
Overview
Background
A/Prof Leigh Tooth is a Principal Research Fellow who specialises in research on maternal and child health and general women's health, in particular on women carers, health inequalities and the socio-economic determinants of health, quality of life and comorbidity.
A/Prof Leigh Tooth is currently Principal Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). She chairs the Data Access Committee of the ALSWH. She is CI on the NHMRC funded Centre for Research Excellence on Women and Non-communicable Disease (CRE WaND): Prevention and Detection (2019–2024). She was CI on the NHMRC funded Mothers and their Children’s Health Study (MatCH) (2014-2018). MatCH is investigating the relationship between mothers’ health history, since 1996, and the family environment to children’s health and development outcomes, including health service utilisation. She is also leading a program of research into health inequalities and the socio-economic determinants of health, and women carers. Her other current research interests are quality of life and comorbidity. Her previous research experiences include a NHMRC Public Health Fellowship (1999-2003), during which she investigated the short and long term functional and community outcomes of people following stroke, and being a NHMRC Fellow with the Longitudinal Studies Unit in the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland researching statistical methodology and teaching into the epidemiology program. She has a PhD and first class honours degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Queensland.
Availability
- Associate Professor Leigh Tooth is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Occupational Therapy, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Health inequalities in lifecourse research
Impact of health inequalities on health outcomes across the lifecourse in women Impact of health inequalities on health service use Impact of intergenerational mobility of health inequalities on health outcomes
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Maternal and child health
A/Prof Leigh Tooth is CI on the NHMRC funded Mothers and their Children’s Health Study (MatCH). MatCH is investigating the relationship between mothers’ health history, since 1996, and the family environment to children’s health and development outcomes, including health service utilisation.
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chronic disease/multi-morbidity
Measurement of multi-morbidity Impact of mulit-morbidity on health outcomes in women
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Caring
Impacts of caring on Australian women Determinants of transitions in caring by women Health service use of women carers
Research impacts
I have successfully led several major research projects which have focussed on elements of the Australian health care system. Several of my research publications and reports have informed health policy, for example by:
· Delivering policy recommendations about the use and impact of Medicare and DVA funded health care services on war widows to the DVA
· Delivering policy recommendations to inform the
1) Government’s National Respite for Carers Program, in particular the Employed Carers Innovative Project,
2) Report by the Centre for Health Service Development on “Effective Caring: A synthesis of the International Evidence on Carer Needs and Interventions”, and subsequently
3) Australian Government’s National Women’s Health Policy 2010.
I am also one of the founding chief investigators of the OTseeker (Occupational Therapy Systematic Evaluation of Evidence) database (http:\\www.otseeker.com). OTseeker contains citations and abstracts of >9000 systematic reviews and RCTs relevant to occupational therapy. All RCTs have been critically appraised and rated to assist therapists’ judge the quality and usefulness of trials to help inform clinical interventions and decision making. OTseeker is freely available worldwide. Since its launch in 2003, OTseeker has had >2 million visits; people accessing OTseeker come from >100 countries including the USA, UK, Canada, the Scandinavian countries, Japan, Germany, Senegal, Chad, Slovenia, Columbia, Georgia, Tanzania and Kuwait.
The quality and impact of OTseeker is reinforced by its continued external funding since 2002.
The international status and importance of OTseeker is further evidenced by:
· Endorsement at the International Conference on Evidence based Practice in 2004
· The invitation by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) to the developers of OTseeker to contribute to the 2011 special edition WFOT bulletin on “Evidence based Occupational Therapy Practice around the Globe” (see publication A65).
· Endorsement during the opening keynote address at the 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference in Adelaide, in which Professor Marion Walker from the University of Nottingham, UK, said “… every occupational therapist should have OTseeker on their desktop.”
· Its description as a key resource in occupational therapy texts, research policy documents of international occupational therapy associations, journal articles and editorials, and its listing on hundreds of library and professional websites.
Works
Search Professor Leigh Tooth’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Association between menstrual disorders and women's workforce participation: A systematic review
Alemu, Biresaw Wassihun, Waller, Michael and Tooth, Leigh R. (2025). Association between menstrual disorders and women's workforce participation: A systematic review. Heliyon, 11 (12) e43469, 1-21. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e43469
2025
Journal Article
Association between shift/night work and irregular periods and period pain among two cohorts of Australian women 16 years apart: findings from the Australian longitudinal study on women’s health
Alemu, Biresaw Wassihun, Waller, Michael and Tooth, Leigh R. (2025). Association between shift/night work and irregular periods and period pain among two cohorts of Australian women 16 years apart: findings from the Australian longitudinal study on women’s health. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-2. doi: 10.1007/s00420-025-02152-9
2025
Journal Article
Sex Differences in the Play Equipment Found in Australian Children’s Homes
Duncombe, Stephanie L., Moss, Katrina M., Tooth, Leigh R. and Mielke, Gregore I. (2025). Sex Differences in the Play Equipment Found in Australian Children’s Homes. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 34 (5) 15, 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s10826-025-03037-8
2025
Journal Article
The Association Between Menstrual Disorders and Workforce Participation: A Prospective Longitudinal Study
Alemu, Biresaw Wassihun, Waller, Michael and Tooth, Leigh R. (2025). The Association Between Menstrual Disorders and Workforce Participation: A Prospective Longitudinal Study. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 132 (7), 961-971. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.18109
2024
Conference Publication
Healthy Habits Triple P: Pilot of a novel online parenting intervention to support healthy screen use with young children
Mitchell, A. E., Morawska, A., Lee, J-Y. S., Tooth, L. and Donovan, C. (2024). Healthy Habits Triple P: Pilot of a novel online parenting intervention to support healthy screen use with young children. 24th Australian Association for Human Development Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 21-22 November 2024.
2024
Conference Publication
Understanding young children’s screen use: A theoretical model of factors influencing screen use
Morawska, A., Mitchell, A. E. and Tooth, L. (2024). Understanding young children’s screen use: A theoretical model of factors influencing screen use. 24th Australian Association for Human Development Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 21-22 November 2024.
2024
Journal Article
Prevalence and correlates of meeting physical activity and screen time guidelines among children of English- and non-English-speaking backgrounds in Australia
Paudel, Susan, Veitch, Jenny, Mishra, Gita D., Tooth, Leigh R. and Hesketh, Kylie D. (2024). Prevalence and correlates of meeting physical activity and screen time guidelines among children of English- and non-English-speaking backgrounds in Australia. Child: Care, Health and Development, 50 (6) e70007, e70007. doi: 10.1111/cch.70007
2024
Journal Article
Het bepalen van schermgebruik bij kinderen onder de vijf: aanbevelingen voor de ontwikkeling van opvoedingsinterventies
Morawska, Alina, Mitchell, Amy E. and Tooth, Leigh R. (2024). Het bepalen van schermgebruik bij kinderen onder de vijf: aanbevelingen voor de ontwikkeling van opvoedingsinterventies. Gezinstherapie Wereldwijd, 35 (4), 419-443. doi: 10.1007/s12440-024-00233-8
2024
Journal Article
Associations between factors in childhood and young adulthood and childlessness among women in their 40s: A national prospective cohort study
Jin, Chuyao, Tooth, Leigh R., Xu, Xiaolin and Mishra, Gita D. (2024). Associations between factors in childhood and young adulthood and childlessness among women in their 40s: A national prospective cohort study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 360, 26-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.113
2024
Journal Article
Life is often compared to a marathon, so why do research and health promotion initiatives often treat it like a 100-m sprint?
Mielke, Gregore Iven and Tooth, Leigh (2024). Life is often compared to a marathon, so why do research and health promotion initiatives often treat it like a 100-m sprint?. Maturitas, 187 107967, 1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.107967
2024
Journal Article
Quantifying physical resilience after knee or hip surgery in older Australian women based on long term physical functioning trajectories
Peeters, Geeske, de Munck, Isa, Tooth, Leigh and Melis, René (2024). Quantifying physical resilience after knee or hip surgery in older Australian women based on long term physical functioning trajectories. Gerontology, 70 (9), 950-961. doi: 10.1159/000540159
2024
Journal Article
A novel method to monitor rheumatoid arthritis prevalence using hospital and medication databases
Koller-Smith, Louise, Mehdi, Ahmed, March, Lyn, Tooth, Leigh, Mishra, Gita D. and Thomas, Ranjeny (2024). A novel method to monitor rheumatoid arthritis prevalence using hospital and medication databases. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 26 (1) 133, 133. doi: 10.1186/s13075-024-03366-x
2024
Journal Article
Adherence to 24‐h movement behaviour guidelines in families with multiple children
Tooth, Leigh R., Mielke, Gregore I. and Moss, Katrina M. (2024). Adherence to 24‐h movement behaviour guidelines in families with multiple children. Child: Care, Health and Development, 50 (1) e13213, 1-12. doi: 10.1111/cch.13213
2023
Conference Publication
Physical Functioning 12 Years Before And After Knee Or Hip Surgery In Older Women
Peeters, Geeske, de Munck, Isabel, Tooth, Leigh and Melis, Rene (2023). Physical Functioning 12 Years Before And After Knee Or Hip Surgery In Older Women. GSA 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting, Tampa, FL United States, 8-12 November 2023. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igad104.0374
2023
Conference Publication
PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING 12 YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER KNEE OR HIP SURGERY IN OLDER WOMEN
Peeters, Geeske, de Munck, Isabel, Tooth, Leigh and Melis, Rene (2023). PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING 12 YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER KNEE OR HIP SURGERY IN OLDER WOMEN. OXFORD: OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
2023
Conference Publication
Healthy Habits Triple P: Pilot of a novel online parenting intervention to support healthy screen use with young children
Mitchell, A. E., Morawska, A., Lee, J-Y. S., Tooth, L. and Donovan, C. (2023). Healthy Habits Triple P: Pilot of a novel online parenting intervention to support healthy screen use with young children. 43rd Australian Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy National Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 19-20 October 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Understanding young children’s screen use: A theoretical model of factors influencing screen use
Morawska, A., Mitchell, A. E. and Tooth, L. (2023). Understanding young children’s screen use: A theoretical model of factors influencing screen use. 43rd Australian Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy National Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 19-20 October 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Parental resources on children's screen use ignore a challenge many families face
Tooth, Leigh, Moss, Katrina, Hockey, Richard, Morawska, Alina, Mitchell, Amy and Mishra, Gita (2023). Parental resources on children's screen use ignore a challenge many families face. Australian Public Health Conference 2023, Hobart, TAS Australia, 26-28 September 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Health-related quality of life: a comparison of mothers and women without children
Tooth, Leigh, Jin, Chuyao, Xu, Xiaolin and Mishra, Gita (2023). Health-related quality of life: a comparison of mothers and women without children. Australian Public Health Conference 2023, Hobart, TA Australia, 26-28 September 2023.
2023
Book Chapter
Shared decision making
Tammy Hoffmann and Leigh Tooth (2023). Shared decision making. Evidence-Based Practice Across the Health Professions. (pp. 293-316) edited by Tammy Hoffmann, Sally Bennett and Christopher Del Mar. Sydney, NSW Australia: Elsevier.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Leigh Tooth is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Reproductive events and workforce participation across the life course
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Michael Waller
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Doctor Philosophy
Rheumatoid Arthritis in Australian Women
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ahmed Mehdi, Professor Gita Mishra, Professor Ranjeny Thomas
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding voluntary childlessness among Australian women: From socio-demographic and health behaviour characteristics to subsequent health-related quality of life and mental health service use
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gita Mishra
Completed supervision
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
The influence of pre-pregnancy weight and weight changes on pregnancy complications and child growth and development
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gita Mishra
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Perceived neighbourhood cohesion and health among mid-aged Australian women
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Annette Dobson
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Postpartum depression in Australia: an exploration of profiles and characteristics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gita Mishra
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Social inequalities in body weight trajectory among young women: The role of reproductive events
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gita Mishra
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
Dynamic Splinting the Stiff Hand: Improving Evidence to Optimize Clinical Outcomes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jennifer Fleming
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2010
Doctor Philosophy
The 'golden hour': an examination of mortality from major trauma in an informal, decentralised state-wide emergency medical system
Associate Advisor
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2003
Master Occupational Therapy
THE SUITABILITY AND COMPREHENSIBILITY OF WRITTEN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY EDUCATION MATERIAL FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Leigh Tooth directly for media enquiries about:
- carers, caregivers, caring, women`s physical/mental health, health inequalities, multi-morbidit
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