Sleepy and sitting: a dual curse for the modern workforce? This project aims to generate new knowledge about the impact of inadequate sleep and prolonged sitting on health markers and performance. Many workers, particularly those working outside standard hours, experience both prolonged sitting and inadequate sleep. Expected outcomes of this project include critical evidence to address the dual burden experienced by a large population of workers who are both sleepy and sitting. This should provi ....Sleepy and sitting: a dual curse for the modern workforce? This project aims to generate new knowledge about the impact of inadequate sleep and prolonged sitting on health markers and performance. Many workers, particularly those working outside standard hours, experience both prolonged sitting and inadequate sleep. Expected outcomes of this project include critical evidence to address the dual burden experienced by a large population of workers who are both sleepy and sitting. This should provide significant benefits for the many working Australians whose health and safety is compromised due to their exposure to inadequate sleep and prolonged sitting. It will also contribute to the evidence-base for workplace policies and public health guidelines.Read moreRead less
Sleeping with one ear open: the impact on sleep and waking function. The aim of the project is to assess the impact 'on-call' work has on sleep, stress, and next day performance. Two million Australians are on-call providing essential 24-hour services including emergency response. While sleep during on-call periods is disrupted when a call occurs, some research suggests that sleeping with one ear open waiting for a call may disrupt sleep even if no call occurs. If on-call sleep is less restorati ....Sleeping with one ear open: the impact on sleep and waking function. The aim of the project is to assess the impact 'on-call' work has on sleep, stress, and next day performance. Two million Australians are on-call providing essential 24-hour services including emergency response. While sleep during on-call periods is disrupted when a call occurs, some research suggests that sleeping with one ear open waiting for a call may disrupt sleep even if no call occurs. If on-call sleep is less restorative, then individuals are at risk of performance impairment and adverse health outcomes. This project aims to answer questions about the magnitude of sleep disruption when on-call, the mechanisms for any disruption, and impact on waking function.Read moreRead less
A prospective study of the transition to grandparenthood: psychosocial adjustment, well-being and productive ageing. Given the increasingly common childcare role that grandparents are required to play in Australian society, and the increasing demands of grandparenting, potential benefits arising from this study adhere to the requirements of the National Research Priority Area "Promoting and Maintaining Good Health." They include: identifying the characteristics of the group of grandparents for w ....A prospective study of the transition to grandparenthood: psychosocial adjustment, well-being and productive ageing. Given the increasingly common childcare role that grandparents are required to play in Australian society, and the increasing demands of grandparenting, potential benefits arising from this study adhere to the requirements of the National Research Priority Area "Promoting and Maintaining Good Health." They include: identifying the characteristics of the group of grandparents for whom the change of role and lifestyle produces negative effects; providing increased awareness in health professionals and the lay community about this subgroup, enabling appropriate early identification and intervention; supplying evidence-based data to inform strategies to reduce stress in the grandparents and improve the quality of childcare they provide.Read moreRead less
Mapping the developmental trajectories of foster families. Currently lacking in Australian research on foster care is a developmental account of foster families. This research will, through an ethnographic study of foster families, provide a map of the unique shapes that foster families take, and will provide much needed information about the support needs of both foster carers and children.
Brief naps as a countermeasure to fatigue. The proposed research will be necessary in order to identify the best length of nap to reduce fatigue both in the afternoon and in the early morning hours. It may also discover that naps of certain lengths may impair performance and safety under some conditions. Thus the proposed research is crucial in order to develop a non-drug countermeasure for fatigue in conditions of impaired performance and safety. Therefore, it will play an important occupati ....Brief naps as a countermeasure to fatigue. The proposed research will be necessary in order to identify the best length of nap to reduce fatigue both in the afternoon and in the early morning hours. It may also discover that naps of certain lengths may impair performance and safety under some conditions. Thus the proposed research is crucial in order to develop a non-drug countermeasure for fatigue in conditions of impaired performance and safety. Therefore, it will play an important occupational health and safety role on the job in the afternoon day shift and the early morning during night shift work.. Furthermore, it will improve general quality and productivity of life in a culture of increasing fatigue.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101734
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,622.00
Summary
Should I stay or should I go? Increasing natural disaster preparedness and survival through animal attachment. This project will determine the extent to which people's willingness to risk their lives to save animals during natural disasters could be reinterpreted as a protective factor by motivating preparedness. This information will be used to create effective public health campaigns designed to increase natural disaster preparedness and save lives.
Children's memory for traumatic events. Many children are exposed to negative and distressing events. Understanding the processes underlying memories of such events is critical, especially in the present world climate in which the Australian public is increasingly confronted with threats of terrorism and other negative world events. This research will contribute directly to understanding why some children develop maladaptive responses to major life events, and others appear to adjust with few ps ....Children's memory for traumatic events. Many children are exposed to negative and distressing events. Understanding the processes underlying memories of such events is critical, especially in the present world climate in which the Australian public is increasingly confronted with threats of terrorism and other negative world events. This research will contribute directly to understanding why some children develop maladaptive responses to major life events, and others appear to adjust with few psychological difficulties. The research will pinpoint better management strategies for children affected by trauma by improved understanding of how traumatic memories are developed, as well as identifying critical variables that are amenable to change early after trauma exposure.Read moreRead less
The NSW child development study. Research shows that a child's development predicts health and social outcomes later in life. This Australian project will be the first to identify risk and protective factors associated with these outcomes in 87,000 children from birth to 10 years. The results will help inform governments to improve our children's health and educational achievements.
Normative study of a checklist of emotional and behavioural disturbance in adults with intellectual disability. People with intellectual disability (ID) are three times more likely to suffer mental illness than the general community, making this a bigger problem than schizophrenia. They are a great burden to their carers and cost to the community but their mental health problems remain largely untreated. This study aims to conduct the largest and most comprehensive survey of the mental health ....Normative study of a checklist of emotional and behavioural disturbance in adults with intellectual disability. People with intellectual disability (ID) are three times more likely to suffer mental illness than the general community, making this a bigger problem than schizophrenia. They are a great burden to their carers and cost to the community but their mental health problems remain largely untreated. This study aims to conduct the largest and most comprehensive survey of the mental health of adults with ID that has been undertaken internationally to date. The population will cover the age span of late adolescence (16 years) through the transition to adult life then through to the elderly. The research will establish the prevalence and nature of mental illness and potential risk factors in a large representative population of adults with ID.Read moreRead less
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