Seafood CRC: Centre of Excellence Science Seafood & Health (CESSH): Post Harvest Research Program
SCRC: Seafood CRC: review of health benefit research and development relevant to the Australian seafood industry and members of the Australian Seafood CRC
Conduct a critical review of the health benefit research and development relevant to the Australian seafood industry and aprticipants of the CRC
Final report
The purpose of this review was to;
- Undertake an initial assessment of the current status of organisations and institutions providing information regarding seafood consumption
- Detail the work that has been done to document the health benefits of seafood
- Identify current methods and those with future potential for communicating the information to the general population regarding the health benefits from consuming seafood
- Identify opportunities for domestic and international collaboration pertaining to the research and communication of the health benefits of seafood consumption
The identification process realised 120 current resources associated with the health benefits of regular consumption of seafood as part of a healthy diet that could be used by GPs and health professionals. The resource topics included arthritis (seven), cancer (six), dementia (one), dental health (two), diabetes (three), heart health (30), nutrition (40), osteoporosis (six) and preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding (25).
The critical review of resources revealed information about the format, target group, reference to seafood, credibility and suitability of the identified resources. The majority (88.4%) of identified resource were available electronically as either PDF files or webpages, a preferable, quick and easy mode of access for GPs and health professionals. Just over half (57.5%) of the identified resources were targeted at specific audiences. All of the resources made reference to the health benefits of regular consumption of fish, 22.5% made reference to seafood and 5% made reference to fish oil as part of a healthy diet. Only 15% of the identified resources were suitable for use with the general Australian population at or below the recommended reading level of Year Eight.
Seafood CRC: A community intervention approach to increasing seafood consumption.
Value for money: There is a need to overcome the barriers to seafood consumption, particularly those cited in the general seafood consumption (Ruello, 2000) and the peri-natal seafood consumption studies conducted in Perth (McManus et al, BMC Public Health 2007). Establishing regular seafood consumption as a healthy, cost effective dietary option has the potential to impact upon short and long-term health, both in the general population and in those with specific health conditions. This study aims to develop strategies to increase seafood consumption by targeting specific sectors of the population (e.g. children, consumers) and groups with specific health conditions (e.g. pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, obesity). The project should result in increased seafood consumption with concomitant increases in value for the seafood industry.
Level of Impact: The condition/sector educational resources will be developed in user-friendly formats/programs to meet the needs of each of the specific target groups and to ensure maximum uptake. For example, condition specific resources will be in formats that facilitate discussion between general practitioners and clients to promote seafood as part of a healthy diet. They will also be extended through relevant representative bodies (e.g. WAGP Network, Diabetes Council, Heart Foundation). Resources for schools will be developed in line with existing curriculum frameworks across a range of disciplines and piloted through existing and relevant educational programs. Resources will be initially developed at a state level with the potential to be extended nationally through existing links.
Final report
The Community Intervention to Increase Seafood Consumption (CIISC) Project aimed to translate the most up-to-date evidence around the health benefits of regular seafood consumption into a suite of resources and educational programs specific to the needs of various sectors within the community. The resources were then trialled and evaluated in a single community to determine whether seafood consumption in that community is significantly altered through access to the developed resources.
The project followed a participatory action research model with each stage of the research informing the subsequent stages, thus ensuring the outcomes were relevant to the end users.
RAC WA: Investigating critical biological issues for commercial Greenlip Abalone sea ranching in Flinders Bay, Western Australia
SCRC: The role of seafood (and fish) in disease prevention and management (text for an e-book)
The RAC supported the concept of developing a single, consumer oriented publication on the health benefits of seafood. This project will provide text for an e-book to the Australian Seafood CRC (ASCRC) based on the best available evidence associated with seafood consumption and human health.
The ASCRC communications company (Fuller) will lay out and design the e-book (including graphics) as part of the ASCRC 'Super Seafood' branding and packaging of information.