Who acquires infection from whom across international borders? New approaches for control of emerging infections through understanding travel patterns. Mathematical modelling of data on travellers traversing Australia's borders and their contact patterns can be used to understand the pathways by which infectious diseases enter and spread in Australia. Currently available social contact data which informs models are inadequate and outdated. Gathering new data relevant to modern society will help ....Who acquires infection from whom across international borders? New approaches for control of emerging infections through understanding travel patterns. Mathematical modelling of data on travellers traversing Australia's borders and their contact patterns can be used to understand the pathways by which infectious diseases enter and spread in Australia. Currently available social contact data which informs models are inadequate and outdated. Gathering new data relevant to modern society will help control future infectious disease threats to our society. Our aim is to collect detailed, unique data on demography, behavioural and social patterns of travellers and residents, and use this to develop mathematical models to evaluate effective control measures for emerging infections in Australia. This study will make a unique contribution to national disease control policy.Read moreRead less
An investigation of ethnicity, socio-economic status and social networks as drivers of childhood obesity and body image among children and adolescents. This study addresses the problem of obesity and overweight in children and adolescents in Australia. It aims to build a longitudinal picture of relevant social, behavioural and environmental factors and includes a unique study of the role of social networks in determining and reinforcing understandings and prevalence of obesity and overweight.
Testing the projected benefits of living in a 20-minute neighbourhood. This project aims to assess the projected lifestyle benefits associated with living in a ‘20-minute’ neighbourhood, one where important destinations are easily accessible. Urban renewal and liveability policies advocate for 20-minute neighbourhoods under the assumption these encourage more localised and healthier lifestyles. However, this has not been formally tested. This project will compare the location, diet and physical ....Testing the projected benefits of living in a 20-minute neighbourhood. This project aims to assess the projected lifestyle benefits associated with living in a ‘20-minute’ neighbourhood, one where important destinations are easily accessible. Urban renewal and liveability policies advocate for 20-minute neighbourhoods under the assumption these encourage more localised and healthier lifestyles. However, this has not been formally tested. This project will compare the location, diet and physical activity of residents of 20-minute neighbourhoods with those of residents living outside 20-minute neighbourhoods. This project expects its findings will help meet the demands of population growth and inform urban planning, public health and transport.Read moreRead less
Understanding personal, social and environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity among older adults living in urban and rural areas. There are negative impacts of obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity on physical, psychological and social wellbeing and national economic costs associated with these burdens are substantial. Obesity and its associated illnesses are estimated to cost Australian health services $1.2 billion a year. An understanding of the modifiable determinants of ....Understanding personal, social and environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity among older adults living in urban and rural areas. There are negative impacts of obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity on physical, psychological and social wellbeing and national economic costs associated with these burdens are substantial. Obesity and its associated illnesses are estimated to cost Australian health services $1.2 billion a year. An understanding of the modifiable determinants of nutrition and physical activity behaviours is required in order to develop effective interventions to promote health and well-being. Promoting physical activity and a healthy diet thus has the potential to substantially reduce the burden of disease in Australia and improve quality of life.Read moreRead less
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.
From science to policy: quantifying and managing the risk of mosquito borne disease in the context of climate change. It is important to assess and manage the health risks of climate change. This research will create fundamental knowledge and practical skills on the interdisciplinary assessment and management of health risks of climate change, and explore policy ramifications of research outcomes in this study.
Understanding children's risk of obesity: contextual influences on changes in eating, physical activity and weight status. Overweight and obesity are significant public health issues in Australia. After tobacco, physical inactivity and obesity are leading modifiable contributors to the burden of disease. The economic cost of obesity was recently estimated at $1.3 billion/year. Preventing further increases in childhood obesity is an urgent national priority, however there currently exists insuffi ....Understanding children's risk of obesity: contextual influences on changes in eating, physical activity and weight status. Overweight and obesity are significant public health issues in Australia. After tobacco, physical inactivity and obesity are leading modifiable contributors to the burden of disease. The economic cost of obesity was recently estimated at $1.3 billion/year. Preventing further increases in childhood obesity is an urgent national priority, however there currently exists insufficient information to guide effective obesity prevention strategies. The findings of this study will inform efforts to prevent obesity at the population level by enhancing knowledge of contextual influences on obesity-risk behaviours and the selection of specific targets for intervention. As such, this study will help create a healthier generation of children.Read moreRead less
Personal and environmental influences on changes in adolescents' food consumption behaviours. This project will track the eating behaviours of two groups of randomly selected adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16 years, for three years. The aims are to assess the changes that occur in their eating behaviour and to examine the influence of family, school, mass media and intrapersonal variables during this period so that predictive models can be built. This will facilitate the implementation o ....Personal and environmental influences on changes in adolescents' food consumption behaviours. This project will track the eating behaviours of two groups of randomly selected adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16 years, for three years. The aims are to assess the changes that occur in their eating behaviour and to examine the influence of family, school, mass media and intrapersonal variables during this period so that predictive models can be built. This will facilitate the implementation of life skills education and the prevention of obesity, non-communicable diseases and nutrient deficiencies.Read moreRead less
User-centric solutions to optimise safety of children in cars. Globally, incorrect use of child restraints and inappropriate use of adult seat belts are widespread and longstanding problems. In Australia alone >2 million children are at increased risk of injury because of the lack of understanding about how to solve these problems. We have pioneered development of methods to allow novel user-centred approaches coupled with behavioural theory to effectively tackle these problems. In this project ....User-centric solutions to optimise safety of children in cars. Globally, incorrect use of child restraints and inappropriate use of adult seat belts are widespread and longstanding problems. In Australia alone >2 million children are at increased risk of injury because of the lack of understanding about how to solve these problems. We have pioneered development of methods to allow novel user-centred approaches coupled with behavioural theory to effectively tackle these problems. In this project we will build on and extend these innovative methods to to deliver new understanding about how (i) to communicate with parents to ensure behaviours and decisions about restraint optimise safety, and (ii) user-driven design can solve problems inhibiting optimal protection of in cars.Read moreRead less
Changing children’s chances: Exploring pathways to developmental inequities. This project aims to investigate the causes of health and developmental inequities between Australian children. Inequities are increasingly observed in Australian children’s physical health, social and emotional wellbeing, and academic learning. Such inequities are unjust, unnecessary and potentially preventable. This project aims to understand the pathways leading to these inequities by examining the many contexts in w ....Changing children’s chances: Exploring pathways to developmental inequities. This project aims to investigate the causes of health and developmental inequities between Australian children. Inequities are increasingly observed in Australian children’s physical health, social and emotional wellbeing, and academic learning. Such inequities are unjust, unnecessary and potentially preventable. This project aims to understand the pathways leading to these inequities by examining the many contexts in which children and their families live and grow. Through a series of innovative analyses using existing data, the project aims to identify potentially modifiable factors at the child, family, school, and community level that contribute to developmental inequities. Understanding of the most promising leverage points for interventions to reduce inequities for Australian children could be used to inform policy.Read moreRead less