Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Brief GP Intervention To Reduce Overweight In Victorian Primary School Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$662,600.00
Summary
Childhood overweight and obesity is one of the most pressing public health problems of our time. The aim of this study is to lower the levels of overweight and mild obesity in children aged 5-9 years, through sustainable family and child nutritional and-or physical activity behavioural choices that can be implemented by general practitioners (GPs). This trial addresses the urgent need identified in the 2003 NHMRC Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Childr ....Childhood overweight and obesity is one of the most pressing public health problems of our time. The aim of this study is to lower the levels of overweight and mild obesity in children aged 5-9 years, through sustainable family and child nutritional and-or physical activity behavioural choices that can be implemented by general practitioners (GPs). This trial addresses the urgent need identified in the 2003 NHMRC Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents for simple, well-designed intervention studies which can be translated into usual clinical practice. Effective and coordinated universal prevention, secondary prevention and management services will all be needed to reduce the problem, and a great deal of research is needed in all of these. This proposal addresses the most neglected area of research - secondary prevention in the primary care sector. Through our previous research, we have already showed that this approach is feasible and acceptable to families and GPs. Our multidisciplinary research team is well-established, and we are not aware of any other research team in Australia that has the capacity and expertise to conduct this research at this point in time. In this randomised controlled trial, we expect a halving in the rate of gain in BMI over 6 and 12 months. This would equate to the average participant achieving a BMI of 25 (verging on overweight) rather than 30 (obese) by adulthood. If effective, we expect the following outcomes: 1) The adoption and maintenance of healthy lifestyle behaviours in that segment of the population which has most to gain over a lifetime - overweight and obese children 2) Documentation that general practitioners can make a significant contribution to combating the childhood obesity epidemic 3) A replicable, feasible, cost-effective primary care approach to childhood overweight-obesity tailored to the Australian health care system.Read moreRead less
A Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Decision Aid For Prenatal Screening And Diagnosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$269,625.00
Summary
Prenatal screening is becoming increasingly available to pregnant women in many countries, including Australia, to test for Down syndrome and other chromosomal disorders as well as neural tube defects. Almost half the pregnant women in Victoria are now undergoing prenatal screening. Inherent in all screening tests is the possibility of false positive or false negative results. More than 5% of all women undergoing prenatal screening are likely to receive false positive results and must decide whe ....Prenatal screening is becoming increasingly available to pregnant women in many countries, including Australia, to test for Down syndrome and other chromosomal disorders as well as neural tube defects. Almost half the pregnant women in Victoria are now undergoing prenatal screening. Inherent in all screening tests is the possibility of false positive or false negative results. More than 5% of all women undergoing prenatal screening are likely to receive false positive results and must decide whether to put the pregnancy at risk of miscarriage, or a possible pregnancy termination, as a result of the necessary follow-up invasive diagnostic test. Many women do not realise they may have to face this decision. Others are not aware that their baby may be born with undiagnosed problems even if they have the screening test. One aspect of care that is likely to have a crucial influence on women's experience of screening is how much they are informed about a test prior to undergoing it. Most women visit a GP early in the first trimester of pregnancy. This visit provides an opportunity for information provision about prenatal screening. Decision aids have been developed as adjuncts to practitioners' counselling to prepare patients for decision-making. In this project we will be developing a decision aid for women considering their prenatal screening options. A randomised controlled trial will compare the efficacy of a general educational pamphlet to that of a tailored decision aid in preparing women for decision-making about prenatal screening. A total of 500 women who are less than 11 weeks pregnant and are attending one of 50 GPs will be included. Self-report questionnaires will be used to assess women immediately after use of the educational materials and then again at 24 weeks of pregnancy. The impact of the educational materials on informed choice, decisional conflict, anxiety, depression and uptake of prenatal screening tests will be compared.Read moreRead less
Family Lawyers and Child-Focused Dispute Resolution: Managing Inter-Professional Relationships in the Family Law System. This multi-disciplinary project involving law, psychology, and social work, will shed light on the facilitators and inhibitors of effective collaboration between legal and social science professionals in the family law system. It will do this by exploring the knowledge base, attitudes, norms, and beliefs that underpin practice for both groups, as well as contextual factors aff ....Family Lawyers and Child-Focused Dispute Resolution: Managing Inter-Professional Relationships in the Family Law System. This multi-disciplinary project involving law, psychology, and social work, will shed light on the facilitators and inhibitors of effective collaboration between legal and social science professionals in the family law system. It will do this by exploring the knowledge base, attitudes, norms, and beliefs that underpin practice for both groups, as well as contextual factors affecting collaboration. The study is a response to government proposals to increase reliance on non-legal dispute management methods and mediation professionals to resolve post-separation parenting disputes. It aims to inform the design of better integrated professional services for separated parents in the family law system.Read moreRead less
Spirometry And Asthma Management In Children And Adults In General Practice.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Measurement of airflow obstruction, as measured by spirometry, is a vital element in the management of people with asthma. This study aims to examine the potential benefits to patients of using spirometry in the management of asthma in children and adults.
Prevalence, Nature And Recommendations For Clinical Management And Self-management Of Depression For People With HIV
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,290.00
Summary
By comparing the nature and prevalence of depression in those with and without HIV, and documenting the ways in which general practitioners manage depression in their patients, the project will provide a comprehensive and layered understanding of depression among men, particularly those living with HIV in urban and regional Australia. Project findings will develop the skills and research capacity of general practitioners in the assessment and management of depression.