Public Health Commons^™

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 …

Analysis Of An Seir Model With The Vertical Transmission On Transmission And Spread Of Hepatitis B In Ghana, Kwaafo Akoto Awuah-Mensah, Ute Mueller, Steven Richardson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Lack of good quality information about hepatitis B (HB) is a major hindrance to policy direction and comprehensive implementation of interventions to prevent and control the disease in the endemic region of Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly Ghana. A SEIR deterministic compartmental model which incorporates latent period and vertical transmission, and applied to HB incidence data was used to examine the transmission and spread of HB in order to inform policy decision on prevention and control of the disease in a population. The model parameters were estimated by a unique hybrid optimisation method involving Genetic Algorithm and Levenberg Marquardt Algorithm …

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

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

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

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

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction:

Laboratory data link cannabinoid exposure to chromosomal mis-segregation errors. Recent epidemiological reports confirm this link and raise concern that elevated chromosomal congenital anomaly rates (CCAR) may be occurring in Europe which is experiencing increased cannabis use, daily intensity of use and cannabinoid potency.

Methods:

CCAR data from Eurocat. Drug use data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income from World Bank. Bivariate, multivariate, panel and geotemporospatial regressions analyzed. Inverse probability weighting of panel models and E-values used as major quantitative causal inferential methodologies.

Results:

In countries where daily cannabis use was rising the trend for …

Proposing An Avenue For Suboptimal Health Research Through The Lens Of Tourism, Zheng Guo, Jun Wen, Danni Zheng, Zheng Yulu, Haifeng Hou, Wei Wang, Suboptimal Health Study Consortium (Shsc)

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The COVID-19 outbreak has posed tremendous threats to both global health and individuals’ psychological and physiological well-being. Scholars across the social and medical sciences are calling for multidisciplinary research regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected global health [1]. As daily stressors continue to accumulate, the number of people reporting health complaints that cannot be detected by laboratory measures is on the rise [2,3]. These conditions can be complex and challenging to define but are generally deemed as “suboptimal health” [4]. Suboptimal health status (SHS) refers to a reversible state between health and illness [2]. It is characterized by health …

Moderate Increase Of Serum Uric Acid Within A Normal Range Is Associated With Improved Cognitive Function In A Non-Normotensive Population: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study, Jinqi Wang, Rui Jin, Zhiyuan Wu, Yueruijing Liu, Xiaohan Jin, Ze Han, Yue Liu, Zongkai Xu, Xiuhua Guo, Lixin Tao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Associations between serum uric acid (SUA) and changes in cognitive function are understudied in non-normotensive populations, and many previous studies only considered the baseline SUA at a single time point. We aimed to examine the effects of baseline SUA and 4-year changes in SUA on cognitive changes in the non-normotensive population. Materials and methods : In the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), cognitive function was measured based on executive function and episodic memory in four visits (years: 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018). We identified two study cohorts from CHARLS. The first cohort included 3,905 non-normotensive participants. Group-based …

Association Between Ambient Air Pollution And Hospital Admissions, Length Of Hospital Stay And Hospital Cost For Patients With Cardiovascular Diseases And Comorbid Diabetes Mellitus: Base On 1,969,755 Cases In Beijing, China, 2014–2019, Zhiwei Li, Mengyang Liu, Zhiyuan Wu, Yue Liu, Weiming Li, Mengmeng Liu, Shiyun Lv, Siqi Yu, Yanshuang Jiang, Bo Gao, Xiaonan Wang, Xia Li, Wei Wang, Hualiang Lin, Xiuhua Guo, Xiangtong Liu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Evidence on the effects of the air pollutants on the hospital admissions, hospital cost and length of stay (LOS) among patients with comorbidities remains limited in China, particularly for patients with cardiovascular diseases and comorbid diabetes mellitus (CVD-DM). Methods: We collected daily data on CVD-DM patients from 242 hospitals in Beijing between 2014 and 2019. Generalized additive model was employed to quantify the associations between admissions, LOS, and hospital cost for CVD-DM patients and air pollutants. We further evaluated the attributable risk posed by air pollutants to CVD-DM patients, using both Chinese and WHO air quality guidelines as reference. …

Genomic Epidemiology Of Salmonella Typhi In Central Division, Fiji, 2012 To 2016, Mark R. Davies, Sebastian Duchene, Mary Valcanis, Aaron P. Jenkins, Adam Jenney, Varanisese Rosa, Andrew J. Hayes, Aneley Getahun Strobel, Liam Mcintyre, Jake A. Lacey, Elizabeth J. Klemm, Vanessa K. Wong, Aalisha Sahukhan, Helen Thomson, Andrew Page, Dianna Hocking, Nancy Wang, Litia Tudravu, Eric Rafai, Gordon Dougan, Benjamin P. Howden, John A. Crump, Kim Mulholland, Richard A. Strugnell

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Typhoid fever is endemic in some Pacific Island Countries including Fiji and Samoa yet genomic surveillance is not routine in such settings. Previous studies suggested imports of the global H58 clade of Salmonella enterica var Typhi (Salmonella Typhi) contribute to disease in these countries which, given the MDR potential of H58, does not auger well for treatment. The objective of the study was to define the genomic epidemiology of Salmonella Typhi in Fiji. Methods: Genomic sequencing approaches were implemented to study the distribution of 255 Salmonella Typhi isolates from the Central Division of Fiji. We augmented epidemiological surveillance and …

The Quality Of Life Of Regional And Remote Cancer Caregivers In Australia, Belinda C. Goodwin, Fiona Crawford-Williams, Michael Ireland, Sonja March, Suzanne K. Chambers, Joanne F. Aitken, Jeff Dunn

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: This study compares the well-being of rural caregivers with that of the general population and explores the potential drivers of poorer outcomes. Method: Patient–caregiver dyads (n = 241) residing in regional or remote Queensland, Australia, reported on QoL, chronic illness, caregiver burden, depression, anxiety and stress. Caregiver outcomes were compared with population norms and patient outcomes. Multiple regressions were conducted to identify factors associated with poorer caregiver outcomes. Results: Caregivers reported lower mental health-related QoL (M = 0.436, 95% CI = 0.410–0.462) in comparison with age-matched population norms (M = 0.556, 95% CI = 0.532–0.580). No differences existed between …

The Nutritional Quality Of Kids’ Menus From Cafés And Restaurants: An Australian Cross‐Sectional Study, Gina S. A. Trapp, Claire E. Pulker, Miriam Hurworth, Kristy K. Law, Sally Brinkman, Christina M. Pollard, Amelia J. Harray, Ros Sambell, Joelie Mandzufas, Stephanie Anzman‐Frasca, Siobhan Hickling

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Australian families increasingly rely on eating foods from outside the home, which in-creases intake of energy‐dense nutrient‐poor foods. ‘Kids’ Menus’ are designed to appeal to families and typically lack healthy options. However, the nutritional quality of Kids’ Menus from cafes and full‐service restaurants (as opposed to fast‐food outlets) has not been investigated in Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional quality of Kids’ Menus in restaurants and cafés in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. All 787 cafes and restaurants located within the East Metropolitan Health Service area were contacted and 33% had a separate Kids’ Menu. The …

Weight Loss For Overweight And Obese Patients With Prostate Cancer: A Study Protocol Of A Randomised Trial Comparing Clinic-Based Versus Telehealth Delivered Exercise And Nutrition Intervention (The Telex Trial), Daniel A. Galvão, Dennis R. Taaffe, Dickon Hayne, Pedro Lopez, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Colin I. Tang, Suzanne K. Chambers, Amanda Devine, Nigel Spry, Emily Jeffery, Christine Kudiarasu, David Joseph, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction Obese men with prostate cancer have an increased risk of biochemical recurrence, metastatic disease and mortality. For those undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), substantial increases in fat mass are observed in the first year of treatment. Recently, we showed that a targeted supervised clinic-based exercise and nutrition intervention can result in a substantial reduction in fat mass with muscle mass preserved in ADT-treated patients. However, the intervention needs to be accessible to all patients and not just those who can access a supervised clinic-based programme. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of telehealth delivered compared …

A Review Of The Standard Of Care Owed To Australian Firefighters From A Safety Perspective—The Differences Between Academic Theory And Legal Obligations, Greg Penney, Greg Smith, Simon Ridge, Marcus Cattani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Working in high consequence yet low frequency, events Australian fire service Incident Controllers are required to make critical decisions with limited information in time-poor environments, whilst balancing competing priorities and pressures, to successfully solve dynamic large-scale disaster situations involving dozens of personnel within the Incident Management Team, including of front-line responders from multiple jurisdictions. They must also do this within the boundaries of public and political expectations, industrial agreements, and the legal requirement to maintain a safe workplace for all workers, inclusive of volunteers. In addition to these operational objectives, fire services must also provide realistic training to prepare frontline …

Systematic Review Protocol Of The Effectiveness Of Hiv Prevention Interventions For Reducing Risky Sexual Behaviour Among Youth Globally, Fungai Mbengo, Maggie Zgambo, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Fatch Welcome Kalembo, Takanori Honda, Yoko Shimpuku, Sanmei Chen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

INTRODUCTION:

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention interventions focused at reducing risky sexual behaviours are an important strategy for preventing HIV infection among youth (15-24 years) who continue to be vulnerable to the disease. This systematic review aims to synthesise current global evidence on the effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions for reducing risky sexual behaviour among youth in the last decade.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS:

MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, ProQuest Central, CINAHL and Web of Science databases, ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and reference lists of included studies and systematic reviews on effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions for reducing …

Bullied Because Of Their Teeth: Evidence From A Longitudinal Study On The Impact Of Oral Health On Bullying Victimization Among Australian Indigenous Children, Md Irteja Islam, Verity Chadwick, Tuguy Esgin, Alexandra Martiniuk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Making life better for Indigenous peoples is a global priority. Although bullying and oral health have always been a topic of concern, there is limited information regarding the impact of this problem on the general population, with no evidence in this regard among the Australian Indigenous population. Thus, we aimed to quantify the relationship between bullying victimization and oral health problems by remoteness among 766 Australian Indigenous children aged between 10–15-years using data from the LSIC study. Bivariate and multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were employed. Findings indicated children self-reported bullying more than parents reported their children were being bullied …

Heat And Sun Related Medical Concerns In Australian Led Outdoor Activities: A Three-Year Prospective Study, Lauren V. Fortington, Natassia Goode, Caroline F. Finch, Paul M. Salmon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Active participation in the outdoors is beneficial for health and wellbeing. However, the impact of extreme weather, particularly heat, on safe participation is causing concern for organisations who lead these activities. Local mitigation strategies and acute management of heat- and sun-related illness (HSRI) are generally well understood by researchers and medical practitioners, however, cases continue to occur so further understanding of why this happens is required. This study aimed to identify the number, nature and contributory factors of HSRI in Australian led outdoor activities in order to seek opportunities for their prevention. This study presents a descriptive analysis of contributory …

Barriers And Enablers For Older Adults Participating In A Home-Based Pragmatic Exercise Program Delivered And Monitored By Amazon Alexa: A Qualitative Study, Paul Jansons, Jackson Fyfe, Jack Dalla Via, Robin M. Daly, Eugene Gvozdenko, David Scott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The remote delivery and monitoring of individually-tailored exercise programs using voice-controlled intelligent personal assistants (VIPAs) that support conversation-based interactions may be an acceptable alternative model of digital health delivery for older adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the enablers and barriers for older adults participating in a home-based exercise program delivered and monitored by VIPAs. Method: This qualitative study used videoconferencing to conduct semi-structured interviews following a 12-week, prospective single-arm pilot study in 15 adults aged 60 to 89 years living alone in the community. All participants were prescribed an individualized, brief (10 min, 2–4 times …

Global Evolutionary Dynamics And Resistome Analysis Of Clostridioides Difficile Ribotype 017, Korakrit Imwattana, Papanin Putsathit, Deirdre A. Collins, Teera Leepattarakit, Pattarachai Kiratisin, Thomas V. Riley, Daniel R. Knight

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Clostridioides difficile PCR ribotype (RT) 017 ranks among the most successful strains of C. difficile in the world. In the past three decades, it has caused outbreaks on four continents, more than other ‘epidemic’ strains, but our understanding of the genomic epidemiology underpinning the spread of C. difficile RT 017 is limited. Here, we performed high-resolution phylogenomic and Bayesian evolutionary analyses on an updated and more representative dataset of 282 non-clonal C. difficile RT 017 isolates collected worldwide between 1981 and 2019. These analyses place an estimated time of global dissemination between 1953 and 1983 and identified the acquisition of …

The Therapeutic Effect Of Exogenous Melatonin On Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Cancan Li, Dandan Ma, Min Li, Tao Wei, Xuan Zhao, Yuanyuan Heng, Delong Ma, Enoch Odame Anto, Yanbo Zhang, Mingyun Niu, Wangxin Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Depression-related mortality and morbidity pose growing public health burdens worldwide. Although the therapeutic effect of exogenous melatonin on depression has been investigated, findings remain inconsistent. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the effectiveness of melatonin in the treatment of depression, including primary and secondary depression symptoms. Methods: We searched the online databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for original studies published up to May 2021. We used STATA 14.0 software to synthesize the results of included studies. To evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin, we calculated the standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals …

Perceptions Of Drinking Water Access And Quality In Rural Indigenous Villages In Fiji, Sarah Nelson, Jacqueline Thomas, Aaron Jenkins, Kelera Naivalu, Timoci Naivalulevu, Vilisi Naivalulevu, Kinikoto Mailautoka, Shylett Anthony, Mereia Ravoka, Stacy D. Jupiter, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Pierre Horwitz, Seye Abimbola, Joel Negin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Poor rural water quality is a health challenge in Fiji. A mixed-methods study in six iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) villages was conducted to understand local perceptions of drinking water access and quality, how this changes drinking water source choices, and impacts of age and gender. Seventy-two household surveys, 30 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 12 focus group discus-sions (FGDs) were conducted. Household surveys revealed 41.7% of community members perceived their water as dirty and 76.4% perceived their water as clean. Two-thirds of households reported that they always or usually had enough water. FGDs and KIIs revealed water access and quality was …

Travel Ban Effects On Sars-Cov-2 Transmission Lineages In The Uae As Inferred By Genomic Epidemiology, Andreas Henschel, Samuel F. Feng, Rifat A. Hamoudi, Gihan Daw Elbait, Ernesto Damiani, Fathimathuz Waasia, Guan K. Tay, Bassam H. Mahboub, Maimunah Hemayet Uddin, Juan Acuna, Eman Alefishat, Rabih Halwani, Herbert F. Jelinek, Farah Mustafa, Nawal Alkaabi, Habiba S. Alsafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Global and local whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 enables the tracing of domestic and international transmissions. We sequenced Viral RNA from 37 sampled Covid-19 patients with RT-PCR-confirmed infections across the UAE and developed time-resolved phylogenies with 69 local and 3,894 global genome sequences. Furthermore, we investigated specific clades associated with the UAE cohort and, their global diversity, introduction events and inferred domestic and international virus transmissions between January and June 2020. The study comprehensively characterized the genomic aspects of the virus and its spread within the UAE and identified that the prevalence shift of the D614G mutation was due to …

Population-Based Incidence Of Guillain-Barré Syndrome During Mass Immunization With Viral Vaccines: A Pooled Analysis, Fengge Wang, Donglan Wang, Yingjie Wang, Cancan Li, Yulu Zheng, Zheng Guo, Pengcheng Liu, Yichun Zhang, Wei Wang, Youxin Wang, Haifeng Hou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Misunderstanding temporal coincidence of adverse events during mass vaccination and invalid assessment of possible safety concerns have negative effects on immunization programs, leading to low immunization coverage. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the incidence rates of GBS that are temporally associated with viral vaccine administration but might not be attributable to the vaccines. By literature search in Embase and PubMed, we included 48 publications and 2,110,441,600 participants. The pooled incidence rate of GBS was 3.09 per million persons (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.67 to 3.51) within six weeks of vaccination, equally 2.47 per 100,000 person-year (95%CI: …

Immune Response To Sars-Cov-2 Variants: A Focus On Severity, Susceptibility, And Preexisting Immunity, Eman Alefishat, Herbert F. Jelinek, Mira Mousa, Guan K. Tay, Habiba S. Alsafar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The heterogeneous phenotypes among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has drawn worldwide attention, especially those with severe symptoms without comorbid conditions. Immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative virus of COVID-19, occur mainly by the innate immune response via the interferon (IFN)-mediated pathways, and the adaptive immunity via the T lymphocyte and the antibody mediated pathways. The ability of the original Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 strain, and possibly more so with new emerging variants, to antagonize IFN-mediated antiviral responses can be behind the higher early viral load, higher transmissibility, and milder symptoms compared to SARS-CoV and are …

Acceptability Of Op/Na Swabbing For Sars-Cov-2: A Prospective Observational Cohort Surveillance Study In Western Australian Schools, Hannah M. Thomas, Marianne J. Mullane, Sherlynn Ang, Tina Barrow, Adele Leahy, Alexandra Whelan, Karen Lombardi, Matthew Cooper, Paul G. Stevenson, Leanne Lester, Andrea Padley, Lynn Sprigg, David Speers, Adam J. Merritt, Juli Coffin, Donna Cross, Peter Gething, Asha C. Bowen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, Governments responded with lockdown and isolation measures to combat viral spread, including the closure of many schools. More than a year later, widespread screening for SARS-CoV-2 is critical to allow schools and other institutions to remain open. Here, we describe the acceptability of a minimally invasive COVID-19 screening protocol trialled by the Western Australian Government to mitigate the risks of and boost public confidence in schools remaining open. To minimise discomfort, and optimise recruitment and tolerability in unaccompanied children, a combined throat and nasal (OP/Na) swab was chosen over the nasopharyngeal swab commonly …

Sedentary Behaviour, Physical Activity, And Their Associations With Health Outcomes At The Time Of Diagnosis In People With Inoperable Lung Cancer, Shu Ning Ch’Ng, Joanne A. Mcveigh, David Manners, Terry Boyle, Carolyn J. Peddle-Mcintyre, Rajesh Thomas, Jeanie Leong, Samantha Bowyer, Kirsten Mooney, Leon Straker, Daniel A. Galvão, Vinicius Cavalheri

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to examine sedentary behaviour (SB), physical activity (PA) and their associations with health-related measures at the time of diagnosis in people with inoperable lung cancer. People newly diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer were invited to participate in the study and asked to wear an accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Variables analysed included time spent in SB, light intensity PA (LIPA) and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA). Daily steps were also recorded. Data on symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), hand grip force, comorbidities and lung function were collected. Of the 120 patients referred to the study, 89 (74 …

“Machine-Dependent”: The Lived Experiences Of Patients Receiving Hemodialysis In Pakistan, Haseeba Shouket, Eyal Gringart, Dierdre Drake, Ulrich Steinwandel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis in Pakistan. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 24 patients and six healthcare professionals, each participated in a semi-structured interview. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze interviews’ data. Two superordinate themes, “The experience of hemodialysis” and “The conceptualizations of hemodialysis” as well as six sub-themes were identified. The experience of hemodialysis was related to, the implications of HD procedure on everyday life, social, cognitive, emotional, financial, and occupational influences. While all participants recognized the importance of hemodialysis for their survival, their conceptualizations of the treatment varied. …

Circus-Specific Extension Of The International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement: Methods For Recording And Reporting Of Epidemiological Data On Injury And Illness In Sport 2020, Stephanie Greenspan, David Munro, Joanna Nicholas, Janine Stubbe, Melanie I. Stuckey, Rogier M. Van Rijn

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Indepth knowledge of injury and illness epidemiology in circus arts is lacking. Comparing results across studies is difficult due to inconsistent methods and definitions. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus group proposed a standard method for recording and reporting epidemiological data on injuries and illnesses in sports and stated that sport-specific extension statements are needed to capture the context of each sport. This is the circus-specific extension to be used with the IOC consensus statement. International circus arts researchers in injury and illness epidemiology and performing arts medicine formed a consensus working group. Consensus statement development included a …

Identifying Modifiable Features Of Home Bowel Cancer Screening Kits To Facilitate Use: Consumer Perspectives, Belinda C. Goodwin, Bianca Viljoen, Larry Myers, Michael J. Ireland, Jeff Dunn, Suzanne K. Chambers, Nicholas Ralph, Joanne F. Aitken

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives:

Despite the widely publicised health benefits of participation in bowel cancer screening, only 43.5% of recipients participate in the Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP). Through consultation with kit recipients, this study aimed to identify features of home bowel screening kits that could be modified to increase their use.

Method:

Participants (n = 25) were presented with nine different bowel cancer screening kits and asked to identify features of each kit that might prevent or promote their use. Responses were coded using content analysis, and a narrative synthesis is presented summarising preferences relating to each element of the …

Perspectives On Wider Integration Of The Health-Assistive Smart Home, Gordana Dermody, Jenna Mikus, Davina Porock, Dov Sugarman, Naeem K. Janjua, Christopher How, Roschelle Fritz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Most older adults desire to be as independent as possible and remain living in their ancestral home as they age. Aging-in-place maximizes the independence of older adults, enhancing their wellbeing and quality of life while decreasing the financial burden of residential care costs. However, due to chronic disease, multimorbidity, and age-related changes, appropriate conditions are required to make aging-in-place possible. Remote monitoring with smart home technologies could provide the infrastructure that enables older adults to remain living independently in their own homes safely. The health-assistive smart home shows great promise, but there are challenges to integrating smart homes on a …

Provision Of Non-Invasive Coronary And Carotid Vascular Imaging Results On Changes In Diet And Physical Activity In Asymptomatic Adults: A Scoping Review, Simone Radavelli Bagatini, Abadi K. Gebre, Mary A. Kennedy, Marc Sim, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Catherine P. Bondonno, Ben Jackson, James Dimmock, Marcus P. Schlaich, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Joshua R. Lewis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Although a healthy diet and physical activity have been shown to prevent or delay cardiovascular disease (CVD) hospitalizations and deaths, most adults do not meet current guidelines. Provision of coronary artery calcification (CAC) and carotid ultrasound (CUS) imaging results may motivate beneficial lifestyle changes. We scoped the existing literature for studies providing non-invasive vascular imaging results and reporting diet, physical activity, and/or anthropometric measures to identify knowledge gaps and opportunities for further research. Methods: A systematic search was performed across three electronic databases, in line with PRISMA ScR guidelines and Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework. Results: Twenty studies …

Effectiveness Of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Karen Edmond, Shelly Chadha, Cynthia Hunnicutt, Natalie Strobel, Vinaya Manchaiah, Christine Yoshinaga-Itano, Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (Unhs) Review Group

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

Permanent bilateral hearing loss (PBHL) is a serious condition in newborns, with a prevalence of at least one per 1000 live births. However, there has been no recent systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of universal newborn hearing screening programs (UNHS).

Methods:

We registered our study protocol on PROSPERO CRD42020175451. Primary outcomes were any identification of PBHL (ie, PBHL diagnosed at any time), age of identification of PBHL, and neurodevelopment. Two reviewers searched standard databases to March 2022 and extracted data. We used fixed and random effects meta-analysis to pool data and graded the certainty of evidence using …