Physical Activity And Nutrition For Seniors (PANS)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$477,956.00
Summary
Research has shown that participation in physical activity and the consumption of a healthy diet for older people can produce significant health benefits. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a low cost, accessible, sustainable and replicable, home based physical activity and nutrition program for older people aged 55 to 70 that will ultimately reduce chronic disease (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease), and improve mental health.
An Intervention To Improve The Nutrition And Physical Activity Behaviours In Mothers With Young Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$474,780.00
Summary
The aim of the project is to develop, implement and evaluate a six-month community based intervention that will improve the nutrition and physical activity behaviours of mothers with young children. As mothers are a major influence among the family, an intervention that successfully improves physical activity and nutrition behaviours will also impact on behaviours of the whole family making it a 'whole family' approach.
A Randomized Trial Of The Impact Of A Multi-intervention Anti-tobacco Strategy In 8 Indigenous Communities.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,750.00
Summary
Tobacco smoking represents the major risk to life and health within Australian Indigenous communities. Survey data suggest that prevalence rates for the Indigenous community are more than twice those of the non-Indigenous population. These rates are reflected in the pattern of mortality and morbidity within Indigenous communities. During the period 1989-1999 the smoking-related death rate amongst Indigenous Queenslanders was almost three times greater than that of non-Indigenous Queenslanders. A ....Tobacco smoking represents the major risk to life and health within Australian Indigenous communities. Survey data suggest that prevalence rates for the Indigenous community are more than twice those of the non-Indigenous population. These rates are reflected in the pattern of mortality and morbidity within Indigenous communities. During the period 1989-1999 the smoking-related death rate amongst Indigenous Queenslanders was almost three times greater than that of non-Indigenous Queenslanders. Additionally, tobacco smoking is a major contributing factor in many conditions that constitute significant Indigenous health problems. The natural history of smoking also differs between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Indigenous smokers start younger, are more likely to develop smoking-related conditions and tend to die younger than non-Indigenous smokers. Despite the above statistics, there is little published data on the effectiveness of anti-smoking interventions within Australia's Indigenous populations. Lessons from non-Indigenous communities suggest that the most successful strategies are those that target populations at many different levels. Rather than one isolated intervention, such strategies may include policy initiatives, training and education of health staff, community education and awareness campaigns and increased access to cessation techniques. Indigenous communities generally lack the capacity to initiate these type of tobacco control strategies. This project aims to examine the impact of a multi-intervention anti-tobacco strategy within north Queensland Indigenous communities. The project has three broad aims: 1) to increase the capacity of health services to implement and deliver anti-tobacco interventions; 2) to increase community knowledge and awareness of the risks of smoking and 3) to decrease the level of tobacco consumption within communities.Read moreRead less
The Receptor-associated Protein (RAP) As A Molecular Chaperone For The Amyloid Protein (Abeta) Of Alzheimers Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$402,403.00
Summary
Our research will examine the role of a protein known as the receptor-associated protein (RAP) in Alzheimer's disease. We will determine whether the protein contributes to the progression of Alzheimer's disease and we will examine the possiblity that that RAP may be used as a drug to treat the disease. The project could potentially have direct benefit for patients by leading to an effective treatment for dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Alcohol Control, Consumption And Consequences: Time Series Analyses Of The Australian Experience
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$308,631.00
Summary
The study will be the first in Australia to systematically examine the relationships between population level alcohol consumption and mortality from specific causes such as liver disease, injuries and heart disease, with significant implications for epidemiology and health policy. The study will also undertake rigorous evaluations of the impact of historic changes to alcohol policies, which will provide evidence which can be used to guide future alcohol policy.
Buckle Up Safely: Pre-school Based Interventions For Appropriate Use Of Child Restraints.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$731,552.00
Summary
Despite overwhelming evidence that child restraints dramatically reduce the risk of death and injury there are currently a large number of children globally who either do not use appropriate child restraints, or misuse them, contributing to the overwhelming burden of road traffic injury in children. This project, using rigorous methodology, will assess the efficacy of feasible, evidence based interventions aimed at increased use of appropriate restraints, and decreasing misuse.
Economic Evaluation Of PRISM: A Community Based Intervention Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$512,845.00
Summary
This project evaluates the costs and outcomes of PRISM (Program of Resources, Information and Support to Mothers). PRISM is a community based intervention designed to promote the physical and mental health of mothers. This research project seeks to evaluate the costs and outcomes of the PRISM intervention in order to help inform judgements about its value. PRISM is being introduced in 8 local communities in Victoria with a further 8 communities acting as comparators. The full costs of the interv ....This project evaluates the costs and outcomes of PRISM (Program of Resources, Information and Support to Mothers). PRISM is a community based intervention designed to promote the physical and mental health of mothers. This research project seeks to evaluate the costs and outcomes of the PRISM intervention in order to help inform judgements about its value. PRISM is being introduced in 8 local communities in Victoria with a further 8 communities acting as comparators. The full costs of the intervention will be measured as will the impact the intervention has on the physical and mental health of mothers. Estimates of the intervention's economic benefits, that is the value that community members attach to the intervention's main outcomes will also be ascertained. In this way it is possible to judge whether or not the benefits of PRISM are worth its costs. Advanced statistical techniques will be used to ascertain the extent to which improved health outcomes in mothers are determined by individual, organisational or community-level factors.Read moreRead less
After Hours Medical Care And Personal Safety Needs Of Urban General Practitioners
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$73,250.00
Summary
Experiences of violence and aggression are widespread within the health care field. Episodes of violence and aggression against general practitioners (GPs) in their working environment are not uncommon. These incidents frequently go unreported and the toll they take on GPs, on a personal as well as a professional level, is unknown. The frequency and severity of violence experienced by some health professionals is extreme. Such experiences may undermine the confidence and commitment of GPs and ma ....Experiences of violence and aggression are widespread within the health care field. Episodes of violence and aggression against general practitioners (GPs) in their working environment are not uncommon. These incidents frequently go unreported and the toll they take on GPs, on a personal as well as a professional level, is unknown. The frequency and severity of violence experienced by some health professionals is extreme. Such experiences may undermine the confidence and commitment of GPs and may inevitably have detrimental effects on health care services. Studies in the UK indicate that violence against general practitioners is increasing, violence against GPs in rural areas of Australia is also increasing but there have been no comparable studies carried out in our major cities. This research aims to ask general practitioners working in a range of different urban areas around NSW to describe their experiences of dealing with violent and aggressive patients. The study will be the first of its kind in Australia to provide an important insight into the level of violent and aggressive behaviour GPs are subjected to in city areas. One of the key areas of concern that has been reported in medical journals and the general press has been an increase in attacks on GPs making house-calls, this project will therefore be particularly focussed on GPs who provide after hours care. This study is important so in order to find out exactly what the incidence of violence against our urban general practitioners is, what type of violence is actually occurring, where it is occurring, who the perpetrators are, and also what the longer term psychological effects of abuse against general practitioners may be. The findings from this study will be used by the Commonwealth Government and Health Departments to plan better ways of providing after hours medical care. The findings may also be used to educate GPs and medical students about safety in the workplace.Read moreRead less
Regional Immunosuppression For Corneal Transplantation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$268,264.00
Summary
Blindness exerts major physical, emotional and economic constraints and hardship upon the sufferer. Corneal transplantation is a well-accepted surgical treatment for visual impairment caused by opacification of the cornea, the transparent window at the front of the eye. Corneas for transplantation are retrieved from people who have recently died, after permission has been sought from the donor's family. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of corneal transplants fail because they are recogniz ....Blindness exerts major physical, emotional and economic constraints and hardship upon the sufferer. Corneal transplantation is a well-accepted surgical treatment for visual impairment caused by opacification of the cornea, the transparent window at the front of the eye. Corneas for transplantation are retrieved from people who have recently died, after permission has been sought from the donor's family. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of corneal transplants fail because they are recognized as foreign, and undergo rejection by the recipient. Once a corneal graft has failed, it is no longer transparent to light. A number of novel interventions are being developed to reduce the incidence of corneal graft rejection, but at present it is uncertain exactly how these should be delivered to the patient. The research described in this application is designed to discover how therapeutic agents and interventions can best be targeted, to prevent corneal graft rejection. Overcoming an unwanted immune response would improve the outcome of corneal transplantation by as much as thirty percent.Read moreRead less
Design And Analysis Of Interrupted Time Series Studies In Health Care Research: Resolution Of Methodological Issues
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,125.00
Summary
An interrupted time series (ITS) study involves a population observed on multiple occasions before and after the implementation of an intervention program. However, methods for statistical analysis and designing such studies have not been well developed and many statistical analyses of such studies are flawed. This proposal will investigate appropriate methods for design and analysis, and develop guidelines and software for its implementation by health researchers.