Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effectiveness Of Quality Incentive Payments In General Practice (Equip-Gp): A Study Protocol For A Cluster-Randomised Trial Of An Outcomes-Based Funding Model In Australian General Practice To Improve Patient Care, Gregory Peterson, Grant Russell, Jan Radford, Nicholas Arnold Zwar, Danielle Mazza, Simon Eckermann, Judy Mullan, Marijka Batterham, Athena Hammond, Andrew D. Bonney

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background There is international interest in whether improved primary care, in particular for patients with chronic or complex conditions, can lead to decreased use of health resources and whether financial incentives help achieve this goal. This trial (EQuIP-GP) will investigate whether a funding model based upon targeted, continuous quality incentive payments for Australian general practices increases relational continuity of care, and lessens health-service utilisation, for high-risk patients and children. Methods We will use a mixed methods approach incorporating a two-arm pragmatic cluster randomised control trial with nested qualitative case studies. We aim to recruit 36 general practices from Practice-Based Research …

Geographic Variation In Cardiometabolic Risk Distribution: A Cross-Sectional Study Of 256,525 Adult Residents In The Illawarra-Shoalhaven Region Of The Nsw, Australia, Renin Toms, Darren J. Mayne, Xiaoqi Feng, Andrew D. Bonney

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Introduction Metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) warrant significant public health concern globally. This study aims to utilise the regional database of a major laboratory network to describe the geographic distribution pattern of eight different cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs), which in turn can potentially generate hypotheses for future research into locality specific preventive approaches. Method A cross-sectional design utilising de-identified laboratory data on eight CMRFs including fasting blood sugar level (FBSL); glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c); total cholesterol (TC); high density lipoprotein (HDL); albumin creatinine ratio (ACR); estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); body mass index (BMI); and diabetes mellitus (DM) status …

Cross-Sectional Study Of Area-Level Disadvantage And Glycaemic-Related Risk In Community Health Service Users In The Southern.Iml Research (Simlr) Cohort, Roger Cross, Andrew D. Bonney, Darren J. Mayne, Kathryn M. Weston

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

Objectives. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between area-level socioeconomic disadvantage and glycaemic-related risk in health service users in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, Australia. Methods. HbA1c values recorded between 2010 and 2012 for non-pregnant individuals aged 18 years were extracted from the Southern.IML Research (SIMLR) database. Individuals were assigned quintiles of the Socioeconomic Indices for Australia (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage (IRSD) according to their Statistical Area 1 of residence. Glycaemic risk categories were defined as HbA1c 5.0-5.99% (lowest risk), 6.0-7.49% (intermediate risk) and 7.5% (highest risk). Logistic regression models were …

Island-Hopping Study Shows The Most Likely Route The First People Took To Australia, Kasih Norman

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

The First Australians were among the world's earliest great ocean explorers, undertaking a remarkable 2,000km maritime migration through Indonesia which led to the discovery of Australia at least 65,000 years ago. But the voyaging routes taken through Indonesia's islands, and the location of first landfall in Australia, remain a much debated mystery to archaeologists. Our research, published earlier this year in Quaternary Science Reviews, highlights the most likely route by mapping islands in the region over time through changing sea levels.

Prevalence And Correlates Of Psychological Distress Among Diabetes Mellitus Adults In The Jilin Province In China: A Cross-Sectional Study, Shuang Qiu, Xuan Hong Sun, Wen Ya Liu, Joseph Sam Kanu, Ri Li, Qin Ya Yu, Xu-Feng Huang, Bo Li, Yang Xiang Zhang

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background: Psychological disorders are common in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, and the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of psychological distress and to determine the influence factors associated with psychological distress among DM patients in the Jilin province of China.

Methods and Materials: Multistage, stratified cluster sampling was used in this cross-sectional study. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to assess psychological status with the total score of ≥4 as the threshold for psychological distress.

Results: A total of 1,956 subjects with DM were included in the study. Out of this total diabetic …

Study Of The Footprints Of Short-Term Variation In Xco2 Observed By Tccon Sites Using Nies And Flexpart Atmospheric Transport Models, Dmitry Belikov, Shamil Maksyutov, Alexander Ganshin, Ruslan Zhuravlev, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Debra Wunch, Dietrich G. Feist, Isamu Morino, Robert J. Parker, Kimberly Strong, Yukio Yoshida, Andrey Bril, Sergey Oshchepkov, Hartmut Boesch, Manvendra K. Dubey, David W. T Griffith, Will Hewson, Rigel Kivi, Joseph Mendonca, Justus Notholt, Matthias Schneider, Ralf Sussmann, Voltaire A. Velazco, Shuji Aoki

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

The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) is a network of ground-based Fourier transform spectrometers (FTSs) that record near-infrared (NIR) spectra of the sun. From these spectra, accurate and precise observations of CO2 column-averaged dry-air mole fractions (denoted XCO2) are retrieved. TCCON FTS observations have previously been used to validate satellite estimations of XCO2; however, our knowledge of the short-term spatial and temporal variations in XCO2 surrounding the TCCON sites is limited. In this work, we use the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) Eulerian three-dimensional transport model and the FLEXPART (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model) Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LPDM) …

Is It My Job? The Role Of Rns In The Assessment And Identification Of Delirium In Hospitalized Older Adults: An Exploratory Qualitative Study, Miriam Coyle, Pippa Burns, Victoria Traynor

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

Delirium is characterized by acute and fluctuating cognitive decline, which is often missed in older adults who are assumed to be experiencing age-related changes or dementia. Delirium affects up to 50% of hospitalized older adults. The aim of the current study was to (a) explore current practices of RNs in assessing and identifying delirium in hospitalized older adults and (b) inform new educational initiatives. Qualitative methods were adopted using eight semi-structured group interviews with 24 RNs. Thematic analysis revealed a dichotomy in practice where RNs described delirium assessment and identification as (a) It's Not My Job, (b) It is …

Activating Primary Care Copd Patients With Multi-Morbidity (Apcom) Pilot Project: Study Protocol, Sameera Ansari, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Sarah May Dennis, Nicholas Zwar

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

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), third leading cause of mortality worldwide,1 is primarily caused by cigarette smoking in Australia.2 COPD often occurs in the presence of multi-morbidity, which is the simultaneous occurrence of two or more chronic conditions; this is a growing concern in a health system focused on single-disease management.3 Around 80% of older Australians have multi-morbidity, average prevalence of chronic respiratory disease being 9.5%.4 A systematic review of COPD education programs suggests that equipping patients with self-management skills is as important as disease knowledge.5 Studies exploring positive effects of chronic disease-management interventions6 also underline the lack of studies …

Recognition And Management Of Posterior Myocardial Infarction: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Leigh D. White, Joshua Wall, Thomas M. Melhuish, Ruan Vlok, Astin Lee

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

Characteristic electrocardiogram (ECG) features of posterior myocardial infarction (PMI) do not include typical ST-segment elevation and, therefore, carries the risk of delayed diagnosis and management. The aim of this study was to investigate how well PMIs are recognised and whether a lack of recognition translates to a larger infarction. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients sourced from a cardiac catheterisation database. Based on ECG analysis, patients included in this study included those meeting PMI criteria and those meeting ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) criteria as the control group. Door-to-balloon times were used as an outcome measure for differences in …

A Systematic Review Of Intervention Studies Examining Nutritional And Herbal Therapies For Mild Cognitive Impairment And Dementia Using Neuroimaging Methods: Study Characteristics And Intervention Efficacy, Genevieve Z. Steiner, Danielle Mathersul, Freya Macmillan, David A. Camfield, Nerida Klupp, Sai Seto, Yong Huang, Mark Hohenberg, Dennis Chang

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Neuroimaging facilitates the assessment of complementary medicines (CMs) by providing a noninvasive insight into their mechanisms of action in the human brain. This is important for identifying the potential treatment options for target disease cohorts with complex pathophysiologies. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate study characteristics, intervention efficacy, and the structural and functional neuroimaging methods used in research assessing nutritional and herbal medicines for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Six databases were searched for articles reporting on CMs, dementia, and neuroimaging methods. Data were extracted from 21/2,742 eligible full text articles and risk of bias was …

On The Intrinsic Accuracy And Precision Of The Standardised Growth Curve (Sgc) And Global-Sgc (Gsgc) Methods For Equivalent Dose Determination: A Simulation Study, Jun Peng, Vasilis Pagonis, Bo Li

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

In optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, the single aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) method has been used extensively for determining equivalent doses (De) in quartz. A variation of the SAR method is the “standardised growth curve” (SGC) method, which has been used as an efficient procedure to save measurement time during dating studies. During the application of the SGC method one establishes the SGC and calculation of the De of an aliquot requires only measurement of the standardised natural dose signal. Recently, a “global standardised growth curve” (gSGC) method was developed as an improved version of the SGC procedure. During the application …

Leveraging Ongoing Research To Evaluate The Health Impacts Of South Africa's Salt Reduction Strategy: A Prospective Nested Cohort Within The Who-Sage Multicountry, Longitudinal Study, Karen E. Charlton, Lisa J. Ware, Elias Menyanu, Richard Berko Biritwum, Nirmala Naidoo, Chine Pieterse, Savathree (Lorna) Madurai, Jeannine Baumgartner, George A. Asare, Elizabeth Thiele, Aletta E. Schutte, Paul Kowal

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

Introduction: Attempting to curb the rising epidemic of hypertension, South Africa implemented legislation in June 2016 mandating maximum sodium levels in a range of manufactured foods that contribute significantly to population salt intake. This natural experiment, comparing two African countries with and without salt legislation, will provide timely information on the impact of legislative approaches addressing the food supply to improve blood pressure in African populations. This article outlines the design of this ongoing prospective nested cohort study. Methods and analysis: Baseline sodium intake was assessed in a nested cohort of the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health …

A 6-Month Randomised Controlled Trial Investigating Effects Of Mediterranean-Style Diet And Fish Oil Supplementation On Dietary Behaviour Change, Mental And Cardiometabolic Health And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Adults With Depression (Helfimed): Study Protocol, Dorota M. Zarnowiecki, Jihyun Cho, Amy Wilson, Svetlana Bogomolova, Anthony Villani, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Theo Niyonsenga, Kerin O'Dea, Sarah Blunden, Barbara J. Meyer, Leonie Segal, Natalie Parletta

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

Background: Modern diets, characterised by excess consumption of processed foods, are accompanied by an epidemic of chronic diseases. Cardiovascular disease and depression carry a large burden of disease and often occur together. Poor dietary patterns have been identified as an independent risk factor for depression while healthy diets with minimally processed food are protective. Traditional Mediterranean diets have been shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease; however there is a need for clinical trials in people with depression. This paper reports the study protocol of a Mediterranean-style diet intervention conducted in adults with self-reported depression. Methods/design: HELFIMED is a parallel …

Striatal Morphology Correlates With Frontostriatal Electrophysiological Motor Processing In Huntington's Disease: An Image-Hd Study, Lauren Turner, David D. Jakabek, Fiona A. Wilkes, Rodney J. Croft, Andrew Churchyard, Mark Walterfang, Dennis Velakoulis, Jeffrey C. L Looi, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis, Deborah M. Apthorp

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) causes progressive atrophy to the striatum, a critical node in frontostriatal circuitry. Maintenance of motor function is dependent on functional connectivity of these premotor, motor, and dorsolateral frontostriatal circuits, and structural integrity of the striatum itself. We aimed to investigate whether size and shape of the striatum as a measure of frontostriatal circuit structural integrity was correlated with functional frontostriatal electrophysiological neural premotor processing (contingent negative variation, CNV), to better understand motoric structure-function relationships in early HD.

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and electrophysiological (EEG) measures of premotor processing were obtained from a …

Development And Feasibility Testing Of Prompt-Care, An Ehealth System For Collection And Use Of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures For Personalized Treatment And Care: A Study Protocol, Afaf Girgis, Geoff P. Delaney, Anthony Arnold, Andrew Alexis Miller, Janelle V. Levesque, Nasreen Kaadan, Martin G. Carolan, Nicole Cook, Kenneth Masters, Thomas T. Tran, Tiffany Sandell, Ivana Durcinoska, Martha Gerges, Sandra Avery, Weng Ng, Stephen Della-Fiorentina, Haryana M. Dhillon, Ashley M. Maher

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background: Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures have been used widely to screen for depression, anxiety, and symptoms in cancer patients. Computer-based applications that collect patients' responses and transfer them to the treating health professional in real time have the potential to improve patient well-being and cancer outcomes.

Objective: This study will test the feasibility and acceptability of a newly developed eHealth system which facilitates PRO data capture from cancer patients, data linkage and retrieval to support clinical decisions and patient self-management, and data retrieval to support ongoing evaluation and innovative research.

Methods: The eHealth system is being developed in consultation with …

A Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Consumer-Focused E-Health Strategy For Cardiovascular Risk Management In Primary Care: The Consumer Navigation Of Electronic Cardiovascular Tools (Connect) Study Protocol, Julie Redfern, Tim Usherwood, Mark Fort Harris, A Rodgers, Noel Hayman, Kathryn S. Panaretto, C Chow, A Lau, Lis Neubeck, G Coorey, F Hersch, E Heeley, Anushka Dr Anushka Patel, S Jan, Nicholas Arnold Zwar, David Peiris

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

Introduction: Fewer than half of all people at highest risk of a cardiovascular event are receiving and adhering to best practice recommendations to lower their risk. In this project, we examine the role of an e-health-assisted consumer-focused strategy as a means of overcoming these gaps between evidence and practice. Consumer Navigation of Electronic Cardiovascular Tools (CONNECT) aims to test whether a consumer-focused e-health strategy provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-indigenous adults, recruited through primary care, at moderate-to-high risk of a cardiovascular disease event will improve risk factor control when compared with usual care. Methods and analysis: Randomised …

Addressing The Deficiencies In The Evidence-Base For Primary Practice In Regional Australia - Sentinel Practices Data Sourcing (Spds) Project: A Pilot Study, Abhijeet Ghosh, Karen E. Charlton, Lisa Girdo, Marijka J. Batterham, Keith Mcdonald

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

Background Chronic disease risk on a population level can be quantified through health surveys, either continuous or periodic. To date, information gathered from primary care interactions, using sentinel sites, has not been investigated as a potentially valuable surveillance system in Australia.

Methods A pilot study was conducted in a single General Practice in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia to assess the feasibility of accessing data obtained through a computerised chronic disease management program that has been designed for desktop application (Pen Computer Systems (PCS) Clinical Audit Tool: ™ PCS CAT). Collated patient data included information on chronic …

A Pilot Study Of Mental Health And Quality-Of-Life Of Caregivers Of Children With Cleft Lip/Palate In India, Mahesh R. Gowda, Nagesh B. Pai, Shae-Leigh C. Vella

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

Background: There has been insufficient and contradictory research to date on the impacts of caring for a child with cleft lip/palate. Therefore this pilot study sought to investigate the mental health and quality of life of primary caregivers of children with cleft lip/palate. Materials and Methods: Seventy-nine primary caregivers of children with cleft lip/palate awaiting a surgical procedure in India completed questionnaires to measure their mental health, quality of life, and demographic variables. Results: The results indicated that half of the sample suffered from poor mental health and a reduced quality of life. Overall perceptions of quality of life were …

Non-Invasive Detection Of Microvascular Changes In A Paediatric And Adolescent Population With Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study, Sarah P. M Hosking, Rani Bhatia, Patricia A. Crock, Ian M. R Wright, Marline L. Squance, Glenn Reeves

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

Background: The detection of microvascular damage in type 1 diabetes is difficult and traditional investigations do not detect changes until they are well established. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined ability of nailfold capillaroscopy, laser Doppler flowmetry, retinal vessel analysis and 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to detect early microvascular changes in a paediatric and adolescent population with type 1 diabetes.

Methods: Patients aged between 8 – 18 years with type I diabetes and no other autoimmune conditions were studied. The participants underwent the above cardiac and vascular investigations in a single three-hour session. Standard parameters …

Self-Reported Side Effects Of Breast Cancer Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Incidence, Associations, And The Influence Of Exercise, Sheridan A. Gho, Julie R. Steele, Sandra C. Jones, Bridget J. Munro

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

Purpose Side effects as a result of breast cancer treatment may have a lasting detrimental impact on quality of life. Exercise has been shown to be an effective intervention in post-treatment care. This study aimed to gain a better understanding of breast cancer treatment-related side effects through identifying potential patient characteristic associations, including current levels of exercise.

Methods Four hundred and thirty-two breast cancer patients completed an online survey covering their treatment and demographic background, current exercise levels, and self-reported treatment side effects. Side effects were considered in a binary logistic regression against age, surgery, currently undergoing treatment, and exercise …

Diabetes And Cognitive Deficits In Chronic Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Study, Mei Han, Xu-Feng Huang, Da Chun Chen, Meihong Xiu, Thomas R. Kosten, Xiang Yang Zhang

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

Cognitive impairment occurs in both schizophrenia and diabetes. There is currently limited understanding whether schizophrenia with diabetes has more serious cognitive deficits than schizophrenia without diabetes or diabetes only. This study assessed cognitive performance in 190 healthy controls, 106 diabetes only, 127 schizophrenia without diabetes and 55 schizophrenia with diabetes. This study was conducted from January 2008 to December 2010. Compared to healthy controls, all patient groups had significantly decreased total and five index RBANS scores (all p<0.01-p

Baby Leafy Green Vegetables: Providing Insight Into An Old Problem? An Exploratory Qualitative Study Examining Influences On Their Consumption, Anne-Therese Mcmahon, Linda Tapsell, Peter Williams, Jennifer Jobling

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

Issue addressed: Populations in many developed countries continue to fail to meet vegetable consumption recommendations despite ongoing health promotion activities supported by public health policies. Novel ways to encourage vegetable consumption may help address this concern. The aim of the present study was to describe female consumers' perceptions about leafy green vegetables and identify consumption issues. Methods: Three age-stratified semistructured focus groups were conducted with 23 female participants. Food shopping habits, reported consumption and/or knowledge, and the perceived benefits of and/or issues associated with the consumption of leafy green vegetables were explored. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim. Two researchers examined …

Utility Of Coi, Cad And Morphological Data For Resolving Relationships Within The Genus Sarcophaga (Sensu Lato) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): A Preliminary Study, Kelly A. Meiklejohn, James F. Wallman, Thomas Pape, Stephen L. Cameron, Mark Dowton

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

Currently there are ∼3000 known species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera), which are classified into 173 genera in three subfamilies. Almost 25% of sarcophagids belong to the genus Sarcophaga (sensu lato) however little is known about the validity of, and relationships between the ∼150 (or more) subgenera of Sarcophaga s.l. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the usefulness of three sources of data for resolving relationships between 35 species from 14 Sarcophaga s.l. subgenera: the mitochondrial COI barcode region, ∼800 bp of the nuclear gene CAD, and 110 morphological characters. Bayesian, maximum likelihood (ML) and maximum parsimony (MP) analyses were performed on …

Developing 'Policy Stories' For State Health System Benchmarking: A Small-N Quali-Quantitative Study, Erica Bell, Bastian Seidel

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

Background: The benchmarking literature has made important advances and offers many different population health indicators that can be used to compare state health systems. However, there is still a need for qualitative, complexity-oriented approaches that allow policy-makers to develop explanatory 'policy stories' from combining such indicators that are useful to policy solutions. Methods: A new qualitative method from the social sciences based on Boolean approaches, called Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), was piloted in a 'real world' policy consultancy to combine Australian state-level indicators of community and health system inputs, interventions, and population health outcomes. Analyses were provided for state inputs …

A Qualitative Study On Tobacco Smoking And Betel Quid Use Among Burmese Refugees In Australia, Susan Furber, Janet Jackson, Keryn Johnson, Radmila Sukara, Lisa Franco

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

Anecdotal evidence suggests that there are high rates of smoking among Burmese men in Wollongong, Australia. A qualitative study was undertaken to explore the beliefs and experiences of Burmese refugees in Wollongong on smoking to guide the development of smoking cessation interventions. Three focus groups were conducted with Burmese refugees. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with service providers involved with Burmese refugees. Qualitative content analysis was used to categorise responses to the questions. Participants were aware of the health effects of tobacco smoking but had little knowledge of support for quitting. Many participants chewed betel quid and were unaware of …

Interlaboratory Study For Coral Sr/Ca And Other Element/Ca Ratio Measurements, Ed C. Hathorne, Alex Gagnon, Thomas Felis, Jess Adkins, Ryuji Asami, Wim Boer, Nicolas Caillon, David Case, Kim M. Cobb, Eric Douville, Peter Demenocal, Anton Eisenhauer, Dieter Garbe-Schonberg, Walter Geibert, Steven Goldstein, Konrad Hughen, Mayuri Inoue, Hodaka Kawahata, Martin Kolling, Florence L. Cornec, Braddock K. Linsley, Helen V. Mcgregor, Paolo Montagna, Intan S. Nurhati, Terrence M. Quinn, Jacek Raddatz, Helene Rebaubier, Laura Robinson, Aleksey Sadekov, Robert Sherrell, Dan Sinclair, Alexander W. Tudhope, Gangjian Wei, Henri Wong, Henry C. Wu, Chen-Feng You

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

The Sr/Ca ratio of coral aragonite is used to reconstruct past sea surface temperature (SST). Twenty-one laboratories took part in an interlaboratory study of coral Sr/Ca measurements. Results show interlaboratory bias can be significant, and in the extreme case could result in a range in SST estimates of 7°C. However, most of the data fall within a narrower range and the Porites coral reference material JCp-1 is now characterized well enough to have a certified Sr/Ca value of 8.838 mmol/mol with an expanded uncertainty of 0.089 mmol/mol following International Association of Geoanalysts (IAG) guidelines. This uncertainty, at the 95% confidence …

Theoretical Study On The Ring-Opening Reactions Of Cyclopropenes Mediated By A Aui Complex, Nasir Ahmad Rajabi, Mona Jalali Atashgah, Rasool Babaahmadi, Christopher Hyland, Alireza Ariafard

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

DFT calculations have been carried out in order to rationalize and predict the ring-opening regioselectivity of substituted cyclopropenes in the presence of gold(I) catalysts. It has been shown that the regioselectivity of these ring-opening processes is driven by the relative π-donor ability of the substituents on the cyclopropene double bond (C1 and C2). A stronger π-donor substituent at C2 favors Au(I)-induced polarization of the double bond toward C1, resulting in preferential breaking of the C1–C3 bond. An excellent correlation between ΔE and the difference in the C1–C2 p(π) orbital population was observed for a broad range of substituents, providing a …

Australian General Practitioner Perceptions Of The Detection And Screening Of At-Risk Drinking, And The Role Of The Audit-C: A Qualitative Study, Chun Wah Michael Tam, Nicholas Arnold Zwar, Roslyn Markham

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

Background: At-risk drinking is common in Australia. Validated screening tools such as the AUDIT-C have been promoted to general practitioners (GPs), but appear rarely used and detection of at-risk drinking in primary care remains low. We sought to describe Australian GP perceptions of the detection and screening of at-risk drinking; to understand their low uptake of alcohol screening questionnaires, and in particular, their attitude to the adoption of the AUDIT-C. Methods. Semi-structured focus group interviews of four groups of GPs and GP trainees were conducted in metropolitan Sydney between August and October 2011. Audio recordings were transcribed and analysed using …

An Objective Index Of Walkability For Research And Planning In The Sydney Metropolitan Region Of New South Wales, Australia: An Ecological Study, Darren J. Mayne, Geoffrey Morgan, Alan Willmore, Nectarios Rose, Bin Jalaludin, Hilary Bambrick, Adrian Bauman

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background: Walkability describes the capacity of the built environment to support walking for various purposes. This paper describes the construction and validation of two objective walkability indexes for Sydney, Australia.

Methods: Walkability indexes using residential density, intersection density, land use mix, with and without retail floor area ratio were calculated for 5,858 Sydney Census Collection Districts in a geographical information system. Associations between variables were evaluated using Spearman’s rho (ρ). Internal consistency and factor structure of indexes were estimated with Cronbach’s alpha and principal components analysis; convergent and predictive validity were measured using weighted kappa (κw) and by comparison with …

"It Could Probably Help Someone Else But Not Me": A Feasibility Study Of A Snack Programme Offered To Meals On Wheels Clients, K E. Charlton, K Walton, L Moon, K Smith, A T. Mcmahon, F Ralph, M Stuckey, F Manning, J Krassie

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

Objectives Community-based services, such as Meals on Wheels (MOW), allow older adults to remain in their homes for as long as possible. Many MOW recipients experience decreased appetite that limits intake at mealtimes. This pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of providing high protein high energy snacks to improve nutrient intakes of MOW clients in a regional centre of New South Wales, Australia.

Participants A convenience sample of 12 MOW clients.

Intervention Participants received snacks five times a week, in addition to their usual MOW order, for four weeks.

Measurements Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment …