Transition to adulthood: the wellbeing of young women and men in Australia. How do young Australians make the transition from adolescence to adulthood in the 21st century, and is it different for women and men? This project seeks to understand the life transitions, plans, and emotional wellbeing of young Australians, providing evidence to underlie policy that supports the wellbeing of all emerging adults.
Bereavement of suicide and sudden death. Losing someone to suicide can have devastating affects on the survivors left behind. The aims of the present study include the identification of the processes and impacts of bereavement on survivors in various age groups. It also aims to identify critical points during the bereavement and factors which exacerbate and moderate negative impacts. This has been previously neglected in suicide research in Australia and its findings will add a multi-dimensional ....Bereavement of suicide and sudden death. Losing someone to suicide can have devastating affects on the survivors left behind. The aims of the present study include the identification of the processes and impacts of bereavement on survivors in various age groups. It also aims to identify critical points during the bereavement and factors which exacerbate and moderate negative impacts. This has been previously neglected in suicide research in Australia and its findings will add a multi-dimensional aspect to postvention not currently understood. It is expected that findings will help develop guidelines to ensure more effective detection and intervention for survivors, as well as enhancing social support and personal resilience.Read moreRead less
The prevalence and cross-cultural comparison of daytime sleepiness in adolescents. International research shows many teenagers have problems falling asleep and being sleepy during the day. This can be due to an irregular sleep pattern of insufficient sleep on school nights, and sleeping-in on weekends. These problems lead to poor outcomes, including poor school performance and negative moods. The aims of the project are to measure the extent of sleep problems in Australian teenagers and compare ....The prevalence and cross-cultural comparison of daytime sleepiness in adolescents. International research shows many teenagers have problems falling asleep and being sleepy during the day. This can be due to an irregular sleep pattern of insufficient sleep on school nights, and sleeping-in on weekends. These problems lead to poor outcomes, including poor school performance and negative moods. The aims of the project are to measure the extent of sleep problems in Australian teenagers and compare these to adolescents in the United States. Detection of teenager sleep problems in Australia could lead to significant community awareness and school policy developments as it has in the United States. Read moreRead less
Estimating the population effect of maternal alcohol-use disorders on the educational achievement of children. It is unclear to what extent maternal alcohol-related problems contribute to the increased risk of poor health, academic failure, and times suspended from school in Australian children. This study aims to examine the effect of maternal alcohol-use disorder on infant and child health, development, and educational achievement using education and health data from the Western Australian dat ....Estimating the population effect of maternal alcohol-use disorders on the educational achievement of children. It is unclear to what extent maternal alcohol-related problems contribute to the increased risk of poor health, academic failure, and times suspended from school in Australian children. This study aims to examine the effect of maternal alcohol-use disorder on infant and child health, development, and educational achievement using education and health data from the Western Australian data linkage system. The results will provide new information on the impact of maternal alcohol-related problems on child health and educational achievement and have the potential to inform health and education policies and early identification and targeted intervention strategies. Read moreRead less
Public health approach to child abuse and neglect: antecedents, outcomes and international comparisons of trends. Child maltreatment is a significant public health issue. Findings will identify characteristics of at-risk children, families and communities; mental health and juvenile justice outcomes. Findings will be used to develop policy recommendations for intervention and prevention strategies to reduce vulnerability and improve monitoring of maltreatment.
Determinants of children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour: a follow-up study from early childhood. This project investigates changes in preschool children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and influences on these changes, during the important period of transition to school. It will provide important information on how we might assist children to be more active, thereby avoiding the detrimental health and social outcomes of inactivity.
A mortality profile of Victoria's Aboriginal (and non-Aboriginal) children 1998-2008 using an innovative method and research process. The development of a population mortality profile of Victoria's children that includes accurate Indigenous identification will provide robust information to assess the effectiveness of programs interventions and policies aimed at reducing preventable deaths in children. This research will contribute to state, national and international imperative to improve the co ....A mortality profile of Victoria's Aboriginal (and non-Aboriginal) children 1998-2008 using an innovative method and research process. The development of a population mortality profile of Victoria's children that includes accurate Indigenous identification will provide robust information to assess the effectiveness of programs interventions and policies aimed at reducing preventable deaths in children. This research will contribute to state, national and international imperative to improve the collection of Aboriginal death information in order to allow meaningful comparisons between Australian jurisdictions and Aboriginal people globally. The consistent imput of the Aboriginal community and relevant experts in all phases of the project will enable and strengthen links with those who can influence government and policy makers to effect change.Read moreRead less
Air pollution: do modern statistical model selection techniques make the silent killer speak too loud? Air pollution is estimated to cause 2400 deaths annually in Australia with an associated cost to the community of $17.2 billion. The outcomes of this project will enable an improved understanding of the association between air pollution and mortality in Australia, thereby allowing government, public health authorities, and regulatory agencies to implement better air pollution standards and pro ....Air pollution: do modern statistical model selection techniques make the silent killer speak too loud? Air pollution is estimated to cause 2400 deaths annually in Australia with an associated cost to the community of $17.2 billion. The outcomes of this project will enable an improved understanding of the association between air pollution and mortality in Australia, thereby allowing government, public health authorities, and regulatory agencies to implement better air pollution standards and provide more informed advice to the public on the necessity of avoiding exposure to air pollutants. These two outcomes are particularly important given Australia's ageing population and the fact that the elderly are among those most susceptible to harm from air pollution exposure.Read moreRead less
Understanding personal, social and environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity among older adults living in urban and rural areas. There are negative impacts of obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity on physical, psychological and social wellbeing and national economic costs associated with these burdens are substantial. Obesity and its associated illnesses are estimated to cost Australian health services $1.2 billion a year. An understanding of the modifiable determinants of ....Understanding personal, social and environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity among older adults living in urban and rural areas. There are negative impacts of obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity on physical, psychological and social wellbeing and national economic costs associated with these burdens are substantial. Obesity and its associated illnesses are estimated to cost Australian health services $1.2 billion a year. An understanding of the modifiable determinants of nutrition and physical activity behaviours is required in order to develop effective interventions to promote health and well-being. Promoting physical activity and a healthy diet thus has the potential to substantially reduce the burden of disease in Australia and improve quality of life.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