Background: Food insecurity affects 1 in 8 Australian households, disproportionately impacting low-income families, single-parent households, and migrant communities. Food voucher programs are being used in different parts of the world to reduce food insecurity and financial barriers to healthy eating. In Australia, evidence gaps remain regarding the equitable implementation, cultural appropriateness, and cost-effectiveness. Our three-year study addresses these gaps. We will present findings from Phase 1, which examines community experiences of food voucher programs and identifies factors influencing their implementation and scalability.

Methods: This qualitative study includes focus groups with food voucher recipients and semi-structured interviews with program implementers involved in The Community Grocer and Merri Food Hub programs in Victoria. Five focus groups (purposively sampled by language and location, with bicultural facilitation) and 15 interviews will be conducted. Guided by lived-experience principles and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, thematic analysis will explore experiences of dignity, choice, and food access, as well as implementation barriers and enablers.

Results: Preliminary findings indicate that program participants, especially women with children and older women, highly valued the voucher program for improving access to fresh food, value for money, dignity, and community connection. However, participants noted a need for higher voucher amounts and more consistent, predictable distribution. Implementation challenges included unclear eligibility criteria, low community awareness and limited organisational capacity. Voucher delivery was best supported through strong bicultural community networks. Final results will be presented at the conference.

Conclusion: High demand for place-based food voucher programs highlights the need for clearer program guidelines and eligibility criteria, improved promotion to increase uptake, and sustained investment. Additional longitudinal research is required to assess how food vouchers impact diet quality and broader health, social, and economic outcomes with a view to support more equitable and sustainable policy and practice responses to food insecurity at all levels.

 

Background
People with intellectual disability are routinely excluded from research and from shaping research priorities, including in areas that directly affect their health, such as obesity. This study involved the use of co-design methods to collaboratively develop a research agenda for a series of studies exploring obesity in adults with intellectual disability.
Method Two
Lived Experience Advisory Groups (LEAGs) were established, comprising of six adults with intellectual disability (LEAG 1), and six supporters of adults with intellectual disability (LEAG 2). Six meetings (four with LEAG 1 and two with LEAG 2) were held to explore factors influencing body weight in people with intellectual disability. In LEAG 1, inclusive research methods included focus group discussions and arts-based activities such as body mapping. In LEAG 2, a group model-building exercise was followed by focus group discussions. Data from both groups was combined into a systems map that participants with intellectual disability approved of. Together with relevant published literature, it informed the focus of subsequent research studies.
Findings
The participatory research process ensured that adults with intellectual disability were included in collaborative decisions about the direction of the research and the methods to be used. Accessibility was prioritised, and participants lived experience guided the refinement of the research agenda. The final systems map capturing key influences on weight and health behaviours for people with intellectual disability informed the eventual identification of three key research themes for future study: Relational factors, Motivational factors, and Environmental factors.
Conclusion
The findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility and value of participatory research in developing an agenda for obesity research and details around research methods to be used. The co-design approach empowers those with lived experience to shape studies reflecting their needs. This research highlights the need for co-designed, person-centred research addressing obesity in underrepresented populations such as those with intellectual disability.

With dementia prevalence predicted to increase significantly in Australia over the next 30 years, dementia risk reduction is an important public health priority [1].
There is national momentum towards improving population brain health by addressing modifiable risk factors. But dementia risk is not evenly distributed across the population, with many risk factors clustered in disadvantaged populations [2].
Dementia Australia undertook a literature review examining interventions targeting social determinants of health that influence dementia risk across the life course. We mapped how each social determinant contributes to dementia risk through overlapping pathways linked to modifiable risk factors. Our review identified five social determinants of health with the strongest evidence for interventions that directly or indirectly influence risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.
The review showed that a systems-level approach is needed to address the structural factors underlying dementia risk. Awareness and behaviour change campaigns addressing lifestyle change are only part of the solution. For brain health and dementia risk reduction campaigns to successfully impact on future incidence, interventions need to be targeted to disadvantaged groups and address structural determinants of early and lifelong learning, community inclusion, economic and housing stability, and equity of access to health care.
Sustained investment in research and public health interventions is essential to better understand and address the causal pathways linking social determinants of health to dementia risk and strengthen the evidence base for upstream policy action.

References
1. Dementia Australia. Facts and Figures. 2026; Available from: https://www.dementia.org.au/about-dementia/dementia-facts-and-figures.
2. Livingston, G., et al., Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet Standing Commission. The Lancet, 2024. 404(10452): p. 572-628.

Background and Challenge
Migrants comprise 3.7% of the global population, yet many experience poorer health than host populations, with outcomes varying by migration pathway. These inequities are shaped by social determinants of health (SDoH) including income, employment, housing, discrimination, and legal status. Despite a growing literature on migrant health, no comprehensive synthesis has examined how SDoHs shape health across migrant subgroups by visa type and legal status.

Learning Objectives
1) To synthesise evidence on how SDH shape health outcomes across migrant subgroups, 2) To examine how intersections between legal status, socioeconomic marginalisation, gender, and racialisation amplify health inequities.

Following PRISMA guidelines, six databases (PubMed, APA PsycINFO, EMBASE, Scopus, ProQuest Central, Web of Science) were searched for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies. Supplementary searching included reference list review and forward citation tracking. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data from eligible studies.

Outcomes
Of 5212 records retrieved, 2129 duplicates were removed, and 53 studies spanning 17 countries (1995–2025) were included. Legal status emerged as a central structural determinant: precarious status was linked to poorer mental health, reduced healthcare access, and socioeconomic disadvantage. Discrimination and racism were consistently associated with psychological distress. Employment insecurity, language barriers, and housing instability further undermined health, while social support and integration were protective. Inequities were amplified when precarious legal status intersected with socioeconomic marginalisation, gender disadvantage, or racialisation - patterns were obscured when migrants are treated as a homogeneous group.

Significance
This review demonstrates that migrant health inequities are structurally driven and cumulative, differing meaningfully across migration subgroups. Visa status and precarity directly restrict access to employment, housing, and healthcare. Policies and practice should move beyond treating migrants as a homogeneous group, targeting structural conditions while accounting for intersections between legal status, country of origin, and other dimensions of disadvantage.

Title
Embedding Cultural Understanding in Public Health Teaching for Inclusive, Culturally Safe Practice
Background
Advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in higher education requires inclusive environments, empowered diverse communities, and the integration of cultural understanding into curriculum and teaching practices. Preparing public health educators and students to engage with culturally diverse societies is essential, as cultural capability underpins ethical, responsive, and effective practice.
Within the School of Psychology and Public Health (SPPH), we established a multidisciplinary group of academics with diverse cultural, linguistic, and professional backgrounds, alongside lived experience of migration, displacement, and engagement with culturally diverse communities. The Group’s primary goal is to strengthen staff capacity to engage with cultural diversity in pedagogically meaningful ways, moving beyond awareness-raising towards sustained change in curriculum design and teaching practice, while promoting students’ cultural capability and inclusive professional practice.
Aim
To develop, implement, and evaluate workshops that strengthen staff capacity to embed culturally responsive teaching and learning practice within public health curricula.
Methods
Participants include academics from public health and psychology who voluntarily register in the workshops to be delivered in 2026. The workshops were co designed and implemented in partnership with community representatives and staff. Funding has been received and ethics approval was sought to support a rigorous evaluation of workshop implementation.
Results
A four-session workshop series was developed, capped at 6–8 participants to support meaningful engagement focusing on embedding culturally responsive pedagogy, reflective practice, and the integration of diverse knowledge and perspectives into curriculum design. The workshop implementation for three groups is planned for August–September 2026, alongside a concurrent evaluation, which will be completed by the end of 2026.
Conclusion:
These workshops are designed to strengthen staff capacity for culturally responsive teaching and support the development of culturally capable public health graduates equipped to work effectively in diverse communities.

Background
“Equity” is a commonly cited principle in public health, but translation into action can be challenging. A clear gap has been documented when it comes to translating the principle of equity into day-to-day public health practice, both in Australia and internationally. The EQUitable Implementation research and Practice Network (EQUIP) is an international network committed to bridging this gap and advancing equitable implementation research/practice.
This study aims to describe EQUIP member characteristics; this report has a specific emphasis on Australian members.

Methods
Following its launch in October 2025, EQUIP recruited members through professional networking opportunities, partner organisations, and online strategies (e.g. social media) to reach a global audience. Membership data collected via the online platform Qualtrics at registration underwent descriptive analysis. This research was approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (ID 49464).

Results
The EQUIP Network has grown rapidly. Currently, EQUIP has 283 members across 29 countries. 44% of all global members are from the public health discipline.
Half (51%) of EQUIP members are from Australia. 37.5% of Australian members have a primary discipline of public health, a slightly smaller proportion than globally. 80% of the public health members are researchers, others are policymakers, lived experience experts and practitioners. Whilst many Australia-based public health members indicated that they consider themselves to have intermediate or expert IS knowledge, a substantial minority (30%) considered themselves to be IS beginners or novices.

Conclusion
The rapid growth of EQUIP membership suggests high levels of interest in equitable implementation research and practice globally. Despite some having low levels of IS expertise, Australian members have shown a strong appetite for opportunities to skill up in equitable implementation, consistent with known knowledge-to-practice gaps. The work of the EQUIP Network seeks to fill this need.

Funding: Monash University Incubator (2025-26).
*HH & MG joint first

Background: Social disconnection is a leading determinant of poor health in later working life, yet the relationship between labour market position and social connection is poorly understood. Conventional unemployment categories obscure a substantial "hidden workforce"—individuals willing to work but excluded by structural barriers—whose social experiences may differ qualitatively from both the employed and the conventionally unemployed.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of Wave 22 (2022) HILDA Survey data among Australians aged 50-64 years (n=3,362). Participants were classified into six labour force attachment categories: in work, underemployed hidden, unemployed hidden, discouraged, does not want work, and other. Survey-weighted logistic regression models estimated adjusted predicted probabilities of loneliness and social isolation, adjusting for age, gender, marital status, self-rated health and educational attainment.

Results: Adjusted predicted probabilities of loneliness were 10-13 percentage points higher across hidden worker subtypes (underemployed, unemployed, discouraged) compared to those in paid employment. Differences in social isolation between hidden workers and those in work were small. The highest adjusted predicted probability of social isolation was observed among those who reported not wanting work (18.3%), whose loneliness was comparatively lower.

Implications: Loneliness and social isolation are distinct phenomena that diverge across labour force attachment categories. Labour market marginalisation in later working life appears more strongly linked to perceived belonging and role legitimacy than to the structural availability of social contact. Interventions targeting only social contact may be poorly matched to populations whose primary deficit is institutional belonging. Policies supporting flexible work, age-inclusive employment practices, and "good work" warrant reconsideration as upstream supports for social connection.

Background:
Colonialism and the targeted commercial exploitation of Indigenous peoples have contributed to disproportionate tobacco-related harms through racist marketing, manipulation, and the direct supply of commercial tobacco products to Indigenous communities.

In 2014, the World Health Organization introduced the term “novel tobacco products” (NTPs), encompassing products such as e-cigarettes/vapes, nicotine pouches, and other electronic nicotine delivery systems. Rapid commercialisation and increasing availability of NTPs have contributed to rising use globally and growing concerns regarding associated harms, particularly among Indigenous populations. Despite this, no reviews to date have systematically examined NTP use and impacts among Indigenous peoples globally.

This scoping review aimed to systematically identify, map, and synthesise the available evidence on NTPs and Indigenous populations.

Methods:
A systematic search was conducted for qualitative and quantitative studies investigating NTPs in the context of Indigenous peoples and their health. Databases searched included Informit, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, OpenGrey, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and TROVE. Findings will be synthesised narratively to account for heterogeneous data. Prevalence data will be reported descriptively. Included studies will also be appraised using the CONSIDER statement and the CREATE tool for Australian studies.

Preliminary results:
Following duplicate removal, 2,335 studies underwent title and abstract screening, with approximately 150–300 studies progressing to full-text review. Final synthesis results will be available for presentation at AustPH 2026.

Discussion:
This review will provide the first comprehensive synthesis of evidence relating to NTPs and Indigenous populations globally. Findings will identify current evidence, research gaps, and implications for future public health policy, regulation, and Indigenous-led tobacco control initiatives.

Note: Dwayne Darcy, lead author, is a Palawa man and PhD student with Deakin University.
The design and development of this paper has been tested with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. This is consistent across all the planned studies within Dwayne's PhD.

Abstract
Background: Perinatal death remains a major public health concern globally and serves as a key indicator of maternal and neonatal health. However, limited research exists on how previous perinatal death influences subsequent pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, understanding the association of previous perinatal deaths with subsequent pregnancy outcomes is essential in this area.
Objective: The review aimed to assess the association between perinatal death and subsequent adverse pregnancy outcomes in LMICs.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted across eight databases (Scopus, Emcare, Medline, Cochrane Library, ProQuest Dissertations, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) from inception to May 2, 2024. Eligible studies were observational in design. Data extraction was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool, and study quality was appraised using the GRADE framework. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 18 software, applying a random-effects model to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic.
Result: Fifty articles were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The finding revealed a perinatal death rate was 29.7 deaths per 1000 births across the included studies. The risk of preterm birth (OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.13-1.81), low birth weight (OR = 1.86, 95%CI: 1.48-2.24), preeclampsia (OR = 1.34, 95%CI: 1.18-1.5), perinatal death (OR = 1.9, 95%CI: 1.23-2.57), stillbirth (OR = 2.07, 95%CI: 1.6-2.53), miscarriage (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.07-2.02), and early neonatal death (OR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.74-2.01) were increased after perinatal death.
Conclusions: Previous perinatal death significantly increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in subsequent pregnancies in LMICs.
Recommendations: These findings underscore the need for targeted assessment and monitoring of pregnant women with a history of perinatal loss in LMICs. Healthcare professionals must be equipped with evidence-based protocols to deliver appropriate care strategies that can mitigate risks in subsequent pregnancies.
Keywords: Perinatal loss, stillbirth, early neonatal death, subsequent pregnancy outcomes

Aim: In Bangladesh, adolescent girls face multiple challenges that negatively influence diet quality. Understanding the determinants of their diet quality is essential for informing effective nutrition interventions. This rapid review synthesised evidence on determinants of diet quality among Bangladeshi adolescent girls using the socio-ecological model (SEM).
Subjects and methods: We searched MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL Complete and Web of Science. Eligible studies examined determinants of diet quality-related indicators, such as dietary diversity, nutrient intake, or food choices among adolescent girls in Bangladesh. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. We conducted a narrative synthesis.
Results: The studies identified the determinants across five SEM levels. At the individual level, adolescent girls’ diet quality was influenced by their taste preferences, perceived body image, knowledge of nutrition and health, self-efficacy, food choice motives, dieting concerns, and misconceptions during menstruation. At the interpersonal level, family decision-making dynamics, gender-biased food allocation, household wealth and food security status, expenditure on food, low parental education, family and peer influence, and women's empowerment significantly influenced diet quality. At the organisational level, lack of dedicated lunchrooms, availability of unhealthy food near schools, nutrition education by community organisations, and advice from healthcare providers influenced diet quality. Community-level determinants included cultural norms, rural-urban disparities, and geographic variations. At the policy/macro level, food prices and seasonal food availability emerged as critical determinants.
Conclusion: Diet quality among adolescent girls in Bangladesh is shaped by complex multi-level factors spanning individual to policy-level influences. These insights can guide context-appropriate programs to improve diet quality in this population.

Background
Bangladeshi and Nepalese are two rapidly growing migrant population groups in Australia who experience a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Despite strong evidence that preventive care services reduce the burden of chronic disease, these population groups reported significant barriers to accessing preventive care. This study explored the barriers and facilitators to accessing preventive services among Bangladeshi and Nepalese migrants in Sydney.

Methods
Guided by a constructivist paradigm, this qualitative study utilised data from six focus group discussions and 22 in depth interviews undertaken with purposively selected Bangladeshi and Nepalese migrants in Sydney between August 2024 and January 2025. Information was collected from participants on their access to preventive care services at the personal and/or family, and community levels. IDIs and FGDs were conducted in participants’ language, audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and analysed using the socio-ecological framework.

Results
Key barriers to access preventive care services at multiple levels of socio-ecological framework included cultural and religious perceptions, limited health literacy and low awareness of available preventive care services, limited English language proficiency, inadequate availability of translated health education materials and interpreter services, limited cultural understanding among health care providers, chronic disease-related stigma, limited culturally tailored support services and infrequent public transport to health care facilities. Conversely, facilitators at multiple levels included self-awareness and personal ownership of health, knowledge of available preventive services, peer support network, cultural and linguistic competence of health care providers, the use of digital and social media for health information dissemination, and the supportive role of community organisations.

Implications
The findings suggest developing a multi-level, culturally tailored community-led intervention that leverage existing community and social engagement platforms to ensure equitable access to available preventive services for chronic diseases among these disadvantaged population groups in Australia.

Introduction
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in New South Wales (NSW)1. Early detection through population-based screening significantly improves outcomes. BreastScreen NSW (BSNSW) provides free mammography for women aged 40 and over, with women aged 50–74 actively invited every two years. A statewide client survey was conducted in 2017 and repeated in 2026 to assess service quality and how the program meets evolving client needs.

Methods
The 2026 survey invited clients attending fixed or mobile screening services (and not recalled for assessment) to complete an online survey between 30 March and 30 May 2026, with invitations sent via SMS. The original 2017 survey, conducted via a paper-based format, captured feedback on the full screening journey from booking to post-appointment. In 2026, the questionnaire was updated to reflect program changes including online booking and breast density reporting and expanded demographic measures (including gender, sexuality, transgender status, disability, and mental health) to support more inclusive service planning. The survey was offered in multiple languages. Quantitative and qualitative analyses will be undertaken, with results weighted to represent the screening population.

Results
Within four weeks of the 2026 survey launch, over 9,000 responses had been received (33% response rate). In 2017, 10,342 responses were received. Overall, 98% of respondents rated their experience as good or very good, 93% stated they would definitely continue screening. While communication and appointment access were highly rated, 64% reported some discomfort or pain. 2026 results, changes since 2017, and subgroup analyses by age groups, screening status, service type and language background will be presented.

Conclusion
The 2026 survey findings provide population-level insights into BSNSW client experience. These insights will inform strategies to improve access, reduce discomfort, and address the needs of diverse population groups, supporting enhancements in the quality of BSNSW services across NSW.


1 Cancer Institute NSW. Cancer Statistics NSW. www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/cancer-types-data-nsw [cited: 7/05/2025]