Digital Commons Network^™

Cross-Sectional Study Of Area-Level Disadvantage And Glycaemic-Related Risk In Community Health Service Users In The Southern.Iml Research (Simlr) Cohort, Roger Cross, Andrew D. Bonney, Darren J. Mayne, Kathryn M. Weston

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objectives. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between area-level socioeconomic disadvantage and glycaemic-related risk in health service users in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, Australia. Methods. HbA1c values recorded between 2010 and 2012 for non-pregnant individuals aged 18 years were extracted from the Southern.IML Research (SIMLR) database. Individuals were assigned quintiles of the Socioeconomic Indices for Australia (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage (IRSD) according to their Statistical Area 1 of residence. Glycaemic risk categories were defined as HbA1c 5.0-5.99% (lowest risk), 6.0-7.49% (intermediate risk) and 7.5% (highest risk). Logistic regression models were …

Evidence For Sample Selection Effect And Hawthorne Effect In Behavioural Hiv Prevention Trial Among Young Women In A Rural South African Community, Molly Rosenberg, Audrey Pettifor, Rhian Twine, James Hughes, F Gomez-Olive, Ryan Wagner, Afolabi Sulaimon, Stephen Tollman, Amanda Selin, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Kathleen Kahn

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives We examined the potential influence of both sample selection effects and Hawthorne effects in the behavioural HIV Prevention Trial Network 068 study, designed to examine whether cash transfers conditional on school attendance reduce HIV acquisition in young South African women. We explored whether school enrolment among study participants differed from the underlying population, and whether differences existed at baseline (sample selection effect) or arose during study participation (Hawthorne effect). Methods We constructed a cohort of 3889 young women aged 11-20 years using data from the Agincourt Health and socio-Demographic Surveillance System. We compared school enrolment in 2011 (trial start) …

Should Women Aged 70-74 Be Invited To Participate In Screening Mammography? A Report On Two Australian Community Juries, Christopher J. Degeling, Alexandra Barratt, Sanchia Aranda, Robin J. Bell, Jenny Doust, Nehmat Houssami, Jolyn Hersch, Ruben Sakowsky, Vikki A. Entwistle, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To elicit informed views from Australian women aged 70-74 regarding the acceptability of ceasing to invite women their age to participate in government-funded mammography screening (BreastScreen). Design Two community juries held in 2017. Setting Greater Sydney, a metropolis of 4.5 million people in New South Wales, Australia. Participants 34 women aged 70-74 with no personal history of breast cancer, recruited by random digit dialling and previously randomly recruited list-based samples. Main outcomes and measures Jury verdict and rationale in response to structured questions. We transcribed audio-recorded jury proceedings and identified central reasons for the jury's decision. Results The women's …

The Role Of Community Sports Clubs In Adolescent Mental Health: The Perspectives Of Adolescent Males' Parents, Diarmuid Hurley, Christian F. Swann, Mark S. Allen, Anthony D. Okely, Stewart A. Vella

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Adolescent males are at relatively high risk of developing mental health disorders and show low rates of help seeking when mental health disorders arise. Parents are the primary source of support for adolescents and therefore have an important role in mental health promotion and prevention of mental health disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions of adolescent males' parents on the potential role of community sport clubs in adolescent mental health promotion. Forty-six parents of adolescent males took part in 10 focus groups to investigate parents' mental health knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, perceptions of the role …

Community Mobilization For Hiv Testing Uptake: Results From A Community Randomized Trial Of A Theory-Based Intervention In Rural South Africa, Sheri Lippman, Torsten Neilands, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Dean Peacock, Suzanne Maman, Dumisani Rebombo, Rhian Twine, Amanda Selin, Hannah Leslie, Kathleen Kahn, Audrey Pettifor

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: HIV testing uptake in South Africa is below optimal levels. Community mobilization (CM) may increase and sustain demand for HIV testing, however, little rigorous evidence exists regarding the effect of CM interventions on HIV testing and the mechanisms of action.

Methods: We implemented a theory-driven CM intervention in 11 of 22 randomly-selected villages in rural Mpumalanga Province. Cross-sectional surveys including a community mobilization measure were conducted before (n = 1181) and after (n = 1175) a 2-year intervention (2012–2014). We assessed community-level intervention effects on reported HIV testing using multilevel logistic models. We used structural equation models to explore …

All Care, But Whose Responsibility? Community Juries Reason About Expert And Patient Responsibilities In Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening For Prostate Cancer, Chris Degeling, Stacy M. Carter, Lucie Rychetnik

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

General practitioners have implicitly been given responsibility for guiding men's decisions about prostate-specific antigen-based screening for prostate cancer, but patients' expectations of the bounds of this responsibility remain unclear. We sought to explore how well-informed members of the public allocate responsibilities in prostate-specific antigen screening decision-making. In 2014, we convened two Community juries in Sydney, Australia, to address questions related to the content and timing of information provision and respective roles of patients and general practitioners in screening decisions. Participants in the first jury were of mixed gender and of all ages (n = 15); the participants in the second …

Cjcheck Stage 1: Development And Testing Of A Checklist For Reporting Community Juries - Delphi Process And Analysis Of Studies Published In 1996-2015, Rae Thomas, Rebecca Sims, Christopher J. Degeling, Jackie M. Street, Stacy M. Carter, Lucie Rychetnik, Jenny Whitty, Andrew Wilson, Paul Ward, Paul Glasziou

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Opportunities for community members to actively participate in policy development are increasing. Community/citizen's juries (CJs) are a deliberative democratic process aimed to illicit informed community perspectives on difficult topics. But how comprehensive these processes are reported in peer‐reviewed literature is unknown. Adequate reporting of methodology enables others to judge process quality, compare outcomes, facilitate critical reflection and potentially repeat a process. We aimed to identify important elements for reporting CJs, to develop an initial checklist and to review published health and health policy CJs to examine reporting standards. Design Using the literature and expertise from CJ researchers and policy …

A Virtual Community Of Practice For General Practice Training: A Preimplementation Survey, Stephen Barnett, Sandra C. Jones, Sue Bennett, Donald C. Iverson, Laura Robinson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Professional isolation is an important factor in low rural health workforce retention.

Objective: The aim of this study was to gain insights to inform the development of an implementation plan for a virtual community of practice (VCoP) for general practice (GP) training in regional Australia. The study also aimed to assess the applicability of the findings of an existing framework in developing this plan. This included ascertaining the main drivers of usage, or usefulness, of the VCoP for users and establishing the different priorities between user groups.

Methods: A survey study, based on the seven-step health VCoP framework, was …

Illawarra Aboriginal Community Profile: A Snapshot Of An Urban Aboriginal Community, Kathleen F. Clapham, Scott F. Winch, Valerie Harwood, Peter James Kelly, Paul A. Chandler, Kate Senior, Darcelle Wu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This community profile report provides information about the Aboriginal population of the Illawarra Region. It is intended to begin a discussion about how research can contribute to the social health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people. The report highlights disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians that are apparent not only in the health statistics but also in almost every key socioeconomic indicator.

However the report is not just about ill-health and disadvantage. The Illawarra region has numerous well-established Aboriginal-controlled organisations which provide important leadership and social health and wellbeing services for Aboriginal people, many of which have survived within the region …

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) Is Sensitive To Head Injury And Cognitive Impairment In A Residential Alcohol And Other Drug Therapeutic Community, Ely Marceau, Jo Lunn, Jamie Berry, Peter Kelly, Nadia Solowij

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction: Retaining clients in residential alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment is difficult and cognitive impairment has been identified as a significant predictor of treatment dropout. The application of extensive screening for cognitive impairment is cost-prohibitive for most AOD treatment services. The current study aimed to explore cognitive functioning and impairment-associated factors in a typical sample of residential AOD clients using a free brief screening tool that could be utilised by front-line AOD services. Methods: Residents of an AOD therapeutic community (n = 128) and a non-substance using control group (n = 37) were administered a brief cognitive screening measure, …

A Community To Call Home: An Analysis Of The Southern Youth And Family Services' (Syfs) Approaches To Reducing Youth Homelessness And Disadvantage, Lynne M. Keevers

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The NSW government's stated approach to the reduction and prevention of homelessness is focused on ensuring service approaches are evidenced-based and funding is needs-based (NSW Department of Family & Community Services, 2012). Despite the recognition of homelessness in the research and policy agenda, relatively little has been published about the practices effective in assisting young people to avoid or exit homelessness. The findings from this study build on previous research and inform this developing policy and research area by contributing to the evidence on what works well in supporting young people who are homeless or at risk ofhomelessness

A Review Of Current Practices To Increase Chlamydia Screening In The Community - A Consumer-Centred Social Marketing Perspective, Lyn Phillipson, Ross Gordon, Joanne Telenta, Christopher A. Magee, Marty Janssen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most frequently reported sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Australia, the UK and Europe. Yet, rates of screening for STIs remain low, especially in younger adults. Objective: To assess effectiveness of Chlamydia screening interventions targeting young adults in community-based settings, describe strategies utilized and assess them according to social marketing benchmark criteria. Search strategy: A systematic review of relevant literature between 2002 and 2012 in Medline, Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health was undertaken. Results: Of 18 interventions identified, quality of evidence was low. Proportional screening rates …

The Use Of Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) Among A Community Sample Of People With Chronic Non‐Cancer Pain Prescribed Opioids, Bianca Hoban, Briony K. Larance, Natasa Gisev, Suzanne Nielsen, Milton Cohen, Raimondo Bruno, Fiona Shand, Nicholas Lintzeris, Wayne Hall, Michael P. Farrell, Louisa Degenhardt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

The regular use of simple analgesics in addition to opioids such as paracetamol (or acetaminophen) is recommended for persistent pain to enhance analgesia. Few studies have examined the frequency and doses of paracetamol among people with chronic non‐cancer pain including use above the recommended maximum daily dose.

Aims

To assess (i) the prevalence of paracetamol use among people with chronic non‐cancer pain prescribed opioids, (ii) assess the prevalence of paracetamol use above the recommended maximum daily dose and (iii) assess correlates of people who used paracetamol above the recommended maximum daily dose including: age, gender, income, education, pain severity …

Medication Management Concerns Of Ethnic Minority Family Caregivers Of People Living With Dementia, Robyn Gillespie, Lindsey Harrison, Judy Mullan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This qualitative study explored the medication management experiences of Australian ethnic minority family caregivers of people living with dementia. From the perspective of this group of caregivers, medication management was a source of stress resulting from the progressive loss of ability of care recipients to manage their own medications; the complexity of the medication regime and the caregiver's lack of trust of the care recipient to safely and effectively manage medications. Caregivers used various strategies to manage medications and avoid conflict with care recipients including being watchful and involving other family members in medication management tasks. Family caregivers indicated that …

The Lgbti Community In The 2011 Queensland Floods: Marginality, Vulnerability And Resilience, Andrew W. Gorman-Murray, Sally Morris, Jessica Keppel, Scott J. Mckinnon, Dale Dominey-Howes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Vulnerability to disasters is not inherent to particular social groups but results from existing marginality. Marginalisation from social, political and economic resources and recognition underpins vulnerability and impedes recovery. Yet concurrently, disasters can reveal the resilient capacities of some marginal groups, who often develop specific means of coping with marginality. This paper applies these perspective to the experiences of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex) sexual minorities during the 2011 disasters in Queensland, Australia. The findings come from a survey conducted by the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) a year after the floods. An agreement was established between QAHC …

"More Than Just A Meal": A Qualitative Study Of The Views And Experiences Of Older People Using A Meals On Wheels (Mow) Service, Kaitlyn Evans, Fiona Manning, Karen Walton, Victoria Traynor, Anne-Therese Mcmahon, Karen Charlton

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background: Community based Meal on Wheels (MOW) services contribute to promoting the independence of older people through the provision of home delivered meals. It is important to actively explore the views, expectations and experiences of clients to ensure their services are contemporary. Objectives: To explore the views and experiences of older people who are MOW clients about the meal service and the meaning of food and mealtimes. Design: A phenomenological approach using semi-structured face-to-face interviews which were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Line-by-line thematic analysis was undertaken until saturation was reached and codes, categories and final themes were agreed by …

Diversion Of Prescribed Opioids By People Living With Chronic Pain: Results From An Australian Community Sample, Jessica Belcher, Suzanne Nielsen, Gabrielle Campbell, Raimondo Bruno, Bianca Hoban, Briony K. Larance, Nicholas Lintzeris, Louisa Degenhardt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims There has been an increase in prescription of opioids for chronic non‐cancer pain, and concern exists over possible diversion of prescription opioids to the illicit marketplace. Recent media coverage suggests that elderly patients sell their prescribed opioids for additional income. This study investigated the extent to which an Australian community sample of chronic pain patients prescribed opioids reported supplying their prescribed opioids to others. Design and Methods Participants living with chronic non‐cancer pain and prescribed opioids for their pain (n = 952) were recruited across Australia via advertisements at pharmacies. A telephone interview included questions about their …

Community Knowledge, Behaviours And Attitudes About The 2009 H1n1 Influenza Pandemic: A Systematic Review, Rebecca Tooher, Joanne Collins, Jackie M. Street, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Helen S. Marshall

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Effectiveness of pandemic plans and community compliance was extensively researched following the H1N1 pandemic. This systematic review examined community response studies to determine whether behavioural responses to the pandemic were related to level of knowledge about the pandemic, perceived severity of the pandemic and level of concern about the pandemic.

Methods

Literature databases were searched from March 2009 to August 2011 and included cross‐sectional or repeated population surveys undertaken during or following the H1N1 pandemic which reported on community response to the pandemic. Studies using population subgroups and other respiratory diseases were excluded, as were mathematical modelling and qualitative …

Quality Of Life Of Community-Based Palliative Care Clients And Their Caregivers, Tanya Connell, Ritin S. Fernandez, Duong Tran, Rhonda Griffiths, Janeane Harlum, Meera Agar

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This study aimed to investigate health-related quality of life of palliative care (PC) clients and their caregivers, at baseline and follow-up, following a referral to a community PC service. Quality of life of clients and their caregivers was respectively measured using the McGill Quality of Life instrument (MQoL) and the Caregiver Quality of Life Cancer Index (CQoLC) instruments. Participants were recruited from June 8 to October 27, 2006. This study was undertaken in one zone of an Area Health Service in New South Wales, which has a diverse socioeconomic population. The zone covers an area of 6237 km2 and is …

Perceptions Of Family Physician Trainees And Trainers Regarding The Usefulness Of A Virtual Community Of Practice, Stephen Barnett, Sandra C. Jones, Sue Bennett, Donald C. Iverson, Andrew Bonney

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Training for Australian general practice, or family medicine, can be isolating, with registrars (residents or trainees) moving between rural and urban environments, and between hospital and community clinic posts. Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs), groups of people sharing knowledge about their domain of practice online and face-to-face, may have a role in overcoming the isolation associated with general practice training. Objective: This study explored whether Australian general practice registrars and their supervisors (trainers) would be able to use, and would be interested in using, a VCoP in the form of a private online network for work and training purposes. …

Is 'Community' Important For Community Information Systems?, Alison E. Freeman, Peter Hyland, Mark Freeman, Karlheinz Kautz

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Community information systems have the power to transform communities. However, without fully understanding the pre-requisite factors affecting community information system viability, and the complex relationships between these factors, communities struggle to manage such projects in a way that leads to viable systems that deliver real benefits. This paper develops and presents a Model of Community Information System Viability Pre-requisite Factors, based on both existing literature and the study of three community information system projects. This Model represents the generic factors that inform viability (i.e. leadership, active membership, funding, awareness, and system design and functionality), and also considers the impact of …

Promoting Health And Nutrition Through Sport: Attitudes Of The Junior Sporting Community, Bridget Kelly, Louise A. Baur, Adrian E. Bauman, Lesley King, Kathy Chapman, Ben J. Smith

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study aimed to provide information on parents', children's and sporting officials' attitudes to sponsorship arrangements, and their support of potential policy interventions to reorient sponsorship to be more health promoting. Methods: Sports clubs (n=20) known to have food and beverage sponsors in Sydney, Illawarra and Canberra/Queanbeyan were selected. Parents and children at sports clubs were recruited through convenience sampling by approaching those attending the sports club at the time of the survey and those children who had a signed consent form. Sports clubs were visited between May and November 2010. At each club, one sports club official, ten parents …

The Quality Of Life Of People With Schizophrenia Living In The Community In Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Amira Ali Alshowkan, Janette Curtis, Yvonne White

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention: Outcomes Associated With A Differential Response Program In California, Amy Conley Wright, Jill Duerr Berrick

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Traditionally, the American child welfare system intervenes in cases of evident and severe maltreatment. Families in need of help, but who have not reached a crisis, are excluded from typical services. Some suggest that if these families were served, few would be rereferred to the child welfare system. California's Differential Response (DR) has three tracks, of which ''Track 1'' targets families screened out of child protective services (CPS) and refers them to agencies that provide voluntary, home-based services and referrals. This study examined child-welfare trajectories for families receiving Track 1 DR services in one California county. Using survival analysis, treatment …

Whose Standards? An Examination Of Community Attitudes Towards Australian Advertising, Sandra C. Jones, Katherine Eagleton

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is considerable ongoing debate in Australia, as in other countries, about the ethicality of current advertising practices. In recent years there has been an increase in the public focus on offensive or unacceptable advertising – such as overt sex appeals, racial vilification, and promotion of unsafe use of consumer products – arguing that many of these advertisements (ads) are contrary to community standards. The industry, on the other hand, argues that it produces ads that are designed to meet and appeal to community standards. There is no comprehensive data on the nature of community standards in relation to advertising, …

Heritage And Regional Development: An Indigenous Perspective, Robbie Collins, K. Mcmahon-Coleman

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) - Papers

Heritage is important to regional development in terms of promoting a sense of place and a sense of identity for those in the region. Heritage is often expressed through culture and the arts as a means of manifesting a community’s sense of what the community or region is about. For Indigenous communities this is particularly relevant given the lack of social capital as a result of colonialism and displacement. In these communities the value of the Indigenous way of viewing things and sense of place has been subjugated by hegemonic norms. There is a need for Indigenous peoples to find …

Online Forum Discussion Interactions As An Indicator Of Student Community, Shane Dawson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Given the current diversity of communication tools at an educator's disposal, what role (if any) does the discussion forum play in the development of a strong sense of community among students? This study sought to investigate the relationship between discussion forum interaction and perceived student sense of community. The results of the study demonstrate that while mere quantity of discussion forum postings is not an indicator of community development, a significant relationship is observed when contributions are codified into the various discussion interaction types (learner -learner; learner - content; system), An implication emerging from these findings is the ability for …

Alternative Solutions: Multiculturalism And The Struggle For Hegemony In Australian Community Broadcasting, Robert Carr

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

‘Who listens to community radio anyway?’ This has undeniably been the most common response to my investigations of the history of community radio in Australia. However, for those involved in the establishment of 3ZZ Radio in Melbourne, their struggle was about more than broadcasting to their own cultural and linguistic communities. It had a greater social significance, and would change the nature of the Australian broadcasting sector. The history of 3ZZ Radio is an indicator of the social context in which it is set; that is, 1970s Australia. Its rise and plummet out of existence between 1974 and 1977 reflects …

Community Technology Centres: A Proposed Framework For Sustainability, William J. Tibben, Carole A. Alcock

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The effectiveness of Community Technology Centres (CTCs) in meeting many of the challenges presented by the digital divide invites a closer scrutiny of factors that contribute to their sustainability. The success of CTCs appears to be related to the way in which these initiatives are able to respond to the multifaceted nature of the digital divide problem. However, more systematic approaches are required to enable the identification of common factors that contribute to sustainability in different contexts. The paper responds to this challenge by initially reviewing recent contributions on the digital divide debate. From a more refined understanding of what …

'A Thousand Points Of Spite' - Crowding Out The Bridging Community, Roger Patulny

Faculty of Arts - Papers (Archive)

Now as in the past, studies of community are lacking in their analysis of structural factors that influence communities. Theoretical analysis of community lacks regard for structure and agency. I suggest that Bourdieu's theory of practice and Honeth's ideas concerning recognition provide mechanism and motivation to address the structure and agency conflict, and inform more sophisticated studies of community. Communities are best served when the practices by which they operate are generalised and inclusive in nature, thus maximising interaction between people of difference and multiplying pathways of recognition. Such communities are characterised by norms of generalised trust and networks of …