Intergenerational transmission of dietary behaviour. The health of future generations depends largely on the health of current generations. Bad eating habits associated with obesity and other chronic diseases are often passed from parents to children. This study will provide insight into the ways in which these habits are perpetuated within families of various cultural backgrounds. It will establish how assessing family health history can be used as a tool to help identify and modify the risk of ....Intergenerational transmission of dietary behaviour. The health of future generations depends largely on the health of current generations. Bad eating habits associated with obesity and other chronic diseases are often passed from parents to children. This study will provide insight into the ways in which these habits are perpetuated within families of various cultural backgrounds. It will establish how assessing family health history can be used as a tool to help identify and modify the risk of chronic, life-threatening disease in families and individuals. If proven effective, this tool can be rolled out nationwide to help promote and maintain healthier diets in Australian families and reduce the economic burden on the government.Read moreRead less
Attentional asymmetries for navigation in healthy and clinical groups. This project plans to investigate how differences in attentional capacity between the left and right sides of the brain affect the ability to walk or manoeuvre vehicles between obstacles. To navigate our environment and avoid obstacles, we need to attend to stimuli that are important and ignore those that are not. Unfortunately, the brain’s attentional capacity is limited, which can result in errors and collisions. Using the ....Attentional asymmetries for navigation in healthy and clinical groups. This project plans to investigate how differences in attentional capacity between the left and right sides of the brain affect the ability to walk or manoeuvre vehicles between obstacles. To navigate our environment and avoid obstacles, we need to attend to stimuli that are important and ignore those that are not. Unfortunately, the brain’s attentional capacity is limited, which can result in errors and collisions. Using the techniques of cognitive neuroscience, the project aims to provide a better understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms that govern attention in an applied setting. It expects to identify the factors that exacerbate lapses in attention and collisions. The effect of everyday impediments such as mobile phones, alcohol and fatigue will be investigated together with means of minimising these attentional lapses and improving safety.Read moreRead less
Can attentional re-training reduce food cravings and consumption? This project aims to determine the impact of a procedure involving the re-training of attention to food cues on food cravings and food intake. Results will advance our understanding of food cravings and contribute to interventions aimed at curbing unwanted cravings and (over) consumption.
The NSW child development study. Research shows that a child's development predicts health and social outcomes later in life. This Australian project will be the first to identify risk and protective factors associated with these outcomes in 87,000 children from birth to 10 years. The results will help inform governments to improve our children's health and educational achievements.
Close to me: the effect of distractors on spatial attention in healthy and clinical populations. To function well, we need to pay attention to what is important. This project investigates how the brain responds to distractors, such as a person or object that is close by. This knowledge will help with the treatment of people with attentional disorders and will assist the design of human/machine interfaces, such as cars and security screening.
Public and ethical responses to mandated alcohol warning labels about increased long-term risk of cancer. This project will determine how the Australian public will respond to the proposed introduction of alcohol product warning labels. It will establish how such at point of sale messages can acceptably and effectively inform Australians about the long-term, but modifiable, cancer risk associated with alcohol use and reduce the national cancer burden.
Weighing the impact: How do Australian families interpret and respond to population messaging about obesity, weight loss and physical activity? How do adults and adolescents - both fat and thin - respond to the range of obesity messages that they are exposed to in their everyday lives? This study investigates the attitudes and opinions of 150 families about current obesity campaigns, and will develop a practical template for improving current obesity messaging strategies.
Turning them on: engaging young people in disrupting silences about their sexual wellbeing. This project will investigate what young people think they should be taught in school-based sexuality education programs. This information will inform the re-design of these programs and promote the sexual health of the next generation of Australians.
Critical windows: understanding changes in eating and physical activity over the transition from secondary school to young adulthood. This project will explain changes in eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviour during the critical period of transition from secondary school to young adulthood. It will provide important information on how we can assist adolescents to maintain a healthy lifestyle over a time characterised by several major life changes.
Improving the diagnostic accuracy of detecting functional decline in older people discharged from hospital emergency departments. There is no accurate early screening tool to detect the loss of ability in older people to live independently. This research evaluates a new screening tool to identify the risk of functional decline. This will assist hospital staff to put appropriate discharge plans in place to mitigate against functional decline.