Digital Commons Network^™

The Delivery Of Primary Health Care In Remote Australian Communities: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Perspective Of Nurses, Kylie Mccullough

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Around 85% of Australia’s landmass is remote and sparsely populated. Across these vast areas of desert, wilderness and tropical islands, nurses provide the majority of health care services. The residents of Australia’s remote communities have poorer health status than their metropolitan counterparts. The proportion of Indigenous people is high and health and social disadvantage is widespread. The characteristics of each remote community are unique and often reflect challenges associated with distance to tertiary health services and limited health resources. As a result, nursing practice within this context is very different to other nursing contexts. Despite recognition of Primary Health Care …

Learning French In Western Australia: A Hedonistic Journey, Celine Doucet, Sabine Kuuse

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

When learning a language, motivation and emotions are central to the learning process and have considerable importance in learning. In Australia, despite the growing economic impact of its Asian neighbours and the great physical distance to France, French remains one of the most taught languages in various educational settings at different levels, and it appeals to many Australians. This review focuses on the motivations of West Australian adult learners of French. The aim of this paper is to explore students’ motivation and emotions towards their learning of French in Western Australia, teachers’ perceptions of these feelings, and how they are …

Including Pork In The Mediterranean Diet For An Australian Population: Protocol For Arandomised Controlled Trial Assessing Cardiovascular Risk And Cognitive Function, Alexandra T. Wade, Courtney R. Davis, Kathryn A. Dyer, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Richard Woodman, Hannah A. Keage, Karen J. Murphy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

The Mediterranean diet is characterised by the high consumption of extra virgin olive oil, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts; moderate consumption of fish, poultry, eggs and dairy; and low consumption of red meat and sweets. Cross sectional, longitudinal and intervention studies indicate that a Mediterranean diet may be effective for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and dementia. However, previous research suggests that an Australian population may find red meat restrictions difficult, which could affect long term sustainability of the diet.

Methods

This paper outlines the protocol for a randomised controlled trial that will assess the cardiovascular and cognitive …

Establishing The Theoretical Components Of Alexithymia Via Factor Analysis: Introduction And Validation Of The Attention-Appraisal Model Of Alexithymia, David Preece, Rodrigo Becerra, Alfred Allan, Ken Robinson, Justine Dandy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Alexithymia is an important mental health construct, but there is continuing debate regarding its definition and measurement. We attempt to resolve this definitional uncertainty in two ways. Firstly, we trace the development of the alexithymia construct, focusing particularly on what we call the Toronto and Amsterdam models, and examine a body of empirical research that shows strong support for the hypothesis that alexithymia consists of three components (difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally orientated thinking). Based on these components, we formulate an alternate theoretical model of alexithymia, the attention-appraisal model of alexithymia, that aligns alexithymia theory with …

Effect Of Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Remoteness And Indigenous Status On Hospital Usage For Western Australian Preterm Infants Under 12 Months Of Age: A Population-Based Data Linkage Study, Natalie A. Strobel, Sue Peter, Kimberley E. Mcauley, Daniel R. Mcaullay, Rhonda Marriott, Karen M. Edmond

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives:

Our primary objective was to determine the incidence of hospital admission and emergency department presentation in Indigenous and non-Indigenous preterm infants aged postdischarge from birth admission to 11 months in Western Australia. Secondary objectives were to assess incidence in the poorest infants from remote areas and to determine the primary causes of hospital usage in preterm infants.

Design:

Prospective population-based linked data set.

Setting and participants:

All preterm babies born in Western Australia during 2010 and 2011.

Main outcome measures:

All-cause hospitalisations and emergency department presentations.

Results:

There were 6.9% (4211/61 254) preterm infants, 13.1% (433/3311) Indigenous …

"Active Team" A Social And Gamified App-Based Physical Activity Intervention: Randomised Controlled Trial Study Protocol, Sarah Edney, Ronald Plotnikoff, Corneel Vandelanotte, Tim Olds, Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij, Jillian Ryan, Carol Maher

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Physical inactivity is a leading preventable cause of chronic disease and premature death globally, yet over half of the adult Australian population is inactive. To address this, web-based physical activity interventions, which have the potential to reach large numbers of users at low costs, have received considerable attention. To fully realise the potential of such interventions, there is a need to further increase their appeal to boost engagement and retention, and sustain intervention effects over longer periods of time. This randomised controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of a gamified physical activity intervention that connects users to each …

Trajectories Of Quality Of Life, Life Satisfaction, And Psychological Adjustment After Prostate Cancer, Suzanne K. Chambers, Shu K. Ng, Peter C. Baad, Joanne F. Aitken, Melissa K. Hyde

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

To describe trajectories of health-related quality of life (QoL), life satisfaction, and psychological adjustment for men with prostate cancer over the medium to long term and identify predictors of poorer outcomes using growth mixture models.

Methods

One-thousand sixty-four (82.4 % response) men diagnosed with prostate cancer were recruited close to diagnosis and assessed over a 72-month (6-year) period with self-report assessment of health-related QoL, life satisfaction, cancer-related distress, and prostate specific antigen anxiety. Urinary, bowel, and sexual function were also assessed using validated questionnaires.

Results

Poorer physical QOL was predicted by older age, lower education, lower income, comorbidities, and …

Myocardial Infarction In The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study: The Interaction Among Environmental, Health, Social, Behavioural And Genetic Factors, Tina K. Gonzales, James A. Yonker, Vicky Chang, Carol L. Roan, Pamela Herd, Craig S. Atwood

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives:

This study examined how environmental, health, social, behavioural and genetic factors interact to contribute to myocardial infarction (MI) risk.

Design:

Survey data collected by Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), USA, from 1957 to 2011, including 235 environmental, health, social and behavioural factors, and 77 single- nucleotide polymorphisms were analysed for association with MI. To identify associations with MI we utilized recursive partitioning and random forest prior to logistic regression and chi-squared analyses.

Participants:

6198 WLS participants (2938 men; 3260 women) who (1) had a MI before 72 years and (2) had a MI between 65 and 72 years. …

A Monetary Reward Alters Pacing But Not Performance In Competitive Cyclists, Sabrina Skorski, Kevin Thompson, Richard Keegan, Tim Meyer, Chris Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Money has frequently been used as an extrinsic motivator since it is assumed that humans are willing to invest more effort for financial reward. However, the influence of a monetary reward on pacing and performance in trained athletes is not well-understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the influence of a monetary reward in well-trained cyclists on their pacing and performance during short and long cycling time trials (TT). Twentythree cyclists (6 ♀, 17 ♂) completed 4 self-paced time trials (TTs, 2 short: 4 km and 6 min; 2 long: 20 km and 30 min); in a …

Affordance Boundaries Are Defined By Dynamic Capabilities Of Parkour Athletes In Dropping From Various Heights, James L. Croft, John E.A. Bertram

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Available behaviors are determined by the fit between features of the individual and reciprocal features of the environment. Beyond some critical boundary certain behaviors become impossible causing sudden transitions from one movement pattern to another. Parkour athletes have developed multiple movement patterns to deal with their momentum during landing. We were interested in whether drop distance would cause a sudden transition between a two-footed (precision) landing and a load-distributing roll and whether the transition height could be predicted by dynamic and geometric characteristics of individual subjects. Kinematics and ground reaction forces were measured as Parkour athletes stepped off a box …

A Study Protocol For A Randomised Controlled Trial Of An Interactive Web-Based Intervention: Cancercope, Suzanne K. Chambers, Lee Ritterband, Frances Thorndike, Lisa Nielsen, Joanne Aitken, Samantha Clutton, Paul Scuffham, Philippa Youl, Bronwyn Morris, Peter Baade, Jeffrey Dunn

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:

Approximately 35% of patients with cancer experience clinically significant distress, and unmet psychological supportive care needs are prevalent. This study describes the protocol for a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an internet-based psychological intervention for distressed patients with cancer.

Methods and analysis:

In phase I, the intervention was developed on an interactive web platform and pilot tested for acceptability using a qualitative methodology with 21 patients with cancer. Phase II is an RCT underway with patients with or at risk of elevated psychological distress comparing: (1) static patient education website with (2) …

Can Exercise Suppress Tumour Growth In Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients With Sclerotic Bone Metastases? A Randomised, Controlled Study Protocol Examining Feasibility, Safety And Efficacy, Nicolas H. Hart, Robert Newton, Nigel Spry, Dennis Taaffe, Suzanne K. Chambers, Kynan Feeney, David Joseph, Andrew D. Redfern, Tom Ferguson, Daniel A. Galvao

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction

Exercise may positively alter tumour biology through numerous modulatory and regulatory mechanisms in response to a variety of modes and dosages, evidenced in preclinical models to date. Specifically, localised and systemic biochemical alterations produced during and following exercise may suppress tumour formation, growth and distribution by virtue of altered epigenetics and endocrine–paracrine activity. Given the impressive ability of targeted mechanical loading to interfere with metastasis-driven tumour formation in human osteolytic tumour cells, it is of equal interest to determine whether a similar effect is observed in sclerotic tumour cells. The study aims to (1) establish the feasibility and safety …

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation And Sports Performance, Dylan J. Edwards, Mar Cortes, Susan Wortman-Jutt, David Putrino, Marom Bikson, Gary Thickbroom, Alvaro Pascual-Leone

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) hasmoved fromthe laboratory to the wider community. This form of non-invasive brain stimulation has been shown in a number of controlled animal and human experiments, over nearly five decades, to modulate brain physiology, cognitive functions, and behavior. While its effects are variable across and within individuals, it is not unreasonable to state that tDCS harbors the potential to enhance executive and physical human performance. In a society increasingly driven to succeed with less effort, performance enhancement with an intervention that has an excellent safety record, is well tolerated, relatively inexpensive and readily …

Validation Of Standard Operating Procedures In A Multicenter Retrospective Study To Identify-Omics Biomarkers For Chronic Low Back Pain, Concetta Dagostino, Manuela De Gregori, Christian Gieger, Judith Manz, Ivan Gudelj, Gordon Lauc, Laura Divizia, Wei Wang, Moira Sim, Iain K. Pemberton, Jane Macdougall, Frances Williams, Jan Vn Zundeert, Dragan Primorac, Yurii Aulchenko, Leonardo Kapural, Massimo Allegri

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common medical conditions, ranking as the greatest contributor to global disability and accounting for huge societal costs based on the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study.

Large genetic and -omics studies provide a promising avenue for the screening, development and validation of biomarkers useful for personalized diagnosis and treatment (precision medicine). Multicentre studies are needed for such an effort, and a standardized and homogeneous approach is vital for recruitment of large numbers of participants among different centres (clinical and laboratories) to obtain robust and reproducible results. To date, no validated …

Prediction Of Everyday Task Performance In Older Adults By Perceived Health, Self-Efficacy And Cognitive Ability, Edward Helmes, Joan Klinger

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

While research links neuropsychological performance to everyday functioning in cognitively impaired older adults, comparatively little research has investigated this relationship in unimpaired older people. This study investigated that relationship. A total of 134 independently living adults aged 60–93 years completed Cognistat, the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS), the Personality in Intellectual-Aging Contexts and a four-item subjective health measure. Hierarchical regression was used to examine the relative ability of these measures to predict the functional domains of the DAFS, hypothesizing that the health and self-efficacy measures would be more strongly associated with DAFS scores than with the cognitive domains. Self-reported …

"They Are Friendly But They Don't Want To Be Friends With You": A Narrative Inquiry Into Chinese Nursing Students' Learning Experiences In Australia, Carol Wang, Lisa Whitehead, Sara J. Bayes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There is increasing interest in the phenomena of international student mobility and the growing global demand for skilled nurses. Little is known, however, about the learning experiences of Chinese nursing students at Australian universities. This study begins to address this gap. A narrative inquiry methodology was employed. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions, along with field notes and observations were conducted with six Chinese undergraduate nursing students studying undergraduate nursing in Western Australia. Chinese nursing students in Australia experienced fear and anxiety, driven by unfamiliarity with the hospital environment, education methods, and assessment expectations. Clinical placement experiences in Australian health …

The Manipulation Of Pace Within Endurance Sport, Sabrina Skorski, Chris Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In any athletic event, the ability to appropriately distribute energy is essential to prevent premature fatigue prior to the completion of the event. In sport science literature this is termed “pacing.” Within the past decade, research aiming to better understand the underlying mechanisms influencing the selection of an athlete’s pacing during exercise has dramatically increased. It is suggested that pacing is a combination of anticipation, knowledge of the end-point, prior experience and sensory feedback. In order to better understand the role each of these factors have in the regulation of pace, studies have often manipulated various conditions known to influence …

Advance Care Planning Uptake Among Patients With Severe Lung Disease: A Randomised Patient Preference Trial Of A Nurse-Led, Facilitated Advance Care Planning Intervention, Craig Sinclair, Kirsten Anne Auret, Sharon Frances Evans, Fiona Williamson, Siobhan Dormer, Anne Wilkinson, Kim Greeve, Audrey Koay, Dot Price, Fraser Brims

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective

Advance care planning (ACP) clarifies goals for future care if a patient becomes unable to communicate their own preferences. However, ACP uptake is low, with discussions often occurring late. This study assessed whether a systematic nurse-led ACP intervention increases ACP in patients with advanced respiratory disease.

Design

A multicentre open-label randomised controlled trial with preference arm.

Setting

Metropolitan teaching hospital and a rural healthcare network.

Participants

149 participants with respiratory malignancy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or interstitial lung disease.

Intervention

Nurse facilitators offered facilitated ACP discussions, prompted further discussions with doctors and loved ones, and assisted participants to appoint …

A Mediterranean Diet To Improve Cardiovascular And Cognitive Health: Protocol For A Randomised Controlled Intervention Study, Alexandra T. Wade, Courtney R. Davis, Kathryn A. Dyer, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Richard J. Woodman, Hannah A.D. Keage, Karen J. Murphy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Mediterranean diet has demonstrated efficacy for improving cardiovascular and cognitive health. However, a traditional Mediterranean diet delivers fewer serves of dairy and less dietary calcium than is currently recommended in Australia, which may limit long-term sustainability. The present study aims to evaluate whether a Mediterranean diet with adequate dairy and calcium can improve cardiovascular and cognitive function in an at-risk population, and thereby reduce risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cognitive decline. A randomised, controlled, parallel, crossover design trial will compare a Mediterranean diet supplemented with dairy foods against a low-fat control diet. Forty participants with systolic blood pressure …

An Examination Of Students’ Perceptions Of Their Interprofessional Placements In Residential Aged Care, Karla L. Seaman, Rosemary Saunders, Elly Williams, Jane Harrup-Gregory, Helen Loffler, Fiona Lake

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

It is essential that health professionals are trained to provide optimal care for our ageing population. Key to this is a positive attitude to older adults along with the ability to work in teams and provide interprofessional care. There is limited evidence on the impact an interprofessional education (IPE) placement in a residential aged care facility (RACF) has on students. In 2015 in Western Australia, 51 students (30 % male, median age 23 years), from seven professions, undertook a placement between 2 and 13 weeks in length at 1 RACF. Pre- and post-placement measurements of attitudes to the elderly were …

Implementing Exercise In Cancer Care: Study Protocol To Evaluate A Community-Based Exercise Program For People With Cancer, Prue Cormie, Stephanie Lamb, Robert Newton, Lani Valentine, Sandy Mckiernan, Nigel Spry, David Joseph, Dennis Taaffe, Christopher M. Doran, Daniel A. Galvão

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Clinical research has established the efficacy of exercise in reducing treatment-related side-effects and increasing wellbeing in people with cancer. Major oncology organisations have identified the importance of incorporating exercise in comprehensive cancer care but information regarding effective approaches to translating evidence into practice is lacking. This paper describes the implementation of a community-based exercise program for people with cancer and the protocol for program evaluation.

Methods/Design

The Life Now Exercise program is a community-based exercise intervention designed to mitigate and rehabilitate the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment and improve physical and psychosocial wellbeing in people with cancer. …

A Systematic Review Of Geographical Differences In Management And Outcomes For Colorectal Cancer In Australia, Michael J. Ireland, Sonja March, Fiona Crawford-Williams, Joanne F. Aitken, Melissa K. Hyde, Suzanne K. Chambers, Jiandong Sun, Jeff Dunn

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the world, presenting considerable health, economic, and societal burden. Over a third of the Australian population live in regional areas and research has shown they experience a range of health disadvantages that result in a higher disease burden and lower life expectancy. The extent to which geographical disparities exist in CRC management and outcomes has not been systematically explored. The present review aims to identify the nature of geographical disparities in CRC survival, clinical management, and psychosocial outcomes.

Methods:

The review followed PRISMA guidelines and searches …

Curriculum Renewal: Barriers To Successful Curriculum Change And Suggestions For Improvement, Trudi Cooper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article examines the practical difficulties encountered when a renewed curriculum is implemented in higher education. Attention has been given in the literature to the importance of coherent curriculum and approaches to curriculum design. Less attention has been paid to whether the renewed curriculum can be faithfully implemented within a given university context and how constraints to implementation change the curriculum design. Practical barriers to implementation arose from several sources. These included: how to ensure that all staff understood and supported the new approaches, in the context of a casualized academic workforce; the need for academics to find sufficient time …

More Than “Sluts” Or “Prissy Girls”: Gender And Becoming In Senior Secondary Drama Classrooms, Kirsten Lambert, Peter R. Wright, Jan Currie, Robin Pascoe

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article examines the relationships between the embodiment of dramatic characters, gender, and identity. It draws on ethnographic data based on observations and interviews with 24 drama teachers and senior secondary drama students in Western Australia. We explore how student becomings in year 12 drama classrooms are mediated and constituted through socially overcoded gender binaries in a dominant neoliberal culture of competitive performativity. We ask the questions: What constructions of femininity and masculinity are students embodying from popular dramatic texts in the drama classroom at a critical time in their social and emotional development? Are these constructions empowering? Or disempowering? …

Chinese Nursing Students At Australian Universities: A Narrative Inquiry Into Their Motivation, Learning Experience, And Future Career Planning, Carol Chungfeng Wang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study presents a narrative inquiry of Chinese nursing students at Australian universities in order to examine these students’ motivations, learning experiences and future career planning. Australia seeks to attract international nursing students from China to maintain its economic advantage and alleviate its projected nursing shortage. In contrast, China desperately needs its best and brightest citizens who have trained abroad as nurses to return to China in order to cope with its current challenges in the healthcare system and nursing education. Little is known about the underlying factors that motivate Chinese nursing students to study in Australia, these students’ learning …

Primary Students’ Engagement With The Visual Arts And Their Transition Into Year 7, Zoe Wittber

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Visual Arts education is fundamental to an effective school curriculum for primary and secondary students. It provides students with opportunities for expression and personal growth, essential to a holistic education. Recently, in Perth, Western Australia (WA) several secondary Visual Arts educators expressed what they saw as a significant deficit in the outcomes of Making and Responding in Visual Arts, evidenced in their Year 7 students who had recently graduated from primary school. Consequently, this research investigated the extent of Year 7 students’ prior Visual Arts experiences upon entry into secondary school.

The research engaged a qualitative research approach to gather …

Effect Of A Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Muscle Strength Training Intervention On Muscle Force And Mass, Physical Health And Quality Of Life In People With Spinal Cord Injury, Vanesa Bochkezanian

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to significant deficits in muscle strength and mass, impacting negatively on physical health and quality of life (QoL). Physical rehabilitation techniques for people with SCI rely on constant updates and the accumulation of evidence regarding the efficacy of available and/or new physical interventions. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is already commonly used to activate skeletal muscles and subsequently reverse muscle atrophy, however NMES as a high-intensity “strength training” intervention appears to be a particularly promising technique for increasing muscle strength and mass and to subsequently improve physical health and quality of life (QoL) in people with …

An Assessment Of Nurses’ Experiences Of Work Related Stress Through Self-Reporting And Hair Cortisol Analysis, In A Metropolitan Hospital In Western Australia, Kim Oliver

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The aim of this study was to assess how years of experience and practice area influence work related stress amongst 1,200 nurses employed in a metropolitan hospital environment in Western Australia. A combination of self-administered questionnaires and hair cortisol, an objective stress biomarker, was utilised to measure stress levels and to relate these to practice area, age and experience. Questionnaire results indicated that there was a higher level of perceived stress for 40% of this cohort of nurses; the study methodology was able to unearth noteworthy factors within a local WA nursing population that impacted on their perceived stress. These …

The Prevalence Of Twice Exceptional Students In The Gat Academic Programs: The Near Miss Phenomena, Lynne Ivicevic

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Twice exceptional (TE) students often experience barriers to their participation in gifted academic programs that contribute to their marginalised status amongst the school gifted population. The estimated prevalence of TE students in gifted programs worldwide varies according to the location, identification means and definition, with little agreement reached between researchers in the field. This research was made up of three interrelated studies. Firstly, six years of longitudinal quantitative cohort data from the Western Australian Department of Education (DoE) database on selected students for the GAT programs including GAT Academic programs and TE students to determine TE prevalence. Secondly, disability prevalence …

The Impact Of Communication Satisfaction On Paediatric Nurses’ Job Satisfaction And Intention To Stay, Gemma Doleman

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Effective communication is the most central process within an organisation and is essential to organisational values, norms and expectations. There is a documented connection between job satisfaction, work commitment and organisational communication. However, nurses’ and nursing middle managers’ satisfaction with organisational communication has not been extensively studied in recent years and not at all among paediatric nurses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and test a theoretical model that examined paediatric nurses’ and middle managers’ satisfaction with organisational communication and the effect this has on paediatric nurses’ job satisfaction and intention to stay in their job.

Employing …