Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2025
11:21
Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
8.2K
Developing structures to support researchers studying health-harming industries
Hannah Pitt1, Samantha Thomas1, Simone McCarthy1
1Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia.
Health Promotion International
|November 22, 2024
Summary
Researchers studying health-harming industries face personal and professional risks. Universities must develop better support systems to protect public health and equity research.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Science
- Industry Studies
Background:
- Health-harming industries (alcohol, gambling, tobacco, ultra-processed food) interfere with academic research.
- Growing scholarship on Commercial Determinants of Health (CDoH) examines industry impacts.
- Limited research exists on the experiences and support needs of these public health researchers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the risks faced by researchers examining health-harming industries.
- To explore the support systems available to these researchers.
- To identify strategies for better supporting research on CDoH.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative interpretivist study.
- 10 online focus groups conducted with 28 public health researchers in Australia and the UK.
- Participants focused on alcohol, gambling, tobacco, or ultra-processed food industries.
Main Results:
- Researchers reported personal/professional risks: social media attacks, complaints, discrediting attempts, legal threats, and FOI requests.
- These risks impacted researchers' well-being and family life.
- Existing university support systems were variable, inconsistent, and often left researchers feeling isolated.
Conclusions:
- Universities must acknowledge the risks faced by researchers studying health-harming industries.
- Proactive strategies and resources are needed to support researchers.
- Enhanced support is crucial for conducting vital research on public health and equity.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:56Ethics in Research
22.9K
Today, scientists agree that good research is ethical in nature and is guided by a basic respect for human dignity and safety. However, this has not always been the case. Modern researchers must demonstrate that the research they perform is ethically sound.
22.9K
02:20Longitudinal Research
11.9K
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
11.9K
01:25Strategies for Assessing and Addressing Confounding
83
Confounding is a critical issue in epidemiological studies, often leading to misleading conclusions about associations between exposures and outcomes. It occurs when the relationship between the exposure and the outcome is mixed with the effects of other factors that influence the outcome. Given that, addressing confounding is of high importance for drawing accurate inferences in research.
Confounding can be addressed at both the design phase of a study and through analytical methods after data...
Confounding can be addressed at both the design phase of a study and through analytical methods after data...
83
01:20Study Designs in Epidemiology
182
Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and...
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and...
182
01:36Types of Toxins
1.6K
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
1.6K
01:26Longitudinal Studies
133
Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
133