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    Home > Resource hub > Effective whole-of-population strategies for preventing chronic disease

Effective whole-of-population strategies for preventing chronic disease

The review explores whole-of-population prevention interventions that are most effective in slowing the growth in obesity and preventing significant modifiable risk factors for chronic disease.
  • Effective whole-of-population strategies for preventing chronic disease

    Evidence review

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Background

This rapid review is designed to identify, synthesise and interpret the latest evidence to provide a concise
summary of the current state of knowledge. Commissioned by the Australian Government Department of
Health, the review addresses the question: What whole-of-population prevention interventions have
been shown to be most effective, in Australia and or comparable jurisdictions overseas, in:

  • Slowing the growth in population levels of obesity
  • Preventing the most significant modifiable risk factors contributing to the burden of chronic disease
    in Australia, namely poor diet, physical inactivity tobacco use and harmful alcohol consumption.

Key messages

  • This is a rapid review of the evidence for potentially effective interventions that have been the
    subject of high-quality reviews or meta-analyses since 2010.
  • The review indicates which interventions are likely to be effective based on the strength and
    quality of evidence available for review.
  • The review found strong evidence of effectiveness for:
    • Multi-component interventions targeting dietary intake in the workplace
    • Group-based exercise programs and self-monitoring of physical activity in the workplace and broader community
    • Counselling and support programs for smoking cessation in the workplace and community
    • Support for employees to change behaviour to manage weight.
  • While this review signals which interventions may be effective, complex problems such as
    chronic diseases do not respond to simple, independent, one-off solutions. Rather, they
    require a coordinated portfolio of sustained, whole-of-population and inter-sectoral actions.
  • Systems thinking and systems tools can help us to understand and manage the complexity
    of chronic disease. These methods are used to examine system components and the dynamic
    relationships between them.
Details

DATE 24 May 2017

TYPE Evidence Reviews

Prevention experts

  • Pippy Walker Pippy Walker has finished working with the Prevention Centre.

    The University of Sydney
    Headshot of Pippy Walker
  • Dr Samantha Rowbotham

    The University of Sydney
    Headshot of Samantha Rowbotham
  • Associate Professor Sonia Wutzke Associate Professor Sonia Wutzke has finished working with the Prevention Centre.

    (1970-2017)
    Headshot of Sonia Wutzke
  • Ms Maria Gomez

    The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre
    Headshot of Maria Gomez

Topics

  • Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs ,
  • Healthy eating ,
  • Overweight and obesity ,
  • Primary care ,

Prevention methodologies

  • Making the case for prevention ,
  • New methods and tools ,
  • Prevention in the health sector ,
  • Regulation and governance ,
  • Research impact and translation ,
  • Systems and complexity ,
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Acknowledgement of Country

The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

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Funding Partners

The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre is funded by the NHMRC, Australian Government Department of Health, ACT Health, Cancer Council Australia, NSW Ministry of Health, Wellbeing SA, Tasmanian Department of Health, and VicHealth. The Australian Government also contributed through the Medical Research Future Fund. Queensland Health became a financial contributor in 2022. The Prevention Centre is administered by the Sax Institute.

©2023 The Sax Institute.

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