What Cost-effective Built Environment Interventions Would Create Healthy, Liveable And Equitable Communities In Australia, And What Would Facilitate These Being Translated Into Policy And Practice?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,658,832.00
Summary
This CRE involves collaboration between a multi-disciplinary research team across Australia working with policy-makers covering planning, urban design, transport planning and health. It will identify the most cost-effective built environment interventions required to create healthy, liveable, and equitable communities. Factors that influence research findings being translated into urban planning policy and practice will be examined and tools to assist changes to policy and practice developed.
Case-control Study Of Reasons For Presentation Of Nonmelanocytic Skin Cancers At An Advanced Stage.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,614.00
Summary
There are about four times as many skin cancers treated in Australia each year as all other cancers combined and the vast majority of these are the nonmelanocytic skin cancers (NMSC). While most of these cancers are easily treatable, a proportion of these cancers are not given potentially effective treatment until the cancer has reached an advanced stage. Preliminary results from our pilot studies indicate that at least 50% of patients with NMSC who are treated with radiotherapy and 92% of NMSC ....There are about four times as many skin cancers treated in Australia each year as all other cancers combined and the vast majority of these are the nonmelanocytic skin cancers (NMSC). While most of these cancers are easily treatable, a proportion of these cancers are not given potentially effective treatment until the cancer has reached an advanced stage. Preliminary results from our pilot studies indicate that at least 50% of patients with NMSC who are treated with radiotherapy and 92% of NMSC patients treated with a graft or flap surgical procedure by the dermatologists in Newcastle are so treated because of the extent of disease at the primary site. These advanced stage cancers make an important contribution to the 70,000 admissions to hospital for the treatment of NMSC each year in Australia. The total direct health services cost of treatment of these skin cancers was estimated to be $232,000,000 in 1993-94, which was more than for any other type of cancer. Some 379 people died from nonmelanocytic skin cancer in Australia in 1993 and these were all potentially preventable deaths. The study aims are therefore to: 1. Measure the contributions of delay in seeking treatment and inadequate inital treatment to the need for treatment of skin cancer at an advanced stage. 2. Ascertain the factors that are associated with delay in seeking treatment for skin cancer until it has reached an advanced stage. This study will be the first substantial and population-based study of advanced skin cancer and the factors that underlie it. It will give the first empirical guidance to the design of initiatives to prevent the development of advanced skin cancer, a major area of cost to Australian health services. The study will increase understanding of why some skin cancers are not treated definitively until they reach an advanced stage and guide the development of interventions to reduce the frequency of patients who present with advanced stage skin cancer.Read moreRead less
Green Tea Polyphenols And Cancer Prevention: Use Of Population Controls And Biomarkers To Elicit Causal Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$956,189.00
Summary
There is laboratory evidence that chemicals in green tea (poloyphenols) protect against cancer. Epidemiologic studies in humans have generally supported these findings, especially for breast cancer. This project is a crucial stepping stone towards future prospects of a large-scale trial using green tea extract. It will see if the protection extends to leukaemia and bowel cancer, and will identify the genetic makeup of people who are able to benefit the most from green tea polyphenols.
Maternal And Neonatal Vaccination - How Early Can We Protect Infants?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$196,331.00
Summary
Currently, only hepatitis B vaccine is routinely given at birth and for all other vaccines the earliest recommended administration is at 6 weeks old. This is too late to protect infants against pertussis and the most severe cases (hospitalisation or death) occur before 4 months. This research aims to assess if birth pertussis vaccination can protect infants earlier, measure the longevity of immunity following birth hepatitis B vaccination and examine the potential role for maternal vaccination
Developing The Epidemiological Evidence Base For Eczema Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$476,728.00
Summary
Eczema, food allergy, asthma and hay-fever are all common conditions that are a substantial burden for individuals and families. To prevent them, we need to know their causes, but these are not yet well understood. We need better studies to identify what is causing our children to develop these allergic diseases, and rigorous studies to prevent them. In this fellowship, I will explore the causes and consequences of these conditions and test ways to prevent children from developing them.
Targeting Depression For The Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): The Role Of Diet In Risk Reduction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$311,860.00
Summary
Traditionally, efforts to prevent people from developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) like heart disease have focused on reducing smoking and alcohol intake and improving physical activity and diet. There is now evidence that having depression might also lead to CVD and that unhealthy eating might contribute to this relationship. This research will determine whether targeting people with depression and improving their mood through healthy eating ultimately reduces their CVD risk.
Population-level Vaccine Safety Monitoring: Risk Assessment And Policy Implications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$85,649.00
Summary
Vaccines prevent millions of deaths worldwide but events can occur after vaccination which may or may not be related to the vaccine. It is vital to ensure vaccines are safe and that both the public and medical providers remain confident in vaccination programs. The PhD thesis will look at the various methods for monitoring vaccine safety in Australia, and compare the usefulness of each system. This will provide information for policy makers on the safety of vaccines in Australia.
Protecting Australia And The Region From Emerging And Re-emerging Infectious Diseases.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$774,540.00
Summary
The world is facing unprecedented threats from epidemics. In 2014 Ebola showed that issues such as quarantine, personal protective equipment and improved health system capacity are just as critical as drugs and vaccines, yet these are under-researched. Professor MacIntyre is an international expert epidemic control. She will lead a strategic research program to improve control of emerging and re-emerging infections, using her expertise in vaccines, personal protective equipment and biosecurity.
A Lifestyle Intervention Program For The Prevention Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among South Asian Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,256,499.00
Summary
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is common in South Asian women, and many develop lifelong type 2 diabetes (T2DM) soon after delivery. Lifestyle change helps prevent T2DM, but we do not know how to introduce a sustainable service that will change lifestyles of young, busy and often poor women. We will test a unique intervention embedded within local health systems in 1414 women with GDM from 24 hospitals in South Asia, hoping to show that this intervention will prevent T2DM.
The Effectiveness, Acceptability And Cost Effectiveness Of The 'BALatrine'
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$792,169.00
Summary
We will undertake an intervention trial to assess the effectiveness of the “BALatrine” (a novel latrine) and hygiene education in the prevention of intestinal worms in Indonesia. This will provide an evidence base for translation of the intervention into public health policy and practice in Indonesia, the Asian region and beyond.