Built Environments And Child Health in WalEs and AuStralia (BEACHES): a study protocol

Rebecca Pedrick-Case; Rowena Bailey; Ben Beck; Bridget Beesley; Bryan Boruff; Sinead Brophy; Donna Cross; Gursimran Dhamrait; John Duncan; Peter Gething; Rhodri D Johnson; Ronan A Lyons; Amy Mizen; Kevin Murray; Theodora Pouliou; James Rafferty; Trina Robinson; Michael Rosenberg; Jasper Schipperijn; Daniel A Thompson; Stewart G Trost; Alan Watkins; Gareth Stratton; Richard Fry; Hayley Christian; Lucy J Griffiths

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061978

Built Environments And Child Health in WalEs and AuStralia (BEACHES): a study protocol

BMJ Open. 2022 Oct 25;12(10):e061978. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061978.

Authors

Rebecca Pedrick-Case¹, Rowena Bailey¹, Ben Beck², Bridget Beesley³, Bryan Boruff⁴, Sinead Brophy¹, Donna Cross^{3

5}, Gursimran Dhamrait^{5

6}, John Duncan⁴, Peter Gething^{5

7}, Rhodri D Johnson¹, Ronan A Lyons¹, Amy Mizen¹, Kevin Murray³, Theodora Pouliou¹, James Rafferty¹, Trina Robinson⁵, Michael Rosenberg⁸, Jasper Schipperijn⁹, Daniel A Thompson¹, Stewart G Trost¹⁰, Alan Watkins¹, Gareth Stratton¹¹, Richard Fry¹, Hayley Christian^{3

5}, Lucy J Griffiths¹²

Affiliations

¹ Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK.
² School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁵ Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁶ School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
⁷ Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁸ School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁹ Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
¹⁰ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
¹¹ Research Centre in Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
¹² Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK lucy.griffiths@swansea.ac.uk.

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood obesity and physical inactivity are two of the most significant modifiable risk factors for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Yet, a third of children in Wales and Australia are overweight or obese, and only 20% of UK and Australian children are sufficiently active. The purpose of the Built Environments And Child Health in WalEs and AuStralia (BEACHES) study is to identify and understand how complex and interacting factors in the built environment influence modifiable risk factors for NCDs across childhood.

Methods and analysis: This is an observational study using data from five established cohorts from Wales and Australia: (1) Wales Electronic Cohort for Children; (2) Millennium Cohort Study; (3) PLAY Spaces and Environments for Children's Physical Activity study; (4) The ORIGINS Project; and (5) Growing Up in Australia: the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The study will incorporate a comprehensive suite of longitudinal quantitative data (surveys, anthropometry, accelerometry, and Geographic Information Systems data) to understand how the built environment influences children's modifiable risk factors for NCDs (body mass index, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and diet).

Ethics and dissemination: This study has received the following approvals: University of Western Australia Human Research Ethics Committee (2020/ET000353), Ramsay Human Research Ethics Committee (under review) and Swansea University Information Governance Review Panel (Project ID: 1001). Findings will be reported to the following: (1) funding bodies, research institutes and hospitals supporting the BEACHES project; (2) parents and children; (3) school management teams; (4) existing and new industry partner networks; (5) federal, state and local governments to inform policy; as well as (6) presented at local, national and international conferences; and (7) disseminated by peer-reviewed publications.

Keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; PAEDIATRICS; PREVENTIVE MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Australia
Built Environment
Child
Child Health*
Cohort Studies
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Observational Studies as Topic
Pediatric Obesity* / epidemiology
Pediatric Obesity* / prevention & control
Wales / epidemiology