Building a bridge into preschool in remote Northern Territory communities. The focus of this project is the engagement of remote Indigenous children and families in a culturally appropriate, evidence-based early childhood education and care program that provides an opportunity to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous school achievement.
A Randomised Placebo-controlled Trial Of Antibiotics To Prevent Urinary Tract Infection In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$735,000.00
Summary
This study is needed to determine whether a common clinical practice long-term antibiotic treatment for children following urinary tract infection (UTI) - is safe and effective in preventing further UTI and if so, whether all appropriate children are being treated. UTI will affect about 10% of Australian children by high school age (88,000 children per year). Because UTI may damage the kidneys, the management priority for children with UTI has been prevention of further infection. Currently this ....This study is needed to determine whether a common clinical practice long-term antibiotic treatment for children following urinary tract infection (UTI) - is safe and effective in preventing further UTI and if so, whether all appropriate children are being treated. UTI will affect about 10% of Australian children by high school age (88,000 children per year). Because UTI may damage the kidneys, the management priority for children with UTI has been prevention of further infection. Currently this means the identification of children thought to be most at risk of recurrent UTI by renal tract imaging. Those found to have reflux of urine from the bladder to the kidney (present in about 30% of those with UTI) are then placed on antibiotics fro 2-5 years. Unfortunately there has never been a properly designed trial to test whether antibiotics do really prevent UTI and if so, whether children with reflux are the appropriate and only group requiring treatment. Long term antibiotics may in fact do more harm than good because of side effects like skin, bowel and blood problems and because resistant bacteria may develop. The design of this study involves the random allocation of placebo or antibiotic (cotrimoxazole, the usual antibiotic given in this case) to about 800 children after their first symptomatic UTI. These children are treated and followed for one year to determine the rate of futher UTI in both groups. Any difference in outcome between the two groups of children will be because of the antibiotic treatment. This study may prove long-term antibiotics are ineffective and therefore should not be routinely used. In this case investigation of children to detect vesicoureteric reflux would serve little purpose and should be abandoned. Alternatively antibiotic treatment may be shown as effective treatment for preventing further UTI and in this case the study will clearly identify those children who will benefit.Read moreRead less
Determining implementation drivers in resilience education. Determining implementation drivers in resilience education. This project aims to develop implementation frameworks to help the education sector universally provide resilience education programmes. More young people have mental health problems. Although evidence-based resilience education reduces these problems, education sectors do not know how to address barriers to school provision. The solution is implementation research. This projec ....Determining implementation drivers in resilience education. Determining implementation drivers in resilience education. This project aims to develop implementation frameworks to help the education sector universally provide resilience education programmes. More young people have mental health problems. Although evidence-based resilience education reduces these problems, education sectors do not know how to address barriers to school provision. The solution is implementation research. This project will study system and school-level factors influencing primary and high school uptake of social and emotional learning curricula that enhance resilience; and implementation drivers at both system and school levels, and influences on uptake and student and staff resilience. The outcome is universal provision of resilience education programs that benefit young people.Read moreRead less
A Behavioural Intervention For The Adoption & Maintenance Of Physical Activity In Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$334,955.00
Summary
For people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) it is essential that blood glucose levels are managed well to reduce the risk of developing complications. Physical activity is essential for maintaining glucose levels because it helps make the muscles use glucose more effectively. In particular, being active through strength training not only improves blood glucose levels, but can be very effective for maintaining good physical functioning, which is known to be reduced by having T2DM. This study builds on ....For people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) it is essential that blood glucose levels are managed well to reduce the risk of developing complications. Physical activity is essential for maintaining glucose levels because it helps make the muscles use glucose more effectively. In particular, being active through strength training not only improves blood glucose levels, but can be very effective for maintaining good physical functioning, which is known to be reduced by having T2DM. This study builds on our earlier research which demonstrated significantly improved blood glucose levels from a strength training program for older adults with T2DM. The strength training program is to be administered nationally in a research to practice trial (Lift for Life); however, the original research found that those who did not complete the program as it was intended (ie, poor adherence) did not show significant improvements in blood glucose levels. Furthermore, maintenance of strength training exercises after completion of the program was poor and resulted in return of blood glucose levels back to pre-starting levels. In people without diabetes, we have collected pilot data that shows that the use of behavioural strategies based on behavioural theories whereby each person's motivations and barriers are taken into consideration is more effective than the traditional one-treatment-fits-all approach. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of using behavioural strategies for improving adherence and maintenance to the Lift for Life strength training program (Enhanced L4L) for older adults with T2DM compared with the Standard L4L program. It will also follow-up participants 6 months later to determine the extent to which the changes in behaviour can be maintained. The study will provide information that will assist in the design, delivery and uptake of programs to improve treatment strategies in older adults with T2DM through the maintenance of healthier behaviours and lifestyles.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR120300015
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$16,000,000.00
Summary
The Science of Learning Research Centre. In this innovative new Centre, researchers in education, neuroscience and cognitive psychology will work together with teachers to understand the learning process. This collaboration will establish new criteria to assess the impact of different types of learning and strategies to inform teaching practices of benefit to all Australians.
School drug education for junior high school students in Victoria - Assessing the impact of a state-wide, evidence-based intervention
. Young people are faced with numerous and powerful influences to use both legal and illicit drugs, and drug education can play an important counterbalancing role in shaping a normative culture of safety, moderation and informed decision making in this group. The research will develop, implement and evaluate one all encompassing, evidence-based, drug education pr ....School drug education for junior high school students in Victoria - Assessing the impact of a state-wide, evidence-based intervention
. Young people are faced with numerous and powerful influences to use both legal and illicit drugs, and drug education can play an important counterbalancing role in shaping a normative culture of safety, moderation and informed decision making in this group. The research will develop, implement and evaluate one all encompassing, evidence-based, drug education program for junior high school students across Victoria. The study is unique in its size and scope and will be of national benefit because its findings will influence the nature of future drug education in all secondary schools in Australia.Read moreRead less
Gauging the value of flexible learning options for disenfranchised youth and the Australian community. Investment in flexible learning options (FLOs) for young people who have disengaged from schooling requires understanding of how they work and evidence about their economic and social value. This project will provide both through innovative and integrated methods, analysing FLO sites across three Australian states and the Northern Territory.