From Advocacy To Action: Utilising Health Impact Assessment As A Tool To Realise The Right To Health.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$97,419.00
Summary
The actions of governments often affect people’s health and wellbeing. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is used to identify how these actions may impact on health and develop recommendations about how to maximise positive health benefits and reduce or stop negative impacts. This project is investigating how human rights can be used to strengthen the role of HIA in protecting the right to health.
A Multi-level Study Of Socioeconomic Status And Healthy Food Purchasing Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$173,492.00
Summary
Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have the highest rates of death and ill-health for diet-related diseases (eg. coronary heart disease, some cancers). Our understanding of the dietary practices which may contribute to these outcomes, however, is limited. This project focuses on this issue by examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and food purchasing behaviour. Studies investigating this relationship have found that disadvantaged social groups are least likely to purchase fo ....Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have the highest rates of death and ill-health for diet-related diseases (eg. coronary heart disease, some cancers). Our understanding of the dietary practices which may contribute to these outcomes, however, is limited. This project focuses on this issue by examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and food purchasing behaviour. Studies investigating this relationship have found that disadvantaged social groups are least likely to purchase foods which are important for long-term health. The reasons for this association, however, remain unclear. Research into the general determinants of food purchasing behaviour shows that food choices are influenced by the intra-personal characteristics of individuals (eg. knowledge and beliefs), interactions between individuals sharing the same context (eg. relations between parents and children), economic and material factors (eg. income, access to a car) and features of the wider physical environment (eg. availability of healthy food and public transport). What is clear from this evidence, is that food choice is influenced by factors which operate at multiple levels. This project aims to collect data simultaneously from each level, and determine whether (and to what extent) factors operating at each level differentially influence the food purchasing behaviours of socioeconomic groups. This study (i) will contribute to our understanding of why socioeconomic groups differ in their health status, (ii) is consistent with the goals and recommendations of numerous government reports, each of which calls for a a reduction in health inequalities, (iii) represents a methodological advance on previous research, and (iv) will generate the information necessary to develop innovative and appropriately targeted health promotion and health education campaigns.Read moreRead less
Do Urban Green Spaces Help To Reduce Incidence Of Alzheimer's And Associated Risk Factors? Multilevel Longitudinal Study Of 267,153 Adults With 15 Years Of Follow-up
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$719,841.00
Summary
Green spaces (e.g. parks and tree canopy) may help reduce – and narrow socioeconomic inequities - in the risk of Alzheimer’s by improving mental health and cognition, promoting physical activity and social support, reducing social isolation, reducing depression, obesity, cardiometabolic disease risk and buffering harms from traffic-related air pollution. I will conduct the first large-scale longitudinal studies to examine this hypothesis across a 15-year timespan.
Grassroots To Government: Social Inclusion, Health Promotion And The Third Sector
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$116,791.00
Summary
A more socially inclusive society should lead to better health outcomes for disadvantaged Australians. The Fed Govt has launched a major Social Inclusion policy initiative. Third Sector Organisations have been identified as critical to its implementation. This study will examine the impact of these policy changes on the organizations that are at the coalface of service delivery and ask whether and under what conditions the third sector can deliver on the promise of social inclusion.
A Geographic Approach To Measuring Social Deprivation And Health Care Need For Primary Health Care Policy And Planning
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$148,213.00
Summary
Understanding how and where people use and access health services, and how social disadvantage affects this is important for planning and providing primary health care services. Presenting information as maps is an effective way to explore and communicate these issues. This research program will use a geographic and map-based approach to understanding patterns of health service use and social disadvantage, to assist in developing primary health care policy.
Morbidity, Mortality And Health Service Use Among Criminal Offenders: A Western Australian Population-based Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$133,750.00
Summary
This study will focus on the health of criminal offenders, as a most likely marginalised and neglected section of the community, in order to identify areas of need that if addressed will possess benefits for both offenders and the general community. A research team will apply their public health, criminology and forensic psychology expertise, in partnership with the WA Police Service, to provide information on the health outcomes and health service use of adult offenders in WA. Four themes will ....This study will focus on the health of criminal offenders, as a most likely marginalised and neglected section of the community, in order to identify areas of need that if addressed will possess benefits for both offenders and the general community. A research team will apply their public health, criminology and forensic psychology expertise, in partnership with the WA Police Service, to provide information on the health outcomes and health service use of adult offenders in WA. Four themes will be explored: (1) Health Status, to estimate the prevalence of overall and cause-specific hospital-treated morbidity (2) Mortality, to estimate the prevalence of overall and cause-specific mortality, (3) Health Service Use, focussing on both the rate of primary and secondary health service use; and (4) Inequalities In Health Outcomes, firstly comparing the health outcomes of adult offenders with the general WA population, and secondly, comparing the health outcomes of adult offenders based on sanction severity and custodial setting. This investigation is one of only a few worldwide to study health among criminal offenders. Offenders are a neglected section of the Australian health system. Responding to their needs is not possible without an understanding of their health outcomes and the disparities that exist. An important public health opportunity therefore exists to investigate the health of this socially disadvantaged group. This study will provide more detailed data regarding offender-health than currently exists internationally or nationally. Results can be used by health and-or justice administrators as indicators of program and service performance, and potentially lead to improved collaboration between these sectors. The methods used for outcome evaluation can be used readily for the routine evaluation of health performance indicators for offenders.Read moreRead less
Empirical Ethics: Quantification Of Social Preferences For Economic Evaluation In The Health Sector
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$329,450.00
Summary
Recent studies indicate that there are significant differences between the social 'preferences'-priorities of the population and the priorities implied by health policy and embodied in health economic evaluations of the health sector. For example, members of the public give higher priority to the severely ill even when little can be done for them. The studies suggest that the public would also take into account, inter alia, a number of other factors, including prognosis, health potential and the ....Recent studies indicate that there are significant differences between the social 'preferences'-priorities of the population and the priorities implied by health policy and embodied in health economic evaluations of the health sector. For example, members of the public give higher priority to the severely ill even when little can be done for them. The studies suggest that the public would also take into account, inter alia, a number of other factors, including prognosis, health potential and the social context of the problem. They would not treat program costs in the way economic theory and practice recommends. These issues have been dramatised in the WHO's Evaluation of Health Systems (World Health Report 2000). This assigns a weight of only 0.25 to health improvement and 0.75 to issues of fairness. The proposed study will carry out three tasks. The first is to measure the importance of Australian health-related social preferences which should, potentially, be included in economic evaluation studies. Key values - parameters - including the rate of time preference and the social willingness to pay for an additional year of life will be measured precisely for immediate use. Secondly, the importance of other issues including illness severity, adaptation and prognosis will be tested to determine how these factors should be included in the economic evaluation of health programs. Finally, some general issues related to public versus private funding, egalitarianism and choice will be investigated. Results from interviews and surveys will be integrated in the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL) instrument and its user manual.Read moreRead less