Working with families and community groups on the ground are two of the main initiatives coming from a public meeting which discussed the direction of a local adolescent health study.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sydney University’s School of Rural Health representatives formed a community committee to support researchers looking to recruit students for a study
into adolescent health at the Dubbo campus on Tuesday afternoon.
The ARCHER study is a longitudinal study to explore the physical and mental health and wellbeing of children as they progress from childhood through adolescence in rural areas.
Particular focuses will be on how puberty hormones effect adolescent health and wellness in areas such as relationships, sleep patterns, anxiety and depression, risky behaviour and future heart health.
Forming the committee is the latest developmental stage of the report, aiming to enrol 400 school students from Years 5, 6 and 7 from the Dubbo and Orange area into the study.
After Tuesday’s meeting ARCHER manager Karen Paxton said local school students, parents, teachers and councillors, as well as representatives from mental illness support group Richmond Fellowship and Catholic family service group Centacare will make up the consultation group.
Ms Paxton was happy with the ideas discussed for the way
forward, saying developments with family groups and associations is an important part of the process.
“Students are quite keen to get involved,” Ms Paxton said.
“And we’re very keen to develop strong partnerships with these organisations.
“The key thing is to be working with groups who work with families on the ground.”
Ms Paxton said another main focus for recruitment will be the Dubbo Show, which runs from May 27 to 29.
“We’re really going through the parents essentially ... the show is a good chance to approach parents and children at the same time,” she said.
Ms Paxton anticipated yesterday’s similar meeting in Orange would deliver similar positive results.
The study is being led by Dr Catherine Hawke and Professor of Adolescent Medicine at the University of Sydney.
Many health, medical and education experts from across the university are set to be involved with regular visits to Dubbo and Orange as the study progresses.
They believe little is known about the role of the hormones of puberty and how they interact with other influences to affect adolescent and future health.
In 2010 the study group received almost $1 million from National Health and Medical Research Council to continue their work, one of the largest research grants in the country.
The next meeting of the group will be on Tuesday May 17 at the School of Rural Health, 11 Moran Drive.
Anyone still interested in joining that was unable to make the first meeting is still welcome.
