Public Health Commons^™

Relieving The Gambling Itch Through Alcohol Consumption: The Impact Of Covid-19 Restrictions On Australian Casino Patrons, Tenghao Zhang, Pi-Shen Seet, Janice Redmond, Jalleh Sharafizad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper extends our understanding of how casino patrons are affected by COVID-19 restrictions and how they cope by substituting gambling with alcohol consumption. We conducted two studies using a nationwide survey sample collected in Australia during the pandemic lockdown. Study 1 compares the casino patrons with two reference groups (other gambling patrons and non-gambling individuals) and investigates the lockdown restrictions on respondents’ relational strength, and their potential impact on mental health and future prospects. Study 2 applies the stress-response dampening model (SRD) and tests how respondents used alcohol consumption to cope with the lack of access to casinos during …

Maternal Educational Attainment In Pregnancy And Epigenome-Wide Dna Methylation Changes In The Offspring From Birth Until Adolescence, Priyanka Choudhary, Giulietta S. Monasso, Ville Karhunen, Justiina Ronkainen, Giulia Mancano, Caitlin G. Howe, Zhongzheng Niu, Xuehuo Zeng, Weihua Guan, John Dou, Jason I. Feinberg, Charles Mordaunt, Giancarlo Pesce, Nour Baïz, Rossella Alfano, Dries S. Martens, Congrong Wang, Elena Isaevska, Elina Keikkala, Sanna Mustaniemi, Chris H. L. Thio, Eliza Fraszczyk, Elmar W. Tobi, Anne P. Starling, Marta Cosin-Tomas, Jose Urquiza, Stefan Röder, Thanh T. Hoang, Christian Page, Dereje D. Jima, John S. House, Rachel L. Maguire, Raffael Ott, Xenia Pawlow, Lea Sirignano, Lea Zillich, Anni Malmberg, Sebastian Rauschert, Phillip Melton, Tong Gong, Robert Karlsson, Ruby Fore, Wei Perng, Zachary M. Laubach, Darina Czamara, Gemma Sharp, Carrie V. Breton, Enrique Schisterman, Edwina Yeung, Sunni L. Mumford, M. Daniele Fallin, Janine M. Lasalle, Rebecca J. Schmidt, Kelly M. Bakulski, Isabella Annesi-Maesano, Barbara Heude, Tim S. Nawrot, Michelle Plusquin, Akram Ghantous, Zdenko Herceg, Lorenza Nisticò, Marina Vafeiadi, Manolis Kogevinas, Marja Vääräsmäki, Eero Kajantie, Harold Snieder, Eva Corpeleijn, Regine P. M. Steegers-Theunissen, Ivana V. Yang, Dana Dabelea, Serena Fossati, Ana C. Zenclussen, Gunda Herberth, Maria Magnus, Siri E. Håberg, Stephanie J. London, Monica C. Munthe-Kaas, Susan K. Murphy, Cathrine Hoyo, Anette-G Ziegler, Sandra Hummel, Stephanie H. Witt, Fabian Streit, Josef Frank, Katri Räikkönen, Jari Lahti, Rae-Chi Huang, Catarina Almqvist, Marie-France Hivert, Vincent W. V. Jaddoe, Marjo-Riitta Järvelin, Marko Kantomaa, Janine F. Felix, Sylvain Sebert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Maternal educational attainment (MEA) shapes offspring health through multiple potential pathways. Differential DNA methylation may provide a mechanistic understanding of these long-term associations. We aimed to quantify the associations of MEA with offspring DNA methylation levels at birth, in childhood and in adolescence. Using 37 studies from high-income countries, we performed meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) to quantify the associations of completed years of MEA at the time of pregnancy with offspring DNA methylation levels at birth (n = 9 881), in childhood (n = 2 017), and adolescence (n = 2 740), adjusting for relevant covariates. MEA was …

Testing Campaign Slogans Designed To Motivate Older People To Be More Physically Active, Simone Pettigrew, Michelle I. Jongenelis, Liyuwork M. Dana, Rajni Rai, Ben Jackson, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives and importance of study: Being physically active is critical for healthy ageing, yet many older people do not meet physical activity guidelines. The aim of this study was to test the relative effectiveness of five previously identified campaign slogans designed to encourage older people to be more physically active: ‘Be active 30–60 minutes a day to stay fit and well’; ‘Move more, live longer’; ‘Stay fit to stay functional’; ‘This is your time – enjoy being strong and active’; and ‘Use it or lose it’. Study type: Online experiment Methods: A total of 1200 Australians aged 50 years and …

Mitigating Implicit Bias And Promoting Compassionate Behavior In Public Health/Healthcare Professionals: Implications For Treatment Outcomes, Lon J. Van Winkle, Shane L. Rogers, Marta J. Brooks, Bianca B. Calderon, Nicole Michels

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Partly because it is unconscious, managing implicit bias in public health/healthcare remains intractable. Hence, administrators, practitioners, and their students unknowingly discriminate against others especially including socioeconomically disadvantaged people in the US and elsewhere. . . .

Genomic Epidemiology And Transmission Dynamics Of Recurrent Clostridioides Difficile Infection In Western Australia, Daniel R. Knight, Korakrit Imwattana, Deirdre A. Collins, Su-Chen Lim, Stacey Hong, Papanin Putsathit, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recurrent cases of Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) remain one of the most common and serious challenges faced in the management of CDI. The accurate distinction between a relapse (caused by infection with the same strain) and reinfection (caused by a new strain) has implications for infection control and prevention, and patient therapy. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing to investigate the epidemiology of 94 C. difficile isolates from 38 patients with rCDI in Western Australia. The C. difficile strain population comprised 13 sequence types (STs) led by ST2 (PCR ribotype (RT) 014, 36.2 %), ST8 (RT002, 19.1 %) and ST34 (RT056, …

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). …

Novel Insights Into Potential Cannabis-Related Cancerogenesis From Recent Key Whole Epigenome Screen Of Cannabis Dependence And Withdrawal: Epidemiological Commentary And Explication Of Schrott Et Al., Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Whilst the cannabis-cancer link has been traditionally described as controversial recent whole nation and whole continent studies have demonstrated that well documented laboratory-based multimodal cannabinoid genotoxicity is indeed reflected in numerous cancer types in larger epidemiological series. A recent longitudinal human sperm epigenome-wide DNA methylation screen in both cannabis dependence and cannabis withdrawal has revealed remarkable insights into the manner in which widespread perturbations of DNA methylation may lead to cancerogenic changes in both the exposed and subsequent generations as a result of both cannabis exposure and withdrawal. These results therefore powerfully strengthen and further robustify the causal nature of …

Do Physiological Variables Predict The Need For Transport To Hospital From Music Festivals? An Analysis Of Australian Festival Data, Ned Douglas, Jake Donovan, James Carew, Kayla Brouwer, Ebony Edwards, Mitchell Gibson, Jacqueline Leverett, Joseph Paul, Lachlan Holbery-Morgan, Jessica Pritchard, Elyssia Bourke, Erin Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective:

Using physiological markers to detect patients at risk of deterioration is common. Deaths at music festivals in Australia prompted scrutiny of tools to identify critically unwell patients for transport to hospital. This study evaluated initial physiological parameters to identify patients selected for transport to hospital from a music festival.

Methods:

A retrospective audit of 2045 presentations at music festivals in Victoria, Australia, was performed. Presentation heart rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, and Glasgow Coma Scale were assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis, with a prespecified threshold of 0.7.

Results:

The …

The Effect Of High-Speed Power Training On Physical Frailty In Older Adults: Effect Of A Visual-Guided Exercise Program In South Korean Rural Areas, Dong H. Yoon, Jin-Soo Kim, Su S. Hwang, Dong W. Lee, Wook Song

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective. Exercise has been shown to be an effective intervention; the difficulty still lies in providing exercise programs to the older adults in rural areas. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of a 12-week exercise program provided with visual guidelines (prerecorded video) on frailty among older adults in rural areas. Methods. Fifty participants (71.7 ± 4.9 years) from 5 different rural areas were recruited and divided into two groups: the exercise group (EX, n = 24 (male: 8, female: 18)) and the control group (CON, n = 26 (male: 7, female: 17)). With the commencement of the exercise …

Theory-Based Behaviour Change Intervention To Promote Mental Health Help-Seeking Among Older Adults In Australia: Initial Dissemination And Acceptability, Claire Adams, Eyal Gringart, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Rates of help-seeking for mental health problems among older adults are low and initiatives to increase help-seeking in older populations are limited. To our knowledge, no interventions have aimed to promote help-seeking among older adults by tapping internal motivations to seek help. In this paper, we describe the development of a theory-based intervention designed to promote mental health help-seeking among older adults in Australia, using an internal motivation paradigm. Methods: The intervention was co-designed through a consultative process with nine key stakeholders who represented five main groups: primary health-care providers, mental health professionals, health-care executives, community organisations and consumers. …

Ability Of The Australian General Public To Identify Common Emergency Medical Situations: Results Of An Online Survey Of A Nationally Representative Sample, Brennen W. Mills, Michella G. Hill, Alecka K. Miles, Erin C. Smith, Eben Afrifa-Yamoah, David N. Reid, Shane L. Rogers, Moira G. B. Sim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To investigate the Australian general public's ability to identify common medical emergencies as requiring an emergency response. Methods: An online survey asked participants to identify likely medical treatment pathways they would take for 17 hypothetical medical scenarios (eight emergency and nine non-emergency). The number and type of emergency scenarios participants correctly suggested warranted an emergency medical response was examined. Participants included Australian residents (aged > 18 years; n = 5264) who had never worked as an Australian registered medical doctor, nurse or paramedic. Results: Most emergencies were predominately correctly classified as requiring emergency responses (e.g. Severe chest pain, 95 % …

Reap Success From Persistence, Cuihong Tian, Jingyi Yan, Xuerui Tan, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The road to success is long and arduous. Almost all Nobel prize laureates experienced tremendous efforts and countless failures before they made their scientific breakthroughs. Hypothesis-driven, independent and critical thinking, passion, repeated experiments and repetitive failures and running in circles on the entire scientific process finally approved their hypotheses.

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, …

Pathogenic Potential Of Respirable Spodumene Cleavage Fragments Following Application Of Regulatory Counting Criteria For Asbestiform Fibres, Melinda Gardner, Martyn Cross, Sue Reed, Maggie Davidson, Rick Hughes, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Health risks from exposure to lithium-bearing spodumene cleavage fragments are unknown. While asbestiform fibres can lead to fibrosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer, controversy remains whether non-asbestiform cleavage fragments, having equivalent dimensions, elicit similar pathologic responses. The mineralogy of respirable particles from two alpha (α) - spodumene concentrate grades (chemical and technical) were characterised using semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particles were measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the dimensions (length [L], diameter [D], aspect ratio [AR]) applied to regulatory counting criteria for asbestiform fibres. Application of the current World Health Organization (WHO) and National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) …

The Impact Of The 2022 Ukraine/Russian Conflict On Cancer Clinical Trials, Alice Talbot, Sophia G. Connor, Kate Austin, Tara Hannon, Eli Gabbay, Timothy D. Clay

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, clinical trial conduct has become extremely challenging due to damage to the healthcare infrastructure and patient displacement. This current study aimed to estimate the number of cancer clinical trials at risk of impact from the conflict. A descriptive analysis and narrative review were completed using data from cancer clinical trials with sites in Russia or Ukraine using the ‘clinical trials.gov’ online database between February 2022 and May 2022. There were 508 clinical trials involving sites in Ukraine or Russia. Most were multinational studies (470 of 508; 93 %). The majority of studies …

Epigenomic And Other Evidence For Cannabis-Induced Aging Contextualized In A Synthetic Epidemiologic Overview Of Cannabinoid-Related Teratogenesis And Cannabinoid-Related Carcinogenesis, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Twelve separate streams of empirical data make a strong case for cannabis-induced accelerated aging including hormonal, mitochondriopathic, cardiovascular, hepatotoxic, immunological, genotoxic, epigenotoxic, disruption of chromosomal physiology, congenital anomalies, cancers including inheritable tumorigenesis, telomerase inhibition and elevated mortality. Methods: Results from a recently published longitudinal epigenomic screen were analyzed with regard to the results of recent large epidemiological studies of the causal impacts of cannabis. We also integrate theoretical syntheses with prior studies into these combined epigenomic and epidemiological results. Results: Cannabis dependence not only recapitulates many of the key features of aging, but is characterized by both age-defining and …

Impact Of Sociodemographic Features And Lifestyle On Cognitive Performance Of Peruvian Adults, Brenda Chino, Jonathan Zegarra-Valdivia, Jaisalmer De Frutos-Lucas, Carmen Paredes-Manrique, Nilton Custodio

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

Cognitive impairment and dementia may result from a combination of modifiable and nonmodifiable risk and protective factors, such as the environment, educational attainment, time devoted to cognitively stimulating activities, and physical activity.

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors in the years of education and cognitive performance in Peruvian adults.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study included 1,478 subjects assessed by Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R). Using mediation models, we evaluated the mediation role of parents’ educational level, reading time (RT), and physical activity time (PAT) in the years of education (IYE) and …

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. …

Assessing The Knowledge And Practices Of Occupational Safety And Health In The Artisanal And Small-Scale Gold Mining Sector Of Ghana: A Case Of Obuasi, Ebenezer Kwadwo Siabi, Peter Donkor, Samuel Kofi Mensah, Richmond Kotei Dzane, Napoleon Kurantin, Kwasi Frimpong, Sarah Elikplim Siabi, Christopher Vuu, Eddie Van Etten

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

It is noted that most developing countries such as Ghana are still grappling with health and safety policies and practices as governments and corporations have made insignificant efforts. This study utilized a questionnaire since it is suitable for both illiterate and literate respondents and allows for the gathering of massive quantities of data in a short space of time. The descriptive statistics, chi-square, likelihood ratio test regression, and correlation were used to assess the occupational safety and health knowledge and practices of employees in the artisanal small-scale gold mine in Obuasi. Although majority of the respondents had less than 5 …

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is A Risk Factor For Lower-Limb And Back Injury In Law Enforcement Officers Commencing Their Basic Training: A Prospective Cohort Study, Myles C. Murphy, Nicole Merrick, Andrea B. Mosler, Garth Allen, Paola Chivers, Nicolas H. Hart

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We aimed to report the epidemiology of lower-limb and lumbosacral injuries in Police Force recruits. We performed a cohort study of Police Force recruits undergoing a six-month training program with prospective injury data collected between 2018 and 2021. Cardiorespiratory fitness was quantified by the beep-test and police-specific-functional-capacity was quantified using a specifically designed physical performance evaluation (PPE) tool. Injury frequency and prevalence were reported. Fifteen percent (n = 180) of study Police Force recruits (n = 1,181) sustained a lower-limb or lumbosacral injury. The six-month training program significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.001) and functional capacity (p < 0.001). Increased cardiorespiratory fitness at baseline decreased injury risk (OR = 0.8, 95%CI: 0.66–0.97, p = 0.019). Injury rates decreased over time and females were injured significantly earlier than males (HR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.52 to 0.95, p = 0.021). Interventions that can pre-condition Police Force recruits prior to the commencement of their basic physical training may reduce the number of lower-limb and lumbosacral injuries.

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

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction:

Recent reports linking prenatal and community cannabis exposure to elevated uronephrological congenital anomaly (UCA) rates (UCAR’s) raise the question of its European epidemiology given recent increases in community cannabinoid penetration there.

Methods:

UCAR data from Eurocat. Drug use data from European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income from World bank.

Results:

UCAR increased across Spain, Netherlands, Poland and France. UCAR’s and cannabis resin THC increased simultaneously in France, Spain, Netherlands and Bulgaria. At bivariate analysis all UCA’s were related to cannabis herb and resin THC concentrations. All UCAR’s were bivariately related to cannabis metrics ordered by median …

Characterization And Determinant Factors Of Critical Illness And In-Hospital Mortality Of Covid-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Of 1,792 Patients In Kenya, Isinta M. Elijah, Endawoke Amsalu, Xuening Jian, Mingyang Cao, Eric K. Mibei, Danvas O. Kerosi, Francis G. Mwatsahu, Wei Wang, Faith Onyangore, Youxin Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Limited data is available on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), critical illness rate, and in-hospital mortality in the African setting. This study investigates determinants of critical illness and in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients in Kenya. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Kenya. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard regression were employed to determine predictor factors for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and in-hospital mortality, respectively. In addition, the Kaplan-Meier model was used to compare the survival times using log-rank tests. As a result, 346 (19.3 %) COVID-19 patients were admitted to ICU, and …

Likeability And Perceived Effectiveness Of Messages Designed To Encourage Physical Activity Participation Among Older Adults, Michelle I. Jongenelis, Ben Jackson, Robert U. Newton, Simone Pettigrew

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue addressed: Older adults are significantly less likely than their younger counterparts to engage in physical activity. Comprehensive policies to support healthy ageing thus need to include components encouraging greater participation in physical activity in later life. This study tested potential messages for use in health communication campaigns aimed at increasing physical activity among older adults. Methods: Twelve written messages designed to encourage older adults to increase their levels of physical activity were rated by Australians aged 60-92 years (n = 369; 54 % female) on the variables of likeability and perceived effectiveness. Results: Ratings for all the tested messages …

Socioeconomic, Ethnocultural, Substance- And Cannabinoid-Related Epidemiology Of Down Syndrome Usa 1986–2016: Combined Geotemporospatial And Causal Inference Investigation, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Down syndrome (DS) is the commonest of the congenital genetic defects whose incidence has been rising in recent years for unknown reasons. This study aims to assess the impact of substance and cannabinoid use on the DS Rate (DSR) and assess their possible causal involvement. Methods: An observational population-based epidemiological study 1986–2016 was performed utilizing geotemporospatial and causal inferential analysis. Participants included all patients diagnosed with DS and reported to state based registries with data obtained from National Birth Defects Prevention Network of Centers for Disease Control. Drug exposure data was from the National Survey of Drug Use and …

Developing Culturally Appropriate Food Literacy Resources For Aboriginal Children With Foodbank Wa’S Superhero Foods®, Jennifer Tartaglia, Roslyn Giglia, Jill Darby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue addressed

In Australia, food sovereignty of traditional landowners has been marginalised by the globalisation of food systems and resulted in limited opportunities for children to experience familiar bush tucker foods as healthy choices, particularly in a school environment. Superhero Foods^® themed teaching resources focus on the development of nutrition education materials that included traditional Aboriginal foods together with contemporary foods readily available in regional/remote communities.

Methods

Consultation with an Aboriginal expert and Aboriginal artist; local, regional/remote teachers and stakeholders informed the development of tailored resources including food cartoon characters, school lesson plans and a storybook. The latter was …

Application Of A Sustainability Framework To Enhance Australian Food Literacy Programs In Remote Western Australian Communities, Leisha M. Aberle, Julia R. Platts, Marie A. Kioutis, Louise M. Haustead, Stephanie L. Godrich

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue addressed: Food literacy programs aim to build individuals’ knowledge, skills and self-efficacy to adopt healthy food choices conducive to reducing the risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity. Foodbank WA’s (FBWA) Healthy Food for All ® nutrition programs have supported the improvement of food literacy knowledge and skills among vulnerable people living in the Pilbara. Methods: A Sustainability Framework containing ten sustainability factors was overlaid with social ecological model (SEM) levels of influence to form a matrix. The use of this matrix facilitated sustainability strategy appraisal within three food literacy programs delivered in remote WA. Results: Programs included multiple …

Prevalence Of Toxoplasmic Retinochoroiditis In An Australian Adult Population: A Community-Based Study, Lisia B. Ferreira, João M. Furtado, Jason Charng, Maria Franchina, Janet M. Matthews, Aus A. L. Molan, Michael Hunter, David A. Mackey, Justine R. Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis is the most common clinical manifestation of an infection with the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Up to 50 % of the human population is estimated to be infected with T. gondii; however, the epidemiology of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis has not been widely reported. We sought to estimate the prevalence of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis in Australia using data that were collected as part of the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study. Design: oss-sectional, community-based, prospective cohort study. Participants: 5020 Australian adults (2264 men and 2756 women; age range, 45–69 years, and median age, 58 years). Methods : Retinal color photographs, centered on …

Development Of Thai Sensory Patterns Assessment Tool For Children Aged 3–12 Years: Caregiver-Version, Revadee Sutthachai, Anuchart Kaunnil, Supaluck Phadsri, Ilada Pomngen, Mandy Stanley, Tiam Srikhamjak

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Most existing tools for measuring sensory patterns of children have been developed in Western countries. These tools are complex and may not be culturally appropriate for other contexts that require specific knowledge in the clinical perspective. The aim of this study was to develop a simplified tool called the Thai Sensory Patterns Assessment (TSPA) tool for children. It is designed for children ages 3–12 years old to be completed by their caregiver. The process of creating the tool consisted of drafting a questionnaire and interpreting the result. Partial psychometrics were completed during item development, content validity of items was assessed …

Emergency Department Transfers From Residential Aged Care: What Can We Learn From Secondary Qualitative Analysis Of Australian Royal Commission Data?, Patricia Cain, Janine Alan, Davina Porock

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: To use publicly available submissions and evidence from the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety as data for secondary qualitative analysis. By investigating the topic of emergency department transfer from the perspective of residents, family members and healthcare professionals, we aimed to identify modifiable factors to reduce transfer rates and improve quality of care. Design: The Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has made over 7000 documents publicly available. We used the documents as a large data corpus from which we extracted a data set specific to our topic using keywords. The analysis …

Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Ventilation Controls In Managing Airborne And Surface Lead Levels At A Newly Commissioned Indoor Shooting Range, Robert Alcock, Magdalena Wajrak, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Lead levels at a new indoor target shooting range were assessed using both personal and environmental air monitoring methods. Surface swabs were collected from representative locations throughout the range prior to, and at the conclusion of, shooting. Personal samples were compared against the current Australian Workplace Exposure Standards with all results exceeding statutory limits. Static environmental samples exceeded the Air National Environmental Protection Measures (NEPM) air quality standard. Surface swabs showed significant increases from pre- to post-shooting with levels exceeding recommended limits. The performance of the mechanical ventilation system was also assessed and airflow levels were below the required rate …