Nurition Promotion And Population Health: A Program Addressing Behavioural, Social And Environmental Determinants
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,210,140.00
Summary
Good nutrition is important for health well-being by reducing the risk of diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. However, a significant number of Australians do not eat diets that are consistent with existing health recommendations. While the health consequences of poor nutrition have been well-documented and there is a substantial body of research that describes this problem, much less research has focused on coming up with solutions. This research will explore the influences on Aust ....Good nutrition is important for health well-being by reducing the risk of diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. However, a significant number of Australians do not eat diets that are consistent with existing health recommendations. While the health consequences of poor nutrition have been well-documented and there is a substantial body of research that describes this problem, much less research has focused on coming up with solutions. This research will explore the influences on Australian's eating patterns by examining the role of a range of personal, social and environmental factors in children and adults. The research will also test the effectiveness of innovative strategies to promote healthy eating.Read moreRead less
The Impact Of Urban Design On Physical And Mental Health Building Capacity For Research Across The Life Course
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,194,515.00
Summary
In the last decade there has been growing recognition that the urban environment influences health. The design of neighborhoods and public open space design as well as transport planning is associated with levels of walking, cycling and use of public transport, as well as the sense of community, positive mental health, depression and asthma. Low-density, automobile dependent suburbs discourage the use of non-motorized forms of transport and public transport use, thereby reducing physical activit ....In the last decade there has been growing recognition that the urban environment influences health. The design of neighborhoods and public open space design as well as transport planning is associated with levels of walking, cycling and use of public transport, as well as the sense of community, positive mental health, depression and asthma. Low-density, automobile dependent suburbs discourage the use of non-motorized forms of transport and public transport use, thereby reducing physical activity and opportunities for casual contacts between neighbors. Nevertheless, how to optimize urban environment to meet the needs of different population groups (eg. Children and young people, older adults, as well as the general public) has been largely unexplored. While more walkable neighborhoods (i.e., those characterized by higher density, mixed use planning and enhanced connectivity) may encourage able-bodied adults to do more working, the impact on children, young people and older adults is unknown. For example, adults generally report there is more traffic in more walkable areas. Exposure to traffic decreases the likelihood of children walking. In addition, higher levels of traffic increase traffic pollution, thereby increasing the likelihood of asthma. Moreover, while some research suggests that social capital or sense of community is higher in more walkable neighborhoods; other research suggests that living on a busy road decreases one�s social networks. Thus, it is likely that there is an optimum level of walkability that encourages sense of community. The proposed research will build upon and strengthen and extensive program of research examining the impact of the urban environment on adults, by adding programs of work with children and older adults. It will build our group�s capacity for research in this area, by building expertise within the whole team for appropriate qualitative, statistical and geo-spatial methods which will assist our team to work in this complex, multi-disciplinary area. With input from consumers, practitioners and policy-makers a major focus of this applied research program will be designing research that can be translated into policy and practice with the aim of creating urban environments that promote good health.Read moreRead less
Linking Research, Policy And Health Services To Build A Better Evidence Base For Workplace
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,683,991.00
Summary
This application brings together four of Australia’s leading population and occupational health researchers to develop much needed national research capacity to reduce the burden of the largely hidden problem of occupational disease and to improve health and wellbeing in Australian workplaces. It is designed to develop a wide range of skills in a group of post-doctoral Team Investigators to improve the link between research, policy and practice. This program will address several of the National ....This application brings together four of Australia’s leading population and occupational health researchers to develop much needed national research capacity to reduce the burden of the largely hidden problem of occupational disease and to improve health and wellbeing in Australian workplaces. It is designed to develop a wide range of skills in a group of post-doctoral Team Investigators to improve the link between research, policy and practice. This program will address several of the National Health Priorities such as asthma, cancer, mental health and musculoskeletal disorders.Read moreRead less
Building Mental Wealth: Improving Mental Health For Better Health Outcomes Among
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,509,816.00
Summary
Mental health issues impact on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians who do not always engage with mainstream mental health services. This project will build the capacity of a critical mass of Indigenous and non Indigenous researchers who will engage, collaborate and work with Indigenous communities, clinicians and health providers to develop a sustainable culturally appropriate mental health policy and service model including adjunctive services to chronic disease management.
Capacity Building In Childhood And Adolescent Obesity Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,080,191.00
Summary
As obesity prevalence in children and adolescents continues to climb, there is an urgent need to build Australia's ability to undertake solutions-orientated research across several fronts. This program covers the four areas of greatest need for building research capacity in obesity prevention.Whole-of-community intervention programs: These evaluate what works and what does not work in the real world of trying to get integrated action at the community level and how to get the maximum uptake by ch ....As obesity prevalence in children and adolescents continues to climb, there is an urgent need to build Australia's ability to undertake solutions-orientated research across several fronts. This program covers the four areas of greatest need for building research capacity in obesity prevention.Whole-of-community intervention programs: These evaluate what works and what does not work in the real world of trying to get integrated action at the community level and how to get the maximum uptake by children and adolescents, their families, schools and other community settings.Assessing the cost-effectiveness of interventions: This research combines existing and emerging evidence with new modeling techniques to estimate the costs, population impacts, and cost-effectiveness of a variety of interventions.Socio-cultural contexts for obesity prevention: This research seeks to understand the various attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values relating to food, physical activity and body size perception so that social marketing messages and intervention programs are socially and culturally appropriate and resonate with the variety of communities involved.Analysing policy processes and interventions: Policy changes are important early and powerful drivers of creating environments where the health choices are the easy choices, and the evidence base for such changes in obesity prevention is urgently needed.The four Lead Applicants in the team are all highly experienced researchers across the range of disciplines involved and are already working on a number of combined projects which will provide the research platform for the seven Team Investigators to build their skills. The Team Investigators are at various stages in their research careers and are already contributing to a significant extent. This capacity building grant will substantially boost this critical area of research by developing a team of cross-disciplinary researchers of international standing.Read moreRead less
A Solution Based Approach Developing Child Health Research With A Focus On Preventive Interventions For Common Childhood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,599,538.00
Summary
There is an increasing recognition that research into child health should focus not only on disease but also on common childhood disorders such as obesity, depression and poor literacy. In addition, such research should include solution-based activity. That is, child health research should have an active program of testing new interventions to prevent the onset of disorders, or to allow optimal early management. The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, the largest Australian child health resear ....There is an increasing recognition that research into child health should focus not only on disease but also on common childhood disorders such as obesity, depression and poor literacy. In addition, such research should include solution-based activity. That is, child health research should have an active program of testing new interventions to prevent the onset of disorders, or to allow optimal early management. The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, the largest Australian child health research institute, is in a very good position to develop Australia's capacity further with regard to a coordinated research program into preventative interventions in child health. This is because of: - the Institute's location at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, the largest paediatric health service provider in Australia - the many individual relevant research projects that are already occurring in MCRI - the strong existing teams of researchers with skills in many different fields of child health such as psychology, speech pathology, clinical-medical care, epidemiology and biostatistics, and laboratory science including genetics. This capacity building program will coordinate population health work to develop the knowledge and skills of eight population health researchers. This development will occur within the context of an internationally competitive research program with structured continuing education and training to promote public health leadership. The capacity building program will develop skills not only in study design, conduct and analysis, but also in collaboration and the translation of research findings into better health services, government policy and parental knowledge to prevent problems and improve the health and well being of children and their families. To care for children in the best way, parents, families, schools, health care providers, and government need the best evidence base possible on the prevention of common child disorders.Read moreRead less
Not Just Scholars But Leaders: Learning Circles In Indigenous Health Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,500,000.00
Summary
This collaborative research proposal brings together an outstanding team of population health researchers with a team of highly talented Indigenous achievers, including two medical doctors, two researchers who have completed doctorates and seven with Masters degrees. The primary aim of this capacity building grant is to develop a critical mass of Indigenous researchers undertaking high quality research into population health research priorities determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ....This collaborative research proposal brings together an outstanding team of population health researchers with a team of highly talented Indigenous achievers, including two medical doctors, two researchers who have completed doctorates and seven with Masters degrees. The primary aim of this capacity building grant is to develop a critical mass of Indigenous researchers undertaking high quality research into population health research priorities determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to link research findings into policy and practice. Over a period of five years, Indigenous researchers will be linked with centres of excellence in research elsewhere in Australia and internationally. The researchers will develop and enhance their skills in research around four major themes. The first aims to improve quality of relevant research, increase Indigenous people's participation in research and identify optimal ways of providing feedback of research findings. The second theme is around the provision and use of health services to develop a better understanding of the best and most cost-effective ways of providing preventive and acute care for Indigenous Australians. The third theme looks at lifestyle, behaviours and susceptibility to disease and the fourth theme at factors in people's lives that influence health in a positive way- pathways to resilience and wellbeing. At the end of the five year grant, the number of Indigenous people engaged in population health research will have increased substantially and some will be leading their own research teams. There will be a significant increase in population health research undertaken by Indigenous researchers on issues affecting the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. There will be improved mechanisms in place to ensure that evidence from research is used to inform policy decisions such as funding and appropriate interventions.Read moreRead less
This proposal aims to build research capacity and methodological sophistication in economic evaluation and priority setting in health. An unprecedented critical mass of Australian experts in economic evaluation will be created who can then train a new generation of researchers. The proposal covers the following topics: Assessing the impact of economic evaluation and priority setting methods on resource allocation in Australia to better understand the methodological, conceptual, practical and pol ....This proposal aims to build research capacity and methodological sophistication in economic evaluation and priority setting in health. An unprecedented critical mass of Australian experts in economic evaluation will be created who can then train a new generation of researchers. The proposal covers the following topics: Assessing the impact of economic evaluation and priority setting methods on resource allocation in Australia to better understand the methodological, conceptual, practical and political barriers to its use ('policy analysis'); Developing appropriate, valid and reliable utility measures that are culturally appropriate for Indigenous populations, children and carers ('utility measures'); Developing methods and tools for measuring non-health sector costs and benefits from a social perspective ('cost benefit'); Refining methods for adjusting cost-effectiveness results to reflect other values such as equity, applicability and feasibility ('second filter'); Exploring the usefulness and appropriateness of different modeling approaches used in economic evaluation ('modeling'); and Developing techniques to measure gains in overall health system efficiency from the adoption of cost-effective interventions ('efficiency'). The proposed outcomes are: An increased number of independent researchers with expertise in economic evaluation-priority setting who develop their own research programs; Establish a critical mass of researchers who can improve the standard and acceptance of economic evaluation and priority setting methods in health, including priority setting for Indigenous Australians and other groups with special needs; Value-adding to existing priority setting and economic evaluation projects by validating methods and developing new approaches; Effective linkages between researchers and policy makers, advocates and other stakeholders to increase appreciation of the use of economic evaluation and priority setting in health policy and clinical practice; and Research transfer through workshops, presentations and peer-reviewed publications.Read moreRead less
Building Capacity In Innovative Approaches To Health Technology Assessment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,552,136.00
Summary
This research will develop innovative approaches to health technology assessment by using a range of data sources analysed using sophisticated econometrics techniques. It will build capacity in new methods of economic evaluation and in econometric analysis of administrative and clinical trial data, using sophisticated approaches to combining data sources. This will allow fuller assessment of cost-effectiveness, incorporating a wide range of possible coverage scenarios and detailed monitoring.
Oral Health Research For The Australian Population
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,501,265.00
Summary
This program will build capacity and expertise in Australia s population health research workforce. The program will pursue the broad research theme adding value to oral health surveys . Over a period of five years, eight junior researchers will work on projects that enhance the value of six oral health surveys within the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health at The University of Adelaide. Projects will range from analysis of inflammation caused by periodontal (gum) disease in th ....This program will build capacity and expertise in Australia s population health research workforce. The program will pursue the broad research theme adding value to oral health surveys . Over a period of five years, eight junior researchers will work on projects that enhance the value of six oral health surveys within the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health at The University of Adelaide. Projects will range from analysis of inflammation caused by periodontal (gum) disease in the Australian population, to evaluation of school dental services provided over the last 30 years. Team investigators will work on these surveys to tackle public health problems confronting four distinct dental generations of Australians: _1) people in the oldest tooth loss generation who have lost, on average, half of their natural teeth; 2) the amalgam generation of middle-aged adults who had unprecedented numbers of cavities that are now filled - treatment that requires extensive maintenance and repair; 3) the younger fluoride generation that has historically-low rates of dental decay; 4) and today s pre-schoolers among whom there is disturbing evidence that oral disease is becoming concentrated within the most disadvantaged segments of the population. Their work will improve the information base needed to promote oral health and prevent oral illness in the Australian population.Read moreRead less