Emily Brindal, Gilly Hendrie, Kirrilly Thompson and Sarah Blunden
This paper aims to describe Australian children's perceptions of healthiness and sources of health knowledge in order to develop an understanding of young children's perceptions…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe Australian children's perceptions of healthiness and sources of health knowledge in order to develop an understanding of young children's perceptions, knowledge and sources of influence to guide future behaviour change and health promotion strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
One‐hour interactive focus groups were conducted in a South Australian primary school. Four small groups (n=28) of children aged five to nine participated in focus groups in which they were asked to discuss being healthy and their sources of health information as well as engaging in storying around the healthy or unhealthy behaviours of fictional characters.
Findings
Children generally perceived themselves to be healthy. Perceptions of healthiness were equated with performing positive dietary (primarily eating fruit) and physical activity behaviours. Behaviours on an unhealthy day related to being sedentary and consuming “junk foods”. Commonly cited sources of health information included family members, teachers and public health campaigns.
Practical implications
Understanding how young children perceive health behaviour and how to deliver health education appropriately to children (including who delivers these programs) could improve the efficacy of future programs targeting this group. This study offers insight into junior primary children's perceptions of healthy diet and activity behaviours and can assist in the improvement of future health interventions and programs.
Originality/value
Existing research on how younger children perceive healthiness is limited. The methods used in this study allowed the authors to explore these perceptions in a way that limited how much the topics of the conversation were predetermined.
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Keywords
Lorcan Dempsey, Rosemary Russell, Robin Murray and Richard Heseltine
Recommendations for increased resource sharing between libraries have been emerging from a range of sources in recent years. However, the majority of local library management…
Abstract
Recommendations for increased resource sharing between libraries have been emerging from a range of sources in recent years. However, the majority of local library management systems currently in use do not inter‐operate, so resources are fragmented and there is no unified access. The situation is complicated by organisational and business issues. This was the basis for the fifth MODELS (Moving to Distributed Environment for Library Services) workshop, which explored more effective management of access and resource sharing, and the development of a supporting systems framework. The focus was on public library developments and cross‐sectoral cooperation. The paper develops some of the key issues, together with discussion of the emerging MODELS Information Architecture.
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Mike Cornford, Ruth Kerns, Terry Hanstock, Edwin Fleming, Allan Bunch and Tony Joseph
With its traditional good timing and aplomb the Library Association will ensure that next year's subscription demands arrive with this year's Christmas cards. As I gently spar…
Abstract
With its traditional good timing and aplomb the Library Association will ensure that next year's subscription demands arrive with this year's Christmas cards. As I gently spar with my conscience over whether to maintain my record of unbroken membership I feel that it is quite in order to question whether the LA is a cost‐effective, efficiently‐run, value for money organisation.
THE Newcastle school, like most others, was established after the second world war to provide full‐time education in librarianship as an alternative to the part‐time system which…
Abstract
THE Newcastle school, like most others, was established after the second world war to provide full‐time education in librarianship as an alternative to the part‐time system which until 1946 was the only one available to the majority of librarians. At first most of the students were returning servicemen whose library careers had been interrupted by the war and they were followed by students direct from libraries, universities and schools. From a handful of students and one full‐time member of staff in the first year the school has grown steadily until there were 53 students and five staff during the session 1962–3 which was the last course held for the Registration Examination.
Alistair R. Anderson and Andrew McAuley
Explores the relationship between marketing theory and marketing activity within the context of rural entrepreneurship. The key to unlocking our understanding the dynamics of this…
Abstract
Explores the relationship between marketing theory and marketing activity within the context of rural entrepreneurship. The key to unlocking our understanding the dynamics of this relationship was to use a number of qualitative techniques including participant observation and unstructured interviews. The study revealed two groupings of entrepreneurs – the locals and the cosmopolitans who operated in contrasting marketing landscapes thus questioning the universal application of a marketing theory which is not context specific.