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Junk Food, Health And Productivity: Taste, Price, Risk And Rationality, Amnon Levy

Faculty of Business - Economics Working Papers

Junk-food consumption, health and productivity are analyzed within an expectedlifetime- utility-maximizing framework in which the probability of living and productivity rise with health and health deteriorate with the consumption of junkfood. So long that the junk food’s relative taste-price differential is positive, the rational diet deviates from the physiologically optimal and renders the levels of health and productivity lower than the maximal. Taxing junk-food can eliminate this discrepancy but the outcome is not Pareto-superior. The value of health and the stationary junk-food consumption and health depend on the relative taste-price differential, survival and satisfaction elasticities and time preference-rate.

Clinician Optimism: Development And Psychometric Analysis Of A Scale For Mental Health Clinicians, Mitchell K. Byrne, Nichole L. Sullivan, Stephen J. Elsom

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Clinician optimism is an important factor in achieving treatment outcomes in psychotherapy. Currently there are no measures of mental health clinician optimism which report substantial psychometric validation. This study sought to assesses the validity and reliability of the Therapeutic Optimism Scale (TOS). 223 mental health clinicians working in a range of clinical settings were administered the TOS and convergent and discriminate validity were established. Test-retest reliability was established over a period of one month. The Therapeutic Optimism Scale was found to achieve acceptable reliability (Chronbach's alpha = .68) and yielded consistent scores over a one month period (r = .68, …

The Adverse Health And Psychological Consequences Of Cannabis Dependence, Wayne Hall, Nadia Solowij

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

People who become dependent on cannabis are more likely than infrequent users to experience any of the adverse health effects that are caused by chronic cannabis use. Dependent cannabis use is rare in comparison with the more prevalent pattern of experimental and intermittent use (Bachman et al., 1997), but it may nonetheless affect as many as 1% of adults in the USA and Australia in any 1 year (Anthony et al., 1994; Hall et al., 1999a). Dependent cannabis users typically smoke two or more cannabis cigarettes a day over periods of years or decades in a minority …

Do We Encourage Health Or Illness? A Survey Of Exercise Rehabilitation Practices For Patients In Australian Renal Units, Y. White, B. Grenyer

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: People with end stage renal disease (ESRD) have been reported as having low levels of physical activity. Sedentary behaviours increase illness risks which may lead to burdens on the public health system which include costs of medical care. Research has established that exercise is reported to improve general health and wellbeing. Benefits include better aerobic tolerance, maintenance and improvement in physical function and capacity, and improvement in self-concept and well-being. These same improvements also occur in an exercising ESRD population, even though the improvements might be of less magnitude. Renal unit staff can have a major impact on patients …

Evolution And Sustainability Of The Helping Hands Volunteer Program: Consumer Recovery And Mental Health Comparisoins Six Years On, Frank P. Deane, Retta Andresen

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Helping Hands program commenced in 1999 and partners volunteers with mental health consumers for support and to increase social contact, recreational and friendship opportunities. The aim of the present study is to describe the evolution and sustainability of the program over the first 6 years. A description of consumers accessing the program using recovery-oriented measures and traditional measures of behavioural functioning is also provided. Service data was collected on the development of the program, service utilisation, volunteer participation and funding patterns. Cross-sectional measures of recovery and baseline and follow-up Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) were collected on …

Setting Directions For Research Capacity Building In Primary Health Care: A Survey Of A Research Network, Karin Ried, Elizabeth Farmer, Kathryn M. Weston

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Background

The South Australian Research Network 'SARNet' aims to build research capacity in primary health care, as part of a national government-funded strategy to integrate research into clinical practice. Internationally, research networks have been a fundamental part of research culture change, and a variety of network models exist. The 'SARNet' model uses a whole system, multidisciplinary approach to capacity building and supports individuals and groups. We undertook a descriptive baseline survey in order to understand the background and needs of SARNet members and to tailor network activities towards those needs.

Methods

A questionnaire survey, assessing members' professional background, research experience, …

Technical Report: Development Of The Best Start Catalogue Of Early Intervention Strategies For Children's Health And Wellbeing, Kate Williams, David L. Fildes, Nick Marosszeky, Nadine R. Clark, Kathy Eagar

Australian Health Services Research Institute

No abstract provided.

Working Together For Mental Health: Evaluation Of A One-Day Mental Health Course For Human Service Providers, Pamela E. Grootemaat, Cathie Gillan, Gillian Holt, Wayne Forward, Narelle Heywood, Sue Willis

Sydney Business School - Papers

Background: The Working Together For Mental Health course is an 8-hour course designed to demystify mental illness and mental health services. The main target group for the course is people working in human service organisations who provide services for people with mental illness. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to all participants attending the course during 2003 (n = 165). Participants completed the questionnaire before and immediately after the course, and at three month follow-up. Results: A response rate of 69% was achieved with 114 people completing the questionnaire on all three occasions. The responses showed a significant …

Electronic Health Record System Evaluation Based On Patient Safety, Yung-Yu Su, Khin Than Win, John A. Fulcher

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

After describing the general characteristics of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), we consider patient safety. We then proceed to discuss IS evaluation in general terms, followed by HIS system evaluation in particular. The D&M IS Success model, Technology Acceptance model and Task-Technology Fit model are considered as potential candidates for EHR System evaluation. Based upon a critical review of the available literature, we draw some conclusions about the appropriateness of current HIS/EHR evaluation approaches. Finally, we suggest that by incorporating patient safety attributes in any EHR System evaluation framework, then this could lead to improved accuracy, and in turn improved patient …

Missing In Action: Research On Occupational Health And Safety Management In Organizations, Michael Zanko

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The enormous problem of workplace injuries and deaths continues to beset countries. Reflexive OHS regulation often places primary responsibility on employers’ management of OHS in organizations. This paper seeks to ascertain how OHS management at the organizational level has been treated in the research literature. A review of leading journals (13 in management, 6 in HRM) from 1994 to 2005 showed OHS management to be largely missing as the subject or field of study. Naturally, the OHS literature was more fruitful: 5 main categories were identified. However, there was little in the way nuanced explanation of OHS management at the …

The Effects Of Training In Behaviour Modification Strategies On Stress, Burnout, And Therapeutic Attitudes In Frontline Inpatient Mental Health Nurses, Hamish J. Mcleod, Lisa Densley, Kate Chapman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Psychiatric nursing is a stressful profession associated with high levels of burnout. Previous research has demonstrated that burnout in psychiatric nurses can be reduced via training that improves behaviour modification skills. However, the minimum amount of training required to demonstrate a beneficial effect is unclear. We evaluated the impact of a 4-day behaviour modification training program on stress, burnout, and therapeutic attitudes in nurses who were in frequent daily inpatient contact with patients with severe mental illnesses. Nurses working in the same wards served as a control group. Training improved therapeutic attitudes but did not alter self ratings of job-stress …

Ethics And Health Technology Assessment: Handmaiden And/Or Critic?, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: This study examines the content and role of ethical analysis in health technology assessment (HTA) and horizon scanning publications. It proposes that ethical analysis in HTA is of at least two different types: an ethics of HTA and an ethics in HTA. Methods: I examine the critical differences between these approaches through the examples of the analysis of genetic screening for breast cancer and home blood glucose testing in diabetes. I then argue that, although both approaches subscribe to similar views concerning HTA and ethics, they use different theoretical and methodological traditions to interpret and explain them. Results and …

Trips-Plus Intellectual Property Rules: Impact On Thailand's Public Health, Jakkrit Kuanpoth

Faculty of Law - Papers (Archive)

Thailandhas proved that a well-fund, politically-supported public policy could be effective in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS on a national scale. It is currently facing increased pressure to accept higher standards of intellectual property (IP) protection (the so-called TRIPS-Plus) under bilateral free trade agreements (FTA) proposed by theUnited States. The proposed US FTA threatens to restrict the measures the country can take to pursue affordable drugs, and will affect ability ofThailandto continue its successful ARV treatment and other healthcare programmes. The paper argues that the TRIPS-Plus regime generates a negative impact on poor people’s access to medicines, and the ARV …

Public Health At Risk: A Us Free Trade Agreement Could Threaten Access To Medicines In Thailand, Jakkrit Kuanpoth, Gawain Kripke, Stephanie Weinberg

Faculty of Law - Papers (Archive)

Even though the world faces the threat of potential new epidemics like avian influenza, the effects of trade rules on public health attract little attention. Governments recently reaffirmed their commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals which include combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other major diseases, yet little attention is given to the implications of United States Free Trade Agreements (US FTAs) with developing countries such as Thailand, for access to affordable medicines to treat those diseases. These FTAs do much more than regulate tariffs for cross-border trade in goods and services: they change the rules of intellectual property protection in …

Towards An Organizational Model Of Occupational Health And Safety Management: A Review Of The Literature, Michael Zanko, Scott Burrows

Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)

The enormous, tragic and largely unnoticed problem of workplace injuries and deaths continues to beset countries around the globe. Tripartite regulatory approaches to address the issues involved often place primary responsibility on employers’ management of health and safety (OHS) at the workplace. This paper seeks to ascertain how OHS management at the organizational level has been treated in the research literature.

A review of thirteen leading management journals from 1994 to 2005 was conspicuous by the absence of interest in OHS management as the subject or field of study. An examination of six leading HRM journals over the same timeframe …

Use Of Homework By Mental Health Case Managers In The Rehabilitation Of Persistent And Recurring Psychiatric Disability, Peter Kelly, Frank P. Deane, Nikolaos Kazantzis, Trevor P. Crowe, Lindsay G. Oades

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Homework refers to between-session activities that are tied to therapeutic goals. Homework has been suggested as being an important clinical adjunct to case management practices, however, to date, research has not examined case managers’ use of homework. Aims: To identify the degree that case managers use homework within their clinical practice and explore the way it is administered with people diagnosed with a persistent and recurring psychiatric illness. Method: A survey was completed by 122 case managers (63% of those approached) comprising nurses, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and welfare/support workers. Results: Ninety-three percent of case managers implement homework, …

From Surviving To Thriving: An Induction Program For Early Career Teachers Of Personal Development, Health And Physical Education, Gregg S. Rowland, Douglas Hearne, Ann Mccormack

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper is a discussion of a project with both face-to-face and online components designed to support early career teachers from the key learning area of Personal development.

What Do We Know About Men's Help-Seeking And Health Service Use?, James A. Smith, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Gary Wittert

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

• Men seek help and use health services less frequently than women do.

• Men’s help-seeking practices and health service use are complex issues involving biological, psychological and sociological considerations.

• Most discussion on men’s help-seeking positions them as reluctant consumers or “behaving badly” with respect to their health.

• Few studies have explored whether health service providers are equipped to deal with men’s health issues appropriately.

• The current health system appears not to be tailored to meet the health needs of men.

• Better collaboration is required across disciplines, to further investigate men’s health using both qualitative and quantitative research methods.