Material well-being in the Australian welfare state. This project will use Australian Bureau of Statistics data on incomes, wealth and time use to construct a picture of material well-being in contemporary Australia. The results will show how material well-being relates to stages in the life cycle, to family types, and to relative affluence and relative poverty. Comparisons will be drawn between these results and a similar Australian study based on data from the late 1980s. International compari ....Material well-being in the Australian welfare state. This project will use Australian Bureau of Statistics data on incomes, wealth and time use to construct a picture of material well-being in contemporary Australia. The results will show how material well-being relates to stages in the life cycle, to family types, and to relative affluence and relative poverty. Comparisons will be drawn between these results and a similar Australian study based on data from the late 1980s. International comparisons will also be attempted. The findings provide important guidelines for public policy and especially for welfare policy.Read moreRead less
Government, Institutions and Economic Activity: A Long Term Analysis. Using national and regional data for 30 to 50 countries over multiple centuries, this project will examine the effects of itemised government expenditure and revenue on productivity, investment, saving, labour force participation and research and development. The results are expected to shed light on the macroeconomic effects of different revenue and spending categories (education, transfers, and so on). In addition, the proje ....Government, Institutions and Economic Activity: A Long Term Analysis. Using national and regional data for 30 to 50 countries over multiple centuries, this project will examine the effects of itemised government expenditure and revenue on productivity, investment, saving, labour force participation and research and development. The results are expected to shed light on the macroeconomic effects of different revenue and spending categories (education, transfers, and so on). In addition, the project aims to determine which factors have been responsible for the increase of government size over the past two centuries. The results aim to further reveal which government revenue and expenditure items are most conducive to economic welfare and growth.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
Does risk-based licensing of alcohol sales reduce alcohol-related harm? Alcohol-related harm is a major public health and social order issue which requires sophisticated evidence-based policy. This project capitalises on a unique window of policy adoption across Australia to investigate the introduction of risk-based licensing schemes for the sale of alcohol, assessing their impacts, identifying modifiable elements and developing policy advice. There is an urgent need for evidence about which in ....Does risk-based licensing of alcohol sales reduce alcohol-related harm? Alcohol-related harm is a major public health and social order issue which requires sophisticated evidence-based policy. This project capitalises on a unique window of policy adoption across Australia to investigate the introduction of risk-based licensing schemes for the sale of alcohol, assessing their impacts, identifying modifiable elements and developing policy advice. There is an urgent need for evidence about which interventions are effective, and which of these can survive the political process. It builds on the team’s extensive work and unique datasets around alcohol policy and licensed venues to analyse archival data, key stakeholder interviews and venue observations in three states, using the most up-to-date and reliable methods.Read moreRead less
Policy orientation of non-health sectors to social determinants of health. This project aims to advance understanding of how Australian government policies in four sectors (justice, environment, planning, and industry) are oriented to action on social determinants of health equity (SDHE), including Indigenous health. Evidence shows that government policy in all sectors affects health. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have called for whole-of-government approaches to SDHE. The ....Policy orientation of non-health sectors to social determinants of health. This project aims to advance understanding of how Australian government policies in four sectors (justice, environment, planning, and industry) are oriented to action on social determinants of health equity (SDHE), including Indigenous health. Evidence shows that government policy in all sectors affects health. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have called for whole-of-government approaches to SDHE. The project plans to apply theory to understand how policy values and strategies in the selected sectors provide for or present barriers to this approach. Expected project outcomes will produce evidence for policy-makers on how to strengthen policy coherence across sectors to address SDHE more effectively in order to promote Australian health and reduce health inequities.Read moreRead less
Cataract and crash risk for older drivers: evidence from a population based study. Older drivers are the fastest growing segment of the driving population, which has implications for road safety. The removal of cataract is a common surgical procedure for older drivers, therefore, it is necessary to determine the effects of cataract surgery on crash risk. This project will be the largest population based study to examine crash risk for older drivers with cataract and the cost-effectiveness in ter ....Cataract and crash risk for older drivers: evidence from a population based study. Older drivers are the fastest growing segment of the driving population, which has implications for road safety. The removal of cataract is a common surgical procedure for older drivers, therefore, it is necessary to determine the effects of cataract surgery on crash risk. This project will be the largest population based study to examine crash risk for older drivers with cataract and the cost-effectiveness in terms of a reduction in crashes. The development of effective countermeasures will have direct relevance for road safety, medical practitioners and licensing authorities in Australia and is also pivotal to reducing the financial burden associated with older driver crashes.
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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
Characterisation of deficits in driving performance and self-regulation practices among older drivers with bilateral cataract. Despite the high prevalence of cataract among the older population, there is limited evidence on the impact of first and second eye cataract surgery on driving outcomes. This prospective study will use naturalistic in-vehicle driver monitoring devices and a state-of–the-art driving simulator to examine the association between clinical measures of vision, refractive manag ....Characterisation of deficits in driving performance and self-regulation practices among older drivers with bilateral cataract. Despite the high prevalence of cataract among the older population, there is limited evidence on the impact of first and second eye cataract surgery on driving outcomes. This prospective study will use naturalistic in-vehicle driver monitoring devices and a state-of–the-art driving simulator to examine the association between clinical measures of vision, refractive management, driving patterns, self-regulation and driving performance for bilateral cataract patients before first eye surgery, between surgeries and after second eye surgery. The results will inform Ophthalmology and licensing authorities regarding surgical and refractive management as well as fitness to drive assessments for older drivers with bilateral cataract.Read moreRead less
The impact of first and second eye cataract surgery on falls and utilisation of mental health services among older Australians. This population-based study will investigate the association and timing of cataract surgery and health-related costs in reducing the incidence of falls and utilisation of mental health services following first and second eye cataract surgery. Evidence-based recommendations will be developed to improve safety for older Australians.
Public health approach to child abuse and neglect: antecedents, outcomes and international comparisons of trends. Child maltreatment is a significant public health issue. Findings will identify characteristics of at-risk children, families and communities; mental health and juvenile justice outcomes. Findings will be used to develop policy recommendations for intervention and prevention strategies to reduce vulnerability and improve monitoring of maltreatment.