Scalability Of The Transform-Us! Program To Promote Children's Physical Activity And Reduce Prolonged Sitting In Victorian Primary Schools
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$549,823.00
Summary
Transform-Us! is an innovative primary school program that has been found to substantially increase children’s physical activity levels, reduce sitting time and benefit health. With simple changes to the school and classroom environments and teaching practices (eg, standing lessons) we will work with partners in the education and health systems to translate this program across Victorian primary schools to determine the real-world implementation and impact of this program over 5 years.
A Multi-setting Intervention To Reduce Sedentary Behaviour, Promote Physical Activity And Improve Childrens Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$860,343.00
Summary
Sedentary behaviours and physical inactivity play a major role in the rising prevalence of obesity among children in Australia. This intervention study will take place in the school and family settings which play a critical role in shaping children's health behaviours. The objective is to determine whether a 2-year behavioural intervention reduces sedentary behaviour and promotes physical activity and results in improved health among 8-9 year old children.
Personal alarms - use, expectations and outcomes. Personal alarms are designed to enable older people who are living alone to gain assistance in an emergency. Australia's population is ageing and the number of older people living alone is increasing. Although personal alarms have been available for many years there has been surprisingly little research and there are still many gaps in our knowledge. These limit our ability to maximise the potential of this technology in enabling older Australian ....Personal alarms - use, expectations and outcomes. Personal alarms are designed to enable older people who are living alone to gain assistance in an emergency. Australia's population is ageing and the number of older people living alone is increasing. Although personal alarms have been available for many years there has been surprisingly little research and there are still many gaps in our knowledge. These limit our ability to maximise the potential of this technology in enabling older Australians to age well and productively at home. This project seeks to enhance our understanding of the adoption and appropriate use of this technology by older Australians and inform the development of strategies to achieve maximum benefit for both older individuals and the community at large.Read moreRead less
Sitting Less And Moving More: Population Health Research To Understand And Influence Sedentary Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$6,367,518.00
Summary
The majority of Australian adults spend most of their waking hours sitting: at home, at work, and in their cars; most do not participate in exercise or sport. This leads to weight gain and to diseases of inactivity (particularly diabetes, heart disease, cancer and depression). New research will measure sitting time and the physical activity in people's daily lives, what factors encourage inactivity, and how to increase activity levels, especially among the ageing 'baby boomer' population.
Alcohol advertising to women in Australia. Young Australian women are drinking more and drinking in more harmful ways. At the same time, advertisers are using new media (such as social network sites) and messages (such as empowerment) to advertise alcohol to women. Using a combination of quantitative, qualitative and experimental methods, this project will explore how alcohol is advertised to Australian women (in both traditional and new media), and how this influences their alcohol-related atti ....Alcohol advertising to women in Australia. Young Australian women are drinking more and drinking in more harmful ways. At the same time, advertisers are using new media (such as social network sites) and messages (such as empowerment) to advertise alcohol to women. Using a combination of quantitative, qualitative and experimental methods, this project will explore how alcohol is advertised to Australian women (in both traditional and new media), and how this influences their alcohol-related attitudes and behaviours. Answering these questions is expected to enable development of recommendations for regulation of alcohol advertising messages, creation of counter-advertising/social marketing messages, and production of alcohol advertising literacy programs for secondary and tertiary students.Read moreRead less
A community-based approach to the problem of underage drinking. This project will aim to reduce the frequency and amount of alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related harms, among young people aged 12-17 years by addressing social norms regarding underage alcohol consumption. Using a multi-component intervention it will engage the Illawarra community in strategies to encourage and empower young people not to drink.
Physical activity in the construction of occupation for primary school aged children. Children become less physically active as they make the transition from childhood to adolescence. The physical, medical, social and concomitant psychological sequela of inactivity is of major concern to the community. The aim of this study is to map change in physical activity patterns in an identified group of 315 children currently aged between 6 and 7 years of age. Studies with children in their primary sc ....Physical activity in the construction of occupation for primary school aged children. Children become less physically active as they make the transition from childhood to adolescence. The physical, medical, social and concomitant psychological sequela of inactivity is of major concern to the community. The aim of this study is to map change in physical activity patterns in an identified group of 315 children currently aged between 6 and 7 years of age. Studies with children in their primary school years and of a longitudinal nature such as this one have not to date been undertaken. The study will utilize quantitative and qualitative methodolgies to: (a)describe change,(b) determine the primary socioeconomical, environmental, child and family level factors which explain a decrease in physical activity, and (c) try to understand at the level of child and family what has driven these changes. The outcomes of this study will enable researchers to move forward in developing targeted interventions appropriately at this important age group.Read moreRead less
Developing culturally relevant social marketing interventions to increase blood donation amongst migrant communities: the case of African migrants. To increase blood donation amongst migrant communities, a culturally relevant intervention will be developed and tested. This will ensure migrants are integrated into Australian society and that blood supplies are sustainable, by overcoming migrants’ potential lack of understanding of local blood donation processes and perceptions that they may be ex ....Developing culturally relevant social marketing interventions to increase blood donation amongst migrant communities: the case of African migrants. To increase blood donation amongst migrant communities, a culturally relevant intervention will be developed and tested. This will ensure migrants are integrated into Australian society and that blood supplies are sustainable, by overcoming migrants’ potential lack of understanding of local blood donation processes and perceptions that they may be excluded.Read moreRead less
Critical Windows: Health-related Behaviour in Children After School. Global concerns for increasing body fatness and insufficient physical activity in children highlight the importance of health promoting behaviour in younger populations. A critical window for healthy behaviour is created after school. We aim to improve the ability to assess healthy behaviour during 3 pm-7 pm and subsequently to describe activity and nutritional practices in Grade 5 children (randomly selected) from Western Sydn ....Critical Windows: Health-related Behaviour in Children After School. Global concerns for increasing body fatness and insufficient physical activity in children highlight the importance of health promoting behaviour in younger populations. A critical window for healthy behaviour is created after school. We aim to improve the ability to assess healthy behaviour during 3 pm-7 pm and subsequently to describe activity and nutritional practices in Grade 5 children (randomly selected) from Western Sydney. Psychosocial and environmental correlates and the extent to which seasons and annual growth influence behaviour will be considered. Outcomes involve an effective instrument for future research and an enhanced understanding of healthy behaviour in Western Sydney children.Read moreRead less
The nature of alcohol advertising in 'old' and 'new' media and the impact on young people's alcohol-related attitudes, intentions and behaviour. Young people in Australia are exposed to a vast array of alcohol advertising. While television advertising has been widely researched, the effects of internet advertising, social networking, and event-based marketing are largely unknown. This project will examine the impact of different media on teenagers' current and future drinking behaviours.