Allocating scarce HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drugs in resource-constrained countries: using modelling to develop tools and analyse consequences of ethics and HIV-epidemiology. This project will benefit communities in some of the poorest countries of the world, suffering greatly from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This research is important and timely for these nations in deciding how to distribute the limited treatment in an ethical manner to address treatment principles of these countries. However, the me ....Allocating scarce HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drugs in resource-constrained countries: using modelling to develop tools and analyse consequences of ethics and HIV-epidemiology. This project will benefit communities in some of the poorest countries of the world, suffering greatly from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This research is important and timely for these nations in deciding how to distribute the limited treatment in an ethical manner to address treatment principles of these countries. However, the methods developed can also be applied to other diseases in different regions and people, such as Australian aborigines to increase their quality of health. Specifically, an epidemic of Chlamydia is widespread amongst the aboriginal communities of Australia's Northern Territory. Tools developed in this project will be easily adaptable to address control measures for Chlamydia among this population. Read moreRead less
Influences on farmer suicide in Queensland and New South Wales. Australian farmers have been identified as being at high-risk of suicide. This project will provide direction for targeted suicide prevention strategies by quantifying the individual and environmental factors that place farmers at higher risk of suicide, as well as the protective factors that may buffer against suicide and suicidal behaviours.
Unequal futures: A critical investigation of regional and sociocultural variations in teenage pregnancy. The overarching aim of this project is to investigate geographical and sociocultural variations in teenage pregnancy in Australia, encompassing the over-representation of young Indigenous teenage mothers. It considers the implications of these differences for government policy.
The project aims to:
- define the parameters of teenage pregnancy
- map the complex social context in whic ....Unequal futures: A critical investigation of regional and sociocultural variations in teenage pregnancy. The overarching aim of this project is to investigate geographical and sociocultural variations in teenage pregnancy in Australia, encompassing the over-representation of young Indigenous teenage mothers. It considers the implications of these differences for government policy.
The project aims to:
- define the parameters of teenage pregnancy
- map the complex social context in which to understand teenage pregnancy
- identify the information, support, and services most likely to ensure that young women have options for pregnancy and motherhood which maximise their health and wellbeing
- identify factors which account for unintentional teenage pregnancy and strategies for prevention or amelioration.
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Recruitment and Retention of the Australian Medical Practitioner Workforce - a Longitudinal Electronic Cohort Study. Identifying and acknowledging the significant personal and professional influences on the career decisions of doctors, including the choice to leave the profession for several years and factors driving the decision to return or not return, will provide not only the major public employers of doctors, but also government, community and private practice groups with reliable current e ....Recruitment and Retention of the Australian Medical Practitioner Workforce - a Longitudinal Electronic Cohort Study. Identifying and acknowledging the significant personal and professional influences on the career decisions of doctors, including the choice to leave the profession for several years and factors driving the decision to return or not return, will provide not only the major public employers of doctors, but also government, community and private practice groups with reliable current evidence to inform medical workforce planning and design, and ensure quality health care. Read moreRead less
Molecular Ecology of Cryptosporidium in Rural and Urban NSW. Cryptosporidiosis is of particular concern in rural NSW. Significant increases in the incidence of cryptosporidiosis coupled with repeated outbreaks in regional areas demonstrate a need for improved management strategies. This project will identify transmission patterns of this disease relevant to the Australian environment, which is essential for future control. The reduction of economic costs for medical treatment of cryptosporidiosi ....Molecular Ecology of Cryptosporidium in Rural and Urban NSW. Cryptosporidiosis is of particular concern in rural NSW. Significant increases in the incidence of cryptosporidiosis coupled with repeated outbreaks in regional areas demonstrate a need for improved management strategies. This project will identify transmission patterns of this disease relevant to the Australian environment, which is essential for future control. The reduction of economic costs for medical treatment of cryptosporidiosis and improved on-farm management through control of Cryptosporidium transmission from farm animals are significant to public health and of national and community benefit. The primary national benefit will be improved rural community health through prevention of cryptosporidiosis outbreaks.Read moreRead less
The prevalence and impact of intellectual disability among Indigenous Australians in Western Australia. There is limited information on the extent and impact of intellectual disability among Indigenous Australians. The proposed project will develop a credible baseline picture of intellectual disability among Indigenous Australians in Western Australia by investigating the true prevalence, clinical and sociodemographic correlates, and morbidity and mortality patterns. It builds on a successful co ....The prevalence and impact of intellectual disability among Indigenous Australians in Western Australia. There is limited information on the extent and impact of intellectual disability among Indigenous Australians. The proposed project will develop a credible baseline picture of intellectual disability among Indigenous Australians in Western Australia by investigating the true prevalence, clinical and sociodemographic correlates, and morbidity and mortality patterns. It builds on a successful collaborative relationship between Disability Services Commission of WA and academia; and is unique in integrating information from multiple data sources. The findings will have direct health and social benefits by providing information on which to base appropriate health strategies and care networks to service particular needs.Read moreRead less
Spatial analysis of a linked environmental, health and social data base. Extensive environmental, health and socio-demographic data are routinely collected by various agencies throughout Australia. To date, it has been difficult to link separate databases and investigate possible associations between the different parameters within them. In this proposal we plan to link routinely collected health, environment and socio-demographic data from a number of databases. We then plan to develop tools fo ....Spatial analysis of a linked environmental, health and social data base. Extensive environmental, health and socio-demographic data are routinely collected by various agencies throughout Australia. To date, it has been difficult to link separate databases and investigate possible associations between the different parameters within them. In this proposal we plan to link routinely collected health, environment and socio-demographic data from a number of databases. We then plan to develop tools for geo-referencing the data. Finally we plan to perform spatial analysis of the linked data, specifically investigating associations between environmental and social factors and childhood leukaemia, deliberate self harm and adverse birth outcomes. Linking separate databases and performing spatial analysis of georeferenced data will substantially improve the quality of public health surveillance and research in NSW. In addition, it will enable more detailed analysis of the effects of environmental exposures on health, using routine data.Read moreRead less
Individual, social and physical environmental influences on children's active transport and independent mobility. Childhood obesity is likely to have significant economic and social impacts on Australian society. Preventing further increases in this disease is crucial, particularly among children at high risk such as those living in rural or disadvantaged areas. The promotion of behaviours such as active transport may have a significant benefit for public health; however little is known about wh ....Individual, social and physical environmental influences on children's active transport and independent mobility. Childhood obesity is likely to have significant economic and social impacts on Australian society. Preventing further increases in this disease is crucial, particularly among children at high risk such as those living in rural or disadvantaged areas. The promotion of behaviours such as active transport may have a significant benefit for public health; however little is known about what influences active transport among children in rural or disadvantaged areas. This study will identify important factors influencing active transport and will directly inform strategies aiming to promote health and wellbeing, thereby creating a healthier generation of Australian children.Read moreRead less
Adaptive capabilities in the elderly during extreme heat events in South Australia. This study, using first hand accounts of experiences and perceptions of the extreme heat event of 2009 in South Australia, will provide a valuable insight into the heat adaptive capability of the ageing population, factors affecting susceptibility, and ways to curb the predicted increase in often life-threatening heat exacerbated illnesses, many of which require extended hospital stays. It is envisaged that findi ....Adaptive capabilities in the elderly during extreme heat events in South Australia. This study, using first hand accounts of experiences and perceptions of the extreme heat event of 2009 in South Australia, will provide a valuable insight into the heat adaptive capability of the ageing population, factors affecting susceptibility, and ways to curb the predicted increase in often life-threatening heat exacerbated illnesses, many of which require extended hospital stays. It is envisaged that findings will help inform health policy and contribute to the formulation of a National Heatwave Response plan. Study findings will be disseminated widely at government (state and federal), non-government, and community levels and will help to raise the awareness of heat exacerbated illness in general.Read moreRead less