National Secondary Students' Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) survey

Researchers

Belinda Morley, Maree Scully, Claudia Gascoyne, Melanie Wakefield.

Years funded

2008 - present

The NaSSDA survey fills a significant gap in existing data in Australia by providing a coordinated national approach to the monitoring of secondary students' diet and physical activity, and assessment of their exposure to food marketing. NaSSDA has provided the first truly national sample for a physical activity survey of young Australians since 1985. The results of the survey inform our national programs to promote improved nutrition and physical activity for young people.

Around 69,000 students from over 100 schools across Australia participated in the third survey round in 2018.

2018 NaSSDA research briefs

• Physical activity in Australian secondary school students
• Sugary drink consumption in Australian secondary school students
• Energy drink consumption and sleep in Australian secondary school students

2012/13 NaSSDA research memos

• Body weight, physical activity and sedentary behaviour
• Food marketing and fast food consumption

2009/10 NaSSDA research memos

• Exposure and Influence of Food Marketing
• Prevalence of Meeting Healthy Eating Guidelines
• Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity
• Prevalence of Meeting Physical Activity Recommendations
• Prevalence of Meeting Recommendations for Small Screen Recreation

Publications

• Scully M, Morley B, Niven P, Crawford D, Pratt I, Wakefield M, for the NaSSDA Study Team. Factors associated with frequent consumption of fast food among Australian secondary school students. Public Health Nutrition 2020; 23: 1340-9.
• Jongenelis M, Scully M, Morley B, Pratt S. Vegetable and fruit intake in Australian adolescents: Trends over time and perceptions of consumption. Appetite 2018; 129: 49-54.
• Jongenelis MI, Scully M, Morley B, Pratt IS, Slevin T. Physical activity and screen-based recreation: Prevalences and trends over time among adolescents and barriers to recommended engagement. Preventive Medicine 2018; 106: 66-72
• Scully M, Morley B, Niven P, Crawford D, Pratt IS, Wakefield M, for the NaSSDA Study Team. Factors associated with high consumption of soft drinks among Australian secondary school students. Public Health Nutrition 2017; 20 (13): 2340-8.
• Niven P, Scully M, Morley B, Baur L, Crawford D, Pratt IS, Wakefield M. What factors are associated with frequent unhealthy snack-food consumption among Australian secondary-school students? Public Health Nutrition 2014; 2: 1-8.
• Niven P, Scully M, Morley B, Crawford D, Baur LA, Wakefield M. Socio-economic disparities in Australian adolescents' eating behaviours. Public Health Nutrition 2014; 17 (12): 2753-8.
• Vella SA, Cliff DP, Okely AD, Scully ML, Morley BC. Associations between sports participation, adiposity and obesity-related health behaviors in adolescents. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2013; 10: 113.
• Morley B, Scully M, Niven P, Baur LA, Crawford D, Flood V, Okely AD, Pratt IS, Salmon J, Wakefield M. Prevalence and socio-demographic distribution of eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours among Australian adolescents. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 2012 23 (3): 213-8.
• Scully M, Morley B, Niven P, Pratt IS, Okely AD, Wakefield M, for the NaSSDA Study Team. Overweight/obesity, physical activity and diet among Australian secondary students - first national dataset 2009-10. Cancer Forum 2012; 36 (1): 17-20.  
• Morley B, Scully ML, Niven PH, Okely AD, Baur LA, Pratt IS, Wakefield MA, NaSSDA Study Team. What factors are associated with excess body weight in Australian secondary school students? Medical Journal of Australia 2012; 196 (3): 189-192.
• Scully M, Wakefield M, Niven P, Chapman K, Crawford D, Pratt IS, Baur LA, Flood V, Morley B; NaSSDA Study Team. Association between food marketing exposure and adolescents' food choices and eating behaviors. Appetite 2012; 58 (1): 1-5.
• Haynes A, Morley B, Dixon H, Scully M, McAleese A, Gascoyne C, Busbridge R, Cicognini M, Regev I, Wakefield M. Secondary school canteens in Australia: analysis of canteen menus from a repeated cross-sectional national survey. Public Health Nutrition 2020; doi

Funding

The 2009/10 NaSSDA survey was jointly funded by Cancer Council Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australia. In 2012/13, additional funding was received from State and Territory Government Health Departments. This third round of the survey, with data collection undertaken in 2018, was primarily funded by Cancer Council Australia with additional financial support provided by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.