Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100077
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$441,935.00
Summary
A geospatial toolkit to assess community risk to environmental change. This project seeks to strengthen our understanding of the role of environmental change in driving patterns of community risk, by building a spatially and temporally explicit model, and a risk index that will be designed with input from decision makers. This project expects to improve the implementation of geospatial tools for risk assessment using an innovative approach based on evidence and practice. Expected outcomes includ ....A geospatial toolkit to assess community risk to environmental change. This project seeks to strengthen our understanding of the role of environmental change in driving patterns of community risk, by building a spatially and temporally explicit model, and a risk index that will be designed with input from decision makers. This project expects to improve the implementation of geospatial tools for risk assessment using an innovative approach based on evidence and practice. Expected outcomes include increased and optimal implementation of geospatial data in Australian systems, and enhanced research capacity to proactively respond to environmental change.Read moreRead less
Life Expectancy among Disease-Diagnosed. This project aims to improve methodological tools for calculating life expectancy for populations with mental or physical disorders in Australia as well as to determine gains and losses in terms of excess mortality. To achieve this goal innovative measures, which solve methodological previous shortcoming regarding different age at diagnosis will be applied. The expected outcomes of the project include precise figures of excess mortality related to mental ....Life Expectancy among Disease-Diagnosed. This project aims to improve methodological tools for calculating life expectancy for populations with mental or physical disorders in Australia as well as to determine gains and losses in terms of excess mortality. To achieve this goal innovative measures, which solve methodological previous shortcoming regarding different age at diagnosis will be applied. The expected outcomes of the project include precise figures of excess mortality related to mental and physical disorders. Significant benefits for future public policy-making will be gained by analysing excess mortality among individuals diagnosed mental or physical disorders, and cross-country comparisons using national linkage data. Read moreRead less
Understanding The Connections Between Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Culture, Health And Wellbeing To Support Action To Improve Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,915,802.00
Summary
Little is known about the inter-relationship of cultural factors and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes and these relationships have not been quantified. Through a large cohort study, this research will produce data that combines standard health measures with newly developed quantitative measures of cultural factors, supported by data linkage infrastructure. Robust analytical methods will be used to inform policy and program development.
Assessment Of Interventions For Controlling Pandemic Influenza And Determining Data Needs To Inform These Assessments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$183,040.00
Summary
The aim of this study is to help us prepare for a pandemic of influenza by comparing how effective the various available control strategies are at reducing transmission of the disease. The available control interventions include: reducing the number of close contacts we make with others, isolating cases after they are diagnosed, closing schools, quarantining households, quarantining individuals who are known to have been exposed to a case, and using antiviral drugs treat and protect people at ri ....The aim of this study is to help us prepare for a pandemic of influenza by comparing how effective the various available control strategies are at reducing transmission of the disease. The available control interventions include: reducing the number of close contacts we make with others, isolating cases after they are diagnosed, closing schools, quarantining households, quarantining individuals who are known to have been exposed to a case, and using antiviral drugs treat and protect people at risk of being infected. We will compare these control measures by taking due account of the ability and resources available for these interventions, and with regard to the need to maintain essential services. The comparisons will be made using mathematical models that describe the transmission of the infection. All available data and advice from experts will be used to ensure that realistic models are used for the comparisons. We will also use the models to determine the best use of the limited antiviral drugs available, until a vaccine becomes available. We will consider how the control strategy should be changed if a strain develops that is resistant to the antiviral drugs. In addition, we will determine what data need to be collected during the early stages of a pandemic to help us to determine the best use of the antiviral drugs, the best use of a new vaccine and to check on the development of resistance to the antiviral drugs.Read moreRead less
Min/Max Autocorrelation Factors in Time Series Studies of the Adverse Health Effects of Ozone. The annual health costs associated with exposure to air pollution in Australia have been estimated at between $3 and 5.3 billion. Given these costs, it is vital to conduct research that ensures public health officials and policy makers stay fully informed of Australia’s air pollution problem. The project proposes to address this need by developing methodology to detect trends in air pollution concentra ....Min/Max Autocorrelation Factors in Time Series Studies of the Adverse Health Effects of Ozone. The annual health costs associated with exposure to air pollution in Australia have been estimated at between $3 and 5.3 billion. Given these costs, it is vital to conduct research that ensures public health officials and policy makers stay fully informed of Australia’s air pollution problem. The project proposes to address this need by developing methodology to detect trends in air pollution concentrations and reduce measurement error in recorded air pollution concentrations. This will enable relevant authorities to produce more accurate estimates of air pollution health costs and implement more appropriate pollution regulations and health warnings.Read moreRead less
Normative study of a checklist of emotional and behavioural disturbance in adults with intellectual disability. People with intellectual disability (ID) are three times more likely to suffer mental illness than the general community, making this a bigger problem than schizophrenia. They are a great burden to their carers and cost to the community but their mental health problems remain largely untreated. This study aims to conduct the largest and most comprehensive survey of the mental health ....Normative study of a checklist of emotional and behavioural disturbance in adults with intellectual disability. People with intellectual disability (ID) are three times more likely to suffer mental illness than the general community, making this a bigger problem than schizophrenia. They are a great burden to their carers and cost to the community but their mental health problems remain largely untreated. This study aims to conduct the largest and most comprehensive survey of the mental health of adults with ID that has been undertaken internationally to date. The population will cover the age span of late adolescence (16 years) through the transition to adult life then through to the elderly. The research will establish the prevalence and nature of mental illness and potential risk factors in a large representative population of adults with ID.Read moreRead less
Which Mental Activities And When For Dementia Prevention? The Four Nations Longitudinal Collaboration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$183,218.00
Summary
We will examine the link between lifetime participation in complex mental activities and long term dementia risk in a level of detail not previously possible. Four major studies of brain health from around the world will join forces for the first time to determine which mental activities are most closely linked to protection from dementia, and when during the lifespan these are most important. Mental activity will be assessed using our recently published Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire.
Humanitarian migrants' settlement in Australia: A longitudinal study. Current evidence suggests that humanitarian migrants settle less successfully than other immigrants both economically and socially. This project aims to examine the causal mechanisms and pathways to economic, sociocultural and political settlement outcomes of humanitarian migrants to Australia. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of humanitarian migrants’ settlement by using nationally representative dat ....Humanitarian migrants' settlement in Australia: A longitudinal study. Current evidence suggests that humanitarian migrants settle less successfully than other immigrants both economically and socially. This project aims to examine the causal mechanisms and pathways to economic, sociocultural and political settlement outcomes of humanitarian migrants to Australia. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of humanitarian migrants’ settlement by using nationally representative data and cutting-edge longitudinal techniques.Expected outcomes include enhanced research capacity in causal methods, interdisciplinary and institutional collaborations, and evidence-based social policy for humanitarian migrants, significantly benefitting humanitarian migrants directly and society more broadly. Read moreRead less
Mental health, job quality and workforce participation: evidence from population health research to address complex problems and conflicting policies. Mental disorders such as depression are a major cause of disability. Improving mental health can increase productivity and workforce participation. However, the psychosocial quality of work is a factor that overlays the relationship between work and health. Poor quality work (for example, unreasonable time pressure, insecurity) increases the risk ....Mental health, job quality and workforce participation: evidence from population health research to address complex problems and conflicting policies. Mental disorders such as depression are a major cause of disability. Improving mental health can increase productivity and workforce participation. However, the psychosocial quality of work is a factor that overlays the relationship between work and health. Poor quality work (for example, unreasonable time pressure, insecurity) increases the risk of poor mental health, absenteeism, and exit from the workforce. This project will analyse data following people over time to investigate the long-term health and employment consequences of poor psychosocial job quality, and consider the special case of mature age workers. It will identify those individuals at greatest risk, and factors that can buffer against the adverse effects of poor quality work.Read moreRead less
Child health and developmental inequities: Evidence for precision policy. The project aims to use cutting edge analytic approaches applied to existing data to identify how policy interventions related to parents’ mental health, preschool programs, and the built environment can be optimised to reduce inequities in children’s mental, academic, and physical health outcomes. The project will be informed by our partners and advisers from across government portfolios and service delivery, ensuring tha ....Child health and developmental inequities: Evidence for precision policy. The project aims to use cutting edge analytic approaches applied to existing data to identify how policy interventions related to parents’ mental health, preschool programs, and the built environment can be optimised to reduce inequities in children’s mental, academic, and physical health outcomes. The project will be informed by our partners and advisers from across government portfolios and service delivery, ensuring that the evidence generated has contemporary policy relevance. The project expects to identify clear and actionable policy pathways to reduce child inequities in Australia, which can benefit decision makers by helping them to direct limited public funds towards intervention opportunities that will have the greatest impact.Read moreRead less