Health and Use of Time
UniSA's
Health and Use of Time (HUT) research concentration brings together a diverse
group of scientists to look at how factors such as physical activity,
sleep and screen time affect our physical, mental and social health.
The main thrust of the HUT Group's research is the link between how
people use their time (including physical activity, sedentary behaviours
like screen time and sleep) and health outcomes (such as obesity,
diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental well-being). The HUT focuses
especially on transition periods in people's life course: from primary
to secondary school, from secondary school to work or university,
marriage, parenthood, empty nest and retirement.
With specialist expertise in sport and exercise science, children's
weight and fitness, statistics and mathematical modelling and body size and shape, the group is involved in a
wide range of local, national and international projects aimed at
optimising health and wellbeing.
It's all part of a sophisticated arm of health science that is bringing
together rigorous research methods with cutting edge technology to help
find workable solutions to the health issues presented by an
increasingly automated society.
The concentration is also a leader in anthropometry (the science of body
measurement) and is home to a 3D anthropometric body scanner, a
burgeoning technology with applications ranging from ergonomics and
design to defence, clothing sizing and surgery.
People
Research leaders
With research expertise in historical trends in fitness, weight, physical
activity, sleep and food intake, Tim Olds is interested in how adults and
children use their time and how they modify their 'time budgets' when
undertaking behaviour change such a diets and fitness programs. Other areas
of expertise include anthropometry, mathematical modelling of sports
performance and French romantic poetry.
A leading exercise scientist, Jim Dollman provides specialised expertise in
assessing physical activity. His research interests include trends in
children's fitness, physical activity and body composition and
sociodemographic distributions of children's fitness, physical activity and
body composition. Recently he has focused on social disadvantage in physical
activity among children.
An experienced paediatric physiotherapist, Carol Maher developed an
internet-based physical activity intervention for children with cerebral
palsy as part of her PhD. Her current research is focussed on children's and
adult's health and use of time.
A Professor of Exercise Science, Kevin Norton is particularly interested in
exercise-induced changes to health, interventions to increase physical
activity, and limits to human performance in sport. Other areas of expertise
include sports injuries and fitness conditioning, pre-exercise screening,
exercise physiology and anthropometry.
A leading authority in 3D and sports anthropometry, Grant Tomkinson is also
an expert in paediatric exercise science. His PhD research looked at secular
changes in the fitness of children in Australia and around the world.
John Petkov
- Statistician
A senior lecturer and head of the Applied Statistics Unit, John Petkov
contributes his statistical expertise to a variety of health-related
research projects, including a recent HUT collaboration comparing adolescent
sleep habits in 23 countries.
Research ass
Research ass
Michael Dale
With qualifications in human movement and biomechanics, Michael Dale tutors
in exercise physiology and has a range of research interests including
exercise-induced physiological adaptations in athletes, and 3D
anthropometry. He is currently conducting doctoral research assessing the
strength and hypertrophic gains induced by dairy proteins in recreational
weight trainers.
Nathan Daniell
Looking at new techniques in 3D anthropometric scanning as part of his PhD,
Nathan Daniel is also conducting applied research in ergonomics and
biomechanics.
Nicole Lewis
An accredited exercise physiologist with an Honours degree in Human
Movement, Nicole Lewis is interested in rural health, student health,
physical activity adoption and maintenance and physical activity
interventions. Her PhD research is investigating the predictors of health
behaviour of rural students transitioning to metropolitan universities.
Lisa
Matricciani
A University of South Australia Graduate and a current practicing Registered
Nurse, Lisa is a Project Manager within the HUT group in the "International
Study of Children's lifestyle and Environment" (ISCOLE) study. Lisa's
research interests include secular trends in sleep and time use, sleep
habits, and the relationship between sleep, health and learning outcomes.
She has a keen interest in models of nursing care, pain management,
podiatric interventions and wound care and chronic conditions including
depression, dementia, anorexia, sleep apnea, diabetes and vascular disease.
Judy
Sprod
Judy has a past career in teaching paediatric physiotherapy, has worked for
many years as a physiotherapist for children with a disability and managed a
physiotherapy department. She has recently extended her interest in research
in children’s disability to working on a current HUT project entitled 'Use
of time and activity patterns across the retirement transition'.
Emily Vaughton
The hub of the HUT centre, Emily Vaughton provides support to the group's
research leaders and associates, as well as providing practical support and
guidance for PhD candidates and Honours students.
Julie Walters
Thomas Bowler
A University if South Australia Human Movement graduate, Tom is the newest
addition to the Health and Use of Time Group. He is currently working as a
Project Manager and Senior Research Assistant for two separate PhD studies
within HUT and has expertise in anthropometry and three-dimensional
whole-body scanning. His interests include participating in a variety of
sport particularly football, cricket and golf.
PhD candidates
Katia Ferrar
A practising physiotherapist, Katria Ferrar is conducting PhD research
looking at the use of time patterns in Australian adolescents, and New
Zealand adolescents and young adults.
Sjaan Gomersall
With research interests including physical activity and use-of-time
measurement, Sjaan Gomersall is a physiotherapist who is investigating
changes in energy expenditure and use-of-time in response to an imposed
exercise load as part of her PhD studies.
Toby Hunt
Rebecca Nolan
Since receiving her Bachelor of Human Movement and Honours in Health
Sciences, Rebecca is now investigating physical activity and quality of life
in people with Type 2 diabetes, and specifically, the effects of an exercise
program in people with Type 2 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy.
Maureen McEvoy
A UniSA lecturer and physiotherapist, Maureen McEvoy is exploring evidence
based practice in her PhD studies, including conducting a longitudinal study
tracking the EBP profile of physiotherapy graduates as they move into the
workforce.
Natasha Schranz
A human movement graduate and gym instructor, Natasha Schranz is examining
the effects of a six-month strength training program on the strength, body
composition and self-esteem of overweight adolescent males as part of her
PhD studies.
Rebecca Stanley
An occupational therapist, dancer and choreographer, Rebecca Stanley is
investigating correlates of setting-specific physical activity and the
prediction of children's physical activity behaviour as part of her PhD
studies.
Rebecca Taylor
As part of her doctoral studies, Rebecca Taylor is developing a computer
based survey (Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adolescents -
Participation Edition, or MARCA-PE) to measure how typically developing
children and children with Asperger syndrome participate in everyday
activities.
Louise Wiles
A physiotherapist with experience in private practice, acute and
rehabilitative hospital settings, Louise Wiles is currently undertaking a
PhD evaluating the longitudinal change and cross-sectional differences in
research published in medical, nursing and allied health fields using a
bibliometric approach.
Andrew Wilson
After teaching physical education in secondary schools for over a decade,
Andrew Wilson is now looking at the impact of short physical activity breaks
on the attention levels of primary students as part of his doctoral studies.
Honours students
Cindy Chang (activity styles)
Katherine Heenan (trends in adult physical activity)
Chon'En Lee (tracking of fitness and fatness)
Matt Lynagh (doubly-labelled water validation of a use of time instrument)
Lauren Gillis
Ashley Fulton
Collaborators
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Australian Football League
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- Flinders University
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Murdoch Children's Research Institute
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Research highlights
Anthropometry and 3D laser body scanning
Researcher: Grant Tomkinson
Anthropometry measures body dimensions, such as bone lengths, shoulder
width, girth, height, mass and skinfold thickness, for reasons such as
monitoring athletes, tracking children's development and assessing changes
in body size in response to exercise programs or disease. A global leader in
anthropometric technology, the Health and Use of Time group is home to a 3D
anthropometric scanner. The scanning technology, which was used in a major
initiative to help improve aircraft and uniform design for the Australian
Defence Force, has a wide range of applications, from cosmetic and maxillo-facial
surgery, to ergonomics, industrial design and graphic design.
Assessing the effects of a school-based sleep
intervention in Year 6 and 7 students
Researchers: Carol Maher, Tim Olds, Jim Dollman, Sarah Blunden (UniSA Centre
for Sleep Research), John Petkov (UniSA Applied Statistics Unit), Michele
Herriot (SA Health)
Children have been getting increasingly less sleep in recent decades, with
the average Australian child not getting enough sleep for optimal health,
wellbeing and social function. The first sleep behaviour intervention of its
kind, this ARC-supported study will use a randomised controlled trial to
test the effect of a sleep intervention in schools. Around 360 year six and
seven children from 12 schools will taking part in a 10 week program to
impart a comprehensive understanding of the physiology and benefits of
sleep, including strategies to improve sleep patterns. Researchers
hypothesise that the intervention will improve children's attitude and
knowledge surrounding healthy sleep patterns, and in turn boost alertness,
weight status and quality of life.
Global trends in childhood obesity
Researchers: Tim Olds and Carol Maher (Australia), Shi Zumin (China)
Sandrine Péneau, Sandrine Lioret, Katia Castetbon and France Bellisle
(France), Maea Hohepa and Ralph Maddison (New Zealand), Lauren Lissner and
Agneta Sjöberg (Sweden), Michael Zimmermann and Isabelle Aeberli
(Switzerland), Cynthia Ogden and Katherine Flegal (USA), Jeroen de Wilde
(Netherlands)
This collaborative project is bringing together researchers from ten
countries to look at recent trends in the prevalence of obesity in children.
Initial findings have indicated that while there have been rapid increases
in childhood obesity over the last 30 to 40 years, prevalence appears to
have stabilised across a wide range of countries over the last decade.
Historical changes in children's fitness and weight
Researchers: Tim Olds, Grant Tomkinson
Looking at data relating to 75 million children from 40 countries,
researchers have noted a rapid decline in children's cardiovascular fitness
from the 1970s onwards. Lower energy expenditure in daily life, less
vigorous sport and changing diets are all thought to have played a role.
This ongoing research is examining historical changes from the last 150
years to ask and answer important questions about children's fitness, weight
and sleep patterns, in an effort to find better ways of improving children's
health, fitness and wellbeing.
Historical trends in sleep patterns
Researchers: Tim Olds, Lisa Matricciani
Over the last century sleep patterns across the population have changed
dramatically, with each generation on average getting 25 minutes less sleep
than their parents. Electricity, television, computers, shift work,
automation and decreased levels of physical activity are some of the factors
thought to contribute to a gradual decline in sleep time. Researchers are
looking at a range of data from the past 100 years in an effort to identify
sleep trends, and ultimately shed light on ways to improve sleep, overall
health and quality of life.
ISCOLE international study of children's
lifestyles
Researchers: Tim Olds and Carol Maher (Australian arm), with international
collaborators
ISCOLE is a 12-nation survey of children's lifestyle, co-ordinated by the
Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Countries involved
are the US, Canada, Australia, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico,
Colombia, China, India, Portugal, and the UK. Initially a cross-sectional
study, with an option for a longitudinal follow-up, the survey is of 500
children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, with researchers looking
at physical activity, diet, school and home environments and weight status.
Testing the 'activitystat' hypothesis
Researchers: Tim Olds, Kevin Norton, Sjaan Gomersall, Jim Dollman
This study is testing the concept that if people's physical activity is
increased in one domain, there will be a compensatory decrease in another,
thus maintaining an overall stable level of physical activity and energy
expenditure (the 'activitystat' hypothesis). Participants - young to middle
aged adults who are undergoing major life transitions such as moving from
education to employment and beginning families - will be randomised into
three groups, undertaking either normal activities, a moderate exercise
program, or a more extensive exercise program. The information gained will
shape the broader paradigm of optimal exercise prescription, as well as
informing procedures for monitoring and evaluating exercise interventions.
Contact
Telephone and Fax +61 8 830 26558
Mobile 0438 362 224
Toll-Free 1800 282 090
email:
emily.vaughton@unisa.edu.au
Postal address:
Health and Use of Time research concentration
Division of Health Sciences
University of South Australia
GPO BOX 2471
Adelaide SA 5001
Australia