Formulating New Goals For Global Health And Proposing New Governance For Global Health That Will Allow The Achievement Of These Goals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,017.00
Summary
The Millennium Development Goals have guided global development since 2000, and are due for evaluation in 2015. Attention is now turning to New Health-Related Goals, with a governance structure to support their implementation. Australian researchers are joining a Go4Health consortium of 13 research institutions to research the development of these goals, examining the input of United Nations agencies and key donors into the process, together with communities, civil society and governments.
Reducing Sugar Sweetened Beverages Consumption Among Young Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$671,119.00
Summary
Reducing consumption of sugary drinks (or sugar-sweetened beverages) would improve the healthiness of young Australians’ diets and help protect them from obesity. Young Australians drink sugary rinks in high qualities, and they contribute a lot of ‘empty calories’ to the diet. They are also known to cause tooth decay, obesity and diabetes. This study will test the effectiveness of consumer information/warning labels at point of purchase and on packaging in reducing the purchase of SSBs.
Cost Effectiveness Of Salt Reduction Interventions In Pacific Islands
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,045,593.00
Summary
This project will assess the impact and cost effectiveness of interventions to reduce salt intake in Fiji and Samoa. Precise data on salt consumption patterns amongst selected groups of adults at baseline will inform the development of subsequent interventions which will focus on changing both the food supply and consumer knowledge and behaviour. Repeat monitoring using the same indicators on completion of the intervention will enable quantification of the impact and examination of likely criter ....This project will assess the impact and cost effectiveness of interventions to reduce salt intake in Fiji and Samoa. Precise data on salt consumption patterns amongst selected groups of adults at baseline will inform the development of subsequent interventions which will focus on changing both the food supply and consumer knowledge and behaviour. Repeat monitoring using the same indicators on completion of the intervention will enable quantification of the impact and examination of likely criteria for successful interventions.Read moreRead less
Working Longer: Policy Reforms And Practice Innovations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,162,805.00
Summary
A popular response to increased longevity is to suggest that older workers should work longer. But working longer involves changes to established policies, practices, and institutions, which are currently built around retiring earlier. The project will forecast demographic and health transition in Australia and develop capacity to analyze the likely economic and workplace adjustments that population ageing will generate. It will examine the extent to which ñworking longerî is an appropriate resp ....A popular response to increased longevity is to suggest that older workers should work longer. But working longer involves changes to established policies, practices, and institutions, which are currently built around retiring earlier. The project will forecast demographic and health transition in Australia and develop capacity to analyze the likely economic and workplace adjustments that population ageing will generate. It will examine the extent to which ñworking longerî is an appropriate response to this transition, and analyze how the labour market for older workers might evolve, taking account of individual circumstances (health, financial status, dependant care) and institutional practices (age discrimination, employment conditions, work organization), as well as regulatory and policy impacts. The overall objective of the program is to develop a multi-disciplinary knowledge base to inform integrated policy and institutional (or practice) improvement in the labour market for the elderly. Its contribution will be to improve the institutional and policy framework within which households and firms operate, with the aim of modifying workplace practices and policy and institutional constraints to encourage a more vibrant labour market for older workers. Specifically the program of research will: Assess the demographic and economic impacts of working longer under alternative policy and institutional (practice) scenarios; Provide alternative pension, superannuation, finance and taxation designs to encourage labour force participation of older people; Identify employment strategies to enhance the health and safety of older workers; Develop strategies to facilitate workforce re-entry of older workers, including gender-specific considerations; and Provide an integrated set of recommendations to create policy and practice partnerships which facilitate a labour market conducive to increased mature-age participation.Read moreRead less
Communicating Health: Optimising Engagement And Retention Using Social Media
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$950,060.00
Summary
In order to impact on health, young people need to be engaged and retained in health interventions. The application of social media to engage, retain and promote health behaviour change in this target group has enormous potential but is poorly researched. This project will engage young people of all incomes and education from across Australia and assess their attitudes and behaviours and determine most effective social media content and delivery to optimise engagement and retention.
LIFEPATH: Life-course Biological Pathways Underlying Social Differences In Healthy Ageing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,466.00
Summary
Healthy ageing varies across society due to environmental, behavioural and social circumstances that affect peoples’ lives. To improve our ability to change this we will investigate suspected biological mechanisms over the life course. Using repeated blood samples collected during a large prospective study, we will measure a very large number of biological markers and analyse these combined with lifestyle and behavioural information to identify the modifiable predictors of healthy ageing.
N-glycan Profiling As A Risk Stratification Biomarker For Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$549,644.00
Summary
This study sets out to establish an N-glycan biomarker profile of suboptimal health in a well-established cohort of adult Australians, the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study (BHAS) and Chinese (SHS cohort) . This biomarker profile will contribute to the future development of N-glycan traits as a tool for (i) risk prediction of chronic disease onset, in particular those chronic conditions that constitute type II diabetes mellitus, and (ii) the prediction of a patient’s response to treatment.
Eating Disorder Prevention In Young-adult Women At Risk: A Randomised Controlled Trial Of Two Online Programs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$264,434.00
Summary
Disordered eating is experienced by 23% of young Australian women leading to a range of serious consequences. An online nation-wide study will evaluate the effectiveness of two promising prevention programs with women at high-risk of developing an eating disorder. This research will identify which program is of most benefit and inform whether that program can reduce the need for participants to access mental and physical health services.
Harnessing The Power Of Elite Sport Sponsorship To Promote Healthy Eating By Young Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$304,220.00
Summary
Concerns have been raised about the role of unhealthy food sponsorship of elite sport in promoting unhealthy diets to vast numbers of the public, including young adults who are avid spectators of sport. This innovative project consists of two studies which systematically investigate the utility of alternative, health-oriented sport sponsorship models and counter-advertising strategies in promoting healthier diets among young adults.
Breast Cancer Risk After Diagnostic Gene Sequencing (BRIDGES)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$471,281.00
Summary
In BRIDGES, we aim to build a knowledge base to better define individual breast cancer risk. We bring together, in a multidisciplinary team, data and expertise from clinical genetics, epidemiology, bioinformatics, statistics, and gene biology. Specifically, we will use state-of-the art DNA screening to evaluate all suspected breast cancer genes in a large sample of breast cancer cases and controls. We will then use in silico and in vitro functional analyses to evaluate the likely pathogenicity o