School of Population Health

When is the right time for children to learn to swim?
Each year in Australia, an average of 23 children under five die from unintentional drowning, usually due to factors such as a lack of adult supervision, unrestricted access to water and not having the skills to stay safe in water.Teaching children to swim is crucial to prevent drowning; it’s also good for fun and fitness, and sets kids up for a lifetime of water enjoyment. But when is the best age to enrol children in swimming?  <Read more here>

Fall prevention: innovation and translation
Scientia Professor Stephen Lord is internationally renowned for his research into gait, balance and falls. He aims to prevent falls and the injuries that come with them. “Falls can be prevented in older people and clinical groups with balance impairments by interventions that address their identified impairments,” he said.  <Read more here>

Increase in domestic violence over the Christmas period
It's a concerning headline we see repeat itself almost every year leading into the Christmas and new year period - 'Domestic violence predicted to surge over the holiday period'. But why do these spikes occur this time of year and will it be even more pervasive this Christmas because of the stress individuals and families have faced over the last two years due to the pandemic?  <Read more here>

Could a walk in the park be just what the doctor ordered?
‘Nature prescriptions’, such as a nature-based walking and community gardening recommended by a health professional, are among the strategies that could help mitigate the adverse health impacts of the climate crisis, but more targeted research is needed to guide action, says an editorial published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.   <Read more here>

New Associate Lecturer, Nellie Pollard-Wharton, passionate about co-design to improve health
The School welcomes Nellie Pollard-Wharton, whose research is focused on co-design within Aboriginal health, is passionate about community- driven and -led initiatives to address specific challenges and contribute to the overall health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families, and communities.   <Read more here>

Selfies: Is your life worth a few 'likes'?
One minute the young man was standing on the edge of a cliff, taking a selfie. The next minute, tragedy struck. "People are often striving for the best image and visit picturesque but potentially isolated and risky locations to achieve the perfect shot," said Dr Amy Peden.  <Read more here>

Experts call for urgent action to improve control rates of high blood pressure
Leading experts on hypertension have issued a call to action to improve uncontrolled blood pressure in Australia. Their call to action – which recommends a three-step plan to tackle the problem, including establishing a national taskforce – is published in the Medical Journal of Australia.  <Read more here>

New research looks to cultural ties to improve health and wellbeing
Kinship, Country, Law/Lore, and Dreaming are fundamental concepts for Aboriginal cultures and people which play an essential role in nurturing resilience.  Aboriginal cultural resilience is an important but not well understood factor that impacts health outcomes, and is the focus of the new project, Gaawaadhi Gadudha.   <Read more here>

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