STOP Diabetes: Health related behavior and risk perception in women with lifestyle related metabolic diseases at high risk of diabetes (LT07-121)

Main institution:
The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health (Australia)

Other institution:
Southern Health and Monash University (Australia)

Principal investigator:
Prof H.Teede

Other investigators:
C.Allan; Dr A.Deeks; C.Lombard; Dr J.Michelmore and Prof S.Zougas

Location of the project:
Australia

Amount allocated:
USD 360,825

Date:
January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2010

Objectives:
Lifestyle related diseases including diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and gestational diabetes (GDM) in women are increasing alarmingly. The financial, physical and emotional cost to the individual, the community and the government are significant. Greater insights into these preventable diseases are needed to identify barriers to behavior change and behaviors that are modifiable. This research must include an understanding of the health-related behaviors of women around diabetes including health beliefs and attitudes, the role of psychological functioning and risk perception as well as response to illness. Education and translation of these findings is the priority of this project.

Results to date (November 2012):

Posters and presentations:

• International Congress of Endocrinology (ICE), 2008, Rio
• Southern Health 2008
• Southern Health 2009
• Endocrine Society Australia 2009
• Southern Health 2010
• The PCOS Alliance Workshop, 23-24th August 2008, Melbourne, Australia
• Australasian Society for Behavioural Health and Medicine Conference, February 2010, Brisbane Australia
• POSSA conference, 20th March 2010, Sydney, Australia
• Global Telehealth (televised nationally), 13th July 2010
• ANZOS 2010
• Australasian Menopause Society, 2010, Sydney, Australia
• Federation of the International Obstetrics and Gynecology Conference, 2009, Cape Town
• Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), 2010, Melbourne, Australia
• Fertility Society of Australia, 2009
• Endo 2012, Houston, USA

Papers accepted:

• "Anxiety and depression in PCOS: A comprehensive investigation" (Fertil Steril 2010;93:2421–3. 2010 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.);
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) a biopsychosocial understanding in young women to improve knowledge and treatment options" (Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, March 2010; 31(1): 24–31) 
• Is having PCOS a predictor of poor psychological function including anxiety and depression?" Human reproduction, March 23, 2011);http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/03/22/humrep.der071....
• "Measuring physical activity in pregnancy" International Journal of Behavourial Nutrition and Physical Activity, March 2011;http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/8/1/19/abstract
• "Taking up the challenge of non-communicable diseases in the Commonwealth: 17 good-practice case studies" a publication of the Commonwealth Secretariat commissioned C3 Collaborating for Health
• "Optimising healthy gestational weight gain in women at high risk of gestational diabetes: A randomised controlled trial". Obesity, 2012: (ePub ahead of print)
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* Project completed in December 2010

BRIDGES (Bringing Research in Diabetes to Global Environments and Systems) is a programme initiated by the International Diabetes Federation, and supported by an educational grant from Lilly Diabetes.