Digital Commons Network^™

Does A Gender Disparity Exist In Academic Rank? Evidence From An Australian University, Arusha Cooray, Reetu Verma, Lynne Wright

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Employing a unique administrative data set on academics from the University of Wollongong (UOW), we investigate if women are under-represented in academic rank, taking into account information on personal characteristics, job characteristics, education and productivity. The results suggest that males have a significant advantage in rank attainment. The possession of a PhD, the number of years of experience and the number of journal articles, books, book chapters, competitive grants and ERA A* ranked articles appear to be important for academic rank attainment. A Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition test indicates that both supply side and demand side factors play a role; however, there …

The Effect Of Chronic Pain On Life Satisfaction: Evidence From Australian Data, Paul Mcnamee, Silvia Mendolia

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Chronic pain is associated with significant costs to individuals directly affected by this condition, their families, the healthcare system, and the society as a whole. This paper investigates the relationship between chronic pain and life satisfaction using a sample of around 90,000 observations from the first ten waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia Survey (HILDA), which is a representative survey of the Australian population that started in 2000. We estimate the negative impact on life satisfaction and examine the persistence of the effect over multiple years. Chronic pain is associated with poor health conditions, disability, decreased …

Analysis Of The Psychological Impact Of A Vascular Risk Factor Intervention: Results From A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial In Australian General Practice, Suzanne Helen Mckenzie, Upali W. Jayasinghe, Mahnaz Fanaian, Megan Passey, Mark Fort Harris

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background Screening for vascular disease, risk assessment and management are encouraged in general practice however there is limited evidence about the emotional impact on patients. The Health Improvement and Prevention Study evaluated the impact of a general practice-based vascular risk factor intervention on behavioural and physiological risk factors in 30 Australian practices. The primary aim of this analysis is to investigate the psychological impact of participating in the intervention arm of the trial. The secondary aim is to identify the mediating effects of changes in behavioural risk factors or BMI. Methods This study is an analysis of a secondary outcome …

Food Groups And Fatty Acids Associated With Self-Reported Depression: An Analysis From The Australian National Nutrition And Health Surveys, Barbara J. Meyer, Nithin Kolanu, David A. Griffiths, Ben Grounds, Peter R. C Howe, Irene A. Kreis

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

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the associations between incidence of depression and dietary intakes of foods and fatty acids in adult Australians. Methods Data from the 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey (NNS), the 1995 Australian National Health Survey (NHS) and an updated fatty acid database were merged and the 24-h fatty acid intakes were calculated for the 10 986 adult participants ages 18 to 79 y in the 1995 NNS. The merged data set was used to run a logistic regression with depression as the response variable and the food groups and calculated fatty acid values, …

Using Social Marketing To Promote Cold And Flu Prevention Behaviors On An Australian University Campus, Lyn Phillipson, Sandra C. Jones, Karen Larsen-Truong, Laura Robinson, Lance Barrie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Cold and influenza transmission is a serious public health issue for universities. This case study describes a coordinated social marketing campaign that incorporated health messages and products. It was designed to motivate behavior change to prevent the spread of colds and influenza on a university campus. Methods: The aims of this multi-component intervention were to raise awareness of the importance of individual behavior in preventing the spread of colds and flu and to encourage staff and students to adopt three simple habits: hand washing, cough or sneeze in sleeve, and stay at home if sick. A repeated, cross-sectional survey …

The Asthma Knowledge And Perceptions Of Older Australian Adults: Implications For Social Marketing Campaigns, Uwana Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of the asthma perceptions of older adults and identify gaps in their asthma knowledge. Methods: In regional New South Wales, Australia, a stratified, random sample of 4066 adults, aged 55 years and over, both with and without an asthma diagnosis, completed a survey based on the Health Belief Model about asthma knowledge and perceptions. Results: Almost half of the sample had experienced symptoms of breathlessness in the past four weeks. Breathlessness was a predictor of lower health ratings and poorer mood. Older adults reported low susceptibility to developing asthma. …

Clinical And Reliable Change In An Australian Residential Substance Use Program Using The Addiction Severity Index, Frank P. Deane, Peter J. Kelly, Trevor P. Crowe, Justin C. Coulson, Geoffrey C.B Lyons

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Although the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is one of the most frequently used measures in alcohol and other drug research, it has rarely been used to assess clinical and reliable change. This study assessed clients' clinical and reliable change at The Salvation Army residential substance abuse treatment centers in Australia. A total of 296 clients completed ASI interviews on admission to treatment and 3 months after discharge from treatment. Clients demonstrated significant improvement on all seven ASI composites. The range of reliable change for each ASI composite varied from 30% to 70%. More than two-thirds of clients experienced clinically significant …

Organizational Communication And Occupational Stress In Australian Catholic Primary Schools, John De Nobile, John Mccormick, Katherine Hoekman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose: This paper reports two related studies of relationships between organizational communication and occupational stress of staff members in Catholic primary schools. Design/methodology/approach: Data from both studies were obtained using survey questionnaires. Participants were staff members of Catholic diocesan primary schools in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Queensland, Australia. Research hypotheses were tested using correlation and multiple regression analyses. Findings: Ten organizational communication factors and four occupational stress domains were identified. Several organizational communication variables were found to be predictors of occupational stress in four identified domains. Practical implications: The findings provide implications for school administrators in relation …

Clustering Of Attitudes Towards Obesity: A Mixed Methods Study Of Australian Parents And Children, Tim Olds, Samantha Thomas, Sophie Lewis, John Petkov

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Current population-based anti-obesity campaigns often target individuals based on either weight or socio-demographic characteristics, and give a 'mass' message about personal responsibility. There is a recognition that attempts to influence attitudes and opinions may be more effective if they resonate with the beliefs that different groups have about the causes of, and solutions for, obesity. Limited research has explored how attitudinal factors may inform the development of both upstream and downstream social marketing initiatives. Methods Computer-assisted face-to-face interviews were conducted with 159 parents and 184 of their children (aged 9-18 years old) in two Australian states. A mixed methods …

The Australian Corporate Closet, Why It's Still So Full: A Review Of Incidence Rates For Sexual Orientation Discrimination Gender Identity Discrimination In The Workplace, Ian Smith, Lindsay G. Oades, Grace Mccarthy

Sydney Business School - Papers

The paper reviews the extant Australian literature on sexual orientation (SO) discrimination within the Australian workplace. In the research, there is variation in organisational workplace and a bias towards health and educational sectors as a research setting, which raises some methodological considerations such as poor generalisability to other organisational contexts. The small body of Australian research into SO discrimination encompasses; (i) varied methodological and theoretical approaches, (ii) disparate authors selecting a varied range of aspects of discrimination thus absenting a unifying framework to guide research and lacking as yet seminal authorship providing focus, iii) limited sampling of participants making comparisons …

Why Do Women Vote For Women: An Exploration Of Decision Criteria In The Australian 2010 Federal Election, Diann Rodgers-Healey

Sydney Business School - Papers

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore if women who are in positions of leadership are influenced by gender when voting for a party led by a female candidate and if perceptions of the media's portrayal of a woman candidate influences the voting preferences of women leaders.

Design/methodology/approach - The paper reports the results of an online survey of women leaders to provide a pre-election analysis about how they would vote and what was influencing their vote for Gillard, if they chose to vote for her. Data were analysed using Content Analysis and Descriptive Statistical Analysis.

Findings …

How Well Do Australian Shoppers Understand Energy Terms On Food Labels?, Wendy L. Watson, Kathy Chapman, Lesley King, Bridget Kelly, Clare Hughes, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, Jennifer Crawford, Timothy P. Gill

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

Objective To investigate nutrition literacy among adult grocery buyers regarding energy-related labelling terms on food packaging. Design Qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys to determine shoppers' understanding of energy terms ('energy', 'calories' and 'kilojoules') and how energy terms affect perceptions of healthiness and intentions to purchase breakfast cereals, muesli bars and frozen meals. Setting Individual in-depth interviews and surveys in two metropolitan supermarkets, Sydney, Australia. Subjects Australian adults (interview n 40, survey n 405) aged 18-79 years. Results The relationship between energy and perceived healthiness of food varied by product type: higher energy breakfast cereals were perceived to be healthier, while …

Chaperones For Pap Smears: Do Australian Gps Offer Or Use Them?, Lucie Stanford, Andrew Bonney, Rowena Ivers

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

No abstract provided.

Dietary Intake And Food Sources Of Epa, Dpa And Dha In Australian Children, Setyaningrum Rahmawaty, Karen Charlton, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Barbara J. Meyer

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

Secondary analysis of the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity survey was undertaken to assess the intake and food sources of EPA, DPA and DHA (excluding supplements) in 4,487 children aged 2-16 years. An average of two 24-h dietary recalls was analysed for each child and food sources of EPA, DPA and DHA were assessed using the Australian nutrient composition database called AUSNUT 2007. Median (inter quartile range, IQR) for EPA, DPA and DHA intakes (mg/day) for 2-3, 4-8, 9-13, 14-16 year were: EPA 5.3 (1.5-14), 6.7 (1.8-18), 8.7 (2.6-23), 9.8 (2.7-28) respectively; DPA 6.2 (2.2-14), 8.2 (3.3-18), …

Gendered Dimensions Of Aboriginal Australian And California Indian Fire Knowledge Retention And Revival, Christine Eriksen

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

Fire has played a key role in the land management practices of Aboriginal Australians and Native Americans for millennia. However, colonial interests have disrupted indigenous use of fire in multiple ways. This article summarises how gender is entwined—spatially and temporally— in the adaptive knowledge trajectories through which some Aboriginal Australian and California Indian fire knowledge is retained and revived. The article draws on oral narratives shared by indigenous elders, cultural practitioners, and land stewards during prescribed burns, fire knowledge workshops, field trips with students, informal conversations and audio-recorded interviews.

Aim(E) For Completing School And University: Analysing The Strength Of The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Valerie Harwood, Samantha Mcmahon, Amy Priestly

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose: Generally, theory and research investigating the effectiveness of mentoring has offered little resounding evidence to attest to mentoring programmes being a strategic initiative that make a real difference in reducing the educational inequities many minority students endure. In contrast to this existing research base, the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) has often been cited as one of the most successful mentoring initiatives within Australia. It is the purpose of this chapter to examine how AIME may impact on the educational aspirations and school self-concept of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Methodology: A series of multi-group analyses were centred …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The "Critical Window": Factors Affecting Australian Children's After-School Physical Activity, Rebecca M. Stanley, Kobie Boshoff, James Dollman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: The after-school period is potentially a "critical window" for promoting physical activity in children. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore children's perceptions of the factors influencing their engagement in physical activity during the after-school period as the first phase in the development of a questionnaire. Methods: Fifty-four South Australian children age 10-13 years participated in same gender focus groups. Transcripts, field notes, and activity documents were analyzed using content analysis. Through an inductive thematic approach, data were coded and categorized into perceived barriers and facilitators according to a social ecological model. Results: Children identified a number …

Identifying The Quality Of Life Effects Of Urinary Incontinence With Depression In An Australian Population, Jodie C. Avery, Nigel P. Stocks, Paul Duggan, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Anne Taylor, Robert Goldney, Alastair Maclennan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

To explore the additive effect of urinary incontinence, in people with comorbid depression, on health related quality of life.

Methods

Males and females, 15 to 95 years (n = 3010, response rate 70.2%) were interviewed face to face in the 1998 Autumn South Australian Health Omnibus Survey.

Results

Self-reported urinary incontinence was found in 20.3% (n=610), and depression as defined by the PRIME-MD in 15.2% (n=459) of the survey population. Urinary incontinence with comorbid depression was found in 4.3% of the overall population. Univariate analysis showed that respondents with urinary incontinence and comorbid depression were more likely to be …

The Vietnamese Concept Of A Feminine Ideal And The Images Of Australian Women In Olga Masters’ Stories, Thu Hanh Nguyen

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

In this paper I compare Olga Masters’ portrayals of women with the ideals which are currently expected to be followed by Vietnamese women. The paper will investigate to what extend Olga Masters’ work corresponds to the Vietnamese traditional expectation of feminine ideals which are based on four essential attributes: industriousness, appropriate self-presentation, good communication skills, and virtue.

Introduction: Nationalism And Transnationalism In Australian Historical Writing, Sharon Crozier-De Rosa, David Lowe

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

One of the strongest trends in Australian historical writing over the last two decades has been a drive to emphasise the nation’s connectedness with the rest of the world. Across a range of historical genres and topics, we have seen a new enthusiasm to explore entanglements between Australian history and that of other places and peoples. The history of travel has been an important contributor to this line of inquiry, but it is at the more intellectual, imaginative and emotional levels that the greatest gains are sometimes claimed for the study of what has become known as ‘transnationalism’. This trend …

Identification Of Distinct Body Mass Index Trajectories In Australian Children, C A. Magee, P Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background A limited number of studies have demonstrated that there may be distinct developmental trajectories of obesity during childhood. Objective To identify distinct trajectories of body mass index (BMI) in a large sample of Australian children. Methods Participants included 4601 children aged 45 years at baseline, who were followed up at ages 67 years, 89 years and 1011 years. Height and weight were measured at each of these time points, and used to calculate BMI. Growth Mixture Modelling was used to identify the presence of distinct BMI trajectories. Results Four distinct trajectories were identified (i) High Risk Overweight; (ii) Early …

Mental Health: Findings From The Australian Longitudinal Study On Women’S Health, Libby Holden, Annette Dobson, Julie E. Byles, Deborah J. Loxton, Xenia Dolja-Gore, Richard Hockey, Christina Lee, Catherine Chojenta, Nicole M. Reilly, Gita D. Mishra, Deirdre Mclaughlin, Nancy Pachana, Leigh Tooth, Melissa Harris

Australian Health Services Research Institute

This report uses data from cohorts born 1973-78, 1946-51 and 1921-26 to explore patterns of mental health among Australian women as well as their use of mental health services. It includes analyses of factors associated with poor mental health as well as specific areas such as perinatal mental health, interpersonal relationships and mental health, and comorbidity of physical and mental health.

Description And Comparison Of Quality Of Electronic Versus Paper-Based Resident Admission Forms In Australian Aged Care Facilities, Ning Wang, Ping Yu, David Hailey

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Purpose To describe the paper-based and electronic formats of resident admission forms used in several aged care facilities in Australia and to compare the extent to which resident admission information was documented in paper-based and the electronic health records. Methods Retrospective auditing and comparison of the documentation quality of paper-based and electronic resident admission forms were conducted. A checklist of admission data was qualitatively derived from different formats of the admission forms collected. Three measures were used to assess the quality of documentation of the admission forms, including completeness rate, comprehensiveness rate and frequency of documented data element. The associations …

Community Safety During The 2009 Australian 'Black Saturday' Bushfires: An Analysis Of Household Preparedness And Response, Joshua Whittaker, Katharine Haynes, John Handmer, J Mclennan

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

On Saturday 7 February 2009, 173 people lost their lives and more than 2000 houses were destroyed in bushfires (wildfires) in the Australian State of Victoria. The scale of life and property loss raised fundamental questions about community bushfire safety in Australia, in particular the appropriateness of the 'Prepare, stay and defend or leave early' policy. This paper presents findings from research undertaken as part of the Australian Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre's (CRC) '2009 Victorian Bushfires Research Taskforce'. The research examined factors influencing patterns of life and property loss and survival across the fires through mail surveys (n = 1314) …

Australian Patients’ Attitudes Toward Chaperone Use For Intimate Physical Examinations In General Practice, Lucie C. Stanford, Andrew D. Bonney, Rowena G. Ivers, Judy Mullan, Bridget R. Dijkmans-Hadley, Warren C. Rich

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

The aim of the project was to investigate how Australian patients feel about the use of chaperones for intimate examinations in general practice.

Attrition From Australian Ict Degrees - Why Women Leave, Madeleine R. H Roberts, Tanya J. Mcgill, Peter N. Hyland

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

Student attrition is of particular concern in the field of ICT because the industry faces staffing shortfalls, generally and a noticeable lack of female employees. This paper explores the reasons female students give for leaving their ICT courses. An online survey of early leavers from four Australian universities was conducted. The results show that, for many students, it is a combination of issues that leads to their withdrawal. Contrary to expectations, few female ex-students had experienced serious life events that necessitated their withdrawal or indicated that negative behaviour or attitudes had contributed to their decision to leave. More commonly female …

Australian Adolescents' Compliance With Sun Protection Behaviours During Summer: The Importance Of The School Context, Melinda Williams, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald Iverson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Adolescents exhibit significantly lower sun protection behaviours than adults in Australia. While many studies have assessed the sun protection behaviours of adolescents during summer, few studies have explored the differences in sun protection behaviours of adolescents across key contexts relevant to adolescents during summer—notably school time, weekends and school holidays. Greater understanding of differences in behaviours across these contexts provides more detailed explanations of the nature of adolescent ultraviolet exposure and thereby facilitates improved targeting of interventions for this segment whose behaviour is considered hard to change. In this study, we explore the differences in self-reported, habitual, sun protection behaviours …

Dairy Consumption And Diet Quality In A Sample Of Australian Children, Anna M. Rangan, Victoria M. Flood, Gareth Denyer, Karen Webb, Guy B. Marks, Timothy P. Gill

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

Objective: To examine the association between intake of dairy products and indicators of diet quality among a sample of Australian children. Methods: Three 24-hour recalls were collected from 222 children aged 8–10 years living in western Sydney. Analysis of covariance was used to examine differences in mean intakes of foods and nutrients among 3 dairy consumption groups (<1 serve, 1–2 serves, ≥2 serves per day). The percentage of children meeting healthy eating guidelines for foods and estimated average requirements (EAR) for nutrients was also assessed. Results: Higher dairy consumption was associated with higher intakes of energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin, and niacin as well as foods from the bread and cereal group but lower intakes of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, foods from the meat and alternatives group, and energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. Children who consumed ≥2 serves of dairy products per day (38%) were more likely to meet food and nutrient recommendations. Body mass index z-score and waist circumference were not associated with dairy consumption. Milk intake was inversely associated with the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, and children who did not meet their minimum dairy serve recommendations consumed higher quantities of sugar-sweetened beverages than milk. Conclusions: Adequate dairy consumption was associated with diets of higher nutritional quality but also higher intakes of energy, suggesting a potential benefit from shifting consumption from regular-fat to reduced-fat dairy products in line with current national recommendations.

Changes In Physical Activity Levels, Lesson Context, And Teacher Interaction During Physical Education In Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Australian Schools, Dean A. Dudley, Anthony D. Okely, Philip Pearson, Wayne G. Cotton, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Recent data show that only 15% of Australian adolescents participate in adequate amounts of physical activity (PA) and those students from Asian and Middle-Eastern backgrounds in Grades 6-12 are significantly less active than their English-speaking background peers. Schools have recently been recognised as the most widely used and cost-effective setting for promoting PA among youth and one domain within schools where PA can occur regularly for all youth, regardless of cultural background or socio-economic status, is during physical education (PE). Methods: This study describes changes in physical activity (PA), lesson context and teacher interaction in physical education over the …

Perceptions Of A Gender-Inclusive Curriculum Amongst Australian Information And Communications Technology Academics, Tony Koppi, Madeleine Roberts, Golshah Naghdy

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

The lack of female enrolments in ICT is widely recognised and has prompted a range of strategies to attract more women, most of which do not include curriculum changes at any level. Research suggests that there are aspects of the ICT curriculum that could appeal to females, particularly in relation to benefits to society and humanity in general, and that including these considerations in the curriculum would be of interest to all students. The perceptions of a gender-inclusive ICT curriculum in Australia have been ascertained from a survey and forum discussions of ICT academic managers and leaders of ICT learning …