Digital Commons Network^™

Mothers’ Experiences Of Their Adult Child’S Interethnic Relationship, Nikki Rajakaruna

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The number of interethnic relationships is increasing in many countries around the world. Research regarding the experiences of interethnic couples indicates considerable variation in the reactions of parents towards such relationship types (as reported by those within the relationship). In some studies, significant and sometimes violent opposition has been reported, resulting in negative consequences for the adult child, the couple and presumably the parents. Despite such reports, no research has considered the experiences of parents from the perspective of parents themselves. As such, I explored mothers’ experiences of their child’s interethnic relationship with the aim of determining the nature of …

Measuring Emotional Reactivity, Alexithymia, And Emotion Regulation As Clinically Relevant Emotional Constructs: Theoretical Considerations And The Development Of New Psychometric Measures, David A. Preece

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Many psychopathologies are characterised by abnormalities in emotional functioning, so clinicians and researchers need to assess emotional functioning to inform case conceptualisations and treatments, and to develop theoretical understanding of the mechanisms behind these psychopathologies. A comprehensive profile of emotional functioning requires information about at least three constructs, emotional reactivity, alexithymia, and emotion regulation, as each has been independently identified as an important transdiagnostic risk factor. Clinicians’ and researchers’ ability to assess these three constructs is, however, currently hampered by a lack of conceptual or definitional clarity, and consequently a lack of comprehensive or accurate psychometric measures. My research project …

Dancing Through It: Enhancing Psychological Recovery In Dance, Peta A. L. Blevins

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Achieving elite level performance in dance requires intensive training and physical demands that may put dancers at risk of underrecovery and overtraining if not balanced with adequate recovery. Dancers have been shown to be susceptible to overtraining and burnout (Koutedakis, 2000), however, little is known about how dancers balance training and non-training stress with recovery to counteract negative training outcomes. This thesis investigated psychological recovery among vocational dance students, using a mixed-method study design to examine dancer experiences of stress and recovery, and the effectiveness of a mindfulness intervention in enhancing psychological recovery in vocational dance training. Study 1 explored …

Using Ict To Foster Collaborative Writing For Efl University Students In Vietnam, Thi Thu Lan Nguyen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has changed most aspects of life, and its diffusion into education was inevitable. Vietnam is a developing country where English and ICT are highly valued as two of the most important instruments of industrialisation and modernisation. These instruments help facilitate the country’s integration into the globalised world. Thus, the use of ICT in English language teaching and learning has received much attention from both policy makers and researchers.

In this study, the possibilities of using ICT in fostering English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students’ collaborative writing in a Vietnamese context …

Parents As Partners In Learning, Stephanie Louise Mcdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Globally, teachers and school leaders are increasingly encouraging parents to become more directly involved in their children’s schooling and academic development. This study was designed to support the parents of students who experience difficulty with academic learning via a school-based Parent Mindset Program comprised of three parent engagement workshops delivered fortnightly over six weeks by a teacher. The Program was designed to support participants to practice growth mindset knowledge and skills at home with their child and receive feedback to support skill mastery. Cognitive tools were used to create the social process essential for learning by providing a point of …

Factors Associated With Anxiety, Depression, Burnout, And Ptsd In Australian Paramedics, Timothy Rankin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background

Paramedics are at higher risk of anxiety, depression, burnout, and PTSD compared to the general population. Factors that have been associated with mental disorders include occupational stress, fatigue, sleep quality, chronic pain, physical activity, perceived social support, and overall quality of life. To date only a few of these factors have been investigated simultaneously in Australian paramedics.

Aim

This study aimed to investigate occupational stress, fatigue, sleep quality, chronic pain, physical activity, perceived social support, and overall quality of life, and their associations with anxiety, depression, burnout and PTSD in Australian paramedics.

Methods

Sixty-three paramedics, working for ambulance services …

Perceptions Of Climate Change And Occupational Heat Stress Risks And Adaptation Strategies Of Mining Workers In Ghana, Victor Fannam Nunfam, Jacques Oosthuizen, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Eddie Van Etten, Kwasi Frimpong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Heavy physical workload for long hours coupled with increasing workplace heat exposure due to rising temperatures stemming from climate change, especially where there are inadequate prevention and control policies, adversely affect workers' health and safety, productive capacity and social well-being. However, variations in workers' concerns and awareness of occupational heat stress and climate change risks impede the effectiveness of heat stress management. A mixed method approach was used to assess climate change perceptions and occupational heat stress risks and adaptation strategies of Ghanaian mining workers. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were used to collect data from 320 respondents. Quantitative and …

Positive Veteran Teachers: Who Are They, And Where Are They To Be Found?, Geoffrey Lowe, Christina Gray, Peter Prout, Sarah Jefferson, Therese Shaw

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Teacher career trajectory studies have identified a small group of veteran teachers who remain positive and committed to teaching, while others become disenchanted or disengaged. These, and related studies suggest key characteristics of positive veteran teachers revolve around a strong sense of agency and professional identity including: 1) a continuing desire to experiment and embrace challenges; 2) high levels of personal comfort in their teaching roles; and 3) a willingness to take on leadership roles across a range of capacities and contexts, and in turn be affirmed in these roles. While studies describe these characteristics, there has been little attempt …

Patient-Defined Meaningfulness Within Chronic Pain Rehabilitation: A Concept Analysis, Katrina Liddiard, Annette J. Raynor, Annette M. Rivard, Cary A. Brown

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: As the problem of chronic pain grows worldwide, rehabilitation is critical to improved patient well-being. There is thus a need for rehabilitation-focused research. It appears that outcomes are improved when patients perceive the rehabilitation process to be meaningful. However, there is no empirical evidence determining how this would be achieved. An important first step is to identify and describe the concept of meaningfulness as it is used in the chronic pain rehabilitation literature. Objective: This paper reports the findings of a structured concept analysis to define meaningfulness from the patient perspective in chronic pain rehabilitation. Methodology: In consultation with …

Applications Of The Reflective Practice Questionnaire In Medical Education, Shane L. Rogers, Lynn E. Priddis, Nicole Michels, Michael Tieman, Lon J. Van Winkle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: We sought to determine whether the Reflective Practice Questionnaire (RPQ) is a reliable measure of reflective capacity and related characteristics in medical students. We also planned to learn how the RPQ could be used in medical education. Methods: The RPQ is a 40 item self-report questionnaire that includes a multi-faceted approach to measuring reflective capacity. It also includes sub-scales on several other theoretically relevant constructs such as desire for improvement, confidence, stress, and job satisfaction. The reliabilities of reflective capacity and other sub-scales were determined by calculating their Cronbach alpha reliability values. In the present study, the RPQ was …

Participation Of Children With Disabilities In School: A Realist Systematic Review Of Psychosocial And Environmental Factors, Donald Maciver, Marion Rutherford, Stella Arakelyan, Jessica M. Kramer, Janet Richmond, Liliya Todorova, Dulce Romero-Ayuso, Hiromi Nakamura-Thomas, Marjon Ten Velden, Ian Finlayson, Anne O’Hare, Kirsty Forsyth

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background In order to make informed decisions about how best to support children and young people with disabilities, effective strategies that facilitate active and meaningful participation in school are required. Clinical factors, diagnosis or impairments somewhat helpful in determining what should be provided in interventions. However, clinical factors alone will not offer a clear view of how to support participation. It is helpful then to look at wider psychosocial and environmental factors. The aim of this review was to synthesise evidence of psychosocial and environmental factors associated with school participation of 4–12 year old children with disabilities to inform the …

Does Job Embeddedness Predict Turnover Intentions In Smes?, Alan Coetzer, Chutarat Inma, Paul Poisat, Janice Redmond, Craig Standing

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: There is an absence of research examining job embeddedness in SMEs. Results of job embeddedness studies may not apply to SMEs, because the process of managing a SME differs from that of the large firm. The purpose of this paper is to examine relationships between on-the-job embeddedness, as well as each of its sub-dimensions, and turnover intentions; and group cohesion, on-the-job embeddedness and turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 147 employees in SMEs located in Perth, Western Australia and 350 employees from SMEs operating in four business centres in South Africa. After invariance testing, data from the two …

Toward A Model Of Destination Resident–Environment Relationship: The Case Of Gulangyu, China, Lujun Su, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Joanna Pearce

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study tested an integrative model to better understand residents’ environmentally responsible behaviour (RERB) and willingness to sacrifice for the environment (WTS) using a sample of 430 residents on Gulangyu Island in China. Results show that destination environmental quality and eco-friendly reputation directly affected resident environmental identification and environmental commitment. Destination eco-friendly reputation directly influenced RERB and WTS. Both resident environmental identification and commitment directly affected RERB and WTS. Furthermore, environmental identification and environmental commitment fully mediate the effects of environmental quality on RERB and WTS, and partially mediate the effects of destination eco-friendly reputation on RERB and WTS. © …

Australian Prison Vocational Education And Training And Returns To Custody Among Male And Female Ex-Prisoners: A Cross-Jurisdictional Study, Jesse Cale, Andrew Day, Sharon Casey, David Bright, Jo Wodak, Margaret Giles, Eileen Baldry

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The current study examined the impact of vocational education and training in the custody setting on returns to custody among Australian adult prisoners from selected jurisdictions. Vocational education and training, education, and behavioural change programme participation in custody and demographic and risk assessment data were provided by correctional services in four Australian states for 10,834 Australian prisoners released from custody in 2010–2011. This information was used to predict returns to custody by 2015–2016. Overall, the results showed that participating in vocational education and training in custody contributed to the likelihood of remaining custody free at two and five years post-release …

Summary Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health Status 2018, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet, Millie Harford-Mills, Andrea Macrae, Neil Drew

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This latest Summary of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health provides an up-to-date, plain language summary of the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-specific information on:

• population
• births
• deaths
• common health conditions
• key health risk and protective factors.

The Summary has been prepared by the HealthInfoNet as part of its effort to help 'close the gap' by providing the evidence base to inform practice and policy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. The Summary aims to make this information available to all people, including those without a specialised knowledge …

Overview Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Health Status 2018, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status (Overview) aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the most recent indicators of the health and current health status of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The initial sections of the Overview provide information about the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, population, and various measures of population health status. The remaining sections are about selected health conditions and risk and protective factors that contribute to the overall health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These sections comprise an introduction and evidence of the extent of …

Newborn Care Practices Of Mothers In Arab Societies: Implication For Infant Welfare, Diana H. Arabiat, Lisa Whitehead, Mohammad A. Al Jabery, Muhammad Darawad, Sadie Geraghty, Suhaila Halasa

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

INTRODUCTION: There are at least 22 Arab league states and sections in Northern Africa, southwestern Asia, and Europe that incorporate the vast Middle Eastern culture. The purpose of this study was to identify the cultural variations in newborn care practices, self-management of common illnesses, and their potential impact on infant welfare.

METHOD: A qualitative design using a focus group approach with 37 Arab mothers in Jordan was used.

RESULTS: Findings revealed strong similarities in terms of beliefs, care practices, and the experience of intergenerational conflict in establishing and maintaining traditional practices among mothers. Potentially harmful practices included restrictive swaddling, rubbing …

Green-Tinted Glasses: How Do Pro-Environmental Citizens Conceptualize Environmental Sustainability?, Hannah V. Uren, Peta L. Dzidic, Lynne D. Roberts, Zoe Leviston, Brian J. Bishop

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recent research has shown that many Australians see pro-environmental behaviour as desirable and identify as being green. However when compared to other countries, Australians score poorly on pro-environmental behaviour measures, engaging mostly in tokenistic pro-environmental actions, and demonstrate low levels of concern for the environment. In this article, we examine this tension through exploring the meaning of the term sustainability to Australian participants who self-identify as pro-environmental. Twenty-six interviews were conducted and analysed using a causal layered analysis. Through the examination of participants’ environmental discourse and practices, some of the deeper socio-psychological processes influencing pro-environmental behaviour are revealed. While participants …

From Socioeconomic Disadvantage To Obesity: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Distress And Emotional Eating, Jade Spinosa, Paul Christiansen, Joanne M. Dickson, Valentina Lorenzetti, Charlotte A. Hardman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: Lower socioeconomic status is robustly associated with obesity; however, the underpinning psychological mechanisms remain unclear. The current study sought to determine whether the relationship between lower socioeconomic status and obesity is explained by psychological distress and subsequent emotional eating as a coping strategy. It also examined whether psychological resilience plays a protective role in this pathway. Methods: Participants (N = 150) from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds completed questionnaire measures of psychological distress, emotional eating, and resilience. They reported their income and education level as an indicator of socioeconomic status and their height and weight in order to calculate …

The Chest Australia Trial: A Randomised Controlled Trial Of An Intervention To Increase Consultation Rates In Smokers At Risk Of Lung Cancer, Jon D. Emery, Sonya R. Murray, Fiona M. Walter, Andrew Martin, Stephen Goodall, Danielle Mazza, Emily Habgood, Yvonne Kutzer, David John Barnes, Peter Murchie

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: International research has focused on screening and mass media campaigns to promote earlier patient presentation and detect lung cancer earlier. This trial tested the effect of a behavioural intervention in people at increased risk of lung cancer on help-seeking for respiratory symptoms.

Methods: Parallel, individually randomised controlled trial. Eligible participants were long-term smokers with at least 20 pack-years, aged 55 and above. The CHEST intervention entailed a consultation to discuss and implement a self-help manual, followed by self-monitoring reminders to encourage help-seeking for respiratory symptoms. The control group received a brief discussion about lung health. Both groups had baseline …

Correction To: What Do Students Believe About Effective Classroom Management? A Mixed-Methods Investigation In Western Australian High Schools, Helen Egeberg, Andrew Mcconney

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The article “What do students believe about effective classroom management? A mixed-methods investigation in Western Australian high schools”, written by Helen Egeberg and Andrew McConney was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 1 December 2017 without open access. © 2019, The Author(s).

Finding Your Balance: An Investigation Of Recovery–Stress Balance In Vocational Dance Training, Peta Blevins, Shona Erskine, Luke Hopper, Gene Moyle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Professional dance careers require years of intensive training. Stress experienced during training must be balanced with adequate recovery to prevent overtraining and burnout. Little is known, however, about how dancers achieve recovery–stress balance. This study examined dancers’ recollection of stress and recovery during their vocational dance training to identify potential stressors and recovery behaviors in vocational dance training. Twelve current and ex-professional ballet (n=4) and contemporary dancers (n=8) participated in the study. Four general dimensions, based on the extant overtraining literature in athletes, were identified: dance culture, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and situational factors. Cultural norms, health factors related to injury and …

Grandparental Childcare, Health And Well-Being In Europe: A Within-Individual Investigation Of Longitudinal Data, Mirkka Danielsbacka, Antti O. Tanskanen, David A. Coall, Markus Jokela

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Previous studies suggest grandparental childcare is associated with improved health and well-being of grandparents but limited information on the causal nature of this association exists. Here, we use the longitudinal Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) of people aged 50 and above across 11 countries including follow-up waves between 2004 and 2015 (n = 41,713 person-observations from 24,787 unique persons of whom 11,102 had two or more measurement times). Between-person and within-person (or fixed-effect) regressions were applied, where between-person models show associations across participants and within-person models focus on each participant's variation over time. Health and well-being …

The Owner-Manager’S Role As A Facilitator Of Informal Learning In Small Businesses, Alan Coetzer, Andreas Wallo, Henrik Kock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Few studies have examined the owner-manager as a facilitator of learning in small businesses. Furthermore, these studies are typically not framed by distinctive characteristics of small businesses. These limitations of the literature stimulated us to ask: How do the situational opportunities and constraints that emanate from the distinctive characteristics of small businesses affect the small business owner-manager’s role as a facilitator of learning? To address this question, we first conducted a narrative review of existing research on the owner-manager as facilitator of learning in small businesses (10–49 employees). Four themes emerged from our analysis of research findings, including a theme …

Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain And Amyloid-Β Are Associated With The Kynurenine Pathway Metabolites In Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease, Pratishtha Chatterjee, Henrik Zetterberg, Kathryn Goozee, Chai K. Lim, Kelly R. Jacobs, Nicholas J. Ashton, Abdul Hye, Steve Pedrini, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Tejal Shah, Prita R. Asih, Preeti Dave, Kaikai Shen, Kevin Taddei, David B. Lovejoy, Gilles J. Guillemin, Kaj Blennow, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: Blood markers indicative of neurodegeneration (neurofilament light chain; NFL), Alzheimer's disease amyloid pathology (amyloid-β; Aβ), and neuroinflammation (kynurenine pathway; KP metabolites) have been investigated independently in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the association of these markers of neurodegeneration and AD pathology with neuroinflammation has not been investigated previously. Therefore, the current study examined whether NFL and Aβ correlate with KP metabolites in elderly individuals to provide insight on the association between blood indicators of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.

METHODS: Correlations between KP metabolites, measured using liquid chromatography and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, and plasma NFL and Aβ concentrations, measured using …

New Graduate Nurses' Clinical Safety Knowledge By The Numbers, Melanie Murray, Deborah Sundin, Vicki Cope

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

AIM: To explore new graduate registered nurses' knowledge and attitudes concerning medical error and patient safety, during their first 6 months of professional practice.

BACKGROUND: New graduate registered nurses demonstrate basic skills and levels of performance due to limited exposure and experience in actual situations. There is a concern held for their clinical reasoning skills required to recognize patient deterioration, posing a threat to patient safety.

METHODS: An online questionnaire was used to survey new graduate registered nurses at three time points during graduate nurse programmes between August 2016 and February 2018.

RESULTS: A decrease in self-reported knowledge and attitudes …

Guidance For Research On Social Isolation, Loneliness, And Participation Among Older People: Lessons From A Mixed Methods Study, Julie Dare, Celia Wilkinson, Robert Donovan, Johnny Lo, Marie-Louise Mcdermott, Helen O'Sullivan, Ruth Marquis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article provides methodological guidance to researchers wishing to develop collaborative research projects with local governments and other agencies, by describing the process adopted in a mixed methods study conducted in the City of Wanneroo (the City), a local government area in Perth, Western Australia. The study explored factors related to older people’s (60+ years) participation in community-based activities and links between their participation and levels of social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness. The research incorporated four interrelated stages: (1) an audit of existing programs in the City and program participant characteristics; (2) focus groups with program participants and interviews …

Engaging Adolescent Kyrgyzstani Efl Students In Digital Storytelling Projects About Astronomy, Nadezhda Chubko, Julia E. Morris, David H. Mckinnon, Eileen V. Slater, Geoffrey W. Lummis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This research is based on the Journey through Space and Time (JTST) educational astronomy project for primary and junior high school science curricula in Australia, which seeks to improve students' astronomy content knowledge through science inquiry. The focus of the current project is on the learning needs of students for whom the language of instruction is a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL). This article reports the results of a pilot case study conducted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in December 2017. The research employed a Type II Case Study design. Data were collected through video and audio recordings of classroom interactions. The …

The Effect Of Volunteers’ Care And Support On The Health Outcomes Of Older Adults In Acute Care: A Systematic Scoping Review, Rosemary Saunders, Karla Seaman, Renée Graham, Angela Christiansen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim: To examine the available evidence on the effects of care and support provided by volunteers on the health outcomes of older adults in acute care services.

Background: Acute hospital inpatient populations are becoming older, and this presents the potential for poorer health outcomes. Factors such as chronic health conditions, polypharmacy and cognitive and functional decline are associated with increased risk of health care‐related harm, such as falls, delirium and poor nutrition. To minimise the risk of health care‐related harm, volunteer programmes to support patient care have been established in many hospitals worldwide.

Design: A systematic scoping review.

Methods: The …

Noninvasive Diagnosis Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Via Bowel Sound Features: Proof Of Concept, Xuhao Du, Gary Allwood, K. Mary Webberley, Andrisha-Jade Inderjeeth, Adam Osseiran, Barry James Marshall

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

INTRODUCTION: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common and debilitating disorder estimated to affect approximately 11% of the world's population. Typically, IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion after patients undergo a costly and invasive colonoscopy to exclude organic disease. Clinician's and researchers have identified a need for a new cost-effective, accurate, and noninvasive diagnostic test for IBS.

METHODS: Using a diagnostic case-control study, we explored the use of bowel sounds to characterize IBS with a view to diagnostic use. We recruited participants with an existing clinical diagnosis of IBS or healthy (asymptomatic) digestive systems. We recorded bowel sounds for 2 …