Development and evaluation of an Australian adult health literacy program for socially disadvantaged adults attending Tertiary and Further Education (TAFE). Improving health literacy, basic literacy and numeracy skills are national priorities in Australia. This project will develop and evaluate a health literacy program to help socially disadvantaged adults improve their health knowledge, language literacy and numeracy skills and feel empowered to participate in decisions about their health.
An exploratory cluster trial of a sustainable capacity building intervention to promote positive child mental health in Family Day Care. Rarely is solution-oriented intervention research built and conducted with rigorous research designs in communities of extreme disadvantage. This study builds on the enthusiasm of a leading child welfare organisation in its commitment to contribute to evidence for practice-oriented solutions. The research will serve as a model for the Family Day Care and childc ....An exploratory cluster trial of a sustainable capacity building intervention to promote positive child mental health in Family Day Care. Rarely is solution-oriented intervention research built and conducted with rigorous research designs in communities of extreme disadvantage. This study builds on the enthusiasm of a leading child welfare organisation in its commitment to contribute to evidence for practice-oriented solutions. The research will serve as a model for the Family Day Care and childcare sectors. The study is an essential step in the development of an intervention prior to a large-scale evaluation. With a strong evidence base, this program may be implemented widely within the sector nationally, thus addressing a key area of children's health inequalities - mental health.Read moreRead less
Engaging economically disadvantaged adolescent girls in physical activity and healthy eating to improve health and prevent obesity. Secondary school represents the final opportunity to influence individuals as they develop adult lifestyle behaviours and enter a transitional period in their lives. Considering the increased prevalence of lifestyle diseases among Australian adults and increases in the prevalence of obesity among young Australians, targeting health-promoting behaviours in adolescent ....Engaging economically disadvantaged adolescent girls in physical activity and healthy eating to improve health and prevent obesity. Secondary school represents the final opportunity to influence individuals as they develop adult lifestyle behaviours and enter a transitional period in their lives. Considering the increased prevalence of lifestyle diseases among Australian adults and increases in the prevalence of obesity among young Australians, targeting health-promoting behaviours in adolescents is clearly a national priority. Furthermore, rates of obesity are much higher in economically disadvantaged areas, with girls more susceptible to the SES disadvantages. This project has the potential to develop a knowledge base and improve the health behaviours of current and future Australians most at risk for the development of lifestyle diseases.Read moreRead less
Young people, physical activity and physical culture: a longitudinal study. The relationship between physical activity and the health of young people is currently a matter of national and international concern. This project will investigate the place and meaning of health, physical activity and physical culture in young people's lives from a longitudinal and qualitative perspective. It will build on the findings of a three year study of young people's engagement with physical activity. Specifica ....Young people, physical activity and physical culture: a longitudinal study. The relationship between physical activity and the health of young people is currently a matter of national and international concern. This project will investigate the place and meaning of health, physical activity and physical culture in young people's lives from a longitudinal and qualitative perspective. It will build on the findings of a three year study of young people's engagement with physical activity. Specifically it will follow cohorts of students from different social, cultural and geographical locations as they move beyond school and make choices associated with health and physical activity in relation to the changing conditions of their lives.Read moreRead less
A cluster randomised controlled trial of a school-based physical activity intervention in at-risk communities. This project will test the effect of a professional development program targeting physical education teachers, designed to increase students' opportunities to do physical activity during physical education lessons. It will focus on how to enhance their motivation to not only be physically active during physical education lessons, but also outside school hours.
Investigating the effects and maximising the benefits of increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour on wellbeing in youth. Lack of physical activity and the time that young people spend sedentary and alone staring into television and computer screens, are major public health issues. This project aims to explore how changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour might influence health and wellbeing in young Australians. It will also involve the evaluation of an innovative s ....Investigating the effects and maximising the benefits of increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour on wellbeing in youth. Lack of physical activity and the time that young people spend sedentary and alone staring into television and computer screens, are major public health issues. This project aims to explore how changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour might influence health and wellbeing in young Australians. It will also involve the evaluation of an innovative school-based intervention targeting these outcomes. This project has the potential to bring physical and mental health benefits to current and future Australians.Read moreRead less
Investigating the direct and indirect effects of a student leader program. This innovative project aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of a school-based leadership program for primary school-aged children. Schools are ideal settings for developing children’s leadership effectiveness, but there are few examples of evidence-based programs guided by leadership theory. This project will generate new knowledge about the importance of leadership skills for students’ self-efficacy, clas ....Investigating the direct and indirect effects of a student leader program. This innovative project aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of a school-based leadership program for primary school-aged children. Schools are ideal settings for developing children’s leadership effectiveness, but there are few examples of evidence-based programs guided by leadership theory. This project will generate new knowledge about the importance of leadership skills for students’ self-efficacy, classroom behaviour, and teachers’ well-being and work-related stress. Expected outcomes of this inter-disciplinary project include a framework for understanding how children’s leadership behaviours shape school culture and an evidence-based program for dissemination in Australian schools. Read moreRead less
Cross-cultural analysis of constructions of health and fitness in lives of young people. This project aims to extend our understanding of how young people in Canada and Australia construct notions of health and fitness and the implications of these constructions for the ways they see themselves and the choices they make about how they live their lives. The data collected at six sites in Australia and Canada covers a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, from questionnaires to interviews ....Cross-cultural analysis of constructions of health and fitness in lives of young people. This project aims to extend our understanding of how young people in Canada and Australia construct notions of health and fitness and the implications of these constructions for the ways they see themselves and the choices they make about how they live their lives. The data collected at six sites in Australia and Canada covers a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, from questionnaires to interviews, activity observations, and visual media such as photographs. The cross-cultural comparison will serve to highlight aspects of Anglophone, Francophone, Canadian, Australian and global culture that examining in isolation may not appear 'important' to those immersed within a given culture. By bringing the existing Australian project together with a newly established Canadian project, the different expertise of the Australian and Canadian Investigators can be drawn on for the analysis and interpretation of the data.Read moreRead less
Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour to improve health and wellbeing in adolescent boys from disadvantaged schools. This project will involve the design and evaluation of a school-based program to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in adolescent boys from disadvantaged backgrounds. This project has the potential to improve the health behaviours of current and future Australians most at risk for the development of lifestyle diseases.
Enhancing adolescents’ health through digital health literacy. This project aims to understand adolescents’ digital health literacy: their capacity to find, understand, appraise the trustworthiness of, and act appropriately on, digital health information. Technological development is racing ahead of insight into how adolescents use technology for health information and subsequent self-care. We must harness the benefits of these technological advances while protecting adolescent health. In co-des ....Enhancing adolescents’ health through digital health literacy. This project aims to understand adolescents’ digital health literacy: their capacity to find, understand, appraise the trustworthiness of, and act appropriately on, digital health information. Technological development is racing ahead of insight into how adolescents use technology for health information and subsequent self-care. We must harness the benefits of these technological advances while protecting adolescent health. In co-designing a flexible suite of education resources, this project aims to generate critical new knowledge about the digital health literacy of a diverse range of adolescents. It is anticipated that the education resources will provide significant benefits to adolescents through enhanced capacity for self-care.Read moreRead less