The effect of physical activity and a structured exercise program on the psychological and physical development of Australian primary school children. This study will explore the effects of early childhood physical activity on development. Our study will assess quantitatively the beneficial effects of exercise on personal and physical growth in young children in a non-intimidating way using a specifically designed exercise program.
The impact of park renewal on park usage and park-based physical activity. The study will examine whether the refurbishment of a park located in a low socio-economic area of Melbourne has an impact on park usage and park-based physical activity. The findings will help inform the design of future parks to optimise park usage and physical activity performed within the park.
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.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100803
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,094.00
Summary
Impact of screen time on preschoolers’ social skills and cognitive function. This project aims to determine how the quantity and nature of screen time interacts with parental co-participation to affect pre-schoolers’ social skills and cognitive functioning. Seventy per cent of pre-schoolers exceed current screen time guidelines and this causes considerable concern among Australian parents. This project will assist in evaluating how much, and which types, of screen time have benefits for social ....Impact of screen time on preschoolers’ social skills and cognitive function. This project aims to determine how the quantity and nature of screen time interacts with parental co-participation to affect pre-schoolers’ social skills and cognitive functioning. Seventy per cent of pre-schoolers exceed current screen time guidelines and this causes considerable concern among Australian parents. This project will assist in evaluating how much, and which types, of screen time have benefits for social skills and cognitive functioning. It will also provide insights into the ways parents may best support these outcomes. Findings are expected to provide evidence for policy development and inform programs to support healthy behaviours to give young children the best start in life.Read moreRead less
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
Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The 13-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine On Pneumococcal Serotypes Causing Pneumonia In Children
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,137,532.00
Summary
Streptococcus pneumonia (Pneumococcus) is a bug that is a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality world-wide. Vaccinations have been recently brought onto the national immunisation program to try and combat this. This study aims to assess the new 13 valent Pneumococcal vaccine by studying its effectiveness in preventing childhood pneumonia in Australia by analysing the strains of Pneumococus in the blood and the fluid surrounding the lining the lung in complicated pneumonia using sens ....Streptococcus pneumonia (Pneumococcus) is a bug that is a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality world-wide. Vaccinations have been recently brought onto the national immunisation program to try and combat this. This study aims to assess the new 13 valent Pneumococcal vaccine by studying its effectiveness in preventing childhood pneumonia in Australia by analysing the strains of Pneumococus in the blood and the fluid surrounding the lining the lung in complicated pneumonia using sensitive molecular techniques.Read moreRead less
EuropeaN Energy Balance Research To Prevent Excessive Weight Gain Among Youth: The ENERGY Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$102,209.00
Summary
The objective of the ENERGY project is to examine the influence of existing programs on health behaviours in different populations and settings in order to develop an evidence and theory-based approach for promoting physical activity and healthy eating among youth in transition from childhood to adolescence. The results of this project will be translated into practical strategies and knowledge that can be used by schools, policymakers, health professionals and the general public. The ENERGY proj ....The objective of the ENERGY project is to examine the influence of existing programs on health behaviours in different populations and settings in order to develop an evidence and theory-based approach for promoting physical activity and healthy eating among youth in transition from childhood to adolescence. The results of this project will be translated into practical strategies and knowledge that can be used by schools, policymakers, health professionals and the general public. The ENERGY project involves a multidisciplinary team of investigators from 10 European countries and Australia (Deakin University; DU). DU will participate in two of the 10 work packages (WP) in the proposal. The aim of WP3 is to identify the personal, social and physical environmental determinants in family and school of children’s physical activity and healthy eating. The aim of WP5 is to identify moderators and mediators of successful interventions to prevent obesity among children aged 10-12 years.Read moreRead less
Population Testing Of An Internet-based Personalised Decision Support System For Colorectal Cancer Screening
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$480,230.00
Summary
This study will determine the impact of a fully developed computerised Personalised Decision Support (PDS) package on colorectal cancer screening participation. The PDS tool is designed to guide people through the decision processes relevant to deciding whether to undertake screening. The PDS presents personally tailored messages aimed at progressing individuals towards screening test use and has the potential to supplement traditional paper methods of increasing screening participation.
A Population Based Communication Strategy To Optimise Colorectal Cancer Screening Behaviour In Australia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$532,425.00
Summary
There is good evidence that population screening, based on the detection of blood in faeces, is effective in reducing deaths from bowel cancer (CRC) by around 30-40%. The process depends on the use of a simple faecal occult blood test (FOBT) to identify those who need a more complex and costly test (colonoscopy), which is capable of accurately detecting curable cancers and precancers so that they can be removed. If we are to reduce deaths from CRC at the population level, we must have an effecti ....There is good evidence that population screening, based on the detection of blood in faeces, is effective in reducing deaths from bowel cancer (CRC) by around 30-40%. The process depends on the use of a simple faecal occult blood test (FOBT) to identify those who need a more complex and costly test (colonoscopy), which is capable of accurately detecting curable cancers and precancers so that they can be removed. If we are to reduce deaths from CRC at the population level, we must have an effective way of encouraging as many people as possible to do FOBT tests. While much has been learnt about how to offer screening from experience with programs for breast and cervical cancer, CRC screening involves different behavioural, psychological and social issues. We need to better understand how these factors influence participation in CRC screening. We plan a series of studies that will lead to improvements in participation in CRC screening programs: a) a survey of a randomly selected group of the general population to measure a range of behavioural features that are of importance to CRC screening, especially as they relate to participation. b) an offer of FOBTscreening to those invited to complete the survey, to match population characteristics with intentions and actual participation, c) on the basis of these studies, to design new screening program strategies, especially in relation to the communication of messages to encourage community participation, d) to test the effectiveness of the new communication strategies by offering FOBT screening to another randomly selected group from the general population. This will allow us to optimise the delivery of messages that encourage participation. If we can design a better communication strategy that achieves an increase in screening participation and has minimum cost implications, we will substantially reduce the number of deaths from CRC in Australia.Read moreRead less
Case-cohort Study Of The Association Between Pertussis Vaccination In Infancy And The Risk Of IgE-mediated Food Allergy.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$144,742.00
Summary
Allergic diseases are one of the most important causes of chronic morbidity among children in Australia. This is a retrospective case-controlled trial, utilising data from the Australian immunisation register and cases of confirmed food allergy, to examine the role of vaccination in protection against food allergy. If a relationship between the type of vaccination and protection against allergy is found, this would have implications for allergy prevention and immunisation policy.