Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Identifying The Quality Of Life Effects Of Urinary Incontinence With Depression In An Australian Population, Jodie C. Avery, Nigel P. Stocks, Paul Duggan, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Anne Taylor, Robert Goldney, Alastair Maclennan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

To explore the additive effect of urinary incontinence, in people with comorbid depression, on health related quality of life.

Methods

Males and females, 15 to 95 years (n = 3010, response rate 70.2%) were interviewed face to face in the 1998 Autumn South Australian Health Omnibus Survey.

Results

Self-reported urinary incontinence was found in 20.3% (n=610), and depression as defined by the PRIME-MD in 15.2% (n=459) of the survey population. Urinary incontinence with comorbid depression was found in 4.3% of the overall population. Univariate analysis showed that respondents with urinary incontinence and comorbid depression were more likely to be …

The Pattern Of Complaints About Australian Wind Farms Does Not Match The Establishment And Distribution Of Turbines: Support For The Psychogenic, 'Communicated Disease' Hypothesis, Simon Chapman, Alexis B. St George, Karen Waller, Vince Cakic

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background and Objectives With often florid allegations about health problems arising from wind turbine exposure now widespread, nocebo effects potentially confound any future investigation of turbine health impact. Historical audits of health complaints are therefore important. We test 4 hypotheses relevant to psychogenic explanations of the variable timing and distribution of health and noise complaints about wind farms in Australia. Setting All Australian wind farms (51 with 1634 turbines) operating 1993-2012. Methods Records of complaints about noise or health from residents living near 51 Australian wind farms were obtained from all wind farm companies, and corroborated with complaints in submissions …

Governing Carbon In The Australian City: Local Government Responses, Robyn Dowling, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Harriet Bulkeley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Mitigating and adapting to future changes in climate in the context of urban growth has focused the attention of Australian governments, planners, business and community interests alike. In this landscape we see a proliferation of frameworks and initiative s for governing carbon, from Australian state and local governments as well as a wide array of other actors including the private and not-for-profit sectors. Currently no clear picture of their architecture or workings exists. In this paper we use urban local governments - a central actor in these frameworks - as an entry point. Drawing on recent research aimed to document …

Soil Formation Rates Determined From Uranium-Series Isotope Disequilibria In Soil Profiles From The Southeastern Australian Highlands, P O. Suresh, A Dosseto, P P. Hesse, H K. Handley

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

The sustainability of soil resources is determined by the balance between the rates of production and removal of soils. Samples from four weathering profiles at Frogs Hollow in the upper catchment area of the Murrumbidgee River (southeastern Australia) were analyzed for their uranium-series (U-series) isotopic composition to estimate soil production rates. Sequential leaching was conducted on sample aliquots to assess how U-series nuclides are distributed between primary and secondary minerals. Soil is increasingly weathered from bottom to top which is evident from the decrease in (234U/238U) ratios and increase in relative quartz content with decreasing soil depth. One soil profile …

Sedimentation, Elevation And Marsh Evolution In A Southeastern Australian Estuary During Changing Climatic Conditions, Kerrylee Rogers, Neil Saintilan, Alice J. Howe, José F. Rodríguez

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

Mangrove and salt marsh vertical accretion and surface elevation change was measured at Kooragang Island within the Ramsar-listed Lower Hunter estuarine wetlands in New South Wales, Australia, using surface elevation tables and marker horizons over a ten-year period. We surveyed mangrove, salt marsh and a zone of mangrove encroachment into salt marsh. The period of analysis was dominated by El Niño (drought) climatic conditions, though included a series of east coast low pressure systems and associated storms over the central coast of NSW in June 2007. The storms may have initially caused scouring of sediments in the mangrove zone, followed …

The Significance And Vulnerability Of Australian Saltmarshes: Implications For Management In A Changing Climate, Neil Saintilan, Kerrylee Rogers

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

We review the distribution, status and ecology of Australian saltmarshes and the mechanisms whereby enhanced atmospheric carbon dioxide and associated climate change have influenced and will influence the provision of ecosystem goods and services. Research in temperate and subtropical saltmarsh has demonstrated important trophic contributions to estuarine fisheries, mediated by the synchronised mass-spawning of crabs, which feed predominantly on the C-4 saltmarsh grass Sporobolus virginicus and microphytobenthos. Saltmarshes also provide unique feeding and habitat opportunities for several species of threatened microbats and birds, including migratory shorebirds. Saltmarshes increased in extent relative to mangrove in Australia in both tide- and wave-dominated …

Allochthonous And Autochthonous Contributions To Carbon Accumulation And Carbon Store In Southeastern Australian Coastal Wetlands, N Saintilan, K Rogers, D Mazumder, C Woodroffe

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

Estimates of carbon store and carbon accumulation rate in mangrove and saltmarsh are beset by issues of scale and provenance. Estimates at a site do not allow scaling to regional estimates if the drivers of variability are not known. Also, carbon accumulation within soils provides a net offset only if carbon is derived in-situ, or would not otherwise be sequestered. We use a network of observation sites extending across 2000 km of southeastern Australian coastline to determine the influence of geomorphic setting and coastal wetland vegetation type on rates of carbon accumulation, carbon store and probable sources. Carbon accumulation above …

Post-Glacial Sea-Level Changes Around The Australian Margin: A Review, Stephen E. Lewis, Craig R. Sloss, Colin V. Murray-Wallace, Colin D. Woodroffe, Scott G. Smithers

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

It has been known since Rhodes Fairbridge's first attempt to establish a global pattern of Holocene sea-level change by combining evidence from Western Australia and from sites in the northern hemisphere that the details of sea-level history since the Last Glacial Maximum vary considerably across the globe. The Australian region is relatively stable tectonically and is situated in the 'far-field' of former ice sheets. It therefore preserves important records of post-glacial sea levels that are less complicated by neotectonics or glacio-isostatic adjustments. Accordingly, the relative sea-level record of this region is dominantly one of glacio-eustatic (ice equivalent) sea-level changes. The …

Food Groups And Fatty Acids Associated With Self-Reported Depression: An Analysis From The Australian National Nutrition And Health Surveys, Barbara J. Meyer, Nithin Kolanu, David A. Griffiths, Ben Grounds, Peter R. C Howe, Irene A. Kreis

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

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the associations between incidence of depression and dietary intakes of foods and fatty acids in adult Australians. Methods Data from the 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey (NNS), the 1995 Australian National Health Survey (NHS) and an updated fatty acid database were merged and the 24-h fatty acid intakes were calculated for the 10 986 adult participants ages 18 to 79 y in the 1995 NNS. The merged data set was used to run a logistic regression with depression as the response variable and the food groups and calculated fatty acid values, …

Chaperones For Pap Smears: Do Australian Gps Offer Or Use Them?, Lucie Stanford, Andrew Bonney, Rowena Ivers

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

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Nasopharyngeal Carriage And Antibiotic Resistance Of Respiratory Bacteria In Indigenous Australian And Alaska Native Children With Bronchiectasis, Kim M. Hare, Rosalyn J. Singleton, Keith Grimwood, Patricia C. Valery, Allen C. Cheng, Peter S. Morris, Amanda J. Leach, Heidi Smith-Vaughan, Mark Chatfield, Greg Redding, Alisa L. Reasonover, Gabrielle B. Mccallum, Lori Chikoyak, Malcolm I. Mcdonald, Ngiare Brown, Paul J. Torzillo, Anne B. Chang

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

Background Indigenous children in Australia and Alaska have very high rates of chronic suppurative lung disease (CSLD)/bronchiectasis. Antibiotics, including frequent or long-term azithromycin in Australia and short-term beta-lactam therapy in both countries, are often prescribed to treat these patients. In the Bronchiectasis Observational Study we examined over several years the nasopharyngeal carriage and antibiotic resistance of respiratory bacteria in these two PCV7-vaccinated populations. Methods Indigenous children aged 0.5-8.9 years with CSLD/bronchiectasis from remote Australia (n = 79) and Alaska (n = 41) were enrolled in a prospective cohort study during 2004-8. At scheduled study visits until 2010 antibiotic use in …

Dietary Intake And Food Sources Of Epa, Dpa And Dha In Australian Children, Setyaningrum Rahmawaty, Karen Charlton, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Barbara J. Meyer

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

Secondary analysis of the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity survey was undertaken to assess the intake and food sources of EPA, DPA and DHA (excluding supplements) in 4,487 children aged 2-16 years. An average of two 24-h dietary recalls was analysed for each child and food sources of EPA, DPA and DHA were assessed using the Australian nutrient composition database called AUSNUT 2007. Median (inter quartile range, IQR) for EPA, DPA and DHA intakes (mg/day) for 2-3, 4-8, 9-13, 14-16 year were: EPA 5.3 (1.5-14), 6.7 (1.8-18), 8.7 (2.6-23), 9.8 (2.7-28) respectively; DPA 6.2 (2.2-14), 8.2 (3.3-18), …

Improvement In Iodine Status Of Pregnant Australian Women 3 Years After Introduction Of A Mandatory Iodine Fortification Programme, Karen E. Charlton, Heather Yeatman, Erin Brock, Catherine Lucas, Luke Gemming, Alison Goodfellow, Gary Ma

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

Introduction In order to address population-level mild iodine deficiency in Australia, a mandatory iodine fortification programme of salt used in bread was introduced in late 2009.

Methods A before–after study was conducted to assess changes in median urinary iodine concentration (MUIC) measurements, according to supplement use, in convenience samples of pregnant women attending a public antenatal clinic in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia in 2008 (n = 139), 2011 (n = 147) and 2012 (n = 114). Knowledge and practices related to iodine nutrition were investigated in 2012, using self-administered questionnaires.

Results The mild iodine deficiency confirmed …

Energy In-Equivalence In Australian Marsupials: Evidence For Disruption Of The Continent's Mammal Assemblage, Or Are Rules Meant To Be Broken?, Adam J. Munn, Craig Dunne, Dennis W.H Muller, Marcus Clauss

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

The energy equivalence rule (EER) is a macroecological hypothesis that posits that total population energy use (PEU) should be independent of species body mass, because population densities and energy metabolisms scale with body mass in a directly inverse manner. However, evidence supporting the EER is equivocal, and the use of basal metabolic rate (BMR) in such studies has been questioned; ecologically-relevant indices like field metabolic rate (FMR) are probably more appropriate. In this regard, Australian marsupials present a novel test for the EER because, unlike eutherians, marsupial BMRs and FMRs scale differently with body mass. Based on either FMR or …

A Physiological Evaluation Of Shelters That Might Sustain Life During An Australian Bushfire, Benjamin J. Haberley, David J. R Hoyle, Nigel A.S Taylor

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

South-Eastern Australia experiences the most frequent and severe bushfires in the world. In 2009, bushfires in Victoria claimed 173 lives and cost more than $4 billion in structural damage. As a consequence, the establishment of building standards that might govern the construction of bushfire shelters was recommended. Since no relevant standards existed, it was suggested that if these shelters could keep the internal conditions to a maximal mean Modified Discomfort Index (MDI) of 39o for 60 min, then they could restrain the rise in core temperature to no more than 2oC. The current investigators were invited to test this hypothesis …

Hydration Status Of Underground Miners In A Temperate Australian Region, Benjamin G. Polkinghorne, Vinodkumar Gopaldasani, Susan Furber, Brian Davies, Victoria M. Flood

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

Background Dehydration is a health risk for miners in tropical regions of Australia. However, it is not known whether dehydration poses a health risk to miners working in temperate regions of Australia. Methods A cross-sectional study of 88 miners from two underground mines was undertaken in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Participants had their height, weight, waist circumference and hydration status measured and completed a self-administered questionnaire on fluid intake, access to water, and socio-demographic characteristics. Health and Safety managers were surveyed about guidelines relating to healthy work and lifestyle behaviours which impact/influence hydration. Results Hydration tests indicated that more …

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 …

Eat, Drink And Gamble: Marketing Messages About 'Risky' Products In An Australian Major Sporting Series, Sophie Lindsay, Samantha Thomas, Sophie Lewis, Kate Westberg, Rob Moodie, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

To investigate the alcohol, gambling, and unhealthy food marketing strategies during a nationally televised, free to air, sporting series in Australia.

Methods/approach

Using the Australian National Rugby League 2012 State of Origin three-game series, we conducted a mixed methods content analysis of the frequency, duration, placement and content of advertising strategies, comparing these strategies both within and across the three games.

Results

There were a total of 4445 episodes (mean = 1481.67, SD = 336.58), and 233.23 minutes (mean = 77.74, SD = 7.31) of marketing for alcoholic beverages, gambling products and unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages during the …

The 'Tiger Mother' Factor: Curriculum, Schooling And Mentoring Of Asian Students In An Australian Context, Wilma Vialle

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is evidence from a range of sources that indicates that South and East Asian background students are academically outperforming their peers in Australian primary and secondary schools (see, for example, Khoo and Birrell, 2002; Marks et al., 2000; Mcinerney, 2008; Paar and Mok, 1995). This evidence ranges from tertiary enrolment figures and the enrolment statistics of academically selective programs, through to school achievement records and research studies. Several explanations for the superior academic outcomes have been posited by researchers. These have included their work ethic, motivation and aspirations, and the support and expectations of their parents. While these explanations …

Associations Between Sports Participation, Adiposity And Obesity-Related Health Behaviors In Australian Adolescents, Stewart A. Vella, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely, Maree L. Scully, Belinda C. Morley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organized sports participation, weight status, physical activity, screen time, and important food habits in a large nationally representative sample of Australian adolescents.

Methods

Nationally representative cross-sectional study of 12,188 adolescents from 238 secondary schools aged between 12 and 17 years (14.47 ± 1.25 y, 53% male, 23% overweight/obese). Participation in organized sports, compliance with national physical activity, screen time, and fruit and vegetable consumption guidelines, and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and high-fat foods were self-reported. Weight status and adiposity (BMI, waist circumference) were measured.

Results

Organized sports participation …

Factors That Influence Consumption Of Fish And Omega-3 Enriched Foods: A Survey Of Australian Families With Young Children, Setyaningrum Rahmawaty, Karen Charlton, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Barbara J. Meyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aim: The present study aimed to identify factors that influence the consumption of fish and foods that are enriched with omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA), in order to inform the development of effective nutrition education strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional, 10-item self-administered survey was conducted to 262 parents of children aged 9-13 years from a regional centre in New South Wales. Parents were asked questions related to frequency of consumption, and to identify factors that either encouraged or prevented the provision of fish/seafood and/or n-3 LCPUFAenriched foods for their families. Results: Salmon, canned tuna, prawn and take-away fish were …

Aim(E) For Completing School And University: Analysing The Strength Of The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Valerie Harwood, Samantha Mcmahon, Amy Priestly

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose: Generally, theory and research investigating the effectiveness of mentoring has offered little resounding evidence to attest to mentoring programmes being a strategic initiative that make a real difference in reducing the educational inequities many minority students endure. In contrast to this existing research base, the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) has often been cited as one of the most successful mentoring initiatives within Australia. It is the purpose of this chapter to examine how AIME may impact on the educational aspirations and school self-concept of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Methodology: A series of multi-group analyses were centred …

Building The Case For Independent Monitoring Of Food Advertising On Australian Television, Lesley King, Lana Hebden, Anne Grunseit, Bridget Kelly, Kathy Chapman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To provide an independent monitoring report examining the ongoing impact of Australian self-regulatory pledges on food and drink advertising to children on commercial television.

Design Analysis of food advertisements across comparable sample time periods in April/May 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. The main outcome measure comprised change in the mean rate of non-core food advertisements from 2006 to 2011.

Setting Sydney free-to-air television channels.

Subjects Televised food advertisements.

Results In 2011 the rate of non-core food advertisements was not significantly different from that in 2006 or 2010 (3·2/h v. 4·1/h and 3·1/h), although there were variations across …

A Comparison Of The Cost Of Generic And Branded Food Products In Australian Supermarkets, Kathy Chapman, Christine Innes-Hughes, David Goldsbury, Bridget Kelly, Adrian Bauman, Margaret Allman-Farinelli

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective Food cost is an important factor influencing the consumption of nutritious foods and subsequent chronic disease risk. The present study compared the cost of branded food products with their generic equivalents across a range of food categories. Setting The survey was conducted within two major supermarket chains across six locations in Sydney, Australia (n 12). Design Price differences were calculated for 'core' (nutrient dense and low in energy) and 'extra' (high in undesirable nutrients and/or energy) packaged foods (n 22) between generic and branded items. Results A cost saving of 44 % was found by purchasing generic over branded …

Alcohol Advertising During Televised Australian Football Finals, Sandra C. Jones, Lance Barrie, Michael Chapman, Nicholas J. Corr, Sondra Davoren

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Alcohol marketing during sport, and alcohol industry sponsorship of sporting events, is highly lucrative; however, concerns have been raised over the impact on child and adolescent viewers of repeated exposure to alcohol marketing messages. The aim of this research project was to investigate the amount and type of alcohol marketing during two major sporting events in 2012 - the semi-finals and grand final of the AFL and NRL. The broadcasts of these six games were audited for alcohol advertisements and other advertising communications. Almost one-fifth of the screen time included alcohol marketing. Policy and practice implications of these findings are …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The "Critical Window": Factors Affecting Australian Children's After-School Physical Activity, Rebecca M. Stanley, Kobie Boshoff, James Dollman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: The after-school period is potentially a "critical window" for promoting physical activity in children. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore children's perceptions of the factors influencing their engagement in physical activity during the after-school period as the first phase in the development of a questionnaire. Methods: Fifty-four South Australian children age 10-13 years participated in same gender focus groups. Transcripts, field notes, and activity documents were analyzed using content analysis. Through an inductive thematic approach, data were coded and categorized into perceived barriers and facilitators according to a social ecological model. Results: Children identified a number …

Using Social Marketing To Promote Cold And Flu Prevention Behaviors On An Australian University Campus, Lyn Phillipson, Sandra C. Jones, Karen Larsen-Truong, Laura Robinson, Lance Barrie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Cold and influenza transmission is a serious public health issue for universities. This case study describes a coordinated social marketing campaign that incorporated health messages and products. It was designed to motivate behavior change to prevent the spread of colds and influenza on a university campus. Methods: The aims of this multi-component intervention were to raise awareness of the importance of individual behavior in preventing the spread of colds and flu and to encourage staff and students to adopt three simple habits: hand washing, cough or sneeze in sleeve, and stay at home if sick. A repeated, cross-sectional survey …

Identification Of Distinct Body Mass Index Trajectories In Australian Children, C A. Magee, P Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background A limited number of studies have demonstrated that there may be distinct developmental trajectories of obesity during childhood. Objective To identify distinct trajectories of body mass index (BMI) in a large sample of Australian children. Methods Participants included 4601 children aged 45 years at baseline, who were followed up at ages 67 years, 89 years and 1011 years. Height and weight were measured at each of these time points, and used to calculate BMI. Growth Mixture Modelling was used to identify the presence of distinct BMI trajectories. Results Four distinct trajectories were identified (i) High Risk Overweight; (ii) Early …

The Asthma Knowledge And Perceptions Of Older Australian Adults: Implications For Social Marketing Campaigns, Uwana Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of the asthma perceptions of older adults and identify gaps in their asthma knowledge. Methods: In regional New South Wales, Australia, a stratified, random sample of 4066 adults, aged 55 years and over, both with and without an asthma diagnosis, completed a survey based on the Health Belief Model about asthma knowledge and perceptions. Results: Almost half of the sample had experienced symptoms of breathlessness in the past four weeks. Breathlessness was a predictor of lower health ratings and poorer mood. Older adults reported low susceptibility to developing asthma. …

Clinical And Reliable Change In An Australian Residential Substance Use Program Using The Addiction Severity Index, Frank P. Deane, Peter J. Kelly, Trevor P. Crowe, Justin C. Coulson, Geoffrey C.B Lyons

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Although the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is one of the most frequently used measures in alcohol and other drug research, it has rarely been used to assess clinical and reliable change. This study assessed clients' clinical and reliable change at The Salvation Army residential substance abuse treatment centers in Australia. A total of 296 clients completed ASI interviews on admission to treatment and 3 months after discharge from treatment. Clients demonstrated significant improvement on all seven ASI composites. The range of reliable change for each ASI composite varied from 30% to 70%. More than two-thirds of clients experienced clinically significant …