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.
Theorising and understanding how policy processes affect uptake of evidence on social determinants of health and equity in Australian health policy. This project determines how to apply recent recommendations from the World Health Organisation about the social determinants of health to Australia. Analysis of health sector policies, including detailed case studies, will determine how governments can shape policy and implementation processes to improve Australia’s health.
New directions in health inequalities research: understanding the intersection between housing, employment and health in Australia. People employed on a casual basis in Australia are nearly three times more likely to live in a household that is in housing affordability stress than their permanently employed counterparts. Employment and housing are both determinants of health. While social inclusion, employment and housing affordability are critical components of the government's current social p ....New directions in health inequalities research: understanding the intersection between housing, employment and health in Australia. People employed on a casual basis in Australia are nearly three times more likely to live in a household that is in housing affordability stress than their permanently employed counterparts. Employment and housing are both determinants of health. While social inclusion, employment and housing affordability are critical components of the government's current social policy agenda, articulation between these policy domains is limited and little researched. This important study will provide robust evidence on the ways that housing and employment interact to both cause and prevent health inequities. This will directly benefit agencies delivering services to vulnerable people and contribute to an evidence base of benefit to policy makers.Read moreRead less
Understanding middle-aged women’s responses to alcohol/breast cancer risks. This project aims to identify the nature of alcohol consumption patterns by Australian women aged 45-64 in different socio-economic status groups, and how these are shaped in response to considerations of trust and future health risks. The project will focus on the known risk of alcohol for the development of breast cancer, which is particularly important given that Australian culture is saturated by alcohol use, marketi ....Understanding middle-aged women’s responses to alcohol/breast cancer risks. This project aims to identify the nature of alcohol consumption patterns by Australian women aged 45-64 in different socio-economic status groups, and how these are shaped in response to considerations of trust and future health risks. The project will focus on the known risk of alcohol for the development of breast cancer, which is particularly important given that Australian culture is saturated by alcohol use, marketing and social acceptability. This project aims to identify new strategies to transform behaviour change initiatives, which may differ by socio-economic status group. The project will be a model for national and global initiatives that seek to develop highly effective alcohol reduction messages and reduce alcohol-related harms.Read moreRead less
'Just right' job design: A new model using the Goldilocks paradigm. This proposal will generate new knowledge about designing jobs with the right amount of human movement. Prolonged sitting is now a serious work hazard that contributes to cardiovascular risk and obesity. The high incidence of these conditions in many work systems, such as rail, also presents a critical safety hazard due to threat of sudden incapacity while driving. Expected project outcomes are a ‘Just Right’ Job Design model sh ....'Just right' job design: A new model using the Goldilocks paradigm. This proposal will generate new knowledge about designing jobs with the right amount of human movement. Prolonged sitting is now a serious work hazard that contributes to cardiovascular risk and obesity. The high incidence of these conditions in many work systems, such as rail, also presents a critical safety hazard due to threat of sudden incapacity while driving. Expected project outcomes are a ‘Just Right’ Job Design model showing how tasks can be designed to enhance safety and health while maintaining productivity, and in the unlikeliest of workplaces. This will provide significant benefits for the many working Australians whose safety and health are compromised by exposure to prolonged sitting in seemingly intractable environments.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.
Public and ethical responses to mandated alcohol warning labels about increased long-term risk of cancer. This project will determine how the Australian public will respond to the proposed introduction of alcohol product warning labels. It will establish how such at point of sale messages can acceptably and effectively inform Australians about the long-term, but modifiable, cancer risk associated with alcohol use and reduce the national cancer burden.
Effectiveness of Intervention Strategies to Promote Physical Activity Among Insufficiently Active Adults. This project will determine the cost-effectiveness of 2 types of physical activity (PA) interventions based around the workplace. 480 participants will be randomly assigned to PA intervention groups or controls. Interventions are either a (1) self-regulated, pedometer-based program or a (2) semi-structured, 40-day initiation to more moderately-vigorous PA. Both are designed to increase self- ....Effectiveness of Intervention Strategies to Promote Physical Activity Among Insufficiently Active Adults. This project will determine the cost-effectiveness of 2 types of physical activity (PA) interventions based around the workplace. 480 participants will be randomly assigned to PA intervention groups or controls. Interventions are either a (1) self-regulated, pedometer-based program or a (2) semi-structured, 40-day initiation to more moderately-vigorous PA. Both are designed to increase self-efficacy and impact on positive PA behaviours. Long-term, behavioural change and job-related outcomes will be evaluated by following participants for 12 months after the interventions.Read moreRead less
Weighing the impact: How do Australian families interpret and respond to population messaging about obesity, weight loss and physical activity? How do adults and adolescents - both fat and thin - respond to the range of obesity messages that they are exposed to in their everyday lives? This study investigates the attitudes and opinions of 150 families about current obesity campaigns, and will develop a practical template for improving current obesity messaging strategies.
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