I am a salaried-full time Physician in Respiratory Medicine at a major teaching hospital with postgraduate training, research experience and qualifications in clinical medicine and the epidemiology of occupational and environmental lung diseases and cance
Effectiveness, Cost-effectiveness And Equity Of Strategies To Reduce The Burden Of Obesity-related Conditions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$46,900.00
Summary
Decision-makers need a systematic, coordinated approach to the targeting and prioritisation of preventive strategies. But the evidence base for obesity interventions is for the most part small, narrow in approach, limited in impact, and lacking in cost-effectiveness and equity information. This thesis will add to the evidence base regarding the nature of the obesity epidemic in Australia and internationally and the relative cost-effectiveness of strategies to reduce the obesity burden.
Asthma, Lung Function, Snoring And Passive Smoking In Busselton
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$115,110.00
Summary
Respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive airway disease, and sleep apnoea are common in the community, and asthma is becoming more and more common. These diseases are a major cause of morbidity, lost time from work, use of health and community resources and death. Using information collected by the Busselton Health Studies between 1966 and 2000, we will investigate some new epidemiological aspects of respiratory diseases. Some of the questions we will examine are: * How much more ....Respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive airway disease, and sleep apnoea are common in the community, and asthma is becoming more and more common. These diseases are a major cause of morbidity, lost time from work, use of health and community resources and death. Using information collected by the Busselton Health Studies between 1966 and 2000, we will investigate some new epidemiological aspects of respiratory diseases. Some of the questions we will examine are: * How much more common has asthma become in the Busselton population? Has the increase been more pronounced in some groups than in others (eg younger people)? Have other respiratory diseases also become more common? * Is decline in FEV1 over time a more useful measure of lung health than a single FEV1 measurement? How is decline in FEV1 related to age and other factors such as asthma, smoking, chronic respiratory diseases and hay fever? * Do the following put people at increased risk of sleep apnoea: overweight, recent weight gain, smoking, heavy alcohol intake, respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease and use of sedatives? * Do non-smoking spouses of smokers suffer more respiratory illness than spouses of non-smokers? We expect that results from this study will increase our understanding of the causes and progression of respiratory diseases, and may eventually point to ways of reducing the burden of these diseases in the community. Since all the information needed has already been collected in the course of earlier health surveys, this study will be particularly cost-effective.Read moreRead less
Translation Of Effective Interventions In Injury Prevention And Trauma Care To A Chinese Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$349,407.00
Summary
Evidence informed injury policy is not currently well developed in China. This research project will provide measures of the effectiveness of both a trauma care protocol in a hospital setting, and an intervention program for novice driver education-training in China, and will therefore contribute to the building of an evidence based injury prevention capacity in China.
Risk Factors For Serious Farm-work Related Injury Among Adult Males
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$665,930.00
Summary
This study addresses occupational injury among male adult farm workers. The health and safety performance of agricultural industries is among the worst in Australia. A recently published study of work-related fatalities from 1989 to 1992 found that rural industries ranked third, with a fatality rate 3-4 times that for all industries. The rural industries accounted for 80 deaths annually. Best estimates place the cost of farm injury between $0.5 and $1.29 billion per year. This study is designed ....This study addresses occupational injury among male adult farm workers. The health and safety performance of agricultural industries is among the worst in Australia. A recently published study of work-related fatalities from 1989 to 1992 found that rural industries ranked third, with a fatality rate 3-4 times that for all industries. The rural industries accounted for 80 deaths annually. Best estimates place the cost of farm injury between $0.5 and $1.29 billion per year. This study is designed to contribute to farm injury prevention by: (1) identifying factors associated with a higher risk of serious injury among adult farm workers and (2) determining the proportions of the farm workforce who are exposed to various injury risks. The study will recruit 300 seriously injured or killed farm workers from regional Victoria and collect information about themselves, their working life and the property on which they work. This information will be compared with 600 randomly selected farm workers who are not seriously injured to determine which personal, work and environmental factors place farm workers at higher risk of injury. The study will lead to the development of new or more refined prevention strategies and programs. A study of this kind has not been conducted before in Australia and would contribute to a continuing scientific basis for selection of interventions for farm injury and targeting of prevention programs, at a time of increasing momentum in agricultural health and safety.Read moreRead less
Road Traffic Injury Prevention: A Public Health Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,558.00
Summary
The proposed research program will have a positive impact on road safety in Australia, particularly for young drivers, by using a series of intervention and observational studies to provide strong evidence for policy makers, and build research capacity. Furthermore, the development and adaptation of effective road safety interventions for low income countries in the region has the potential to improve health and economic conditions for many people in these countries.