University of Sydney
This position will undertake research quantifying the association between healthcare costs, weight status and culturally and linguistically diverse groups in children. The candidate will analyse data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a population-based, nationally representative longitudinal study of over 10,000 children, with over 15 years of follow-up.
Each individual child enrolled in the LSAC is administratively linked to individual level healthcare costs, which include both the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) records. This enables the analysis of healthcare costs associated with accessing medical services and prescription medications.
Statistical models accounting for the longitudinal nature of the data and the right-skewed distribution in healthcare cost data will be used (such as a generalised linear model, or two-part models). The dependent variable of interest will be annual healthcare costs, with predictors of cost (age, sex, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, weight status) included in the analysis. Interaction terms between Aboriginality and weight status and CALD groups and weight status will determine whether the weight status and healthcare cost relationship are modified by these demographic variables.
Experience working with longitudinal data and analysis in the statistical package Stata essential.
The candidate will work closely with Associate Professor Tom Lung and Professor Alison Hayes to conduct the analysis.
Contact: tom.lung@sydney.edu.au, alison.hayes@sydney.edu.au
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