Research Assistant
BSc, MPH
Pulan is a research assistant working with the PLAYCE (PLAY Spaces and Environments for Children’s Physical Activity, Health & Development) Research Group. She was the project coordinator for the iPLAYCE study that looked at the impact of early childhood education and care professional development programs on educator physical activity related practices.
Her key areas of interest include physical activity, child development and translating research findings into policy and practices that will help to build healthy physical activity behaviour in preschool children.
Pulan is currently a UWA PhD student investigating preschool children’s physical activity behaviour and development across different settings: home, neighbourhood and early childhood education and care. She won an Australian Government RTP Scholarship to undertake this research.
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Publications
Jun 2023
Neighborhood Places for Preschool Children's Physical Activity: A Mixed-Methods Study Using Global Positioning System, Geographic Information Systems, and Accelerometry Data
This study adds to the current literature by using a novel device-based method to explore where preschool children are physically active outside of home and childcare settings. This study combined accelerometry with geospatial data to explore the influence of the environment on preschool children's physical activity by objectively identifying the locations where preschool children engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) within and outside of their neighborhood.
Published research Early Childhood Development Child Physical Activity, Health and Development Geospatial Mapping Physical activityAugust 2022Where are preschoolers active in childcare centers? A hot-spot analysis using GIS, GPS and accelerometry data
This study investigated where preschool children were more or less active in outdoor play areas in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers using a novel method of combined device-measured physical activity, spatial data and on-site audit data.
Published research Early Childhood Development Playgroups Child Physical Activity, Health and DevelopmentNovember 2021The relationship between physical activity, self-regulation and cognitive school readiness in preschool children
Limited research exists on the pathways through which physical activity influences cognitive development in the early years. This study examined the direct and indirect relationships between physical activity, self-regulation, and cognitive school readiness in preschool children.
Published research Early Childhood Development Human Development and Community Wellbeing School Attendance Child Physical Activity, Health and DevelopmentMarch 2021Impact of covid-19 restrictions on western Australian children’s physical activity and screen time
Physical activity is essential for children’s healthy development, yet COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions such as school closures and staying at home, playground closures, and the cancelling of organised community sport have dramatically altered children’s opportunities to be physically active. This study describes changes in levels of physical activity and screen time from February 2020 (i.e., before COVID-19 restrictions were introduced in Western Australia) to May 2020 (i.e., when COVID-19 restrictions were in place). Parents of children aged 5 to 9 years from Western Australia were eligible to participate and recruited through convenience sampling.
Published research Infectious Diseases Child Physical Activity, Health and Development Technology & KidsApril 2020The influence of the early childhood education and care environment on young children’s physical activity
The PLAYCE Study instruments provide reliable measures of early childhood education and care physical activity environments
Published research Early Childhood Development Child Physical Activity, Health and DevelopmentJanuary 2020The effect of upgrades to childcare outdoor spaces on preschoolers’ physical activity: Findings from a natural experiment
This natural experiment investigated the influence of early childhood education and care outdoor physical environment upgrade on preschoolers' physical activity
Published research Child Physical Activity, Health and DevelopmentJanuary 2020Nature play and fundamental movement skills training programs improve childcare educator supportive physical activity behavior
Both the Nature play and fundamental movement skills professional development programs were effective in improving educators’ self-efficacy to engage children
Published research Child Physical Activity, Health and Development -
Education and Qualifications
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Active Collaborations