Improving workplace productivity via an AI-based physical activity chatbot . This project aims to develop, train and evaluate a physical activity chatbot using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve workplace productivity in sedentary office workers. Productivity losses, due to high numbers of physically inactive workers, cost the Australian economy $14 billion per year. The cost of effective and scalable workplace physical activity programs acts as a barrier to their implementa ....Improving workplace productivity via an AI-based physical activity chatbot . This project aims to develop, train and evaluate a physical activity chatbot using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve workplace productivity in sedentary office workers. Productivity losses, due to high numbers of physically inactive workers, cost the Australian economy $14 billion per year. The cost of effective and scalable workplace physical activity programs acts as a barrier to their implementation. As such, innovative programs that can reach large numbers of workers at minimal cost are needed. This project aims to generate new knowledge on the use of artificial intelligence to achieve behavioural improvements and will lead to the development of a new type of behaviour change program with broad applicability.
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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.
National Implementation Trial Of An Evidence-informed Workplace Sitting Reduction Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$624,575.00
Summary
Long periods of sitting time are bad for health. We will conduct a three-year national trial with five workplace-health partner organizations testing a website-delivered program for reducing sitting time at work. It will be offered to over 10,000 desk-based employees. We will determine the impacts of the program as well as refinements needed for full-scale dissemination: uptake of the program, how well it can be delivered on a large scale, its impact on sitting time, and the costs involved.
Increasing Physical Activity Among Young Children From Disadvantaged Communities: A Group Randomised Controlled Effectiveness Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,107,309.00
Summary
This project will evaluate the impact of a multi-level, multi-setting program to promote physical activity and movement skills among pre-school-aged children in disadvantaged communities. It will target the professional development of childcare educators and of parents. Childcare centres will be linked to the Early Start Facility at the University of Wollongong using state-of-the-art technology providing a unique opportunity to work with educators and parents in regional and remote areas.
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.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100141
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,000.00
Summary
Creating food environments that encourage healthy eating. The aim of this project is to trial scalable and sustainable interventions that encourage healthy purchasing and eating behaviours in supermarket settings. Most food in Australia is purchased in supermarkets and unhealthy eating is the greatest contributor to Australian life years lost. The project will assess the effect of a range of interventions on purchases of healthy and unhealthy foods and the financial impact on the retailer in eig ....Creating food environments that encourage healthy eating. The aim of this project is to trial scalable and sustainable interventions that encourage healthy purchasing and eating behaviours in supermarket settings. Most food in Australia is purchased in supermarkets and unhealthy eating is the greatest contributor to Australian life years lost. The project will assess the effect of a range of interventions on purchases of healthy and unhealthy foods and the financial impact on the retailer in eight supermarkets and a novel virtual supermarket. The economic analysis aims to ensure that successful public policy interventions are translatable to other retailers.Read moreRead less
Innovative School-based Interventions To Improve Mental Health And The Social And Emotional Development Of Australian Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,845.00
Summary
I am a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Western Australia and the Telethon Kids Institute. My research develops and delivers interventions that improve the quality of life, health, education, safety and social justice outcomes for Australian children. My work is particularly focused on ways to reduce harms from bullying and cyberbullying among children and adolescents.
Development and evaluation of morality curriculum intervention for children in Year 7 to reduce uptake of alcohol and tobacco in high school use. This project builds on previous research that supports the notion that a moral stance against alcohol and tobacco use has a protective effect on uptake of these substances. This study aims to develop morality curriculum components on alcohol and tobacco use for children in Year 7, and to determine the effectiveness of these morality components on preve ....Development and evaluation of morality curriculum intervention for children in Year 7 to reduce uptake of alcohol and tobacco in high school use. This project builds on previous research that supports the notion that a moral stance against alcohol and tobacco use has a protective effect on uptake of these substances. This study aims to develop morality curriculum components on alcohol and tobacco use for children in Year 7, and to determine the effectiveness of these morality components on preventing uptake of alcohol and tobacco use in early secondary school (Years 8 and 9). School-based interventions to date have ignored morality issues in their alcohol and tobacco control interventions. The output of this study will be the development of evidence-based morality curriculum components to enhance the effect of existing school-based interventions on alcohol and tobacco use.Read moreRead less