I am a researcher conducting research mostly involving local communities and residents. I want to work with Australian residents to analyze their healthy eating practice and its impact on health and fitness.
I have already obtained my first PhD from Japan in Policy and Planning Sciences majoring in risk engineering. I have worked on a disaster vulnerable community under threat from earthquakes. I have checked their risk recognition and intention for safety measures. I worked with residents in some particular areas of the city and collected residents' opinions by questionnaire survey, field visual survey, rapid visual screening survey of buildings, focus group interview and interview of experts.
The study results show that residents recognize the risk of earthquake in the city and buildings, but their idea about their own building was normalcy biased. The study proposed an approach and model to create mass awareness among residents involving the local community-based organizations and local government bodies.
For my proposed second doctoral study, I would like to work with the Australian community with a contemporary important issue of healthy eating. Australians are facing a problem of overweight and obesity due to healthy eating obstacles. The Australian government developed healthy eating guidelines for the residents. But residents are not properly following those guidelines.
My research aim is to analyze resident's idea towards healthy eating and how far they are from the healthy eating guidelines. The study will propose to develop a model to ensure healthy eating at the family level with some guidelines to implement the practice at the community level. A community-based research approach would be applied where local residents would participate with their idea for healthy eating and implementation. Local community gathering and community-based organizations would be identified to work as a chain actor with the local residents to ensure healthy eating practice.
The study outcome would bring new research guidelines for policy planners and health nutritionists to work together with residents to support healthy eating practice and promotion in Australia and in any other similar setting in the world.