VicHealth has invested in research focused on health promotion and prevention for over 30 years.
Through Impact Grants, they fund research that delivers practical solutions and drives lasting systems change. In addition to grant funding, VicHealth also collaborates directly on targeted projects to address key public health issues across the state.
To combat the growing harm of vaping, VicHealth has partnered with universities and organisations across the state to engage young people in building anti-vaping awareness and developing effective interventions.
Deakin Vape and Smoke-Free Program | $150,000
Dr Patricia Taylor, Determinants of Health, Institute for Health Transformation
Adoption of vaping among young people has become prevalent over the past five years. Vapes are battery-operated e-cigarettes that heat liquid into an aerosol which is then inhaled. They are often flavoured and can be designed to look like everyday items.
Recent anti-vaping campaigns and legislation have supported a halt in vaping uptake but there are rising concerns around the vape black market, increasing nicotine usage and a lack of understanding around the amount of nicotine within products.
Vaping is addictive, contains toxic chemicals and can lead to a number of health dangers – from lung injuries to seizures and, in rare cases, death.
Dr Taylor’s project aims to identify the key drivers behind vaping and successful strategies for anti-vaping measures in the Deakin community. The team will co-design activities and interventions with student representatives to increase awareness of the harms of vaping among young people, reduce exposure to vaping and related products, and increase community capacity to address the issue.
The team includes Melissa Yong (Student Health Promotion Coordinator) and Associate Professor Hua Yong (School of Psychology) and will partner with VicHealth, Cancer Council Victoria and QUIT Victoria.
‘Our University has a young captive audience, many of whom vape. We have an opportunity to understand the determinants linked to vaping, support cessation, reduce uptake and inform future policy within the sector and more broadly.’
VicHealth Impact Grant: Co-designing healthy, equitable and sustainable rural fruit & veg distribution | $250,000
Dr Cherie Russell, Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE), Institute for Health Transformation
Fresh fruit and vegetables in rural areas are often harder to find, more expensive and lower quality than in urban areas. Many rural Victorians don’t eat enough fresh produce for good health, which contributes to higher rates of chronic disease. One key issue is that food supply chains that service rural areas aren’t meeting regional needs.
Research to improve access to healthier food by transforming production and retail environments is growing but there are still gaps in our knowledge of how our food gets from farm to table.
Dr Russell’s project aims to improve access to fresh fruit and vegetables while reducing negative impacts by measuring the equity, health, environmental sustainability and economic performance of current distribution chains. The team will then co-design and evaluate an intervention with community partners to enhance the affordability, availability and quality of fresh produce in rural Victoria.
The team includes Deakin researchers Professor Colin Bell, Associate Professor Katherine Livingstone, Dr Michalis Hadjikakou, Associate Professor Jaithri Ananthapavan, Associate Professor Victoria Stead, Dr Penelope Love, Dr Miranda Blake, Dr Kate Wingrove and Dr Phuong Nguyen.
They partner with Healthy Loddon Campaspe, the City of Greater Bendigo Shire Council and the Central Goldfields Shire Council.
“We really want to support locally relevant and empowering interventions and to create a scalable model for future actions.”
Read more about Dr Patricia Taylor‘s research.
Read more about Dr Cherie Russell’s research.
