Associate Professor
Helen Vidgen
Faculty of Health,
School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences
Biography
Associate Professor Helen Vidgen PhD, APD, AFHEA is a public health leader with extensive experience in policy, practice, research, and education across government, civil society and higher education sectors. She is a global leader in the area of food literacy. Her definition and conceptualisation of the term is the most cited internationally and has advanced the concept in research, policy and practice across settings and sectors in low, middle and high income countries, including being adopted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Vidgen's other research interests include the social dimensions of food and eating, public health nutrition policy, translation and implementation including planning, evaluation, workforce and capacity. She was the chief investigator of Queensland's largest trial of a universal childhood obesity management program, wrote the evaluation framework for the State's largest chronic disease prevention program, and conducted Queensland's only published audits of the community and public health nutrition workforce. She enjoys the complexity of implementation. Helen's public health nutrition research is informed by her extensive practice and civil society experience.Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Personal details
Positions
- Associate Professor
Faculty of Health,
School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences
Keywords
nutrition, food literacy, public health, obesity
Research field
Nutrition and Dietetics
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology)
- Graduate Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics (Queensland University of Technology)
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Home Economics) (Queensland University of Technology)
Professional memberships and associations
Member of Dietitians Australia (DA) Accreditied Practising Dietitian (APD) the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) Food and Nutrition Special Interest Group (FANSIG) and the World Public Health Nutrition Association (WPHNA)
Teaching
Current unit co-ordinator for:
XNB150 Food Citizenship
XNH350 Community and Public Health Nutrition
Chair of the Faculty of Health Cultural Safety and Indigenous Perspectives Working Group
Member of the Health Academic Board
Member of the Health Teaching and Learning Commitee
Course Co-ordinator (2019-2020)
XN43 Bachelor of Nutrition Science
XN45 Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Hons)
IX70 Bachelor of Media and Communication/Bachelor of Nutrition Science
Experience
Industry experience:
- 2002 – 2011: Senior Public Health Nutritionist (HP5), Healthy Living Branch, Division of the Chief Health Officer, Queensland Health
- 2007-2008: A/Director of Public Health Nutrition (HP6), Southern Area Population Health Service, Queensland Health
- 1999-2001: Public Health Nutritionist (PO4)
- 1998-1999: Executive Director: Nutrition Australia (Queensland Division)
- 1995-1998: Project Dietitian: Nutrition Australia (Queensland Division)
- 1995-1999: Clinical Dietitian
Civil Society Experience
- Public Health Association of Australia: Chair of the Food and Nutrition Group (2013- 2017); Executive committee of the Food and Nutrition Group (2013-2019), representative on the Australian Government Healthy Food Partnership and Food Regulation Standing Committee.
- World Public Health Nutrition Association: Congress 2020 National Organising Committee (2018-2020)
- Nutrition Australia: Committee of Management (2007,2008), Pabulum – National Newsletter editorial committee (1999-2001)
- Dietitians Australia: Member of Queensland Branch Executive (1998-2000), Professional development co- ordinator (1998), Newsletter editor (1999)
Publications
- Thompson, C., Adams, J. & Vidgen, H. (2021). Are We Closer to International Consensus on the Term 'Food Literacy'?: A Systematic Scoping Review of Its Use in the Academic Literature (1998–2019). Nutrients, 13(6). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/211042
- Fingland, D., Thompson, C. & Vidgen, H. (2021). Measuring food literacy: Progressing the development of an international food literacy survey using a content validity study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/207938
- Lee, A., Stubbs, C., Leonard, D., Vidgen, H., Minniecon, D., Dick, M., Cullerton, K. & Herron, L. (2022). Rise and demise: a case study of public health nutrition in Queensland, Australia, over three decades. Health Promotion International, 37(2). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/213699
- Amouzandeh, C., Fingland, D. & Vidgen, H. (2019). A scoping review of the validity, reliability and conceptual alignment of food literacy measures for adults. Nutrients, 11(4), 1–19. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/128576
- Lawrence, M., Pollard, C., Vidgen, H. & Woods, J. (2019). The Health Star Rating system - is its reductionist (nutrient) approach a benefit or risk for tackling dietary risk factors? Public Health Research and Practice, 29(1), 1–5. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/128577
- Vidgen, H., Love, P., Wutzke, S., Daniels, L., Rissel, C., Innes-Hughes, C. & Baur, L. (2018). A description of health care system factors in the implementation of universal weight management services for children with overweight or obesity: case studies from Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Implementation Science, 13, 1–15. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/120611
- Croyden, D., Vidgen, H., Esdaile, E., Hernandez Mateo, E., Magarey, A., Moores, C. & Daniels, L. (2018). A narrative account of implementation lessons learnt from the dissemination of an up-scaled state-wide child obesity management program in Australia: PEACH(TM) (Parenting, Eating and Activity for Child Health) Queensland. BMC Public Health, 18, 1–18. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/223638
- Davidson, K. & Vidgen, H. (2017). Why do parents enrol in a childhood obesity management program?: a qualitative study with parents of overweight and obese children. BMC Public Health, 17, 1–10. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/103686
- Vidgen, H., (2016). Food literacy: Key concepts for health and education [Routledge Studies in Food, Society and the Environment]. Routledge. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/95264
- Vidgen, H. & Gallegos, D. (2014). Defining food literacy and its components. Appetite, 76, 50–59. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/67789
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Helen, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Awards
- Type
- International Collaboration
- Reference year
- 2017
- Details
- Invited Expert to "Stepping Up School-Based Food and Nutrition Education: Exploring the Challenges, Finding Solutions and Building Partnerships" 28th-30th November, 2017, Al Ain UAE
- Type
- Keynote Speaker/Expert Panel Member/Invited Speaker for a Conference
- Reference year
- 2017
- Details
- Invited Keynote address at 29th National Congress of ANDID 12-13 May 2017, Bologna, Italy. Presented in Italian
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2016
- Details
- Vice Chancellors Performance Award
- Type
- Appointment to State/National/International Reference Group or Government Committees
- Reference year
- 2016
- Details
- Member of the National Healthy Food Partnership Food Service Working Group
- Type
- Editor of a Prestigious Work of Reference
- Reference year
- 2016
- Details
- Editor of "Food Literacy: key concepts for health and education" from the Routledge series Studies of Food, Society and the Environment
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2015
- Details
- Vice Chancellors Performance Award
- Type
- Recipient of an Australia Council Grant or Australia Council Fellowship
- Reference year
- 2015
- Details
- NHMRC National Prevention Partnership Centre. Chief Investigator. Project title: Policy and practice in managing childhood obesity
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2013
- Details
- Scholarship recipient
- Type
- Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
- Reference year
- 2012
- Details
- Scholarship recipient
Selected research projects
- Title
- Policy and Practice in Managing Childhood Obesity: Case Studies in QLD and NSW
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 9100001
- Start year
- 2015
- Keywords
Projects listed above are funded by Australian Competitive Grants. Projects funded from other sources are not listed due to confidentiality agreements.
Supervision
Current supervisions
- An exploration of the practice of eating among Australian families
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Danielle Gallegos - Kids to the Front: Exploring children's food practice perspectives for child-centred food ecosystems
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Dr Foluke Abigail Badejo, Professor Danielle Gallegos