Lynne Millar
Senior Research Fellow
BA(Psych honours) PhD
lynne.millar@telethonkids.org.au
Lynne is a Senior Research Fellow who is part of the team evaluating the Early Years Initiative. This initiative seeks to improve the development, health and learning of children from conception to four years, and to create lasting change.
Lynne believes that to create lasting and impactful change, a systems science approach to implementation and evaluation at a community-level must be adopted. She has many years experience in this field mainly in the prevention of obesity and the promotion of mental health.
Lynne’s expertise was recognised through being awarded an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowship (2014-2016) to progress the science of systems approaches to public health.
She has led and/or been a team member on many large projects: the ACT IYM Project (a systems approach to adolescent obesity and mental health); the Pacific Obesity Prevention in communities Project, the COMPACT (Childhood Obesity Modelling for Prevention and Community Translation), the Systems Trial of Prevention Strategies for childhood obesity: WHO STOPS Childhood Obesity Project (CIB NHMRC Partnership Project APP1114118. $3,614,066.80. 2016 – 2021), YCHANGe (Yarriambiack Creating Healthy Active Nourished Generations), and NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Policy Research in Obesity and Food Systems.
Lynne holds a PhD in Public Health from Deakin University, Victoria.
Projects
The Early Years Partnership
The Early Years Partnership is a 10-year (2018-2028) partnership between the WA State Government (Departments of Communities, Health, and Education), Minderoo Foundation and The Kids Research Institute Australia as the evidence and evaluation partner.
January 2024
Published research
Risk and protective factors of youth crime: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been conducted on the risk and protective factors of youth crime. This study aims to consolidate this evidence using an umbrella review methodology.
Promoting mental well-being in Western Australia: Act Belong Commit® mental health promotion campaign partners’ perspectives
The Act Belong Commit® mental health promotion campaign aims to improve population mental well-being. Based on a social-franchising model, partnerships are sought with organizations offering 'mentally healthy activities' that foster social connectedness and mental well-being. There are four categories of partner organizations sought: Site (government agencies and health services), Associate (organizations with state-wide or national services), Community (local, grass-roots community groups) and Schools.
The effectiveness of community friendship groups on participant social and mental health: a meta-analysis
Social disconnectedness and isolation are risk factors for poor mental health. Community-based friendship group interventions have been designed to increase an individual's social capital and consequently their mental wellbeing. Structured and unstructured friendship groups reflect two distinct approaches to friendship group interventions.
Intake of polyphenols from cereal foods and colorectal cancer risk in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study
Cereal-derived polyphenols have demonstrated protective mechanisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) models; however, confirmation in human studies is lacking. Therefore, this study examined the association between cereal polyphenol intakes and CRC risk in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS), a prospective cohort study in Melbourne, Australia that recruited participants between 1990 and 1994 to investigate diet-disease relationships.
The Impact of the No Jab No Play and No Jab No Pay Legislation in Australia: A Scoping Review
Australia has a long history of population-based immunisation programs including legislations. This paper reports on a review of evaluations of the impact of the federal No Jab No Pay (NJNPay) and state implemented No Jab No Play (NJNPlay) legislations on childhood immunisation coverage and related parental attitudes.
Estimated dietary intake of polyphenols from cereal foods and associated lifestyle and demographic factors in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study
Cereal foods are consumed globally and are important sources of polyphenols with potential health benefits, yet dietary intakes are unclear. We aimed to calculate the dietary intakes of polyphenols from cereal foods in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, and describe intakes by demographic and lifestyle factors.
A mixed-methods evaluation of a health-promoting café located in a small health service in rural Victoria, Australia
Residents of rural areas internationally typically experience chronic disease risk profiles worse than city dwellers. Poor diet, a key driver of chronic disease, has been associated with unhealthy food environments, and rural areas often experience limited access to healthy, fresh and affordable food.
Education and Qualifications
- PhD – Deakin University
- BA (Hons Psych) – Deakin University
- BA (Psych) – Deakin University
Awards/Honours
- 2017 - State and National Heart Foundation Local Government Award for healthy communities under 10,000 population. YCHANGe project in the Yarriambiack Shire, Victoria, Victoria
- 2014 – Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowship, Deakin University, Geelong
- 2104 - School of Health and Social Development Awards. Research Excellence Award: Early career researcher, Deakin University
- 2011 - Deakin Population Health SRC Research Award for Early Career or Student, Deakin University
Active Collaborations
- Crime prevention strategies for young people aged 12-24 years to build resilience, community engagement and reduce criminality with Curtin University
- No Jab No Play evaluation with Curtin University