Interventions which aim to increase the length of time a woman intends to breastfeed, and which highlight the role of the father in successful breastfeeding, are recommended to help achieve recommended targets for breastfeeding initiation and duration.

Aim:  Food security is an important nutrition issue among vulnerable population groups such as the young and socioeconomically disadvantaged. The present study sought to identify and describe the prevalence, distribution and severity of food insecurity, and related behavioural adaptations, among a sample of Australian university students. Methods:  A cross‐sectional survey design involving a self‐administered questionnaire consisting of 39 food security‐related and 15 demographic questions administered among a sample of university students. Results:  A sample of 399 students completed questionnaires representing a response rate of 71.5% of students invited to participate. Sample demography was representative of the total student population except for being overrepresented by full‐time and international students. Food insecurity was evident in the student sample ranging from 12.7% to 46.5% (based on method of analysis). Student food insecurity was significantly associated with those renting, boarding or sharing accommodation, with low incomes or receiving government assistance. Coping strategies developed by students focused on income generation and austerity measures, included living with parents, working more than 10 hours per week outside of university and borrowing money and food. Students who reported food insecurity were more likely to rate their overall health status lower than those who were food secure. Conclusion:  The present study suggests university students are at significant risk of food insecurity in part attributed to inadequate income support. Further research is required to assess the broader determinants of food insecurity and appropriate strategy responses, including social support policies, in this population group.

Objectives: To describe a conceptual framework to assist in the application of capacity-building principles to public health nutrition practice. Design: A review of the literature and consideration of the determinants of effective public health nutrition practice has been used to inform the development of a conceptual framework for capacity building in the context of public health nutrition practice. Result: The limited literature supports a greater integration and application of capacity-building strategies and principles in public health nutrition practice, and that this application should be overt and strategic. A framework is proposed that identifies a number of determinants of capacity for effective public health nutrition action. The framework represents the key foundations for building capacity including leadership, resourcing and intelligence. Five key strategic domains supported by these foundation elements, including partnerships, organisational development, project management quality, workforce development and community development, are proposed. This framework can be used to assist the systematic assessment, development and evaluation of capacity-building activity within public health nutrition practice. Conclusions: Capacity building is a strategy within public health nutrition practice that needs to be central to public health nutrition intervention management. The present paper defines, contextualises and outlines a framework for integrating and making explicit the importance of capacity building within public health nutrition practice at many levels. Keywords Public health nutrition Capacity building PracticeDespite the development of public health nutrition (PHN) as a field of practice over the past few decades, little has been published to support an assessment of or describe what constitutes capacity building in PHN practice. A number of studies have attempted to describe self-reports of practice as part of workforce development research (1,2) and others have attempted to articulate the competency requirements for PHN practice that logically reflect the work required for effective practice (3,4) . A consistent finding from the present work has been practice-based activity that reflects a process of development, implementation and evaluation of population-level interventions as a core function and practice focus for public health nutritionists (5) , and an appreciation of the importance of building capacity to support action to address PHN issues. Each of these broad areas of practice is consistent across health promotion and broader public health effort. Consideration of capacity building as a practice concept (what, why and how?) for PHN therefore is needed.The present paper draws on a non-exhaustive review of scholarship in the published and grey literature from the disciplines of nutrition, public health and health promotion. This has been considered against the experience of the authors in practice to propose a conceptual framework for the application of capacity-building principle...

Nutrition advice from general practitioners (GPs) is held in high regard by the general public, yet the literature investigating the role of GPs in the provision of nutrition care is limited. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions of general practice medical educators (GPMEs) regarding the role of GPs in general practice nutrition care, the competencies required by GPs to provide effective nutrition care and the learning and teaching strategies best suited to develop these competencies. Twenty medical educators from fourteen Australian and New Zealand universities participated in an individual semi-structured telephone interview, guided by an inquiry logic informed by the literature. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Medical educators identified that nutrition was an important but mostly superficially addressed component of health care in general practice. Numerous barriers to providing nutrition care in general practice were identified. These include a lack of time and associated financial disincentives, perceptions of inadequate skills in nutrition counselling associated with inadequate training, ambiguous attitudes and differing perceptions about the role of GPs in the provision of nutrition care. Further research is required to identify strategies to improve nutrition care and referral practices provided in the general practice setting, in order to utilise the prime position of GPs as gatekeepers of integrated care to the general public.