2006 Public Health Awards Winners

Page contents: Public Health Research | Public Health Programs | Public Health Spotlight

The 2006 Public Health Awards for Excellence and Innovation were presented on Tuesday 5 September by the Minister for Health, the Hon. Bronwyn Pike MP.

The Awards recognise and celebrate the significant contributions made each year by Victoria’s public health community. This year marked the tenth anniversary of the Awards, which have recognised close to 60 outstanding Victorian public health projects over the past decade.

Awards were given in three categories, reflecting integral components of public health:

• Public Health Research
• Public Health Programs
• Public Health Spotlight (the theme of the 2006 Public Health Spotlight category was supporting childhood health and wellbeing).

In each of the categories awards are presented for:

• Excellence: recognising quality
• Innovation: recognising promising new work.

2006 Public Health Awards winners

Public Health Research

Winner for Excellence:

AusDiab Study
International Diabetes Institute

The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study is the largest population-based national study of the current diabetes, pre-diabetes, obesity, heart and kidney disease epidemics underway in Australia. AusDiab is the first national study to look at the course of these diseases and their risk factors over time. AusDiab involved researchers visiting 42 randomly selected testing sites around Australia to test the 11,247 individuals who participated in 1999-2000, and the 6,537 of these participants who came back to attend the follow-up survey in 2004-2005.

Public Health Research Award for Excellence - AusDiab Study (21kb, pdf)

Winner for Innovation:

Victorian Lifestyle and Neighbourhood Environments Study
University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Monash University and Queensland University of Technology

The Victorian Lifestyle and Neighbourhood Environments Study (VicLANES) was inspired by a growing awareness by the researchers and VicHealth that differences in health behaviours were complex and could be due to individual differences such as attitudes and knowledge as well as structural characteristics of neighbourhoods such as price and availability of healthy and less healthy foods, features of the built environment and access to recreational facilities.

Public Health Research Award for Innovation - Victorian Lifestyle and Neighbourhood Environments Study (VicLANES (27kb, pdf)

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Public Health Programs

Sustainable Farm Families Project
Western District Health Service

The Sustainable Farm Families (SFF) Project has engaged consumers (farming families) in decision-making about their family health, wellbeing and safety. After three years the project has demonstrated significant change in the health status of farmers, based on a comprehensive framework of community health promotion.

Public Health Programs Award for Excellence Sustainable Farm Families Project (27kb, pdf)

Winner for Innovation:

Mental Health First Aid
ORYGEN Research Centre, University of Melbourne

Mental Health First Aid is a training program which teaches members of the general public how to recognse the symptoms of mental health problems, how to provide initial help, and how to go about guiding a person towards appropriate professional and self-help. The course is analogous to conventional first aid courses, but covers mental health crisis situations and developing mental health problems. The course is 12-hours long and is run by trained instructors from the local community.

Public Health Programs Award for Innovation - Mental Health First Aid (21kb, pdf)

Public Health Spotlight

Winner for Excellence:

Positive Parenting Telephone Service
Upper Hume Community Health Service

The Positive Parenting Telephone Service provides an innovative model of best practice and evidence-based service delivery by supporting families living in rural areas and/or isolating circumstances in Victoria. PPTS provides a telephone-assisted, self-directed version of the Triple P parenting program. The PPTS is an early intervention service that empowers parents in their parenting role, prior to child behaviour problems becoming entrenched and difficult to treat. Parental competence and confidence are promoted, whilst teaching strategies proven to be effective in enhancing parent/child relationships and developing social competencies in children are incorporated.

Public Health Spotlight Award for Excellence - Positive Parenting Telephone Service (21kb, pdf)

Winner for Innovation:

Port Melbourne Childhood Nutrition Project
Inner South Community Health Service

The Port Melbourne Childhood Nutrition Project focuses on increasing access to fruit and vegetables for primary school aged children and raising awareness of the benefits of healthy eating within the whole school community. This has been achieved through positive messages, creating a supportive, health promoting environment and mobilising local businesses and community groups to enable the development of sustainable long-term change in the school community.

Public Health Spotlight Award for Innovation - Port Melbourne Childhood Nutrition Project (21kb, pdf)

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