Population-based Genetic Screening For Klinefelters Syndrome: A Critical Analysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$75,468.00
Summary
Klinefelter’s Syndrome (KS) is a common and important genetic condition affecting males, yet 70% are never diagnosed. Males with KS are always infertile and may have hormone imbalances, breast development, decreased facial and pubic hair, and varying levels of cognitive, social, behavioural and learning difficulties. Treatment and intervention options are available, if KS is diagnosed early enough. Screening for the condition is possible - but what would the advantages and disadvantages of this ....Klinefelter’s Syndrome (KS) is a common and important genetic condition affecting males, yet 70% are never diagnosed. Males with KS are always infertile and may have hormone imbalances, breast development, decreased facial and pubic hair, and varying levels of cognitive, social, behavioural and learning difficulties. Treatment and intervention options are available, if KS is diagnosed early enough. Screening for the condition is possible - but what would the advantages and disadvantages of this be?Read moreRead less
Making A Difference Building Research Capacity For Health Interventions To Improve Aboriginal Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,717,836.00
Summary
The program will build skills in the development and evaluation of intervention programs to improve Aboriginal health outcomes. It will focus on the health of Aboriginal people living in urban and regional centres and examine (i) child and adolescent health and (ii) chronic disease. The program is lead by two indigenous people and will build capacity in six indigenous early career researchers and a further three from non-indigenous backgrounds. The Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council ....The program will build skills in the development and evaluation of intervention programs to improve Aboriginal health outcomes. It will focus on the health of Aboriginal people living in urban and regional centres and examine (i) child and adolescent health and (ii) chronic disease. The program is lead by two indigenous people and will build capacity in six indigenous early career researchers and a further three from non-indigenous backgrounds. The Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW and 11 Aboriginal health services are partners through existing research programs. The program draws on extensive skills in intervention research among the Lead Applicants and will provide opportunities for the Team Investigators to work on major funded research programs in Aboriginal health. The program will develop skills in intervention research capable of providing an evidence base to inform Aboriginal health policy. It will build capacity in (i) the development of research partnerships with Aboriginal communities; (ii) the identification of potentially effective interventions; (iii) the investigation of the impact of health interventions; and, (iv) the integration of research with policy.Read moreRead less
Implementation And Sustainability Of Non-surgical Intervention For Dental Caries In General Dental Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,388.00
Summary
Dentists in NSW and the ACT used new protocols to stop the spread of tooth decay. Many decayed teeth were then remineralised without the use of injections or drilling and filling. The process by which the dentists reorganised their practices to implement the protocols and how they explained them to their patients and practice staff will now be investigated to discover how best to promote their use Australia-wide. The sustainability and cost-effectiveness of this type of care will be measured.
MALE OSTEOPOROSIS: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY IN GEELONG
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$432,645.00
Summary
Osteoporosis is a term used to indicate that bones have become thin and fragile. During the ageing process bone fragility increases and fractures occur more easily and more often. Fractures may also occur during normal daily activities, with fractures of the spine, forearm and hip being common. However, many other sites may fracture. This is a serious problem because fractures cause pain, disability and, sometimes, death. Although previously overshadowed by its effect in women, osteoporosis is i ....Osteoporosis is a term used to indicate that bones have become thin and fragile. During the ageing process bone fragility increases and fractures occur more easily and more often. Fractures may also occur during normal daily activities, with fractures of the spine, forearm and hip being common. However, many other sites may fracture. This is a serious problem because fractures cause pain, disability and, sometimes, death. Although previously overshadowed by its effect in women, osteoporosis is increasingly being recognised in men. In Australia, 39% of all fractures occur in men and prognosis for fracture in men is worse than in women. A consequence of increasing male longevity is that osteoporosis will affect a growing number of Australian men. It is anticipated that between 1996 and 2051, the number of men with fracture will double, with a 4-fold increase in the number of male hip fractures. Unless the problem of osteoporosis in men is addressed and effective interventions are implemented, the substantial health burden imposed by age-related fractures will continue to escalate. In this case-control study of fracture risk in men, men with fractures (cases) will be identified prospectively for 3 years from radiological reports. Controls will be selected concurrently, at random from electoral rolls. Anticipated number of cases and controls are 800 and 1400, respectively. Cases and controls will be characterised for risk factors for fracture: bone density and bone geometry will be measured, serum samples collected, and diet, lifestyle and medical history documented by questionnaire. The advantage of this type of data is that information from patients with fracture will be used to tell us about the risk of fracture in healthy, unaffected men and about the characteristics of the Australian male population at risk for fracture. The information can be used in decision making for the individual and in policy making for the whole population.Read moreRead less
How Do Lay People Understand The Risk Of Developing Cancer? A Qualitative Study Using Grounded Theory Procedures.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$282,118.00
Summary
This project is about cancer risk. New discoveries are regularly made about the contribution of genes, environmental exposures, and lifestyles to cancer risk. These findings are often reported in the mass media, or used in television advertising to encourage us to attend cancer screening or change our habits. Some cancers are said to be almost entirely preventable. In fact some experts argue that whether or not we get cancer is largely our own responsibility. This study doesn't ask what causes c ....This project is about cancer risk. New discoveries are regularly made about the contribution of genes, environmental exposures, and lifestyles to cancer risk. These findings are often reported in the mass media, or used in television advertising to encourage us to attend cancer screening or change our habits. Some cancers are said to be almost entirely preventable. In fact some experts argue that whether or not we get cancer is largely our own responsibility. This study doesn't ask what causes cancer. Instead it asks what the risk of developing cancer means to Australians and in Australian society. This question will be answered by conducting a rigorous analysis of healthy lay people's descriptions of their own and others' risk of developing cancer. The researchers will talk with a wide range of people about cancer risk. They will ask: how do we think about cancer risk for ourselves? how do we engage with information about cancer risk? Do we listen to it? Do we trust it? Does it make sense to us? What do we think should be done about it? The resulting findings will be compared with the assumptions that underlie cancer prevention activities. Finally, the discoveries made about similarities and differences will be actively translated for expert and lay audiences. There have been many studies of what it is like to be a cancer patient or to be screened for cancer. But there has been very little systematic study of the way in which healthy Australians make sense of cancer risk. This study will develop a detailed model of what cancer risk means to Australians. It will provide new knowledge to researchers and practitioners in public health, health psychology and sociology, and risk communication, guiding communication about cancer risk and research about cancer risk well into the future. It will help lay people and professionals to communicate more effectively about cancer risk, and thus support continuing improvement in cancer prevention in Australia.Read moreRead less
Identifying Patient-centred Outcomes For People With Chronic Kidney Disease And Translating Them Into Policy And Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,652.00
Summary
This 4 year fellowship project engages with patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers and policy makers, to establish core outcomes and outcome measures in dialysis and transplantation. This will ensure that patient-centred outcomes are consistently measured and reported in dialysis and transplantation trials and other forms of research.