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Government funding for innovative sun safety online tool for teens

The Kids researcher Dr Shelley Gorman has received a Healthway grant to develop an online tool to promote safe sun behaviours to teenagers.

Beneficial health effects of ultraviolet radiation: expert review and conference report

Carcinogenic effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) with reference to skin cancer are the basis of widely implemented recommendations to avoid sun exposure. Whether the benefits of "restrictive sun policies" outweigh their potential harms due to diminished beneficial effects of sunlight exposure remain a matter of controversy.  

A Gender Lens on User Quality Ratings From Young Teenagers Assessing the Sun Safe App: Comparing Responses From Co-researchers and Participants of Pilot Intervention Studies

We developed the iOS smartphone app Sun Safe to support healthy sun practices in young teenagers (aged 12-13 years). The production involved co-design with young co-researchers (ie, aged 12-13 years) with a health message of using sun protection when the UV index is ≥3. Important features include real-time and location-specific weather data on the UV index and gamified educational content.

Developmental vitamin D deficiency increases foetal exposure to testosterone

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders which are more common in males. The 'prenatal sex steroid' hypothesis links excessive sex-steroid exposure during foetal life with the behavioural differences observed in ASD. However, the reason why sex steroid exposure may be excessive remains unclear. Epidemiological studies have identified several environmental risk factors associated with ASD, including developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency.

Research reveals new link between Vitamin D, lung bacteria and asthma

A The Kids for Child Health Research study has uncovered a new link between vitamin D levels and asthma.

The value of Vitamin D

Research has shown that vitamin D levels can have an impact on many aspects of a child's health, including lung growth, language development and eating patterns

Exposure to sunlight could reduce asthma

Australian researchers have found that exposure to measured doses of ultraviolet light, such as sunlight, could reduce asthma.

Increased levels of solar radiation are associated with reduced type-2 diabetes prevalence: A cross-sectional study of Australian postcodes

Type-2 diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability. Emerging evidence suggests that ultraviolet radiation or sun exposure may limit its development. We used freely available online datasets to evaluate the associations between solar radiation and type-2 diabetes prevalence across Australia.

Clinical, research, and public health implications of poor measurement of Vitamin D status

New initiatives to develop a standard reference method and the assignment of "true" values to samples provide a solution to these problems.

Tracking of Vitamin D status from childhood to early adulthood and its association with peak bone mass

There are moderate associations between vitamin D status measured in prepuberty, adolescence, and early adulthood