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Dr Ben Smith

Dr Ben Smith

Senior Lecturer, Health Science

PhD, MPH, BSW(Hons)

Telephone: +61 3 9904  4629
   
Facsimile: +61 3 9904 4613
   
Email:

ben.smith@med.monash.edu.au

Profile

With a background in community development, Ben brings to the department 15 years of experience as a health promotion practitioner and evaluator, having worked in regional health services and local government, and as a consultant for State and Commonwealth Governments in Australia, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Ben has a broad research portfolio, with interests in measurement of health risk factors and determinants, the role of the mass media in health promotion, and the design of chronic disease prevention strategies for health care settings. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Health Promotion Journal of Australia, and has published his work widely in Australia and overseas.

Research interests

  • Measurement of health risk factors and determinants
  • The role of the mass media in health promotion
  • Design of chronic disease prevention strategies for health care settings.

Teaching

Teaching areas include various aspects of health promotion.

Recent publications

2007

  • Batras, D., Smith, B. & Keleher, H. (2007), The Vision Initiative 2006-7 Evaluation Report, Monash University & Vision 2020, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Bauman, A., O’Hara, L., Signal, L., Smith, B., Ritchie, J., Parker, E., Ratima, M., Tang, K. C. &  Rissel, C. (2007), A perspective on changes in values in the profession of health promotion, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 3-6.
  • Bonfiglioli, C., King, L., Smith, B., Chapman, S. & Holding, S. Obesity in the media: political hot potato or human interest story?, Australian Journalism Review, vol. 29, pp. 53-61.
  • Bonfiglioli, C. M. F., Smith, B. J., King, L. A., Chapman, S. F. & Holding, S. J. (2007), Choice and voice: obesity debates in television news, Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 187, no. 8, pp. 442-5.
  • Bowles, H. R., Merom, D., Chey, T., Smith, B. J. & Bauman, A. (2007), Associations of type, organisation, and number of recreational activities with total activity, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, vol. 4, pp. 469-80.
  • Kelly, B., King, L., Bauman, A., Smith, B. J., Flood, V. (2007), The effects of different regulation systems on television food advertising to children, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 340-3.
  • Kelly, B., Smith, B.J., King, L., Flood, V., & Bauman, A. (2007). Television food advertising to children: the extent and nature of exposure. Public Health Nutrition, vol. 10, no.11, pp. 1234-40.
  • Merom, D., Rissel, C., Phongsavan, P., Smith, B. J., Van Kemenade, C., Brown, W. J., Bauman, A. E. (2007), Promoting Walking with Pedometers in the Community: the step-by-step trial, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 290-7.
  • Smith, B. J., Henriksen, H., Tapsell, L. C., McLean, M. & Bauman, A. (2007), A group-based healthy lifestyle program for women with previous gestational diabetes, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, vol. 77, pp. 333-4.
  • Smith, B.J., Phongsavan, P., Bauman, A., Havea, D., & Chey, T. (2007). Comparison of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drug usage among school students in three Pacific island societies. Drug and Alcohol Dependence; vol. 88: 9-18.
  • Smith, B. J., Phongsavan, P., Havea, D., Halavatau, V., Chey, T. & Members of the Health Behaviour and Lifestyle of Pacific Youth Survey Collaborating Group and Tonga Core Survey Team. (2007), Body mass index, physical activity and dietary behaviours among adolescents in the Kingdom of Tonga, Public Health Nutrition, vol. 10, no. 2, pp.137-44.
  • van der Ploeg, H. P., Smith, B. J., Stubbs, T., Vita, P., Holford, R. & Bauman, A. E. (2007), Physical activity promotion: Are GPs getting the message?, Australian Family Physician, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 871-4

2006

  • Smith, B.J., Tang, K.C., & Nutbeam, D. (2006). WHO Health Promotion Glossary: New terms. Health Promotion International; 21:340-345.
  • Smith, B.J., Bauman, A.E., Chen, J., Loveday, S., Costello, M., Mackie, B., & Dore. G. (2006). Hepatitis C in Australia: Impact of a mass media campaign. American Journal of Preventive Medicine; 31:492-498.

2005

  • Smith, B.J., Marshall, A.L., & Huang, N. (2005). Screening for physical activity in family practice: Evaluation of two brief assessment tools. American Journal of Preventive Medicine; 29:256-264.