Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Understanding The Psychology Of Seeking Support To Increase Health Science Student Engagement In Academic Support Services. A Practice Report, Gerard F. Hoyne, Keith Mcnaught

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Increasing student engagement within higher education academic support services is a constant challenge. Whilst engagement with support is positively associated with successful retention, and non-engagement connected to attrition, the most vulnerable students are often the least likely to engage. Our data has shown that Health Science students are reluctant to engage with academic support services despite being made aware of their academic deficiencies. The "psychology of seeking support" was used as a lens to identify some of the multifaceted issues around student engagement. The School of Health Sciences made attendance at support courses compulsory for those students who were below …

Physical Activity, Physical Fitness Or Physical Education: Are We Betting On The Wrong Horse?, Beth P. Hands

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

If you read the daily newspaper, it is highly likely there will an article on the importance of physical activity. A recent survey I undertook showed that on some weeks up to 25 articles with physical activity as a key word were published in mainstream Australian papers. A key word search of peer reviewed journals in Academic Search Premier reveals a similar pattern-with up to 30,000 articles having the word physical activity in the abstract. This is a relatively recent phenomenon. The number of published articles about physical activity related studies has grown astronomically compared to two other important terms, …

Improving Muscular Endurance With The Mve Fitness Chairtm In Breast Cancer, Eric Martin, Claudio Battaglini, Dianne Groff, Fiona Naumann

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives

To assess the feasibility and efficacy of delivering Pilates exercises for resistance training to breast cancer survivors using the MVe Fitness Chair™.

Design

Pilot randomized controlled trial.

Methods

Twenty-six female breast cancer survivors were randomized to use the MVe Fitness Chair™ (n = 8), traditional resistance training (n = 8), or a control group (no exercise) (CO) (n = 10). The MVe Fitness Chair™ and traditional resistance training groups completed 8 weeks of exercise. Muscular endurance was assessed pre and post-test for comparisons within and between groups using push ups, curl ups, and the Dynamic Muscular …

The "Specter" Of Cancer: Exploring Secondary Trauma For Health Professionals Providing Cancer Support And Counseling, Lauren Breen, Moira O'Connor, Lauren Y. Hewitt, Elizabeth Lobb

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Health professionals are vulnerable to occupational stress and tend to report high levels of secondary trauma and burnout; this is especially so for those working in “high-death” contexts such as cancer support and palliative care. In this study, 38 health professionals (psychologists, social workers, pastoral carers/chaplains, nurses, group facilitators, and a medical practitioner) who provide grief support and counseling in cancer and palliative care each participated in a semistructured interview. Qualitatively, a grounded theory analysis revealed four themes: (a) the role of health professionals in supporting people who are experiencing grief and loss issues in the context of cancer, (b) …

“It Is Not A Disease We Treat, But A Person”: Medical Students’ Reflections On Their First Rotations To An Oncology And Palliative Care Unit, John Kearsley, Elizabeth Lobb

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

The vast array of technologic advances in medicine has transformed traditional medical practice and education. However, these advances are not without their critics (1-7). Some medical educators and students suggest that the “final product” of medical education has many of the characteristics of the applied scientist (2) rather than those of the humane physician-healer (8). Many medical students bring to their studies an idealism and an empathy that, for many, is quickly eroded over time. According to Bellini and Shea (4), they may never fully recover their empathy. Several studies have concluded that a significant decline in empathy occurs during …

Online Prostate Cancer Screening Decision Aid For At-Risk Men: A Randomized Trial, Kaaren J. Watts, Bettina Meiser, Claire E. Wakefield, Alexandra Barratt, Kirsten Howard, Benjamin C. Cheah, Graham J. Mann, Elizabeth Lobb, Clara Gaff, Manish I. Patel

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: This study examines the efficacy of an online decision aid (DA) for men with a family history of prostate cancer.

Methods: Unaffected Australian men (40 - 79 years) with at least one affected relative completed the first online questionnaire, were randomized to read either the tailored DA (intervention) or nontailored information about prostate cancer screening (control), then completed a questionnaire postreading and 12 months later. The primary outcome was decisional conflict regarding prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing. The impact of the DA on longitudinal outcomes was analyzed by using random intercept mixed effects models. Logistic and linear regressions were …

Maternal And Infant Infections Stimulate A Rapid Leukocyte Response In Breastmilk, F Hassiotou, A Hepworth, P Metzger, C Lai, N Trengove, P Hartmann, L Filgueira

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Breastmilk protects infants against infections; however, specific responses of breastmilk immune factors to different infections of either the mother or the infant are not well understood. Here, we examined the baseline range of breastmilk leukocytes and immunomodulatory biomolecules in healthy mother/infant dyads and how they are influenced by infections of the dyad. Consistent with a greater immunological need in the early postpartum period, colostrum contained considerable numbers of leukocytes (13–70% out of total cells) and high levels of immunoglobulins and lactoferrin. Within the first 1–2 weeks postpartum, leukocyte numbers decreased significantly to a low baseline level in mature breastmilk (0–2%) …

The Psychometric Properties Of The Mccarron Assessment Of Neuromuscular Development As A Longitudinal Measure With Australian Youth, Beth P. Hands, Dawne Larkin, Elizabeth Rose

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

The importance of considering age and sex differences in the assessment of motor performance has been largely overlooked. This study examines the psychometric properties of the US developed McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND) using data from a longitudinal sample of 986 Australian youth at 10, 14 and 17 years. A key finding was the sex and age interaction of the Neuromuscular Developmental Index (NDI) (F = 121.46, p < .001). Males had a significantly lower mean NDI score at 10 years and the females had a lower score at 17 years. The factor structure differed from the US samples (McCarron, 1997) at each age and between males and females. The sex specific analyses showed that the underlying structure was more complex for younger females. Although the MAND remains a …