Working Longer: Policy Reforms And Practice Innovations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,162,805.00
Summary
A popular response to increased longevity is to suggest that older workers should work longer. But working longer involves changes to established policies, practices, and institutions, which are currently built around retiring earlier. The project will forecast demographic and health transition in Australia and develop capacity to analyze the likely economic and workplace adjustments that population ageing will generate. It will examine the extent to which ñworking longerî is an appropriate resp ....A popular response to increased longevity is to suggest that older workers should work longer. But working longer involves changes to established policies, practices, and institutions, which are currently built around retiring earlier. The project will forecast demographic and health transition in Australia and develop capacity to analyze the likely economic and workplace adjustments that population ageing will generate. It will examine the extent to which ñworking longerî is an appropriate response to this transition, and analyze how the labour market for older workers might evolve, taking account of individual circumstances (health, financial status, dependant care) and institutional practices (age discrimination, employment conditions, work organization), as well as regulatory and policy impacts. The overall objective of the program is to develop a multi-disciplinary knowledge base to inform integrated policy and institutional (or practice) improvement in the labour market for the elderly. Its contribution will be to improve the institutional and policy framework within which households and firms operate, with the aim of modifying workplace practices and policy and institutional constraints to encourage a more vibrant labour market for older workers. Specifically the program of research will: Assess the demographic and economic impacts of working longer under alternative policy and institutional (practice) scenarios; Provide alternative pension, superannuation, finance and taxation designs to encourage labour force participation of older people; Identify employment strategies to enhance the health and safety of older workers; Develop strategies to facilitate workforce re-entry of older workers, including gender-specific considerations; and Provide an integrated set of recommendations to create policy and practice partnerships which facilitate a labour market conducive to increased mature-age participation.Read moreRead less
Early Intervention To Prevent Childhood Obesity Among A Disadvantaged Population: A Home-based Randomised Controlled Tri
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$675,082.00
Summary
This intervention research will conduct a randomised controlled trial, of a community-based early childhood home visiting intervention designed to improve family and behavioural risk factors for childhood obesity and overweight. This intervention which will be developed in collaboration with the Health Promotion Unit, Child and Family Health Nurses, university academic experts and mothers in the community promises to deliver significant health and social benefits, in particular, preventing early ....This intervention research will conduct a randomised controlled trial, of a community-based early childhood home visiting intervention designed to improve family and behavioural risk factors for childhood obesity and overweight. This intervention which will be developed in collaboration with the Health Promotion Unit, Child and Family Health Nurses, university academic experts and mothers in the community promises to deliver significant health and social benefits, in particular, preventing early onset of childhood obesity. It will result in a series of recommendations for policies and practical methods for promoting healthy feeding and physical activity of infants under two years of age with particular application to families who are socially and economically disadvantaged. These policies and practical methods for preventing childhood obesity could be used across Australia.Read moreRead less
Examining A Core Assumption Of Policy And Services For Older Indigenous Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$133,387.00
Summary
In aged care service planning, the age 50 years or over is used for the Indigenous Australian population in the same way as the age 70 years is used for the non-Indigenous population. This is based on the lower life expectancy of the Indigenous population which is presumed to result in a need for aged care services at younger ages. The underlying assumption is that Australia's Indigenous population aged over 50 has the same set of age-associated conditions and care needs as the non-Indigenous po ....In aged care service planning, the age 50 years or over is used for the Indigenous Australian population in the same way as the age 70 years is used for the non-Indigenous population. This is based on the lower life expectancy of the Indigenous population which is presumed to result in a need for aged care services at younger ages. The underlying assumption is that Australia's Indigenous population aged over 50 has the same set of age-associated conditions and care needs as the non-Indigenous population aged over 70. The evidence for this assumption is not established. It is well documented that the Indigenous population has worse health outcomes across all age groups relative to non-Indigenous Australians. However, our understanding of the details of the observed pattern is far from complete. This project seeks to compare the health status of the Indigenous population aged 50 years or over to the health status of the non-Indigenous population aged 70 years or over. The project will analyse a number of data sets to inform future directions in policy and service provision. A better understanding of these issues is fundamental to informed planning and allocation of resources, to identification of areas amenable to prevention strategies and to the development of approaches to care that meet the needs of Indigenous people.Read moreRead less
Extending The Australian Arm Of The International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$881,295.00
Summary
This project is to provide for the Australian arm of a large multi-national study to determine how tobacco control policies work. It is being conducted in the context of the implementation in 2005 of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to which Australia is a party. We will provide new knowledge on the impacts of specific policies which are being implemented in Australia, as well as ones that occur in other countries that are part of the larger study. These i ....This project is to provide for the Australian arm of a large multi-national study to determine how tobacco control policies work. It is being conducted in the context of the implementation in 2005 of the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to which Australia is a party. We will provide new knowledge on the impacts of specific policies which are being implemented in Australia, as well as ones that occur in other countries that are part of the larger study. These include the adoption of graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging, removal of misleading constituents levels information from packs, bans of misleading descriptors such as Light and Mild, and implementation of smoke-free bars. In addition it will advance our understanding of how policy effects persist over time, their equity, and the means by which they contribute to increased cessation and reduced relapse. We do this by following smokers every year in each of the countries and asking them about their thinking and actions with regard to smoking, as well as about their awareness of the policies. By comparing the responses of smokers exposed to policies with those from other countries that are not exposed, we can work out the contribution of the policies to changes in smoking. Understanding policy effects on smokers and smoking cessation will lead to improved policies in Australia and the likelihood of improved dissemination of policies that work here to other countries. Similarly policies found to work in other countries, can be best adapted to Australia if we understand how they work. Taken in total, it should advance our efforts to reduce the burden of smoking-related harm both in Australia and the rest of the world.Read moreRead less
Understanding Foster Carers' Motivations: Personal, Political & Historical Perspectives on Care Provision in Australia. Due to the increasing number of children in care nationally, and the declining number of available foster care placements, there is current considerable interest in understanding the most appropriate means to recruit and retain foster carers. This project involves a national interview study of carers from several Australian States to understand the factors that most strongly mo ....Understanding Foster Carers' Motivations: Personal, Political & Historical Perspectives on Care Provision in Australia. Due to the increasing number of children in care nationally, and the declining number of available foster care placements, there is current considerable interest in understanding the most appropriate means to recruit and retain foster carers. This project involves a national interview study of carers from several Australian States to understand the factors that most strongly motivate people to become carers. Based on interviews with carers and other important stakeholders, the results will help us to understand the nature of the foster-carer role within the current political and social climate and help inform future national recruitment strategies.
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Out of the Institution. An investigation of deinstitutionalization, exploring the effectiveness of supported housing for people with psychiatric disabilities leaving care. The project has two objectives. The first is to investigate outcomes of a unique model of supported housing for deinstitutionalised people living in the community. The second is to survey people that are about to be deinstitutionalised along with staff and family and set up a framework for longitudinal analysis of this group. ....Out of the Institution. An investigation of deinstitutionalization, exploring the effectiveness of supported housing for people with psychiatric disabilities leaving care. The project has two objectives. The first is to investigate outcomes of a unique model of supported housing for deinstitutionalised people living in the community. The second is to survey people that are about to be deinstitutionalised along with staff and family and set up a framework for longitudinal analysis of this group. While a major social policy reform, deinstitutionalisation in Australia has been under-researched, despite the potential pitfalls. This project will provide information and analysis that will help government and community agencies to seek and provide better outcomes for clients and communities.Read moreRead less
Inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood services. The aim of this APAI doctoral project is to investigage the barriers to, and factors which facilitate effective inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood services in the Australian funding, policy and practice context. The proposed project combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the process and outcomes of inclusion in long day care, preschool and family day ca ....Inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood services. The aim of this APAI doctoral project is to investigage the barriers to, and factors which facilitate effective inclusion of young children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood services in the Australian funding, policy and practice context. The proposed project combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the process and outcomes of inclusion in long day care, preschool and family day care. The findings will inform policy and practice by enabling early childhood agencies to be more responsive and to better tailor their services to individual child and family needs.Read moreRead less
A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Of Knowledge Translation Methods For Obesity Prevention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$432,292.00
Summary
This study aims to increase the use of evidence in the development of programs for childhood obesity prevention by local government. There has been a lot of research to examine what works and what doesn't to increase healthy eating, physical activity and prevent childhood obesity, and programs conducted by local government have an important role to play. However, many who work in local government have not been trained in how to access research, nor do they have the time to search extensively for ....This study aims to increase the use of evidence in the development of programs for childhood obesity prevention by local government. There has been a lot of research to examine what works and what doesn't to increase healthy eating, physical activity and prevent childhood obesity, and programs conducted by local government have an important role to play. However, many who work in local government have not been trained in how to access research, nor do they have the time to search extensively for it, or interpret what the results from studies conducted elsewhere may mean for them in the local context. This study aims to examine what are the most effective and cost effective methods to increase access to evidence, and to increase the adoption of evidence by those working in local government (eg planners, maternal and child health nurses, family day care, environmental planners etc) to address environmental factors (playgrounds, walkability and active transport, policies for sporting events, community gardens, sporting events, street closures), health and social services (parent education, access to health promotion and prevention programs, education initiatives, environmental policies). Comparable research on what works for knowledge translation has only been conducted in the clinical context, for example, hospital clinics, and it is difficult to generalise these findings to the community based public health setting and relevant programs.Read moreRead less
Cultural Diversity, Community and Family Services: Experiences among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse parents of local early childhood services. The evidence is clear that strong communities and effective early intervention strategies play a key role in preventing social disadvantage later in a child's life. Through the provision of high quality training to a doctoral student, this project will have significant benefits at many levels of policy and government. Local, state and federal gover ....Cultural Diversity, Community and Family Services: Experiences among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse parents of local early childhood services. The evidence is clear that strong communities and effective early intervention strategies play a key role in preventing social disadvantage later in a child's life. Through the provision of high quality training to a doctoral student, this project will have significant benefits at many levels of policy and government. Local, state and federal governments and family service providers will have the opportunity to see the effectiveness of their services on parents over an extended period of time and to learn from the project about new strategies that may be deployed to assist culturally diverse families in their communities. Read moreRead less