Moving from policy to practice: a randomised trial of an implementation intervention to facilitate the adoption of a statewide healthy canteen policy. This project will test the effectiveness of an intervention in supporting schools to implement a healthy canteen policy mandated by the New South Wales Government. The trial could provide a model for supporting schools to implement school health or education policies which seek to improve the wellbeing of students.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100307
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$330,290.00
Summary
Food policies for population health: evidence, influence and accountability. The project aims to investigate ways to improve the development and implementation of policies to create healthy food environments in Australia. Currently, Australian food environments are dominated by cheap, heavily promoted, unhealthy food, and governments are seeking ways to reduce the economic and social burden of diet-related ill-health. Policy changes are needed to create environments that encourage healthy food c ....Food policies for population health: evidence, influence and accountability. The project aims to investigate ways to improve the development and implementation of policies to create healthy food environments in Australia. Currently, Australian food environments are dominated by cheap, heavily promoted, unhealthy food, and governments are seeking ways to reduce the economic and social burden of diet-related ill-health. Policy changes are needed to create environments that encourage healthy food consumption. The project aims to generate new evidence of the economic case for implementation of priority policy options, provide critical insight into the policy process, and identify levers for increasing the accountability of governments for creating healthier food environments. The project intends to identify strategies to improve population health.Read moreRead less
Trust makers, breakers and brokers: building trust in the Australian food system. This research will compare and contrast the way that food trust is managed in Australia and the United Kingdom, with a particular focus on how trust is damaged and repaired. Using consensus-testing processes, best practice models will be developed to assist government, industry, media and consumer groups to build and maintain trust in the food supply.
Practical methods to evaluate school breakfast programs. This innovative project will provide a doctoral student with the opportunity to develop in-depth academic research within the practical constraints of field-based program evaluation. The candidate will develop a practical methodology to evaluate community-based programs, specifically school breakfast programs in New South Wales. The outcome of the project will be an evaluation protocol, set of tools and reporting proforma that can be appli ....Practical methods to evaluate school breakfast programs. This innovative project will provide a doctoral student with the opportunity to develop in-depth academic research within the practical constraints of field-based program evaluation. The candidate will develop a practical methodology to evaluate community-based programs, specifically school breakfast programs in New South Wales. The outcome of the project will be an evaluation protocol, set of tools and reporting proforma that can be applied by volunteers and teachers to evaluate school breakfast programs. The research process undertaken by the candidate also will be applicable to the development of evaluation methodologies of a range of community-based programs.Read moreRead less
The independent and combined effects of front-of-pack food labelling systems and health claims on consumers' food-related beliefs and behaviours. Recent developments in food labelling policy are changing the nature of the food environment. This project aims to allow the Australian government to capitalise on its investments in food labelling and health claims policies by investigating the independent and combined effects of front-of-pack labelling systems and health claims on adults' and childre ....The independent and combined effects of front-of-pack food labelling systems and health claims on consumers' food-related beliefs and behaviours. Recent developments in food labelling policy are changing the nature of the food environment. This project aims to allow the Australian government to capitalise on its investments in food labelling and health claims policies by investigating the independent and combined effects of front-of-pack labelling systems and health claims on adults' and children's food-related beliefs and behaviours. Three different forms of front-of-pack labelling systems and three types of health claims will be tested in varying combinations to identify the effects on different consumer segments, especially those of lower socioeconomic status. This approach aims to show how different forms of nutrition information are processed and traded-off during decision making.Read moreRead less
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
Food and trust. The health, well-being and productivity of Australian society is absolutely dependent on a trusted food system. By knowing more about consumer trust in the food system, and in expert advice, we can better tailor ways to improve communication about health and food. We may avoid the problems that have developed in countries where low public trust has damaged the effectiveness of the systems to keep food safe and healthy, and in government and industry efforts to promote better eati ....Food and trust. The health, well-being and productivity of Australian society is absolutely dependent on a trusted food system. By knowing more about consumer trust in the food system, and in expert advice, we can better tailor ways to improve communication about health and food. We may avoid the problems that have developed in countries where low public trust has damaged the effectiveness of the systems to keep food safe and healthy, and in government and industry efforts to promote better eating habits. We will also be able to compare results with those in Europe to gain an international perspective on food trust.Read moreRead less
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.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100141
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,000.00
Summary
Creating food environments that encourage healthy eating. The aim of this project is to trial scalable and sustainable interventions that encourage healthy purchasing and eating behaviours in supermarket settings. Most food in Australia is purchased in supermarkets and unhealthy eating is the greatest contributor to Australian life years lost. The project will assess the effect of a range of interventions on purchases of healthy and unhealthy foods and the financial impact on the retailer in eig ....Creating food environments that encourage healthy eating. The aim of this project is to trial scalable and sustainable interventions that encourage healthy purchasing and eating behaviours in supermarket settings. Most food in Australia is purchased in supermarkets and unhealthy eating is the greatest contributor to Australian life years lost. The project will assess the effect of a range of interventions on purchases of healthy and unhealthy foods and the financial impact on the retailer in eight supermarkets and a novel virtual supermarket. The economic analysis aims to ensure that successful public policy interventions are translatable to other retailers.Read moreRead less
A SENTINEL STUDY OF TRENDS IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE RISK FACTORS IN AUSTRALIA. This project will use data collected by the Sydney Adventist Hospital from the managerial workforce during the past 25 years to examine the relationships of food consumption, smoking and lifestyle habits to risk of heart disease, obesity and mature onset diabetes. The lifestyles of different groups of people will be compared and related to disease risk. The effectiveness of hospital based health promotion in reducing ....A SENTINEL STUDY OF TRENDS IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE RISK FACTORS IN AUSTRALIA. This project will use data collected by the Sydney Adventist Hospital from the managerial workforce during the past 25 years to examine the relationships of food consumption, smoking and lifestyle habits to risk of heart disease, obesity and mature onset diabetes. The lifestyles of different groups of people will be compared and related to disease risk. The effectiveness of hospital based health promotion in reducing these disease risk factors will be assessed. Likely outcomes include better understanding of the causes of heart disease, obesity and diabetes; more effective hospital based health promotion strategies, and new disease surveillance systemsRead moreRead less