Workplace Interventions To Reduce The Cost Of Neck Problems In Office Personnel
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$660,834.00
Summary
Neck pain in office workers is a major burden in industry in terms of lost productivity and personal suffering. This research will evaluate a novel intervention for the prevention and management of neck pain in computer users. The impact and value of neck specific exercises and best practice office ergonomics will be evaluated from the employers (productivity loss) and workers perspective (severity of neck pain). The findings will directly benefit future management of this significant health iss ....Neck pain in office workers is a major burden in industry in terms of lost productivity and personal suffering. This research will evaluate a novel intervention for the prevention and management of neck pain in computer users. The impact and value of neck specific exercises and best practice office ergonomics will be evaluated from the employers (productivity loss) and workers perspective (severity of neck pain). The findings will directly benefit future management of this significant health issue.Read moreRead less
Sitting Less And Moving More: Population Health Research To Understand And Influence Sedentary Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$6,367,518.00
Summary
The majority of Australian adults spend most of their waking hours sitting: at home, at work, and in their cars; most do not participate in exercise or sport. This leads to weight gain and to diseases of inactivity (particularly diabetes, heart disease, cancer and depression). New research will measure sitting time and the physical activity in people's daily lives, what factors encourage inactivity, and how to increase activity levels, especially among the ageing 'baby boomer' population.
Advanced Non-invasive Cardiovascular Risk Screening In The Community: Practical And Cost Effective?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$287,321.00
Summary
This research focuses on the practicalities and cost of mobile, advanced, non-invasive cardiovascular assessments to determine the extent of CVD and clinical risk factors and its likely impact on patterns of treatment and care to “disadvantaged” individuals living in rural and remote regions and Indigenous Australians. The advantage of directly acquiring risk profile information has not been fully explored and its potential to address an “epidemic” of CVD world-wide cannot be overstated.
Healthy eating and obesity prevention for preschoolers: A randomised controlled trial. The cost to society of obesity is high from both a financial and psychosocial perspective. Australian researchers can take a lead in the prevention of obesity during the formative preschool years when prevention intervention strategies have been evaluated systematically and rigorously. This will be the first study in Australia to evaluate the impact of a healthy eating and childhood obesity prevention program ....Healthy eating and obesity prevention for preschoolers: A randomised controlled trial. The cost to society of obesity is high from both a financial and psychosocial perspective. Australian researchers can take a lead in the prevention of obesity during the formative preschool years when prevention intervention strategies have been evaluated systematically and rigorously. This will be the first study in Australia to evaluate the impact of a healthy eating and childhood obesity prevention program for parents of preschool children, regardless of weight status. The findings will assist in further developing evidence-based prevention strategies that can be rolled out extensively in the Australian community for maintenance of healthy weight gain in preschool children.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453623
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$164,640.00
Summary
Peripheral quantitative computed tomography facility for analysing bone material and structural properties. We aim to establish a facility that allows non-invasive measurement of apparent material and structural properties of small animal and human bone using leading-edge technology, peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). pQCT measurements, incorporated into our fundamental bone research will improve our understanding of the role of mechanical, environmental and local factors in re ....Peripheral quantitative computed tomography facility for analysing bone material and structural properties. We aim to establish a facility that allows non-invasive measurement of apparent material and structural properties of small animal and human bone using leading-edge technology, peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). pQCT measurements, incorporated into our fundamental bone research will improve our understanding of the role of mechanical, environmental and local factors in regulating bone and mineral metabolism and altering bone properties. This has implications for maximising bone strength and promoting optimal health throughout life. The facility will be used for a diverse range of multidisciplinary basic bone research and is vital in order to maintain international competitiveness in the field.Read moreRead less
Alcohol and tobacco use among lesbian, bisexual and queer identifying women. This project aims to examine practices of alcohol and tobacco use among lesbian, bisexual and queer-identifying (LBQ) women, which are considerably higher compared to heterosexual women. By using an innovative, longitudinal qualitative approach, this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the cultural and social forces that shape higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use among LBQ women, and to better underst ....Alcohol and tobacco use among lesbian, bisexual and queer identifying women. This project aims to examine practices of alcohol and tobacco use among lesbian, bisexual and queer-identifying (LBQ) women, which are considerably higher compared to heterosexual women. By using an innovative, longitudinal qualitative approach, this project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the cultural and social forces that shape higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use among LBQ women, and to better understand their impacts. It is anticipated that the project will enhance the capacity of health promotion and policy organisations to meet the alcohol management and smoking cessation needs of this population. Findings from this project should help to alleviate health and social inequalities experienced by LBQ women.
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What will it take to decrease socio-economic inequalities in obesity? There is little understanding of how the increasing prevalence of obesity, and its prevention and management, may contribute to socio-economic inequalities in health. This project aims to identify policies that are most likely to both decrease the prevalence of obesity and decrease associated inequalities in health.
Pathways to positive personal and social adjustment in early adulthood: a follow-up of the Australian Temperament Project longitudinal cohort. Young adulthood today is characterised by delayed independence and family formation, extended attachment to peer culture, and relatively high levels of alcohol and drug use and mental health problems. Concerns are voiced about the capacity of this generation to become healthy and productive members of society. Examining the development of healthy young ad ....Pathways to positive personal and social adjustment in early adulthood: a follow-up of the Australian Temperament Project longitudinal cohort. Young adulthood today is characterised by delayed independence and family formation, extended attachment to peer culture, and relatively high levels of alcohol and drug use and mental health problems. Concerns are voiced about the capacity of this generation to become healthy and productive members of society. Examining the development of healthy young adulthood within this large longitudinal cohort will enable pathways and predictors of positive development from infancy through adolescence to be identified. It will hence allow identification of potential targets for policies and interventions to enhance the development of productive personal capacity, responsible social participation, compassion and trust.Read moreRead less
Investigating positive developmental transitions in emerging adulthood within the Australian Temperament Project cohort: Models, temporal patterns and predictors. Follow-up of the Australian Temperament Project (ATP) cohort provides a rare opportunity for robust investigation of positive development in emerging adulthood. High rates of risk taking and health disruption characterise this period. Identification of successful personal and social adjustment characteristics will reveal the potential ....Investigating positive developmental transitions in emerging adulthood within the Australian Temperament Project cohort: Models, temporal patterns and predictors. Follow-up of the Australian Temperament Project (ATP) cohort provides a rare opportunity for robust investigation of positive development in emerging adulthood. High rates of risk taking and health disruption characterise this period. Identification of successful personal and social adjustment characteristics will reveal the potential for positive development to prevent or ameliorate adjustment difficulties. Analysis of the extensive ATP dataset will identify child and adolescent predictors of positive development. The resulting knowledge of the role of earlier life characteristics and circumstances for positive development can help frame new health promotion initiatives. The study will also advance theory by developing an integrated model of positive development.Read moreRead less
Investigating the health benefits of volunteering by seniors. For humanitarian and economic reasons, it is important to promote health-enhancing behaviours among older people to optimise their well-being. Volunteering constitutes one such behaviour. While there is some evidence that older people benefit from volunteering, there is inadequate data for policy development purposes. This project will quantify the physical and mental outcomes of seniors’ engagement in volunteering activities to asses ....Investigating the health benefits of volunteering by seniors. For humanitarian and economic reasons, it is important to promote health-enhancing behaviours among older people to optimise their well-being. Volunteering constitutes one such behaviour. While there is some evidence that older people benefit from volunteering, there is inadequate data for policy development purposes. This project will quantify the physical and mental outcomes of seniors’ engagement in volunteering activities to assess the potential to enhance their health while providing much-needed labour inputs to the Australian economy. The results will also suggest ways to encourage older people to engage in volunteering by identifying effective ways to communicate the benefits to this audience.Read moreRead less