapidly aging society. In old age, it is common to experience one or more chronic diseases that require special attention. If not properly addressed, these health conditions can reduce functionality in daily activities. Some risk factors that can affect health and functionality include sedentary lifestyle, social isolation, and unhealthy lifestyles. To reduce these risk factors, it is necessary to implement health promotion measures aimed at improving the well-being of older adults. Brain Dance has a positive impact on the health of older adults. Its benefits include increasing circulation, reorganizing the neurological system, reducing stress, maintaining joint flexibility, and being aware of the communication between body and mind. The aim was to promote the health of older adults through the 8 Movement Patterns of Brain Dance at CAMPEA, Santa Monica, Bayamón, during the months of March to May 2023.

Methods: A collaboration agreement was established between the Geriatric Research and Education Center and CAMPEA to train older adults and service providers on the benefits of Brain Dance, and educational materials were provided to complement the activities.

Results: The program was implemented as designed. A total of 12 older adults, 60+ practiced Brain Dance and 6 direct services providers were trained on the benefits of Brain Dance in older adults. An infographic with the Eight Movements Patterns was designed and distributed to older adults and services providers.

Conclusions: Older adults reported that engaging in Brain Dance helped them to increase their confidence, bring back memories from the past, strengthen their group interactions, gain new knowledge, develop new skills, self- discover, pay greater attention to the connection between their mind and body, and achieve a state of joy.

Modifying the food environment holds promise for instilling healthier behaviours in children and may be an effective public health strategy for preventing childhood obesity and adverse health outcomes. The school food environment is a valuable setting to influence most children’s dietary behaviours from an early age, yet evidence suggests that the New Zealand and Australian school food environment is not conducive to healthy food and drink consumption. The present study aimed to investigate the level of compliance in New Zealand and Australia with government guidelines for food and drink availability within schools and the subsequent effect on food consumption and purchasing behaviours of children. A systematic review utilising three databases, PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Library, was conducted. The research covered peer-reviewed studies from both New Zealand and Australia that met predefined inclusion criteria. Fifteen studies focused on assessing food availability within schools on the basis of government guidelines, and ten studies explored food purchasing and consumption by students influenced by changes to the school food environment. Results showed low compliance with government healthy food guidelines for schools, and significant socioeconomic disparities. Western Australia’s clear targets as well as the mandatory monitoring systems in place stand out as being a significant enabler of greater compliance with government food policies. Interventions aimed at improving healthy food availability and promoting healthy options in the canteen may positively influence student purchasing and consumption habits. Strategies such as feedback models and incentivisation hold promise for promoting healthier school environments and influencing children’s food choices.

The lifestyle of the population has undergone significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have influenced alterations in dietary habits and overall well-being among workers. This study aimed to evaluate healthy eating practices and their relationship with the workers’ quality of life and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional investigation involving workers in the city of Curitiba, southern Brazil. The study was conducted through the application of an online questionnaire. The data were evaluated using non-parametric tests and fitting a logistic regression model. A total of 123 workers participated in the study, most of them male (53.2%), aged between 31 and 40 years (42.2%), with a predominance of workers with postgraduate degrees (62.6%, n = 77), and the majority of workers (68.2%, n = 84) were performing their professional activities remotely for at least one day during the week, and 73.2% (n = 90). It was observed that 52.8% had excellent healthy eating practices, and the older their age and the greater the practice of physical activity (time and frequency), the better the workers’ healthy eating practices. When assessing quality of life, the lowest average score for healthy eating practices was in the domain of social relationships. A direct relationship of older age, social relationships, and the practice of physical activity with the best individuals’ healthy eating practices was detected. Considering that remote work continues to be adopted post-pandemic, evaluating the dietary practices, physical activity, and quality of life of workers is necessary to understand this new labour phenomenon.

Widespread research over four decades has shown that musicians suffer physical and psychological injuries that can begin during childhood and early adulthood. A survey of 268 Australian tertiary music students revealed their perceptions of the importance of health education as part of their education. While students rated health knowledge as highly important, they considered its inclusion in their education to be less significant. Thirty-six percent reported current physical pain or injury, and 41% reported current psychological health issues. Significant correlations emerged between students’ reported injury history and prioritisation of health education and particular health topics. This has implications for tertiary music education providers regarding policies for the integration of health education into the curriculum.

Complex food retail settings, where multiple food retail outlets operate in close proximity are common. Despite their ubiquity, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding healthy food retail interventions implemented within these settings. Furthermore, understanding the factors affecting the implementation of interventions in these settings remains limited. This systematic review aimed to (1) identify and describe complex food retail settings where interventions were implemented to promote the healthiness of foods purchased, (2) synthesise the evidence on the effectiveness of the interventions implemented, and (3) identify enablers and barriers to the implementation of the interventions in these settings. Four databases, namely, MEDLINE Complete, Global Health, Embase, and Business Source Complete, were searched until December 2022. The Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool was used. Six studies reported on the implementation of interventions promoting healthy food purchases across multiple food retail outlets. Three studies each described two complex food retail settings: university and hospital. Interventions including promotion and promotion plus price improved the healthiness of foods purchased. There was limited description of institutional food policies, conceptual frameworks, formative research, or evaluation outcomes to inform the implementation of interventions in these settings. No study analysed enablers and barriers to the implementation of interventions. No study identified their settings as complex food retail settings. There is limited evidence describing complex food retail settings, their impact on intervention effectiveness, and associated enablers or barriers. Investigating factors influencing the effectiveness of interventions implemented within complex food retail settings is critical to support their implementation at scale.

Supermarkets have been described as having unprecedented and disproportionate power in the food system, influencing population diets through the products they have for sale, their price, store layouts, and other marketing activities(1).There is growing evidence to suggest that changing the retail food environment to be more health-enabling via in-store interventions is possible. The purpose of this study was to review the available high-quality evidence reporting on the effectiveness of real-world supermarket-based interventions on improving the healthiness of consumer purchases and consumption. First, a systematic search across seven electronic databases was completed in April 2023 to identify reviews describing the effects of intervention strategies that aimed to improve the healthiness of consumer purchasing in supermarkets and grocery stores (overview of reviews). The methodological quality of reviews was assessed using the Risk of Bias In Systematic Reviews for systematic and scoping reviews, and the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles for narrative reviews. Review findings were synthesised narratively. Next, high-quality, primary studies from these reviews were further inspected (review of primary studies). In-store interventions were categorised by strategy type(2), and outcome effects were coded as effective (positive/promising), ineffective or mixed/unclear(3). Results were synthesised narratively, and separately for population subgroups. Thirty-eight reviews published between 1989 and 2023 met the inclusion criteria. Most were systematic reviews (n = 29, 76%). The number of primary studies included in reviews ranged between eight and 211. Prompting (n = 19, 50%) and pricing (n = 15, 40%) were the most assessed strategy type, either alone or in combination with another strategy. From the overview of reviews, pricing strategies appeared to be the most promising at improving consumer purchasing. Twenty-three high-quality primary studies met the inclusion criteria for further review. In most studies (n = 21, 91%), the goal was to increase sales of healthy products, most commonly fruit and vegetables, or products with a higher nutritional ranking. Only two studies (9%) aimed to exclusively reduce sales of unhealthy/less healthy products. Promotion was the most assessed strategy type (n = 11, 48%), either alone or in combination with another strategy. Common promotion strategies included providing education to customers about the health benefits of selected products, offering samples of products and giving food demonstrations. From the review of primary studies, promotional strategies used in combination with another strategy appeared to be most successful in the general population, and pricing was successful in subgroups of the population, including socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, and those living in regional/remote areas. Overall, the evidence reviewed shows that the implementation of health-promoting supermarket interventions are more likely to be successful if they include a substantial pricing initiative (particularly for some subgroups), or the inclusion of promotion in combination with another strategy.

Individuals with pre-clinical mobility limitation (PCML) are at a high risk of future functional loss and progression to disability. The purpose of this scoping review was to provide a comprehensive understanding of PCML intervention studies in middle-aged and older adults. We present the interventions that have been tested or planned, describe how they have been conducted and reported, identify the knowledge gaps in current literature, and make recommendations about future research directions. An initial search of 2,291 articles resulted in 14 articles that met criteria for inclusion. Findings reveal that: (1) there is limited published work on PCML interventions, especially in middle-aged populations; and (2) the complexity and variety of PCML measures make it difficult to compare findings across PCML studies. Despite the diversity of measures, this review provides preliminary evidence that rehabilitation interventions on PCML help to delay or prevent disability progression.