Barriers to and enablers of sustainable practices: insights from ethnic minority migrants

Migration from the Global South to Global North is a major feature of contemporary population movements, and provides a lived experiment of the implications of moving from less resource-intensive modes of living towards more resource-intensive ones. Pre-migration practices come together in complex ways post-migration with established norms and infrastructures in destination countries. Here we examine the barriers to and enablers of sustainable practices, synthesising in-depth research from nine different studies in south-eastern Australia in relation to household water use, food growing and transport. The total sample includes 323 migrants from 33 countries. The main barriers include infrastructure and broader patterns of work and society. The main enablers are cultural norms of frugality and preferences for public transport. Barriers and enablers interact in diverse ways. We show that migrants are important contributors to inadvertent sustainabilities, but their contributions may be weakened by infrastructural, structural and cultural barriers. Addressing the diverse capacities of migrants would enhance system change for everyone

Building Community Capital: The Role of Local Area Coordinators in Disability Services: A Critical Review

Local Area Coordination (LAC) roles have been implemented in disability services in many countries, supporting people living with disability to connect with formal and informal support in the community. Embedded in the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia, the aspiration is that this LAC role will connect people with disability to supports and enable the generation of greater community capacity and inclusion. Yet, with only a limited evidence base that demonstrates the impact of this approach, a clear measurement framework is needed to provide evidence of the realization of this aspiration. We propose that this impact could be demonstrated by applying a Community Capitals Framework (CCF) as the theoretical base for the LAC role and other community capacity initiatives, such as service navigation within disability reform of disability services. The CCF is premised on seven ‘capitals’—social, natural, cultural, human, political, financial and built that intersect and interact with each other to create positive spirals of change in communities. In this critical literature review, we apply the CCF to map and synthesize existing research on the LAC’s role in building community capital and examine the utility of the CCF as a map for LAC and service navigation practices to enhance community inclusion. For this review, we analyzed peer-reviewed journal papers and grey literature that focused on LAC community capacity building for people with disability in a disability service context published between 2000 and August 2023. Of the 17 publications that met the inclusion criteria, there was no published evidence that comprehensively examined or measured community capacity building consistent with the tenets of the CCF. However, our analysis showed that all capitals, with the exception of natural capital, had been considered, with some indication that investment in these capitals (particularly social capital) could be connected in the positive spiraling way suggested by the CCF. Given the paucity of existing evidence to inform the LAC aspiration for community capacity building, research informed by consumer priorities is needed to inform LAC and service navigation practices to address community needs. The CCF has the potential to develop our understanding of LAC and other community capacity-building initiatives through the measurement of LAC and service navigation services and consumer outcomes, as well as by informing investment to target growth capitals in communities

Comparing and assessing physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents: a systematic literature review and analysis

Abstract Background The impact of declining physical activity and increased sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents globally prompted the development of national and international physical activity guidelines. This research aims to systematically identify and compare national and international physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents and appraise the quality of the guidelines to promote best practice in guideline development. Methods This systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Only national, or international physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour guidelines were included in the review. Included guidelines targeted children and adolescents aged between 5 and 18 years. A grey literature search was undertaken incorporating electronic databases, custom Google search engines, targeted websites and international expert consultation. Guideline quality was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II Instrument (AGREE II). Results The search resulted in 50 national or international guidelines being identified. Twenty-five countries had a national guideline and there were three international guidelines (European Union, Nordic countries (used by Iceland, Norway and Sweden), World Health Organization (WHO)). Nineteen countries and the European Union adopted the WHO guidelines. Guidelines varied in relation to date of release (2008 to 2019), targeted age group, and guideline wording regarding: type, amount, duration, intensity, frequency and total amount of physical activity. Twenty-two countries included sedentary behaviour within the guidelines and three included sleep. Total scores for all domains of the AGREE II assessment for each guideline indicated considerable variability in guideline quality ranging from 25.8 to 95.3%, with similar variability in the six individual domains. Rigorous guideline development is essential to ensure appropriate guidance for population level initiatives. Conclusions This review revealed considerable variability between national/international physical activity guideline quality, development and recommendations, highlighting the need for rigorous and transparent guideline development methodologies to ensure appropriate guidance for population-based approaches. Where countries do not have the resources to ensure this level of quality, the adoption or adolopment (framework to review and update guidelines) of the WHO guidelines or guidelines of similar quality is recommended. Trial registration Review registration: PROSPERO 2017 CRD42017072558. </jats:sec

Correction to: Comparing and assessing physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents: a systematic literature review and analysis

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.</jats:p