Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Internet Trials: Participant Experiences And Perspectives, Erin Mathieu, Alexandra Barratt, Stacy M. Carter, Gro Jamtvedt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Use of the Internet to conduct randomised controlled trials is increasing, and provides potential to increase equity of access to medical research, increase the generalisability of trial results and decrease the costs involved in conducting large scale trials. Several studies have compared response rates, completeness of data, and reliability of surveys using the Internet and traditional methods, but very little is known about participants' attitudes towards Internet-based randomised trials or their experience of participating in an Internet-based trial. Objective To obtain insights into the experiences and perspectives of participants in an Internet-based randomised controlled trial, their attitudes to the …

Community Based Service-Learning: Partnerships Of Reciprocal Exchange?, Laura Ann Hammersley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Community based service-learning (CBSL) integrates experiential learning and academic goals with organised service activities designed to meet the objectives of community partners (Bringle & Hatcher, 1995). Although research remains inconclusive regarding the benefits of student outcomes, CBSL has been endowed with the potential to enhance (1) academic learning, (2) foster civic responsibility, (3) develop life skills and (4) transform student attitudes (Eyler, 2002). However, there is little research to support claims that benefits are mutual amongst host counterparts (Edwards et al., 2001; Ward & Wolf-Wendell, 2000). A lack of empirical research into community partner conceptualisations of best practice approaches, outcomes …

Cities Of Australia And The Pacific Islands, Robyn Dowling, Pauline M. Mcguirk

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

1. Cities in this region may be understood as forming two groups - those of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand and those of the Pacific Islands - each with distinct characteristics. 2. All countries in this region are dominated by primate cities, but in the case of Australia primate cities are the capitals of states in the federal union. 3. Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand exhibit many of the urban characteristics of other developed countries, such as the United States. 4. The urban character of Pacific Island cities is similar to that of less developed countries though they are smaller and have …

Greener Neighbourhoods, Healthier Lives? Evidence From Britain, Thomas E. Astell-Burt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at Be Active 2012, 31 October-3 November 2012, Sydney, Australia

Owning The Problem: Media Portrayals Of Overweight Dogs And The Shared Determinants Of The Health Of Human And Companion Animal Populations, Christopher J. Degeling, Melanie Rock

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Weight-related health problems have become a common topic in Western mass media. News coverage has also extended to overweight pets, particularly since 2003 when the US National Academy of Sciences announced that obesity was also afflicting co-habiting companion animals in record numbers. To characterize and track views in popular circulation on causes, consequences, and responsibilities vis-à-vis weight gain and obesity, in pets as well as in people, this study examines portrayals of overweight dogs that appeared from 2000 through 2009 in British, American, and Australian mass media. The ethnographic content analysis drew inspiration from the literature in population health, animal-human …

Hemoglobin A1c As A Diagnostic Tool: Public Health Implications From An Actor-Network Perspective, Christopher J. Degeling, Melanie Rock

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Public health arguments for collecting hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) data, particularly in clinical settings, should be reframed to place more emphasis on nonmedical determinants of population health. We compare individual- with population-level interpretations of HbA1c titers. This comparison reveals that public health researchers need to pay close attention to diagnostic tests and their uses, including rhetorical uses. We also synthesize historical and current evidence to map out 2 possible scenarios for the future. In the first scenario, prevention efforts emphasize primary care and focus almost entirely downstream. The second scenario anticipates downstream interventions but also upstream interventions targeting environments. Our analysis …

Editorial - What Is Health Promotion Ethics?, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

What does it mean to think about the ethics of health promotion? When most of us think 'ethics' we think of the Human Research Ethics Committee applications required for research projects. But I'm thinking of something quite different here: the ethics of health promotion practice. Health promotion ethics is an attempt to answer questions such as: Can we provide a moral justification for what we are doing in health promotion? or What is the right thing to do in health promotion, and how can we tell? As other authors have argued, sometimes these questions are ignored in health promotion in …

Violence In West Papua: The Vulnerable Become Indonesia's Latest Target, Camellia B. Webb-Gannon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Why has West Papua's non-violent student movement the West Papuan National Committee (KNPB) become the latest target of a campaign of terror in West Papua?

The Compass Study: Community Preferences For Prostate Cancer Screening. Protocol For A Quantitative Preference Study, Kirsten Howard, Glenn P. Salkeld, Graham J. Mann, Manish I. Patel, Michelle Cunich, Michael P. Pignone

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Prostate cancer screening using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing remains controversial. Trade-offs between the potential benefits and downsides of screening must be weighed by men deciding whether to participate in prostate cancer screening; little is known about benefit:harm trade-offs men are willing to accept.

Methods/Design The Community Preferences for Prostate Cancer Screening (COMPASs) Study examines Australian men's preferences for prostate cancer screening using PSA testing. The aims are to (1) determine which factors influence men's decision to participate in prostate cancer screening or not and (2) determine the extent of trade-offs between benefits and harms that men are willing to …

Occupational Therapy Discharge Planning For Older Adults: A Protocol For A Randomised Trial And Economic Evaluation, Kylie Wales, Lindy Clemson, Natasha A. Lannin, Ian D. Cameron, Glenn P. Salkeld, Laura Gitlin, Laurance Rubenstein, Sarah Barras, Lynette Mackenzie, Collette Davies

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Decreased functional ability is common in older adults after hospitalisation. Lower levels of functional ability increase the risk of hospital readmission and nursing care facility admission. Discharge planning across the hospital and community interface is suggested to increase functional ability and decrease hospital length of stay and hospital readmission. However evidence is limited and the benefits of occupational therapists providing this service has not been investigated. This randomised trial will investigate the clinical effectiveness of a discharge planning program in reducing functional difficulties of older adults post-discharge. This trial will also examine the cost of the intervention and cost …

Colorectal Cancer Screening: Why Immunochemical Fecal Occult Blood Tests May Be The Best Option, Kathy Flitcroft, Les Irwig, Stacy Carter, Glenn P. Salkeld, James Gillespie

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: There are many test options available for colorectal cancer screening. The choice of test relates to the objectives of those offering or considering screening.Discussion: While all screening programs aim to detect disease early in order to improve the length and/or quality of life for the individual, some organizations and individuals prefer screening tests that offer the opportunity for cancer prevention. Others favor maximizing participation or the opportunity for shared decision-making, including discussion of information on test quality and availability. We propose three additional objectives for screening: minimizing harms, optimizing economic efficiency and maximizing equity of access to screening. …

Can Money Prevent The Spread Of Hiv? A Review Of Cash Payments For Hiv Prevention, Audrey Pettifor, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Nadia Nguyen, Molly Rosenberg

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cash payments to improve health outcomes have been used for many years; however, their use for HIV prevention is new and the impact not yet well understood. We provide a brief background on the rationale behind using cash to improve health outcomes, review current studies completed or underway using cash for prevention of sexual transmission of HIV, and outline some key considerations on the use of cash payments to prevent HIV infections. We searched the literature for studies that implemented cash transfer programs and measured HIV or HIV-related outcomes. We identified 16 studies meeting our criteria; 10 are completed. The …

'It's Not About Money, It's About My Health': Determinants Of Participation And Adherence Among Women In An Hiv-Hsv2 Prevention Trial In Johannesburg, South Africa, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Sinead Delany-Moretlwe, Philippe Mayaud

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

High levels of adherence in clinical trials are essential for producing accurate intervention efficacy estimates. Adherence to clinical trial products and procedures is dependent on the motivations that drive participants. Data are presented to document reasons for trial participation and adherence to daily aciclovir for HSV-2 and HIV-1 genital shedding suppression among 300 HIV-1/HSV-2 seropositive women in South Africa. In-depth interviews after exit from the trial with 31 randomly selected women stratified by age and time since HIV diagnosis confirmed high levels of adherence measured during the trial. Main reasons for trial participation were related to seeking high-quality health care, …

Perceptions Of Sexual Risk Compensation Following Posttrial Hiv Vaccine Uptake Among Young South Africans, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Jennifer Sayles, William Cunningham, Peter Newman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Concerns about the impact of risk compensation on advances in biomedical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention technologies have been documented. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using focus group discussions with young South African men and women (aged 18 to 24 years) to explore perceptions of risk compensation with regard to a hypothetical posttrial HIV vaccine. During the discussions, participants expressed their disquiet about the potential for risk compensation and the manner in which this might manifest among young people. Discussions specifically focused on reductions in condom use, an increase in multiple partners, and increased frequency of sex. The discussions …

'If I Buy The Kellogg's Then He Should [Buy] The Milk': Young Women's Perspectives On Relationship Dynamics, Gender Power And Hiv Risk In Johannesburg, South Africa, Audrey Pettifor, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Althea Anderson, Suzanne Maman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Ideals of masculinity and femininity may limit South African women's decision making power in relationships and increase their risk of HIV infection. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with 18-24-year-old women in inner-city Johannesburg with the aim of understanding young women's expectations of intimate relationships with men, their perceptions of gender and power and how this influences HIV risk. We found that the majority of young women reported expectations of power in relationships that conform to a model of femininity marked by financial independence, freedom to make decisions, including over sexuality, and equality (resistant femininity). The majority of young women, however, …

What Checkers Actually Check: An Eye Tracking Study Of Inhibitory Control And Working Memory, Ben Harkin, Sebastien R. Miellet, Klaus Kessler

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Not only is compulsive checking the most common symptom in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with an estimated prevalence of 50-80% in patients, but approximately ~15% of the general population reveal subclinical checking tendencies that impact negatively on their performance in daily activities. Therefore, it is critical to understand how checking affects attention and memory in clinical as well as subclinical checkers. Eye fixations are commonly used as indicators for the distribution of attention but research in OCD has revealed mixed results at best. Methodology/Principal Finding: Here we report atypical eye movement patterns in subclinical checkers during an ecologically valid …

When East Meets West: Gaze-Contingent Blindspots Abolish Cultural Diversity In Eye Movements For Faces, Sebastien R. Miellet, Lingnan He, Xinyue Zhou, Junpeng Lao, Roberto Caldara

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Culture impacts on how people sample visual information for face processing. Westerners deploy fixations towards the eyes and the mouth to achieve face recognition. In contrast, Easterners reach equal performance by deploying more central fixations, suggesting an effective extrafoveal information use. However, this hypothesis has not been yet directly investigated, i.e. by providing only extrafoveal information to both groups of observers. We used a parametric gaze-contingent technique dynamically masking central vision - the Blindspot - with Western and Eastern observers during face recognition. Westerners shifted progressively towards the typical Eastern central fixation pattern with larger Blindspots, whereas Easterners were insensitive …

A Systematic Review Of The Experience, Occurrence, And Controllability Of Flow States In Elite Sport, Christian F. Swann, Richard J. Keegan, David Piggott, Lee Crust

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: This study aimed to provide an up-to-date summary of the literature on flow in elite sport, specifically relating to: (i) how flow is experienced; (ii) how these states occur; and (iii) the potential controllability of flow. Design: Systematic review. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of SPORTdiscus, PsycINFO, SAGE journals online, INGENTA connect, and Web of Knowledge was completed in August, 2011, and yielded 17 empirical studies published between 1992 and 2011. The primarily qualitative findings were analysed thematically and synthesised using a narrative approach. Results: Findings indicated that: (i) some flow dimensions appear to be experienced more consistently than …

A Country That Makes Things: Rethinking And Broadening Manufacturing, Christopher R. Gibson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The announcement in August 2011 that BlueScope Steel were about to close one of its Port Kembla blast furnaces and cease steel exports quickly spurred public debate in Australia, not just about steel but about the very future of manufacturing in Australia. Australian Workers' Union national secretary Paul Howes thus suggested: 'The question the Australian community needs to ask itself - is do we want to be a country that still makes things? Do we want to value-­‐‑add to our natural resources, or do we want to become just one big sandpit for China and a tourism resort for North …

Exploring Flow Occurrence In Elite Golf, Christian F. Swann, Richard J. Keegan, David Piggott, Lee Crust, Mark F. Smith

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Research on flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975) has traditionally focused on reactive, externally-paced sports (e.g., tennis) without exploring those that are self-paced and stopstart in nature. This study investigated the occurrence of flow in a sample of thirteen elite golfers by conducting semi-structured interviews discussing: (i) their experiences of flow, (ii) factors that influenced flow occurrence, and (iii) the controllability of these experiences. Results shared similarity with existing research in terms of the majority of influencing factors reported, including motivation, preparation, focus, psychological state, environmental and situational conditions, and arousal, and that flow was reported to be at least potentially controllable. Golf-specific …

Sports Sponsorship And Kids' Health: Who Are The Real Winners?, Rona Macniven, Bridget Kelly

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Over the weekend, Australian children and their parents witnessed some of the country's finest sportsmen display feats of strength, skill and endurance in the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) grand finals. I'm sure many young people would have been inspired to emulate the actions and successes of their heroes.

What spectators and viewers would also have seen was the paradoxical promotion of Carlton breweries and McDonalds in commercial advertisements during the games. The websites of the NRL, AFL reveal a similar picture of sponsorship and marketing by unhealthy food and drink companies such as Coca-Cola and …

Time #1: What's Wrong With This Picture?, Marc De Rosnay

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Breastfeeding generally falls under the jurisdiction of mothers, so I decided to ask a group of mothers I see regularly on Saturday morning what they thought of the recent Time magazine cover portraying an attractive young woman, hand on hip, staring down the camera while her passive three-year-old dressed in cargo pants stands on a chair and suckles from her exposed left breast. What they told me was deeply reassuring.

Gp Project: Process And Impact Evaluation, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Penny Abbott, Jenny Reath

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

University of Western Sydney (UWS) was commissioned by the NSW Sexually Transmissible Infections Programs Unit (STIPU) to evaluate the General Practitioner (GP) Project in collaboration Prof. Usherwood and Dr Kang. The GP Project aimed to promote the delivery of evidence-based sexual healthcare within primary care in NSW; this was addressed through the development, promotion, and delivery of nine items tailored for NSW GPs and practice nurses (PNs). For GPs, the items include a double-sided A4-size STI Testing Tool; the online STI Resources for General Practice; a Drivetime Radio Medical CD, which included an interview related to STIs; the Online STI …

Knowledge Translation In An Era Of Reform, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Knowledge translation can be difficult, particularly during volatile and unstable healthcare reform. This can have significant implications. The aim of this paper is to determine what works when facilitating knowledge translation. General Practitioners (n=214) were surveyed about their awareness, their use, the perceived impact, and the factors that hindered the use of four resources to promote sexual healthcare - a placard, online training, face-to-face training, and an educational booklet. All four resources were perceived to improve clinical ability. However, the placard appeared to have greatest reach and use. Relatively inexpensive tools that provide instructive guidance may therefore be an effective …

Promoting Sexual Healthcare Within General Practice, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Penny Abbott, Jenny Reath, Wendy Hu, Tim Usherwood, Melissa Kang, Carolyn Murray

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Poster presented at the 2012 Primary Health Care Research Conference, 18-20 July 2012, Canberra, Australia

Enhancing Sexual Healthcare Within General Practice, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Penny Abbott, Jenny Reath, Wendy Hu, Tim Usherwood, Melissa Kang, Carolyn Murray, K Reakes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Poster abstract presented at IUSTI World Congress, 15-17 October 2012, Melbourne, Australia

Final Report From The Key Stage 3 Phase: Influences On Students' Development From Age 11-14, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Pam Sammons, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Since 1997 the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education project (EPPE/EPPSE) has investigated the attainment and development of approximately 3,000 children from pre-school to the end of Key Stage 3 (KS3). This current phase of the research explored how different phases of education, especially secondary school, are related to students' attainment, social behaviour and dispositions at age 14 (Year 9 in secondary school) and the factors that predict developmental change. However, schools are not the only influence on students' development; families and communities matter too and these 'social' influences are carefully studied in EPPSE 3-14. The net effects of neighbourhood, …

Influences On Students' Attainment And Progress In Key Stage 3: Academic Outcomes In English, Maths And Science In Year 9, Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart, Katalin Toth, Diana Draghici, Rebecca Smees

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Project (EPPSE) has investigated the academic and social-behavioural development of approximately 3,000 children from the age of 3+ years since 1997. This Research Brief focuses on the relationships between a range of individual student, family, home, pre-, primary and secondary school characteristics and students' academic attainment in English, maths and science in Year 9 at secondary school (age 14). It compares the latest findings with those found for students' attainment at younger ages. It also highlights the influences of secondary school on students' attainment in the core curriculum areas and studies their academic …

The Impact Of Sure Start Local Programmes On Seven Year Olds And Their Families, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Angela Anning, Zarrina Kurtz, Jane Tunstill, Mog Ball, Pamela Meadows, Jacqueline Barnes, Martin Frost, Beverley Botting

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), the forerunners to Sure Start Children's Centres, aimed to support young children and their families by integrating early education, childcare, healthcare and family support services in disadvantaged areas. The programmes' objectives were to improve the health and well-being of families and young children, so that the children would have a greater opportunity to do well in school and later in life. This study investigates child and family functioning in over 5000 families recruited from 150 SSLP areas, and makes comparisons with children and families in similarly disadvantaged areas not having a SSLP in order to …

Prevalence Of Overweight, Obesity, And Abdominal Obesity In A Representative Sample Of Portuguese Adults, Luis B. Sardinha, Diana A. Santos, Analiza M. Silva, Manuel J. Coelho-E-Silva, Armando M. M. Raimundo, Helena Moreira, Rute Santos, Susana Vale, Fatima Baptista, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study determined the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity in the Portuguese adults and examined the relationship between above mentioned prevalences and educational level. Body mass, stature, and waist circumference were measured in a representative sample of the Portuguese population aged 18–103 years (n = 9,447; 18–64 years: n = 6,908; ≥65 years: n = 2,539). Overweight and obesity corresponded to a body mass index ranging between 25–29.9 kg/m² and ≥30 kg/m², respectively. Abdominal obesity was assessed as >102 cm for males and >88 cm for females. After adjusting for educational level, the combined prevalences …