There’s recent evidence that children get leaner and fitter during the school term, but become fatter and less fit over the summer holidays. This may be because of differences in activity and diet: on holidays, children may eat more, be less active and have more screen time. We propose to track the time use, diet, fitness and fatness of 9-11 year old children across three school years. If the pattern is confirmed, we should focus more on the home environment, or perhaps encourage summer camps.
Critical windows: understanding changes in eating and physical activity over the transition from secondary school to young adulthood. This project will explain changes in eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviour during the critical period of transition from secondary school to young adulthood. It will provide important information on how we can assist adolescents to maintain a healthy lifestyle over a time characterised by several major life changes.
Turning Points: Breaking Intergenerational Cycles Of Intimate Partner Abuse And Social Adversity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,328,354.00
Summary
Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is estimated to affect one in four women at some stage in their lives, and to impact on the lives of at least one million Australian children annually. This study will investigate the extent to which exposure to intimate partner abuse during pregnancy and in the first 12 months postpartum predicts child outcomes in middle childhood. The study will provide foundations for better targeting and tailoring of early intervention strategies to support children at risk of ad ....Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is estimated to affect one in four women at some stage in their lives, and to impact on the lives of at least one million Australian children annually. This study will investigate the extent to which exposure to intimate partner abuse during pregnancy and in the first 12 months postpartum predicts child outcomes in middle childhood. The study will provide foundations for better targeting and tailoring of early intervention strategies to support children at risk of adverse outcomes.Read moreRead less
The NSW child development study. Research shows that a child's development predicts health and social outcomes later in life. This Australian project will be the first to identify risk and protective factors associated with these outcomes in 87,000 children from birth to 10 years. The results will help inform governments to improve our children's health and educational achievements.
Normative study of a checklist of emotional and behavioural disturbance in adults with intellectual disability. People with intellectual disability (ID) are three times more likely to suffer mental illness than the general community, making this a bigger problem than schizophrenia. They are a great burden to their carers and cost to the community but their mental health problems remain largely untreated. This study aims to conduct the largest and most comprehensive survey of the mental health ....Normative study of a checklist of emotional and behavioural disturbance in adults with intellectual disability. People with intellectual disability (ID) are three times more likely to suffer mental illness than the general community, making this a bigger problem than schizophrenia. They are a great burden to their carers and cost to the community but their mental health problems remain largely untreated. This study aims to conduct the largest and most comprehensive survey of the mental health of adults with ID that has been undertaken internationally to date. The population will cover the age span of late adolescence (16 years) through the transition to adult life then through to the elderly. The research will establish the prevalence and nature of mental illness and potential risk factors in a large representative population of adults with ID.Read moreRead less
The prevalence and cross-cultural comparison of daytime sleepiness in adolescents. International research shows many teenagers have problems falling asleep and being sleepy during the day. This can be due to an irregular sleep pattern of insufficient sleep on school nights, and sleeping-in on weekends. These problems lead to poor outcomes, including poor school performance and negative moods. The aims of the project are to measure the extent of sleep problems in Australian teenagers and compare ....The prevalence and cross-cultural comparison of daytime sleepiness in adolescents. International research shows many teenagers have problems falling asleep and being sleepy during the day. This can be due to an irregular sleep pattern of insufficient sleep on school nights, and sleeping-in on weekends. These problems lead to poor outcomes, including poor school performance and negative moods. The aims of the project are to measure the extent of sleep problems in Australian teenagers and compare these to adolescents in the United States. Detection of teenager sleep problems in Australia could lead to significant community awareness and school policy developments as it has in the United States. Read moreRead less
Effectiveness of Intervention Strategies to Promote Physical Activity Among Insufficiently Active Adults. This project will determine the cost-effectiveness of 2 types of physical activity (PA) interventions based around the workplace. 480 participants will be randomly assigned to PA intervention groups or controls. Interventions are either a (1) self-regulated, pedometer-based program or a (2) semi-structured, 40-day initiation to more moderately-vigorous PA. Both are designed to increase self- ....Effectiveness of Intervention Strategies to Promote Physical Activity Among Insufficiently Active Adults. This project will determine the cost-effectiveness of 2 types of physical activity (PA) interventions based around the workplace. 480 participants will be randomly assigned to PA intervention groups or controls. Interventions are either a (1) self-regulated, pedometer-based program or a (2) semi-structured, 40-day initiation to more moderately-vigorous PA. Both are designed to increase self-efficacy and impact on positive PA behaviours. Long-term, behavioural change and job-related outcomes will be evaluated by following participants for 12 months after the interventions.Read moreRead less
The impact of haemoglobin deferral on blood donors: perceptions, health and non-return. Blood donors are an vital in ensuring the health of the Australian community. However, they are few in number and difficult to recruit. It is crucial to keep existing donors in the system so that Australia has an assured blood supply, not only for the traditional reasons (road trauma, replacement in surgery, treatment of diseases such as cancer), but also to cope with natural disasters, emergent diseases and ....The impact of haemoglobin deferral on blood donors: perceptions, health and non-return. Blood donors are an vital in ensuring the health of the Australian community. However, they are few in number and difficult to recruit. It is crucial to keep existing donors in the system so that Australia has an assured blood supply, not only for the traditional reasons (road trauma, replacement in surgery, treatment of diseases such as cancer), but also to cope with natural disasters, emergent diseases and the potential results of terrorist activities. Apart from providing new information on blood donor behaviour, the project will also contribute to more general knowledge about volunteers in the community and their role in the maintenance and development of health services.Read moreRead less
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