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2002

Theses/Dissertations

Edith Cowan University

Articles 1 - 17 of 17

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Validating The Use Of The Shuttle Walking Test In Healthy Adult Women, Micheal C.M. Lim Jan 2002

Validating The Use Of The Shuttle Walking Test In Healthy Adult Women, Micheal C.M. Lim

Theses : Honours

The Shuttle Walking Test (SWT), with its externally paced characteristics, is commonly used as an objective measure of functional capacity. The reliability and validity of the SWT has been previously shown but only in patient populations. No studies have been carried out to investigate the validity of the SWT in healthy adult women. Therefore, the primary aim of this test was to determine if the SWT is a valid field measure of cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy adult women. A secondary aim was to identify if variables, such as age, body composition and habitual physical activity influence performance on the SWT. …

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Examination Of The Transtheoretical Model Of Behaviour Change To Increase Physical Activity Within An Organisational Setting, Justine L. Goldspink Jan 2002

Examination Of The Transtheoretical Model Of Behaviour Change To Increase Physical Activity Within An Organisational Setting, Justine L. Goldspink

Theses : Honours

This study explored the application of Prochaska and DiClemente's (1982) transtheoretical model of behaviour change (TIM) to the area of physical activity adoption and maintenance within an organisational setting. One hundred and nine employees of the Bunbury Centrelink Call Centre participated in a six-week physical activity intervention modelled on the Take Charge Challenge (TCC) (Leonard, 2000). Based on the TIM, this program attempts to increase individual physical activity through organisational change in order to counterbalance the sedentary nature of roles undertaken by staff and to maximise physical and psychological health benefits for employees. Time (in minutes/ week) engaging in physical …

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Placental Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma And Leptin Receptor In Human Pregnancy, Gwyneth H. Gladstones Jan 2002

Placental Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma And Leptin Receptor In Human Pregnancy, Gwyneth H. Gladstones

Theses : Honours

Leptin is a 16kDa peptide hormone that has recently been implicated in human reproductive processes. Like other hormones, leptin exerts its influence through its receptor. Of the three major isoforms of the receptor (OB-Ra, OB-Rb, and 0B-Re), OB-Ra (the dominant short form) has been implicated in transport processes within rat and human placentas, suggesting a role for it in implantation and pregnancy maintenance. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors that are a subfamily of nuclear hormone receptors. PPARs form heterodimers with another nuclear hormone receptor, RXRα, before binding to PPAR response elements (PPREs). Recently PPARϒ/RXRα heterodimers have …

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Changes In Muscle Function And Motorneuron Excitability Of The Triceps Surae Following A Bout Of Fatiguing Eccentric Exercise, Mikala Pougnault Jan 2002

Changes In Muscle Function And Motorneuron Excitability Of The Triceps Surae Following A Bout Of Fatiguing Eccentric Exercise, Mikala Pougnault

Theses : Honours

A reduction in capacity of the neuromuscular system associated with exercise can occur from a wide range of physiological and psychological factors. Many researchers have investigated neural activation during exercise, or the effects of muscle damage associated with eccentric exercise, but few have studied the prolonged effects of a bout of eccentric exercise on strength and motorneuron excitability. Eleven male and female subjects (aged 20-43 years) were tested to determine the effects of a fatiguing bout of eccentric exercise upon maximal isometric plantarflexion strength, motorneuron excitability, and neural activation of the soleus (SOL) and medial gastrocnemius (MG). The exercise consisted …

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General Practitioners' Attitudes To Palliative Care : A Regional Perspective, Richelle Lee-Steere Jan 2002

General Practitioners' Attitudes To Palliative Care : A Regional Perspective, Richelle Lee-Steere

Theses : Honours

The study explores regional general practitioners' attitudes to palliative care through semi- structured interviewing using a qualitative methodology. Attitudes to palliative care were examined using the general practitioners' accounts of their experiences and perceptions of caring for terminally ill patients. The participants were ten registered general practitioners located within the Greater Sunbury Division of General Practice in the South West of Western Australia. A semi-structured interview schedule containing ten open-ended questions was used to assess regional general practitioners' attitudes to palliative care. Examples of the research questions included: What are regional general practitioners' attitudes to palliative care? What supports are …

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'Bringing You Up To Speed' Challenges Of A Mother Using Amphetamines : A Case Study, Derek Bilton Jan 2002

'Bringing You Up To Speed' Challenges Of A Mother Using Amphetamines : A Case Study, Derek Bilton

Theses : Honours

The purpose of the current study was to explore the challenges of parenting from the perspective of a woman who uses amphetamines. The types of parenting challenge that arise as a direct result of both intoxication and a drug using lifestyle were examined. The study also investigated the types of coping strategies that the participant adopted in meeting her parenting challenges in conjunction with the factors that aided and impeded her preferred method of responding. The study extends onto the existing literature by drawing a participant from a non-clinical setting. The participant was recruited from word of mouth field recruitment. …

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Predictors Of Young Women's Attitudes Toward Sexual Health Practices, Alison G. Dougall Jan 2002

Predictors Of Young Women's Attitudes Toward Sexual Health Practices, Alison G. Dougall

Theses : Honours

The present study examined whether cognitive (beliefs), affective (emotions) and I or behavioural processes predicted young women's attitudes towards their sexual health practices. For pragmatic reasons, safer sex promotion has largely relied on the provision of factual information to promote behaviour change. Although the importance of emotional and behavioural influences has been indicated, these elements have not traditionally been included in sexual health interventions. In order to examine this issue, Zanna and Rempel's (1988) tripartite model of attitude formation was used. A convenience sample of female participants (N=98) aged 18 to 29 years was asked to rate their attitudes towards …

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An Analysis Of Presentation Rates To A Paediatric Emergency Department, Andrew Hiskins Jan 2002

An Analysis Of Presentation Rates To A Paediatric Emergency Department, Andrew Hiskins

Theses : Honours

The health care industry b a very expensive one, constituting a significant proportion of the government budgets. Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) for children is the only tertiary paediatric centre in Western Australia. PMH has over 40,000 children aged 0-16 years of age who present to the emergency department each year. PMH is one of many hospitals funded from government sources. The emergency department is a high cost area and an area with limited ability to curtail services due to financial constraints. A busy hospital will over a period of time have a constantly changing number of people presenting to the …

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Fatigue, Ambulance Perspectives In A Comparative Study Between Air And Road Transports, Wayne J. Mckenna Jan 2002

Fatigue, Ambulance Perspectives In A Comparative Study Between Air And Road Transports, Wayne J. Mckenna

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The study of fatigue in the health and transport sectors has predominantly been focused on night shift or day shift operations. This study has been applied to the hours of operation of Ambulance Officers who perform both night and day shifts, while also being required for on-call. The Officer on-call is on stand-by between shifts, to be available to respond for duties from the completion of one shift until the commencement of the next, usually a ten-hour shift. Studies of a similar focus have not been identified so a comparison of these specific findings has not been possible. However trends …

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A Retrospective Cohort Study Of Workers' Compensation Indicators From An Occupational Safety And Health Perspective, Alan D. Verdonk Jan 2002

A Retrospective Cohort Study Of Workers' Compensation Indicators From An Occupational Safety And Health Perspective, Alan D. Verdonk

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Since 1984 the role of the government in Western Australia, has changed in relation to occupational safety and health. This study considers the effect of the occupational safety and health legislation using workers' compensation accident data. Academic and general staff accident data from a Western Australian University were researched. The time period is 20 years- 1979 through 1998 inclusive. 2,773 worker's compensation claims were analysed using Mann Whitney -U tests and cross-tabulations of safety prevention expenditure against the claims. The work environment provides the full spectrum of workplace activities ranging from domicile duties (student housing services) to heavy machinery work …

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Mutation Detection For Genotype/Phenotype Correlation Studies In Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Marie Mccluskey Jan 2002

Mutation Detection For Genotype/Phenotype Correlation Studies In Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Marie Mccluskey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common genetic disorders (Gabow, 1993), with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 400 to 1 in 1000 (Dalgaard, 1957; Gabow, 1993). The disease is the fourth leading cause of renal failure with more than 10 million people affected worldwide (Grantham, 1997). Mutations in at least two genes (PKD1, PKD2) can lead to the disease (European PDK Consortium, 1994; Mochizuki, et al, 1996). This project deals with autosomal dominant PKD, caused by mutations in the PKD1 gene, which account for 85% of reported cases.

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Risk Factors For Coronary Heart Disease And Mediation By Socio-Economic Status : An Analysis Of The 1995 National Health Survey, Natalie J. Sherriffs Jan 2002

Risk Factors For Coronary Heart Disease And Mediation By Socio-Economic Status : An Analysis Of The 1995 National Health Survey, Natalie J. Sherriffs

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

As the leading cause of death and disease in Australia, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) places a significant burden on society. There are many lifestyle factors that are known to increase the risk of CHD. This study looks at both risk factors and protective factors of CHD. Research also shows CHD prevalence to be predicted by socio-economic status (SES) variables. This study aims to identify the extent to which risk and protective factors predict CHD prevalence in an Australian National survey and whether the association between risk factors and CHD is confounded by SES variables. This study used data from the …

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Developing And Testing A Pain Management Program For Family Caregivers Of Advanced Cancer Patients, Lynn Oldham Jan 2002

Developing And Testing A Pain Management Program For Family Caregivers Of Advanced Cancer Patients, Lynn Oldham

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Increasingly, advanced cancer patients are receiving care in the community supported by families and hospice home care services. However, little or no preparation is provided to family caregivers who assume this supportive role, often 24 hours per day. Pain management is consistently identified by family caregivers as their primary concern related to care and support of a relative with cancer. This project involved a three-phase program of research to develop and test a pain management program (PMP) that would provide family caregivers of advanced cancer patients with information and skills to manage the patient's pain.

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A Study Of The Cultural Appropriateness Of Service Delivery Models In The Australian Mental Health System, Mong L. Connell Jan 2002

A Study Of The Cultural Appropriateness Of Service Delivery Models In The Australian Mental Health System, Mong L. Connell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study is an attempt to examine the cultural appropriateness of the mental health system in relation to the Vietnamese refugee community in Australia. Culture and mental health, as widely acknowledged in the field of transcultural psychiatry, are closely linked. No aspect of the diagnosis or treatment methods can be justified without reference to the cultural traditions of the mental health system and the client. In a country like Australia, where multiculturalism is a dominant feature of the society, the need is even greater in incorporating culture into every aspect of the mental health system, if it desires to provide …

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Bottle-Feeding Mothers' Experiences Of Coping In A Pro-Breastfeeding Context : The Case For A Caring-Options-Responsive Model Of Midwifery Services, Elizabeth P. Duffy Jan 2002

Bottle-Feeding Mothers' Experiences Of Coping In A Pro-Breastfeeding Context : The Case For A Caring-Options-Responsive Model Of Midwifery Services, Elizabeth P. Duffy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The original contribution of this qualitative study is that it sketches the front-line of the contested domain of infant feeding choices by exploring the under-researched experiences and perceptions of mothers who actively choose to bottle-feed their babies. Twelve bottle-feeding mothers in Western Australia participated in open-ended, in-depth interviews. The interview findings were further explored using participant observations of relevant hospital practices and critical, hermeneutic re-readings of midwifery's professional and policy documents. The thesis argues that bottle-feeding is marginalised by the midwifery profession that currently defines its practices in accordance with policies such as the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. Bottle-feeding mothers …

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A Deconstruction And Reconstruction Of Advanced Nurse Specialisation And Education, Miriam E. Langridge Jan 2002

A Deconstruction And Reconstruction Of Advanced Nurse Specialisation And Education, Miriam E. Langridge

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to present issues and the paradoxes surrounding advanced nurse specialisation (ANS) and education, This study was conducted in two parts. Part A examined the prospective experiences of 13 registered nurses (RNs) who were advancing in an area of special is III ion: they were working in a specialist area of practice and studying in II course specific 10 their specialisation. Two rounds of interviews were completed over six-month intervals. Part B examined the data gathered from a focus group interview and follow-up feedback from 10 nurse executives as stakeholders. The intersubjective data from this …

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Genetic And Non-Genetic Factors Involved In Modifying The Clinical Severity Of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Tina Schiavello Jan 2002

Genetic And Non-Genetic Factors Involved In Modifying The Clinical Severity Of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Tina Schiavello

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common Mendelian disorders, affecting approximately 1 in 1000 individuals. The disease is recognised as a systemic disorder, which expresses a complex phenotype between and within families. Mutations in at least two genes (PKDI and PKDZ) result in ADPKD, however, additional genetic and non-genetic factors are expected to contribute to the observed phenotypic variance.

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