Early-life habits and family wellbeing were in the spotlight for this year’s first HiPPP EMR-C ANZ Showcase.

Partnering with the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood Early and Mid-Career Researcher Connection (EPOCH-Connect) the joint showcase, featured presentations by Dr Susan Paudel, PhD candidate Abhigale D’Cruz and Dr Eloise Litterbach, all from Deakin University, with a focus on physical activity, sleep, emotional regulation and mealtime dynamics in a child’s first 2,000 days.
Dr Susan Paudel presented her research outlining the barriers culturally and linguistically diverse mothers face in accessing health-promoting behaviours. “These women are less likely to meet physical activity guidelines or engage in organized sport—barriers made worse by language, culture, and caregiving pressures,” she explained.

PhD candidate Abhigale D’Cruz shared insights on the relationship between toddlers’ sleep patterns and emotional self-regulation. “Better nighttime sleep supports emotional health, but excessive napping and inconsistent routines can undermine it,” she noted.

Dr Eloise Litterbach, from the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes, explored how family meals could serve as an underused platform to reduce Type 2 diabetes risk, particularly in women post-gestational diabetes. Her co-designed messaging—focused on realistic, culturally sensitive strategies—was warmly received by participants.

The event concluded with a call to reframe public health approaches, moving beyond mothers as the sole agents of family wellbeing. A robust and thought-provoking Q&A had those attending share insights about the need to shift toward “whole-family interventions”, not placing the burden on mothers or the primary caregiver alone, and the need to support caregivers as a unit, emotionally and practically, as the key to lasting change.

Back