People’s health-related behaviours are influenced by a range of factors including their social, economic and physical environment and their mental well-being. PHW has a key role to play in relating to coordinating system-wide research in this area. We also have a role in evaluating policies or programmes for their impact on promoting health behaviours. There is a need across the whole of the population health system to routinely collect robust data and enable data linkage to monitor the impact of health interventions which promote healthy behaviours.
Smoking and Vaping
1. What strategies (including marketing, branding, product innovation and pricing) is the vaping industry using to promote the uptake of vaping in Wales and the UK?
2. What is the relationship between smoking and vaping initiation, cessation and relapse and how does this vary by age, gender and social factors?
3. What behavioural interventions are most likely to be effective for those who both vape and smoke and who wish to (a) quit smoking only (b) quit both?
Diet and Obesity
1. What effects are associated with the consumption of takeaway and delivery food on dietary patterns and the prevalence of obesity?
2. Is poor oral health in early childhood/adolescence a predictor of obesity in adulthood?
Physical Activity
1. What school-based approaches/interventions are effective in enhancing and sustaining physical activity behaviours in children, particularly tackling health inequalities (by social-economic status, sex, ethnicity, rural/urban, age, and disability)?
2. How do environmental interventions (e.g. school streets, 20mph speed limits) influence behaviour change in active travel?
3. How can we most effectively quantify population-level physical activity, for purposes of surveillance, monitoring, planning, and evaluating initiatives?
Gambling
1. What is the impact of different treatment outcomes for gambling and what is effective across different populations?
2. What interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in preventing young people from engaging in gambling activities?
Drugs and Alcohol
1. What changes have occurred in the behaviours of young people regarding alcohol consumption, drug usage, and nightlife activities as a response to COVID-19?