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
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.
How Do Lay People Understand The Risk Of Developing Cancer? A Qualitative Study Using Grounded Theory Procedures.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$282,118.00
Summary
This project is about cancer risk. New discoveries are regularly made about the contribution of genes, environmental exposures, and lifestyles to cancer risk. These findings are often reported in the mass media, or used in television advertising to encourage us to attend cancer screening or change our habits. Some cancers are said to be almost entirely preventable. In fact some experts argue that whether or not we get cancer is largely our own responsibility. This study doesn't ask what causes c ....This project is about cancer risk. New discoveries are regularly made about the contribution of genes, environmental exposures, and lifestyles to cancer risk. These findings are often reported in the mass media, or used in television advertising to encourage us to attend cancer screening or change our habits. Some cancers are said to be almost entirely preventable. In fact some experts argue that whether or not we get cancer is largely our own responsibility. This study doesn't ask what causes cancer. Instead it asks what the risk of developing cancer means to Australians and in Australian society. This question will be answered by conducting a rigorous analysis of healthy lay people's descriptions of their own and others' risk of developing cancer. The researchers will talk with a wide range of people about cancer risk. They will ask: how do we think about cancer risk for ourselves? how do we engage with information about cancer risk? Do we listen to it? Do we trust it? Does it make sense to us? What do we think should be done about it? The resulting findings will be compared with the assumptions that underlie cancer prevention activities. Finally, the discoveries made about similarities and differences will be actively translated for expert and lay audiences. There have been many studies of what it is like to be a cancer patient or to be screened for cancer. But there has been very little systematic study of the way in which healthy Australians make sense of cancer risk. This study will develop a detailed model of what cancer risk means to Australians. It will provide new knowledge to researchers and practitioners in public health, health psychology and sociology, and risk communication, guiding communication about cancer risk and research about cancer risk well into the future. It will help lay people and professionals to communicate more effectively about cancer risk, and thus support continuing improvement in cancer prevention in Australia.Read moreRead less
Implementation and evaluation of a program to reduce alcohol and related problems among farm men and women. Farming is pivotal to Australia's food production and economy; yet farm communities are under great stress. The Sustainable Farm Families program aims to strengthen rural communities across Australia, and our project will add an important component to it by producing an evidence-based strategy for encouraging farm men and women to adopt more positive alcohol-related behaviours that will l ....Implementation and evaluation of a program to reduce alcohol and related problems among farm men and women. Farming is pivotal to Australia's food production and economy; yet farm communities are under great stress. The Sustainable Farm Families program aims to strengthen rural communities across Australia, and our project will add an important component to it by producing an evidence-based strategy for encouraging farm men and women to adopt more positive alcohol-related behaviours that will lead to better physical and mental health. We expect that our project will reduce the level of dangerous alcohol consumption and enhance the economic, social and cultural fabric of rural Australia.Read moreRead less
Selling The Punt: An interdisciplinary analysis of the extent and impact of sports wagering marketing strategies in Australia. Sports wagering is the fastest growing segment of the gambling market in Australia. Despite widespread concern about the impact of marketing strategies on the risky consumption of wagering products by young men and adolescents, research and policy has failed to keep up with this rapidly growing industry. This study will provide: detailed information about the range of ma ....Selling The Punt: An interdisciplinary analysis of the extent and impact of sports wagering marketing strategies in Australia. Sports wagering is the fastest growing segment of the gambling market in Australia. Despite widespread concern about the impact of marketing strategies on the risky consumption of wagering products by young men and adolescents, research and policy has failed to keep up with this rapidly growing industry. This study will provide: detailed information about the range of marketing strategies used to sell sports wagering in Australia; important qualitative insights into the impact of these marketing strategies on gambling behaviours; and, recommendations for a comprehensive public health approach to help counter the potential long and short term risks associated with sports wagering marketing.Read moreRead less
A study of contemporary family, social and cultural influences on first-time mothers' decisions about infant feeding and early parenting practices. Children who are never breastfed are more likely to experience respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, diabetes and as adults, high blood pressure, obesity and type-2 diabetes. This study of infant feeding decision-making in first-time mothers will inform strategies, grounded in the daily lives of women and families to assist mothers to breastfeed f ....A study of contemporary family, social and cultural influences on first-time mothers' decisions about infant feeding and early parenting practices. Children who are never breastfed are more likely to experience respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, diabetes and as adults, high blood pressure, obesity and type-2 diabetes. This study of infant feeding decision-making in first-time mothers will inform strategies, grounded in the daily lives of women and families to assist mothers to breastfeed for longer particularly in communities where breastfeeding is not the norm. Increased support for breastfeeding women from family, community and health professionals is likely to reduce the distress reported by many new mothers. Strategic application of findings will lead to health gains from increased breastfeeding and translate into significant cost savings for the Australian health system. Read moreRead less
Understanding and preventing mental health difficulties in young Australian men using the Internet. Mental health is a major public health problem in Australia. Young men are particularly vulnerable to suicide, drug and alcohol problems and yet fail to seek appropriate help. The Internet is currently accessed by 85% of Australia's youth and yet very little evidence exists which examines the capacity of the Internet to engage young men and promote help seeking. This project will build an evidence ....Understanding and preventing mental health difficulties in young Australian men using the Internet. Mental health is a major public health problem in Australia. Young men are particularly vulnerable to suicide, drug and alcohol problems and yet fail to seek appropriate help. The Internet is currently accessed by 85% of Australia's youth and yet very little evidence exists which examines the capacity of the Internet to engage young men and promote help seeking. This project will build an evidence base which explores how innovative on-line strategies and social marketing can effectively promote help seeking behaviour and improve mental health outcomes for young men. Read moreRead less
Influences on farmer suicide in Queensland and New South Wales. Australian farmers have been identified as being at high-risk of suicide. This project will provide direction for targeted suicide prevention strategies by quantifying the individual and environmental factors that place farmers at higher risk of suicide, as well as the protective factors that may buffer against suicide and suicidal behaviours.
Improving the physical and oral health of people with severe mental illness: using Normalisation Process Theory to support new practices. The physical health of people with severe mental illness is extremely poor, often due to inadequate attention to their health needs by health professionals in primary care and the public mental health system. This project will focus on how practices can be changed to improve the health of this population and increase their access to preventative healthcare.