Latrobe City Council Community Engagement Survey 2021 Analysis
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Barbagallo, Michael , Reimers, Vaughan , Prokopiv, Valerie , James, Michelle , Dabkowski, Elissa , Prezioso, Michelle , Federation University. Collaborative Evaluation Unit (CEU)
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Technical report
- Full Text:
- Description: As part of Latrobe City’s community engagement strategy, a survey was developed and distributed during May to June 2021, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data to capture feedback and suggestions on how Latrobe City could be a better place to live, work, visit and play. The survey also invited residents to share their thoughts on current and future challenges for the City. A total of 1552 responses to the survey were received of which 69 were blank, with 1453 making up the final data set. This report highlights the findings from the survey. The majority of the participants were female (65%, n=744), 33% were from Traralgon, 35% from smaller townships with the remaining 32% from Moe, Newborough, Morwell and Churchill. The participants ranged in age from 17-30 years (15%), 31-40 years (27%), 41-70 years (43%) 70+ years (10%). The majority of the participants were employed in healthcare, education and administrative roles with 89% stating that they live and work in Latrobe City. Friends are family was cited as the most common reason why participants believed that Latrobe City was a good place, with Location in Victoria, Affordability and Natural environment rounding off the top four responses. The most common reason people gave for Latrobe City being a good place to work was Distance from home (n=504) and similarly the most common reason participants gave for it being a good place to study was Close to home. Safety, Economy and Built environment were considered the things most important for Latrobe City Council to focus on this was evident in both the quantitative and qualitative responses. A thematic analysis process was used to analyse the content from the six open-ended questions in the survey. Six main themes emerged; Employment, Safety, Transport, Education, Sport and Entertainment and Hope for the future.
An exploration into suicide prevention initiatives for mental health nurses : a systematic literature review
- Authors: Dabkowski, Elissa , Porter, Joanne
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Mental Health Nursing Vol. 30, no. 3 (2021), p. 610-623
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Mental health and suicide prevention are national health priorities in Australia, with research currently focussed towards the ZERO Suicide (ZS) initiative. The aim of this review was to evaluate the impact of suicide prevention programmes, in particular the ZS prevention initiative. A systematic review using the PRISMA guidelines was conducted using six EBSCO Host databases; Academic Search Complete, Australian/New Zealand Reference Centre, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, and APA Psyc Articles. The data extracted from the eligible papers were analysed using a thematic approach. The final data set consisted of fourteen (n = 14) peer-reviewed articles meeting the eligibility criteria, which included quantitative (n = 10), mixed methods (n = 2), and qualitative studies (n = 2). Results indicated variances between suicide prevention programmes with some papers examining single workshops and others assessing multimodal, organizational interventions. Five major themes were produced from this review including measuring the success of suicide prevention programmes, improvements to the delivery of suicide prevention programmes, barriers to implementing changes, cultural considerations, and further research required for suicide prevention programmes. This review concludes that further long-term research is required to evaluate the implementation and efficacy of suicide prevention programmes in health care. Cultural awareness in suicide prevention training is another area that may benefit from further research. A growing body of evidence establishes the need for multimodal and organizational approaches for suicide prevention initiatives. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
A thematic analysis of the perceptions of a community-based exercise program on the health and well-being of ageing adults
- Authors: Dabkowski, Elissa , Porter, Joanne , Barbagallo, Michael
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health and Social Care in the Community Vol. 29, no. 6 (2021), p. 1990-1997
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This study explores a weekly community-based exercise program (CBEP) for ageing adults in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. This program aims to improve the health and well-being of ageing adults and was evaluated using an exploratory qualitative study design. Four focus group discussions and two individual interviews were conducted before a thematic analysis using Braun & Clark's (2006) six-step approach. A total of 23 participants were involved in the study over a 6-week period. The thematic analysis resulted in two main themes: (a) meeting community needs and (b) benefits to health and well-being. Five minor themes stemmed from these two themes, in which participants identified that a service gap existed within the community and the program was adaptive in its design to meet community needs. Participants reported benefits to health and well-being, specifically perceived improved mobility and independence, social connections and ‘recharging the batteries to feel good’. The inclusion of Tai Chi exercises was noted for increased vitality and pain management benefits. The role of the exercise instructor was deemed to be instrumental to the success of the CBEP. The CBEP provides motivation for older adults to attend, increasing physical activity. Future CBEPs for ageing adults should provide a social component and relevant health education for participants. Exercises should be safely adapted by the exercise instructor to suit people of various abilities and to promote a more ‘inclusive’ environment. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
FRRR health & wellness program Yinnar & District Memorial Hall Committee evaluation report
- Authors: Porter, Joanne , Barbagallo, Michael , Dabkowski, Elissa , Prokopiv, Val , Federation University. Collaboration Evaluation Unit.
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Technical report
- Full Text:
- Description: The primary focus of the Yinnar Health and Wellness Program is to improve the health and wellbeing of older adults in the Gippsland region by removing barriers to participation in facilitated health and wellbeing activities. This report provides analysis and evaluation of the impact of the Program using the CEU Participatory Evaluation Framework for the period February – December 2019. Working in collaboration with key stakeholders, a mixed methods approach was taken and included the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. A literature review was also completed. Results of the data show that the Program successfully delivered weekly classes for a period of twelve months to a consistent number of participants with some significant positive outcomes. The Program was adaptive in design so that it met the individual needs of each participant. Participants reported improvements in their physical health and in their confidence. Results also showed that the Program had a positive impact on the social connectiveness of participants. In confirmation of the literature that was analysed the Program has shown that regular exercise classes have a positive physical, social, and psychological impact on individuals. Although the majority of the participants lived in Yinnar, there were a number of regulars that travelled to attend the program from neighbouring communities. There was a direct impact to the participant’s health with many individuals stating that their overall health, function and movement had improved because of attending the program. A total of 23 out of 24 participants agreed or strongly agreed that the Program had improved their fitness levels and overall confidence. Participants stated that the Program addressed a gap in the service delivery for the region. Not only did the Program improve recovery from illness it helped to maintain overall fitness levels of the participants which ultimately may lead to fewer hospital admissions. It also addressed the need for organised social connection activities for the aging population. The participants agreed that the Program met the needs of the community and the individuals, providing significant physical, mental and social benefits from regular attendance.