Enhancing adolescents’ health through digital health literacy. This project aims to understand adolescents’ digital health literacy: their capacity to find, understand, appraise the trustworthiness of, and act appropriately on, digital health information. Technological development is racing ahead of insight into how adolescents use technology for health information and subsequent self-care. We must harness the benefits of these technological advances while protecting adolescent health. In co-des ....Enhancing adolescents’ health through digital health literacy. This project aims to understand adolescents’ digital health literacy: their capacity to find, understand, appraise the trustworthiness of, and act appropriately on, digital health information. Technological development is racing ahead of insight into how adolescents use technology for health information and subsequent self-care. We must harness the benefits of these technological advances while protecting adolescent health. In co-designing a flexible suite of education resources, this project aims to generate critical new knowledge about the digital health literacy of a diverse range of adolescents. It is anticipated that the education resources will provide significant benefits to adolescents through enhanced capacity for self-care.Read moreRead less
The role of taxes and subsidies in promoting healthy lifestyles: an economic analysis. This project will look at two critically important policy relevant questions in public health terms - obesity prevention and changing consumption patterns with respect to drinks consumption, including alcohol.
Testing a model of factors influencing athletes attitudes towards and use of performance enhancing drugs. This study aims to test the model for achieving performance enhancing drug compliance in sports developed by Donovan (CI) and Egger for the Australian Sports and Drug Agency to better inform the development of effective education, drug testing and policy programs in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics. This research project will not only provide descriptive data in their own right, but will all ....Testing a model of factors influencing athletes attitudes towards and use of performance enhancing drugs. This study aims to test the model for achieving performance enhancing drug compliance in sports developed by Donovan (CI) and Egger for the Australian Sports and Drug Agency to better inform the development of effective education, drug testing and policy programs in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics. This research project will not only provide descriptive data in their own right, but will allow the testing of different models of PED use. The model not only applies to individual behaviour, but also provides a framework for anti-doping programs. Hence results of the survey will provide direct input to anti-doping agencies' strategic planning.Read moreRead less
Mis-reporting, adaptation and anchoring: the implications for self assessed health. In terms of targeting scarce public health resources, information concerning the true health status of different social groups is important. This project will provide more accurate information on the health of the Australian population using data already collected on a routine basis. Resources can then be targeted to reduce health inequalities.
Healthy eating campaigns: perceptions of the message and messenger. This project will be a means to evaluate the likely effectiveness of some of the resolutions of the NSW Childhood Obesity Summit aimed at the commercial food industry and the media. The project will provide information for the food industry on consumers' perceptions of their credibility as a source of information about healthy eating. This will inform the development of communication campaigns, as well as provide guidance on de ....Healthy eating campaigns: perceptions of the message and messenger. This project will be a means to evaluate the likely effectiveness of some of the resolutions of the NSW Childhood Obesity Summit aimed at the commercial food industry and the media. The project will provide information for the food industry on consumers' perceptions of their credibility as a source of information about healthy eating. This will inform the development of communication campaigns, as well as provide guidance on development and marketing of 'healthier' brand extensions. The project will also have considerable benefit for public health. The findings will be relevant to government and non-government health promotion organisations considering the effectiveness of social marketing campaigns in association with food companies.Read moreRead less
Engaging economically disadvantaged adolescent girls in physical activity and healthy eating to improve health and prevent obesity. Secondary school represents the final opportunity to influence individuals as they develop adult lifestyle behaviours and enter a transitional period in their lives. Considering the increased prevalence of lifestyle diseases among Australian adults and increases in the prevalence of obesity among young Australians, targeting health-promoting behaviours in adolescent ....Engaging economically disadvantaged adolescent girls in physical activity and healthy eating to improve health and prevent obesity. Secondary school represents the final opportunity to influence individuals as they develop adult lifestyle behaviours and enter a transitional period in their lives. Considering the increased prevalence of lifestyle diseases among Australian adults and increases in the prevalence of obesity among young Australians, targeting health-promoting behaviours in adolescents is clearly a national priority. Furthermore, rates of obesity are much higher in economically disadvantaged areas, with girls more susceptible to the SES disadvantages. This project has the potential to develop a knowledge base and improve the health behaviours of current and future Australians most at risk for the development of lifestyle diseases.Read moreRead less
Understanding middle-aged women’s responses to alcohol/breast cancer risks. This project aims to identify the nature of alcohol consumption patterns by Australian women aged 45-64 in different socio-economic status groups, and how these are shaped in response to considerations of trust and future health risks. The project will focus on the known risk of alcohol for the development of breast cancer, which is particularly important given that Australian culture is saturated by alcohol use, marketi ....Understanding middle-aged women’s responses to alcohol/breast cancer risks. This project aims to identify the nature of alcohol consumption patterns by Australian women aged 45-64 in different socio-economic status groups, and how these are shaped in response to considerations of trust and future health risks. The project will focus on the known risk of alcohol for the development of breast cancer, which is particularly important given that Australian culture is saturated by alcohol use, marketing and social acceptability. This project aims to identify new strategies to transform behaviour change initiatives, which may differ by socio-economic status group. The project will be a model for national and global initiatives that seek to develop highly effective alcohol reduction messages and reduce alcohol-related harms.Read moreRead less
Young people, physical activity and physical culture: a longitudinal study. The relationship between physical activity and the health of young people is currently a matter of national and international concern. This project will investigate the place and meaning of health, physical activity and physical culture in young people's lives from a longitudinal and qualitative perspective. It will build on the findings of a three year study of young people's engagement with physical activity. Specifica ....Young people, physical activity and physical culture: a longitudinal study. The relationship between physical activity and the health of young people is currently a matter of national and international concern. This project will investigate the place and meaning of health, physical activity and physical culture in young people's lives from a longitudinal and qualitative perspective. It will build on the findings of a three year study of young people's engagement with physical activity. Specifically it will follow cohorts of students from different social, cultural and geographical locations as they move beyond school and make choices associated with health and physical activity in relation to the changing conditions of their lives.Read moreRead less
A taxonomy of Australian consumers' food and health knowledge. Identification and measurement of the basic dimensions of food knowledge of consumers will inform new education curricula and community communication programs. The findings will enable better targeting of community and industry education by policy planners, education authorities, and the food industry. They will also enable monitoring and evaluation of food communication programs. In the longer term, this research may also enable cit ....A taxonomy of Australian consumers' food and health knowledge. Identification and measurement of the basic dimensions of food knowledge of consumers will inform new education curricula and community communication programs. The findings will enable better targeting of community and industry education by policy planners, education authorities, and the food industry. They will also enable monitoring and evaluation of food communication programs. In the longer term, this research may also enable citizens to deal with the changes caused by climate change, metabolic disease and increasing longevity; help educate more literate food industry workers; enhance communications between citizens, industry and government; and generate greater demand for higher quality food products.
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Sustaining effective educational initiatives. This project aims to investigate how educational initiatives can be sustained over the long term. Schools and early childhood and care services deliver programmes to develop students' social and emotional wellbeing, promote mental health, prevent bullying and address eating disorders. However, effective initiatives often fade away when start-up resources run out. This project will review models of implementation and provide exemplars of good practice ....Sustaining effective educational initiatives. This project aims to investigate how educational initiatives can be sustained over the long term. Schools and early childhood and care services deliver programmes to develop students' social and emotional wellbeing, promote mental health, prevent bullying and address eating disorders. However, effective initiatives often fade away when start-up resources run out. This project will review models of implementation and provide exemplars of good practice to better enable sustainability at all phases of implementation, evaluation and long-term maintenance of educational initiatives.Read moreRead less