Breastfeeding support in the early postpartum : Content of home visits in the SILC trial
- Authors: Ridgway, Lael , Cramer, Rhian , McLachlan, Helen , Forster, Della , Cullinane, Meabh , Shafiei, Touran , Amir, Lisa
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Birth Vol. 43, no. 4 (2016), p. 303-312
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: The Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC) cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated whether a home visit focussed on infant feeding early in the postpartum period increased the percentage of infants breastfeeding at 4 months in low socioeconomic areas of Victoria, Australia. The visits were offered to women identified as at risk of early breastfeeding cessation after discharge home with a new baby. This paper describes the content of the home visits. Methods: SILC visited 1,043 women from September 2012 to March 2013, and completed a data sheet for each visit documenting topics discussed, as well as what support and resources were offered. Frequencies and percentages are presented. Results: Home visits most commonly included the provision of reassurance to women (91%). Topics discussed included general breastfeeding information (83%), supply and demand (83%), positioning (79%), and feeding frequency (78%). Newborn feeding/behavior (57%), expression of breastmilk (54%), nipple pain (41%), low breastmilk supply (41%), and the use of nipple shields (18%) were also prominent topics. The issues and support needs of women were similar across locations (rural, regional or metropolitan) and regardless of maternal parity or age. There was some variation in the resources suggested in different localities. Conclusions: New mothers require help and reassurance independent of whether this is their first or subsequent child, reinforcing the need for support, breastfeeding information, and education about normal neonatal behavior. Key aspects of support are reassurance, normalization of infant behavior, and education. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
But can someone like me do it? The importance of appropriate role modelling for safety behaviours in sports injury prevention
- Authors: White, Peta , Donaldson, Alex , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Editorial
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 50, no. 10 (2016), p. 569-570
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Preventing sports injuries requires behaviour change. Observational learning, or role modelling, is one way to develop self-efficacy, a key behavioural determinant. This premise underpins the social cognitive theory (SCT), and is the reason why role models have such a strong influence on behaviour. Most human behaviour is learned by observing others. Therefore, understanding role modelling and how to use it effectively could be important for sports injury prevention.
Characterization of the localized immune response in the respiratory tract of ferrets following infection with influenza A and B viruses
- Authors: Carolan, Louise , Rockman, Steve , Borg, Kathryn , Guarnaccia, Teagan , Reading, Patrick , Mosse, Jennifer , Kelso, Anne , Barr, Ian , Laurie, Karen
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Virology Vol. 90, no. 6 (2016), p. 2838-2848
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The burden of infection with seasonal influenza viruses is significant. Each year is typically characterized by the dominance of one (sub)type or lineage of influenza A or B virus, respectively. The incidence of disease varies annually, and while this may be attributed to a particular virus strain or subtype, the impacts of prior immunity, population differences, and variations in clinical assessment are also important. To improve our understanding of the impacts of seasonal influenza viruses, we directly compared clinical symptoms, virus shedding, and expression of cytokines, chemokines, and immune mediators in the upper respiratory tract (URT) of ferrets infected with contemporary A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), or influenza B virus. Gene expression in the lower respiratory tract (LRT) was also assessed. Clinical symptoms were minimal. Overall cytokine/chemokine profiles in the URT were consistent in pattern and magnitude between animals infected with influenza A and B viruses, and peak expression levels of interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p40, alpha interferon (IFN-α), IFN-β, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) mRNAs correlated with peak levels of viral shedding. MCP1 and IFN-γ were expressed after the virus peak. Granzymes A and B and IL-10 reached peak expression as the virus was cleared and seroconversion was detected. Cytokine/chemokine gene expression in the LRT following A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection reflected the observations seen for the URT but was delayed 2 or 3 days, as was virus replication. These data indicate that disease severities and localized immune responses following infection with seasonal influenza A and B viruses are similar, suggesting that other factors are likely to modulate the incidence and impact of seasonal influenza. © 2016, American Society for Microbiology.
Child and adolescent exposure to alcohol advertising in Australia's major televised sports
- Authors: Carr, Sherilene , O'Brien, Kerry , Ferris, Jason , Room, Robin , Livingston, Michael , Vandenberg, Brian , Donovan, Robert , Lynott, Dermot
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Drug and Alcohol Review Vol. 35, no. 4 (2016), p. 406-411
- Full Text: false
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- Description: INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Exposure to alcohol advertising is associated with greater alcohol consumption in children and adolescents, and alcohol advertising is common in Australian sport. We examine child, adolescent and young adult exposure to alcohol advertising during three televised sports in Australia: Australian Football League (AFL), cricket and the National Rugby League (NRL). METHODS: Alcohol advertising and audience viewing data were purchased for all AFL, cricket and NRL TV programs in Australia for 2012. We estimated children and adolescents (0-17 years) and young adults (18-29 years) exposure to alcohol advertising during AFL, cricket and NRL programs in the daytime (06:00-20:29 h), and night-time (20:30-23:59 h). RESULTS: There were 3544 alcohol advertisements in AFL (1942), cricket (941) and NRL programs (661), representing 60% of all alcohol advertising in sport TV, and 15% of all alcohol advertisements on Australian TV. These programs had a cumulative audience of 26.9 million children and adolescents, and 32 million young adults. Children and adolescents received 51 million exposures to alcohol advertising, with 47% of this exposure occurring during the daytime. Children and adolescents exposure to alcohol advertising was similar to young adults and peaked after 8.30pm. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Child and adolescent and young adult's exposure to alcohol advertising is high when viewing sport TV in Australia in the daytime and night-time. Current alcohol advertising regulations are not protecting children and adolescents from exposure, particularly in prominent televised sports. The regulations should be changed to reduce children and adolescent excessive exposure to alcohol advertising when watching sport. [Carr S, O'Brien KS, Ferris J, Room R, Livingston M, Vandenberg B, Donovan RJ, Lynott D. Child and adolescent exposure to alcohol advertising in Australia's major televised sports. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:406-411].
Children's route choice during active transportation to school : Difference between shortest and actual route
- Authors: Dessing, Dirk , de Vries, Sanne , Hegeman, Geerje , Verhagen, Evert , van Mechelen, Willem , Pierik, Frank
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Vol. 13, no. 1 (2016), p. 1-11
- Full Text:
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- Description: Background: The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of environmental correlates that are associated with route choice during active transportation to school (ATS) by comparing characteristics of actual walking and cycling routes between home and school with the shortest possible route to school. Methods: Children (n = 184; 86 boys, 98 girls; age range: 8-12 years) from seven schools in suburban municipalities in the Netherlands participated in the study. Actual walking and cycling routes to school were measured with a GPS-device that children wore during an entire school week. Measurements were conducted in the period April-June 2014. Route characteristics for both actual and shortest routes between home and school were determined for a buffer of 25 m from the routes and divided into four categories: Land use (residential, commercial, recreational, traffic areas), Aesthetics (presence of greenery/natural water ways along route), Traffic (safety measures such as traffic lights, zebra crossings, speed bumps) and Type of street (pedestrian, cycling, residential streets, arterial roads). Comparison of characteristics of shortest and actual routes was performed with conditional logistic regression models. Results: Median distance of the actual walking routes was 390.1 m, whereas median distance of actual cycling routes was 673.9 m. Actual walking and cycling routes were not significantly longer than the shortest possible routes. Children mainly traveled through residential areas on their way to school ( > 80 % of the route). Traffic lights were found to be positively associated with route choice during ATS. Zebra crossings were less often present along the actual routes (walking: OR = 0.17, 95 % CI = 0.05-0.58; cycling: OR = 0.31, 95 % CI = 0.14-0.67), and streets with a high occurrence of accidents were less often used during cycling to school (OR = 0.57, 95 % CI = 0.43-0.76). Moreover, percentage of visible surface water along the actual route was higher compared to the shortest routes (walking: OR = 1.04, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.07; cycling: OR = 1.03, 95 % CI = 1.01-1.05). Discussion: This study showed a novel approach to examine built environmental exposure during active transport to school. Most of the results of the study suggest that children avoid to walk or cycle along busy roads on their way to school. © 2016 Dessing et al.
Coaches' and referees' perceptions of the BokSmart injury prevention programme
- Authors: Brown, James , Verhagen, Evert , van Mechelen, Willem , Lambert, Mike , Draper, Catherine
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching Vol. 11, no. 5 (2016), p. 637-647
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The South African Rugby Union launched the BokSmart nationwide injury prevention programme to reduce rugby-related catastrophic injuries. The aim of this qualitative study was to evaluate the coaches and referees' perceptions of the implementation of BokSmart. Seven focus groups were conducted with coaches (n=43) and referees (n=7) from a variety of socioeconomic status and age groups. The RE-AIM framework was used to categorize the findings. There was consensus that BokSmart was capable of reducing catastrophic injuries in players. However, coaches' perceptions varied by socioeconomic status : mid/low socioeconomic status coaches described infrastructure-related barriers. Referees felt incapable of policing all BokSmart regulations. In general, most coaches, referees and trainers felt that the training course could be shorter and more practical. The barriers identified in this study could be hindering optimal BokSmart implementation. These barriers differed by role (coach/referee) and socioeconomic status of the coaches (high, mid or low).
Considerations for the performance requirements and technical specifications of soft-shell padded headgear
- Authors: Patton, Declan , McIntosh, Andrew
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology Vol. 230, no. 1 (2016), p. 29-42
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Laboratory and epidemiological research in Australian football, rugby league and rugby union has demonstrated that commercially available soft-shell padded headgear is currently ineffective in reducing the risk of concussion. However, modified headgear studies have demonstrated that significant improvements in impact energy attenuation performance are possible with small design changes, such as increases in foam density and thickness. A literature review of the design, performance and use of headgear in Australian football, rugby league and rugby union was conducted. A total of 23 articles were identified using primary and secondary search strategies, which included epidemiological field studies, laboratory impact test studies and studies investigating the behaviours and attitudes of players. The results of the review were synthesised and used to identify injury reduction objectives and appropriate design criteria. The need for a headgear standard was identified and performance requirements were discussed, which drew upon human tolerance and sports-specific head impact exposure data. Usability and behavioural issues, which require consideration during the design process, were also assessed. © IMechE 2015.
Data analytics identify glycated haemoglobin co-markers for type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosis
- Authors: Jelinek, Herbert , Stranieri, Andrew , Yatsko, Andrew , Venkatraman, Sitalakshmi
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computers in Biology and Medicine Vol. 75, no. (2016), p. 90-97
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is being more commonly used as an alternative test for the identification of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or to add to fasting blood glucose level and oral glucose tolerance test results, because it is easily obtained using point-of-care technology and represents long-term blood sugar levels. HbA1c cut-off values of 6.5% or above have been recommended for clinical use based on the presence of diabetic comorbidities from population studies. However, outcomes of large trials with a HbA1c of 6.5% as a cut-off have been inconsistent for a diagnosis of T2DM. This suggests that a HbA1c cut-off of 6.5% as a single marker may not be sensitive enough or be too simple and miss individuals at risk or with already overt, undiagnosed diabetes. In this study, data mining algorithms have been applied on a large clinical dataset to identify an optimal cut-off value for HbA1c and to identify whether additional biomarkers can be used together with HbA1c to enhance diagnostic accuracy of T2DM. T2DM classification accuracy increased if 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OhdG), an oxidative stress marker, was included in the algorithm from 78.71% for HbA1c at 6.5% to 86.64%. A similar result was obtained when interleukin-6 (IL-6) was included (accuracy=85.63%) but with a lower optimal HbA1c range between 5.73 and 6.22%. The application of data analytics to medical records from the Diabetes Screening programme demonstrates that data analytics, combined with large clinical datasets can be used to identify clinically appropriate cut-off values and identify novel biomarkers that when included improve the accuracy of T2DM diagnosis even when HbA1c levels are below or equal to the current cut-off of 6.5%. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.
Effects of exercise and manual therapy on pain associated with hip osteoarthritis : A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Authors: Beumer, Lucy , Wong, Jennie , Warden, Stuart , Kemp, Joanne , Foster, Paul , Crossley, Kay
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 50, no. 8 (2016), p. 458-463
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aim: To explore the effects of exercise (water-based or land-based) and/or manual therapies on pain in adults with clinically and/or radiographically diagnosed hip osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed, with patient reported pain assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) or the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale. Data were grouped by follow-up time (0-3 months=short term; 4-12 months=medium term and; >12 months=long term), and standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95% CIs were used to establish intervention effect sizes. Study quality was assessed using modified PEDro scores. Results: 19 trials were included. Four studies showed short-term benefits favouring water-based exercise over minimal control using the WOMAC pain subscale (SMD -0.53, 95% CI -0.96 to -0.10). Six studies supported a short-term benefit of land-based exercise compared to minimal control on VAS assessed pain (SMD -0.49, 95% CI -0.70 to -0.29). There were no medium (SMD -0.23, 95% CI -0.48 to 0.03) or long (SMD -0.22, 95% CI -0.51 to 0.06) term benefits of exercise therapy, or benefit of combining exercise therapy with manual therapy (SMD -0.38, 95% CI -0.88 to 0.13) when compared to minimal control. Conclusions: Best available evidence indicates that exercise therapy (whether land-based or water-based) is more effective than minimal control in managing pain associated with hip OA in the short term. Larger highquality RCTs are needed to establish the effectiveness of exercise and manual therapies in the medium and long term.
Examining age and gender effects in physical performance in young athletes aged 12-16 years
- Authors: Yanci, Javier , Cámara, Jesus , Vizcay, Juan , Young, Warren
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching Vol. 11, no. 4 (2016), p. 538-544
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The aims of the present study were to determine anthropometric and physical characteristics according to age and gender of young athletes, and to quantify the relationships among these characteristics. Sixty-four young high-level runners were divided into two groups according to their age: U14 = under 14 year's athletes; U16 = under 16 year's athletes. The U16 group presented higher values of the sprint 15 m (p < 0.01, d = 1.14) and modified agility test (p < 0.01, d = 0.66) than the U14 group. However, the boys group presented higher values in the 505 agility test (p < 0.01, d = 0.63), modified agility test (p < 0.01, d = 1.26), horizontal countermovement jump (p < 0.05, d = 0.56), vertical countermovement jump (p < 0.01, d = 0.61) and arm swim vertical countermovement jump (p < 0.01, d = 0.63) than the girls group. © The Author(s) 2016.
Increasing compliance with neuromuscular training to prevent ankle sprain in sport : Does the 'Strengthen your ankle' mobile App make a difference? A randomised controlled trial
- Authors: van Reijen, Miriam , Vriend, Ingrid , Zuidema, Victor , van Mechelen, Willem , Verhagen, Evert
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 50, no. 19 (2016), p. 1200-1205
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: E-health has the potential to facilitate implementation of effective measures to prevent sports injuries. Aim: We evaluated whether an interactive mobile application containing a proven effective exercise programme to prevent recurrent ankle sprains resulted in higher compliance as compared with regular written exercise materials. Methods: 220 athletes participated in this randomised controlled trial with a follow-up of 8 weeks; 110 athletes received a booklet explaining an 8-week neuromuscular training programme; 110 athletes participated in the same programme in an interactive mobile App (Strengthen your ankle). The primary outcome was compliance with the exercise programme. Secondary outcome measure was the incidence density of self-reported recurrent ankle sprains. Results: The mean compliance to the exercise scheme was 73.3% (95% CI 67.7% to 78.1%) in the App group, compared with 76.7% (95% CI 71.9% to 82.3%) in the Booklet group. No significant difference in compliance was found between groups. The incidence densities of self-reported time-loss recurrences were not significantly different between both groups (HR 3.07; 95% CI 0.62 to 15.20). Summary: This study shows that the method of implementing the exercises by using an App or a Booklet does not lead to different compliance rates. New findings: The use of a mobile App or a Booklet lead to similar compliance and injury rates in the short term. Trial registration number: The Netherlands National Trial Register NTR 4027. The NTR is part of the WHO Primary Registries. © 2016, BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
Integrated and consumer-directed care : a necessary paradigm shift for rural chronic ill health
- Authors: Ranson, Nicole , Terry, Daniel , Glenister, Kristen , Adam, Bill , Wright, Julian
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Australian Journal of Primary Health Vol. 22, no. 3 (2016), p. 176-180
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Chronic ill health has recently emerged as the most important health issue on a global scale. Rural communities are disproportionally affected by chronic ill health. Many health systems are centred on the management of acute conditions and are often poorly equipped to deal with chronic ill health. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most prominent chronic ill health conditions and the principal cause of mortality worldwide. In this paper, CVD is used as an example to demonstrate the disparity between rural and urban experience of chronic ill health, access to medical care and clinical outcomes. Advances have been made to address chronic ill health through improving self-management strategies, health literacy and access to medical services. However, given the higher incidence of chronic health conditions and poorer clinical outcomes in rural communities, it is imperative that integrated health care emphasises greater collaboration between services. It is also vital that rural GPs are better supported to work with their patients, and that they use consumer-directed approaches to empower patients to direct and coordinate their own care. © La Trobe University 2016.
International consensus statement on injury surveillance in cricket : A 2016 update
- Authors: Orchard, John , Ranson, Craig , Olivier, Benita , Dhillon, Mandeep , Gray, Janine , Langley, Ben , Mansingh, Akshai , Moore, Isabel , Murphy, Ian , Patricios, Jon , Alwar, Thiagarajan , Clark, Christopher , Harrop, Brett , Khan, Hussain , Kountouris, Alex , Macphail, Mairi , Mount, Stephen , Mupotaringa, Anesu , Newman, David , O'Reilly, Kieran , Peirce, Nicholas , Saleem, Sohail , Shackel, Dayle , Stretch, Richard , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 50, no. 20 (2016), p. 1245-1251
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Cricket was the first sport to publish recommended methods for injury surveillance in 2005. Since then, there have been changes to the nature of both cricket and injury surveillance. Researchers representing the major cricket playing nations met to propose changes to the previous recommendations, with an agreed voting block of 14. It was decided that 10 of 14 votes (70%) were required to add a new definition element and 11 of 14 (80%) were required to amend a previous definition. In addition to the previously agreed 'Match time-loss' injury, definitions of 'General time-loss', 'Medical presentation', 'Player-reported' and 'Imaging-abnormality' injuries are now provided. Further, new injury incidence units of match injuries per 1000 player days, and annual injuries per 100 players per year are recommended. There was a shift towards recommending a greater number of possible definitions, due to differing contexts and foci of cricket research (eg, professional vs amateur; injury surveillance systems vs specific injury category studies). It is recommended that researchers use and report as many of the definitions as possible to assist both comparisons between studies within cricket and with those from other sports.
Is nine weeks of complex training effective for improving lower body strength, explosive muscle function, sprint and jumping performance?
- Authors: Talpey, Scott , Young, Warren , Saunders, Natalie
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching Vol. 11, no. 5 (2016), p. 736-745
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: There is currently minimal evidence from training studies that document the effectiveness of complex training to elicit gains in explosive muscle function that are greater than those obtained from a more conventional approach. Over nine weeks of training, 20 recreationally trained athletes with a minimum of one year of resistance training experience were randomly assigned to either a complex training group (n=9) or a conventional training group (n=11). In an attempt to capitalise on muscles post-activation potentiation response, the complex training group performed all sets of 1/2 back squats prior to sets of jumps squats, while the conventional training group performed jump squats prior to sets of 1/2 back squats. Lower body explosive muscle function and jump performance improved significantly in both groups. The complex training group's improvement in running vertical jump performance was significantly greater than in the conventional groups. Sprint performance was not significantly improved in either training group.
It will take more than an existing exercise programme to prevent injury
- Authors: O'Brien, James , Donaldson, Alex , Finch, Caroline
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Editorial
- Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 50, no. 5 (Mar 2016), p. 264-265
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: In 1983, Ekstrand et al published the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) of an injury prevention programme for team ball sport. Three decades on from this landmark study, it is worth reflecting on the progress made and the current ‘state-of-play’ in the field of team ball sport injury prevention research. The volume of published research has grown considerably with a recent systematic review of team ball sport injury prevention exercise programmes (IPEPs) identifying over 50 published trials. The scale, quality and outcomes of recent RCTs are also encouraging with a Swedish trial including over 4500 female soccer players and demonstrating a 64% reduction in the rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
Moving forward with dignity : exploring health awareness in an isolated deaf community of Australia
- Authors: Terry, Daniel , Lê, Quynh , Nguyen, Hoang
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Disability and Health Journal Vol. 9, no. 2 (2016), p. 281-288
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background Those within the Deaf community are disadvantaged in a number of aspects of day-to-day life including their access to health care. At times, they may encounter barriers to health care even before they reach the consultation room. As a consequence, they may receive insufficient and inappropriate health care which may lead to poorer health outcomes. Objective A study was conducted to explore health awareness and access to health information and services of Deaf people living in Tasmania, Australia and identify ways of enhancing the interaction between the Deaf and the wider community. Methods A questionnaire was administered, including a number of demographic, health awareness and health service usage questions. In addition, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with service providers and the Deaf community between March and August 2014. An interpreter was present to translate the questions into Auslan and who then translated the Deaf participant's discussion into English for the researcher. Data were then analyzed using research software SPSS v20.0 and NVivo 10.0. Results Health as a concept was poorly understood, including mental health, sexual health and health concerning alcohol and drug abuse. Regarding health care resources, due to a sense of security, trust and confidence, the family physician or general practitioner was the single most important health care provider among the Deaf. Conclusions The Deaf remain underserved by the current health care system; however, through resourcefulness and life experiences, the Deaf have developed coping and management strategies to move forward with dignity in education, meaningful employment and health access. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Older peoples’ experiences of living in a residential aged care facility in Australia
- Authors: Walker, Helen , Paliadelis, Penny
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Journal on Ageing Vol. 35, no. 3 (2016), p. E6-E10
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aim: The objectives of the study were to investigate the lived experience of older people in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in Australia, to explore their perceptions of their lives in RACFs and how care might be improved. Methods: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experience of older persons in RACFs across two Australian states. In-depth interviews regarding independence, dignity, autonomy, communication and relationships were conducted with 18 participants. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and thematically analysed. Results: Three themes emerged reflecting the reality of RACF life for these participants: (i) loss of autonomy, dignity and control; (ii) valuing important relationships; and (iii) resigned acceptance. Conclusion: Older people were not included in decision-making and found it difficult to maintain their autonomy and dignity, and forge meaningful relationships. They traded their independence and dignity for the safety and assistance they needed; however, they accepted this trade-off with stoicism and remained positive. © 2016 AJA Inc.
Scarcity of ecosystem services : an experimental manipulation of declining pollination rates and its economic consequences for agriculture
- Authors: Sandhu, Harpinder , Waterhouse, Benjamin , Boyer, Stéphane , Wratten, Steve
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PeerJ Vol. 2016, no. 7 (2016), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Ecosystem services (ES) such as pollination are vital for the continuous supply of food to a growing human population, but the decline in populations of insect pollinators worldwide poses a threat to food and nutritional security. Using a pollinator (honeybee) exclusion approach, we evaluated the impact of pollinator scarcity on production in four brassica fields, two producing hybrid seeds and two producing open-pollinated ones. There was a clear reduction in seed yield as pollination rates declined. Open-pollinated crops produced significantly higher yields than did the hybrid ones at all pollination rates. The hybrid crops required at least 0.50 of background pollination rates to achieve maximum yield, whereas in open-pollinated crops, 0.25 pollination rates were necessary for maximum yield. The total estimated economic value of pollination services provided by honeybees to the agricultural industry in New Zealand is NZD $1.96 billion annually. This study indicates that loss of pollination services can result in significant declines in production and have serious implications for the market economy in New Zealand. Depending on the extent of honeybee population decline, and assuming that results in declining pollination services, the estimated economic loss to New Zealand agriculture could be in the range of NZD $295-728 million annually. © 2016 Sandhu et al.
Shigellosis : A truly neglected disease in Papua New Guinea
- Authors: Malau, Elisheba , Mosse, Jenny , Horwood, Paul , Greenhill, Andrew
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Papua New Guinea Medical Journal Vol. 59, no. 3/4 (2016), p. 147-154
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Diarrhoeal diseases still affect many people, especially children living in impoverished and under-developed settings. In Papua New Guinea (PNG) diarrhoea remains one of the leading causes of hospitalization and a major cause of death. Here, we focus on the role of Shigella in diarrhoeal illness in PNG, and provide an overview of the causative organism and the illness. A review of the available data on the aetiology of diarrhoea in PNG suggests that shigellosis is a major cause of diarrhoeal illness. Since shigellosis can cause protracted and life-threatening illness an appreciation of the burden of shigellosis is important to aid in the development of optimal prevention and control strategies. Treatment strategies for all cases of moderate-severe diarrhoeal illness should centre on rehydration, but where antimicrobial treatment is required consideration should be given to the increasing antimicrobial resistance observed in Shigella isolates in PNG.
Size-dependent characterisation of historical gold mine wastes to examine human pathways of exposure to arsenic and other potentially toxic elements
- Authors: Martin, Rachael , Dowling, Kim , Pearce, Dora , Florentine, Singarayer , Bennett, John , Stopic, Attila
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Environmental Geochemistry and Health Vol. 38, no. 5 (2016), p. 1097-1114
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Abandoned historical gold mining wastes often exist as geographically extensive, unremediated, and poorly contained deposits that contain elevated levels of As and other potentially toxic elements (PTEs). One of the key variables governing human exposure to PTEs in mine waste is particle size. By applying a size-resolved approach to mine waste characterisation, this study reports on the proportions of mine waste relevant to human exposure and mobility, as well as their corresponding PTE concentrations, in four distinct historical mine wastes from the gold province in Central Victoria, Australia. To the best of our knowledge, such a detailed investigation and comparison of historical mining wastes has not been conducted in this mining-affected region. Mass distribution analysis revealed notable proportions of waste material in the readily ingestible size fraction (aecurrency sign250 A mu m; 36.1-75.6 %) and the dust size fraction (aecurrency sign100 A mu m; 5.9-45.6 %), suggesting a high potential for human exposure and dust mobilisation. Common to all mine waste types were statistically significant inverse trends between particle size and levels of As and Zn. Enrichment of As in the finest investigated size fraction (aecurrency sign53 A mu m) is of particular concern as these particles are highly susceptible to long-distance atmospheric transport. Human populations that reside in the prevailing wind direction from a mine waste deposit may be at risk of As exposure via inhalation and/or ingestion pathways. Enrichment of PTEs in the finer size fractions indicates that human health risk assessments based on bulk contaminant concentrations may underestimate potential exposure intensities.