Health Of Young Victorians Study (HOYVS)

HOYVS 1997

HOYVS began in 48 randomly-selected schools (24 primary and 24 secondary) across Victoria. The first wave involved around 5500 children and teenagers from prep to Year 12. Originally set up as a cross-sectional study, HOYVS 97 was one of the first community studies to focus on both childhood overweight/obesity and children’s health-related quality of life. It helped confirm that the epidemic had reached Australia, and its possible impacts on children’s health and well-being.

HOYVS 2000

This study followed the children who had been in grades prep-3 in the 1997 study. By 2000, most were in years 3-6. Around 1550 children took part again. HOYVS 2000 aimed to document children’s physical growth, and how their health and well-being had changed over the three years.

HOYVS 2005

Nearly a thousand of the children were followed in 2005, when most were in years 8-11. HOYVS 2005 aimed to provide information about how young people’s physical growth, health and well-being change between childhood and adolescence and factors that may influence this.

Some examples of HOYVS information:

Parents filled out a questionnaire about their own and their child’s health and well-being (all waves).
Students completed a questionnaire about their own health and well-being (2000 and 2005).
Students completed computerised diaries recording their activities over a 24-hour period (2005).
Students had their height and weight measured (all waves).
Students had their head circumference measured (1997).
Students had their waist circumference and blood pressure measured (2000 and 2005).

Download the HOYVS 2005 report. (PDF 400kB)

We may be able to follow the HOYVS children again in 2010, as young adults.

Methodology:	Longitudinal Study
Date:	Wave 1 Start: 1997 Finish: 1998 Wave 2 Start: 2000 Finish: 2001 Wave 3 Start: 2005 Finish: 2006
Funding:	Victorian Department of Human Services (1997) National Heart Foundation (2000) Financial Markets Foundation for Children (2000) Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (2000) NHMRC Public Health Research Scholarship (2000) National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grant 334303 (2005-7)
Contacts/Staff involved:	Megan Mathers megan.mathers@mcri.edu.au Phone: (03) 8341 6485 Professor Melissa Wake melissa.wake@rch.org.au

Publications

Mathers M, Canterford L, Olds T, Hesketh K, Ridley K, Wake M. Electronic media use and adolescent health and well-being: Cross-sectional community study. Ambulatory Pediatrics (Accepted 4^th April 2009).

Olds T, Wake M, Patton G, Ridley K, Waters E, Williams J, Hesketh K. How do school-day activity patterns differ with age and gender across adolescence? Journal of Adolescent Health 2009; 44(1):64-72.

Wake M, Canterford L, Patton G, Hesketh K, Hardy P, Williams J, Waters E, Carlin J. Comorbidities of overweight/obesity in adolescence: Longitudinal Study. Archives of Diseases in Childhood. (Accepted 17th October 2008).

Mathers M, Canterford L, Olds T, Wake, M, Waters, E. Pet ownership and adolescent health: Cross-sectional population study. Submitted.

Hesketh K, Graham M, Waters E. Children's after school activity: associations with weight status and family circumstance. Pediatric Exercise Science 2008, 20(1):84-94.

Olds T, Ridley K, Wake M, Hesketh K, Waters E, Patton G, Williams J. How should activity guidelines for young people be operationalised? International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2007, 4:43.

Hesketh K, Wake M, Graham M, Waters E. Stability of television viewing and electronic game/computer use in a prospective cohort study of Australian children: relationship with body mass index. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2007, 4:60.

Waters E, Davis E, Nicolas C, Wake M, Sing KL. The impact of childhood conditions and concurrent morbidities on health and wellbeing. Child: Care, Health and Development (Accepted 8 March 2007).

Hesketh K, Waters E, Green J, Salmon L, Williams J. Healthy eating, activity and obesity prevention: a qualitative study of parent and child perceptions. Health Promotion International 2005; 20 (1):19-26.

Williams J, Wake M, Hesketh K, Maher E, Waters E. Health-related quality of life of overweight and obese children. JAMA 2005; 293(1):70-76.

Hesketh K, Wake M, Waters E, Carlin J, Crawford D. Stability of BMI in Australian children: a prospective cohort study across the middle childhood years. Journal of Public Health and Nutrition 2004; 7(2):303-9.

Hesketh K, Wake M, Waters E. Body mass index and parent-reported self esteem in elementary school children: evidence for a causal relationship. International Journal of Obesity 2004; 28:1233-37.

Wake M. Australasian childhood longitudinal studies: exciting yet challenging times. Journal of Paediatric Child Health 2004; 40:85-86.

Wake M, Hesketh K, Waters E. Television, computer use and body mass index in Australian primary school children. Journal of Paediatric Child Health 2003; 39(2):130-134.

Booth ML, Chey T, Wake M, Norton K, Hesketh K, Dollman J, Robertson I. Change in prevalence of overweight and obesity among young Australians, 1969-1997. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2003; 77(1):29-36.

Wake M, Waters E, Salmon L, Wright M, Hesketh K. Parent-reported health status of overweight and obese Australian primary school children: a cross-sectional population survey. International Journal of Obesity 2002; 26:717-724.

Waters E, Salmon L, Wake M, Wright M, Hesketh K. The health and wellbeing of adolescents: a school-based population study of the self-report Child Health Questionnaire. Journal of Adolescent Health 2001; 29(2):140-149.

Booth M, Wake M, Armstrong T, Chey T, Hesketh K, Mathur S. The epidemiology of overweight and obesity among Australian children and adolescents, 1995-1997. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2001; 25:162-9.

Wake M, Coghlan D, Hesketh K. Does height influence progression through primary school grades? Archives of Disease in Childhood 2000; 82: 297-301.

Waters E, Doyle J, Wolfe R, Wright M, Wake M, Salmon L. Influence of parental gender and selfreported health and illness on parent-reported child health. Pediatrics 2000; 106(6):1422-1428.

Waters E, Salmon L, Wake M. The Parent-Form Child health Questionnaire in Australia: comparison of reliability, validity, structure, and norms. Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2000; 25:381-391.

Lazarus R, Wake M, Hesketh K, Waters E. Change in body mass index in Australian primary school children, 1985-1997. International Journal of Obesity 2000; 24(6):679-684.

Waters E, Salmon L, Wake M, Hesketh K, Wright M. The Child Health Questionnaire in Australia: reliability, validity and population means. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2000; 24:207-10.

Waters E, Wake M, Toumbourou J, Wright M, Salmon L. The prevalence of emotional and physical health concerns amongst young people in Victoria. Journal of Paediatric Child Health 1999; 35(1):28-33.

Waters E, Wright M, Wake M, Landgraf J, Salmon L. Measuring the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents: a preliminary comparative evaluation of the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ PF50). Ambulatory Child Health 1999; 5:131-141.

Last Updated 07-Apr-2009. Authorised by: Frank Oberklaid. Enquiries: Penny Miller.