![Associate Professor Leigh Tooth](/sites/default/files/profiles/217.png)
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
2006
Book
Client Education: A partnership approach for health practitioners
Kryss T. McKenna and Leigh R. Tooth eds. (2006). Client Education: A partnership approach for health practitioners. San Diege, CA: Plural Publishing Inc..
2006
Conference Publication
Research Evidence to Inform Occupational Therapy Interventions : Analysis of OTseeker content (www.otseeker.com)
Bennett, S., McKenna, K., McCluskey, A., Tooth, L. and Hoffman, T. (2006). Research Evidence to Inform Occupational Therapy Interventions : Analysis of OTseeker content (www.otseeker.com). World Federation of Occupational Therapists International Congress 2006, Sydney, Australia, 23rd – 28th July, 2006.
2006
Book Chapter
Client education: An overview
McKenna, K. T. and Tooth, L. R. (2006). Client education: An overview. Client Education: A Partnership Approach for Health Practitioners. (pp. 1-12) edited by K. McKenna and L. Tooth. Sydney: UNSW Press.
2006
Conference Publication
Which occupational therapy interventions are perceived as the most important research priorities by occupational therapists?
Bennett, S., McKenna, K., Hoffmann, T., Tooth, L., McCluskey, A. and Strong, J. (2006). Which occupational therapy interventions are perceived as the most important research priorities by occupational therapists?. 14th Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Sydney, Australia, 23-28 July 2006.
2006
Conference Publication
Integrating Evidence from OTseeker into Practice
McCluskey, A., Bennett, S., McKenna, K., Lovarini, M., Hoffmann, T. and Tooth, L. (2006). Integrating Evidence from OTseeker into Practice. 14th Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT 2006): OTs in Action: Local and Global, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney, 25-28 July, 2006.
2006
Journal Article
Discrepancy between older clients' ability to read and comprehend and the reading level of written educational materials used by occupational therapists
Griffin, Janelle, McKenna, Kryss and Tooth, Leigh (2006). Discrepancy between older clients' ability to read and comprehend and the reading level of written educational materials used by occupational therapists. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 60 (1), 70-80. doi: 10.5014/ajot.60.1.70
2006
Book Chapter
Deciding the content and format of educational interventions
McKenna, K. T. and Tooth, L. R. (2006). Deciding the content and format of educational interventions. Client Education: A Partnership Approach for Health Practitioners. (pp. 128-158) edited by K. McKenna and L. Tooth. Sydney: UNSW Press.
2006
Journal Article
Searches and content of the OTseeker database: Informing research priorities
Bennett, S, McKenna, K, Tooth, L, Hoffmann, T, McCluskey, A and Strong, J (2006). Searches and content of the OTseeker database: Informing research priorities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 60 (5), 524-530. doi: 10.5014/ajot.60.5.524
2006
Book Chapter
Planning educational interventions
McKenna, K. T. and Tooth, L. R. (2006). Planning educational interventions. Client Education: A Partnership Approach for Health Practitioners. (pp. 112-127) edited by K. McKenna and L. Tooth. Sydney: UNSW Press.
2006
Journal Article
Factors that predict the post-discharge use of recommended assistive technology (AT)
Weilandt, Trish, McKenna, Kryss, Tooth, Leigh and Strong, Jenny (2006). Factors that predict the post-discharge use of recommended assistive technology (AT). Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive technology, 1 (1-2), 29-40. doi: 10.1080/09638280500167159
2006
Book Chapter
The effectiveness of client education: A review of the evidence and future challenges
Tooth, L R and Refshauage, (2006). The effectiveness of client education: A review of the evidence and future challenges. Client Education: A Partnership Approach for Health Practitioners. (pp. 22-56) edited by Kryss McKenna and Leigh Tooth. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.
2006
Other Outputs
Employed carers in mid-life: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health
Lucke, J., Tooth, L., Hockey, R. and Dobson, A. (2006). Employed carers in mid-life: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: The University of Queensland.
2005
Journal Article
The authors reply
Tooth, Leigh, Ware, Robert, Bain, Chris, Purdie, David and Dobson, Annette (2005). The authors reply. American Journal of Epidemiology, 162 (10), 1033-1033. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwi315
2005
Journal Article
Re: "Quality of reporting of observational longitudinal research" [1] (multiple letters)
Des Jarlais, Don C., Lyles, Cynthia M., Crepaz, Nicole, Von Elm, Erik, Altman, Douglas G., Pocock, Stuart, Vandenbroucke, Jan P., Egger, Matthias, Tooth, Leigh, Ware, Robert, Bain, Chris, Purdie, David and Dobson, Annette (2005). Re: "Quality of reporting of observational longitudinal research" [1] (multiple letters). American Journal of Epidemiology, 162 (10), 1032-1033. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwi313
2005
Journal Article
Length of Stay, Discharge Destination, and Functional Improvement: Utility of the Australian National Subacute and Nonacute Patient Casemix Classification
Tooth, Leigh, McKenna,Kryss, Goh, Kong and Varghese, Paul (2005). Length of Stay, Discharge Destination, and Functional Improvement: Utility of the Australian National Subacute and Nonacute Patient Casemix Classification. Stroke, 36 (7), 1519-1525. doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000169923.57038.a8
2005
Journal Article
Quality of Reporting of Observational Longitudinal Research
Tooth, Leigh, Ware, Robert, Bain, Chris, Purdie, David M. and Dobson, Annette (2005). Quality of Reporting of Observational Longitudinal Research. American Journal of Epidemiology, 161 (3), 280-288. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwi042
2005
Journal Article
Caregiver burden, time spent caring and health status in the first 12 months following stroke
Tooth, L, McKenna, K, Barnett, A, Prescott, C and Murphy, S (2005). Caregiver burden, time spent caring and health status in the first 12 months following stroke. Brain Injury, 19 (12), 963-974. doi: 10.1080/02699050500110785
2005
Journal Article
A comparison of the association between socioeconomic position and cardiovascular disease risk factors in three age cohorts of Australian women: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health
Lawlor, DA, Tooth, L, Lee, C and Dobson, A. (2005). A comparison of the association between socioeconomic position and cardiovascular disease risk factors in three age cohorts of Australian women: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Journal of Public Health, 27 (4), 378-87. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdi052
2005
Journal Article
Appraising the quality of randomized controlled trials: inter-rater reliability for the OTseeker evidence database
Tooth, L., Bennett, S., McCluskey, A., Hoffmann, T., McKenna, K. and Lovarini, M. (2005). Appraising the quality of randomized controlled trials: inter-rater reliability for the OTseeker evidence database. Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice, 11 (6), 547-555. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2753.2005.00574.x
2005
Journal Article
Australian occupational therapists' use of an online evidence-based practice database (OTseeker)
McKenna, Kryss, Bennett, Sally, Dierselhuis, Zoe, Hoffmann, Tammy, Tooth, Leigh and McCluskey, Annie (2005). Australian occupational therapists' use of an online evidence-based practice database (OTseeker). Health Information And Libraries Journal, 22 (3), 205-214. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2005.00597.x
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
Infertility/subfertility and health in later life
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gita Mishra
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Doctor Philosophy
Rheumatoid Arthritis in Australian Women
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Ahmed Mehdi, Professor Gita Mishra, Professor Ranjeny Thomas
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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