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Low back pain is common, with the prevalence of low back pain increasing across the lifespan where it has a profound impact on physical and psychosocial health. Also, with increasing age comes increasing comorbidity and this also has pronounced health consequences. While exercise is beneficial for a range of health conditions, trials of low back pain and exercise often exclude older adults. This mixed methods study will assess the feasibility of an eight-week comorbidity-adapted exercise program for older people with low back pain and comorbid conditions.

Three-quarters of mental illnesses emerge before age 25 (Kessler et al. 2005), with suicide being the leading cause of death in Australians aged 15-24 (AIHW, 2020). General PRactitioners (GPs) play a critical role in reducing mental illness in this population because they are the most common health service used by Australian adolescents (ABS 2019d), and the primary pathway via which adolescents seek mental health care (Lawrence et al. 2015). However, although youth report a desire to be asked about their mental health (Turner et al. 2017), approximately half of all mental health problems in youth are not recognised by the GP (Haller et al. 2009; Hickie et al. 2007). New methods are urgently needed to help GPs better assist young people. Responding to the Australian Government’s call for the adoption of stepped-care models for primary mental health care, the Black Dog Institute developed a digital mental health screening and treatment-recommendation tool for GP practices. This tool, known as ‘StepCare’ (Proudfoot et al., 2019), has been rolled out to >100 GP practices across Australia, with more than 5,000 adults screened. More than 1,400 cases of anxiety and depression have been detected, 1 in 4 of whom were individuals who were previously undetected/untreated (Whitton et al., under review). The growing reputation StepCare, combined with increasing concerns over youth mental health, has prompted expressions of interest for a youth-focused service. In response, ‘Youth StepCare’ was developed, and a pilot trial was conducted in 2 general practices (Parker et al., 2020). Results showed that Youth StepCare was acceptable and feasible, and that 22% of cases of depression/anxiety identified were not receiving treatment. However several implementation barriers were identified. This study aims to conduct a larger-scale evaluation of Youth StepCare, incorporating modifications based on learnings from the pilot study and the adult StepCare service, and as well as a head-to-head comparison of two implementation models. This study is important because it constitutes a critical evaluation of a tool that may increase identification of mental health conditions in youth, thereby facilitating greater access to mental health services for this vulnerable population.

Aims: To investigate the effect of high-dose fish oil supplementation on inflammation of blood vessels in participants with stable heart disease receiving standard cholesterol-lowering therapy. Hypothesis: In participants with elevated Lp(a) levels and stable heart disease, high-dose fish oil supplementation will significantly reduce inflammation of blood vessels.

The overall aim of our innovative project is to provide a comprehensive and original contribution to understanding the direct and indirect effects of a school-based leadership program for primary school students. In partnership with the New South Wales Department of Education School Sport Unit, we will evaluate the ‘Learning to Lead’ (L2L) program, which aims to: (i) enhance Stage 3 students’ (Peer leaders) leadership skills, leadership self-efficacy, and time on-task in the classroom; (ii) increase Stage 2 students’ (Peers) physical activity levels, executive functioning, actual and perceived fundamental movement skill competency; and (iii) decrease teachers’ work-related stress and improve their well-being. More specifically, we will answer the following research questions: RQ1) What is the impact of the L2L program on the primary outcome, Peer leaders’ leadership effectiveness? RQ2) What is the impact of the L2L program on the secondary outcomes, Peer leaders’ leadership self-efficacy and time ‘on-task’ in the classroom? RQ3) What is the impact of the L2L program on secondary outcomes, including Peers’ school-based physical activity, actual and perceived FMS competency, health-related fitness, and executive functioning? RQ4) What is the impact of the L2L program on teachers’ work-related stress and job satisfaction? RQ5) Do changes in Peer leaders’ on-task behaviour mediate the effect of the L2L program on teachers’ work-related stress and well-being? RQ6) Do changes in peers’ fundamental movement skills mediate the effect of the L2L program on their executive functioning?

This project is a randomised controlled trial of a brief video-based e-mental health intervention designed to improve the mental health of university students. Students from all universities in Australia will be recruited and randomised to one of two conditions, an intervention condition in which participants will receive bi-weekly e-mails containing brief video-based modules containing health information and strategies for a period of 6 weeks, or an attention control condition, in which they will receive bi-weekly e-mails containing health information (not related to mental health) for a period of 6 weeks. Participants will complete outcome assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 3 and 6 months post intervention. Outcome measures include depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychological distress, academic self-efficacy, quality of life, help seeking behaviour, engagement and satisfaction with the intervention.

Resection of the large bowel and creation of a new rectum or reservoir by forming a pouch from the small bowel is the surgical treatment of choice for ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The new reservoir is termed ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) or ileoanal pouch. Quality of life following IPAA creation is generally good. However, a considerable number of patients have persistent pouch-related symptoms of increased frequency, urgency, leakage and incontinence. Furthermore, most patients report food intolerances and the need to alter their diet to mitigate or improve symptoms. Additionally, around 40-50% of UC IPAA and 10-20% of FAP IPAA develop inflammation of the pouch, called pouchitis. Increased exposure of the pouch mucosa to hydrogen sulphide (H2S), reduced exposure to SCFA, particularly butyrate, and excessive delivery of water to the pouch are putatively pathogenic factors in pouch dysfunction. We hypothesised that dietary change that reverses these might lead to improved pouch function and less inflammation and have designed a dietary approach that manipulates carbohydrate and protein fermentation such that H2S production can be minimised and SCFA deficiency can be corrected, the free water content of ileal effluent can be reduced, and substrates that contain sulphur minimised so that reductive pathways to H2S production can be suppressed. An innovative whole food diet strategy called a ‘5-strategies to a SUlphide-REducing’ (5URE) diet was developed.The study would include a baseline period of 1 week whereby a patient’s usual diet is assessed through a food diary. A dietitian educates participants on the components of the SURE diet, which patients then follow for 5 weeks. During this time, they will complete food diaries and receive a phone call three weeks after starting the diet to inquire about adherence and to help answer any questions. Participants are encouraged to contact the research for any query. The total study will include three visits. Questionnaires are be used to assess how the subject is tolerating and accepting the diet, and to document the effects on bowel symptoms and health-related quality of life. Participants are asked to collect a small sample of stool on the day before they start the diet (reflecting their usual diet), and the last day of the SURE diet (to assess the effects of the diet). The results will inform further adjustments to the dietary approach and form the basis from future clinical trials.

Plantar heel pain (PHP) is a common source of pain and disability with an estimated prevalence between 3.6 and 9.6% (1, 2, 3). PHP predominantly affects middle-aged as well as older adults (1), and is estimated to contribute 8.0% of all injuries related to running (4). Evidence also suggests that up to 40% of people continue to have symptoms two years after the initial diagnosis (5). PHP has a significant negative impact on foot-specific and general health-related quality of life. Furthermore, people with PHP experience higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress than people without PHP (6). PHP also presents a financial burden to the community; in 2007, it was estimated that the cost of treatment for PHP to third party payers in the United States ranged from $US192 to 376 million (7). A range of treatment options have been found to be effective for PHP (8), however there are currently limited, readily accessible education resources capable of translating this information to patients with this condition. It is essential to address this issue to allow patients to make more informed treatment choices and optimise self-management. To develop quality, targeted and engaging education resources requires consultation with the end user, the consumer. We recently conducted and published a qualitative study (9) that investigated the lived experience and attitudes of people with heel pain. This study informed the content and approaches needed to educate people with heel pain including the development of the MyHeelPain website. The website provides multimedia information about heel pain including the characteristic features, causes, and an easy-to-follow treatment plan. It has been designed to promote self-management but can also be used alongside a consultation with a health professional. The website has gone through two cycles of usability testing, which have involved focus groups with people with PHP. The findings of the focus groups have guided us to implement several improvements to the website. A previous systematic review found computer-based programs, designed to educate people with chronic disease can improve the users' knowledge, social support, health behaviours and clinical outcomes (10). Accordingly, similar education approaches may be of benefit to people with PHP. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the MyHeelPain website for people with PHP. The corresponding references are listed in the 'Public notes' field below.

Children under 7 years must use an age-appropriate child restraint when travelling in motor vehicles. However, incorrect use increases risk of injury 3-fold in a crash, and our previous work has shown high rates (53-74%) of incorrect use. Restraint fitting services are shown to reduce rates of incorrect use almost 2-fold, however reach of these services is limited in rural and remote areas. There is a need to find cost-effective mechanisms for delivering assistance and education on correct use of child car restraints to families in rural and remote Australia as these children are at greatest risk of death and serious injury in crashes. Three information delivery methods have demonstrated promise as countermeasures to incorrect use of restraints. These are: hands-on instruction, like that which occurs in face-to-face delivery of restraint fitting services; instruction via online video; and restraint fitting services delivered via remote virtual assistance technology. To date, there has been no comparison of these different mechanisms as cost-effective countermeasures to incorrect use of child car restraints in rural and remote Australia. To ensure the best use of limited resources it is necessary to identify the most cost-effective mechanism for delivering this type of service. The aim of this project is to identify a cost-efficient delivery method for providing assistance and education to increase correct use of child restraints in rural and remote Australia. This study seeks to address the hypotheses: 1. Hands-on-instruction delivered face-to face and via remote virtual assistance technology will be more effective than instruction via online video in promoting correct use of child restraints. 2. Remote virtual assistance technology will be the most cost-effective method for delivering assistance and education to increase correct use of child restraint in rural and remote Australia 3. Remote virtual assistance technology delivery will be equally acceptable and feasible as face-to-face delivery, and more acceptable than online video. We will trial each delivery method among parents interested in receiving child car restraint fitting services to test these hypotheses.

This is an open label, observational study enrolling people (including children and adolescents (from 6 to 18 years) and adults) with ASD presenting with behavioural symptoms (including behaviour (aggressiveness, hyperactivity, irritability), social and emotional responsiveness, and communication skills) that receive medicinal cannabis as prescribed per standard practice. Patients will receive medicinal cannabis products HOPE 1 and/or HOPE 2 as per standard of care recommendations by their treating doctors. Patients will be assessed for their disease and safety according to standard practice. Each patient will be observed for a period of six months from the first visit. Observation will only be on those patients that have been prescribed HOPE 1 and/or HOPE 2.

This research study aims to determine users experience of using mobile health technology to deliver a pulmonary rehabilitation program in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation is traditionally offered as a program of exercise training and education in a hospital or community-based setting. However, mobile health technology has become a novel way to expand rehabilitation services into the homes of people with chronic disease. A mobile pulmonary rehabilitation platform called m-PR has been developed for people with COPD and this study will use surveys and interviews to assess the usability of the m-PR platform for both patients and clinicians.