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Edith Cowan University

1998

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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Proceedings Of The Women's Health: Women's Lives Conference: May 3rd 1998, Lynne Hunt (Ed.) Jan 1998

Proceedings Of The Women's Health: Women's Lives Conference: May 3rd 1998, Lynne Hunt (Ed.)

Research outputs pre 2011

The Women's Health: Women's Lives Conference was held on 3 May 1998, at Joondalup Campus, Edith Cowan University. The principal aim of the Conference was to celebrate 10 years of the teaching of Women's Health and Women's Studies at ECU, by drawing together past and present students, university staff and members of the Western Australian community interested in women's issues.

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Eye Health Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People: Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health Reviews: Number 1, Neil Thomson, Beverley Paterson Jan 1998

Eye Health Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People: Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health Reviews: Number 1, Neil Thomson, Beverley Paterson

Research outputs pre 2011

As with many other aspects of health status, it is most probable that prior to the European settlement of Australia in 1788 the eye health of Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders was excellent. In fact. their eye health was almost certainly better than that of Europeans of the time. There are no definite data from early post-settlement times, but this conclusion appears reasonable from the results of a number of thorough surveys conducted as late as the 1940s and 1950s ( 1-4) Despite finding some severe preventable problems, particularly trachoma (a form of infective conjunctivitis - see Appendix l …

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Rural Palliative Care Nursing: A Modified Grounded Theory Study, Ruth Mcconigley Jan 1998

Rural Palliative Care Nursing: A Modified Grounded Theory Study, Ruth Mcconigley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This paper presents the findings of a study of rural palliative care nurses in Western Australia. The numbers of rural centres in Western Australia offering palliative care services are increasing; however at present there is little empirical data available about the roles of the nurses involved. This study was undertaken to begin to correct this deficit. The study examines basic social processes associated with the role of rural palliative care nurses and identities issues that affect the nurses’ professional practice. A modified grounded theory approach was used to form a conceptual framework that describes rural palliative care nursing. Theoretical sampling …

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Young Families' Utilisation, Self-Perceived Requirements, And Satisfaction With Child Health Services In The City Of Belmont, Western Australia, Ailsa M. Munns Jan 1998

Young Families' Utilisation, Self-Perceived Requirements, And Satisfaction With Child Health Services In The City Of Belmont, Western Australia, Ailsa M. Munns

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The expectations of young families regarding care they would like to receive from community nurses working in the child health area is affected by the relationship between those expectations, utilisation and sociocultural factors such as family type, family composition and ethnicity. These factors influence family dynamics, needs, functioning and interactions with the wider community. A descriptive study with both quantitative and qualitative components was used to identify and analyse the self-identified requirements of young families utilising Child Health Services in the Belmont area, Western Australia, and their patterns of utilisation. Twenty five women who had a child or children under …

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A Systematic Evaluation Of Methods To Separate X- And Y- Bearing Sperm, Jacquelyn Irving Jan 1998

A Systematic Evaluation Of Methods To Separate X- And Y- Bearing Sperm, Jacquelyn Irving

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This project was initiated to determine if was possible to enrich either X- or Y- bearing sperm, and hence to preselect the sex of a child. Two of the possible reasons why couple might want to select the sex of a child are firstly because of a family history of an X-linked recessive genetic disorder, which usually only affect sons, and secondly families who have had several children of one sex. For this study, men with three or more children of the same sex were recruited following the publication of an article in The West Australian newspaper. The percentage of …

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Accident Experience Of Commonwealth Government Employees In Western Australia : 1 June 1993 To 2 December 1995, David R. Wright Jan 1998

Accident Experience Of Commonwealth Government Employees In Western Australia : 1 June 1993 To 2 December 1995, David R. Wright

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This quantitative study documents, analyses and discusses the accident experience of Commonwealth employees in Western Australia from 1 July 1993 to 2 December 1995 as recorded on 1663 accident report forms. The research addresses the problem of lack of knowledge of accidents in the Commonwealth sector of the Western Australian work force. Its purpose is to identify possible areas of health and safety improvement and highlight where accident frequency may be reduced. Risk management is adopted as a conceptual framework to explore categories of accident related data, including month of year, time of day, day of the week of accidents, …

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Validation Of The Barkemeyer-Callon-Jones Malingering Detection Scale: The Ability Of A Scale Differentiate Simulating Malingers From Controls And Prior Litigants From Those With No Litigation Experience Within A Sample Of Men Who Have All Suffered Chronic Low Back Pain, David Curnow Jan 1998

Validation Of The Barkemeyer-Callon-Jones Malingering Detection Scale: The Ability Of A Scale Differentiate Simulating Malingers From Controls And Prior Litigants From Those With No Litigation Experience Within A Sample Of Men Who Have All Suffered Chronic Low Back Pain, David Curnow

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Chronic low back pain costs the community, and several authors have suggested that individuals often attempt to exaggerate chronic low back pain. Currently no reliable and valid scale for assessing malingering in chronic pain populations exists, and there is a large difference in opinion on the ability of experts using clinical judgment to detect malingering. The current study seeks to provide a validation for the BarkemeyerCallon-Jones Malingering Detection Scale (MDS) which has purported to be able to identify individuals attempting to malinger neurological conditions and pain. A simulation design was used, as in previous research, because it is difficult to …

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Biometrics : An Exploration And Analysis Of User Acceptance Issues, Brendan J. O'Loughlin Jan 1998

Biometrics : An Exploration And Analysis Of User Acceptance Issues, Brendan J. O'Loughlin

Theses : Honours

The security industry has undergone dramatic growth over the last twenty years due to a burgeoning of demand for security products and services. The protection of people, assets and information has been prominent among the concerns of business, industry and the broader community. Crimes against domestic, commercial, and industrial premises, small and large, are a commonplace occurrence and security has therefore become an essential component of any facility's continual operation. The security industry has been quick to respond to these concerns through the rapid development of a wide range of products and services. Growth in security as an academic discipline …

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The Meaning Of Quality In Living Service Environments: An Analysis Of The Experiences Of People With Disabilities, Elderly People And Service Workers, Ruth Marquis Jan 1998

The Meaning Of Quality In Living Service Environments: An Analysis Of The Experiences Of People With Disabilities, Elderly People And Service Workers, Ruth Marquis

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of both people with disabilities and elderly people and to identify their perceptions of quality as it relates to living in a service or being supported by a service to live in the community. The study was naturalistic in design and used a phenomenological approach and inductive analysis. It involved immersion in living services for a two year period, in-depth interviews with people living and working in services and participant observation. Fifty service users between the ages of twenty-one and ninety-six, and twenty-six service workers between the ages of twenty-six …

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Early Discharge Planning : Primiparous Women's Perceptions Of Their Readiness For Going Home, Graeme N. Boardley Jan 1998

Early Discharge Planning : Primiparous Women's Perceptions Of Their Readiness For Going Home, Graeme N. Boardley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Early discharge for women after childbirth was introduced in Australia approximately ten years ago. Early discharge involves going home from hospital within three days of giving birth. Since its introduction, early discharge has been the subject of much debate. Previous research has argued the cost effectiveness and safety of early discharge, but little has been done to examine this phenomenon from the human aspect. An exploratory study of first time mothers, in an early discharge programme was undertaken to address how these women felt in relation to their readiness for going home. A purposive sample of twenty Caucasian, English speaking …

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Women's Perceptions Of Successful Breastfeeding During The Early Stages Of Being A Mother, Shelagh Lawrence Jan 1998

Women's Perceptions Of Successful Breastfeeding During The Early Stages Of Being A Mother, Shelagh Lawrence

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this qualitative study, guided by Rubin's Model was to describe women's perceptions of successful breastfeeding during the early stages of being a mother. The transition to motherhood marks a time of great developmental change in a woman's life. Infant feeding is an important aspect of this adaptation to the maternal role. The physiological benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby are well documented, but there is limited research on the psychological advantages of breastfeeding for the mother. This Masters research was a discrete part of a larger research project entitled the Perth Metropolitan Breastfeeding Study. This project …

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Exclusion Mapping Of Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Third Locus, Eoin Thompson Jan 1998

Exclusion Mapping Of Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Third Locus, Eoin Thompson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this research was to perform exclusion on a rare form of hereditary autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). To-date, two genes for ADPKD have been identified: PKDI which has been localized to the short arm of chromosome 16 and PKD2 which has been localized to the long arm of chromosome 4. However, a small number of families have been reported that have not shown linkage to either of these two loci, thus suggesting the existence of at least one additional locus (PKD3). Two families that are affected with ADPKD and do not show linkage to PKDI or …

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Fitness To Stand Trial In Australia: The Investigation And Comparison Of Clinical Opinion And Legal Criteria, Miranda P. Hogg Jan 1998

Fitness To Stand Trial In Australia: The Investigation And Comparison Of Clinical Opinion And Legal Criteria, Miranda P. Hogg

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The extent to which Australian psychologists and psychiatrists are cognisant of the legal standard for Fitness to Stand Trial (FST) was investigated. 198 psychologists from The Australian Psychological Society (APS), and 125 psychiatrists from The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) responded to a survey. Psychiatrists identified a greater number of legal criteria than psychologists. This finding extended across clinicians who had experience in the evaluation of fitness to stand trial and those who did not. No difference was found between psychologists and psychiatrists for mentioning irrelevant or insufficient considerations. However, a within-group analysis revealed that the …

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The Participant's Perception Of The Contribution Of Lyengar Yoga To Their Health And Well-Being, Ann Dragon Jan 1998

The Participant's Perception Of The Contribution Of Lyengar Yoga To Their Health And Well-Being, Ann Dragon

Theses : Honours

To date little research has been conducted to substantiate the many anecdotal claims that yoga improves both physical and mental health. Berger and Owen (1992) demonstrated that yoga practice could enhance mood state. Mind-body exercise modalities, such as tai chi and yoga, potentially offer significant benefit in the areas of exercise rehabilitation and health promotion strategy (LaForge, 1997). Yoga is steadily gaining popularity amongst western culture with an increasing number of people participating in this mind-body exercise modality. Investigating the perceived contribution of regular yoga practice to health and well-being could uncover a number of positive 'indicators towards exercise adherence …

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Changes In Muscular Power Associated With Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Carmel Nottle Jan 1998

Changes In Muscular Power Associated With Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Carmel Nottle

Theses : Honours

The aims of the this study were to investigate the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) following downhill running on cycling power output and to determine the extent of any relationships between power output, strength, and DOMS. 12 active male subjects (aged 18-25 years) were randomly assigned to either a test (n=7) or control (n=5) group. The test group performed a 5 x 8 minute downhill running protocol at a grade of -7% and a speed corresponding to 80% of the subjects age predicted heart rate maximum. Measurements of isometric knee extension and flexion strength, peak and average cycling …

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Predicting The Severity Of Radiation Skin Reactions In Women With Breast Cancer, Davina Porock Jan 1998

Predicting The Severity Of Radiation Skin Reactions In Women With Breast Cancer, Davina Porock

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Skin reactions are unavoidable side effects of radiotherapy for breast cancer that may limit the amount of treatment a patient is able to receive. As well, the discomfort associated with the treatment may negatively affect the patient's quality of life and their willingness to complete a course of treatment that typically extends over seven weeks. Prior literature suggests that variations in patients' tissue reactions to radiation may be related to Individual patient characteristics. Before health care providers can intervene to prevent or minimise skin reactions, a clinical model that helps predict which patients will experience more skin reactions is needed. …

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The Efficacy Of A 'Spacer' In The Delivery Of Salbutamol For The Prevention Of Exercise-Induced Asthma, David G. Reed Jan 1998

The Efficacy Of A 'Spacer' In The Delivery Of Salbutamol For The Prevention Of Exercise-Induced Asthma, David G. Reed

Theses : Honours

Salbutamol is a Beta-2-agonist, commonly prescribed for the prevention and reversal of Exercise induced asthma (EIA). The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of a spacer device in the delivery of salbutamol for the prevention of EIA Thirteen confirmed asthmatic subjects (10 female and 3 male), completed 3 exercise test sessions consisting of three treatments a) Ventolin via MDI (metered dose inhaler) and placebo via spacer, b) Ventolin via spacer and placebo via MDI and c) Placebo via spacer and MDI, randomly administered utilising a single blind, cross--over design. Following treatment, subjects completed an asthmogenic physical challenge …

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Sense Of Effort Associated With Exercise In The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Karen E. Wallman Jan 1998

Sense Of Effort Associated With Exercise In The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Karen E. Wallman

Theses : Honours

Investigations into the mediators of effort sensation have indicated that central mechanisms related to corollary discharges may be responsible for an increased sense of effort during fatiguing isometric exercise. The role for central mediators for sense of effort have been objectively demonstrated through use of contralateral limb matching tasks. Subjects diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) often report prevalent fatigue associated with a greater sense of effort when involved in exercise. This study employed a fatiguing contralateral limb-matching task in order to determine if CFS subjects (n == 6) experienced an altered sense of effort associated with the task when …

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Factors Which Influence Women's Decisions For Choice Of Primary Surgery For Stage I And Stage Ii Breast Cancer, Barbara Mastaglia Jan 1998

Factors Which Influence Women's Decisions For Choice Of Primary Surgery For Stage I And Stage Ii Breast Cancer, Barbara Mastaglia

Theses : Honours

A descriptive correlational study was conducted to describe the factors that Western Australian women with either Stage I or Stage II Breast Cancer, perceived to be important considerations when deciding upon either Modified Radical Mastectomy (MRM) or Breast Conserving Treatment (BCT) for surgical treatment. The Conflict Theory of Decision Making (Janis & Mann, 1977) was used as the theoretical framework to guide this study. Ward, Heidrich and Wolberg's (1989) Factor List, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scale (Wallston, Wallston & De Vellis, 1978) and a demographic questionnaire were used to measure variables. Questionnaires were mailed to a consecutive …

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Women's Perceptions Of Birth Centre Care: A Qualitative Approach, Karen Coyle Jan 1998

Women's Perceptions Of Birth Centre Care: A Qualitative Approach, Karen Coyle

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe women's perceptions of the care they received in a birth centre, compared to their previous experiences in a hospital. Australian statistics indicate that five percent of childbearing women now choose to receive care in a birth centre setting. Clinical outcomes of birth centre care are now well documented, but there is limited empirical data about women's experiences of this model of care. Seventeen women, who had recently given birth in a birth centre, and had previously experienced care in a hospital setting, were interviewed about their care experiences. Using content analysis, …

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