Double Blind Randomised Controlled Trial Of Electronic Alcohol Screening And Brief Intervention (e-SBI) For Hospital Outpatients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$370,168.00
Summary
Since alcohol consumption is linked to more than 60 different medical conditions and is the most common preventable risk factor associated with injuries in Australia, interventions that can reduce these harms are needed. This study is designed to determine whether a computer-based brief alcohol intervention reduces hazardous drinking among hospital outpatients. If effective, the intervention could be implemented nationally as part of routine service delivery.
Reducing Alcohol Use And Related Harm In Young People
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$702,462.00
Summary
Nationally, 10,000 young Australians present to emergency departments with alcohol-related injuries and illnesses each month. Much of this adversity could be prevented if more young people had access to effective brief interventions (BIs) for alcohol use. Telephone-delivered BIs provide an innovative, youth friendly and accessible way of delivering treatment. This is the first clinical trial to compare the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of telephone-delivered BIs for reducing alcohol use and re ....Nationally, 10,000 young Australians present to emergency departments with alcohol-related injuries and illnesses each month. Much of this adversity could be prevented if more young people had access to effective brief interventions (BIs) for alcohol use. Telephone-delivered BIs provide an innovative, youth friendly and accessible way of delivering treatment. This is the first clinical trial to compare the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of telephone-delivered BIs for reducing alcohol use and related harm in young people.Read moreRead less
A Multisite Randomised Controlled Trial Of The Adolescent Cannabis Check-up
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$211,250.00
Summary
Recent Australian surveys cannabis use is more common than tobacco use among 14-19 year old (24.6% vs. 20.2%). More than 200,000 14-19 year olds have used cannabis in the last month and 7.1% report daily use. The population prevalence of cannabis dependence increases throughout adolescence, with a rate of 30% among those who use cannabis more than five times per year. Although experimentation is a normal part of adolescent development, regular cannabis use by young people exposes them to the neg ....Recent Australian surveys cannabis use is more common than tobacco use among 14-19 year old (24.6% vs. 20.2%). More than 200,000 14-19 year olds have used cannabis in the last month and 7.1% report daily use. The population prevalence of cannabis dependence increases throughout adolescence, with a rate of 30% among those who use cannabis more than five times per year. Although experimentation is a normal part of adolescent development, regular cannabis use by young people exposes them to the negative effects of cannabis at a time of rapid development and transitions in life roles. There have been no studies reported of interventions suitable for adolescents with cannabis problems who are not seeking treatment but are causing great concern for their families, schools and communities. The Adolescent Cannabis Check-up (ACCU) fills this serious gap by providing adolescents with an opportunity to objectively assess their cannabis use and develop strategies for change in a non-judgemental environment. The ACCU is a 2 session intervention: assessment and a follow-up session of personalised feed-back and brief skills-based therapy. Recruitment may be either direct or via a concerned family member. This novel approach provides parents with telephone coaching, and supporting booklets, on techniques to encourage their young person to participate. A feasibility study of 80 families has found more than 50% were able to do so. That study of 55 adolescents found a significant reduction in levels of cannabis use and an abstinence rate of 24.2% 3 months following participation in the ACCU. This project wll involve a multi-site RCT to compare the impact of the ACCU with a delayed treatment control group, on levels of cannabis use, dependence, and cannabis-related problems. This project would fill a gap in treatment service models and involve families in an initiative to assist young people to develop motivation and skills to abstain from problematic cannabis use.Read moreRead less
Adolescent Alcohol And Tobacco Use/abuse: The Efficacy Of A Brief Motivational Interviewing And Skills Training Program
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$153,610.00
Summary
Alcohol abuse (regular and episodic heavy drinking) and tobacco use are common and increasing amongst young Australians. Around 49% of adolescents are regular drinkers, and 15.5% of females and 33% of males are occasional binge drinkers. Between 17.5% and 35.5% of adolescents smoke and this has increased from 1987. While the majority of young Australians moderate their drinking and smoking over time, about 5% will become heavy drinkers and 20% will become regular smokers. The public health conse ....Alcohol abuse (regular and episodic heavy drinking) and tobacco use are common and increasing amongst young Australians. Around 49% of adolescents are regular drinkers, and 15.5% of females and 33% of males are occasional binge drinkers. Between 17.5% and 35.5% of adolescents smoke and this has increased from 1987. While the majority of young Australians moderate their drinking and smoking over time, about 5% will become heavy drinkers and 20% will become regular smokers. The public health consequences of heavy drinking and smoking are now well documented. There are many studies exploring the effectiveness of universal prevention programs designed to reduce the chance of alcohol and tobacco problems in high school students. These are associated with short term reductions in the chance of smoking and heavy drinking, however it is unclear whether these programs work for adolescents who are at high risk of alcohol problems and sustained smoking. We know a lot about the sorts of risk factors associated with these problems. They include early onset of use, parental involvement and use, particular personality traits, poor marks, peer use, and poor social skills. There is no research that clearly evaluates prevention programs for adolescents who show these risk factors. In this research, a program tailored for high-risk adolescents will be compared to an educational program similar to what is often received in Australian high schools. It is expected that high-risk students will not show changes in the educational program, but will show long-term improvements after completing the enhanced program. If these results hold, the research will have very important implications for detecting high-risk students and modifying the ways in which these adolescents are treated so that we minimise the chance of further development of alcohol and tobacco problems. This could result in large health cost savings in the future.Read moreRead less
A New Approach To Curbing Risky Trajectories Of Adolescent Alcohol-tobacco Use: A Tailored Brief Program For Parents.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,271.00
Summary
Parent-adolescent interactions predict adolescent involvement in alcohol and tobacco use, and parent-oriented programs reduce conduct problems. Nevertheless, parent training is a rare alcohol-tobacco-related prevention strategy. This research will evaluate a brief parent program for adolescents at risk of escalating alcohol-tobacco problems. The technology should be cost-effective and readily complement existing school prevention strategies.
A Multi-component Supermarket Intervention To Promote Healthy Eating
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,005.00
Summary
Most food in Australia is bought in supermarkets, and so there is a public health imperative for supermarkets to encourage healthy food purchases. This proposal is to conduct a randomised-controlled trial in 10 supermarkets to test the impact of a package of interventions that improve the healthiness of the supermarket environment. Intervention components were chosen by the retail, government and academic partners based on feasibility, sustainability and positive results from our pilot studies.
Harnessing The Power Of Elite Sport Sponsorship To Promote Healthy Eating By Young Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$304,220.00
Summary
Concerns have been raised about the role of unhealthy food sponsorship of elite sport in promoting unhealthy diets to vast numbers of the public, including young adults who are avid spectators of sport. This innovative project consists of two studies which systematically investigate the utility of alternative, health-oriented sport sponsorship models and counter-advertising strategies in promoting healthier diets among young adults.
Assessing The Impact Of A Multi-component Intervention To Improve Dietary Intake Of Indigenous Australian Children And Their Families Living In Remote Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,455,043.00
Summary
Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption seems to contribute to obesity and diabetes. We aim to test the impact of multi-component intervention including a school-based nutrition education program combining high levels of parental involvement plus a supportive environment to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and improve healthy eating among Indigenous Australian children and their families living in remote communities.