Improving Outcomes For Children With Emotional And Behavioural Difficulties Through A School-based Intervention: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$88,662.00
Summary
Over 50% of adult mental illness begins during childhood. Our health system is under increasing strain to support such children, especially public services. Teachers are in an ideal position to detect emerging issues and organise intervention, but they need help. This project aims to explore the potential for a collaboration between health and education to identify children with emotional and behavioural difficulties sooner and more accurately, and put in place effective strategies of support.
Evaluation Of A Healthy Lifestyle Intervention Targeting Young People Living In Out-of-home Care
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$69,099.00
Summary
Recent National findings reveal that on average, 45% of Australian children aged 5-14 years watch TV for at least 2 hours/day. Given the risk for adverse cognitive, behavioral and physical health outcomes related to excessive TV viewing, including childhood obesity, there is an urgent need to design effective interventions to reduce unhealthy TV habits in the early years. My project responds to this need.
Understanding The Development Of Dental Fear Among Australian Children And Adults By Applying A Comprehensive Conceptual Model
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,482.00
Summary
Dental fear acts as a significant barrier to obtaining dental care, and leads to poorer dental health, greater dental treatment needs and reduced school and work performance. Approximately 1 in 7 children and adults have high dental fear. Understanding how dentists are being trained, what they are doing in their dental practise, and how and why dental fear develops and is maintained, are fundamental steps in trying to reduce this important dental, mental, and public health issue.
The European Commission study - Models of Child Health Appraised (MOCHA) will examine the most effective model of primary health care (medical and non-medical) for children. We will complement this work through specific Australian studies on (1) experiences at the primary/secondary care interface, (2) development and testing of paediatric quality measures and (3) determining if and how primary care addresses inequity; ensuring all the results are translatable outside the European context.
Mobile Phones, Radiofrequency Exposure And The Development Of Cognitive Function In Primary School Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,477.00
Summary
Increasingly widespread exposure to radiofrequency fields from mobile telephones has raised concern about potential adverse health effects. The WHO has called for further research in children. We will conduct a 3 year study of 600 primary school students focussing on their exposure to mobile phones and cognitive development. If there are no significant effects, the community can be reassured. However if effects are demonstrated, we would need to restrict the use of mobile phones by children.
Long-term Follow-up Of Children Born Preterm Who Received High Dose DHA: The DINO Trial Follow-up.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$725,972.00
Summary
Children born prematurely are more likely to need help at school and to repeat a grade. One of the factors that may be responsible for the poor development of children who were premature may be the lack of an omega-3 fatty acid, called DHA. We have done a study in which feeds of premature infants were supplemented with DHA at a level equivalent to what a baby would recieve in the womb. We now want to see if these children have improved development at school age.
Biomechanical And Physiological Responses Of Children And Young Adults To Different Computer Workstations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$207,352.00
Summary
Computer use is increasing with 95% of Australian primary school children now using computers. Two out of three children and three out of four adult workers report pain associated with computer use. This has lead to concerns that increased computer use may be responsible for an increase in musculoskeletal disorders in young people. Little is known about the physical consequences of children's use of computers. The information we have on adult use is now out of date because of changes to computer ....Computer use is increasing with 95% of Australian primary school children now using computers. Two out of three children and three out of four adult workers report pain associated with computer use. This has lead to concerns that increased computer use may be responsible for an increase in musculoskeletal disorders in young people. Little is known about the physical consequences of children's use of computers. The information we have on adult use is now out of date because of changes to computer technology and how computers are used. It is therefore not possible to provide evidence-based recommendations for safe use of computers by young people. Critical gaps in our knowledge include the appropriate desk design and computer display position. The proposed studies will use recent advances in biomechanical and physiological measurement and modelling of musculoskeletal stress to evaluate a range of desk designs and computer display positions for young adults, preadolescentchilden and early school age children. The outcomes will include the first detailed description of the physical stresses of computer use by children and preliminary guidelines for workstation design.Read moreRead less
The Neurophysiology Of Abnormal Motor Development In Preterm Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$479,967.00
Summary
Better neonatal care has improved survival of prematurely born children. While most of these children will have no obvious brain lesion and attend mainstream schools, many will experience motor and cognitive difficulties and problems with social adjustment. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying this dysfunction are unknown. We will study preterm and term born children to elucidate the physiological mechanisms underlying motor and cognitive dysfunction associated with prematurity.