Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Combined Evaluation Of Arterial Stiffness And Blood Pressure Promotes Risk Stratification Of Peripheral Arterial Disease, Zhiyuan Wu, Yue Jiang, Qian Zhu, Haiping Zhang, Zhiwei Li, Jinqi Wang, Huiying Pan, Zheng Guo, Yulu Zheng, Xia Li, Lixin Tao, Bo Gao, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Previous studies have reported the separate association of arterial stiffness (AS) and blood pressure with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk stratification capacity of AS on incident PAD beyond blood pressure status. Methods: A total of 8,960 participants from Beijing Health Management Cohort were enrolled at the first health visit between 2008 and 2018 and then followed until the incidence of PAD or 2019. Elevated AS was defined as brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV) > 1,400 cm/s, including moderate stiffness (1,400 ≤ baPWV < 1,800 cm/s) and severe stiffness (baPWV ≥ 1,800 cm/s). PAD was defined as ankle-brachial index < 0.9. A frailty Cox model was used to calculate the HR, integrated discrimination improvement, and net reclassification improvement. Results: During follow-up, 225 participants (2.5%) developed PAD. After adjusting for confounding factors, the highest risk for PAD was observed in the group with elevated AS and blood pressure (HR: 2.253; 95% CI: 1.472-3.448). Among participants with ideal blood pressure and those with well-controlled hypertension, PAD risk was still significant for severe AS. The results remained consistent in multiple sensitivity analyses. In addition, baPWV significantly improved the predictive capacity for PAD risk beyond systolic and diastolic blood pressures (integrated discrimination improvement 0.020 and 0.190, net reclassification improvement 0.037 and 0.303). Conclusions: This study suggests the clinical importance of combined evaluation and control of AS and blood pressure for the risk stratification and prevention of PAD.

Factors Impacting Readiness To Perform Secondary Population-Based Triage During The Second Wave Of Covid-19 In Victoria, Australia: Pilot Study, Zachary B. Horn

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Pandemics generate such a significant demand for care that traditional triage methods can become saturated. Secondary population-based triage (S-PBT) overcomes this limitation. Although the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced S-PBT into operation internationally during the first year of the pandemic, Australian doctors were spared this responsibility. However, the second wave of COVID-19 provides an opportunity to explore the lived experience of preparing for S-PBT within the Australian context. The aim of this study is to explore the lived experience of preparing to operationalize S-PBT to allocate critical care resources during Australia's second wave of COVID-19 in 2020. Methods: Intensivists …

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). …

The Definition Of A Community Paramedic: An International Consensus, Brendan Shannon, Sasch Baldry, Peter O'Meara, Nicole Foster, Angela Martin, Matthew Cook, Karen Stewart, Alecka Miles

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Community paramedicine is a globally evolving model of care where paramedics provide community-based, preventative and primary healthcare services. With increased global interest and adaptation of the community paramedicine model, there is a lack of a clear definition of the role of a community paramedic. This study sought to come to an international consensus on the definition of a community paramedic. A four-phase Delphi methodology was utilised to achieve a global consensus on the definition of a community paramedic. A systematic approach to expert identification was performed and reported in line with the Conducting and REporting of DElphi Studies standard. A …

Investigating The Perspectives Of Older Adults In Residential Aged Care On Oral Health-Related Quality Of Life, Parisa Malekpour, Amanda Devine, Julie Dare, Leesa Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective

The objective of the study was to explore how older people living in a residential aged care facility perceived that their oral health influenced their food preferences and attitudes towards food, their social interactions and their self-esteem.

Background

Poor oral health can have biological, behavioural and social impacts on quality of life among older adults (aged 65+ years). In terms of biological impacts, oral health impairments may cause older adults to avoid many types of foods. This shift in dietary pattern can lead to malnutrition among older people, undermine general health and negatively impact quality of life (QOL).

Materials …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Autoverification And Guidance System For Covid-19 Rt-Pcr Results, Yingmu Cai, Mengyu Liu, Zhiyuan Wu, Cuihong Tian, Song Qiu, Zhen Li, Feng Xu, Wei Li, Yan Zheng, Aijuan Xu, Longxu Xie, Xuerui Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

To date, most countries worldwide have declared that the pandemic of COVID-19 is over, while the WHO has not officially ended the COVID-19 pandemic, and China still insists on the personalized dynamic COVID-free policy. Large-scale nucleic acid testing in Chinese communities and the manual interpretation for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection results pose a huge challenge for labour, quality and turnaround time (TAT) requirements. To solve this specific issue while increase the efficiency and accuracy of interpretation, we created an autoverification and guidance system (AGS) that can automatically interpret and report the COVID-19 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results relaying …

Covid-19 Lessons To Protect Populations Against Future Pandemics By Implementing Pppm Principles In Healthcare, Cuihong Tian, Lois Balmer, Xuerui Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has continued for more than 3 years, placing a huge burden on society worldwide. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an end to COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), it is still considered a global threat. Previously, there has been a long debate as to whether the COVID-19 emergency will eventually end or transform into a more common infectious disease from a PHEIC, and how should countries respond to similar pandemics in the future more time-efficiently and cost-effectively. We reviewed the past, middle and current situation of COVID-19 …

How Did Covid-19 Pandemic Impact Safety Performance On A Construction Project? A Case Study Comparing Pre And Post Covid-19 Influence On Safety At An Australian Construction Site, Roberta Selleck, Marcus Cattani, Maureen Hassall

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

COVID-19 had a significant impact on construction projects due to labor shortages and COVID-19 restrictions, yet little is known about the impact it had on construction safety. To address this gap, an Australian construction project was selected to study the impact of COVID-19 on safety performance, safety climate and safety leadership. The study collected data from safety climate surveys, leading and lagging safety indicators and used linear regression to compare safety performance pre and post the onset of COVID-19. Our results showed after the onset of COVID-19 there was a significant reduction (Pr > F at 0.05 %) in incident rate, …

Older Adults Access To Mental Health And Social Care Services During Covid-19 Restrictions In Western Australia, Claire Adams, Eyal Gringart, Daniel Mcaullay, Moira Sim, Brigitta Scarfe, Amy Budrikis, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: This study aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on access to mental health and social services among older adults in Western Australia. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 194 adults aged ≥ 70 years or ≥ 60 years with chronic conditions. A questionnaire co-developed by a consumer reference group was used to collect data on social networks and service access. Frequency analyses were used to assess quantitative data. Qualitative data were assessed using thematic analyses. Results: 62.7 % of participants reported being not at all/slightly affected by COVID-19; 40.7 % reported having three/four people to chat with. …

Determining The Reliability Of Critical Controls In Construction Projects, Roberta Selleck, Maureen Hassall, Marcus Cattani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Across the global construction industry, fatalities continue to occur from high-risk activities, where the risk controls have been defined; however, these were unreliable. In the mining industry, Critical Control Risk Management has provided positive results in reducing major accidents, which raises the question, could the Critical Control approach reduce the fatality rate in the construction industry? This study analyzed 10 years of serious and fatal incident investigation reports from four international construction companies to (i) assess the reliability of their Critical Controls (CCs) and (ii) assess the factors that affect the reliability of CCs. The results show the reliability of …

Needs And Views On Healthy Lifestyles For The Prevention Of Dementia And The Potential Role For Mobile Health (Mhealth) Interventions In China: A Qualitative Study, Jinxia Zhang, Esmé Eggink, Xiaoyu Zhang, Xingming Li, Bin Jiang, Hongmei Liu, Siqi Ge, Wei Zhang, Jihui Lyu, Yixuan Niu, Yueyi Yu, Haifeng Hou, Xizhu Xu, Xiaoyan Ye, Wenzhi Wang, Ruben Terlou, Edo Richard, Wei Wang, Youxin Wang, Eric P. Moll Van Charante, Song Manshu, Prodemos Consortium

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives:

Over the coming decades, China is expected to face the largest worldwide increase in dementia incidence. Mobile health (mHealth) may improve the accessibility of dementia prevention strategies, targeting lifestyle-related risk factors. Our aim is to explore the needs and views of Chinese older adults regarding healthy lifestyles to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dementia through mHealth, supporting the Prevention of Dementia using Mobile Phone Applications (PRODEMOS) study.

Design:

Qualitative semi-structured interview study, using thematic analysis.

Setting:

Primary and secondary care in Beijing and Tai’an, China.

Participants:

Older adults aged 55 and over without dementia with an increased dementia risk, …