Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Across The Pond, Across The Waistline: A Comparative Look At The Childhood Obesity Crisis In The United States And United Kingdom, Samantha N. Eales

Honors College Theses

Childhood obesity is no longer just a local concern; it’s a global epidemic shaping the health of future generations. This paper compares how two similar nations with drastically different healthcare systems, the United States and the United Kingdom, tackle this growing crisis. Although both countries struggle with fast food culture, sedentary lifestyles, and targeted marketing, their health policy strategies differ dramatically. The U.S. leans on community programs and education, while the U.K. enforces stronger national regulations and advertising restrictions. By examining nutrition, physical activity, and policy, this thesis explores what each country does well and where they fall short. It …

A Novel Maturation Equation For Hepatic Clearance Across Preterm, Term Neonates, Children, And Adults: Application To Paracetamol And Its Metabolite, Yunjiao Wu, Swantje Völler, Sebastiaan C. Goulooze, Karel Allegaert, Catherine M.T. Sherwin, Anne Van Rongen, Daniëlla W. E. Roofthooft, Sinno H.P. Simons, Dick Tibboel, Robert B. Flint, John N. Van Den Anker, Catherijne A.J. Knibbe

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

A preterm and term neonate to adult (PTNA) maturation equation was introduced recently to describe the glomerular filtration rate maturation from birth to adulthood for neonates of varying gestational age. This study aims to evaluate the newly developed PTNA equation against common maturation approaches like allometric scaling (AS0.75), the AS0.75 plus postmenstrual age (PMA)-based Emax (AS0.75 + PMA) equation, and the bodyweight dependent exponent equation (BDE) for the maturation of three hepatic pathways of paracetamol (PCM) from preterm and term neonates up to adults. A population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted with pooled plasma and urine data of PCM, PCM-glucuronide (PCM-GLU), …

Issue 16: Pulmonary & Critical Care Insider, Bharat Bajantri Md, Sarah Ellsworth Mls

Critical Care & Pulmonary

Pulmonary & Critical Care Insider Issue 16

Compiled by Bharat Bajantri, MD, and librarian Sarah Ellsworth, MLS for the clinicians of the Pulmonary and Critical Care team of Parkview.

The Pulmonary & Critical Care Insider newsletter was created by Dr. Bharat Bajantri, MD and Sarah Ellsworth, MLS in 2023 as a form of current awareness for current practice at our hospital, Parkview Health.

Topics:

EVERDAC Trial: Do All Shock Patients Need Arterial Lines?

Beyond MAP: Redefining Perfusion Pressure in Septic Shock

ECG Findings You Cannot Miss in Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Food for Thought: When Private Equity Buys Hospitals, Who Pays …

Assessing Neurocognitive Functioning Among Adults Ageing With And Without Hiv At The Kenyan Coast: Measurement Issues And Correlates, Patrick Nzivo Mwangala, Carophine Nasambu, Ryan Wagner, Mihaela Duta, Gaia Scerif, Charles Newton, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Cognitive impairment is one of the most prevalent complications of HIV infection, with significant medical and functional impacts. However, valid, and reliable assessment tools are lacking for the newly emergent ageing population of people living with HIV (PLWH) in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Kenya. Without these tools, critical intervention opportunities, e.g., psychoeducation, treatment and additional support, are missed. To bridge this gap in Kenya, we adapted the Oxford Cognitive Screen Plus (OCSPlus), a tablet-based cognitive assessment tool designed for low-literacy settings, with adults ageing with HIV ≥ 50 years and their uninfected peers. This study examines …

Well-Being And Quality Of Life Of Kenyan Nurses, Midwives And Community Health Volunteers: Measurement Properties And Correlates Of The Bbq And Who-5, Paul Mwangi, Sabina Odero, Rachel Odhiambo, Brenda Nzioka, Constance Shumba, Eunice Ndirangu, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Healthcare workers’ quality of life (QoL) and well-being is directly linked to the quality of services they deliver. However, there is a shortage of validated measures to assess QoL, well-being and their predictors among healthcare workers in Kenya, as in other LMICs. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ) and WHO-5 well-being index (WHO-5) among nurses, midwives and community health volunteers (CHVs) in Kenya. The BBQ and WHO-5 were selected due to their established psychometric strengths, brevity, and prior use in healthcare settings. Additionally, the sociodemographic, psychological, and health …

Evaluating The Impact Of Evidence-Based Guidelines On Corticosteroid Prescribing For Acute Upper Respiratory Infections In Outpatient Primary Care, Cody Allen Boyd Hyatt

Doctoral Projects

Inappropriate corticosteroid prescribing for acute upper respiratory tract infections (AURTIs) remains a prevalent issue in outpatient primary care despite limited evidence supporting their use in otherwise healthy adults. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project aimed to reduce inappropriate corticosteroid prescribing for AURTIs by implementing an evidence-based clinical practice guideline over an eight-week period in a rural primary care setting.

The doctoral project employed pre- and post-intervention design. Providers were introduced to the corticosteroid guideline derived from the 5-Minute Clinical Consult, emphasizing appropriate use criteria for corticosteroids in AURTI cases (Unbound Medicine Inc., 2025). Educational outreach and clinical reminders …

Teaching Methods That Promote Medical Student Attendance: A Scoping Review, Jenny Mills, Sarah Keil, Pat W. Whitworth, Jamie Wiesmueller, Jeff L. Jackson

Library Faculty Scholarship

Background 

Medical student class attendance, especially traditional lectures, is on the decline. As faculty explore a variety of pedagogical approaches, understanding how to encourage attendance and engagement is critical. The purpose of this scoping review is to explore the literature to better understand the teaching methods that promote attendance.

Methods 

This scoping review was conducted as advised in the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Five databases were systematically searched for primary studies on teaching methods that motivated undergraduate medical students to attend or not attend in-person or online synchronous class sessions. A total of 1,313 articles were …

Maternal-Infant Mortality In West Michigan: A Comparative Literature Review, Mia Cichowlas, Riley Bourlier

Honors Projects

This literature review aimed to examine and analyze data to identify causes of disparities in infant mortality rates across West Michigan’s four counties, assess demographic factors influencing infant mortality, and explore cultural practices impacting infant outcomes. A comprehensive review of existing literature, public health data, and community health reports from Allegan, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties was conducted. Key variables examined included race, maternal age, culture, health literacy, education level, income, insurance coverage, employment status, and marital status. Findings indicate that infant mortality rates vary significantly between counties and are higher among certain racial and socioeconomic groups compared to state …

Sustaining Community Health Through Impactful Snap-Ed Initiatives In Utah, Lacee Jimenez, Kristi Strongo, Lea Palmer, Lendel K. Narine, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Create Better Health (CBH), Utah’s SNAP-Ed program, addresses food insecurity and chronic disease prevention through nutrition education, policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) initiatives, and social media marketing. From 2024 to 2025, CBH reached over 13,500 Utahns through direct education and 81,000 through community interventions. Evaluation results showed significant improvements in nutrition behaviors, including increased fruit and vegetable intake, food resource management, and label use. Follow-up surveys showed sustained behavior change. CBH’s comprehensive approach demonstrates measurable public health impact and points to the importance of continued investment in nutrition education and food access programs to build healthier, food-secure communities.

A Scoping Review Of Factors Influencing The Implementation Of Liquid Biopsy For Cancer Care, Samran Sheriff, Maree Saba, Romika Patel, Georgia Fisher, Tanja Schroeder, Gaston Arnolda, Dan Luo, Lydia Warburton, Elin Gray, Georgina Long, Jeffrey Braithwaite, Helen Rizos, Louise Ann Ellis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Liquid biopsy (LB) offers a promising, minimally invasive alternative to traditional tissue biopsies in cancer care, enabling real-time monitoring and personalized treatment. Despite its potential, the routine implementation of LB in clinical practice faces significant challenges. This scoping review examines the barriers and facilitators influencing the implementation of liquid biopsies into standard cancer care. Methods: Four academic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science) were systematically searched without language restrictions. We included peer-reviewed articles that were published between January 2019 and March 2024 that focused on the implementation of LB in cancer care or described barriers and facilitators …

Caveolin 1 And 2 Enhance The Proliferative Capacity Of Bcam-Positive Corneal Progenitors, Yuzuru Sasamoto, Shoko Kiritoshi, Catherine A.A. Lee, Yoshiko Fukuda, Gabrielle Martin, Bruce R. Ksander, Markus H. Frank, Natasha Y. Frank

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Caveolin (CAV) 1 and 2 are integral membrane proteins that constitute major components of small membrane pouches termed caveolae. While several functions have been described in other tissues, the roles of CAV1 and CAV2 in the ocular surface have remained unknown. In the current study, we investigated the expression and function of CAV1 and CAV2 in the human cornea. We found CAV1 and CAV2 to be preferentially expressed by proliferative Basal Cell Adhesion Molecule (BCAM)-positive progenitor cells along the entire limbal and corneal basal epithelial layer. Functional gene knockdown studies reveal that BCAM, BCAM co-expressed Laminin α5 (LAMA5) and Laminin …

Feasibility Of Home-Based Urine Collection In Children Under 5 Years In The Origins Birth Cohort Study: Mixed Method Protocol And Sample Completion Results, Courtney D.A. Kidd, Najma A. Moumin, Andrea Macrae, Tim J. Green, Desiree T. Silva, Susan L. Prescott, Nina D’Vaz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Urine is an attractive biospecimen for nutritional status and population health surveys. It is an excellent non-invasive alternative to blood for appropriate biomarkers in young children and is suitable for home-based collection, enabling representative collections across a population. However, the bulk of literature in this population is restricted to collection in primary care settings. Feasibility of home-based collection at scale has not been tested. Here, we describe a mixed method approach to collect urine samples in a large cohort study with children under 5 years. Methods: The ORIGINS Project is an ongoing birth cohort investigating early life influences on …

Is Maternal Diabetes During Pregnancy Associated With Neurodevelopmental, Cognitive And Behavioural Outcomes In Children? Insights From Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis In Ten Birth Cohorts, Rachelle A. Pretorius, Demetris Avraam, Mònica Guxens, Jordi Julvez, Jennifer R. Harris, Johanna Thorbjornsrud Nader, Tim Cadman, Ahmed Elhakeem, Katrine Strandberg-Larsen, Hanan El Marroun, Serena Defina, Tiffany C. Yang, Rosie Mceachan, John Wright, Jesús Ibarluzea, Loreto Santa-Marina, Juana Mari Delgado, Marisa Rebagliato, Marie Aline Charles, Chloe Vainqueur, Silvia Maritano, Daniela Zugna, Wen Lun Yuan, Barbara Heude, Rae Chi Huang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Growing evidence shows that dysregulated metabolic intrauterine environments can affect offspring’s neurodevelopment and behaviour. However, the results of individual cohort studies have been inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the association between maternal diabetes before pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with neurodevelopmental, cognitive and behavioural outcomes in children. Methods: Harmonised data from > 200 000 mother-child pairs across ten birth cohorts in Europe and Australia were available. Mother-child pairs were included for analysis to determine whether GDM was recorded (yes or no) and whether at least one neurodevelopmental, cognitive and behavioural outcome was available in children aged 3 to 13 …

Perfectionism And Compulsive Exercise: A Systematic Review And Preliminary Meta-Analysis, Elizabeth Bills, Shannon R. Muir, Rose Stackpole, Sarah J. Egan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: There is a consistent link between perfectionism and compulsive exercise, and both are implicated in the maintenance of eating disorders, however no meta-analysis to date has quantified this relationship. We hypothesised that there would be significant, small-moderate pooled correlations between perfectionism dimensions and compulsive exercise. Methods: Published, peer-reviewed articles with standardised measures of perfectionism and the Compulsive Exercise Test were included. There were 7 studies included (N = 3117 participants, M age = 21.78 years, 49% female). Results: Total perfectionism (r = 0.37), perfectionistic strivings (r = 0.33), and perfectionistic concerns (r = 0.32) had significant pooled positive associations …

Profiling Of Igg N-Glycosylation For Axial Spondyloarthritis And Other Rheumatic Diseases, Xiaojia Xu, Zhixian Chen, Manshu Song, Zhiduo Hou, Lois Balmer, Chunbin Zhou, Yayi Huang, Haifeng Hou, Wei Wang, Ling Lin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease with challenges in diagnosis and disease activity assessment. While alterations in immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycosylation have been observed in varied rheumatic diseases, those in axSpA remains unclear. This study aims to explore the role of IgG N-glycan profiles in diagnosis and disease activity of axSpA. Methods: A clinical case-control study was conducted involving patients with axSpA (n = 138), systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 102), rheumatoid arthritis (n = 106), osteoarthritis (n = 33), gout (n = 41) and healthy controls (n = 117). Ultra-performance liquid chromatography was employed to analyze …

The Experience Of Mothers Of Autistic Children With A Pathological Demand Avoidance Profile: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Sam Curtis, Elizabeth Izett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Emergent research literature has identified emotional and behavioural challenges for autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile. However, understanding of their parents’ experience is limited. This study aimed to explore the experience of parents of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were completed with ten parents of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile, aged between 5 and 11 years (M = 8.5, SD = 1.90). All participants were mothers, aged 33–50 years (M = 42, SD = 5.35). To explore what meaning participants gave to their lived experience, an interpretative phenomenological …

Culturally Responsive Recommendations For Eating Disorder Prevention And Management For First Nations Peoples In Australia: A Policy Scoping Review, Zyana Gall, Hilary Smith, Gabrielle Grant, Kanita Kunaratnam, Carissa Lee, Felicity Kerslake, Alana Gall

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Evidence suggests First Nations people in Australia may experience a higher burden of eating disorders (EDs) than the broader Australian population. EDs are among the most debilitating and lethal mental health conditions; however, little is known about the unique considerations for First Nations people experiencing EDs, especially around best practices. This policy scoping review aims to map the current recommendations for managing EDs specific to First Nations peoples and to identify further research opportunities. Methods: We conducted targeted searches of electronic databases and health websites (n = 53) for policies, reports, toolkits/guidelines, and fact sheets that contained any information …

Exercise For Postmenopausal Bone Health – Can We Raise The Bar?, Shejil Kumar, Cassandra Smith, Roderick J. Clifton-Bligh, Belinda R. Beck, Christian M. Girgis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose of Review: This review summarises the latest evidence on effects of exercise on falls prevention, bone mineral density (BMD) and fragility fracture risk in postmenopausal women, explores hypotheses underpinning exercise-mediated effects on BMD and sheds light on innovative concepts to better understand and harness the skeletal benefits of exercise. Recent Findings: Multimodal exercise programs incorporating challenging balance exercises can prevent falls. Emerging clinical trial evidence indicates supervised progressive high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) is efficacious in increasing lumbar spine BMD and is safe and well-tolerated in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis/osteopenia. There remains uncertainty regarding durability of this load-induced …

The Influence Of The Marker Set On Inverse Kinematics Results To Inform Markerless Motion Capture Annotations, Marion Mundt, David Pagnon, Steffi Colyer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Markerless motion capture has the potential to enable biomechanical analyses without specialised, high-cost equipment. However, the comparability of many markerless motion capture frameworks with the most used marker-based method is limited. One reason for this is the lack of high-quality, biomechanically-informed datasets that are needed to train markerless models. This study aimed to inform the development of such a dataset by systematically analysing the agreement between a gold-standard marker set and a reduced number of markers to solve inverse kinematics (IK). We analysed the impact of different marker positions on the IK solution using an OpenSim lower body model with …

Incidence Of Health Problems In Australian Mixed Martial Arts And Muay Thai Competitors: A 14-Month Study Of 26 Combat Sports Events, Colin S. Doherty, Oliver R. Barley, Lauren V. Fortington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Mixed martial arts (MMA) and Muay Thai (MT) are widely practiced combat sports, yet research on the full spectrum of competition-related health problems (HPs) remains limited, particularly for MT. Existing studies in both sports primarily focus on retrospective analyses of severe injuries, often estimating time lost from training or competition. This study describes the incidence of all competition HPs reported seven days after MMA and MT contests, and determines the number of days impacted by tracking athletes’ self-identified worst HPs until resolution. Methods: Data on competition HPs were collected using an online questionnaire completed seven days after each MMA …

Effects Of Exercise Or Diet Or Combined Interventions On Treatment Efficacy Of Chemotherapy For Cancer: A Systematic Review, Cristina Crespo-Garcia, Francesco Bettariga, Dennis R. Taaffe, Carolyn J. Peddle-Mcintyre, John P. Campbell, Emily Jeffery, Anna Maria Markarian, Anita Borsati, Alice Avancini, Sara Pilotto, Daniel A. Galvao, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose of Review: While exercise and dietary interventions in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy have been demonstrated to be safe and feasible and improve patient-reported outcomes, the effects on treatment efficacy have not been widely examined and remain unclear. This review aimed to examine the effects of exercise, dietary, and combined interventions on tumour response and time-to-event outcomes in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Recent Findings: A systematic review of intervention studies was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines Databases searched were PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the RoB2 …

Trajectories Of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns And Their Sex-Specific Associations With Cardiometabolic Health Among Young Australian Adults, Laura E. Marchese, Sarah A. Mcnaughton, Gilly A. Hendrie, Priscila P. Machado, Therese A. O’Sullivan, Lawrence J. Beilin, Trevor A. Mori, Kacie M. Dickinson, Katherine M. Livingstone

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Plant-based diets are associated with favourable cardiovascular health markers. Although increasingly consumed among younger demographics, it is unclear how plant-based diet quality tracks from adolescence to young adulthood, and how this impacts cardiovascular health later in life. Thus, this study aimed to explore trajectories of plant-based dietary patterns from adolescence to young adulthood and investigate associations with cardiometabolic health markers in young Australian adults. Methods: Longitudinal data from 417 participants from the Raine Study were included. Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires conducted at 14, 20, and 27 years of were used to derive three plant-based diet quality index scores: an …

Feasibility Of A Co-Designed And Personalised Intervention To Improve Vegetable Intake In Rural-Dwelling Young Adults, Katherine Mary Livingstone, Jonathan C. Rawstorn, Stephanie R. Partridge, Yuxin Zhang, Eric O, Stephanie L. Godrich, Sarah A. Mcnaughton, Gilly A. Hendrie, Kathleen M. Dullaghan, Gavin Abbott, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Ralph Maddison, Scott Barnett, John C. Mathers, Laura Alston

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: This study determined the feasibility, acceptability, engagement and efficacy of a co-designed and personalised digital intervention to increase vegetable intake (Veg4Me) in young (18-to-35 years) rural-dwelling Australian adults. Methods: Participants living in rural Australia were recruited via local government networks and social media and randomised to receive 12-weeks’ access to personalised (intervention) or non-personalised (control) versions of the free Veg4Me web application. The intervention included: (1) personalised recipes, (2) geo-located food environment map, (3) healthy eating resources, (4) goal-setting portal, and (5) personalised e-newsletters. The primary outcome was feasibility (recruitment, participation, and retention rate). Secondary outcomes were user engagement, …

Interpretive Prediction Of Hyperuricemia And Gout Patients Via Machine Learning Analysis Of Human Gut Microbiome, Jia Wei Tang, Alfred Chin Yen Tay, Liang Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout result from imbalances in uric acid metabolism and are closely associated with the gut microbiota. Advanced analytical methods facilitate the exploration of microbiota complexity. In this study, 16S rRNA sequencing data from stool samples of 233 patients were thoroughly collected. Machine learning (ML) and Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) interpretability algorithms were applied to identify core taxa and predict the metabolic functions. The results revealed that the high-contribution core taxa identified by SHAP in each group, such as Oscillospiraceae_UCG-005 and Rhodococcus provided the basis for ML prediction. Among the five classification models, Random Forest (RF) achieved the …

Prevalence And Trends Of Coexisting Forms Of Malnutrition And Its Associated Factors Among Children Aged 6–59 Months In South And Southeast Asia, 1996–2022: A Cross-Sectional Time Series Study, Wenjie Guo, Maggie Zgambo, Sanmei Chen, Yoko Shimpuku

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: South and Southeast Asia face severe malnutrition in children under five, with coexisting forms of malnutrition (CFM) exacerbating mortality risks and posing greater challenges than isolated forms of malnutrition. We aimed to assess the prevalence, trends, and factors of CFM among children aged 6–59 months in South and Southeast Asian countries and the entire region. Methods: We used anthropometric and hemoglobin data from 515,170 children aged 6–59 months in seven low- and middle-income South and Southeast Asian countries, based on Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1996 and 2022. Weighted multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify the sociodemographic …

Relationship Between Cytomegalovirus Antibody Levels And Cognitive Performance Is Dependent On Age And Genetic Risk, Michael Vacher, Silvia Lee, Patricia Price, Phuongnhi Ha, Shelley Waters, Simon M. Laws

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is endemic worldwide. It is often acquired in childhood and persists throughout adult life. CMV is linked with several diseases of aging, but associations with cognitive performance are not consistent. Here we address whether this may reflect a dependence on putative genetic determinants, Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 and Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF), and/or the age of the subjects tested. CMV-reactive antibodies were quantitated in 419 individuals aged 71.7 [53.2—89.1] years, drawn from the Australian Imaging, Biomarker & Lifestyle (AIBL) study. Cognitive composite scores, covering five domains, a global score of cognitive performance, brain amyloid-β (Aβ) burden and …

The First Year Of Assisted Dying In New Zealand Through The Lens Of Healthcare Professionals Not Directly Involved In The Process, Waqas Arshad, Aida Dehkhoda, Melissa Carey, David B. Menkes, Nicholas Hoeh, Frederick Sundram, Rosemary Frey, Gary Cheung

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: New Zealand’s End of Life Choice Act 2019 was enacted in 2021, allowing terminally ill people experiencing unbearable suffering to request assisted dying if they are expected to die within six months. Healthcare professionals not directly involved in assisted dying provision may have unique perspectives on implementation, yet this remains under-explored. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted between June and November 2022. We used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit potential participants through various sources, including the Ministry of Health’s assisted dying training and communication email list. A multidisciplinary research team developed a semi-structured interview guide. The individual interviews …

Characteristics Of Australian And New Zealand Osteopaths Who Treat Patients Presenting With Non-Musculoskeletal Complaints: Outcomes From Two Practice-Based Research Networks, Brett Vaughan, Francesco Cerritelli, Jerry Draper-Rodi, Jack Feehan, Ana Paula A. Ferreira, Michael Fleischmann, Gopi Mcleod, Cindy Mcintyre, Chantal Morin, Lee Muddle, Oliver P. Thomson, Loïc Treffel, Nicholas Tripodi, Kesava Kovanur Sampath, Niklas Sinderholm Sposato, Amie Steel, Jon Adams

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Australian and New Zealand osteopaths predominantly manage musculoskeletal complaints using a variety of modalities including manual therapy, exercise and lifestyle and occupational advice. There appears to be a small percentage of patients who seek osteopathy care for non-musculoskeletal issues such as conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The evidence base for osteopathic treatment as part of the management of such conditions is equivocal. The aim of this study was to describe the practice of Australian and New Zealand osteopaths who report often treating patients with non-musculoskeletal complaints. Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of data from the Australian and …

Implementing Modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy After Stroke In An Early-Supported Discharge Rehabilitation Service: A Process Evaluation Using Re-Aim Quest, Ashan Weerakkody, Erin Godecke, Barby Singer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) improves upper limb (UL) function after stroke. Despite extensive evidence supporting its efficacy and multiple clinical practice guidelines recommending its provision, very few eligible stroke survivors receive mCIMT internationally. A multi-modal behaviour change intervention, guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and Behaviour Change Wheel, was implemented across a large early-supported discharge (ESD) rehabilitation service in Perth, Australia, to increase delivery of mCIMT within existing resources. As part of this iterative implementation process, qualitative data from stroke survivors, carers, clinicians and managers informed program adaptations to support sustained mCIMT delivery. This study aimed to …

The Effect Of Muscle Warm-Up On Voluntary And Evoked Force-Time Parameters: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis With Meta-Regression, Cody J. Wilson, João Pedro Nunes, Anthony J. Blazevich

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: While muscle contractility increases with muscle temperature, there is no consensus on the best warm-up protocol to use before resistance training or sports exercise due to the range of possible warm-up and testing combinations available. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to determine the effects of different warm-up types (active, exercise-based vs. passive) on muscle function tested using different activation methods (voluntary vs. evoked) and performance test criteria (maximum force vs. rate-dependent contractile properties), with consideration of warm-up task specificity (specific vs. non-specific), temperature measurement method (muscle vs. skin), baseline temperatures, and subject-specific variables (training status and …