Digital Commons Network^™

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. …

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) …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Belonging In Time: Australian Women Playwrights In A Changing Landscape', Janys Hayes

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

No abstract provided.

Establishing A Framework For Learning To Teach English Pronunciation In An Australian Tesol Program, Michael S. Burri, Amanda Ann Baker, Honglin Chen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A substantial number of studies have been conducted in various second language teacher education settings. Yet, evidence about the effectiveness of teacher preparation continues to be debated and research findings about the efficacy of preparing language teachers are still somewhat inconclusive. As a further complication, even though pronunciation has regained some of its prominence in second language teaching, only minimal understanding exists about the preparation of pronunciation instructors in teacher education. The aim of this paper is to address this gap and to advance our understanding of teacher learning by first combining the findings from four research-based articles on learning …

Recent Trends In Population Levels And Correlates Of Occupational And Leisure Sitting Time In Full-Time Employed Australian Adults, Anne Loyen, Tien Chey, Lina Engelen, Adrian E. Bauman, Jeroen Lakerveld, Hidde P. Van Der Ploeg, Johannes Brug, Josephine Chau

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study aimed to explore the trend in population levels, as well as the correlates, of occupational and leisure sitting time in full-time employed Australian adults between 2007 and 2015. We used data from the 2007/08, 2011/12 and 2014/15 Australian Health Surveys, in which nationally representative samples of the Australian population were interviewed. Full-time (≥35 hours/week) employed respondents reported sitting time at work and during leisure on a usual workday. Trends over time and associations between socio-demographic and health-related characteristics and sitting time were analysed in the combined dataset using multivariable logistic regression models. Over 21,000 observations were included in …

Disclosing Volunteers As 'Human Capital': Analysing Annual Reports Of Australian Emergency Services Organisations, Yoke J. Berry, Michael L. Jones

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Annual reports of 11 volunteer-based emergency services organisations were analysed to determine how volunteers are valued in terms of human capital. A simple method was designed to enable comparison between agencies on nine categories of human capital being volunteer numbers, gender, age, length of service, diversity (three types), training and awards. The results were compared to the disclosure of the same categories pertaining to paid staff. Results showed that narratives of annual reports gave recognition and praise to volunteers but human resources sections reported primarily on paid staff. Data on volunteer numbers and diversity are poorly reported in many annual …

Completion Rates And Psychosocial Intervention Effectiveness In An Australian Substance Use Therapeutic Community, Michael Harley, Sabrina Pit, Trent Rees, Susan J. Thomas

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

Background: Program attrition is a major problem in substance use treatment. It is not clear which client and treatment variables are related to successful completion. This study aimed to identify client variables associated with Therapeutic Community (TC) completion. A secondary aim was to investigate changes in entry and exit scores on psychosocial outcome measures. Methods: Retrospective quantitative analysis of data collected from 193 Australian TC residents, over 3.5 years. Variables measured included: demographics; Depression, Anxiety, Stress Score (DASS-21) and World Health Organisation Quality of Life 8 questions (WHOQOL-8). Results: Completion rates were 30.6%. High Money WHOQOL-8 scores, suggestive of minimal …

Whole Grain Intake Of Australians Estimated From A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Dietary Intake Data From The 2011-13 Australian Health Survey, Leanne M. Galea, Eleanor J. Beck, Yasmine Probst, Chris Cashman

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

Objective: The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend Australians choose mostly whole-grain and/or high-fibre varieties within the grains (cereal) foods category, with other groups specifying a whole grain Daily Target Intake of 48 g for Australians aged 9 years or above. The USA and UK report estimates of whole grain intake that are low and declining, and no comprehensive studies on whole grain intake in the Australian population are available. The present study aimed to determine national estimates of whole grain intake, compared with current recommendations. Design: A recently updated whole grain database was applied to the most current population dietary intake …

Knowledge And Attitudes To Sexual Health And Sti Testing For Students At An Australian Regional University: A Cross-Sectional Study, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Tinashe Dune, Gina Dillon, Saifur Rahman, Rasheda Khanam, Laura Jenkins, Marnie Britton, Bernie Green, Christine Edwards, Annette Stevenson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Notifications for sexually transmitted diseases in young people in Australia are increasing. Young people are a priority population within the National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy, yet their knowledge of sexual health issues is limited. In the context of Health-Promoting Universities, we examined sexual health knowledge and access to care of both on and off-campus students at a regional university. In late 2012, 418 tertiary students aged 18-29 years completed an online baseline survey on their recent sexual behaviours and attitudes. In mid-2014, 956 students aged 18-31 years, of which 105 had completed the 2012 survey, completed the same or "endline" …

An Australian Discharge Summary Quality Assessment Tool: A Pilot Study, Carl Mahfouz, Andrew D. Bonney, Judy Mullan, Warren C. Rich

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

Background and objective Patients' transition from hospital care to their general practitioner (GP) can put them at risk of unforeseen adverse events, which can be minimised by the GP receiving timely access to hospital discharge summaries. The objective of this article was to develop and pilot a discharge summary assessment tool, inclusive of components that Australian GPs identified as being most important for the safe transfer of care. Method Development of the instrument was informed by a literature review pertaining to key components of effective discharge summaries. These components were included in a survey instrument, which was piloted by Australian …

The Development Of Professional Practice Standards For Australian General Practice Nurses, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Moira Stephens, Julianne Bryce, Elizabeth Foley, Christine Ashley

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

Aims The aim of this study was to explore the current role of general practice nurses and the scope of nursing practice to inform the development of national professional practice standards for Australian general practice nurses.

Background Increasing numbers of nurses have been employed in Australian general practice to meet the growing demand for primary care services. This has brought significant changes to the nursing role. Competency standards for nurses working in general practice were first developed in Australia in 2005, but limited attention has been placed on articulating the contemporary scope of practice for nurses in this setting.

Design …

Who Is At Risk Of Chronic Disease? Associations Between Risk Profiles Of Physical Activity, Sitting And Cardio‐Metabolic Disease In Australian Adults, Lina Engelen, Joanne Gale, Josephine Chau, Louise L. Hardy, Martin Mackey, Nathan A. Johnson, Debra Shirley, Adrian E. Bauman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To examine the associations of physical activity (PA) and sitting time (sit) with cardio‐metabolic diseases. Methods: Cross‐sectional data from the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011-2012 (n=9,435) were used to classify adults into low and high risk groups based on their physical activity and sitting behaviour profiles. Logistic regression models examined associations between low and high risk classifications (high PA‐low sit; high PA‐high sit; low PA‐low sit; low PA‐high sit;) and socio‐demographic factors, and associations between low and high risk classifications and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Results: These results characterise …

Trends In Prevalence Of Leisure Time Physical Activity And Inactivity: Results From Australian National Health Surveys 1989 To 2011, Josephine Chau, Tien Chey, Sarah Burks-Young, Lina Engelen, Adrian E. Bauman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To examine trends in leisure time physical activity and inactivity in Australians aged 15 years or older from 1989 to 2011.

Method: We used data from six Australian National Health Surveys conducted from 1989/90 to 2011/12 in which physical activity was assessed using comparable questions. Analyses examined trends in the prevalence of sufficient physical activity (≥150 minutes/week moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity) and of inactivity (<30 minutes/week moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity).

Results: The proportion of sufficiently active adults was 39.2% in 1989 and 40.7% in 2011 with an overall declining trend of 0.2% per year (p=0.012). The prevalence of inactivity was 38.7% in 1989 …

Self-Reported Nutrition Education Received By Australian Midwives Before And After Registration, Jamila Arrish, Heather Yeatman, Moira J. Williamson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Educating midwives to provide nutrition advice is essential. Limited research focuses on midwives' nutrition education. This paper explores self-reported nutrition education received by Australian midwives before and after registration. It draws on quantitative and qualitative data from a larger online survey conducted with the members of the Australian College of Midwives (response rate = 6.9%, n=329). Descriptive and content analyses were used. Of the midwives, 79.3% (n=261) reported receiving some nutrition education during, before, and/or after registration. However, some described this coverage as limited. It lacked sufficient focus on topics such as weight management, nutrition assessment, and nutrition for vulnerable …

Dietary Iodine Intake Of The Australian Population After Introduction Of A Mandatory Iodine Fortification Programme, Karen E. Charlton, Yasmine Probst, Gabriella Kiene

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

To address mild iodine deficiency in Australia, a mandatory fortification program of iodised salt in bread was implemented in 2009. This study aimed to determine factors associated with achieving an adequate dietary iodine intake in the Australian population post-fortification, and to assess whether bread consumption patterns affect iodine intake in high-risk groups. Using nationally representative data of repeated 24-h dietary recalls from the 2011-2012 Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, dietary iodine intakes and food group contributions were compared by age, socioeconomic status (SES), and geographical remoteness (N = 7735). The association between fortified bread intake and adequacy …

Garden-Related Environmental Behavior And Weed Management: An Australian Case Study, Ren Hu, Nicholas J. Gill

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study aims to identify the key drivers of two garden-related environmental behaviors (GEBs): plant choice and bush-friendly behavior. This is important for biodiversity conservation threatened by weed invasion from domestic gardens. The effects of self-control, time pressure, and knowledge of weed-control initiatives were examined. A mail survey was sent to suburban residents living adjacent to native bushland in Wollongong, New South Wales. Regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used. The path models for SEM were based on the theory of reasoned action. The results indicate that attitude, perceived harm, and knowledge of weed-control initiatives exert an effect …

Evaluation Of An Australian Alcohol Media Literacy Program, Chloe Gordon, Steven J. Howard, Sandra C. Jones, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: A 10-lesson alcohol media literacy program was developed, underpinned by the message interpretation processing model, inoculation theory, and constructivist learning theory, and was tailored to be culturally relevant to the Australian context. This program aimed to increase students' media deconstruction skills and reduce intent to drink alcohol. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in achieving these goals through a short-term quasi-experimental trial. Method: Elementary schools were assigned to either the intervention group (83 students) or a wait-list control group (82 students). Student questionnaires were administered at three time points (baseline, after the …

Use Of Mobile And Cordless Phones And Cognition In Australian Primary School Children: A Prospective Cohort Study, Mary Redmayne, Catherine L. Smith, Geza Benke, Rodney J. Croft, Anna Dalecki, Christina Dimitriadis, Jordy Kaufman, Skye Macleod, Malcolm R. Sim, Rory Wolfe, Michael J. Abramson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Use of mobile (MP) and cordless phones (CP) is common among young children, but whether the resulting radiofrequency exposure affects development of cognitive skills is not known. Small changes have been found in older children. This study focused on children's exposures to MP and CP and cognitive development. The hypothesis was that children who used these phones would display differences in cognitive function compared to those who did not. Methods: We recruited 619 fourth-grade students (8-11 years) from 37 schools around Melbourne and Wollongong, Australia. Participants completed a short questionnaire, a computerised cognitive test battery, and the Stroop colour-word …

A Comparison Of Chinese And Australian University Students' Attitudes Towards Plagiarism, John Ehrich, Steven J. Howard, Congjun Mu, Sahar Bokosmaty

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Student plagiarism is a growing problem within Australian universities and abroad. Potentially exacerbating this situation, research indicates that students' attitudes toward plagiarism are typically more permissive and lenient than the policies of their tertiary institutions. There has been suggestion that this is especially so in Asian countries relative to Western countries; however, very little research has sought to empirically validate this suggestion. Moreover, existing research in this area has typically compared international and domestic students studying in Western countries. As yet, no studies have directly compared Chinese and Australian university students' attitudes toward plagiarism, as they exist within their native …

Challenges Of Bystander Intervention In Male-Dominated Professional Sport: Lessons From The Australian Football League, Julienne Corboz, Michael G. Flood, Sue Dyson

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

Programs aimed at preventing violence against women have increasingly adopted bystander approaches, yet large gaps remain in our knowledge about what drives bystanders to act or not, particularly in settings where there is an increased risk of violence against women occurring. This article contributes to this gap by examining data from research with professional male athletes from the Australian Football League. Drawing from a mixed methods approach, including a survey and interviews with football players, we outline some of the challenges to bystander intervention faced by professional athletes and discuss some of the possible similarities and differences between these and …

Identification Of Dietary Patterns Associated With Blood Pressure In A Sample Of Overweight Australian Adults, Shirin Anil, Karen E. Charlton, Linda C. Tapsell, Yasmine Probst, Rhoda Ndanuko, Marijka Batterham

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

The dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet provides strong evidence for an optimal dietary pattern for blood pressure (BP) control; however, investigation at the level of key foods in a dietary pattern is sparse. This study aimed to assess the relationship between dietary patterns driven by key foods with BP in a sample of obese Australian adults. Secondary analysis was conducted on baseline data of 118 participants (45.1±8.4 years, mean BP=124.1±15.8/72.6±9.2 mm Hg) recruited in a weight reduction randomized controlled trial (ACTRN12608000425392). Dietary assessment was by a validated diet history interview. The average of three office BP measurements was …

Bioelectromagnetics Research Within An Australian Context: The Australian Centre For Electromagnetic Bioeffects Research (Acebr), Sarah P. Loughran, Md Shahriar Hossain, Alan Bentvelzen, Mark Elwood, John Finnie, Josip Horvat, Steve Iskra, Elena Ivanova, Jim Manavis, Alireza Lajevardipour, Boris Martinac, Robert L. Mcintosh, Raymond J. Mckenzie, Mislav Mustapic, Yoshitaka Nakayama, Elena Pirogova, M. Harunur Rashid, Nigel A.S. Taylor, Nevena Todorova, Peter M. Wiedemann, Robert Vink, Andrew J. Wood, Irene Yarovsky, Rodney J. Croft

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Geographic Variation In Health Service Use And Perceived Access Barriers For Australian Adults With Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Receiving Opioid Therapy, Amy Peacock, Suzanne Nielsen, Raimondo Bruno, Gabrielle Campbell, Briony K. Larance, Louisa Degenhardt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective. Rates of chronic non-cancer pain are increasing worldwide, with concerns regarding poorer access to specialist treatment services in remote areas. The current study comprised the first in-depth examination of use and barriers to access of health services in Australia according to remoteness. Methods. A cohort of Australian adults prescribed pharmaceutical opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (n = 1,235) were interviewed between August 2012 and April 2014, and grouped into 'major city' (49%), 'inner regional' (37%), and 'outer regional/remote' (14%) according to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification based on postcode. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine geographical differences …

Australian Midwives And Provision Of Nutrition Education During Pregnancy: A Cross Sectional Survey Of Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, And Confidence, Jamila Arrish, Heather Yeatman, Moira J. Williamson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Maternal nutrition during pregnancy affects the health of the mother and the baby. Midwives are ideally placed to provide nutrition education to pregnant women. There is limited published research evidence of Australian midwives' nutrition knowledge, attitudes and confidence. Aim: To investigate Australian midwives' nutrition knowledge, attitudes and confidence in providing nutrition education during pregnancy. Methods: Members of the Australian College of Midwives (n = 4770) were sent an invitation email to participate in a web-based survey, followed by two reminders. Findings: The completion rate was 6.9% (329 of 4770). The majority (86.6% and 75.7%, respectively) highly rated the importance …

Scholars And Radicals: Writing And Re-Thinking Class Structure In Australian History, Terence H. Irving, R.W. Connell

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

We wrote Class Structure in Australian History in a period of heightened social struggle. It grew out of collaborative research projects at Sydney's Free U in the late 1960s. The book was distinctive in both emphasising the socialist tradition of class analysis and trying to find new paths for it. Its first edition was ignored by mass media, and often mis-interpreted in professional journals. Nevertheless it circulated widely and has continued to be a point of reference for progressive scholarship. Its method tried to carry forward the Free U project of democratic knowledge making, linking documents with analysis and inviting …

Remembering Bellona: Gendered Allegories In The Australian War Memorial, Vera C. Mackie

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

It was just before Anzac Day this year. On the way into the Australian War Memorial to do some research I walked around its Sculpture Garden, looking at the statues and memorials.