The weighty issue of childhood obesity: an investigation of the role of junk food advertising. Australian children have been getting continuously fatter since the 1970s. The direct health cost implications amount to $830 million annually. Most fat kids also become fat adults, suggesting a future health crisis in Australia. Junk food advertising is extremely heavy during children's television and is thought to contribute greatly to childhood obesity because children are highly susceptible to t ....The weighty issue of childhood obesity: an investigation of the role of junk food advertising. Australian children have been getting continuously fatter since the 1970s. The direct health cost implications amount to $830 million annually. Most fat kids also become fat adults, suggesting a future health crisis in Australia. Junk food advertising is extremely heavy during children's television and is thought to contribute greatly to childhood obesity because children are highly susceptible to the suggestions of ads. The present research will help policy makers decide the most appropriate regulation of food advertising to children, and has the potential to reduce the proportion of Australian kids who are fat, thereby saving billions of dollars in health costs.Read moreRead less
Can parents teach their children to drink alcohol responsibly? Or, is one drop a drop too many? Parents typically supply alcohol to their children believing it is the best way to teach responsible drinking. Whether parents should provide alcohol is controversial and the evidence to inform this decision is unclear. This research will provide an in-depth understanding of the consequences of parents providing alcohol to their children and when, where and how this can be done to minimise harm. This ....Can parents teach their children to drink alcohol responsibly? Or, is one drop a drop too many? Parents typically supply alcohol to their children believing it is the best way to teach responsible drinking. Whether parents should provide alcohol is controversial and the evidence to inform this decision is unclear. This research will provide an in-depth understanding of the consequences of parents providing alcohol to their children and when, where and how this can be done to minimise harm. This is a national priority as alcohol abuse is a leading cause of injury and death among young Australians and developing the knowledge for preventive health care is essential. This research will provide parents with the information they need to give their children a healthier start to life.Read moreRead less
Multi-dimensional Temporal Abstraction to Support Neonatal Clinical Research. Each year, the death of a baby causes grief for thousands of Australian parents, contributes to depression and considerable anxiety in the population. In this work we propose procedures that will significantly reduce this unhappy scenario. The availability of a complex trend and pattern analysis will give Neonatologists access to predictive clinical analysis that has not previously been available locally or internation ....Multi-dimensional Temporal Abstraction to Support Neonatal Clinical Research. Each year, the death of a baby causes grief for thousands of Australian parents, contributes to depression and considerable anxiety in the population. In this work we propose procedures that will significantly reduce this unhappy scenario. The availability of a complex trend and pattern analysis will give Neonatologists access to predictive clinical analysis that has not previously been available locally or internationally. Thus, significant benefits in terms of lower mortality rates and lower long-term disability rates among babies requiring special care is possible. This research will provide the basis for future projects that will support regional hospitals.Read moreRead less
The development of emotion regulation strategies and their relationships with psychological wellbeing: A long-term follow-up study. A largely neglected area, emotion regulation in young people will be comprehensively examined. The first of its kind worldwide, this research will provide a rich understanding of the development of emotion regulation over the course of development from late childhood to early adulthood. An understanding of the role played by emotion regulation in wellbeing will prov ....The development of emotion regulation strategies and their relationships with psychological wellbeing: A long-term follow-up study. A largely neglected area, emotion regulation in young people will be comprehensively examined. The first of its kind worldwide, this research will provide a rich understanding of the development of emotion regulation over the course of development from late childhood to early adulthood. An understanding of the role played by emotion regulation in wellbeing will provide important foundations for the development of intervention and prevention strategies that incorporate emotional functioning processes. This is predicted to result in a marked increase in the efficacy of existing prevention and intervention efforts which will lead to significant health care cost savings and social benefits, particularly for our youth.Read moreRead less
The nature of alcohol advertising in 'old' and 'new' media and the impact on young people's alcohol-related attitudes, intentions and behaviour. Young people in Australia are exposed to a vast array of alcohol advertising. While television advertising has been widely researched, the effects of internet advertising, social networking, and event-based marketing are largely unknown. This project will examine the impact of different media on teenagers' current and future drinking behaviours.
African youth and obesity: The role of the intergenerational acculturation gap. The financial cost of obesity to the Australian community is estimated to be $21.9 billion when the costs borne by individuals are taken into account. Understanding and addressing factors that extenuate health inequalities and reduce obesity will lead to a reduction in the burden of diseases and healthier ageing population. Our study will be the first to apply acculturation theories to examine the family environment ....African youth and obesity: The role of the intergenerational acculturation gap. The financial cost of obesity to the Australian community is estimated to be $21.9 billion when the costs borne by individuals are taken into account. Understanding and addressing factors that extenuate health inequalities and reduce obesity will lead to a reduction in the burden of diseases and healthier ageing population. Our study will be the first to apply acculturation theories to examine the family environment and family dynamics that predispose adolescents from one of the fastest growing immigrant populations, Africans, to obesity, and to produce culturally competent and tested models to inform large scale, population-level obesity prevention programs and policies.Read moreRead less