Public Health Commons^™

Adherence To A Mediterranean Diet For 6 Months Improves The Dietary Inflammatory Index In A Western Population: Results From The Medley Study, Jessie S. Clark, Kathryn A. Dyer, Courtney R. Davis, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert, Richard Woodman, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Karen J. Murphy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Increasing evidence supports that a higher dietary inflammatory index (DII®) score is associated with inflammation and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, events, and mortality. This randomized trial sought to determine if a change to a Mediterranean diet resulted in a reduction in the DII score, and then it evaluated the relationship between the DII and cardiometabolic outcomes following the administration of a traditional Mediterranean diet in older Australian adults. A total of 152 Australian adults (mean age 71 ± 5 years) was randomly allocated either a MedDiet (n = 80) or to continue their habitual diet (HabDiet) (n = 72) for …

Higher Dietary Vitamin K Intake Is Associated With Better Physical Function And Lower Long-Term Injurious Falls Risk In Community-Dwelling Older Women, Marc Sim, C. Smith, Nicky P. Bondonno, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Jack Dalla Via, R. Mccormick, K. Zhu, Jonathan M. Hodgson, R. L. Prince, Joshua R. Lewis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: In recent years, a potential beneficial role of Vitamin K in neuromuscular function has been recognised. However, the optimal dietary intake of Vitamin K to support muscle function in the context of falls prevention remains unknown. Objective: To examine the relationship of dietary Vitamin K1 and K2 with muscle function and long-term injurious fall-related hospitalisations in older women. Design: Cohort study. Participants: 1347 community-dwelling older Australian women ≥ 70 years. Measurements: A new Australian Vitamin K nutrient database, supplemented with published data, was used to calculate Vitamin K1 and K2 intake from a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline …

Ifi27 Transcription Is An Early Predictor For Covid-19 Outcomes, A Multi-Cohort Observational Study, Maryam Shojaei, Amir Shamshirian, James Monkman, Laura Grice, Minh Tran, Chin Wee Tan, Siok Min Teo, Gustavo Rodrigues Rossi, Timothy R. Mcculloch, Marek Nalos, Maedeh Raei, Alireza Razavi, Roya Ghasemian, Mobina Gheibi, Fatemeh Roozbeh, Peter D. Sly, Kirsten M. Spann, Keng Yih Chew, Yanshan Zhu, Yao Xia, Timothy J. Wells, Alexandra Cristina Senegaglia, Carmen Lúcia Kuniyoshi, Claudio Luciano Franck, Anna Flavia Ribeiro Dos Santos, Lucia De Noronha, Sepideh Motamen, Reza Valadan, Omolbanin Amjadi, Rajan Gogna, Esha Madan, Reza Alizadeh-Navaei, Liliana Lamperti, Felipe Zuñiga, Estefania Nova-Lamperti, Gonzalo Labarca, Ben Knippenberg, Velma Herwanto, Ya Wang, Amy Phu, Tracy Chew, Timothy Kwan, Karan Kim, Sally Teoh, Tiana M. Pelaia, Win Sen Kuan, Yvette Jee, Jon Iredell, Ken O’Byrne, John F. Fraser, Melissa J. Davis, Gabrielle T. Belz, Majid E. Warkiani, Carlos Salomon Gallo, Fernando Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Quan Nguyen, Anthony Mclean, Arutha Kulasinghe, Kirsty R. Short, Benjamin Tang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

Robust biomarkers that predict disease outcomes amongst COVID-19 patients are necessary for both patient triage and resource prioritisation. Numerous candidate biomarkers have been proposed for COVID-19. However, at present, there is no consensus on the best diagnostic approach to predict outcomes in infected patients. Moreover, it is not clear whether such tools would apply to other potentially pandemic pathogens and therefore of use as stockpile for future pandemic preparedness.

Methods:

We conducted a multi-cohort observational study to investigate the biology and the prognostic role of interferon alpha-inducible protein 27 (IFI27) in COVID-19 patients.

Results:

We show that IFI27 is …

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 …

Rethinking Adolescent School Nutrition Education Through A Food Systems Lens, Margaret Miller, Donna Barwood, Amanda Devine, Julie Boston, Sandra Smith, Martin Masek

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

BACKGROUND: Obesity-driven nutrition education in schools does not appear to result in healthier adolescent food choices. This study explored food systems as an alternative pedagogical approach to engage students in nutrition education. METHODS: After playing a food systems computer game, 250 13- to 16-year-old students in 5 Western Australian secondary schools, participated in group discussions to distinguish learning and interests in food systems. Discussion records were thematically coded using constant comparative analysis. RESULTS: Students reported crop growth, food production and food waste, healthier food choices, and food systems as knowledge outcomes of game play. They requested additional content on food …

Unrecognized Hypertension Among A General Adult Ghanaian Population: An Urban Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study Of Prevalence And Putative Risk Factors Of Lifestyle And Obesity Indices, Enoch O. Anto, Wina I. O. Boadu, Emmanuel E. Korsah, Ezkiel Ansah, Eric Adua, Joseph Frimpong, Patience Nyarkoa, Valentine C. K. T. Tamakloe, Emmanuel Acheampong, Evans A. Asamoah, Stephen Opoku, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Max E. Annani-Akollor, Christian Obirikorang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hypertension (HTN) is the leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, most individuals in developing countries are unaware of their blood pressure status. We determined the prevalence of unrecognized hypertension and its association with lifestyle factors and new obesity indices among the adult population. This community-based study was conducted among 1288 apparently healthy adults aged 18–80 years in the Ablekuma North Municipality, Ghana. Sociodemographic, lifestyle characteristics, blood pressure and anthropometric indices were obtained. The prevalence of unrecognized HTN was 18.4% (237 / 1288). The age groups 45–54 years [aOR = 2.29, 95% CI (1.33–3.95), p = 0.003] and 55–79 years [aOR …

Working Together To Increase Australian Children’S Liking Of Vegetables: A Position Statement By The Vegetable Intake Strategic Alliance (Visa), David N. Cox, Karen J. Campbell, Lynne Cobiac, Claire Gardner, Lucinda Hancock, Gilly Hendrie, Amber Kelaart, Michelle Lausen, Astrid Poelman, Ros Sambell, Kim M. Tikellis, Bonnie Wiggins

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Children need to be repeatedly and consistently exposed to a variety of vegetables from an early age to achieve an increase in vegetable intake. A focus on enjoyment and learning to like eating vegetables at an early age is critical to forming favourable lifelong eating habits. Coordinated work is needed to ensure vegetables are available and promoted in a range of settings, using evidence-based initiatives, to create an environment that will support children’s acceptance of vegetables. This will help to facilitate increased intake, and ultimately realise the associated health benefits. The challenges and evidence base for a new approach are …

Bouncing Back From Covid-19: A Western Australian Community Perspective, Kiira K. Sarasjärvi, Paola Chivers, Ranila Bhoyroo, Jim Codde

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: This study explored the behavioral profiles of residing Western Australians during a COVID-19 lockdown period and transitions in behavior post-lockdown. Methods: A total of 313 participants (76% female, age: M = 50.1, SD = 15.7 years) completed behavioral and mental health questionnaire items ~2 months after a 3-month COVID-19 lockdown in October 2020, using a retrospective recall to assess their experience during the lockdown period. Latent transition analysis (LTA) was used to identify behavioral profiles and transitions. Indicators were identified by assessing during–post-lockdown group differences (Kruskal–Wallis, chi-square tests) and profiles described using qualitative open-ended questions. Results: Significant indicators included …

Predicting 1-, 3-, 5-, And 8-Year All-Cause Mortality In A Community-Dwelling Older Adult Cohort: Relevance For Predictive, Preventive, And Personalized Medicine, Yequn Chen, Xiulian Deng, Dong Lin, Peixuan Yang, Shiwan Wu, Xidong Wang, Hui Zhou, Ximin Chen, Xiaochun Wang, Weichai Wu, Kaibing Ke, Wenjia Huang, Xuerui Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Population aging is a global public health issue involving increased prevalence of age-related diseases, and concomitant burden on medical resources and the economy. Ninety-two diseases have been identified as age-related, accounting for 51.3% of the global adult disease burden. The economic cost per capita for older people over 60 years is 10 times that of the younger population. From the aspects of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM), developing a risk-prediction model can help identify individuals at high risk for all-cause mortality and provide an opportunity for targeted prevention through personalized intervention at an early stage. However, there is …

A Current Affair: Worker Perceptions Of Noise Exposure And Occupational Hearing Loss In Australian Coal Mines, Adelle Liebenberg, Jacques Oosthuizen, Sue Reed

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The objective of the online survey was to determine worker attitudes towards, perceptions on hearing loss, and management of workplace noise; and to identify barriers within current strategies that prevent effective management of hearing health in Australian mines. Design: This cross-sectional study utilized a modified survey design, initially designed for use by Safe Work Australia for a broader study published in 2010. Study Sample: The survey questionnaire was made available online to volunteer participants, recruited with the assistance of State and National Health and Safety, and mining organizations. Volunteer participants were required to be proficient in English, be employed …

Development Of A Scoring Tool For Australian Rural Food Retail Environments, Tracy L. Schumacher, Carissa A. Alderton, Leanne J. Brown, Susan Heaney, Laura Alston, Katherine Kent, Stephanie L. Godrich

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Current tools scoring the healthiness of food retail outlets do not reflect outlets found in rural locations. This study aimed to adapt pre-existing Australian scoring tools to represent non-metropolitan areas. Rural nutrition experts were identified, and a modified Delphi technique was used to adapt two pre-existing, food-scoring tools in five iterative stages. Stages included identifying all relevant outlets, providing a description and score for each, ensuring consistency between outlet scores and pre-existing, metro-centric tools, and providing instructions for correct use. Six rural nutrition experts were identified and engaged in the modified Delphi technique. The final tool consisted of 12 categories …

Preference For Male Risk Takers Varies With Relationship Context And Health Status But Not Covid Risk, Cyril C. Grueter, Hannah Goodman, Nicolas Fay, Bradley Walker, David Coall

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Risk taking is more commonly shown by males than females and has a signalling function, serving to advertise one’s intrinsic quality to prospective mates. Previous research has established that male risk takers are judged as more attractive for short-term flings than long-term relationships, but the environmental and socioeconomic context surrounding female preferences for male risk takers has been overlooked. Using a survey instrument, we examined female preferences for male risk takers across 1304 females from 47 countries. We found preferences for physical risk takers to be more pronounced in females with a bisexual orientation and females who scored high on …

The Effect Of Regular Consumption Of Reformulated Breads On Glycemic Control: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Clinical Trials, Alena M. Schadow, Ingrid Revheim, Ulrike Spielau, Jutta Dierkes, Lukas Schwingshackl, Jan Frank, Jonathan M. Hodgson, André Moreira-Rosário, Chris J. Seal, Anette E. Buyken, Hanne Rosendahl-Riise

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Bread is a major source of grain-derived carbohydrates worldwide. High intakes of refined grains, low in dietary fiber and high in glycemic index, are linked with increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and other chronic diseases. Hence, improvements in the composition of bread could influence population health. This systematic review evaluated the effect of regular consumption of reformulated breads on glycemic control among healthy adults, adults at cardiometabolic risk or with manifest T2DM. A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Eligible studies employed a bread intervention …

‘Male Circumcision’ And ‘Female Genital Mutilation’: Why Parents Choose The Procedures And The Case For Gender Bias In Medical Nomenclature, James L. Nuzzo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cutting of boys’ and girls’ genitalia is a debated human rights topic. Here, the first aim was to summarise why parents choose to have these procedures performed on their children. Results from 22 survey studies on ‘male circumcision’ and 27 studies on ‘female genital mutilation’ revealed that non-medical reasons, such as tradition, are prominent in the decisions for both procedures. The second aim was to describe researchers’ use of medical words (i.e. ‘circumcision’) and non-medical words (i.e. ‘cutting’, ‘mutilation’) when referring to these procedures. Relevant phrases were searched in titles and abstracts of articles indexed in PubMed. Total article count …

Assessing Children To Identify Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Survey Of Occupational Therapists In Australia, Jacqui Hunt, Jill Zwicker, Erin Godecke, Annette Raynor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD), a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder with motor and psychosocial consequences, can significantly impact children's quality of life. In Australia, most children with diagnosed/suspected DCD have received occupational therapy services, more so than any other health service. As such, occupational therapists are key in identification and treatment and require a sound knowledge of diagnostic criteria and the best evidence for practice. This study explored current occupational therapy services for children with DCD. Areas for development are identified to improve the identification of, and subsequent intervention for, children with DCD. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, an online survey …

The Impact Of Pandemics On Healthcare Providers' Workloads: A Scoping Review, Gemma Doleman, Annemarie De Leo, Dianne Bloxsome

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: To review and synthesize available evidence exploring the impact of pandemics on direct healthcare providers' workloads in the acute care setting. Design: Scoping review. Data Sources: A review of English research articles published up to August 2022 that examined the impact of pandemics on healthcare providers’ workloads was undertaken. Studies were identified by searching four electronic databases: Medline (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science and PsychInfo (EBSCO). Fifty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Review Methods: The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Scoping Review checklist. Results: Healthcare workers experience an increase in workload pressures …

European Epidemiological Patterns Of Cannabis- And Substance-Related Congenital Neurological Anomalies: Geospatiotemporal And Causal Inferential Study, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Of the many congenital anomalies (CAs) recently linked with community cannabis exposure, arguably the most concerning are neurological CAs (NCAs). We therefore conducted a detailed study of this in fourteen European nations.

Methods. Congenital anomaly data were from Eurocat. Drug exposure data were from European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income from World bank.

Results: The Netherlands, Spain, France and Bulgaria reported increasing rates of many NCAs. The NCA rate (NCAR) was: severe microcephaly 2.14 x 1013 higher in nations with increasing daily cannabis use when compared to those without (p = 0.0204, minimum E-value (mEV) = …

Barriers And Enablers Associated With Participation In A Home-Based Pragmatic Exercise Snacking Program In Older Adults Delivered And Monitored By Amazon Alexa: A Qualitative Study, Paul Jansons, Jackson J. Fyfe, Jack Dalla Via, Robin M. Daly, David Scott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: ‘Exercise snacking’, which is characterised by shorter and more frequent exercise bouts compared with traditional exercise guidelines, may be an acceptable strategy for increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour in older adults. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the enablers and barriers for older adults associated with participation in a home-based exercise snacking program delivered and monitored using an Amazon Echo Show 5 device (Alexa). Methods: This study used an interpretive description qualitative design to conduct semi-structured interviews following a 12-week pilot study in 15 adults aged 60–89 years with at least one chronic condition. …

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 …

The Facilitators And Barriers To Exercise In The Noongar Aboriginal Population In Perth, Australia, Tuguy Esgin, Deborah Hersh, Kevin Rowley, Rona Macniven, Alan Crouch, Mark Halaki, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Indigenous Standpoint Theory forms the epistemological foundation for this study and methodological choices were made within this theoretical framework to ensure culturally responsive research processes that engaged the Indigenous agenda of self-determination and rights. The objectives of this research were to determine: (i) Indigenous perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to exercise; (ii) The potential feasibility and sustainability of an exercise intervention. In this context, Participatory Action Research methods were used to design the data-gathering instrument for the study—a questionnaire, co-designed with the Noongar Aboriginal community of Perth, Western Australia. This self-administered questionnaire, distributed to participants by email, post and …

Ctla4 Mrna Is Downregulated By Mir-155 In Regulatory T Cells, And Reduced Blood Ctla4 Levels Are Associated With Poor Prognosis In Metastatic Melanoma Patients, Prasanna Kumar Vaddi, Douglas Grant Osborne, Andrew Nicklawsky, Nazanin K. Williams, Dinoop Ravindran Menon, Derek Smith, Jonathan Mayer, Anna Reid, Joanne Domenico, Giang Huong Nguyen, William A. Robinson, Melanie Ziman, Dexiang Gao, Zili Zhai, Mayumi Fujita

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is an immune checkpoint expressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells and activated T lymphocytes. Despite its potential as a treatment strategy for melanoma, CTLA-4 inhibition has limited efficacy. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) melanoma database and another dataset, we found that decreased CTLA4 mRNA was associated with a poorer prognosis in metastatic melanoma. To investigate further, we measured blood CTLA4 mRNA in 273 whole-blood samples from an Australian cohort and found that it was lower in metastatic melanoma than in healthy controls and associated with worse patient survival. We confirmed these findings …

Editorial: Computational Predictions, Dynamic Tracking, And Evolutionary Analysis Of Antibiotic Resistance Through The Mining Of Microbial Genomes And Metagenomic Data, Volume Ii, Qi Zhao, Jian Li, Alfred Tay, Liang Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a critical global health challenge, posing a significant threat to human and animal health. The rapid development of antibiotic resistance among pathogens has reduced the efficacy of existing treatments, leading to an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. One promising avenue of research involves mining microbial genomes and metagenomic data to uncover novel antimicrobial agents and a better understanding of the resistance mechanism.

Relationship Between Dietary Intake And Erythrocyte Pufa In Adolescents From A Western Australian Cohort, Fuzhen Wan, Feng Pan, Trevor A. Mori, Therese A. O’Sullivan, Lawrence J. Beilin, Wendy H. Oddy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

Population-based studies show that the intake of omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are associated with a range of health conditions. Therefore, the reliability of food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) as rapid and easily accessible screening tools for PUFA intake deserve investigation.

Objective:

We aimed to assess the relationship between erythrocyte fatty acids and fatty acid intake collected using the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) food frequency questionnaire in an adolescent cohort.

Design:

A cross-sectional study using data from 1155 young adolescents participating in the 14-year follow-up of the Raine Study. Bland–Altman plots were used …

A Novel Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy: Preservice Teachers' Perceptions Of A Sun Safety Intervention And Experiences In Schools, Joseph J. Scott, Robyn S. Johnston, Jill Darby, Sally Blane, Mark Strickland, Bronwen M. Mcnoe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue addressed:

Teachers play a vital role in developing children's sun protection routines however upskilling preservice teachers (PSTs) while at university has not yet been trialled as a targeted skin cancer prevention strategy. Hence, this study investigated PSTs perceptions and experiences of sun safety following a brief pilot intervention and placement in primary schools in Western Australia.

Methods:

This study used a triangulation mixed methods design. Participants (n = 161) completed a post intervention survey which was analysed quantitatively. A random sub-sample was invited to participate in focus groups (three groups, n = 21) and one-on-one interviews (n = 4). …

Vitamin D Supplementation And Exercise For Improving Physical Function, Body Composition And Metabolic Health In Overweight Or Obese Older Adults With Vitamin D Deficiency: A Pilot Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Jakub Mesinovic, Alexander J. Rodriguez, Mavil May Cervo, Anoohya Gandham, Cecilia L. H. Xu, Costas Glavas, Barbora De Courten, Ayse Zengin, Peter R. Ebeling, David Scott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

Vitamin D supplementation may have non-skeletal health benefits and enhance exercise responsiveness, particularly in those with low vitamin D levels. We determined whether, compared with placebo, vitamin D supplementation taken prior to and during a 12-week exercise program improves physical function, body composition or metabolic health, in overweight and obese older adults with vitamin D deficiency.

Methods:

Fifty overweight or obese older adults (mean ± SD age: 60 ± 6 years; BMI 30.6 ± 5.7 kg/m2) with vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] < 50 nmol/L) were recruited. Participants were randomly allocated to receive either vitamin D3 (4000 IU/day) or matching placebo for 24 weeks. Between weeks 12 and 24, all participants completed multi-modal exercise three days per week while continuing with vitamin D/placebo. Mean changes in physical function (primary outcome: gait speed), body composition and biochemical parameters at weeks 12 and 24 were compared between groups.

Results:

Vitamin D supplementation, with or without exercise, had no effect on gait speed. From baseline …

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 …

The Prevalence Of Adverse Reactions Among Individuals With Three-Dose Covid-19 Vaccination, Yuying Wang, Yujie Zhang, Meng Zhang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Haibin Li, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang, Jianguang Ji, Lijuan Wu, Deqiang Zheng

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Considering the adverse reactions to vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), some people, particularly the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions, are hesitant to be vaccinated. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of adverse reactions and provide direct evidence of vaccine safety, mainly for the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions, to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: From 1st March to 30th April 2022, we conducted an online survey of people who had completed three doses of COVID-19 vaccination by convenience sampling. Adverse reaction rates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. In addition, conditional logistic regression was …

Early Mortality Among Aboriginal And Non-Aboriginal Women Who Had A Preterm Birth In Western Australia: A Population-Based Cohort Study, Helen D. Bailey, Caitlin Gray, Akilew A. Adane, Natalie A. Strobel, Scott W. White, Rhonda Marriott, Gizachew A. Tessema, Carrington C. J. Shepherd, Mary Sharp

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Having a preterm ( < 37 weeks' gestation) birth may increase a woman's risk of early mortality. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) women have higher preterm birth and mortality rates compared with other Australian women. Objectives: We investigated whether a history of having a preterm birth was associated with early mortality in women and whether these associations differed by Aboriginal status. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used population-based perinatal records of women who had a singleton birth between 1980 and 2015 in Western Australia linked to Death Registry data until June 2018. The primary and secondary outcomes were all-cause and cause-specific mortality respectively. After stratification by Aboriginal status, rate differences were calculated, and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Results: There were 20,244 Aboriginal mothers (1349 deaths) and 457,357 non-Aboriginal mothers (7646 deaths) with 8.6 million person-years of follow-up. The all-cause mortality rates for Aboriginal mothers who had preterm births and term births were 529.5 and 344.0 (rate difference 185.5, 95 % CI 135.5, 238.5) per 100,000 person-years respectively. Among non-Aboriginal mothers, the corresponding figures were 125.5 and 88.6 (rate difference 37.0, 95 % CI 29.4, 44.9) per 100,000 person-years. The HR for all-cause mortality for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal mothers associated with preterm birth were 1.48 (95 % CI 1.32, 1.66) and 1.35 (95 % CI 1.26, 1.44), respectively, compared with term birth. Compared with mothers who had term births, mothers of preterm births had higher relative risks of mortality from diabetes, cardiovascular, digestive and external causes. Conclusions: Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women who had a preterm birth had a moderately increased risk of mortality up to 38 years after the birth, reinforcing the importance of primary prevention and ongoing screening.

Spore-Forming Clostridium (Clostridioides) Difficile In Wastewater Treatment Plants In Western Australia, Jessica M. Chisholm, Papanin Putsathit, Thomas V. Riley, Su-Chen Lim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There is growing evidence that shows Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile is a pathogen of One Health importance with a complex dissemination pathway involving animals, humans, and the environment. Thus, environmental discharge and agricultural recycling of human and animal waste have been suspected as factors behind the dissemination of Clostridium difficile in the community. Here, the presence of C. difficile in 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Western Australia was investigated. Overall, C. difficile was found in 90.5 % (114/126) of raw sewage influent, 48.1 % (50/104) of treated effluent, 40 % (2/5) of reclaimed irrigation water, 100 % (38/38) of untreated …

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 …