Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Snac_Oshc: Exploring A Multifaceted Approach To Develop Outside Of School Hours Care As A Health Promoting Setting, Karen Forde

Theses : Honours

Background: Outside of school hours care (OSHC) services are underutilised as health promoting settings, yet are well positioned to influence health behaviours. OSHC Professionals are ideally placed to become positive influencers in this setting, although may require training to confidently perform this role.

Aim: This research trialed a multifaceted intervention strategy to increase OSHC Professional’s confidence and competencies, to support a health promoting OSHC environment with a nutrition and PA activity focus.

Design and Methods: This exploratory study adopted a mixed methods approach. The three-pronged, multifaceted intervention included: a workshop, a closed Facebook group, and a website. 19 OSHC Professionals, …

Men's Health: How Men Understand The Concept Of Health And How This Understanding Shapes Actions, Craig T. Thompson

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this research was to explore how men understand the concept of health, and how this understanding shapes actions. This dissertation developed as a result of both working at a Community Health Centre, and having an awareness that in Australia, statistics indicate that men's health is steadily deteriorating. A theoretical framework implementing the concepts of health, socialisation (masculinity) and cognition was utilised to guide the research. The research involved interviewing six male participants, who were university students ranging in age from 20 to 40 years. Participants were questioned regarding their perceptions of health and health management. Interview transcripts …

To Immunize Or Not To Immunize, That Is The Question! An Investigation Into The Reasons Behind Parents' Decisions In Immunizing Their Children Against Whooping Cough In Western Australia, Eliena Kirov

Theses : Honours

Demographic data on the immunization status of Australia indicates that Western Australia has relatively low immunization coverage for whooping cough. Australian quantitative studies have been carried out on parental attitudes in Australia towards immunization, but there has been no analysis of parents' reasons for their decisions. This study identified the key issues that influenced the decisions made by the target group of parents and explored their decision-making in more depth. The data from this study could also be used to supplement the information currently available to health workers. Eight participants with children between the ages of 2 months and 6 …

Immunisation Delay In The 0-18 Month Age Group In The Kimberley Region Of Western Australia, Anne Mahony

Theses : Honours

In two separate complementary exploratory descriptive studies the cover and timing of vaccine administration to children in the 0-18 month age group in the remote Kimberley Region of Western Australia were quantified, and reasons for delay in vaccine administration were investigated. The adapted PRECEDE model was used to guide the research and to integrate and interpret the findings. Study One: Three separate computer immunisation databases were combined to provide the first validated age-appropriate infant immunisation data in Western Australia. For the first time in WA, the timing of administration of vaccines was investigated, and for the first time in Australia, …

The Supply Of Needles And Syringes To Injecting Drug Users : Attitudes And Practices Of Pharmacists In Western Australia, Heather June Newbey

Theses : Honours

Since 1986 in Western Australia many pharmacists have been supplying needles and syringes to injecting drug users as part of the governments's harm minimisation policy to prevent the spread of HIVI AIDS and other blood-borne viruses, particularly the more recently recognised hepatitis C. This practice was technically illegal, although officially condoned, until May 1994. Adequate baseline data not was available concerning needle and syringe supply or the attitudes of pharmacists concerning this issue. In this study a mail survey of Western Australian community pharmacists was conducted to determine the proportion of pharmacists currently supplying needles and syringes to injecting drug …