Digital Commons Network^™

Insiders' Profits In The Australian Equities Market, Henk Berkman, Reza Bradrania, Tina Prodromou, P Westerholm

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

In this paper we investigate if directors of Australian companies earn persistent profits on their reported trades, if these abnormal profits are significant enough to be mimicked by outsiders, and if these insider trades have an effect on returns of other investors. We find that insiders take advantage of their private information in stocks of larger corporations, but generally do not in medium and small capitalization firms, indicating that they insiders are attracted to the liquidity and a greater presence of uninformed traders in large stocks. Insiders appear able to determine the value of their information in by trading larger …

Islamic Finance Finally Has A Place In The Australian Economy, George Mickhail

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

In its executive summary, the board makes it very clear at the outset that the review was conducted on the basis of “its understanding of common Islamic fi nance structures, and that nothing in the report should be taken to suggest that a particular product or case study described is compliant with Shariah law”.

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 …

Perspectives On A 'Sit Less, Move More' Intervention In Australian Emergency Call Centres, Josephine Chau, Lina Engelen, Sarah Burks-Young, Michelle Daley, Jen-Kui Maxwell, Karen Milton, Adrian E. Bauman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Prolonged sitting is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases. Workplace programs that aim to reduce sitting time (sit less) and increase physical activity (move more) have targeted desk-based workers in corporate and university settings with promising results. However, little is known about 'move more, sit less' programs for workers in other types of jobs and industries, such as shift workers. This formative research examines the perceptions of a 'sit less, move more' program in an Australian Emergency Call Centre that operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Methods: Participants were employees (N = 39, 72% female, …

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 …

Are Respiratory Protection Standards Protecting Worker Health Against Ultrafine Diesel Particulate Matter Emissions? An Australian Perspective, Kerrie Burton, Jane L. Whitelaw, Alison L. Jones, Brian Davies

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Poster presentation made at the 20th ETH-Conference on Combustion Generated Nanoparticles, 13-16 June 2016, Zurich, Switzerland.

Aim: Ultrafine diesel engine emissions are known to cause adverse health impacts including lung cancer, cardiovascular and irritant effects (World Health Organisation 2012). Respiratory protective devices are commonly used to mitigate worker exposure to many hazardous contaminants, especially in heavy industry such as mining and refining. Current standards to evaluate penetration through respirator filter media may not consider ultrafine particles due to the diameter of the challenge aerosol and the detection limit of the instrument (Eninger et al. 2008). Nor do they test penetration …

Exploring Australian Women's Level Of Nutrition Knowledge During Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study, Khlood Bookari, Heather Yeatman, Moira J. Williamson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) for pregnancy provides a number of food- and nutrition-related recommendations to assist pregnant women in optimizing their dietary behavior. However, there are limited data demonstrating pregnant women’s knowledge of the AGHE recommendations. This study investigated Australian pregnant women’s knowledge of the AGHE and related dietary recommendations for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The variations in nutrition knowledge were compared with demographic characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional study assessed eight different nutrition knowledge domains and the demographic characteristics of pregnant women. Four hundred women across Australia completed a multidimensional online survey based on validated and …

Incorporating Health Literacy In Education For Socially Disadvantaged Adults: An Australian Feasibility Study, Danielle M. Muscat, Sian Smith, Haryana M. Dhillon, Suzanne Morony, Esther Davis, Karen Luxford, Heather L. Shepherd, Andrew Hayen, John Comings, Don Nutbeam, Kirsten Mccaffery

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Adult education institutions have been identified as potential settings to improve health literacy and address the health inequalities that stem from limited health literacy. However, few health literacy interventions have been tested in this setting. Methods Feasibility study for an RCT of the UK Skilled for Health Program adapted for implementation in Australian adult education settings. Implementation at two sites with mixed methods evaluation to examine feasibility, test for change in participants' health literacy and pilot test health literacy measures. Results Twenty-two socially disadvantaged adults with low literacy participated in the program and received 80-90 hours of health literacy …

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 …

The Normative Power Of Food Promotions: Australian Children's Attachments To Unhealthy Food Brands, Bridget Kelly, Becky Freeman, Lesley King, Kathy Chapman, Louise A. Baur, Timothy P. Gill

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The formation of food brand associations and attachment is fundamental to brand preferences, which influence purchases and consumption. Food promotions operate through a cascade of links, from brand recognition, to affect, and on to consumption. Frequent exposures to product promotions may establish social norms for products, reinforcing brand affect. These pathways signify potential mechanisms for how children's exposure to unhealthy food promotions can contribute to poor diets. The present study explored children's brand associations and attachments for major food brands. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. Fourteen study brands were used, with each child viewing a set of seven logos. …

The Impact Of Electronic Health Records On Risk Management Of Information Systems In Australian Residential Aged Care Homes, Tao Jiang, Ping Yu, David M. Hailey, Jun Ma, Jie Yang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

To obtain indications of the influence of electronic health records (EHR) in managing risks and meeting information system accreditation standard in Australian residential aged care (RAC) homes. The hypothesis to be tested is that the RAC homes using EHR have better performance in meeting information system standards in aged care accreditation than their counterparts only using paper records for information management. Content analysis of aged care accreditation reports from the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency produced between April 2011 and December 2013. Items identified included types of information systems, compliance with accreditation standards, and indicators of failure to meet …

Cloud Computing Services Adoption In Australian Smes: A Firm-Level Investigation, Salim Al Isma'ili, Mengxiang Li, Qiang He, Jun Shen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Cloud computing services can boost the competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and leverage countries' economies. In the Australian context, there is an emerging trend that SMEs begin to embrace cloud technology in their traditional business activities. However, prior studies did not pay much attention to investigating the factors that influence the cloud computing adoption among Australian SMEs. To fill the research gap, this paper investigates the influential factors that affect the decision on adopting cloud computing services for Australian SMEs. Protocol data collected from fifteen firm-level semi-structured interviews with practitioners are presented and discussed. The protocol analysis indicates …

Cloud Computing Adoption Determinants: An Analysis Of Australian Smes, Salim Al Isma'ili, Mengxiang Li, Jun Shen, Qiang He

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In Australia, there is an emerging tendency among SMEs towards the adoption of cloud computing. However, there are limited studies investigating the factors that influence cloud computing adoption within Australian SMEs. To fill the research vacuum, we developed a research model based on the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI), the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework, and our prior exploratory study to investigate the determinants that influence the adoption of cloud computing. An organizational-level survey was conducted across Australia to collect data from technology decision makers in SMEs. Data collected from 203 firms are used to test the related hypotheses. This study contributes …

Students' Perceived Understanding And Competency In Probability Concepts In An E-Learning Environment: An Australian Experience, M Zamalia, Anne L. Porter

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Student understanding and competency in probability have been investigated from different perspectives. Competency is often measured in the form of tests. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether perceived understanding and competency can be calibrated and assessed together using Rasch measurement tools. The study comprised 44 students who enrolled in the STAT131 Understanding Uncertainty and Variation course at University of Wollongong, Australia. Their voluntary participation in the study was through the e-learning Moodle platform where tests and assessment were administered online. Data were analysed using the Rasch measurement models. The study revealed majority of the students had little …

Demonstrating Retrofitting: Perspectives From Australian Local Government, Robyn Dowling, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Harriet Bulkeley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cities are critical to transitions to low carbon futures, not only because of the large and growing global urban population but also because global resource consumption is concentrated in cities (Gossop, 2011:208; Hodson, Marvin, Robinson, & Swilling, 2012; Monstadt, 2007). Ensuring that new urban spaces, such as new housing or new city precincts, are low or zero carbon is central to these transitions (Hodson & Marvin, 2010). Yet, equally important to reducing urban carbon consumption is the retrofitting of existing urban planning frameworks and imaginaries, infrastructure, built form and patterns of daily life (Eames et.al., 2013; Pincetl, 2012). Retrofitting involves …

Nutrition Education In Australian Midwifery Programmes: A Mixed-Methods Study, Jamila Arrish, Heather Yeatman, Moira J. Williamson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Little research has explored how nutrition content in midwifery education prepares midwives to provide prenatal nutrition advice. This study examined the nature and extent of nutrition education provided in Australian midwifery programmes. A mixed-methods approach was used, incorporating an online survey and telephone interviews. The survey analysis included 23 course coordinators representing 24 of 50 accredited midwifery programmes in 2012. Overall, the coordinators considered nutrition in midwifery curricula and the midwife's role as important. All programmes included nutrition content; however, eleven had only 5 to nutrition, while two had a designated unit. Various topics were covered. Dietitians/other nutrition experts were …

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 …

Investigations Into The Identification And Control Of Outburst In Australian Underground Coal Mines, Dennis J. Black

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Australian coal mines currently use gas content to assess outburst risk. The gas content threshold values for each mine are indirectly determined from measurement of gas volume liberated from 150 g coal samples during Q3 residual gas content testing. It has been more than twenty (20) years since this method, known as DRI900, was presented to the Australian coal industry, and in that time there have been significant changes in mining conditions and the outburst threshold limits used at the benchmark Bulli seam mines.Current coal mining legislation in both Queensland [7] and New South Wales [6] provide little guidance in …

The Role And Positioning Of Numeracy In Australian Universities - Does It Matter?, Lesley Wilkins

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

Numeracy has been problematic for practitioners. It has been difficult to de-termine a consistent definition of the term; moreover, there has never been real agreement on its role, or position, within society, or within higher edu-cation. Many students who find mathematics "challenging", but who need to pass a non-specialist mathematics subject in order to graduate, consult Learning Development lecturers in order to obtain assistance with mathemat-ics. Students present with a variety of difficulties ranging from gaps in their schooling, especially senior school mathematics, through to more fundamen-tal mathematics topics. Many students confess to being "bad at maths"; are openly negative …

Australian Women's Experiences Of The Subdermal Contraceptive Implant: A Qualitative Perspective, Kumiyo Inoue, Marguerite Kelly, Alexandra Barratt, Deborah Bateson, Alison Rutherford, Kirsten I. Black, Mary Stewart, Juliet Richters

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

Background The number of prescriptions for contraceptive implants has steadily increased in Australia, but implant use is still low. Objectives The objectives of the study were to describe women's nuanced responses, and characterise their multidimensional and complex reasons for (dis)continuing use of the contraceptive implant. Method A descriptive qualitative approach was used for this study. A larger qualitative study using in-depth, open-ended interviews, conducted in New South Wales between 2012 and 2013 with 94 women aged 16-49 years who had used contraception, included 10 interviews containing accounts of implant use. The 10 interviews were analysed thematically in the present study. …

Evaluating Women's Knowledge Of The Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill In An Australian Rural General Practice Setting, Sharna Kulhavy, Teresa M. Treweek

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

Background: In addition to the contraceptive action of the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), there are a number of other benefits to its use such as menstrual cycle regulation. However, COCP use is also associated with a higher risk of thromboembolism. Despite the prevalence of COCP use, studies have indicated that overall women have poor knowledge of the COCP.

Aim: To evaluate women's knowledge of the COCP in a rural general practice setting. The extent of knowledge was assessed in several domains including: COCP use and effectiveness, mechanism of action, and the risks and benefits of COCP use. …

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.

Challenges Experienced By Japanese Students With Oral Communication Skills In Australian Universities, Miho Yanagi, Amanda Ann Baker

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Due to ever-increasing demands to acquire effective communicative abilities in the English language, increasing numbers of international students choose to study in Western tertiary institutions; however, they frequently encounter difficulties in performing satisfactorily in English. This study aims to identify specific challenges that Japanese students face with oral communication skills while studying in Australian universities. Results from questionnaire data collected from 33 undergraduate and postgraduate Japanese students in Australia and interview data from five TESOL postgraduate students indicate that Japanese students have greater difficulty with speaking than with listening and pronunciation. It also sheds additional insight into two areas of …

Australian Pregnant Women's Awareness Of Gestational Weight Gain And Dietary Guidelines: Opportunity For Action, Khlood Bookari, Heather Yeatman, Moira J. Williamson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background. Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) can negatively impact on maternal and foetal health. Guidelines based on Institute of Medicine (IOM) encourage managing GWG by following healthy eating recommendations and increasing physical activity. This study investigated pregnant women’s knowledge of their optimal GWG and recommended dietary approaches for GWGmanagement. Method. English-speaking pregnant women were recruited from five hospitals in New SouthWales (Australia) and an online link. Prepregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported height and prepregnancy weight. Participants identified their recommended GWG. A survey assessed practical dietary knowledge and asked about broad dietary recommendations to prevent excessive GWG. …

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 …

Playing With Grammar: A Pedagogical Heuristic For Orientating To The Language Content Of The Australian Curriculum: English, Beryl Exley, Lisa K. Kervin, Jessica Mantei

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this article we introduce a heuristic for orientating to the language content of the Australian Curriculum: English. Our pedagogical heuristic, called 'Playing with Grammar', moves through three separate but interwoven stages: (i) an introduction to the learning experience, (ii) a focus on learning, and (iii) an application of new knowledge where students read and/or write with grammar in mind. We draw on aspects of Bernstein's sociological theories to consider the implications of keeping the content of the Language, Literature and Literacy strands together or apart. We also theorise different pedagogical approaches where teachers or learners control the sequence and …