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Celebrating research that makes real‐world differences

Three Australian researchers whose work has had a significant impact on health care policy and delivery have been honoured with 2018 Research Action Awards from the Sax Institute:

• Associate Professor Anne Abbott, Monash University: stroke prevention in carotid stenosis. Procedural treatment (surgery or stenting) is routinely recommended for people with advanced carotid stenosis and without related stroke symptoms. Both interventions entail a significant risk of harm. Associate Professor Abbott's key finding was that appropriate medication and lifestyle changes alone can reduce the risk of stroke for these patients by at least 65%.

• Professor Kate Curtis, University of Sydney: prevention and care of critical childhood injury. Professor Curtis heads a major research program that aims to fill gaps in knowledge about trauma in children and to reduce the incidence and impact of childhood injuries. She investigated the incidence and causes of injury to children in Australia, analysing data from more than half a million hospitalisation and mortality records. She and her team have also assessed processes of care and associated outcomes for 535 severely injured children in New South Wales, and conducted a 2‐year study to determine which aspects of care patients feel could improve their experience and wellbeing.

• Associate Professor Lisa Wood, University of Western Australia: improving the health of homeless people. Associate Professor Wood leads a rapidly growing program of research in collaboration with organisations for homeless people in WA and Victoria. Her team has developed the largest database of linked homelessness and health data in Australia. They linked hospital records for 3400 homeless patients to homelessness, housing, and police data to glean new insights into predictors of homelessness, the effectiveness of interventions, and the barriers to delivering effective policies and services.

https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/for-researchers/research-action-awards/

Knowing about dangers of inactivity might get you moving

Most people do not know how much physical activity is good for them or understand the health benefits of such activity. The more one knows about these questions, the more physical activity a person is likely to undertake, according to a study published in PLoS One. A study from Central Queensland University surveyed 615 Australian adults about their physical activity and their knowledge about the health benefits of physical activity and the risks of inactivity. Each participant was then ranked in four areas: knowing that physical activity is beneficial and that inactivity is harmful, knowing that specific health conditions are related to inactivity, knowing how much physical activity is recommended, and applying this knowledge to one's own risks. The participants, three‐quarters of whom were women, were 18–77 years old (median: 43 years), and their range of education levels and employment was relatively representative of the general Australian population. While all but two participants strongly agreed that physical activity was good for health, most were not aware of all the diseases that are associated with inactivity. On average, participants correctly identified 13.8 of 22 diseases associated with a lack of physical activity. Moreover, 56% incorrectly assessed how much physical activity was needed for health, and 80% failed to identify the probabilities of developing disease if physical activity guidelines were not met. A significant association was found between scores on knowledge of the probabilities of inactivity‐related diseases and the activity of an individual. Whether these findings apply equally to men and women, and whether the survey data accurately reflect a person's levels of physical activity are questions that require further investigation.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0207003