Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Vascular Screening Interventions On Perceived Threat, Efficacy Beliefs And Behavioural Intentions: A Systematic Narrative Review, Reindolf Anokye, Ben Jackson, James Dimmock, Joanne M. Dickson, Mary A. Kennedy, Carl J. Schultz, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Mandy Stanley, Joshua Lewis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Health-related behaviours contribute to the global burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiovascular imaging can be used to screen asymptomatic individuals for increased risk of CVD to enable earlier interventions to promote health-related behaviours to prevent or reduce CVD risk. Some theories of behaviour and behaviour change assume that engagement in a given behaviour is a function of individual threat appraisals, beliefs regarding the performance of behaviour, self-efficacy for performing the desired behaviour and/or dispositions to act (e.g. behavioural intentions). To date, little is known about the impact of cardiovascular imaging interventions on these constructs. This article summarises evidence related to …

Student Access To Higher Education Through Alternative Pathways And Differences By Equity Group And Discipline, Denise Jackson, Ian Li, David Carroll

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Widening participation in higher education for under-represented groups is a priority internationally. In Australia, the most common entry pathway for domestic undergraduate students is by obtaining an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) in the final year of secondary school. The ATAR system, however, has been criticised as disadvantaging certain equity groups. Consequently, widening participation policy has encouraged alternative entry pathways into university, including enabling/bridging courses, vocational education qualifications, or portfolio entry based on demonstrated skills and experience. There is, however, relatively scarce evidence of student use of these pathways, including those from equity groups. Drawing on national enrolment data and …

Tourism And Final Wish Making: The Discourse Of Terminal Illness And Travel, Gregory Willson, A. J. Mcintosh, C. Cockburn-Wootten

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper identifies a new discourse about tourism, that of final wish making. The website communications of charitable foundations whose dedicated purpose is to grant final wishes for adults with a terminal illness and their families were examined using critical discourse analysis. Specifically, the aim of this study was to understand how these charitable organisations construct, communicate and mediate meanings around terminal illness and travel for these individuals. Our study found that, promoted as a final wish in one’s life, tourism is framed as a transformational concept that is beneficial in the imminent time before death, as a legacy for …

“A Source Of Empowerment And Well-Being”: Experiences Of A Dance And Yoga Intervention For Young Girls With Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders, Sofie Högström, Mats Eriksson, Evalotte Mörelius, Anna Duberg

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Functional abdominal pain disorders are common among children and adolescents worldwide and effective treatments are needed to alleviate suffering for these children and their families. This study aimed to explore the experience of participating in a combined dance and yoga intervention from the perspectives of girls aged 9–13 years with functional abdominal pain disorders. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial called Just in TIME (Try, Identify, Move and Enjoy) recruited 121 girls aged 9–13 years with functional abdominal pain disorders. The eight-month intervention combined dance and yoga twice a week, focusing on enjoyment, socialization and playful creativity in …

Dosing And Therapeutic Conduct In Administration Sessions In Substance-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Systematized Review, S. B. Thal, M. Wieberneit, J. M. Sharbanee, P. M. Skeffington, R. Bruno, T. Wenge, Stephen J. Bright

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While the potential of serotonergic psychedelics and related substances as adjuncts in substance-assisted psychotherapy (SAPT) has been investigated for the treatment of several disorders, evidence for the appropriate therapeutic conduct in administration sessions is sparse. In this article, we discuss the current evidence for best therapeutic practice during administration sessions with serotonergic psychedelics and entactogens as adjuncts to psychotherapy. We conducted a systematized review of the literature following PRISMA guidelines. PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Clinical trials, treatment manuals, study protocols, qualitative studies, case studies, descriptive studies, opinion papers, reviews, book chapters, and conference proceedings published until …

Enabling Social Care Services For Older Adults During Periods Of Long-Term Social Isolation: Service Provider Perspectives, Amy Budrikis, Cate Parry, Claire Adams, Eyal Gringart, Moira Sim, Daniel Mcaullay, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To investigate how small, local organisations were impacted by and responded to COVID-19 in their delivery of social care services to older adults (70 years and older). Lessons learnt and future implications are discussed. Methods: Six representatives from four social care services (five females and one male) participated in individual semistructured interviews. Responses were analysed thematically. Results: The key themes identified were service providers' experience, perceived needs of older adults and adapting services. Service providers positioned themselves as front-line essential workers for their older adult clients, resulting in some emotional toll and distress for the service providers. They provided …

Evaluation Of An Educational Program For People With Dementia And Their Caregivers, Beverly O'Connell, Manonita Ghosh, Melissa Dunham, Aisling Smyth

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of a 5-week educational and supportive program for people newly diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers. Methods: The study involved a pretest–posttest survey followed by interviews. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to determine postprogram changes. Kruskal–Wallis tests measured variation in responses between the people with dementia and their caregivers. Interviews were analysed using the NVivo software identifying themes against the program objectives of improving knowledge on dementia, coping strategies, communication and support services for people with dementia and their caregivers. Results: Fifty-three dyads (n = 106) completed the survey. There were significant improvements in …

Hand Hygiene Knowledge And Demonstrated Technique Among Malawian Kindergarten Children: A Quasi-Experimental Study, Balwani Chingatichifwe Mbakaya, Maggie Zgambo, Fatch Welcome Kalembo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: To evaluate hand hygiene knowledge and demonstrated technique before and after implementation of the hand hygiene programme and its sustainability among Malawian kindergarten students. Design: Quasi-experimental design, utilizing a repeated measure at three points, namely, before intervention (T0), soon after intervention (T1) and follow-up (T2). Methods: The hand hygiene programme consisted of integrating hand hygiene protocol into the school health curriculum, setting up proper handwashing facilities, training school teachers, health talks and developing reminders on hand hygiene. Fifty-three kindergarten children aged 3–6 years were enrolled in the programme. Data were collected at 3 months' intervals (T0, T1, and T2). …

Impaired Muscle Function, Including Its Decline, Is Related To Greater Long-Term Late-Life Dementia Risk In Older Women, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Helen Macpherson, David Scott, Robin M. Daly, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Simon M. Laws, Kun Zhu, Richard L. Prince, Joshua R. Lewis, Marc Sim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Impaired muscle function has been identified as a risk factor for declining cognitive function and cardiovascular health, both of which are risk factors for late-life dementia (after 80 years of age). We examined whether hand grip strength and timed-up-and-go (TUG) performance, including their change over 5 years, were associated with late-life dementia events in older women and whether any associations provided independent information to Apolipoprotein E ℇ4 (APOE ℇ4) genotype. Methods: Grip strength and TUG were assessed in community-dwelling older women (mean ± SD; age 75.0 ± 2.6 years) at baseline (n = 1225) and 5 years (n = …

Improving The Reading Skills Of Struggling Secondary Students In A Real-World Setting: Issues Of Implementation And Sustainability, Susan Main, Susan Hill, Annamaria Paolino

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reading difficulties have been associated with limited academic success and related social-emotional outcomes including anxiety and low motivation. Recent research on the educational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that children with poor reading skills were disproportionally disadvantaged. This growing number of students experiencing reading difficulties will require effective implementation of strategies to prevent long-term disadvantage, including in the challenging context of secondary schools where teachers are unfamiliar with reading instruction and constrained by timetabling of subjects and teachers. This research examined whether a Direct Instruction programme could be implemented with fidelity in the real world of a secondary school …

Informal Sport And (Non)Belonging Among Hazara Migrants In Australia, Ramón Spaaij, Jonathan Magee, Ruth Jeanes, Dawn Penney, Justen O’Connor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sport participation can offer migrants a modality to connect with dominant cultural norms and potentially foster interculturalism, yet it is often fraught with exclusion. Little is known about how informal sports that migrants have introduced into countries of resettlement affect their (non)belonging. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork over a 14-month period, this article examines how Hazara men’s involvement in the ethno-specific informal sport of sangarag influences their post-migration experiences of (non)belonging in Australia. The findings indicate that Hazara men’s construction of sangarag as a space and resource for belonging needs to be understood as a response to the challenging circumstances they …

It Helps And It Doesn’T Help: Maternal Perspectives On How The Use Of Smartphones And Tablet Computers Influences Parent-Infant Attachment, Rebecca Hood, Juliana Zabatiero, Desiree Silva, Stephen R. Zubrick, Leon Straker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As families increase their use of mobile touch screen devices (smartphones and tablet computers), there is potential for this use to influence parent-child interactions required to form a secure attachment during infancy, and thus future child developmental outcomes. Thirty families of infants (aged 9–15 months) were interviewed to explore how parents and infants use these devices, and how device use influenced parents’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours towards their infant and other family interactions. Two-thirds of infants were routinely involved in family video calls and one-third used devices for other purposes. Parent and/or child device use served to both enhance connection …

Profiling Ambivalence In The Context Of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Nicole Gray, Hannah Uren, Ethan James Pemberton, Mark Boyes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: We aimed to identify profiles of ambivalence among individuals with a history of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and tested whether profiles differed across various theoretically informed constructs: NSSI-related characteristics, cognitive (outcome expectancies, self-efficacy to resist NSSI), emotional (psychological distress, difficulties in emotion regulation), personality, and incentives to engage/not engage in NSSI. Methods: Individuals with a lifetime history of NSSI (n = 224) reported the extent to which they wanted to and did not want to engage in NSSI and completed well-validated measures of the constructs of interest. Results: Latent profile analysis indicated four ambivalence profiles (avoid: n = 39; moderately …

Staff Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Managerial Communication During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study, Gemma Doleman, Linda Coventry, Amanda Towell-Barnard, Manonita Ghosh, Lucy Gent, Rosemary Saunders, Beverly O'Connell

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: This work aims to explore staff perceptions of (1) the effectiveness of organizational communication during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) the impact of organizational communication on staff well-being and ability to progress their work and patient care. Background: Effective coordination and communication are essential in a pandemic management response. However, the effectiveness of communication strategies used during the COVID-19 pandemic is not well understood. Design: An exploratory cross-sectional research design was used. A 33-item survey tool was created for the study. Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital in Western Australia. Convenience sampling was used to …

The Relationship Between Responsible Financial Behaviours And Financial Wellbeing: The Case Of Buy-Now-Pay-Later, Robert Powell, Anh Do, Denise Gengatharen, Jaime Yong, Rasiah Gengatharen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) in Australia is a rapidly growing payment innovation. Regulators and consumer groups have expressed concerns at the financial risks posed by BNPL. As BNPL is not regulated under consumer credit law, financial regulator and consumer groups have recommended that BNPL users adopt a range of responsible financial behaviours for their financial wellbeing. This study, using a survey of BNPL users and structural equation modelling, shows a link between most of these recommended financially responsible behaviours and financial wellbeing and that the financial behaviours of younger users (aged under 25) place them at greater risk of reduced financial wellbeing.

The Role Of Authentic Leadership On Healthcare Street-Level Bureaucrats’ Well-Being During The Pandemic, Nasim Salehi, Yvonne Brunetto, Tom Dick

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study uses Conservation of Resources Theory, to explain Street-Level Bureaucrats’ (SLBs) workplace behavioural responses to threats to their well-being. We examine whether authentic leadership within street-level organisations positively impacts employee well-being by increasing SLBs’ perception of personal resources, and reducing their perceptions of work harassment. The research design comprises a survey that solicited quantitative and qualitative data from 163 healthcare SLBs working in Australian hospitals during the pandemic in April 2020. Analysis of the means indicates low levels of satisfaction with leadership and low levels of well-being for SLBs. The structural equation modelling findings show that poor leadership is …

Theory-Based Behaviour Change Intervention To Promote Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Older Adults In Australia: Initial Dissemination And Acceptability, Claire Adams, Eyal Gringart, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Rates of help-seeking for mental health problems among older adults are low and initiatives to increase help-seeking in older populations are limited. To our knowledge, no interventions have aimed to promote help-seeking among older adults by tapping internal motivations to seek help. In this paper, we describe the development of a theory-based intervention designed to promote mental health help-seeking among older adults in Australia, using an internal motivation paradigm. Methods: The intervention was co-designed through a consultative process with nine key stakeholders who represented five main groups: primary health-care providers, mental health professionals, health-care executives, community organisations and consumers. …

Toddlers May Be Getting Enough Iron In Long Day-Care Services After All, Michaela Johnston, Therese O'Sullivan, Amanda Devine, Ruth Wallace, Leesa Costello, Ros Sambell

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Previous research has suggested that toddlers are not provided with adequate dietary iron in long-day care (LDC) services. However, the iron bioavailability provided is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the amount and bioavailability of iron provided to toddlers aged 2–3 years at LDC services. Methods: A cross-sectional audit was conducted using a 2-day weighed food record of 30 LDC services. Iron provision (not child intake) in LDC services across Perth, Australia was compared with the estimated average requirements (EAR) and LDC services provision guidelines (50% of EAR = 2 mg/day based on a 14% bioavailability factor). Bioavailability …

Why Do Employees Respond Differently To Corporate Social Responsibility? A Study Of Substantive And Symbolic Corporate Social Responsibility, Mehran Nejati, Azadeh Shafaei Darastani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays an increasingly significant role in business and can impact organizational performance and sustainability. However, the degree to which stakeholders see the organization as legitimate may depend on the perceived authenticity of CSR processes and practices. As internal stakeholders, employees have a strong influence on organizational outcomes. CSR, in turn, has been found to positively influence several employee outcomes. To examine the mechanisms of this relationship, this study questioned when and how CSR enhances employees' perceptions and results in affective commitment. Drawing on a time-lagged sample of 317 full-time employees in Australia, we found that substantive …

Locally Performed Postoperative Circulating Tumour Dna Testing Performed During Routine Clinical Care To Predict Recurrence Of Colorectal Cancer, Ryan Cohen, Aaron Beasley, Melanie Mccoy, Cameron Platell, Katie Meehan, Elin Gray, Kathy Fuller

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Identifying patients at high risk for colorectal cancer recurrence is essential for improving prognosis. In the postoperative period, circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has been demonstrated as a significant prognostic indicator of recurrence. These results have been obtained under the strict rigours of clinical trials, but not validated in a real-world setting using in-house testing. We report the outcomes of locally performed postoperative ctDNA testing conducted during routine clinical care and the association with the recurrence of colorectal cancer. Methods: We recruited 36 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer between 2018 and 2020. Postoperative plasma samples were collected at …

Closing The Shell: Gas-Phase Solvation Of Halides By 1,3-Butadiene, Peter D. Watson, Christian T. Haakansson, Hayden T. Robinson, Timothy R. Corkish, James Brookes, Allan J. Mckinley, Duncan A. Wild

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Gas-phase solvation of halides by 1,3-butadiene has been studied via a combination of photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory. Photoelectron spectra for X−⋯(C4H6)n (X=Cl, Br, I where n=1-3, 1–3 and 1–7 respectively) are presented. For all complexes, the calculated structures indicate that butadiene is bound in a bidentate fashion through hydrogen-bonding, with the chloride complex showing the greatest degree of stabilisation of the internal C−C rotation of cis-butadiene. In both Cl− and Br− complexes, the first solvation shell is shown to be at least n = 4 from the vertical detachment energies (VDEs), however for I−, increases in the …

Confined Tri-Functional Feox@Mno2@Sio2 Flask Micromotors For Long-Lasting Motion And Catalytic Reactions, Yangyang Yang, Lei Shi, Jingkai Lin, Panpan Zhang, Kunsheng Hu, Shuang Meng, Peng Zhou, Xiaoguang Duan, Hongqi Sun, Shaobin Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

H2O₂-fueled micromotors are state-of-the-art mobile microreactors in environmental remediation. In this work, a magnetic FeO_x@MnO₂@SiO₂ micromotor with multi-functions is designed and demonstrated its catalytic performance in H₂O₂/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for simultaneously sustained motion and organic degradation. Moreover, this work reveals the correlations between catalytic efficiency and motion behavior/mechanism. The inner magnetic FeO_x nanoellipsoids primarily trigger radical species (OH and O₂−) to attack organics via Fenton-like reactions. The coated MnO₂ layers on FeO_x surface are responsible for decomposing H₂O₂ into O_{2 …}

Natural Manganese Ores For Efficient Removal Of Organic Pollutants Via Catalytic Peroxymonosulfate-Based Advanced Oxidation Processes, Zhengxin Yao, Roufei Chen, Ning Han, Hongqi Sun, Ngie Hing Wong, Lusi Ernawati, Shaobin Wang, Jaka Sunarso, Shaomin Liu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PMS-AOPs) for in situ persistent organic pollutant (POP) remediation in aqueous solutions can be a promising technology. However, this technology is constrained by its high toxicity and cost of metal oxide and non-metal catalysts for PMS activation. Here, we investigated the catalytic performance of a widely available natural mineral, manganese ore (MO), for PMS activation. A series of natural MO samples in an aqueous solution were prepared via the Fenton-like reaction. The samples' crystalline structure, surface morphology, textural properties, and other surface characteristics of the selected MO were systematically characterized. The effects of PMS concentration and …

Teenagers Learn Through Play Too: Communicating High Expectations Through A Playful Learning Approach, Olivia Johnston, Helen Wildy, Jennifer Shand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Play-based learning is an approach used in early childhood education that is well supported by research on its varieties and effectiveness for young children’s learning. Play-based learning meets the developmental needs of young children, but new research presented in this paper suggests that teenagers learn through play too. The experience of 25 Year 10 students in three Western Australian government schools was drawn upon to generate grounded theory about how students experience their teachers’ expectations of them, which included findings that playful learning approaches communicated high teacher expectations. The students were shadow-studied in their classrooms and interviewed at the end …

Determinants Of Intention To Use E-Wallet: Personal Innovativeness And Propensity To Trust As Moderators, Madugoda Gunaratnege Senali, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Fatin Nadzirah Ismail, Noor Fareen Abdul Rahim, Mana Khoshkam, Maryam Mirzaei

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aims to investigate the determinants of intention to use e-wallets. Drawing on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the conceptual framework was developed. The study extends the TAM in the context of e-wallets, by testing the influences of product-related factors namely perceived compatibility, perceived risk, and perceived emotions and investigating the moderating impacts of personal innovativeness and propensity to trust. To conduct an empirical study, the data were collected from Malaysian individuals with no experience with e-wallets using an online survey. Data from 374 participants were obtained and analyzed using the partial least squares technique. The results showed that …

Integrated Clinical Pathways For Lower Limb Orthopaedic Surgeries: An Updated Systematic Review, Huaqiong Zhou, Irene M. Ngune, Pam Roberts, Phillip Della

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective

The objective of the study was to comprehensively synthesise the components of integrated clinical pathways (ICPs) and post-operative outcomes of patients undergone total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA & TKA) and hip fracture surgeries.

Background

Previous systematic reviews examined components and effectiveness of ICPs for lower limb joint replacement and hip fracture surgeries.

Design and Methods

An updated systematic review guided by the Whittemore and Knafl (2005) framework. Electronic databases, Ovid MEDLINE, EBSCOhost-CINAHL, the Cochrane Reviews and Trails, EMBASE and PubMed, were searched from 2007 to 31 January 2021. Due to the heterogeneity of the methods and data collection …

Tourists' Perceptions Of And Reactions To Child Sex Tourism: An Exploratory Qualitative Investigation, Joshua Aston, Jun Wen, Shaohua Yang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Using a qualitative approach, this cross-disciplinary study integrating modern slavery, tourism and marketing expertise outlines Chinese outbound tourists' perceptions of and reactions to issues related to child sex tourism.

Design/methodology/approach: In total, 27 in-depth interviews were conducted, and data were analysed. Manual coding was chosen as an efficient method to process qualitative interview data given the relatively small sample size in this study.

Findings: Three main themes emerged from analysis: (1) tourists' negative perceptions of child sex tourism; (2) tourist boycotts against child sex tourism destinations and activities as reactions to this socially deviant and illegal phenomenon and (3) …

Nursing Students Doing Gender: Implications For Higher Education And The Nursing Profession, Lesley J. Andrew, Ken Robinson, Julie Dare, Leesa N. Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The average age of women nursing students in Australia is rising. With this comes the likelihood that more now begin university with family responsibilities, and with their lives structured by the roles of mother and partner. Women with more traditionally gendered ideas of these roles, such as nurturing others and self-sacrifice, are known to be attracted to nursing as a profession; once at university, however, these students can be vulnerable to gender role stress from the competing demands of study. A qualitative research design, guided by Gadamer's hermeneutic philosophy, explored the gendered behaviours and experiences of 22 women nursing students, …

Autonomy Versus Support: Self-Reliance And Help-Seeking For Mental Health Problems In Young People, Amelia Ishikawa, Debra Rickwood, Emily Bariola, Navjot Bhullar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

Many young people with mental ill-health do not seek support, and developmental growth in self-reliance may be a barrier to help-seeking. Increasing autonomy is a positive developmental task for youth and a key aspect of resilience. This study examined the influence of perceived social support and resilience on the previously unexamined relationship between self-reliance and intentions to seek help from informal, professional, and self-help sources for mental health problems.

Methods:

An online survey was completed by a representative Australian community sample of 5,203 young people aged 12–25 years (half female), in May–June 2020.

Results:

Path analysis showed the hypothesised …

Do Physiological Variables Predict The Need For Transport To Hospital From Music Festivals? An Analysis Of Australian Festival Data, Ned Douglas, Jake Donovan, James Carew, Kayla Brouwer, Ebony Edwards, Mitchell Gibson, Jacqueline Leverett, Joseph Paul, Lachlan Holbery-Morgan, Jessica Pritchard, Elyssia Bourke, Erin Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective:

Using physiological markers to detect patients at risk of deterioration is common. Deaths at music festivals in Australia prompted scrutiny of tools to identify critically unwell patients for transport to hospital. This study evaluated initial physiological parameters to identify patients selected for transport to hospital from a music festival.

Methods:

A retrospective audit of 2045 presentations at music festivals in Victoria, Australia, was performed. Presentation heart rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, and Glasgow Coma Scale were assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis, with a prespecified threshold of 0.7.

Results:

The …