Socio-economic determinants and health inequalities over the life course: Australian and English comparisons. Our multidisciplinary investigation will yield Australia's first major body of knowledge on the socio-economic determinants of health and health inequalities over the life course. It will point the way towards policies that can promote health and reduce the health inequalities experienced by disadvantaged individuals and families. It will indicate how improving the health of ageing Aus ....Socio-economic determinants and health inequalities over the life course: Australian and English comparisons. Our multidisciplinary investigation will yield Australia's first major body of knowledge on the socio-economic determinants of health and health inequalities over the life course. It will point the way towards policies that can promote health and reduce the health inequalities experienced by disadvantaged individuals and families. It will indicate how improving the health of ageing Australian men and women can increase productivity and reduce needs for health services during the rapid population ageing that lies ahead. Comparisons with England will inform policy choices. We will train researchers who will play a future role in building Australia's evidence base to guide constructive policies to 2020 and beyond.Read moreRead less
Youth services in remote communities. This project aims to improve outcomes for high-risk youth in remote communities in Australia and Canada. It will establish a transdisciplinary research network comprising researchers and services experienced in delivering programmes to high-risk youth; develop a universal intervention definition, and a useful, scientifically rigorous evaluation framework; and integrate the intervention and evaluation framework into participating services’ routine service del ....Youth services in remote communities. This project aims to improve outcomes for high-risk youth in remote communities in Australia and Canada. It will establish a transdisciplinary research network comprising researchers and services experienced in delivering programmes to high-risk youth; develop a universal intervention definition, and a useful, scientifically rigorous evaluation framework; and integrate the intervention and evaluation framework into participating services’ routine service delivery. This project expects to increase the number and quality of services available for high-risk youth, improve their social, health and economic outcomes, and generate positive economic benefit for their communities.Read moreRead less
The role of the internet in building social capital amongst homosexually active men: virtual communities in HIV prevention. Social capital comprises features of social organisation such as civic participation, norms of reciprocity and trust in others that facilitate cooperation for mutual benefit, including health and wellbeing. The proposed research focuses on the role of the internet in producing the networks that engender social inclusion and community connectedness. There is scepticism about ....The role of the internet in building social capital amongst homosexually active men: virtual communities in HIV prevention. Social capital comprises features of social organisation such as civic participation, norms of reciprocity and trust in others that facilitate cooperation for mutual benefit, including health and wellbeing. The proposed research focuses on the role of the internet in producing the networks that engender social inclusion and community connectedness. There is scepticism about whether the 'virtual community' of the Internet can build social capital. The study will explore the potential benefits as well as harms to those homosexually active men who use the internet to access health information, meet sexual partners and build friendships that affirm gay identity and community inclusion.Read moreRead less
An action research project to strengthen inter-professional learning and practice across the ACT health system. There are 14 beneficial reasons why this project is vital to the fabric of our nation. These include: the economic benefits of a more efficient health-care system; the social benefits of more responsive and resilient workplaces; the research benefits of better knowledge about how professionals can work together effectively; the consumer benefits of improved patient care; health sector ....An action research project to strengthen inter-professional learning and practice across the ACT health system. There are 14 beneficial reasons why this project is vital to the fabric of our nation. These include: the economic benefits of a more efficient health-care system; the social benefits of more responsive and resilient workplaces; the research benefits of better knowledge about how professionals can work together effectively; the consumer benefits of improved patient care; health sector benefits in assisting health reforms to be more effective; and education sector benefits in understanding how professionals from different disciplines can learn together more collaboratively. The benefits are transferable to other industries and professional groups, as well as to Australia's international partners.Read moreRead less
Taking Time: Work-family time pressure, time quality and healthy activities. Australian families report very high time stress. This project explores links between parental time pressure, health and wellbeing, innovatively capturing individual, family and social perspectives. Using new measures, it analyses time diary data from ten countries to discover how amount, composition and gender share of work-family time affect parents' time quality and healthy activities across different societal contex ....Taking Time: Work-family time pressure, time quality and healthy activities. Australian families report very high time stress. This project explores links between parental time pressure, health and wellbeing, innovatively capturing individual, family and social perspectives. Using new measures, it analyses time diary data from ten countries to discover how amount, composition and gender share of work-family time affect parents' time quality and healthy activities across different societal contexts. It also examines whether there are differences in outcomes by socio-economic status and family structure, in Australia and cross-nationally. The results are expected to inform policy, to promote health and wellbeing, and to encourage sustainable employment-childcare practices.Read moreRead less
Impact of parents' employment on children's well-being: The influence of employment quality, time and activities with children, and parenting practices. Most Australian children now grow-up in families where both their mother and their father are employed. Using a new national dataset, this research examines how parents' working conditions are related to children's well-being. It is proposed that parents' availability, resources, and family functioning mediate between parental employment and chi ....Impact of parents' employment on children's well-being: The influence of employment quality, time and activities with children, and parenting practices. Most Australian children now grow-up in families where both their mother and their father are employed. Using a new national dataset, this research examines how parents' working conditions are related to children's well-being. It is proposed that parents' availability, resources, and family functioning mediate between parental employment and child outcomes. The Growing-Up in Australia study (available in 2005) surveys 10,000 children, combining measures of child well-being, existing validated measures of work conditions and family functioning, with a new child-focused diary that measures time and activities undertaken with children. New knowledge generated will inform future policy development.Read moreRead less
Critical perspectives on serodiscordance in family life. This project aims to produce the first empirical picture of Australian families affected by HIV, hepatitis C or hepatitis B, to shed light on how families manage adversity in diverse households and community contexts. The project plans to conduct qualitative research with individuals, families and other stakeholders to reveal the interplay between diversity in family forms and understandings and experiences of serodiscordance, or mixed inf ....Critical perspectives on serodiscordance in family life. This project aims to produce the first empirical picture of Australian families affected by HIV, hepatitis C or hepatitis B, to shed light on how families manage adversity in diverse households and community contexts. The project plans to conduct qualitative research with individuals, families and other stakeholders to reveal the interplay between diversity in family forms and understandings and experiences of serodiscordance, or mixed infection status. In developing a critical theory of serodiscordance that departs from the biomedical emphasis on ‘risk management’, novel insights are anticipated on accommodating difference and disruption, managing secrets and stigma, and responsibilising care and treatment within families. The project also anticipates the generation of new and important knowledge regarding the contributions of families to community wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Developmental pathways to health, education and delinquency outcomes in Western Australia children: a holistic approach to inform early intervention strategies. This project will pioneer population-level data linkages between WA's population health databases and information held by the WA Departments of Education (numeracy and literacy), Justice (juvenile delinquency), Disabilities, and Community Development (child protection). The project will describe temporal, regional, socioeconomic and raci ....Developmental pathways to health, education and delinquency outcomes in Western Australia children: a holistic approach to inform early intervention strategies. This project will pioneer population-level data linkages between WA's population health databases and information held by the WA Departments of Education (numeracy and literacy), Justice (juvenile delinquency), Disabilities, and Community Development (child protection). The project will describe temporal, regional, socioeconomic and racial patterns of developmental outcomes, key risk and protective factors and identify pathways to health and wellbeing, education and juvenile delinquency outcomes among WA children and youth, including those who have had contact with the Child Protection System. Outcomes for specific groups identified as ät risk" will also be examined".Read moreRead less
Experiences of addiction, treatment and recovery: An online resource for members of the public, health professionals and policymakers. Alcohol and other drug addiction is a major health and social issue in Australia. Treatment success rates are modest and little is known about how people experience and manage addiction and the stigma that accompanies it. This project will generate new knowledge on alcohol and other drug addiction by applying a proven qualitative methodology to these issues for t ....Experiences of addiction, treatment and recovery: An online resource for members of the public, health professionals and policymakers. Alcohol and other drug addiction is a major health and social issue in Australia. Treatment success rates are modest and little is known about how people experience and manage addiction and the stigma that accompanies it. This project will generate new knowledge on alcohol and other drug addiction by applying a proven qualitative methodology to these issues for the first time. It will produce an effective, innovative online resource for affected Australians, their family and friends, and the wider Australian community including health professionals and policymakers.Read moreRead less
How Australians navigate the healthcare maze: the differential capacity to choose. This project answers the question: how do Australians make choices as they navigate the healthcare maze? An examination of policy, media and marketing materials, and interviews with health professionals and consumers across three Australian states will reveal the most important factors in the capacity to exercise healthcare choice in Australia.