Research Team: Prof Lauren Ball
Funding Body: NHMRC Investigators Grants - Emerging Leadership 2
Years: 2020-2024
Diet is the most prevalent modifiable risk factor for chronic disease and nearly all Australians receive care at least once a year from general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses (PNs) or allied health professionals in primary care. Yet, nutrition discussions occur in less than 7% of consultations and only 37% of people with a poor diet remember ever discussing nutrition with a primary carer.
This program of research aims to capitalise on the primary care setting to improve the support provided to Australians to eat well. It seeks to enhance our understanding of how to provide effective nutrition care to patients, and increase Australians’ access to nutrition support in primary care, directly help the primary care workforce in nutrition, inform future policy decisions about remunerating health professionals and ultimately facilitate healthy eating and improved health for Australians.