Posts in Creating using evidence
The ripple effects of Online Food Delivery Services on human and planetary health: Policy actions for healthy and sustainable future

Online Food Delivery Services are a popular format for acquiring quick and easy out-of-home meals. This platform offers the perfect mix of convenience and indulgence delivered at your doorstep, but at what cost? This week, VicHealth (@VicHealth) Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Adyya Gupta (@AdyyaGupta) from Deakin University (@IHT_Deakin @GLOBE_obesity) discusses the ripple effects of Online Food Delivery Services on human and planetary health, and offers policy actions for a healthy and sustainable future.

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Intense heat changes our biology and can make us age significantly faster: study

 2024 has been confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as the warmest year on record. This new data supports that climate change is making extreme heat increasingly intense and frequent. Exposure to heat has been linked with reduced labour productivity and many adverse health impacts, such as mental illness, hospitalisation, preterm birth and even death.  In today’s post, VicHealth (@VicHealth) postdoctoral fellow Rongbin Xu (@RongbinXu) and Shuai Li (@Dr_Shuai_Li), both of Monash University (@MonashMSDI), provide commentary on new research which found that heat can accelerate the pace of biological aging. This story provides new evidence that supports the necessity of well communicated heat action plans as well as progressive climate mitigation strategies to limit global warming, particularly in a world experiencing rapid population aging. This article first appeared in The Conversation; you can read it in its original version here.

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A Window of Opportunity to Regulate Commercial Foods for Infants and Toddlers in Australia

Health experts are concerned about poor nutritional quality and misleading marketing of many commercially available foods for infants and toddlers. In today’s post, VicHealth (@VicHealth) Research Fellow Alexandra Chung (@Chung_Alexandra) from Monash University (@Monash_FMNHS @MonashNutrition) explains how government regulation could improve these products and protect the health of young children in Australia.

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The Rise of Online Food Delivery Services: Global trends and their disruptive impact on our food environments

Online Food Delivery Services are becoming a popular mode of purchasing out-of-home meals, with a projected global increase from 800 million users in 2018 to almost 2.9 billion users in 2029. This week, VicHealth Postdoctoral Researcher Adyya Gupta (@AdyyaGupta) and Deakin Distinguished Professor Anna Peeters (@AnnaPeetersAus), of Deakin University (@IHT_Deakin @GLOBE_obesity) explain the burgeoning trend of online food delivery services and their implications for public health.

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Colombian transitional justice: the need for prioritizing local voices in peacebuilding.

The term ‘transitional justice’ encompasses a wide range of initiatives and mechanisms to address legacies left by human rights atrocities committed amidst situations of armed conflict or in transitions from autocratic to democratic rule.    Mechanisms like the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, The International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda or the Former Yugoslavia (ICTR/ICTY) or Timor Leste’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor (CAVR in Portuguese) are among some of the most internationally known transitional justice processes. In this blog post Dr Louis Monroy-Santander explains the need to prioritise local voices in peacebuilding.

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Thinking differently about evidence: Collaborating with policy makers to create, share and apply knowledge for public health

Public health research generates a wealth of evidence but there are challenges when it comes to making that evidence available to audiences beyond the research sector. In today’s post, VicHealth (@VicHealth) Research Fellow Alexandra Chung (@Chung_Alexandra) of Monash University (@MonashNutrition) discusses a unique project that demonstrates the value of collaborative approaches to create and share knowledge with policymakers.

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Deadlier than flames: The devastating impacts of bushfire smoke

2023 has made headlines as the hottest year in recorded history, and Australia is gearing up for a serious bushfire season. In today’s post, VicHealth Postdoctoral Research Fellow Rongbin Xu (@RongbinXu) of Monash University (@MonashUni) shares his research into how bushfire smoke is an increasingly hazardous public health threat and needs a more focused policy response.

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What research says about studying with the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)

This year marked the 75th year of Australia’s Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). It also saw the release of the largest study in the AMEP’s history to better understand participation in the program, and the AMEP’s broader impact on employment and welfare outcomes. Associate Professor Francis Mitrou and Dr Ha Nguyen from Telethon Kids Institute (@telethonkids) and Life Course Centre (@lifecourseAust) outline some of the key findings.

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When policy lessons don’t speak for themselves – a “traveller’s guide” for practitioners of policy learning

Policy lessons don’t travel on their own - a lot goes into helping them from their place of origin to new homes (or stopping them from getting there). Drawing on research with disaster management personnel in Queensland, Dr Jenny van der Arend (@JennyvdA) and A/Prof Alastair Stark distil a ‘traveller’s guide’ of practical insights for policymakers who want to help lessons from place to place. The post is based on their new article in the Journal of European Public Policy and is free to read until October 2023.

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Peer-led services: reducing barriers to healthcare for LGBTIQA+ people

LGBTIQA+ people are more likely to experience marginalisation, stigma, social exclusion, abuse, and violence than the wider community. Philippa Moss, CEO of ACT-based LGBTIQA+ peer-led health service Meridian, and Alison Barclay, researcher and social impact consultant, explain how peer-led services are helping to address this gap, and what more needs to be done.

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Forced marriage as family violence: Potential for change, but more needs to be done

Victoria recognised forced marriage as a form of family violence 4 years ago, however there’s been no examination or reporting regarding its impact. Dr Siru Tan, Lecturer, Criminology, Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, explores what can be done to increase opportunities for support. This article was originally published in Monash Lens.

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Findings from the early evaluation of the UK Children and Young People's Mental Health Trailblazer programme

Globally there is an increasing focus on the mental health and well-being of children and young people as youth mental health problems have replaced childhood mortality as the most significant challenge for society (WEF, 2020). Dr Sarah-Jane Fenton (@S_JFenton) presents findings from the early evaluation of a UK programme, which offers valuable insights (with Jo Ellins (@DrJoEllins) and the Health Services Management Centre (@_HSMCentre)).

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Does your bank support gambling? We need to know who sponsors harmful industry associations

We know that alcohol, gambling, tobacco and ultra-processed food products can harm health. But how much do we know about the industry associations representing their interests? In today’s piece, VicHealth (@VicHealth) Research Fellow Jennifer Lacy-Nichols (@JLacyNichols), MPH student Naomi Carr and MPH student Cara Platts (all of the University of Melbourne) discuss some of their research on harmful industry associations.

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