Digital Commons Network^™

Is The Australian Smoking Population Hardening?, Tanya Buchanan, Christopher A. Magee, Ezinne Oyidia Igwe, Peter James Kelly

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background The hardening hypothesis proposes that as smoking rates decline, the remaining smokers will become hardcore and resistant to quitting. This group of highly resistant quitters will potentially require more individualistic approaches to cessation and harm reduction. The harm reduction approach (specifically e-cigarettes) has been proposed as an option to address hardened Australian smokers. We tested the hardening hypothesis by analysing the rates of hardcore smoking in the Australian smoking population between 2010-2016. Methods Data were drawn from three waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) in 2010, 2013 and 2016. Two different definitions were used to assess …

Air Quality Near Busy Australian Roads Up To 10 Times Worse Than Official Figures, Hugh I. Forehead

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

Air quality on Australia’s roads matters. On any given day (when we’re not in lockdown) people meet, commute, exercise, shop and walk with children near busy streets. But to date, air quality monitoring at roadsides has been inadequate. I and my colleagues wanted to change that. Using materials purchased from electronics and hardware stores for around A$150, we built our own air quality monitors. Our newly published research reveals how our devices detected particulate pollution at busy intersections at levels ten times worse than background levels measured at official air monitoring stations.

Organisational-Level Assessment Of Cloud Computing Adoption: Evidence From The Australian Smes, Salim Al Isma'ili, Mengxiang Li, Jun Shen, Pu Huang, Qiang He, Wu Zhan

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Cloud Computing (CC) is an emerging technology that can potentially revolutionise the application and delivery of IT. There has been little research, however, into the adoption of CC in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). The indicators show that CC has been adopted very slowly. There is also a significant research gap in the investigation of the adoption of this innovation in SMEs. This article explores how the adoption of CC in Australia is related to technological factors, risk factors, and environmental factors. The study provides useful insights that can be utilised practically by SMEs, policymakers, and cloud vendors.

Homes With Higher Energy Ratings Sell For More. Here’S How Australian Owners Could Cash In, Daniel J. Daly

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Everybody wants an energy-efficient home. After all, an energy-efficient home is comfortable to live in, without large energy bills. These can be important factors for prospective home owners or renters. Our review of international research found energy-efficient homes typically fetch a higher price.

A Unified Call To Action From Australian Nursing And Midwifery Leaders: Ensuring That Black Lives Matter, L Geia, K Baird, K Bail, Lesley M. Barclay, James E. Bennett, O Best, M Birks, L Blackley, R Blackman, A Bonner, R Bryant, C Buzzacott, S Campbell, Christine Catling, C Chamberlain, L Cox, W Cross, M Cruickshank, A Cummins, H Dahlen, J Daly, Philip Darbyshire, Patricia M. Davidson, Elizabeth Denney-Wilson, R De Souza, K Doyle, A Drummond, J Duff, C Duffield, T Dunning, Leah East, D Elliott, R Elmir, D Fergie, Caleb Ferguson, Ritin S. Fernandez, D Flower, M Foureur, Cathrine Fowler, M Fry, E Gorman, J Grant, Joanne Gray, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, B Hart, D Hartz, M Hazelton, L Heaton, Louise Hickman, C Homer, C Hungerford, A Hutton, Debra Jackson, A Johnson, Margaret Kelly, A Kitson, S Knight, Tracy Levett-Jones, D Lindsay, Raymond W. Lovett, Lauretta Luck, Luke J. Molloy, E Manias, Judy Mannix, A Marriott, M Martin, D Massey, Andrea Mccloughen, S Mcgough, L Mcgrath, J Mills, Brett Mitchell, J Mohamed, J Montayre, Tracey Moroney, Wendy Moyle, Lorna Moxham, H Northam, S Nowlan, A O'Brien, O Ogunsiji, C Paterson, K Pennington, Kathleen Peters, Jane Phillips, Tamara Power, Nicholas Procter, Lucie Ramjan, N Ramsay, B Rasmussen, J Rihari-Thomas, B Rind, M Robinson, Michael Roche, K Sainsbury, Yenna Salamonson, J Sherwood, L Shields, Jenny Sim, J Skinner, G Smallwood, R Smallwood, L Stewart, S Taylor, K Usher, C Virdun, J Wannell, R Ward, C West, R West, Lesley Wilkes, R Williams, Rhonda Wilson, D Wynaden, R Wynne

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

Nurses and midwives of Australia now is the time for change! As powerfully placed, Indigenous and non-Indigenous nursing and midwifery professionals, together we can ensure an effective and robust Indigenous curriculum in our nursing and midwifery schools of education. Today, Australia finds itself in a shifting tide of social change, where the voices for better and safer health care ring out loud. Voices for justice, equity and equality reverberate across our cities, our streets, homes, and institutions of learning. It is a call for new songlines of reform. The need to embed meaningful Indigenous health curricula is stronger now than …

Australian Primary Private Schools Should Be Fully Funded By Governments — But Banned From Charging Fees, Rachel Wilson, Paul Andrew Kidson

Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities - Papers

To fix inequality in Australian education, governments should fully fund all non-government primary schools, according to former former NSW Education Minister and now head of the UNSW Gonski Institute, Adrian Piccoli. In an opinion piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Piccoli suggests government funding be dependent on non-government schools no longer collecting fees from parents and agreeing to abide by the same enrolment and accountability rules as public schools. The fully-funded non-government primary private schools would still be run by the same organisations as before, and abide by the same educational philosophy. But no student would be turned away. …

Middle Leading In Australian Schools: Professional Standards, Positions, And Professional Development, Kylie Lipscombe, Christine Grice, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, John J. De Nobile

Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities - Papers

In Australia, there is a national education agenda for school improvement with an increasing focus on how school leaders can fulfil this agenda. As school principals are arguably faced with increasing demands, the importance of school middle leaders is increasing. This article presents the initial findings from a larger project on middle leadership in Australian schools, the first phase of which is a documentary analysis of significant texts including policy documents, websites and reports. The purpose of the document analysis was to examine expectations placed on, and support provided for, school middle leaders in Australian schools to make explicit the …

Factors Associated With Patterns Of Psychological Distress, Alcohol Use And Social Network Among Australian Mineworkers, Carole L. James, Mijanur Rahman, Aaron Bezzina, Brian Kelly

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Objective: To investigate the convergence of individual findings relating to psychological distress, alcohol use and social network (SN) to identify their associated clusters within Australian mineworkers. Methods: This study used cross‐sectional survey data from 3,056 participants across 12 Australian mines. Latent class analysis used the scores of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Social Network Index. Results: Class 1 (moderate to very high psychological distress, low SN score and low to moderate AUDIT) included 39% (n=1,178) participants and class 2 (low to moderate psychological distress and AUDIT and very high SN) composed of 61% (n=1,873) …

Covid-19 And Retinal Oct: An Australian Case Study, Tommy Cleary

Australian Health Services Research Institute

The following presents a primary care optometry encounter with a patient who has recovered from COVID-19. This article aims to highlight the potential for optometry to contribute to a better understanding of the visual and retinal manifestations of patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

Job Satisfaction And Career Intention Of Australian General Practice Nurses: A Cross‐Sectional Survey, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Sonia Bird

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

Purpose

The nursing workforce in Australian general practice has increased exponentially in size over recent years to meet the growing demand for health care. Nurses are more likely to remain working if they are satisfied with their jobs. Satisfaction is impacted by a complex range of factors, including the environment, workplace relationships, and the nurses’ role. Therefore, satisfaction data cannot be generalized across disparate clinical settings. This study sought to investigate the job satisfaction and turnover intentions of nurses working in Australian general practice.

Design and Methods

A cross‐sectional online survey of nurses employed in general practices across Australia was …

The History Of Cenozoic Magmatism And Collision In Nw New Guinea - New Insights Into The Tectonic Evolution Of The Northernmost Margin Of The Australian Plate, Max Webb, Lloyd T. White, Benjamin M. Jost, Herwin Tiranda, Marcelle Boudagher Fadel

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

Evidence of Cenozoic magmatism is found along the length of New Guinea. However, the petrogenetic and tectonic setting for this magmatism is poorly understood. This study presents new field, petrographic, U-Pb zircon, and geochemical data from NW New Guinea. These data have been used to identify six units of Cenozoic igneous rocks which record episodes of magmatism during the Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene. These episodes occurred in response to the ongoing interaction between the Australian and Philippine Sea plates. During the Eocene, the Australian Plate began to obliquely subduct beneath the Philippine Sea Plate forming the Philippine-Caroline Arc. Magmatism in …

Australian And New Zealand Medical Students' Attitudes And Confidence Towards Providing Nutrition Care In Practice, Breanna Marie Lepre, Jennifer Crowley, Dineo Mpe, Harsh Bhoopatkar, Kylie J. Mansfield, Clare Wall, Eleanor J. Beck

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

The prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic disease is increasing. Doctors in primary care are ideally placed to support patient nutrition care, but recent reviews show education is still lacking. This study aimed to identify medical students’ attitudes towards the role of nutrition in health, nutrition knowledge, and perceptions of nutrition education, in postgraduate (Australia) and undergraduate (New Zealand) programs in order to identify gaps in nutrition knowledge and skills to better inform future education. Second-year graduate and third-year undergraduate students participated in semi-structured focus groups and interviews. A general inductive approach was used to investigate students’ 1) attitudes toward the role …

The Support Needs Of Australian Primary Health Care Nurses During The Covid‐19 Pandemic, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Anna Williams, Christine Ashley, Susan Mcinnes, Catherine Stephen, Kaara Ray Calma, Sharon James

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

Aim To identify Australian primary healthcare nurses immediate support needs during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background COVID‐19 has had widespread implications for primary healthcare nurses. Supporting these nurses’ capacity to deliver quality care ensures that ongoing health needs can be met. Methods Primary healthcare nurses were recruited to an online survey via social media and professional organisations in April 2020. Results Six‐hundred and thirty‐seven responses were included in analysis. Participants provided 1213 statements about perceived supports required to provide quality clinical care. From these, seven key categories emerged, namely; personal protective equipment, communication, funding, industrial issues, self‐care, workplace factors and valuing …

The Value Of Movement Content Knowledge In The Training Of Australian Pe Teachers: Perceptions Of Teacher Educators, Erik R. Backman, Philip J. Pearson, Gregory J. Forrest

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this paper is to describe, analyse and discuss the statements made by Australian physical education teacher educators (PETE) in terms of how they perceive and value movement content knowledge (CK) in their assessment of movement courses. Drawing on Shulman's perspective of CK, this paper builds on qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with nine teacher educators from a total of seven PETE universities in New South Wales as well as written unit outlines including assignments from these PETE universities. The main results from the study show that among the participants, movement CK is conceptualised as physical movement performance. …

Factors Contributing To Low Readiness And Capacity Of Culturally Diverse Participants To Use The Australian National Bowel Screening Kit, Lyn Phillipson, Leissa Pitts, Julie Hall, Tameika Tubaro

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Objectives: Bowel screening is an effective way to promote early detection of bowel cancer. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people face considerable barriers to screening. This qualitative study explored perceptions towards, and usability of, Australia's national bowel screening kit with members of two migrant communities. Methods: Thirty-three people (aged 50-79 years) from Serbian and Macedonian communities in the Illawarra region in New South Wales, Australia, participated in one of five interactive focus group sessions. Sessions used innovative 'customer journey' techniques to understand participants' experience of each step of the faecal occult blood test process. Participants discussed knowledge of bowel cancer …

How Australian Residential Aged Care Staffing Levels Compare With International And National Benchmarks, Kathy Eagar, Anita B. Westera, Milena Snoek, Conrad Kobel, Carol L. Loggie, Robert Gordon

Australian Health Services Research Institute

The Centre for Health Service Development, part of the Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) at the University of Wollongong, was commissioned by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (the Commission) to undertake this analysis of international and national staffing profiles for residential aged care services in order to better understand how staffing can be improved in Australia. The key activities for the project include a literature review on international and national models of staffing in residential aged care facilities and use of data from the Resource Utilisation and Classification Study (RUCS) (Eagar et al. 2019) to …

Prioritizing Indigenous Voices Through Qualitative Health Research: An Australian Model For Focus Group Research, Joanna Mason, Kathleen F. Clapham, Darcelle Wu, Angela Dawson, John Daniels

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Abstract presented at the 3rd European Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, 13-15 February 2019, Edinburgh, Scotland

Middle Leading And Influence In Two Australian Schools, Kylie Lipscombe, Sharon K. Tindall-Ford, Peter Grootenboer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Increasingly, educational systems are appreciating the importance of middle leaders leading educational improvement in schools. Schools depend on middle leaders to lead site-based educational development in areas including curriculum development, teacher professional learning and student learning improvement. Middle leaders are in a unique but complex position where they influence both executive leadership and teachers within the school organisation. Adopting case study methodology to investigate the practices and influence of middle leaders leading a school-based educational development project, three semi-structured interviews and artefacts from two middle leaders were collected over eight months. The theory of practice architectures afforded an examination of …

The Australian National Aged Care Classification (An-Acc). The Resource Utilisation And Classification Study: Report 1, Kathy Eagar, Jennifer P. Mcnamee, Robert Gordon, Milena Snoek, Cathy Duncan, Peter D. Samsa, Carol L. Loggie

Australian Health Services Research Institute

The Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI), University of Wollongong, was commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Health (the Department) in August 2017 to undertake the ‘Resource Utilisation and Classification Study’ (RUCS). This is the first of a series of reports that will present the results of the body of work completed as part of the overall RUCS program. This report (Report 1) presents the recommended classification, known as the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC). The key elements of the AN-ACC development process, including the sampling methodology, clinical stakeholder consultations, and the data collection and analysis methods are outlined. …

Indigenous Compared With Non-Indigenous Australian Patients At Entry To Specialist Palliative Care: Cross-Sectional Findings From A Multi-Jurisdictional Dataset, John A. Woods, Jade C. Newton, Sandra C. Thompson, Eva Malacova, Hanh T. Ngo, Judith M. Katzenellenbogen, Kevin Murray, Shaouli Shahid, Claire E. Johnson

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Background

There are few quantitative studies on palliative care provision to Indigenous Australians, a population known to experience distinctive barriers to quality healthcare and to have poorer health outcomes than other Australians.

Objectives To investigate equity of specialist palliative care service provision through characterising and comparing Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients at entry to care. Methods Using data (01/01/2010–30/06/2015) from all services participating in the multi-jurisdictional Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration, Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients entering palliative care were compared on proportions vis-à-vis those expected from national statutory datasets, demographic characteristics, and entry-to-care status across fourteen ‘problem’ domains (e.g., pain, functional impairment) …

Comparability Of The Australian National Cancer Symptom Trials (Cst) Group's Study Populations To National Referrals To Non-Cst Specialist Palliative Care Services Participating In The Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration, Hiromichi Matsuoka, Samuel F. Allingham, Belinda Fazekas, Linda Brown, Zac Vandersman, Katherine Clark, Meera Agar, David C. Currow

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Using the results of Phase III studies in clinical practice depends on how representative study participants are of the clinical population to whom the results will be applied. The closer the characteristics between the subgroup who participate in a clinical trial and the whole population, the easier it is for clinicians to apply the results directly to the patient that he/she is treating. Trial participation is generally more happenstance than a systematic sampling of a population and is limited by eligibility criteria that do not reflect the entire clinical population. Phase III study populations tend to be younger with fewer …

Tectonic Mode Switches Recorded At The Northern Edge Of The Australian Plate During The Pliocene And Pleistocene, Lloyd T. White, Robert Hall, Indra Gunawan, Barry Kohn

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

We report new data from medium‐high grade metamorphic rocks found at the northern margin of the Lengguru Fold Belt in West Papua. The study involved a systematic analysis of cross‐cutting structures to establish the relative timing of deformation, together with isotopic dating to define when these tectono‐thermal events occurred. These data show that the region underwent multiple episodes of deformation within the last six million years. Metamorphic mineral growth was associated with the development of ductile shear zones. This episode occurred during a phase of crustal stretching associated with the formation of a metamorphic core complex. Metamorphic zircon growth at …

How Much Does Weather Matter? Effects Of Rain And Wind On Pm Accumulation By Four Species Of Australian Native Trees, Robert Popek, Alison M. Haynes, Arkadiusz Przybysz, Sharon A. Robinson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

As interest in improving urban air quality grows, phytoremediation-amelioration through plants-is an increasingly popular method of targeting particulate matter (PM), one of the most harmful pollutants. Decades of research has proven that plants effectively capture PM from air; however, more information is needed on the dynamics of PM accumulation. Our study evaluated the effects of meteorological conditions on the dynamics of PM deposition, wash off and resuspension using four Australian tree species growing under natural conditions near a busy highway. Accumulation of PM on foliage was analyzed over the short term (daily changes) and over a longer time period (weekly …

Taiwanese Australian Innovation Within Ageing Network (Taiwan): An International Collaboration Leading To Shared Policy And Practice Changes For Older People, Victoria Traynor

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: Part B

Abstract presented at the 11th International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics Asia/Oceania Regional Congress, 23-27 October 2019, Taipei, Taiwan

Nano-Sunscreens - A Double-Edged Sword In Protecting Consumers From Harm: Viewing Australian Regulatory Policies Through The Lenses Of The European Union, S M. Solaiman, Jennifer Algie, Shahnaz Bakand, Ronald Sluyter, Vitor Sencadas, Michael L. F Lerch, Xu-Feng Huang, Konstantin K. Konstantinov, Philip J. Barker

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

Nanotechnology has the potential to bring about revolutionary changes in manufacturing products, including sunscreens. However, a knowledge gap between benefits and detriments of engineered nano-materials used in sunscreens exists, which gives rise to safety concerns. This article is concerned with the protection of consumers without impairing the embellishment of this promising technology. It is widely argued that the harm associated with nano-sunscreens may only occur under certain conditions related mainly to users skin vulnerability, which can be avoided by informed and careful use of such a product. We thus recognize the need for fostering the growth of nanotech simultaneously with …

Above-Roof Temperature Impacts On Heating Penalties Of Large Cool Roofs In Australian Climates – Final Report, Wenye Lin, Alan Green, Georgios Kokogiannakis, Paul Cooper

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This report outlines the key outcomes of research project RP1037u1 ‘Above-Roof Temperature Impacts on Heating Penalties of Large Cool Roofs in Australian Climates’, an extension to project RP1037 ‘Driving increased utilisation of cool roofs on large-footprint buildings’. The research has been focused on two key aspects of roof thermal performance that had, up until the time of writing, not been taken into account in most investigations into cool roof technology: 1. The condensation and evaporation of dew on the roof surface, and the effect this has on roof temperature by way of: a. The latent heat that is absorbed and …

Performance Simulation And Evaluation Of Net Zero Energy Buildings In An Australian Coastal Climate, Joel Anderson, Duane A. Robinson, Zhenjun Ma

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Net zero energy buildings (NZEB) are becoming more common, and as new energy saving designs and technologies become available, the ability to estimate overall energy use and understand the impact on operation of building appliances will become important. This paper outlines simulation results of performance improvements achieved by modifying various components (glazing, lighting, thermal comfort settings) of two tertiary education NZEBs and a typical modern commercial building. The DesignBuilder models' thermal performance and energy consumption were validated using real data from case study buildings. The work shows validating models of smaller, less conven-tional, buildings is more difficult than for larger …

Effectiveness Of Quality Incentive Payments In General Practice (Equip-Gp): A Study Protocol For A Cluster-Randomised Trial Of An Outcomes-Based Funding Model In Australian General Practice To Improve Patient Care, Gregory Peterson, Grant Russell, Jan Radford, Nicholas Arnold Zwar, Danielle Mazza, Simon Eckermann, Judy Mullan, Marijka Batterham, Athena Hammond, Andrew D. Bonney

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background There is international interest in whether improved primary care, in particular for patients with chronic or complex conditions, can lead to decreased use of health resources and whether financial incentives help achieve this goal. This trial (EQuIP-GP) will investigate whether a funding model based upon targeted, continuous quality incentive payments for Australian general practices increases relational continuity of care, and lessens health-service utilisation, for high-risk patients and children. Methods We will use a mixed methods approach incorporating a two-arm pragmatic cluster randomised control trial with nested qualitative case studies. We aim to recruit 36 general practices from Practice-Based Research …

Sound Tracks Of The Black Pacific: Music, Identity And Resilience In Australian South Sea Islander Communities, Camellia B. Webb-Gannon, Michael Webb

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Australian South Sea Islanders, the descendants of the Melanesians from (primarily) Vanuatu and Solomon Islands who were 'blackbirded' to Queensland and New South Wales (1847-1904) for their labour, have, through music and dance practices, come to identify as part of a global black 'transnation'. Studies of the 'Black Atlantic' point both to the transnational character of slavery and the importance of music as a medium of resistance. This article proposes that Australian South Sea Islanders' musical cultures might usefully be understood in terms of a parallel concept, the 'Black Pacific', in relation to which the Pacific's colonised and decolonised peoples …

Examining The High Users Of Hospital Resources: Implications Of A Profile Developed From Australian Health Insurance Claims Data, Joanna Khoo, Helen M. Hasan, Kathy Eagar

Australian Health Services Research Institute

Objective To develop and examine a profile of the demographic, hospital admission and clinical characteristics of high users of hospital resources within a cohort of privately insured Australians.Methods Hospital admissions claims data from a group of private health insurance funds were analysed. The top 1% of hospital users were selected based on three measures of resource utilisation: number of admissions, total bed days and total insurance benefits paid. The demographic, hospital admission and clinical characteristics data were compared for these three measures of resource utilisation.Results Compared with the general insured population, the three high-use cohorts are older, have more public …