Reforming evidence synthesis and translation for food and nutrition policy. This project aims to develop and evaluate a ‘Fit-for-Purpose’ framework to strategically guide evidence synthesis and translation for food and nutrition policies in order to effectively and safely tackle contemporary nutrition and food security problems. The project intends to use interdisciplinary approaches that integrate nutrition science, health promotion and policy science. The project would also examine policy-make ....Reforming evidence synthesis and translation for food and nutrition policy. This project aims to develop and evaluate a ‘Fit-for-Purpose’ framework to strategically guide evidence synthesis and translation for food and nutrition policies in order to effectively and safely tackle contemporary nutrition and food security problems. The project intends to use interdisciplinary approaches that integrate nutrition science, health promotion and policy science. The project would also examine policy-maker acceptance of the framework. Expected project outcomes include an enhanced capacity to critically analyse existing policies and guide future food and nutrition policy formulation and evaluation. This project would provide significant benefits by helping to promote public health, wellbeing and food system sustainability.Read moreRead less
The impact of gambling advertising, promotions, and sponsorship on children. This project aims to provide new and informative qualitative data aimed at preventing and reducing children’s exposure to gambling advertising, promotion and sponsorship (GAPS) in sport. It uses a Commercial Determinants of Health Framework which investigates the impact of industry mechanisms on health outcomes. It explores this issue from three perspectives - children; sporting organisations; and policy makers. The pro ....The impact of gambling advertising, promotions, and sponsorship on children. This project aims to provide new and informative qualitative data aimed at preventing and reducing children’s exposure to gambling advertising, promotion and sponsorship (GAPS) in sport. It uses a Commercial Determinants of Health Framework which investigates the impact of industry mechanisms on health outcomes. It explores this issue from three perspectives - children; sporting organisations; and policy makers. The project will have significant policy benefits by providing important evidence about the impact of gambling industry marketing strategies within sport, the decision making processes associated with gambling policy, and identifying leverage points for improving strategies to prevent GAPS from having a negative impact on children. Read moreRead less
Weight stigma in the preconception, pregnancy and postpartum periods. The overall aim of this project is to develop guidance for the translation of weight stigma evidence into preconception, pregnancy and postpartum obesity-related policy. It focuses on the socio-ecological factors that perpetuate weight stigma in women across the reproductive life phase, that is, in women planning a pregnancy, in women who are pregnant and in mothers who have given birth within a 24-month period.
Improving young people's online safety when talking about suicide. This project aims to improve the safety and quality of online communication about suicide by young people. Suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians and rates continue to rise. One commonly cited explanation for this is the way in which young people use social media to communicate about suicide. This project will directly address this by testing the impact of a set of evidence-informed guidelines and campaign ....Improving young people's online safety when talking about suicide. This project aims to improve the safety and quality of online communication about suicide by young people. Suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians and rates continue to rise. One commonly cited explanation for this is the way in which young people use social media to communicate about suicide. This project will directly address this by testing the impact of a set of evidence-informed guidelines and campaign materials that target young people’s capacity to communicate about suicide safely on social media. Expected outcomes of this project include increased online safety for young people. This study also has national and international significance for the social media industry and the safe governance of their platforms. Read moreRead less
Criminal justice outcomes of injecting drug use and methamphetamine smoking. Injection drug use (IDU) and methamphetamine smoking are associated with the majority of illicit drug-related harms and associated costs in Australia. We will extend our studies of people who inject drugs and people who smoke methamphetamine through record linkage to social and criminal justice datasets. We will characterise the trajectories of participants through social services (e.g. public housing) and law enforceme ....Criminal justice outcomes of injecting drug use and methamphetamine smoking. Injection drug use (IDU) and methamphetamine smoking are associated with the majority of illicit drug-related harms and associated costs in Australia. We will extend our studies of people who inject drugs and people who smoke methamphetamine through record linkage to social and criminal justice datasets. We will characterise the trajectories of participants through social services (e.g. public housing) and law enforcement systems to provide a comprehensive account of social and criminal justice impacts of injection drug use and methamphetamine use in Australia for the first time. Read moreRead less
Mothers' little helper: Alcohol use in working mothers. This project aims to generate unique insights into the strains that Australian working mothers face in their daily lives and the impact these strains have on their alcohol consumption. Using innovative methods to understand strains resulting from two major life domains, family and work, the project expects to generate new knowledge which can be used to develop interventions to address this important issue. The results of this study can prov ....Mothers' little helper: Alcohol use in working mothers. This project aims to generate unique insights into the strains that Australian working mothers face in their daily lives and the impact these strains have on their alcohol consumption. Using innovative methods to understand strains resulting from two major life domains, family and work, the project expects to generate new knowledge which can be used to develop interventions to address this important issue. The results of this study can provide significant benefits not only to the quality of life of working mothers in Australia but also has society-wide implications. This is due to alcohol use being a leading avoidable cause for productivity loss alongside other social, community and economic costs.Read moreRead less
Physician Preferences for Medical Innovation. This project aims to identify the causes and consequences of medical practice variations by providing new evidence on the process through which physicians adopt and use new medical technology. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how physicians' human and social capital determine their preferences for taking up new medical technology and the economic consequences of such decisions. Expected outcomes of this project include a greater unde ....Physician Preferences for Medical Innovation. This project aims to identify the causes and consequences of medical practice variations by providing new evidence on the process through which physicians adopt and use new medical technology. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how physicians' human and social capital determine their preferences for taking up new medical technology and the economic consequences of such decisions. Expected outcomes of this project include a greater understanding of the sources for and costs of inappropriate use of healthcare, such as low-value care. This should provide significant benefits, such as contributing to the construction of effective policies for improving efficiency and equity of the healthcare system.Read moreRead less
Alcohol, tobacco and gambling expenditure and socioeconomic inequalities. Drinking, smoking and gambling are common lifestyle risk behaviors, which constitute critical social and health challenges for Australia. This project is the first study to examine trends in household expenditure on alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and other goods and services over the past 30 years. More importantly, this project pioneers analysis of the associations between alcohol, tobacco and gambling expenditure and housin ....Alcohol, tobacco and gambling expenditure and socioeconomic inequalities. Drinking, smoking and gambling are common lifestyle risk behaviors, which constitute critical social and health challenges for Australia. This project is the first study to examine trends in household expenditure on alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and other goods and services over the past 30 years. More importantly, this project pioneers analysis of the associations between alcohol, tobacco and gambling expenditure and housing and socioeconomic inequalities over time. The research findings will provide key insights into the changing place of these three risk behaviors in Australian society and inform future public policies to reduce problem drinking, smoking and gambling and related harms. Read moreRead less
Sustainable mobility: city-wide exposure modelling to advance bicycling. This project aims to develop a world-leading platform for city-wide modelling of cycling exposure. This project will provide unparalleled insights into cycling exposure by combining multiple cycling data sources through the use of advanced spatial statistical and machine learning techniques. The expected outcomes of this project are a novel inventory of cycling infrastructure, a cycling route choice modelling system and rob ....Sustainable mobility: city-wide exposure modelling to advance bicycling. This project aims to develop a world-leading platform for city-wide modelling of cycling exposure. This project will provide unparalleled insights into cycling exposure by combining multiple cycling data sources through the use of advanced spatial statistical and machine learning techniques. The expected outcomes of this project are a novel inventory of cycling infrastructure, a cycling route choice modelling system and robust predictions of cycling volumes on individual streets. This project will deliver a step change in cycling that will lead to increased cycling participation, enhanced safety, and improved infrastructure planning, thereby resulting in substantial gains in population and environmental health.Read moreRead less
Social practices of oral health in Australian preschool children. The aim of the study is to explore "social practices" of oral health in Australian (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) preschool children. We use this emerging theory to move away from focusing on individuals and individual behaviour (and blame) to identify and map social practices: actions, materials and meanings families attribute to
child’s oral health. Expected project outcomes include identifying practices promoting or underminin ....Social practices of oral health in Australian preschool children. The aim of the study is to explore "social practices" of oral health in Australian (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) preschool children. We use this emerging theory to move away from focusing on individuals and individual behaviour (and blame) to identify and map social practices: actions, materials and meanings families attribute to
child’s oral health. Expected project outcomes include identifying practices promoting or undermining children’s oral health that can inform upstream and downstream policy directions and practices to improve health outcomes. This offers a new approach to "wicked" problems such as oral health where extensive
effort has not reduced morbidity and cost despite rhetoric that oral health is preventable.Read moreRead less