Individual, social and physical environmental influences on children's active transport and independent mobility. Childhood obesity is likely to have significant economic and social impacts on Australian society. Preventing further increases in this disease is crucial, particularly among children at high risk such as those living in rural or disadvantaged areas. The promotion of behaviours such as active transport may have a significant benefit for public health; however little is known about wh ....Individual, social and physical environmental influences on children's active transport and independent mobility. Childhood obesity is likely to have significant economic and social impacts on Australian society. Preventing further increases in this disease is crucial, particularly among children at high risk such as those living in rural or disadvantaged areas. The promotion of behaviours such as active transport may have a significant benefit for public health; however little is known about what influences active transport among children in rural or disadvantaged areas. This study will identify important factors influencing active transport and will directly inform strategies aiming to promote health and wellbeing, thereby creating a healthier generation of Australian children.Read moreRead less
Epidemiologic and economic approaches to reduce the burden of depression and related chronic diseases in the workforce. Employers and governments alike are increasingly recognising that mental health impacts productivity, but many employers remain uninformed about the magnitude of the productivity consequences and what they can do about it. The ongoing individual and economic burden from depressive and anxiety disorders among working adults necessitates multi-disciplinary solutions. This series ....Epidemiologic and economic approaches to reduce the burden of depression and related chronic diseases in the workforce. Employers and governments alike are increasingly recognising that mental health impacts productivity, but many employers remain uninformed about the magnitude of the productivity consequences and what they can do about it. The ongoing individual and economic burden from depressive and anxiety disorders among working adults necessitates multi-disciplinary solutions. This series of studies will provide nationally and internationally significant new data to both inform understanding of the magnitude of the problem, and to provide cost-effective solutions to addressing it. Findings will directly inform workplace mental health promotion and prevention activities and be usable by employers, clinicians, and governments.Read moreRead less
From risk factor analysis to translation: multiple sclerosis and vitamin D deficiency. This research on multiple sclerosis will focus on its causes and lifestyle factors that affect it and will trial vitamin D supplementation as a treatment. Studies on vitamin D deficiency in healthy populations aim to develop new public health recommendations on sun exposure and vitamin D that balance risk of skin cancer against vitamin D deficiency.
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.
Does binocular vision training enhance literacy among primary school children with poor reading? One in ten Australian children can not read well despite adequate intelligence and opportunity. This project aims to find out the extent that these reading problems reflect poor binocular vision (the eyes not working well together) and evaluate new treatments.