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Priority Setting In Indigenous Health: Why We Need An Explicit Decision Making Approach, Michael E. Otim, Ranmalie Jayasinha, Margaret Kelaher, Edward Shane Houston, Ian P. Anderson, Stephen Jan Dec 2015

Priority Setting In Indigenous Health: Why We Need An Explicit Decision Making Approach, Michael E. Otim, Ranmalie Jayasinha, Margaret Kelaher, Edward Shane Houston, Ian P. Anderson, Stephen Jan

Michael E Otim

Indigenous Australians have significantly poorer health outcomes than the non-Indigenous population worldwide. The Australian government has increased its investment in Indigenous health through the "Closing the Health Gap" initiative. Deciding where to invest scarce resources so as to maximize health outcomes for Indigenous peoples may require improved priority setting processes. Current government practice involves a mix of implicit and explicit processes to varying degrees at the macro and meso decision making levels. In this article, we argue that explicit priority setting should be emphasized in Indigenous health, as it can ensure that the decision making process is accountable, systematic, and …


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 Nov 2015

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

Dr Marijka Batterham

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 …


Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy Jul 2015

Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy

Janie Smith

In 2011 Bond University was looking for innovative ways to meet the professional standards and guidelines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health into its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum. In 2012 Bond piloted a compulsory cultural immersion program for all first year students, which is now a usual part of the MBBS program. Methodology The methodology included three phases: establishing an Indigenous health group; determining the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educational content based on the professional standards; and developing nine educational sessions and resources; as well as significant administrative processes. The cultural immersion was piloted …


Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy May 2015

Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy

Katrina A. Bramstedt

In 2011 Bond University was looking for innovative ways to meet the professional standards and guidelines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health into its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum. In 2012 Bond piloted a compulsory cultural immersion program for all first year students, which is now a usual part of the MBBS program. Methodology The methodology included three phases: establishing an Indigenous health group; determining the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educational content based on the professional standards; and developing nine educational sessions and resources; as well as significant administrative processes. The cultural immersion was piloted …


Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy May 2015

Using Cultural Immersion As The Platform For Teaching Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health In An Undergraduate Medical Curriculum, Janie Smith, Christina L. Wolfe, Shannon Springer, Mary Martin, John Togno, Katrina A. Bramstedt, Sally Sargeant, Brad Murphy

Sally Sargeant

In 2011 Bond University was looking for innovative ways to meet the professional standards and guidelines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health into its Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum. In 2012 Bond piloted a compulsory cultural immersion program for all first year students, which is now a usual part of the MBBS program. Methodology The methodology included three phases: establishing an Indigenous health group; determining the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educational content based on the professional standards; and developing nine educational sessions and resources; as well as significant administrative processes. The cultural immersion was piloted …


Determining The Quality Of Assessment Items In Collaborations: Aspects To Discuss To Reach Agreement Developed By The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration, Lambert Schuwirth, Jacob Pearce Feb 2015

Determining The Quality Of Assessment Items In Collaborations: Aspects To Discuss To Reach Agreement Developed By The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration, Lambert Schuwirth, Jacob Pearce

Dr Jacob Pearce

The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration (AMAC) project, funded by the Office of Learning and Teaching, seeks to provide an infrastructure and a road map to support collaboration between Australian medical schools in matters of assessment. This may not seem very new perhaps, because there are already several collaborations taking place in Australia, and, typically, they relate to joint item banks, (such as the IDEAL consortium), or joint test administration, (such as the International Foundation of Medicine tests). The AMAC project seeks to build on these existing collaborations in two ways: first, by tying these initiatives together and thus bundling the …


Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: From Proof Of Concept To Proof Of Sustainability: Final Report 2014, Daniel Edwards, David Wilkinson Sep 2014

Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: From Proof Of Concept To Proof Of Sustainability: Final Report 2014, Daniel Edwards, David Wilkinson

Dr Daniel Edwards

This is the final report for AMAC-2, entitled Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: from proof of concept to proof of sustainability (OLT project ID12-2482). This project advanced previous work funded by the ALTC and was undertaken from early 2013 to mid 2014. AMAC-2 took the proof of concept achieved through the initial AMAC project with the aim of building an ongoing, sustainable and successful collaboration between medical schools in Australia and New Zealand.


Implementing Common Assessment: Lessons And Models From Amac Developed By The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration, Daniel Edwards Sep 2014

Implementing Common Assessment: Lessons And Models From Amac Developed By The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The aim of this document is to provide insight into the implementation of common assessments in higher education in order to assist in future work on conducting these kinds of projects. The discussion here draws heavily on the AMAC experience, attempting to broaden the learning from this project for use in future collaborations. The focus of this project has been on medical education, and as such, much of the detail is related to this field. However, it is hoped that the general ideas discussed here can be seen as informative for other fields and disciplines in higher education and at …


Simulation In Dietetic Education In Australia, Peter Williams, Eleanor Beck Mar 2014

Simulation In Dietetic Education In Australia, Peter Williams, Eleanor Beck

Peter Williams

In 2011 the Dietitians Association of Australia conducted a survey of simulated learning experiences in all universities offering dietetic course in Australia. A total of 35 SLEs currently used were identified: 14 paper-based, 15 physical-based and 6 computer or video based.


"Muting" Neoliberalism? Class And Colonial Legacies In Australia, Chris Gibson Nov 2013

"Muting" Neoliberalism? Class And Colonial Legacies In Australia, Chris Gibson

Chris Gibson

Australian governments of left and right persuasions have seemingly embraced elements of the neoliberal agenda, as in many other parts of the world; but exactly how deeply these have been enacted, and how transformative they have been, must be understood in relation to key colonial, geographical and cultural inheritances. These inheritances include the hegemony of central government stewardship of the economy (essential in a colonized, sparsely populated continent of almost unmanageable scale), a long tradition of social democratic regulation, and cultural expectations of socio-spatial equality. Neoliberal policy projects have been "muted" by on-going equality claims, and some progressive "wins" in …


Making Things In A High-Dollar Australia: The Case Of The Surfboard Industry, Andrew Warren, Chris Gibson Nov 2013

Making Things In A High-Dollar Australia: The Case Of The Surfboard Industry, Andrew Warren, Chris Gibson

Chris Gibson

In August 2011 the announcement by Bluescope Steel of mass layoffs at its Port Kembla steelworks, in the Illawarra region, sparked renewed public debate and media commentary on the future of manufacturing in Australia. The debate has since spread to cars, aluminium smelting - even Mortein fly spray - and has quickly coalesced around the unprecedented high Australian dollar, its impacts on exports, and the prospects of the production of goods shifting overseas. As Australian mining magnates such as Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart and Twiggy Forrest attempt to remould Australia around their 'quarry vision' (Pearse, 2009) of extractive minerals exports, …


Diversifying Ethnicity In Australia's Population And Environment Debates, Natascha Klocker, Lesley Head Nov 2013

Diversifying Ethnicity In Australia's Population And Environment Debates, Natascha Klocker, Lesley Head

Natascha Klocker

Population–environment debates in Australia are at an impasse. While the ability of this continent to sustain more migrants has attracted persistent scrutiny, nuanced explorations of diverse migrant cultures and their engagements with Australian landscapes have scarcely begun. Yet as we face the challenges of a climate changing world we would undoubtedly benefit from the most varied knowledges we can muster. This paper brings together three arenas of environmental debate circulating in Australia—the immigration/carrying capacity debate, comparisons between Indigenous and Anglo-European modes of environmental interaction, and research on household sustainability dilemmas—to demonstrate the exclusionary tendencies of each. We then attempt to …


C-Amp Dependent Protein Kinase A Inhibitory Activity Of Six Algal Extracts From South Eastern Australia And Their Fatty Acid Composition, Ana Zivanovic, Danielle Skropeta Nov 2013

C-Amp Dependent Protein Kinase A Inhibitory Activity Of Six Algal Extracts From South Eastern Australia And Their Fatty Acid Composition, Ana Zivanovic, Danielle Skropeta

Danielle Skropeta

c-AMP dependent protein kinase (protein kinase A, PKA) is an important enzyme involved in the regulation of an increasing number of physiological processes including immune function, cardiovascular disease, memory disorders and cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the PKA inhibitory activity of a range of algal extracts, along with their fatty acid composition. Six algal species were investigated including two Chlorophyta (Codium dimorphum and Ulva lactuca), two Phaeophyta (Phyllospora comosa and Sargassum sp.) and two Rhodophyta (Prionitis linearis and Corallina vancouveriensis), with the order of PKA inhibitory activity of their extracts identified as follows: brown seaweeds > red …


Bottles, Bores, And Boats: Agency Of Water Assemblages In Post/Colonial Inland Australia, Leah M. Gibbs Sep 2013

Bottles, Bores, And Boats: Agency Of Water Assemblages In Post/Colonial Inland Australia, Leah M. Gibbs

Leah Maree Gibbs

Australian water politics is marked by conceptual and bureaucratic separation of water as discrete matter. The source of this politics of separation is colonial relations with water and the Australian continent. Yet, analysis of the materiality of water illuminates the agency of water as part of an assemblage. This paper seeks to unsettle the treatment of water as separate, discrete matter. It asks how political responses to the public problem of water would change were we to take seriously the vitality of nonhuman bodies. In order to investigate this question, the paper presents an analysis of six objects from the …


Uptake Of Medicare Chronic Disease Items In Australia By General Practice Nurses And Aboriginal Health Workers, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Patricia M. Davidson, Nicola Brown Jul 2013

Uptake Of Medicare Chronic Disease Items In Australia By General Practice Nurses And Aboriginal Health Workers, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Patricia M. Davidson, Nicola Brown

Elizabeth Jane Halcomb Professor

The Australian health care system is currently in a state of reform and there is increasing pressure to provide care in community settings. Rising costs, demands and population ageing underscore the importance of adopting models of health care delivery to address changing epidemiological patterns. Population ageing and the increase of chronic conditions challenge models based on acute care. Changes to the Medicare benefits schedule have facilitated the development of a range of expanded nursing services in the general practice setting. In particular, item number 10997 was introduced to reimburse practice nurses and Aboriginal health workers (AHWs) for providing monitoring and …


Sharing Quality Resources For Teaching And Learning: A Peer Review Model For The Altc Exchange In Australia, Geraldine Lefoe, Robyn Philip, Meg O'Reilly, Dominique Parrish Jul 2013

Sharing Quality Resources For Teaching And Learning: A Peer Review Model For The Altc Exchange In Australia, Geraldine Lefoe, Robyn Philip, Meg O'Reilly, Dominique Parrish

Geraldine Lefoe

The ALTC Exchange (formerly the Carrick Exchange), is a national repository and networking service for Australian higher education. The Exchange was designed to provide access to a repository of shared learning and teaching resources, work spaces for team members engaged in collaborative projects, and communication and networking services. The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) established the Exchange for those who teach, manage and lead learning and teaching in higher education. As part of the research conducted to inform the development of the Exchange, models for peer review of educational resources were evaluated. For this, a design based research approach …


Perceived Coping & Concern Predict Terrorism Preparedness In Australia, Garry Stevens, Kingsley Agho, Melanie Taylor, Alison L. Jones, Margo Barr, Beverley Raphael Jun 2013

Perceived Coping & Concern Predict Terrorism Preparedness In Australia, Garry Stevens, Kingsley Agho, Melanie Taylor, Alison L. Jones, Margo Barr, Beverley Raphael

Alison L Jones

Background In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents research shows population shifts towards protective behaviours, including specific preparedness and avoidance responses. Less is known about individual preparedness in populations with high assumed threat but limited direct exposure, such as Australia. In this study we aimed to determine whether individuals with high perceived coping and higher concern would show greater preparedness to respond to terrorism threats. Methods Adults in New South Wales (NSW) completed terrorism perception and response questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2010 (N=2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Multiple logistic regression analyses …


Newspaper Coverage Of Drug Policy: An Analysis Of Pre-Election Reporting Of The Greens' Drug Policy In Australia, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Fiona Cowlin Jun 2013

Newspaper Coverage Of Drug Policy: An Analysis Of Pre-Election Reporting Of The Greens' Drug Policy In Australia, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Fiona Cowlin

Sandra Jones

Introduction and Aims. With the headline 'Ecstasy Over The Counter' in a popular daily newspaper, the debate on drug policy officially entered the arena of the 2003 New South Wales (Australia) State Election. The debate resurfaced in the lead-up to the 2004 Australian Federal Election. This paper analyses the pre-election coverage of drug policy issues in four Australian newspapers. Design and Methods. Four high-circulation daily newspapers were monitored for a one-month period prior to both elections and analysed for their coverage of drug policy, particularly with respect to the policy of the Greens. Results. The newspapers took different perspectives on …


Amplified Voices, But They Are Speaking To The Wrong People. Why The Complaint System For Unacceptable Advertising In Australia Is Not Working, Katherine Eagleton, Sandra C. Jones Jun 2013

Amplified Voices, But They Are Speaking To The Wrong People. Why The Complaint System For Unacceptable Advertising In Australia Is Not Working, Katherine Eagleton, Sandra C. Jones

Sandra Jones

This exploratory study highlights the lack of public awareness of the role of the Advertising Standards Board (ASB) in the process of handling complaints about unacceptable advertising in Australia. Results show that only a small proportion of Australian adults know that the ASB are the appropriate complaints handling body. This lack of awareness is evident even among those who have made a complaint about advertising (generally to a less appropriate body). This highlights the need for an education campaign to inform the general public how to make a complaint about inappropriate advertising, and who to make a complaint to. Empowering …


Recent Sedimentation And Geomorphological Changes, Lake Illawarra, Nsw, Australia, Craig R. Sloss, Brian G. Jones, Colin V. Murray-Wallace, Bryan E. Chenhall Jun 2013

Recent Sedimentation And Geomorphological Changes, Lake Illawarra, Nsw, Australia, Craig R. Sloss, Brian G. Jones, Colin V. Murray-Wallace, Bryan E. Chenhall

B. G. Jones

Assessing recent changes in landforms associated with Lake Illawarra was achieved by identifying changes in geomorphological features observed in early mapping of the region, aerial photographs and satellite imagery. Quantifying rates of sedimentation associated with prograding fluvial bay-head deltas and within the central basin of Lake Illawarra was established within the framework of amino acid racemisation, radiocarbon, and cesium 137 dating. Results indicate that sedimentation rates associated with fluvial bay-head deltas range from 31 mm/yr proximal to the delta front and fall to between 3 and 7 mm/yr in the pro-delta region. This is a significant increase in sedimentation rate …


Litho- And Chronostratigraphy Of Holocene Sedimentary Successions Preserved In Lake Illawarra, Nsw, Australia, Craig R. Sloss, Brian G. Jones, Colin V. Murray-Wallace Jun 2013

Litho- And Chronostratigraphy Of Holocene Sedimentary Successions Preserved In Lake Illawarra, Nsw, Australia, Craig R. Sloss, Brian G. Jones, Colin V. Murray-Wallace

B. G. Jones

Using a Holocene barrier estuary, Lake Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia, as an example, a detailed litho- and chrono-stratigraphy of the Holocene estuarine deposits has been investigated. Forty kilometres of seismic surveys, 61 vibracores, supplemented by auger drill holes and trenches, and faunal analysis were used in this study. A detailed chronology of the infilling of the barrier estuary has been established using 121 aspartic acid derived ages and 14 radiocarbon ages. The results provide a detailed chronology for the deposition of marine transgressive deposits between ca. 8 and 5 ka years ago. Barrier growth, initiated with rising sea levels …


Using A Social Functionalist Framework To Understand Responses To Projected Sea Level Rise And Managed Retreat Policies In Australia, Kim Alexander, Anthony Ryan May 2013

Using A Social Functionalist Framework To Understand Responses To Projected Sea Level Rise And Managed Retreat Policies In Australia, Kim Alexander, Anthony Ryan

Kim S Alexander Dr

Managed retreat is one of the few policy options available to the Australian government to mitigate the risk of sea level rise for coastal communities. A structured withdrawal from areas inundated by rising sea levels may be the only viable option for some jurisdictions and in many cases may be the most cost effective defensive approach. At present, little is known about community opinions on managed retreat options. The authors present a social functionalist framework to analyse the range of personal concerns and understand more about how people may respond to predicted changes to coastal shorelines. The meta-theoretical social functionalist …


Strategies To Address Iodine Deficiency In Australia Require Ongoing Monitoring And Surveillance, Heather Yeatman, Karen E. Charlton Apr 2013

Strategies To Address Iodine Deficiency In Australia Require Ongoing Monitoring And Surveillance, Heather Yeatman, Karen E. Charlton

Karen E. Charlton

No abstract provided.


Poor Iodine Status And Knowledge Related To Iodine On The Eve Of Mandatory Iodine Fortification In Australia, Heather Yeatman, Karen E. Charlton, Fiona Houweling Apr 2013

Poor Iodine Status And Knowledge Related To Iodine On The Eve Of Mandatory Iodine Fortification In Australia, Heather Yeatman, Karen E. Charlton, Fiona Houweling

Karen E. Charlton

Background: Mandatory fortification of bread with iodised salt is proposed to address the re-emergence of iodine deficiency in Australia and New Zealand. The impacts of fortification require baseline data of iodine status among vulnerable sectors of the population. Objective: To assess the iodine status of healthy women and to investigate consumer understanding and attitudes related to the proposed mandatory iodine fortification programme. Design: Cross-sectional sample of 78 non-pregnant women aged 20-55 y was conveniently sampled in Wollongong, NSW. A single 24-hr urine sample was collected for urinary iodine concentration (UIC). A selfadministered questionnaire assessed consumer understanding, perceptions and attitudes related …


Setting A Course: A Critical Review Of The Literature On Nurse Leadership In Australia, John Hurley, Marie Hutchinson Mar 2013

Setting A Course: A Critical Review Of The Literature On Nurse Leadership In Australia, John Hurley, Marie Hutchinson

Professor John Hurley

Nurse leadership capability that is constructed, nurtured and supported from pre-registration level into the mature career stages intuitively appears to offer benefit for all health stakeholders. Literature suggests such effective nurse leadership impacts positively on not only the quality of clinical care, but also the working environment in which nursing is conducted. Yet a coordinated strategic impetus to develop this leadership capability throughout the nursing profession in Australia remains elusive to quantify. Australia produces many outstanding nurse leaders despite this apparent lack of strategic direction, and yet perhaps due to this lack of cohesive direction nursing leadership is arguably not …


Linking Primary Health Care Researchers In South Australia: A Network Strategy, Sarnet, Raechel L. Waters, Kathryn M. Weston, Elizabeth Farmer Dec 2012

Linking Primary Health Care Researchers In South Australia: A Network Strategy, Sarnet, Raechel L. Waters, Kathryn M. Weston, Elizabeth Farmer

Elizabeth Farmer

In response to the changing definitions of primary care delivery there is a growing need for research to be practitioner-driven and multidisciplinary. This paper addresses the strategies used to enhance multidisciplinary participation and capacity building in research in the South Australian Primary Health Care Research Network (SARNet). This network has 198 members currently. Membership is strongly multidisciplinary and spans all levels of research expertise. The services offered by the network are member-driven and include competitive bursary funding for research and evaluation skills development, writing groups, training events, access to web-based resources and information, special interest groups, and email alerts. Potential …


The Paradoxical Food Buying Behaviour Of Parents: Insights From The Uk And Australia, Gary I. Noble, Sandra C. Jones, Danielle Mcvie, Laura Mcdermott, Martine Stead Sep 2012

The Paradoxical Food Buying Behaviour Of Parents: Insights From The Uk And Australia, Gary I. Noble, Sandra C. Jones, Danielle Mcvie, Laura Mcdermott, Martine Stead

Gary Noble

AbstractPurpose - This article aims to explore the apparent paradox between the nutritional knowledge ofparents of pre-school children and their actual food purchase and preparation behaviour.Design/methodology/approach - Two separate qualitative data collection exercises wereconducted, an exploratory focus group study in the UK and a projective technique study in Australia.Findings - The UK study found that, despite believing that vegetables were good for children'shealth, mothers also perceived that it was extremely difficult to encourage children to eat them. Theresults of Australian study suggest that the purchase of unhealthy "treats" or "bribes" is explainedthrough the concept of "expediency" whereas what this study …


Risk Of Road Traffic Accidents In Patients Discharged Following Treatment For Psychotropic Drug Overdose: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study In Australia, Tharaka L. Dassanayake, Alison L. Jones, Patricia Michie, Gregory Carter, Patrick Mcelduff, Barrie J. Stokes, Ian Whyte Sep 2012

Risk Of Road Traffic Accidents In Patients Discharged Following Treatment For Psychotropic Drug Overdose: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study In Australia, Tharaka L. Dassanayake, Alison L. Jones, Patricia Michie, Gregory Carter, Patrick Mcelduff, Barrie J. Stokes, Ian Whyte

Alison L Jones

Background: Use of psychotropic drugs is known to impair driving and increase the risk of road traffic accidents. They are also the most common drugs taken in overdose in hospital-treated episodes of self-poisoning. Most patients who take psychotropic drug overdoses are discharged within 48 hours, while they still have possible subclinical drug effects. Objective: Using a self-controlled case series design, we aimed to determine whether patients with psychotropic drug overdose are at a higher risk of a traffic accident in the period following discharge compared with a control period not associated with hospital-treated drug overdose. Methodology: Using the New South …


Alert But Less Alarmed: A Pooled Analysis Of Terrorism Threat Perception In Australia, Garry Stevens, Kingsley Agho, Melanie Taylor, Alison L. Jones, Jennifer Jacobs, Margo Barr, Beverley Raphael Sep 2012

Alert But Less Alarmed: A Pooled Analysis Of Terrorism Threat Perception In Australia, Garry Stevens, Kingsley Agho, Melanie Taylor, Alison L. Jones, Jennifer Jacobs, Margo Barr, Beverley Raphael

Alison L Jones

Background: Previous Australian research has highlighted disparities in community perceptions of the threat posed by terrorism. A study with a large sample size is needed to examine reported concerns and anticipated responses of community sub-groups and to determine their consistency with existing Australian and international findings. Methods: Representative samples of New South Wales (NSW) adults completed terrorism perception questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2007 (N = 2081) and 2010 (N = 2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Data sets from the two surveys were pooled and multivariate multilevel analyses conducted to identify health …


Responses To Pandemic (H1n1) 2009, Australia, Keith Eastwood, David N. Durrheim, Michelle Butler, Alison L. Jones Sep 2012

Responses To Pandemic (H1n1) 2009, Australia, Keith Eastwood, David N. Durrheim, Michelle Butler, Alison L. Jones

Alison L Jones

In 2007, adults in Australia were interviewed about their willingness to comply with potential health interventions during a hypothetical influenza outbreak. After the first wave of pandemic (H1 N1) 2009 in Australia, many of the same respondents were interviewed about behavior and protection measures they actually adopted. Of the original 1,155 respondents, follow-up interviews were conducted for 830 (71.9%), Overall, 20.4% of respondents in 2009 had recently experienced influenza-like illness, 77.7% perceived pandemic (H1 N1) 2009 to be mild, and 77.8% reported low anxiety. Only 14.5% could correctly answer 4 questions about influenza virus transmission, symptoms, and infection control. Some …