Professor Robert Adams

Biography/ Background

Professor Bob Adams is Director of the Health Observatory, a member of the Discipline of Medicine at The University of Adelaide, and is co-principal investigator in the North West Adelaide Health Cohort Study (NWAHS). He is a respiratory physician and epidemiologist with a strong interest in quality in health care and health literacy.  He has played a significant part in the NWAHS and published widely from this database on a number of chronic disease issues including respiratory diseases, obesity, the metabolic syndrome and a number of nutrition related issues.  Prof Adams is the inaugural Chair of the SA Health Literacy Alliance, a diverse group of 60 members from university, health, education, research and clinical and community sectors, formed to provide leadership and support for developing and applying the concept of health literacy as a means of equitably improving health and wellbeing. 

 

Research Interests

Research Overview

More information can be found at The Health Observatory website:

www.thehealthobservatory.org.au

 

Current Projects

Nutrition Obesity Lifestyle & Environment (NOBLE II) Study An ARC-funded multi-disciplinary study of obesity in South Australia currently focussed on the obesity problem in young families and among the babyboomer population.

South Australian Intergenerational Population Health Study (SAPHIRe) http://www.unisa.edu.au/health/research/SAPHIRe.asp

Male Adelaide Inflammation Lifestyle Environment Study (MAILES) An NHMRC-funded research program assessing the impact of inflammation, obesity and male sex hormones on cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and their interaction with traditional lifestyle risk factors in men followed in FAMAS and NWAHS. An important sub-study is looking at sleep disorders and obesity and their relationship to cardio-metabolic disease in men. This will involve Level 3 home sleep studies on 1,000 men over the next 12 months.

Place and Metabolic Syndrome Study (PAMS) An NHMRC-funded project in collaboration with colleagues at the University of South Australia (Prof Mark Daniels) which is examining the relationship of place- of work, living, social interactions, environment- on cardiometabolic risk factors and diseases.

Study Completed, Being Analysed

The North West Adelaide Health Study http://www.nwadelaidehealthstudy.org/  A biomedical and biographical cohort study of the North West Adelaide population which has just completed clinic visits in Stage 3 of the study.

Lungs for Life Study (LuFli) A population  research study investigating the misdiagnosis of respiratory diseases (asthma and chronic obstructive airways disease) and the ways in which diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be improved.

For Recruitment Shortly

Health Literacy  It is important that people with health problems understand the nature of their problem, why the problem is important and what they can do to mange effectively and optimise health outcomes.  The Observatory is currently assessing population health literacy in South Australia using various sample populations such as NWAHS and FAMAS cohorts and in the SA Health Omnibus study. We are also specifically examining literacy on several chronic conditions. In collaboration with A/Prof Jen Wang, Institute for Social and Preventative Medicine, University of Zurich, we have surveyed 500 adults in South Australia with the new Swiss Health Literacy instrument. This tool is an exciting new development in the measurement of health literacy .

Mental Health Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are often co-morbidities alongside other health problems and complicate the severity and management issues involved. A number of studies on mental health are underway in relation to obesity, respiratory disease and diabetes.

Research Funding

Major Grant Funding 2009-2011

2010 NHMRC Project Grant 627227 Effect of sex steroids, inflammation, environmental and biopsychosocial factors on cardiometabolic disease risk in men. Wittert G, Wilson D, Adams R, Travision T Taylor A, McKinlay J, Jenkins A, Milne R, Hugo G, Atlantic E. $1.7 million

2010 NHMRC Project Grant 631917 Linking Place to Metabolic Syndrome via Behavioural and Psychosocial Antecedents: Levers for Public Health Intervention. Investigators: Daniel M, Hugo G, Paquet C, Taylor A, Cargo M, Adams R $545,000

2010 NHMRC Partnership Grant 570150 Linking Place to Metabolic Syndrome via Behavioural and Psychosocial Antecedents: Levers for Public Health Intervention. Investigators: Daniel M, Hugo G, Paquet C, Taylor A, Cargo M, Adams R $325,000

2009-2011 Australian Research Council Linkage Grant ID: LP 0990065 Hugo G, Wittert G, Adams RJ, Cobiach L, Daniel N, Findley CC, Taylor AW, Wilson DH, Winefield HR, Woolacott AL, Ruffin RE. Australian baby boomer generation, Obesity and Work - Patterns, Causes and Implications. $1,438,345. 2009 $489,764 2010 $471,290 2011 $477,291

2009-2013 The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Research Foundation Program Grant. The Health Observatory.  (Investigators: Adams R, Wilson D, Hill C, Visvanathan R, Ruffin R, Wittert G). $1.25 million

Publications

Publications 2009-2011

1. Adams RJ, Appleton S, Hill C, Wilson D, Taylor A, Dal Grande E, Chittleborough C, Gill T, Phillips P, Ruffin RE. Independent association of HbA 1c and incident  cardiovascular disease in people without diabetes. Obesity 2009;17:559-563.
2. Adams RJ, Appleton S, Wilson D, Price K, Taylor A, Dal Grande E, Chittleborough C, Gill T, Ruffin RE. Cholesterol lowering and the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme: a population study. Aust Health Review 2009;33:325-333.
3. Adams RJ, Appleton SL, Hill CL, Dodd M, Findlay C, Ruffin RE, Wilson DH. Risks associated with low functional health literacy in an Australian population. Medical Journal of Australia 2009 191:530-4.
4. Adams RJ, Howard N, Tucker G, Appleton S, Taylor AW, Chittleborough C, Gill T, RuffinRE, WilsonDH. Effects of area deprivation on health risks and outcomes: A multilevel, cross-sectional, Australian population study. Int J Epidemiol 2009;54:183-192
5. Adams RJ, Stocks N, Wilson DH, Hill CL, Gravier S, Kickbusch I, Beilby J. Health Literacy – A new concept for general practice? Aust Fam Phys 2009;38:144-147
6. Adams RJ, Tucker G, Price K, Hill CL, Appleton S, Wilson D, Taylor AW, Ruffin RE. Self-reported adverse events in healthcare that cause harm: A population-based survey. Medical Journal of Australia 2009 190:484-8.
7. Adams RJ, Appleton S, Hill CL, Ruffin RE. Inadequate health literacy is associated with increased asthma morbidity in a population sample. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2009124:601-3.
8. Adams RJ, Appleton SL, Wilson DH,Taylor AW, Ruffin RE. Impairment in psychological health associated with chronic cough in people without identified lung disease. Cough 2009;5:10
9. AppletonSL, Ruffin RE, Wilson DH, Taylor AW, Adams RJ. Cardiovascular disease risk associated with asthma and respiratory morbidity might be mediated by short-acting β2-agonists. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2009;123:124-130
10. Brito-Mutunayagam R, Appleton SL, Wilson DH, Ruffin RE, AdamsRJ. Excess lung function decline is associated with GOLD stage 0.  Chest Apr 23 2010 (epub ahead of print).
11. Chittleborough CR, Burke M, Taylor AW, Wilson DH, Phillips PJ, Adams RJ, Ruffin RE. Medicare-related service use among people with diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes and respiratory conditions. Aust Health Review 2009;33:107-116
12. Hill CL, Gill TK, AppletonS, Cleland LG, Taylor AW, Adams RJ. The Use of Fish Oil in the Community: Results of a Population-Based Study. Rheumatology 2009 48:441-442
13. Shi Z, Taylor AW, Gill TK, Grant J, AdamsR, Wilson D.  Body mass index threshold for obesity using self-reported data among Australian population. J Epidemiol Comm Health 2009; http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/63/2/128
14. Stead K, Kumar S, Schultz T, Pirone C, Tiver S, Wareham C, Adams RJ. Teams communicating through STEPPS. Med J Aust 2009 (11 Suppl):S128-132
15. Chittleborough CR, Taylor AW, Dal Grande E, Gill TK, Grant JF, AdamsRJ, Phillips P. Ruffin RE. Gender differences in asthma prevalence: variations with socioeconomic disadvantage. Respirology 2010;15:107-114
16. Adams RJ, Appleton SL, Cole A, Gill T, Taylor AW, Wilson DH, Hill CL. The Use of Oral Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Alternative Practitioner use varies across chronic conditions and attitudes to risk. Clinical Epidemiology 2010
17. Adams RJ. Role of patient understanding and education in improving health outcomes. Risk Management & Health care Policy 2010 (invited review)
18. Gill TK, Hill C, Adams R, Broderick D, Taylor AW. “I know I have arthritis but I don’t know what type”.  Understanding and knowledge of this chronic condition. BMC Musculoskeletal Medicine 2010.
19. Roberts GW, Farmer CJ, Cheney PC, Govis SM, Belcher TW, Walsh SA, Adams RJ. Clinical decision support implemented with academic detailing improves prescribing of key renally cleared drugs in the hospital setting. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2010;17:308-312
20. Schermer TRJ, Malbon WP, Morgan MJ, Briggs NE, Holton C, Appleton SL, Adams RJ, Smith MG, Crockett AJ. Lung function and health status in South Australian metropolitan fire-fighters compared to general population controls. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2010 (accepted Feb 2010).

21. Shi Z, Taylor A, Gill T, Tuckerman J, Adams R, Martin J. Short sleep duration and obesity among Australian children BMC Public Health 2010, 10:609

22. Tavella R, Beltrame J, Air T, Schrader G, AdamsRJ. Using the Short Form-36 Mental Summary Score as an Indicator of Depressive Symptoms in Coronary Heart Disease Patients. Qual Life Res 2010 (accepted Jan 2010).

23. Taylor AW, Dal Grande E, Gill TK, Pickering S, Grant JF, Adams RJ, Philips P. Validating self-reported high blood pressure and high cholesterol status from a representative cohort study. ANZ J Pub Health 2010 (accepted Nov 2009).

24. Taylor AW, Price K, Gill TK, Adams RJ, Pilkington R, Carrangis N, Shi Z, Wilson DH. Multimorbidity - not just an older person's issue.  Results from an Australian biomedical cohort study. BMC Medicine 2010 (accepted June 4, 2010)
25. Tucker G, Wilson DW, Adams RJ. New Australian Population Scoring Coefficients for the Old Version of the SF-36 & SF-12 Health Status Questionnaires. Qual Life Res 2010; May: Epub ahead of publication.
26. Wilson D, Appleton S, Taylor A, Tucker G, Ruffin RE, Wittert G, Hugo G, Goldney R, Findlay C, Adams RJ. Depression and Obesity in Asthma: Prevalent Co-Morbidities that Complicate Management.  Med J Aust 2010 (Accepted February 2010) 
27. Adams RJ, Appleton SL, Gill T, Taylor AW, Wilson DH, Hill CL. Use of non-steroidal inflammatory medications in the community - cause for concern? BMC Family Practice 2011
28.  
    1. Adams RJ, Appleton S, Wilson D, Taylor A, Ruffin R. Correlates of poor asthma control in a population sample. Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting, Brisbane, April 2010
    2. Adams R,J Appleton S, Wilson D, Taylor A, Ruffin R. Effects of lipid lowering therapy in a representative asthma population. Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting, Brisbane, April 2010
    3. Adams RJ, Appleton S, Wilson D, Taylor A, Ruffin R. GOLD stage 0 is associated with excess FEV1 decline in a representative population sample. Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting, Darwin, April 2009
    4. AdamsRJ. Role of patient understanding and education in improving health outcomes. Risk Management & Health care Policy 2010 (invited review)
    5. Appleton S, Hill C, Wilson D, Taylor A, Gill T, Adams R. Complementary and alternative medicine in asthma. Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting, Darwin, April 2009
    6. Appleton S, Wilson D, Ruffin R,Seaborn C, Taylor A, Adams R. Body composition in metabolically healthy obese and metabolically obese normal weight phenotypes. 1st International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, Hong Kong, CMReJournal 2010:3(1):9
    7. Appleton S, Wilson D, Ruffin R, Taylor A, Adams R. Correlates and longitudinal outcomes in metabolically healthy obese and metabolically obese normal weight phenotypes. 1st International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, Hong Kong, CMReJournal 2010:3(1):9
    8. Yu S, Field J, Chapman I, Wilson D, Adams R, Phillips P, Visvanathan R (2010). Development and Validation of Prediction Equation for Fat Free Mass Using Variable Consisting of Weight and Blood Investigations. The Australia & New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, Coolum, Australia.

    Recent Invited Presentations- National/International:

    Respiratory

    2010    “Burden of illness from chronic cough in Australia”. Cough Symposium: What’s new from Australia? Thoracic Society of Australia & New Zealand Annual Meeting, Brisbane, April 2010.

    2009    “Optimizing treatment in stable COPD - what does the evidence suggest?” Plenary Symposium, 11^th Malaysian Thoracic Society Congress, Kuala Lumpur, July 2009.

    2009    “The Great Asthma Debate: Is SMART smarter Fixed-dose?” Plenary Symposium, 11^th Malaysian Thoracic Society Congress, Kuala Lumpur, July 2009.

    2009    “Improved asthma control – fact or fiction?”, Asthma International Masterclass, The outlook for asthma management – a forward step or a quiet revolution?, Darwin, April 2009

     Health Literacy

    2010    Adult language, literacy and numeracy Search Conference for the National Centre for Vocational Educational Research in Canberra on September 13th, to present on health literacy. The objective of the invitation-only meeting was to explore developments in adult literacy and numeracy with a view to suggesting future directions and to help shape consultations on a national adult literacy strategy.

    2010    “Health Literacy”, Plenary Session, Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Workshop, Brisbane, May 2010.

    2010    “Health literacy – Important risk factor or the goal of self-management?” Australian Better Health Initiative Forum - Chronic Disease Self Management beyond June 2010, Adelaide, February 2010

    2009    Health Literacy and LLN provision: A new fad? Business as usual? Opportunities to seize?” Australian Council for Adult Literacy Annual Meeting, Adelaide, October 2009

    2009    “How CAN Health Literacy help you to make money and improve your sex life?” Public Health Association of Australia and the Australian Health Promotion Association Joint Forum on Health Literacy, Adelaide, February 2009. 

    Safety & Quality

    2010    “Adverse event reporting in Australia”. International Patient Safety Reporting System Conference in Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan Joint commission on Hospital Accreditation, September, 2010

    2009    “TeamStepps ™, Teamwork and Communication Training Program”, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, “Using Tools to Make Clinical Handover Safe: a Practical Workshop”, Perth, May 2009

    2009    TeamStepps^TM Master Training Faculty Workshops, Adelaide, March 2009 

Conference Oral Presentations 

Entry last updated: Monday, 4 Jul 2011