Health Sciences

Evaluation of the hepatitis C internet education activity for young people
Lynne Hillier
Collaborators: Suzanne O’Calloghan and Rosey Cummings (The Alfred Hospital)

This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a HepC interactive internet activity for young people. The project aims to develop the activity with young people and then test it’s effectiveness with secondary students and young people, teachers and school nurses in the community.

Funding: Department of Human Services
Status: Complete

Evaluation of VAC sexual health positive interactive website
Lynne Hillier
Collaborators: Guy Hussey, Kylie Johnston

This project will evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive sex and health positive website for men who have sex with men.

Funding: Gilead Sciences
Status: In progress

Evaluation of the Knox gay and lesbian youth project
Lynne Hillier
Collaborators: Shelley Walker and Lynda Thompson (Knox Youth Services)

This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a three year community development project funded by the Department of Human Services. The project aims to work with youth workers, teachers and community members to provide a safer, more supportive community for same sex attracted young people.

Funding: Department of Human Services
Status: Complete

Evaluation of Wayout: Central Victorian gay and Lesbian youth support project
Lynne Hillier
Collaborator Sue Hackney (Cobaw Community Health Centre)

This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a three year community development project funded by the Department of Human Services. The project aims to work with youth workers, teachers and community members to provide a safer, more supportive community for same sex attracted young people.

Funding: Department of Human Services
Status: Complete

Good Shepherd Youth and Family Services
Evaluation of Safe and Sound, a support project for same sex attracted and transgender youth
Lynne Hillier
Collaborator: Jemma Mead (Good Shepherd)

This evaluation will map the progress, impact and key learnings of Safe and Sound which aims broadly to create a safe and supportive, accepting community for same sex attracted young people in the Brimbank area.

Funding: Myer, Reichstein and Buckland Foundations
Status: Complete

Process evaluation and pre- and post-health promotion impact analysis of the Victorian AIDS Council ‘Check it out’ campaign
Jeffrey Grierson, Rachel Thorpe

This project is evaluating the impact of a campaign promoting testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men. The ‘Check it out’ campaign was a health promotion campaign run by the Victorian AIDS Council between February and September 2004. The campaign aims were to increase the proportion of men who have sex with men (MSM) who test as least annually for HIV, improve regular testing rates of other STIs in MSM and to reduce levels of STIs including HIV in MSM. The target audience for the campaign was identified as: Young and Non-Gay Community Attached MSM, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse MSM and Gay Community Attached MSM. The campaign used various strategies, including advertisements that featured in the gay, mainstream and selected CALD press, radio advertising aired on Gay, Lesbian, mainstream and culturally specific radio programs, a website containing downloadable information detailing sexual health awareness information and referral information, distribution of postcards and stickers by certain clothing retailers and web banner advertisements on certain websites. The campaign material referred the audience to relevant organisations for testing and counselling, a telephone service and an internet site. This process evaluation involves focus groups with the target population prior to and following the campaign, process analysis including key informant interviews, analysis of data from telephone counselling services and analysis of print media coverage of testing-related issues.

Funding: Department of Human Services (Through a VAC/GMHC led consortium)
Status: In progress

“Staying HIV negative” education campaigns
Jeffrey Grierson
Collaborators: Colin Batrouney (VAC/GMHC)

This project involved a set of focus groups to examine the potential gay community responses to a HIV prevention campaign that emphasises the value of remaining HIV negative. Participants were asked to reflect on their personal responses to draft campaign material and their perception of community responses. Four focus groups of gay and homosexually active men have been conducted. In each of these participants were asked to reflect upon their expectations of HIV prevention campaigns and in particular the sort of campaign proposed by the VAC that emphasises the value of staying HIV negative, rather than the negative consequences of becoming HIV positive. The groups were stratified by age and HIV status; age because the historical experience of the epidemic is different for younger and older gay men, as is their familiarity with health promotion activities; HIV status, because these are preventative campaign materials, so HIV negative men are the group whose identity is directly addressed by the campaign, whereas for HIV positive men the focus was on the potential community impact of the campaign material. Ongoing work is mapping the impact of the campaign on gay community, the HIV sector and public discourse.

Funding: Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society and VAC/GMHC
Status: In progress

Evaluation of the Fred Hollows Foundation/Jawoyn Association Nutrition Program 2000-2002
Jon Willis, Kate Sullivan and Luana Johnson (Kate Sullivan and Associates)

This study is evaluating the impact of five interventions in the area of health and nutrition in three Jawoyn Communities in the Katherine Region of the Northern Territory. The interventions included: employment of a community based nutritionist; initiatives to support the capacity of women to take action; resources to set up the Money Story community management program; facilitation of community store committee development; and brokering the involvement of Woolworths in community store management.

Funding: Fred Hollows Foundation
Status: In progress

Evaluation of social support groups for same sex attracted and transgender youth
Lynne Hillier

In the last four years in Victoria and number of social support groups have emerged for same sex attracted and transgender young people. These are attached to local councils, health centres and welfare agencies. This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these groups in improving the well being of these young people. The surveys will be administered by the facilitators of the groups over 4 points in a 12 month period.

Funding: Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing
Status: In progress

Sexual health and relationships education (SHARE)
Sue Dyson, Lynne Hillier, Anne Mitchell
Collaborators: Shine SA

Evaluation of this pilot project conducted by Shine SA to support and resource best practice sexual health education projects in fifteen schools in South Australia

Funding: Department of Human Services, South Australia
Status: In progress