CHS Research 

Drawing upon the social sciences, and using multi-disciplinary approaches, the CHS collaborates across sectors to investigate population health practices, outcomes and inequities, with a particular strength in Indigenous health.

 

This highlights the distinctive social sciences approach and social dimensions of health and health care which inform the research undertaken at CHS. The CHS researchers are multi-disciplinary, drawing from the disciplines of history of health and medicine, medical, social and cultural anthropology, health ethics, education, sociology of health and illness, epidemiology, community development and health policy analysis. CHS researchers collaborate across sectors that include government, non-government, not-for-profit, academic and community groups, locally, nationally and internationally, and across fields such as health, education, environment, anthropology, history and justice. These cross-sector partnerships strengthen the quality and relevance of CHS research to a broad audience, facilitate knowledge engagement, and ensure that the research addresses population health priorities. 

 

Focus of CHS research includes population and individual health behaviours, service provision, health promotion, professional practice and workforce development. CHS researchers measure and evaluate outcomes in morbidity and mortality and a range of psychosocial indicators, and the inequities that exist between population groups.

 

CHS research themes

CHS research is concentrated around the following four themes and sub-themes:

1. Indigenous health

a. Morbidity, mortality and psychosocial factors: monitoring and evaluation

b. Indigenous tobacco control

c. Health workforce development

d. Environmental, resource and ecological change and management

e. Health policy analysis and advocacy

2. Historical and demographic change

a. History of health and disease

b. Longitudinal studies

c. Social inclusion and marginalisation

d. Demographic, epidemiological and intergenerational inequalities

3. Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

a. Impact and policies

b. Indigenous tobacco control

4. Ethics and methodologies

a. Health ethics

b. Human research ethics in practice

c. Innovative quantitative and qualitative health research methods

d. Participatory methodologies

e. Population data linkage methodology

f. Intervention research