The economic costs of alcohol-related harms at the local level in New South Wales.

Introduction: Alcohol is a harmful, toxic and addictive substance that causes many diseases and injuries. Alcohol use also incurs a financial cost to the health care system and wider economy. This project aimed to undertake a cost impact analysis of alcohol-related harms at the local level in New South Wales (NSW).

Are Perceptions of Government Intervention Related to Support for Prevention? An Australian Survey Study.

Background: In Australia, despite the success of tobacco control policy interventions, policymakers remain resistant to policy-based approaches to diet, alcohol, physical inactivity and obesity, concerned about community perceptions of such interventions as "nanny-statist". We examined how people's general positions on government intervention related to their positions on different preventive policy options.

Methods: Data were from a 2018 nationally representative cross-sectional telephone survey of 2601 Australian adults.

Dissemination of public health research to prevent non-communicable diseases: a scoping review.

Background: Dissemination is a critical element of the knowledge translation pathway, and a necessary step to ensure research evidence is adopted and implemented by key end users in order to improve health outcomes. However, evidence-based guidance to inform dissemination activities in research is limited. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe the scientific literature examining strategies to disseminate public health evidence related to the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Leadership for systems change: Researcher practices for enhancing research impact in the prevention of chronic disease.

Introduction: Strengthening systems for chronic disease prevention is essential. Leadership for systems change is an important key to strengthening systems. Leadership in prevention research for supporting systems change remains a relatively abstract concept and there is limited empirical information about the leadership practices of prevention research teams when viewed through a complexity lens.

Developing a systems thinking guide for enhancing knowledge mobilisation in prevention research.

Knowledge mobilisation aims to increase research impact in policy and practice. 'Mobilising' knowledge implies a social interaction and involves an iterative, collaborative process. We argue that this process is strengthened when underpinned by systems thinking.

Measuring public opinion and acceptability of prevention policies: an integrative review and narrative synthesis of methods.

Acceptability of and public support for prevention are an important part of facilitating policy implementation. This review aims to identify, summarize and synthesize the methods and study designs used to measure and understand public opinion, community attitudes and acceptability of strategies to prevent chronic noncommunicable disease (NCDs) in order to allow for examination of imbalances in methodological approaches and gaps in content areas. We searched four scientific databases (CINAHL, Embase, Ovid/MEDLINE and Scopus) for peer-reviewed, English-language studies published between January 2011 and March 2020 in high-income, democratic countries across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Changes in Australian community perceptions of non-communicable disease prevention: a greater role for government?

Background: Monitoring trends in community opinion can identify critical opportunities to implement upstream health policies or interventions. Our study examines change and demographic modifiers of change in community perceptions of government intervention for prevention of lifestyle-related chronic disease across two time points in Australia.

Methods: Data were drawn from the 2016 (n = 2052) and 2018 (n = 2601) waves of a nationally representative cross-sectional telephone survey, 'AUSPOPS'.

Sydney's 'last drinks' laws: A content analysis of news media coverage of views and arguments about a preventive health policy.

Introduction: News media representation of preventive health policies can influence public discussion and political decision making, impacting policy implementation and sustainability. This study analysed news media coverage of the contested 'last drinks' alcohol laws in Sydney, Australia, to understand the arguments made by different 'actors' (stakeholders) regarding the laws and provide insights on how preventive health policies are positioned within media discourse.

Methods: We identified print and online news media articles discussing the laws from 2014 to 2020.

A call to action for undertaking and sharing formative evaluations of public health campaigns.

Mass media campaigns are common interventions used in public health, but publicly available evaluations of such campaigns are few and far between, and particularly so for formative evaluations. In 2019, the Heart Foundation released a new campaign called 'Heartless Words', including a major advertisement that sparked instant controversy. In the backlash that followed, very little was said about the importance of rigorous pre-campaign formative evaluations and sharing these evaluations for the benefit of other researchers, practitioners and policy makers.

Are young adults' discussions of public health nutrition policies associated with common food industry discourses? A qualitative pilot study.

Objective: Unhealthy diets are a key risk factor for chronic disease, with young adults (18-30 years old) in high-income countries like Australia and the UK particularly at risk. Improved public health nutrition policies can help address unhealthy diets in the population, but many of the more regulatory policies are opposed by food industry groups. This research explores how young adults in Australia and the UK discuss a range of topical public health nutrition policies and analyses whether and how their views may be associated with food industry discourses.

Are perceptions of government intervention for prevention different by gender and age? Results from the AUStralian Perceptions Of Prevention Survey (AUSPOPS).

Objectives: Understanding public opinion and community attitudes is needed to help the implementation of chronic disease prevention policies that are acceptable to the population. The AUStralian Perceptions Of Prevention Survey ('AUSPOPS') is a national survey designed to provide evidence on the views of Australians regarding government intervention for prevention. However there is limited evidence whether age and gender have modifying effects on attitudes about prevention.

A scoping review of policies promoting and supporting sustainable food systems in the university setting.

Background: Transitioning towards sustainable food systems for the health of the population and planet will require governments and institutions to develop effective governance to support the adoption of sustainable food practices. The aim of the paper is to describe current governance within Australian and New Zealand universities designed to support sustainable food systems.

Methods: A systematic search of governance documents to support sustainable food systems within Australian and New Zealand universities was conducted.

Adequacy of Data Sources for Investigation of Tertiary Education Student's Wellbeing in Australia: A Scoping Review.

Young adulthood is a period of transition, which for many includes higher education. Higher education is associated with specific risks to wellbeing. Understanding the available data on wellbeing in this group may help inform the future collection of data to inform policy and practice in the sector.

Content of university alcohol policies in New South Wales, Australia.

Issue Addressed: This study aimed to develop a working checklist for university alcohol policies and apply this checklist to current policies in universities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

Methods: We developed a working checklist of possible university alcohol policy approaches, drawn from the World Health Organization's alcohol policy recommendations, university alcohol policy research from the United States and norms and expectations currently incorporated in Australian university alcohol policies. We then conducted a content analysis of university alcohol policies in NSW, Australia, based on this checklist.

'Buying Salad Is a Lot More Expensive than Going to McDonalds': Young Adults' Views about What Influences Their Food Choices.

Young adults (18⁻30 years of age) are an 'at-risk' group for poor dietary behaviours and less healthy food choices. Previous research with young adults has looked at the barriers and enablers driving their food choices, focusing primarily on university and college students. However, there is less research using qualitative methods with young adults as a broader population group.

Creating healthier graduates, campuses and communities: Why Australia needs to invest in health promoting universities.

Issue: Higher education is an important and influential setting for embedding health promotion principles and practice. Universities have a responsibility to their communities and more broadly as leaders in society.

Project: Settings-based health promotion is an effective method for increasing healthy environments and an organisational culture that supports health.