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Social and Behavioral Sciences

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University of Wollongong

2009

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Shoes On Trial: Does A Safe Shoe Exist For Older People?, Bridget J. Munro, Karen J. Mickle, Jasmine C. Menant, Julie R. Steele Jan 2009

Shoes On Trial: Does A Safe Shoe Exist For Older People?, Bridget J. Munro, Karen J. Mickle, Jasmine C. Menant, Julie R. Steele

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

More than 80% of older people report foot problems and, as a result, tend to wear unstructured footwear that moulds to the shape of their deformed feet. While these unstructured shoes are deemed comfortable, it has been speculated that they contribute to home falls and hip fractures in the older population [1]. However, as walking barefoot or in socks has also been associated with an increased risk of falls in older people [2], we need to design safe but comfortable shoes for older people to wear in and around the home.


Fat Flat Frail Feet: How Does Obesity Affect The Older Foot, Julie R. Steele, Karen J. Mickle, Bridget J. Munro Jan 2009

Fat Flat Frail Feet: How Does Obesity Affect The Older Foot, Julie R. Steele, Karen J. Mickle, Bridget J. Munro

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The prevalence of obesity is rising throughout the world at an alarming rate, and the elderly are no exception with 15% of men and 28% of women aged over 60 years considered to be obese [1]. Overweight and obesity have been shown to negatively affect foot structure and function in both children [2] and adults [3]. These structural changes appear to be associated with increased foot discomfort whereby overweight children have been found to report foot pain significantly more often than their leaner counterparts [4]. As feet are our base of support during most weight-bearing activities, it is postulated that …


Does Lower Limb Neuromuscular Control Differ During Side-Step And Split-Step Cutting Manoeuvres?, Bridget J. Munro, Grant Trewartha, Julie R. Steele Jan 2009

Does Lower Limb Neuromuscular Control Differ During Side-Step And Split-Step Cutting Manoeuvres?, Bridget J. Munro, Grant Trewartha, Julie R. Steele

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

During side-step cutting, all the monitored muscles were recruited simultaneously reflecting co-contraction. Conversely, during split-step cutting, rectus femoris was initially recruited, followed by synchronous vastii and medial hamstrings onset and then lateral hamstring muscle onset. Although there were subtle differences in onset, the hamstrings ceased activity earlier than the quadriceps muscles in both cutting manoeuvres. Paired t-tests indicated that vastus medialis displayed a significantly (p < 0.02) earlier onset in the side-step compared to the split-step and rectus femoris displayed significantly (p = 0.05) longer burst duration in the split-step compared to the side-step. Whether these altered neuromuscular patterns are protective to the knee during split-step cutting manoeuvres, perhaps due to reduced anterior drawer, warrants further investigation. However, should the neuromuscular patterns observed in the split-step protect the ACL from injury, research should also investigate whether split-step cutting manoeuvres display any performance detriment compared to side-step cutting manoeuvres.


Does Presentation Make A Difference To Risk Perception: Testing Different Formats For Communication Of Cancer Risks, Sandra C. Jones Jan 2009

Does Presentation Make A Difference To Risk Perception: Testing Different Formats For Communication Of Cancer Risks, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Evidence suggests that the presentation format of risk information can affect people’s perceptions of risk and influence health-related decisions. In these studies we investigated the impact of four different risk presentation formats: standard presentation, risk ladder, different base rates and visual representations on women’s perceptions of developing breast cancer of lymphoma. We found that the different presentations had virtually no impact on the participant’s risk estimates. Only in the second study relating to risk perceptions for lymphoma was there a significant difference between conditions for estimated 10-year-risk, with those in the ladder present condition reporting a lower estimated risk. The …


Does The Prescriptive Lifestyle Of Seventh-Day Adventists Provide "Immunity" From The Secular Effects Of Changes In Bmi?, Lillian M. Kent, Anthony Worsley Jan 2009

Does The Prescriptive Lifestyle Of Seventh-Day Adventists Provide "Immunity" From The Secular Effects Of Changes In Bmi?, Lillian M. Kent, Anthony Worsley

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To examine the effect of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) membership on ‘immunity’ to the secular effects of changes in BMI. Design: Three independent, cross-sectional, screening surveys conducted by Sydney Adventist Hospital in 1976, 1986 and 1988 and a survey conducted among residents of Melbourne in 2006. Subjects: Two hundred and fifty-two SDA and 464 non-SDA in 1976; 166 SDA and 291 non-SDA in 1986; 120 SDA and 300-non SDA in 1988; and 251 SDA and 294 non-SDA in 2006. Measurements: Height and weight measured by hospital staff in 1976, 1986 and 1988; self-reported by respondents in …


How Does The Presenter's Physical Attractiveness Persuade? A Test Of Alternative Explanations, Sandra Praxmarer, John R. Rossiter Jan 2009

How Does The Presenter's Physical Attractiveness Persuade? A Test Of Alternative Explanations, Sandra Praxmarer, John R. Rossiter

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study was conducted to test alternative explanations for the powerful positive effect of the presenter’s facial attractiveness on persuasion found by Patzer (1985). The explanations tested are: (a) a “conscious Patzer effect” whereby the attractiveness of the presenter prompts conscious cognitive-response inferences about the presenter’s expertise and trustworthiness; (b) a “subconscious Patzer effect” whereby attractiveness persuades via beliefs about the presenter’s expertise and trustworthiness but without conscious cognitive responses; (c) an “affect transfer effect” whereby attractiveness increases liking of the presenter which in turn transfers to a more favorable attitude toward the brand; and (d) a “role-model identification effect” …


Does Cultural Background Affect Volunteering Behavior?, Melanie J. Randle, Sara Dolnicar Jan 2009

Does Cultural Background Affect Volunteering Behavior?, Melanie J. Randle, Sara Dolnicar

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this qualitative investigation is to help nonprofit organizations which rely heavily on the support of volunteers increase the effectiveness of their marketing by accounting for differences in cultural background among community members. It was conducted in the multi-cultural Australian context and included 79 participants from different cultural backgrounds. Findings indicate that as a whole, cultural groups differ significantly with respect to their attitudes, social norm and perceived behavioral control over volunteering. Nonprofit organizations are unlikely to be successful in attracting volunteers from a range of different cultural backgrounds unless they account for heterogeneity among volunteers and customize …


Does Democracy Explain Gender Differentials In Education?, Arusha V. Cooray Jan 2009

Does Democracy Explain Gender Differentials In Education?, Arusha V. Cooray

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study shows that despite a strong empirical association between gender differentials in enrolment ratios and democracy, that democracy alone does not explain gender differentials in education in Africa and Asia. The results indicate that income, employment in agriculture, religious heterogeneity and colonialism also help explain the under-representation of girls in education in these regions. Countries in which the duration of suffrage has been longer tend to perform better on average in terms of gender equality in education.


Does The Size And Quality Of The Government Explain The Size And Efficiency Of The Financial Sector?, Arusha V. Cooray Jan 2009

Does The Size And Quality Of The Government Explain The Size And Efficiency Of The Financial Sector?, Arusha V. Cooray

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

This study examines the impact of two dimensions of thegovernment, namely, size and quality, on two dimensions of thefinancial sector, size and efficiency, in a cross section of 71economies. The study finds that while increased quality of thegovernment as measured by governance and legal origin positivelyinfluence both financial sector size and efficiency, that the size ofthe government proxied by government expenditure andgovernment ownership of banks, has a negative effect on financialsector efficiency, however, a positive impact on financial sector size,particularly in the low income economies.