Beyond behaviour – a systems approach to the implementation of clinical practice guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity
Dr Julika Loss, Ms Marilyn Wise
The study is investigating the structural and socio-ecological factors that influence the likelihood of general practitioners adopting the clinical guidelines in their routine practice. By applying the theoretical and evidence base of health promotion, the consideration of the macro-environment and of different contextual factors shaping GPs’ behaviour is intended to reveal new insights into how change can be introduced into routine practice. This project is conducting a literature review; in a second step, potential mechanisms to overcome or address these factors, at national, state and area levels, are to be developed. The study is performed in cooperation with the NSW Centre for Obesity and Overweight.
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Beyond “health outcomes” - is there a rationale and a way for assessing social and structural changes in comprehensive community-based health promotion programs?
Dr Julika Loss, Ms Marilyn Wise
The literature supports an important role for principles such as empowerment, participation and capacity building for community based health programs. This important role also supports the need for evaluation of these principles. However, evaluations of community-based programs mainly focused on health outcomes; practical experiences with the evaluation of empowerment and participation are scarce. A number of ambiguities and problems further complicate an approach to evaluation. E.g., there is no agreement in the literature on whether participation and empowerment are understood as process factors, or as values and aims in themselves. Moreover, the actual link between participation, empowerment, capacity building and health outcomes of a program has not been clarified or proven yet.
For the research project, ca. 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews with health promotion experts are conducted.
The study is funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG).
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Secondary Analysis of NCD Surveillance Data for Associations with Poverty
Professor Adrian Bauman, Dr PH Phongsavan, Ms Stephanie Schoeppe, Ms Mary Lewicka
The non-communicable disease (NCD) epidemic is the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western Pacific Region (WPR), affecting all levels of society and is spreading swiftly. Yet, surprisingly, there has been no systematic exploration of the associations between poverty indicators and the NCDs and their risk factors (obesity, nutrition, alcohol, smoking, physical activity, hypertension, cholesterol). This is a trans-country epidemiological collaborative project between the Centre research group and researchers in China, Philippines, Malaysia, Fiji, Nauru and Mongolia who have representative population NCD datasets. Known as the “Poverty Project”, this initiative examines the relationships between NCD behavioural risk factors and indices of social disadvantage, socio-economic status and poverty using standardised analytical approaches across population data sets. The central research question is whether health inequalities or health differentials in risk factors are similar across different countries and cultures, or whether they are different and in what way those differences are manifest. This area of work will be relevant for the WHO / WPRO work on the poverty related element of NCD prevention and control.
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Asia-Pacific Physical Activity Network (APPAN) Project
Professor Adrian Bauman, Ms Stephanie Schoeppe, Ms Mary Lewicka, Dr PH Phongsavan
The prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Asia Pacific countries is a priority action area of partnerships between national and international agencies. To support the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, members of the Centre and WHO/WPRO agreed to work towards the development of a physical activity network in the Asia and Western Pacific Region within the developing Regional NCD Network. The proposed Asia-Pacific Physical Activity Network (APPAN) is modelled on the existing physical activity networks in the Americas and Europe that provide technical support to countries’ physical activity initiatives, and share ideas and information regarding PA policies and programs. APPAN is to:
- foster communications and share information across its network members,
- disseminate updated information on population level physical activity prevalence/policies/programs,
- provide evidence-based reviews and technical support (e.g., on evaluation/surveillance issues), and
- develop a framework for physical activity guidelines for countries in Asia and Western Pacific Region.
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