Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Concurrent Validity Of The Actigraph Gt3x+ And Activpal For Assessing Sedentary Behaviour In 2-3-Year-Old Children Under Free-Living Conditions, Joao Rafael Rodrigues Pereira, Eduarda Sousa-Sa, Zhiguang Zhang, Dylan P. Cliff, Rute Santos

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives

ActiGraph accelerometer cut-points are commonly used to classify sedentary behaviour (SB) in young children. However, they vary from 5counts/5 s to 301counts/15 s, resulting in different estimates and inconsistent findings. The aim was to examine the concurrent validity of ActiGraph GT3X + cut-points against the activPAL for measuring SB in 2–3-year-olds during free-living conditions.

Design

Observational validation-study.

Methods

Sixty children were fitted with the activPAL and ActiGraph simultaneously for at least 2 h. Nine ActiGraph cut-points ranging from 60 to 1488 counts per minute were used to derive SB. Bland & Altman plots and equivalent tests were performed to …

An Early Years Toolbox For Assessing Early Executive Function, Language, Self-Regulation, And Social Development: Validity, Reliability, And Preliminary Norms, Steven J. Howard, Edward Melhuish

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Several methods of assessing executive function (EF), self-regulation, language development, and social development in young children have been developed over previous decades. Yet new technologies make available methods of assessment not previously considered. In resolving conceptual and pragmatic limitations of existing tools, the Early Years Toolbox (EYT) offers substantial advantages for early assessment of language, EF, self-regulation, and social development. In the current study, results of our large-scale administration of this toolbox to 1,764 preschool and early primary school students indicated very good reliability, convergent validity with existing measures, and developmental sensitivity. Results were also suggestive of better capture of …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Communication Interventions For Shifting Public Perceptions Of Park Benefits, Betty Weiler, Brent Moyle, Isabelle D. Wolf, Kelly De Bie, Monica Torland

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

One way national parks can sustain their societal relevance and ensure ongoing political and community support is through conscious and deliberate repositioning. This study investigates the potential for psychologically repositioning national parks using persuasive communication designed to shift public perceptions of the benefits of visitor experiences in parks. The experimental communication interventions were selected to target benefits where gaps were identified between the perceptions of park managers and the parks' constituent publics. Using a pre-post design on 1,055 respondents split evenly across two Australian states, the experiment revealed that the website and the video used as interventions were highly effective …

Visual Evidence From Above: Assessing The Value Of Earth Observation Satellites For Supporting Human Rights, Tanya Notley, Camellia B. Webb-Gannon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Public access to data collected by remote sensing Earth Observation Satellites has, until recently, been very limited. Now, citizens and rights advocacy groups are increasingly utilising satellite-collected images to interrogate justice issues; to document, prevent and verify rights abuses; and to imagine and propose social change. Yet while other communication technologies have received substantial critical analysis regarding their value as tools of social justice, activism and resistance, satellites have received comparatively scant attention. This article examines the uses of satellite-collected images in human rights contexts including the opportunities, challenges and risks they pose. We conclude this examination by arguing that …

Assessing The Sustained Impact Of A School-Based Obesity Prevention Program For Adolescent Boys: The Atlas Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, David R. Lubans, Jordan J. Smith, Ronald Plotnikoff, Kerry A. Dally, Anthony D. Okely, Jo Salmon, Philip J. Morgan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Obesity prevention interventions targeting 'at-risk' adolescents are urgently needed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sustained impact of the 'Active Teen Leaders Avoiding Screen-time' (ATLAS) obesity prevention program. Methods: Cluster RCT in 14 secondary schools in low-income communities of New South Wales, Australia. Participants were 361 adolescent boys (aged 12-14 years) 'at risk' of obesity. The intervention was based on Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory and involved: professional development, fitness equipment for schools, teacher-delivered physical activity sessions, lunch-time activity sessions, researcher-led seminars, a smartphone application, and parental strategies. Assessments for the primary (body mass index …

Pre-Service Perspectives On E-Teaching: Assessing E-Teaching Using The Epec Hierarchy Of Conditions For E-Learning/Teaching Competence, Ashley Sisco, Stuart Woodcock, Michelle J. Eady

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article examines pre-service teacher perspectives of teaching with an online synchronous (live-time) platform as a part of their training. Fifty-three students who participated in a blended learning (including both face-to-face and online lectures) course were assessed in a teaching simulation through an online presentation, and participated in questionnaires and interviews about their experiences as e-learners using the platform. The EPEC hierarchy of conditions (Ease of use, Psychologically safe environment, e-learning/e-teaching Efficacy, and e-learning Competence) for e-learning competency, developed based on an analysis of pre-service teachers' experience as e-learners in this same study, was used as a framework to assess …

Assessing Decision Quality In Patient-Centred Care Requires A Preference-Sensitive Measure, Mette Kjer Kaltoft, Michelle Cunich, Glenn P. Salkeld, Jack Dowie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A theory-based instrument for measuring the quality of decisions made using any form of decision technology, including both decision-aided and unaided clinical consultations is required to enable person- and patient-centred care and to respond positively to individual heterogeneity in the value aspects of decision making. Current instruments using the term 'decision quality' have adopted a decision- and thus condition-specific approach. We argue that patient-centred care requires decision quality to be regarded as both preference-sensitive across multiple relevant criteria and generic across all conditions and decisions. MyDecisionQuality is grounded in prescriptive multi criteria decision analysis and employs a simple expected value …

Reliability And Validity Of A Short Ffq For Assessing The Dietary Habits Of 2-5-Year-Old Children, Sydney, Australia, Victoria Flood, Li Ming Wen, Louise Hardy, Chris Rissel, J Simpson, Louise Baur

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective A simple FFQ which ranks young children's dietary habits is necessary for population-based monitoring and intervention programmes. The aim of the present study was to determine the reliability and validity of a short FFQ to assess the dietary habits of young children aged 2–5 years.

Design Parents completed a seventeen-item FFQ for their children by telephone on two occasions, two weeks apart. Sixty-four parents also completed 3 d food records for their children. The FFQ included daily servings of fruit and vegetables, frequency of eating lean meat, processed meats, take-away food, snack foods (biscuits, cakes, doughnuts, muesli bars), potato …

Prestimulus Eeg-Erp Determinants In The Equiprobable Auditory Go/Nogo: Assessing The Influence Of Ten Levels Of Activity Using Pca, Frances M. De Blasio, Robert Barry

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 23rd Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Conference, 20-22 Nov 2013, Wollongong, Australia

Measurement Of Mental Attention: Assessing A Cognitive Component Underlying Performance On Standardized Intelligence Tests, Steven J. Howard, Janice Johnson, Juan Pascual-Leone

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Despite the widespread use of standardized IQ tests to measure human intelligence, problems with such measures have led some to suggest that better indices may derive from measurement of cognitive processes underlying performance on IQ tests (e.g., working memory capacity). However, measures from both approaches may exhibit performance biases in favour of majority groups, due to the influence of prior learning and experience. Mental attentional (M-) capacity is proposed to be a causal factor underlying developmental growth in working memory. Measures of M-capacity index important cognitive variance underlying performance on standardized intelligence tests. These measures appear to be reasonably culture-fair …

A Hitchhiker's Guide To Assessing Sedentary Behaviour Among Young People: Deciding What Method To Use, Louise L. Hardy, Andrew P. Hills, Anna Timperio, Dylan Cliff, David Lubans, Philip J. Morgan, Barry J. Taylor, Helen Brown

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

To provide a user's guide for selecting an appropriate method to assess sedentary behaviours among children and adolescents. While recommendations regarding specific instruments are not provided, the guide offers information about key attributes and considerations for objective (accelerometry; inclinometers; direct observation; screen monitoring devices) and subjective (self-report; parent report; and time use diaries/logs) approaches to assess sedentary behaviour Attributes of instruments and other factors to be considered in the selection of assessment instruments include: population (age); sample size; respondent burden; method/delivery mode; assessment time frame; physical activity information required (data output); data management; measurement error; cost (instrument and administration) and …

Assessing Depression In Older Adults In The Emergency Department: Reliability Of The 5-Item Geriatric Depression Scale, M Bissett, A Cusick

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the IFA 11th Global Conference on Ageing, 28 May-1 June 2012, Prague, Czech Republic

Assessing Alcohol Consumption In Older Adults: Looking For A Solution To Inform Evaluation Of Social Marketing Campaigns, Sandra C. Jones, Lance Barrie, Laura Robinson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Alcohol consumption in older people presents unique challenges due to changes in body composition, co-morbid conditions and associated mediations, as well as a reduction in metabolic capacity. As such, this generation has been identified as an at-risk group by the NHRMC (NHRMC, 2011). For the purpose of this paper "older" adults are individuals aged 65 years and over. The NHMRC produced guidelines for minimising the risks associated with alcohol consumption in 2001 (NHMRC, 2001). While the 2001 NHMRC guidelines did not provide specific recommendations regarding levels of consumption for older people the revised 2009 guidelines recommend, 'Older people are advised …

Assessing Alternative And Differential Response: Implications For Social Work Practice In Diverse Communities, Executive Summary, Jill Duerr Berrick, Christina Branom, Amy Conley Wright, Amy Price

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study examines outcomes, processes, and community context for "Another Road to Safety" (ARS), a Differential Response intervention providing voluntary home visiting to families reported for child maltreatment. Using mixed methods and drawing on diverse data sources (including interviews, focus groups, administrative records, and census tract data), this research will examine implementation of the program model; clients' perspectives on services; preliminary client outcome data; and the impact of neighborhood factors on client outcomes. Findings will inform the development of a research-based curriculum that will facilitate skill-development in implementation, community engagement, and client understanding for Differential Response interventions.

Meeting The Challenge Of Assessing In A Standards Based Education System, Jim S. Tognolini

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this report is to address a number of issues about assessment that have emerged as a consequence of the changes that have taken place since the inception of new Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) courses in Years 11 and 12 and to provide advice on how these issues might be resolved in the light of the recommendations of the Andrich report.

Issues In Assessing The Validity Of Nutrient Data Obtained From A Food-Frequency Questionnaire: Folate And Vitamin B12 Examples, Victoria Flood, Wayne T. Smith, Karen L. Webb, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To compare methods used to assess the validity of nutrient intake data obtained from a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ), using folate and vitamin B₁₂ as nutrient examples.

Design: Cross-sectional sample from a population cohort.

Setting: Two postcode areas west of Sydney, Australia.

Subjects: In total, 2895 people aged 49 years and older provided dietary data using a semi-quantitative FFQ (79% of 3654 subjects examined). The validity of the FFQ was assessed against three 4-day weighed food records (WFRs) completed by 78 people (mean age 70 years).

Results: Folate and vitamin B₁₂ validity data were assessed using different methods. …