Karen Lynette Pearce

I'm interested in how people develop, deliver, access and use evidence-based information to understand and operate in the world around them and to effect change. My work has ranged from informing climate change policy to supporting individual health decisions.

My current area of focus is public health where I draw on health literacy, behaviour change, social marketing, health communication, health promotion and implementation science.

I aim to maximise the utility of existing research, information and services, as well as make original research contributions that will help people avoid significant health issues and support them when these issues can't be avoided.

My PhD research is exploring engagement of women at midlife in healthy behaviours to optimise their health and wellbeing. Specifically, I’m looking at these healthy behaviours in the context of type 2 diabetes prevention programs. 

Midlife is an important time for women tot take action to reduce their risk of developing long-term health conditions, to build the foundations of healthy ageing. Programs to prevent type 2 diabetes – one of these long-term health conditions – have been shown to reduce participants’ type 2 diabetes risk. These programs focus on supporting behavioural change to improve physical activity and diet and reduce or manage weight.

But midlife sees many women experience a range of life transitions (caring roles, relationships, work and perimenopause), which can make it difficult to complete the programs, and to adopt and maintain the healthy habits that the programs promote. These programs are less effective when not completed, resulting in poorer health outcomes. Their effectiveness also diminishes over time as behavioural changes are not supported post-program.

To optimise women’s health (and program investment), we need to know how acceptable these programs are for women at midlife, how they might be made more suitable, and how women who enrol can be better supported to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours.

This research aims to identify factors contributing to the engagement of women at midlife in these programs, and use this information to better align the programs with the needs and circumstances of women at this life stage.

The outcomes of this research will have implications for individual health, quality of life and life expectancy, as well as population health and provision of health and aged care services.