
Population Health Research and Evaluation
The Population Health Research and Evaluation Hub leads and delivers high-quality research and evaluation to inform the development and implementation of effective population health programs for Sydney Local Health District and NSW.
Since 2020, the team has collectively published 40 high-quality peer reviewed articles including JAMA Pediatrics; Pediatric Obesity; BMJ and Journal Medical Internet Research. We have attracted more than $6 million in Category 1 project funding (for example Medical Research Future Fund; National Health and Medical Research Council grants schemes; and local district funding schemes). Our team leads and collaborates with world-renowned researches in health promotion, obesity prevention and the first 2000 days of life.
Major Grants
Funder |
Scheme |
Funder Ref |
Project Title |
Funding Period |
---|---|---|---|---|
Department of Health (Federal Government) |
MRFF – Preventive and Public Health Research |
APP1200789 |
Developing and evaluating an interactive web-based Healthy Beginnings program for preventing obesity in the first years of life. |
2020–24 |
Department of Health (Commonwealth Government) |
National Nutrition Grant |
|
Connecting the Dots for Healthy Beginnings in Early Childhood – A National Approach. |
2020–24 |
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence Grants |
APP2006999 |
Centre of Research Excellence in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood-Translate (EPOCH-translate). |
2022–26 |
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
NHMRC Partnership Grants |
APP1169823 |
A partnership approach linking two randomised controlled trials for optimising early obesity prevention programs for children under 3 years. |
2020–23 |
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
NHMRC Partnership Grants |
|
Parenting Improving health and service-use outcomes through health literacy training for new parents: an effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial. |
2021–24 |
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
NHMRC Ideas Grants |
APP2011342 |
Economic Modelling for Childhood Obesity. |
2022–24 |
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
NHMRC Ideas Grants |
APP1186363 |
TOPCHILD (Transforming Obesity Prevention for CHILDren): Looking into the black box of interventions. |
2020–23 |
Cancer Institute NSW |
Innovations in Cancer Control |
2020/INN1186 |
Breast Cancer Concierge Program for Arabic, Cantonese, Italian, Korean, Mandarin and Vietnamese speaking patients. |
2020–22 |
Sydney Local Health District |
Sydney Institute for Women, Children and their families, Seed funding |
|
Taking health literacy and cultural context into consideration in developing a web-based Healthy Beginnings program for CALD communities. |
2022–23 |
Sydney Local Health District |
Pitch Funding |
|
Co-designing and co-facilitating online early childhood nutrition workshops for culturally and linguistically diverse families. |
2022–24 |
Research Papers and Publications
Danielle Jawad, Heilok Cheng, Li Ming Wen, Chris Rissel, Louise Baur, Seema Mihrshahi, Sarah Taki. Interactivity, Quality, and Content of Websites Promoting Health Behaviors During Infancy: 6-Year Update of the Systematic Assessment. Journal of medical Internet research 24 (10), e38641 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36206031
Li Ming Wen, Huilan Xu, Sarah Taki, Limin Buchanan, Chris Rissel, Philayrath Phongsavan, Alison J. Hayes, Karen Bedford, Renee Moreton, Louise A. Baur. Effects of telephone support or short message service (SMS) on body mass index (BMI), eating and screen time behaviours of children age two years: a 3-arm randomised controlled trial. Pediatric Obesity. 2022; 17(5), e12875 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34821063
Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar, Sarah Taki, Seema Mihrshahi, Louise Baur, Li Ming Wen, Chris Rissel. Trial collaborators' perceptions of the process of delivering Healthy Beginnings advice via telephone calls or text messages. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 2022 Jul;33(3):810-828. doi: 10.1002/hpja.562 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34856023
Sarah Marshall, Huilan Xu, Sarah Taki, Yvonne Laird, Penelope Love, Li Ming Wen, Chris Rissel. Engagement, satisfaction, retention and behavioural outcomes of linguistically diverse mothers and infants participating in an Australian early obesity prevention trial. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 2022 Apr;33(2):350-360. doi: 10.1002/hpja.521 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34245623/
Sarah Marshall, Sarah Taki, Yvonne Laird, Penelope Love, Li Ming Wen, Chris Rissel Cultural adaptations of obesity-related behavioural prevention interventions in early childhood: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews. 2022; 23(4) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34866315
Su Kyung Kim. Beyond language: Motivators and barriers to breast cancer screening among Korean-speaking women in Sydney Metropolitan, Australia. Health Promot J Austral. 2022; 33(2), 412-425 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34080752
Lyndel Hewitt, Carolyn Frohmuller, Li Ming Wen, Anthony D Okely. Effect of a multicomponent intervention in postnatal mothers' groups on meeting the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines for infants: protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2022; 12(4) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35440448
Brittany J Johnson, Kylie E Hunter, Rebecca K Golley, Paul Chadwick, Angie Barba, Mason Aberoumand, Sol Libesman, Lisa Askie, Rachael W Taylor, Kristy P Robledo, Seema Mihrshahi…Sarah Taki…2022. Unpacking the behavioural components and delivery features of early childhood obesity prevention interventions in the TOPCHILD Collaboration: a systematic review and intervention coding protocol. BMJ open, 12(1), p.e048165 bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e048165
Kylie E Hunter., Brittany J Johnson, Lisa Askie, Rebecca K Golley, Louise A Baur, Ian C Marschner., Rachel Taylor., Luke Wolfenden, Charles Wood, Seema Mihrshahi, Sarah Taki and Hayes, A.J., 2022. Protocol: Transforming Obesity Prevention for CHILDren (TOPCHILD) Collaboration: protocol for a systematic review with individual participant data meta-analysis of behavioural interventions for the prevention of early childhood obesity. BMJ Open, 12(1) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35058256
Steven P. Philpot, Limin Mao, Donatella Cifali, Cherie Power, David J. Templeton Sharon Robinson, Rick Varma, Andrew E. Grulich, Eithandee Aung, Benjamin R. Bavinton. Stigma Regarding HIV and Sexual Identity as Barriers to Accessing HIV Testing and Prevention Services Among Gay and Bisexual Migrants in Australia. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, pp.1-13 link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-022-00769-w
Heidi Coupland, Charles Henderson, Janice Pritchard-Jones, Shih-Chi Kao, Sinead Sheils, Regina Nagy, Martin O’Donnell, Paul S. Haber & Carolyn A. Day Setting foot in private spaces: extending the hepatitis C cascade of care to automatic needle/syringe dispensing machines, a mixed methods study. Harm Reduction Journal, 19(1), pp.1-11 harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-022-00640-6
Li Ming Wen, Huilan Xu, Chris Rissel, Erin Kerr, Limin Buchanan, Sarah Taki, Philayrath Phongsavan, Reuel Kangjie Chua, Myna Hua, Karen Wardle, Lisa Simone, Alison Hayes, and Louise A Baur. Mothers’ willingness to vaccinate young children against COVID-19, get tested and isolate: A cross-sectional survey before and during the Greater Sydney lockdown 2021, Australia, Frontiers Public Health. 2022; 2022 May 27;10:904495. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.904495. eCollection 2022 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35712281
Li Ming Wen , Huilan Xu, Danielle Jawad, Limin Buchanan, Chris Rissel, Philayrath Phongsavan, Louise A Baur, Sarah Taki. Ethnicity matters in perceived impacts and information sources of COVID-19 among mothers with young children in Australia: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2021; 11(11) bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/11/e050557
Huilan Xu, Sarah Marshall, Jennifer M. Jones, Philayrath Phongsavan, Li Ming Wen. Modifiable predictors of breastfeeding status and duration at 6 and 12 months postpartum. Birth. 2022; 49(1), 97-106 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34278597/
Limin Buchanan, Emi Anderson, Huilan Xu, Philayrath Phongsavan, Chris Rissel, Li Ming Wen. Sources of information and the use of mobile applications for health and parenting information during pregnancy: Implications for health promotion. Health Informatics Journal. 2021; 27(3) journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14604582211043146
Limin Buchanan, Huilan Xu, Lyndel Hewitt, Sarah Taki, and Li Ming Wen. A Longitudinal Analysis Examining the Associations of Tummy Time with Active Playtime, Screen Time, and Sleep Time. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2021;18(10), 1215-1222 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34380110
Emma Esdaile, Katherine B. Owen, Huilan Xu, Louise A. Baur, Chris Rissel, Li Ming Wen. Strong support for broad policies to prevent childhood obesity among mothers in New South Wales, Australia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 2021; 32(2), 197-207 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32333441
Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar, Swathi Ekambareshwar, Seema Mihrshahi, Li Ming Wen, Louise A. Baur, Rachel Laws, Sarah Taki, Chris Rissel. Process evaluations of early childhood obesity prevention interventions delivered via telephone or text messages: a systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2021; 18(10) ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-020-01074-8
Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar, Huilan Xu, Chris Rissel, Louise Baur, Sarah Taki, Seema Mihrshahi and Li Ming Wen. Participants’ Engagement with Telephone Support Interventions to Promote Healthy Feeding Practices and Obesity-Protective Behaviours for Infant Obesity Prevention. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2022;13(article 868944) doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.868944
Sarah Marshall, Sarah Taki, Penny Love, Yvonne Laird, Marianne Kearney, Nancy Tam, Louise A. Baur, Chris Rissel, Li Ming Wen. The process of culturally adapting the Healthy Beginnings early obesity prevention program for Arabic and Chinese mothers in Australia. BMC Public Health. 2021; 21 (284) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33541310
Sarah Marshall, Sarah Taki, Penny Love, Marianne Kearney, Nancy Tam, Marial Sabry, Konsita Kuswara, Yvonne Laird, Li Ming Wen, Chris Rissel. Navigating infant feeding supports after migration: Perspectives of Arabic and Chinese mothers and health professionals in Australia. Women and Birth .2021; 34(4), e346-e356 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32600988
Sarah Marshall, Sarah Taki, Penny Love, Yvonne Laird, Marianne Kearney, Nancy Tam, Louise A. Baur, Chris Rissel, Li Ming Wen. Feasibility of a culturally adapted early childhood obesity prevention program among migrant mothers in Australia: a mixed methods evaluation. BMC Public Health (2021) 21:1159 doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11226-5
Miaobing Zheng, Karen J. Campbell, Louise Baur, Chris Rissel, Li Ming Wen. Infant feeding and growth trajectories in early childhood: the application and comparison of two longitudinal modelling approaches. International Journal of Obesity. 2021; 45(10), 2230-2237 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34230577
Raquiba J. Khan, Natasha Poder, Vilas Kovai, Laurel Robinson, Darryl Wright, Mark Spinks, Jeremy Heathcote, Elizabeth Millen, Kerry Welsh, Karen Bedford. Culturally tailored tobacco control: Aboriginal community perspectives in Sydney, Australia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 2021; 32(2), 264-273 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32196787
Esdaile E, Owen KB, Xu H, Baur LA, Rissel C, Wen LM. Strong support for broad policies to prevent childhood obesity among mothers in New South Wales, Australia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 2021 Apr;32(2):197-207. doi: 10.1002/hpja.351
Marshall S, Taki S, Love P, et al. Navigating Infant Feeding Supports after Migration: Perspectives of Arabic and Chinese Mothers and Health Professionals in Australia. Women and Birth. 2021 Jul;34(4):e346-e356.doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2020.06.00 doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2020.06.002
Khan RJ, Poder N, Kovai V, Robinson L, Wright D, Spinks M, Healthcote J, Millen E, Welsh K, Bedford K. Culturally tailored tobacco control: Aboriginal community perspectives in Sydney, Australia Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 2021 Apr;32(2):264-273.doi: 10.1002/hpja.339 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32333441
Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar, Swathi Ekambareshwar, Seema Mihrshahi, Li Ming Wen, Louise A Baur, Rachel Laws, Sarah Taki, Chris Rissel Process evaluations of early childhood obesity prevention interventions delivered via telephone or text messages: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 18, 10 (2021) doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-01074-8
Wen LM, Rissel C, Xu H, Taki S, Buchanan L, Bedford K, Phongsavan P, Baur LA. Effects of telephone support and short message service on infant feeding practices, 'tummy time' and screen time at 6 and 12 months of child age: a 3-arm randomized controlled. JAMA Paediatr 2020;174(7):1-9 jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2764079
Rissel C, Elbayeh L, Xu H, Wen LM. Recall of and confidence in using the Health Star Rating system among pregnant women in New South Wales, Australia: Cross sectional survey. Letter to the editor. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 2020;00:1-3.
Ekambareshwar M, Taki S, Mihrshahi S, Baur LA, Rissel C, Wen LM. Participant experiences of an infant obesity prevention program delivered via telephone calls or text messages. Healthcare 2020, 8(1), 60 doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8010060
Smith W, Taki S, Wen LM. Letter to the Editors: The role of telehealth in supporting mothers and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 2020. Doi: 10.37464/2020.373.168 ajan.com.au/index.php/AJAN/article/view/168
Roy, M., Haszard, J., Savage, J., Yolton, K…., Wen, L.M, et al (2020). Bedtime, body mass index and obesity risk in preschool aged children. Pediatr Obes 2020 Sep;15(9):e12650. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12650 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32372572
Askie, L., Espinoza, D., Martin, A., Daniels, L., Mihrshahi, S., Taylor, R., Wen, L.M, Campbell, K., Hesketh, K., Rissel, C., Seidler, A., Hunter, K., Baur, L. (2020). Interventions commenced by early infancy to prevent childhood obesity, The EPOCH Collaboration: An individual participant data prospective meta-analysis of four randomized controlled trials. Pediatric Obesity, 15(6): e12618 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32026653
Cathy O'Callaghan, Myna Hua, Lisa Woodland, Ben Harris-Roxas, Nancy Tam, Kate Reid, Sarah Koh, Li Ming Wen, An Tran, Helen Jones. Using a participatory approach to assess the effectiveness of the Get Healthy Service among Chinese communities in Sydney, Australia. International Journal of Integrated Care, 2021/2/26 ijic.org/articles/abstract/10.5334/ijic.s4007
Miaobing Zheng, Adrian J Cameron, Catherine S Birken, Charles Keown‐Stoneman, Rachel Laws, Li Ming Wen, Karen J Campbell. Early infant feeding and BMI trajectories in the first 5 years of life. Obesity, 2020/2 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31970916
Vicki Brown, Eng J Tan, Alison Hayes, Louise Baur, Karen Campbell, Rachael Taylor, Rebecca Byrne, Li Ming Wen, Kylie D Hesketh, Marjory Moodie. Cost comparison of five Australasian obesity prevention interventions for children aged from birth to two years. Pediatric obesity. 2020/12 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijpo.12684
K Kunaratnam, M Halaki, LM Wen, LA Baur, VM Flood. Tracking Preschoolers’ Lifestyle Behaviors and Testing Maternal Sociodemographics and BMI in Predicting Child Obesity Risk. The Journal of Nutrition 2020, 150 (12), 3068-3074 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33096560
Anna Lene Seidler, Kylie E Hunter, Brittany J Johnson, Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar, Sarah Taki, …, L M Wen, Rebecca Byrne, Julie Lawrence, Robyn Perlstein, Karen Wardle, Rebecca K Golley. Understanding, comparing and learning from the four EPOCH early childhood obesity prevention interventions: A multi‐methods study. Pediatric Obesity 2020/11 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32543054
Cheng, H., Tutt, A., Llewellyn, C., Size, D., Jones, J., Taki, S., Rossiter, C. and Denney-Wilson, E., 2020. Content and Quality of Infant Feeding Smartphone Apps: Five-Year Update on a Systematic Search and Evaluation. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(5), p.e17300 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32459187
Healthy Beginnings Research
Healthy Beginnings is the flagship research program of Population Health Research and Evaluation Hub. Over the past 15 years, in partnership with the University of Sydney and other Local Health Districts, we have developed, implemented and evaluated a suit of Healthy Beginnings programs aiming to improve healthy growth in the first 2000 days of life.
This staged early childhood health promotion program delivered by Child and Family Health Nurses, has helped over 2000 families in NSW to form healthy lifestyles from birth. The home-visiting Healthy Beginnings was the world first early prevention project to show its effectiveness in preventing early onset childhood obesity, reported in the BMJ. It is now listed on the United States Department of Health and Human Services website as an evidence-based model in early childhood.
Continuously funded by National Health And Medical Research Council, NSW Health Translational Research Grants Scheme (TRGS), The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and Federal Government’s Health Department, Healthy Beginnings has been adapted into a telehealth model and also culturally adapted for Arabic and Chinese speaking communities.
Currently, an interactive web-based Healthy Beginnings program is being developed. Healthy beginnings is also being imbedded into Karitane, one of Australia’s largest parenting service programs. For more information about Healthy Beginnings, go to healthybeginnings.net.au