Media Releases
New research shows how to get preschoolers more active
What is the best way to keep young kids physically active at home? In good news for parents with limited outside space, new Australian research shows that it’s not necessarily the size of your backyard that matters. Rather, it’s fixed equipment – things like cubby houses, trampolines or even something as simple as a sandpit […]
Health risk or benefit? How the Health Star Rating system stacks up
Australia’s Health Star Rating system – a voluntary front-of-pack labelling scheme that rates the nutritional value of packaged food – is doing the opposite of what was intended and is promoting food high in fat, salt and sugar, according to one of two contrasting papers in the latest issue of Public Health Research & Practice. […]
Australia unprepared for climate change impact on allergies
A rise in dangerous and even fatal asthma and other allergic attacks – as occurred in Melbourne’s deadly 2016 ‘thunderstorm asthma event’ – could be one of Australia’s biggest health challenges from climate change, warns the author of a major new review of international evidence. The review in the latest issue of Public Health Research […]
New awards honour health research with real-world impact
Research that is likely to have a real impact on health policy and practice is being celebrated in the inaugural Public Health Research & Practice Excellence Awards. “I’m delighted to present these awards, which recognise scientific excellence combined with real-world impact in papers published in our journal,” said Professor Don Nutbeam, Editor-in-Chief of Public Health […]
Australians ignore risks of mixing alcohol with energy drinks
Many thousands of young Australians are mixing alcohol with caffeine-laden energy drinks with little regard for the potential dangers, according to newly published research. Around 40% of young current drinkers reported drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) in the previous year, despite evidence this can cause arrhythmias, anxiety and a range of other health […]
Online consent could strengthen vaccination programs in schools
Vaccination programs in schools to maximise the numbers of pupils protected against dangerous diseases could be strengthened by allowing consent to be lodged online instead of through paper forms, and by ensuring schools do a better job of coordinating the immunisations. A paper in the latest edition of Public Health Research & Practice, published today […]
Refugees and asylum seekers need better continuity of care to deal with complex health needs
Many refugees who are living in the Australian community are missing out on appropriate healthcare due to problems such as fragmented services and poor continuity of care, according to a series of papers in Public Health Research & Practice, published by the Sax Institute, today. Professor Mark Harris, from the Centre for Primary Health Care […]
Public wants better labels on unhealthy foods
Regulations to improve food labelling have strong public support, with almost 80% of people surveyed supporting the introduction of better labels on unhealthy foods such as those that are high in sugar, salt and fat. In a survey of 2474 adults in NSW, Cancer Council NSW researchers found that 86% of people supported a colour-coded […]
Indigenous Australians achieve major progress in reducing smoking, but tobacco’s lethal legacy remains
The number of smoking-related deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians is predicted to continue to increase, and to peak over the next decade, resulting in thousands of premature deaths that are largely preventable. In a paper in the latest edition of the Sax Institute’s journal Public Health Research & Practice, researchers report that […]
Balance urged in cancer screening to avoid health pitfalls of ‘one size fits all’ approach
26 July: Experts have called for a rethink of cancer screening in the light of improved understanding of the complications and consequent poorer outcomes that can result from overdiagnosis of some cancers. In a series of articles published today in the Sax Institute’s Public Health Research & Practice journal, researchers say a ‘one size fits […]
