Intergeneration Growth And Risk Of Metaboloc Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,095,469.00
Summary
A compelling raft of studies has now shown that low birth weight predisposes to later, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and high cholesterol. The associations are clearly evident even after adjusting for important lifestyle factors, occupation, income, adult diet and socio-economic status. This has resulted in a new paradigm for understanding the transmission of disease risk from one generation to the next. A team of researchers based at the University o ....A compelling raft of studies has now shown that low birth weight predisposes to later, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and high cholesterol. The associations are clearly evident even after adjusting for important lifestyle factors, occupation, income, adult diet and socio-economic status. This has resulted in a new paradigm for understanding the transmission of disease risk from one generation to the next. A team of researchers based at the University of Adelaide led by Dr Davies has gained international recognition for being at the forefront of this research. Thirty years ago, the group established the Lucina cohort to study intergenerational health among women, and how conditions in pregnancy can affect the reproductive health of offspring in successive generations. Dr Davies and his team of researchers will expand this study in ways that were designed at the outset, but not commenced until now. This includes enrolling the traced mothers to study how their clinical experiences in pregnancy predict their own later risk of diabetes. We will also be seeking to enrol the siblings of the daughters so that we can identify events in pregnancies that predict which sibling is at increased risk of diabetes. Finally, the study will enrol the grandchildren and trace their birth records so that we can study the relationship between diabetes risk, intergenerational growth and how that risk can be substantially influenced by factors as basic as pre-pregnancy body weight and weight gain in pregnancy. The objective of this research is to grow healthier Australian babies, children and thereby healthier adults.Read moreRead less
Periconceptual Foundations For A Healthy Start To Life.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$11,022,802.00
Summary
Preconception and early pregnancy is a critical time for a women's health and that of her future child. New research suggests that a woman's genetic potential, her lifestyle and the physical and socioeconomic environment in which she lives, and her biological and social relationship with her male partner, all impact on the long term health of her baby. Abnormal events around the time of conception and in early pregnancy can predispose a newborn to later occurrence, in adult life, of conditions i ....Preconception and early pregnancy is a critical time for a women's health and that of her future child. New research suggests that a woman's genetic potential, her lifestyle and the physical and socioeconomic environment in which she lives, and her biological and social relationship with her male partner, all impact on the long term health of her baby. Abnormal events around the time of conception and in early pregnancy can predispose a newborn to later occurrence, in adult life, of conditions including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and stroke. These adverse events originate in the way that eggs and sperm develop, the uterus is prepared for implantation, the attachment of the early embryo to the lining of the uterus and subsequent growth of the placenta. This Program will study the early life events that promote or limit development of a baby's true potential for successful and healthy life. A better understanding of how lifestyle and environment interact with genes and biology to facilitate optimal growth of the fetus will underpin new preventative measures and therapeutic treatments for infertility, miscarriage and other reproductive disorders. The knowledge gained will inform health policy and clinical practise to improve reproductive health in all Australian women and promote healthy development in all Australian children. The team of researchers is a world-class group of clinicians, scientists and epidemiologists who have made major contributions to our understanding of this area. This team will interface with clinics and hospitals that engage with women prior to and during pregnancy, while having the influence to alter clinical and health practices as well as public health policies. The team will utilize the latest, most technologically advanced laboratory methods and clinical skills, including gene profiling, imaging of early pregnancy, randomised clinical trials and access to the best epidemiological and statistical assessments.Read moreRead less
Treating Adult Obesity: Can A Tailored, Low Cost Dietetic Service Turn Around The Obesity Epidemic?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$90,567.00
Summary
Dietitians are trained to treat obesity, yet Australia is in an obesity crisis. In this study we investigate the clinical service dietitians offer to treat obesity in adults from the dietitian and the client perspective. From this information, we will model a computer-based system with the ability to report financial, and health progress. This work will result in a model of care that is better, faster, more accessible, and improves the health of Australians.
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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101422
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$467,132.00
Summary
Co-creating critical health literacy interventions. This project aims to enhance critical health literacy in culturally and linguistically diverse communities in western Sydney. Never in history has there been such an abundance of health information from numerous sources, with varying degrees of trustworthiness. This project intends to work with communities to co-create scalable interventions which promote critical health literacy and support people to navigate and appraise the sea of available ....Co-creating critical health literacy interventions. This project aims to enhance critical health literacy in culturally and linguistically diverse communities in western Sydney. Never in history has there been such an abundance of health information from numerous sources, with varying degrees of trustworthiness. This project intends to work with communities to co-create scalable interventions which promote critical health literacy and support people to navigate and appraise the sea of available health (mis)information. This project expects to provide significant social and health benefits through the development of innovative health literacy research methods for use with culturally-diverse communities and scalable interventions with the capacity to enhance critical skills across communities.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
Addressing Inequalities In Women's Health: Research, Implementation And Scale Up Of Evidence Based Care To Improve Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,038.00
Summary
My women's reproductive health implementation research program addresses gaps in evidence based health care, builds the evidence for implementation and scale-up of effective interventions into policy and practice and drives health care improvement to deliver better health outcomes. The program focuses on i) specific groups who experience disadvantage through location or socio-economic disadvantage or health condition and ii) women at critical life stages (pre-conception and pregnancy)
Development of a comprehensive model and programmed intervention for emotion processing deficits in childhood-onset mental health problems. This research is in the National Research Priority, promoting and maintaining good health. Mental health problems cost Australia millions of dollars every year as well as creating immeasurable social adversity for individuals and families. The proposed research represents a significant step towards reducing these costs and improving the effectiveness of earl ....Development of a comprehensive model and programmed intervention for emotion processing deficits in childhood-onset mental health problems. This research is in the National Research Priority, promoting and maintaining good health. Mental health problems cost Australia millions of dollars every year as well as creating immeasurable social adversity for individuals and families. The proposed research represents a significant step towards reducing these costs and improving the effectiveness of early intervention and prevention. The research will lead to improvements in methods for early detection of child psychopathology with potential for implementation in both community health and educational services nation-wide. The research partnership will build Australia's capacity for innovative research in the development, early intervention and treatment of mental health problems.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