A Randomised Trial Assessing A Shade Development Intervention In Secondary Schools For Adolescent Skin Cancer Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$709,615.00
Summary
Skin cancer is a significant burden to health costs, and morbidity and mortality in Australia. Reduction of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in sunlight, particularly during childhood and adolescence is an important strategy for preventing skin cancer in later life. Adolescents have been particularly resistant to skin cancer prevention messages. Despite a high knowledge of skin cancer, the majority of Australian adolescents report a reliance on sunscreen, a resistance to hat wearing, and ....Skin cancer is a significant burden to health costs, and morbidity and mortality in Australia. Reduction of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in sunlight, particularly during childhood and adolescence is an important strategy for preventing skin cancer in later life. Adolescents have been particularly resistant to skin cancer prevention messages. Despite a high knowledge of skin cancer, the majority of Australian adolescents report a reliance on sunscreen, a resistance to hat wearing, and commonly experience sunburn, an important indicator of increased risk of skin cancer. Psycho-social interventions have shown limited influence on adolescents' sun protective behaviours to date. The current research proposal explores an alternative approach to psycho-social interventions for adolescents. The study will assess the effect of increasing available shade at secondary schools. In a randomised control trial study design, the change in the number of students using certain outdoor areas at intervention schools will be observed 'before' and 'after' the installation of built shade sail structures. Our main hypothesis states that the number of students using these newly shaded areas in intervention schools will increase compared with use of equivalent unshaded areas in control schools. Shade development is increasingly becoming an issue for secondary schools and given both the high cost of providing shade structures and adolescents' resistance to other forms of sun protection it is important to establish that adolescents will use this form of sun protection. This study will determine whether adolescents actively avoid or seek shade and so provide evidence for informing decisions about further investment in shade provision in schools.Read moreRead less
Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of Mobile Preschool For Child Health And Development In Remote Aboriginal Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,369.00
Summary
This project is a retrospective study of the effectiveness of the NT Mobile Preschool Program using assessment data for children's emergent literacy, social and emotional competencies and health status. Effectiveness will be established by comparison with achievement and health status data for children not attending preschool and those in communities with no preschool service. The study will identify and describe the key factors influencing the health and learning outcomes of the three groups.
The Beyondblue Schools Research Initiative: A Two-year Follow-up.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$827,285.00
Summary
The prevalence of Depressive Disorders among children and adolescents was estimated in the Australian National Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey to be 3.7%. This means that at any single point of time, approximately 138,000 Australian children and adolescents are experiencing a Depressive Disorder. Furthermore, the National Survey found that less than half (46%) of those with a Depressive Disorder received any help over a 6 month period prior to the survey, with only 8% attending a menta ....The prevalence of Depressive Disorders among children and adolescents was estimated in the Australian National Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey to be 3.7%. This means that at any single point of time, approximately 138,000 Australian children and adolescents are experiencing a Depressive Disorder. Furthermore, the National Survey found that less than half (46%) of those with a Depressive Disorder received any help over a 6 month period prior to the survey, with only 8% attending a mental health clinic, and only 4% attending a hospital-based Department of Psychiatry. These findings emphasise the importance of finding alternative approaches to help the large number of young people with depression who do not receive help from professional services. This application seeks funding to evaluate the beyondblue Schools Research Initiative. The key features of the initiative are the development of a strong partnership between the health and education sectors and a focus on both individual-level and school-level risk factors. This has enabled us to provide a much longer duration of intervention than previous studies, to test the intervention in several different Australian States, and to utilise a broadly based intervention that includes a range of approaches, each of which have the potential to help reduce adolescent depression. The significance of the project lies in its potential to identify effective interventions which can reduce rates of depression experienced by adolescents, and the quality of the ongoing research partnership we have established across the education and health sectors. We anticipate that this partnership will be utilised for ongoing research in this area.Read moreRead less
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Of An Innovative Intervention To Increase Childrens Physical Activity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$505,530.00
Summary
Rates of childhood obesity are increasing and outdoor free play is decreasing. Research suggests that these patterns are inter-related, and that adults perceive outdoor free play to be risky for children. In this study we will reprioritise play, reframe teachers' perceptions of risk and modify the playground environment to increase children's physical activity. We will assess the effectiveness of this simple, cost-effective intervention in a randomised controlled trial.
Effectiveness Of A Resilience Intervention In Reducing Smoking And Alcohol Consumption Among Secondary School Students
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,491,446.00
Summary
A key factor in adult smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is commencement of these behaviours during childhood. Smoking and alcohol use by adolescents also has a direct harmful effect on their health at that time. The project aims to decrease adolescent use of tobacco and alcohol by improving adolescent's resilience and mental wellbeing. The project will involve the evaluation of a school-based resilience intervention delivered to grade 7 to 10 students in disadvantaged secondary schools.
The Effectiveness Of An Early Intervention And Prevention Strategy For Anxiety And Depressive Disorders.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$119,924.00
Summary
Adult anxiety and depressive disorders are common, cause significant distress to sufferers and cost to the community, and generally begin in childhood. Prior research has shown that children who exhibit higher than average levels of anxiety in their late childhood are at risk for developing anxiety and depressive disorders as they grow older. However if at risk children can learn skills to better manage their anxiety, the chance that they will continue to experience significant anxiety problems ....Adult anxiety and depressive disorders are common, cause significant distress to sufferers and cost to the community, and generally begin in childhood. Prior research has shown that children who exhibit higher than average levels of anxiety in their late childhood are at risk for developing anxiety and depressive disorders as they grow older. However if at risk children can learn skills to better manage their anxiety, the chance that they will continue to experience significant anxiety problems is greatly reduced. For example, school-based skills-building programs run by specialist mental health professionals have been shown to reduce the rate of existing anxiety disorder and prevent the onset of new anxiety disorders across middle to late childhood and early adolescence. The proposed study will aim to show that a school-based program, run by school counsellors, can prevent the development of anxiety and depressive disorders in late adolescence. In other words, the aim is to demonstrate whether the benefit of the program can be achieved across the wider school-aged population when conducted wholly within the education sector. This outcome is significant, not only in its potential to reduce distress to a large number of adolescents and their families, but in reducing costs to the community in terms of reduced disability and reduced need for health care and specialist mental health treatment.Read moreRead less
Adolescent Depression: Evaluation Of A Preventive Intervention And Identification Of Risk Factors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,313.00
Summary
This project will evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a school-based program to prevent depression among adolescents. It also aims to identify factors that predict the onset of depression in those who do not receive the intervention. The intervention focuses on the training of interpersonal problem solving skills and enhancement of optimistic thinking styles within a classroom-based curriculum. This project extends the current research program of the applicant. The intervention has already b ....This project will evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a school-based program to prevent depression among adolescents. It also aims to identify factors that predict the onset of depression in those who do not receive the intervention. The intervention focuses on the training of interpersonal problem solving skills and enhancement of optimistic thinking styles within a classroom-based curriculum. This project extends the current research program of the applicant. The intervention has already been developed and implemented with 1600 young people, with the support of local education authorities. The evaluation uses well-researched measures and includes a control group of adolescents who do not receive the intervention. Around 5% of adolescents experience clinical levels of depression and an even larger percentage show subclinical levels. Depression results in many debilitating consequences such as impaired school, work and social functioning and is also a risk factor in adolescent suicide. The prevention of mental health problems is a priority for Commonwealth and State governments and yet there is minimal research to demonstrate the effectiveness of preventive interventions, particularly in the area of depression. If the present study demonstrates a positive outcome, it will provide important guidelines as to preventive materials that should be included in the school curriculum. It is predicted that: a) the intervention will be associated with lower levels of depression over the 4 year follow-up, particularly for adolescents who are assessed as showing mild symptoms of depression, poor problem solving skills or pessimistic cognitive style prior to intervention b) risk factors for the development of depression in adolescents who do not receive the intervention will include initial mild symptoms of depression, poor problem solving skills and pessimistic attributional style.Read moreRead less