The Population-health Science Of Sedentary Behaviour: An Integrated Approach To Understanding Environments, Prolonged Sitting And Adverse Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,009,478.00
Summary
Australians are ‘sitters’ -- at home, at work and in the car. Most do not do exercise, nor participate in sports. This leads to weight gain and risk of disease: notably type 2 diabetes, heart disease, breast and colon cancer. Professor Owen will identify why prolonged sitting can be so unhealthy; how our neighbourhoods, homes, work and cars make us sit too much; why some people are more susceptible to ‘couch potato’ lifestyles; and, the associated social and environmental impacts
Peer Support In Maintaining Physical Activity And Health Following An Exercise Training Intervention For Cancer Survivors: A Randomised Controlled Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$148,260.00
Summary
With improved screening and treatment, the number of cancer survivors in our ageing population continues to grow. However, a very high number have poor quality of life and reduced functional capacity. Exercise addresses these problems, yet very few cancer survivors exercise regularly. This study will combine high intensity intermittent exercise with peer support for cancer survivors to maintain regular exercise and their health in a community setting.
How Do Lay People Understand The Risk Of Developing Cancer? A Qualitative Study Using Grounded Theory Procedures.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$282,118.00
Summary
This project is about cancer risk. New discoveries are regularly made about the contribution of genes, environmental exposures, and lifestyles to cancer risk. These findings are often reported in the mass media, or used in television advertising to encourage us to attend cancer screening or change our habits. Some cancers are said to be almost entirely preventable. In fact some experts argue that whether or not we get cancer is largely our own responsibility. This study doesn't ask what causes c ....This project is about cancer risk. New discoveries are regularly made about the contribution of genes, environmental exposures, and lifestyles to cancer risk. These findings are often reported in the mass media, or used in television advertising to encourage us to attend cancer screening or change our habits. Some cancers are said to be almost entirely preventable. In fact some experts argue that whether or not we get cancer is largely our own responsibility. This study doesn't ask what causes cancer. Instead it asks what the risk of developing cancer means to Australians and in Australian society. This question will be answered by conducting a rigorous analysis of healthy lay people's descriptions of their own and others' risk of developing cancer. The researchers will talk with a wide range of people about cancer risk. They will ask: how do we think about cancer risk for ourselves? how do we engage with information about cancer risk? Do we listen to it? Do we trust it? Does it make sense to us? What do we think should be done about it? The resulting findings will be compared with the assumptions that underlie cancer prevention activities. Finally, the discoveries made about similarities and differences will be actively translated for expert and lay audiences. There have been many studies of what it is like to be a cancer patient or to be screened for cancer. But there has been very little systematic study of the way in which healthy Australians make sense of cancer risk. This study will develop a detailed model of what cancer risk means to Australians. It will provide new knowledge to researchers and practitioners in public health, health psychology and sociology, and risk communication, guiding communication about cancer risk and research about cancer risk well into the future. It will help lay people and professionals to communicate more effectively about cancer risk, and thus support continuing improvement in cancer prevention in Australia.Read moreRead less
A Randomised Trial Assessing A Shade Development Intervention In Secondary Schools For Adolescent Skin Cancer Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$709,615.00
Summary
Skin cancer is a significant burden to health costs, and morbidity and mortality in Australia. Reduction of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in sunlight, particularly during childhood and adolescence is an important strategy for preventing skin cancer in later life. Adolescents have been particularly resistant to skin cancer prevention messages. Despite a high knowledge of skin cancer, the majority of Australian adolescents report a reliance on sunscreen, a resistance to hat wearing, and ....Skin cancer is a significant burden to health costs, and morbidity and mortality in Australia. Reduction of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in sunlight, particularly during childhood and adolescence is an important strategy for preventing skin cancer in later life. Adolescents have been particularly resistant to skin cancer prevention messages. Despite a high knowledge of skin cancer, the majority of Australian adolescents report a reliance on sunscreen, a resistance to hat wearing, and commonly experience sunburn, an important indicator of increased risk of skin cancer. Psycho-social interventions have shown limited influence on adolescents' sun protective behaviours to date. The current research proposal explores an alternative approach to psycho-social interventions for adolescents. The study will assess the effect of increasing available shade at secondary schools. In a randomised control trial study design, the change in the number of students using certain outdoor areas at intervention schools will be observed 'before' and 'after' the installation of built shade sail structures. Our main hypothesis states that the number of students using these newly shaded areas in intervention schools will increase compared with use of equivalent unshaded areas in control schools. Shade development is increasingly becoming an issue for secondary schools and given both the high cost of providing shade structures and adolescents' resistance to other forms of sun protection it is important to establish that adolescents will use this form of sun protection. This study will determine whether adolescents actively avoid or seek shade and so provide evidence for informing decisions about further investment in shade provision in schools.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101276
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$326,150.00
Summary
Breaking patterns of violence to prevent family homicide. This project aims to quantify the relationship and interdependencies between risk factors and service utilisation among family homicide victims and offenders. These will be identified from an analysis of criminal justice and Coroners’ data on family homicide using Bayesian networks. This innovative approach will produce a model to predict the probability of a lethal outcome, and enable resources to be targeted for interventions to parties ....Breaking patterns of violence to prevent family homicide. This project aims to quantify the relationship and interdependencies between risk factors and service utilisation among family homicide victims and offenders. These will be identified from an analysis of criminal justice and Coroners’ data on family homicide using Bayesian networks. This innovative approach will produce a model to predict the probability of a lethal outcome, and enable resources to be targeted for interventions to parties identified as high risk prior to escalation that could lead to death. The knowledge from this project will help save the lives of victims, change the life course of offenders and reduce exposure to violence by other family members to break intergenerational patterns of family violence.Read moreRead less
A Consumer-centred Intervention Designed To Improve Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours And Weight Management In Preconception Women
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Healthy weight before conception plays a crucial role in the health of future generations. Identifying unique preconception groups of women who are most likely to respond to and engage with health promotion programs will improve effectiveness of obesity prevention initiatives. This research will inform and develop a tailored preconception health promotion program that will address both individual and population needs- Australia’s first consumer-centred approach to preconception health promotion.
Advancing Obesity Prevention And Control In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$461,678.00
Summary
This Fellow will make a significant contribution to the science of childhood obesity prevention. By interrogating high quality data from successful community based interventions the Fellow will identify key systemic components for effective chronic disease prevention. This information will then inform the evaluation of the $80m multiple community Victorian Prevention Community Model involving >25% of the State’s population.
Understandings Of Food And Weight Gain In Pregnant Women: A Qualitative Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$83,256.00
Summary
At a time when the incidence of obesity and associated chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes continues to rise and public health interventions are struggling to make an impact, this proposal has the potential to generate new insights. By using in-depth interviews to explore practices and understandings leading to excess weight gain during pregnancy this project addresses potential obesity in women and potential predisposition to obesity in their children.