Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of Particle Size On Microstructure And Element Diffusion At The Interface Of Tungsten Carbide/High Strength Steel Composites, Hongmei Zhang, Hongnan Li, Ling Yan, Chao Wang, Fangfang Ai, Yan Li, Nan Li, Zhengyi Jiang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The microstructure and micro-hardness of tungsten carbide/high strength steel (WC/HSS) composites with different particle sizes were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultra-high temperature laser confocal microscopy (UTLCM) and micro-hardness testing. The composites were prepared by cold pressing and vacuum sintering. The results show that WC density tends to increase as the average grain size of WC decreases and the micro-hardness of WC increases with the decrease of WC particle size. The micro-hardness of WC near the bonding interface is higher than that in other regions. When the particle size of WC powder particles is 200 nm, …

The Effects Of Vertical And Horizontal Sources On Heat Transfer And Entropy Generation In An Inclined Triangular Enclosure Filled With Non-Newtonian Fluid And Subjected To Magnetic Field, Zhixiong Li, Amin Shahsavar, Kavian Niazi, Abdullah Al-Rashed, Pouyan Talebizadehsardari

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

2019 Elsevier B.V. Natural convection and entropy generation of a power-law non-Newtonian fluid in a tilted triangular enclosure subjected to a magnetic field was investigated. A part of the enclosure's right or left wall is at a high temperature while the top wall is cold. The remaining walls are insulated. The results indicate that when the hot wall is at the left wall and the Rayleigh number is increased from 103 to 105, the heat transfer rate of the shear-thinning fluid goes up 1.5 times and its entropy generation rate rises >2 fold. For the Newtonian fluid, these changes mean …

Ensemble Neural Network Method For Wind Speed Forecasting, Binbin Yong, Fei Qiao, Chen Wang, Jun Shen, Yongqiang Wei, Qingguo Zhou

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Wind power generation has gradually developed into an important approach of energy supply. Meanwhile, due to the difficulty of electricity storage, wind power is greatly affected by the real-time wind speed in wind fields. Generally, wind speed has the characteristics of nonlinear, irregular, and non-stationary, which make accurate wind speed forecasting a difficult problem. Recent studies have shown that ensemble forecasting approaches combining different sub-models is an efficient way to solve the problem. Therefore, in this article, two single models are ensembled for wind speed forecasting. Meanwhile, four data pre-processing hybrid models are combined with the reliability weights. The proposed …

A New Method For Fringe Order Error Correction In Fringe Projection Profilometry, Yiwei Zhang, Chengpu Duan, Jiangtao Xi, Jun Tong, Yanguang Yu, Qinghua Guo

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

© 2019 SPIE. Phase unwrapping is an essential step for 3D shape measurement based on fringe projection. Temporal phase unwrapping methods can be implemented by analyzing the multiple patterns that encode the fringe order information. They can retrieve the fringe orders on a pixel-by-pixel basis and are less prone to error propagation compared with spatial methods. However, fringe orders errors may still occur due to noise, reflectivity fluctuation and discontinuity of the object surface. Such errors may exhibit an impulsive nature and result in significant error to the recovered absolute phase map. This has been exploited by several methods to …

Meta-Moderation For Crowdsourced Disaster Management And Urban Participatory Applications, Robert Ighodaro Ogie, Mehrdad Amirghasemi, Pascal Perez

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper presents the Enterprise Meta-moderation of Innovation (EMI) system, which was designed, developed, and deployed to drive innovation in MTR Corporation, Hong Kong. Although EMI was designed specifically for use in an organisation, the system can potentially be extended to serve other useful functions in society. Hence, an important aspect of this paper involves identifying and discussing key considerations that need to be addressed in order for such a system to be used in crowdsourced disaster management and other urban participatory applications. The study highlights the role of agent-based modelling in better addressing some of the socio-technical challenges identified.

A New Method For Direct Tensile Testing Of Concrete, Faez Alhussainy, Hayder Alaa Hasan, M Neaz Sheikh, Muhammad N. S Hadi

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Different testing methods were used in previous studies to measure the direct tensile strength of concrete. However, these methods experienced several major deficiencies such as stress concentration at the end of the specimens because of inadequate gripping and loading eccentricity and nonuniform fracture plane because of difficulties in aligning and centering the specimens during testing. This study presents the details of a new method of testing concrete under uniaxial tension. The method was developed to overcome the difficulties associated with testing methods adopted in the previous research studies. A full description of the wooden molds used in casting the specimens …

A Variable Resonance Magnetorheological-Fluid-Based Pendulum Tuned Mass Damper For Seismic Vibration Suppression, Matthew Christie, Shuaishuai Sun, Lei Deng, Donghong Ning, Haiping Du, Shiwei Zhang, Weihua Li

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Seismic events leading to catastrophic outcomes around the world, particularly in built-up regions surrounding fault lines, often have high death tolls and cause costly damages to societies' existing infrastructure. To suppress damaging vibrations in multi-story buildings across a wide frequency spectrum, much research has been put into the study of variable-resonance tuned mass dampers, which maintain their usefulness across a range of frequencies, unlike passive alternatives. As a novel implementation of fast responsive magnetorheological materials to enable variable resonance, this paper presents a prototype magnetorheological-fluid-based pendulum tuned mass damper, integrating a differential gearbox to yield a damper-controlled transmission between the …

Multi-Objective Optimisation Of Thermal Energy Storage Using Phase Change Materials For Solar Air Systems, Wenye Lin, Zhenjun Ma, Haoshan Ren, Stefan Gschwander, Shugang Wang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Thermal energy storage (TES) using phase change materials (PCMs) is being widely considered as one of the alternative solutions for effective use of solar energy. This paper presents a multi-objective optimisation strategy for TES systems using PCMs for solar air systems, in which two performance indicators of average heat transfer effectiveness and effective PCM charging time were used as the conflicting objectives. The influence of the key design variables on the performance of an air-based PCM TES system was first experimentally investigated using Taguchi method, and the results were used to develop two performance models for optimisation. A genetic algorithm …

Optimal Learning Group Formation: A Multi-Objective Heuristic Search Strategy For Enhancing Inter-Group Homogeneity And Intra-Group Heterogeneity, Soheila Garshasbi, Yousef Mohammadi, Sabine Graf, Samira Garshasbi, Jun Shen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

In modern education systems, plenty of research suggests that clustering the learners into optimal learning groups based on their multiple characteristics is a determining effort in enhancing the effectiveness of collaborative learning. Although there have been several evidences on developing and implementing appropriate computational tools to handle classification processes in expert and intelligent systems, the effectiveness and accuracy of optimal grouping algorithms are still worth improving. For instance, the majority of grouping processes in collaborative learning environments is orchestrated through single-objective optimization algorithms, which need to be revisited due to some intrinsic limitations. In this paper, we propose a novel …

Grain Boundary Induced Deformation Mechanisms In Nanocrystalline Al By Molecular Dynamics Simulation: From Interatomic Potential Perspective, Liang Zhang, Yasushi Shibuta, Xiaoxu Huang, Cheng Lu, Mao Liu

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Nanocrystalline metals exhibit many excellent mechanical properties and their underlying deformation mechanisms have been studying widespread. The well-designed atomistic simulations can predict the mechanical behavior of materials ahead of experiments and provide sufficient information on the atomic scale. The choice of appropriate interatomic potential is one of the main concerns of any atomistic simulation that needs to be seriously considered in order to obtain reliable results. In this study, we investigated the mechanical response and the deformation mechanisms of nanocrystalline Al under uniaxial loading by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with different embedded atom method (EAM) interatomic potentials. The selection of …

Behaviour And Strength Of Bolted Connections Failing In Shear, Matthew Elliott, Lip H. Teh, Aziz Ahmed

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper investigates the behaviour and strength of structural steel bolted connections whose failure modes involve shear yielding and/or fracture. Such failure modes include the shear-out (or tearout) and the block shear failure modes. The use of shear failure planes corresponding to the bolt diameter is shown to result in significant overestimations of the ultimate capacities for bolted connections with reduced or no hole clearance. In contrast, the use of the effective (or active) shear planes are consistently accurate for the specimens with standard, oversize or no clearance bolt holes. The paper points out that the location of fracture initiation …

Shear Strength Of A Vegetated Soil Incorporating Both Root Reinforcement And Suction, Muditha Pallewattha, Buddhima Indraratna, Ana Heitor, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Shear strength of the root permeated soil increases due to the mechanical effects of root reinforcement and most of the past studies have been conducted to capture this effect under saturated soil conditions. However, the soil adjacent to the tree roots is usually in an unsaturated condition and this leads to alterations in root-soil interaction mechanisms and associated shear strength of the root permeated soil system. In this paper, the increment in shear strength is studied considering both the effect of suction and root reinforcement patterns. A number of direct shear tests were conducted for different suction levels in root-permeated …

Concrete Strength Reduction Due To Over Compaction, Ryan Howes, Muhammad N. S Hadi, Warren J. South

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of over-compaction on the strength of concrete with regards to commercial and industry practices. Normal concrete, which is commonly used in construction was chosen. Samples were cast using a varying vibration time and testing was performed to determine concrete compressive strength, air content, density and a measure for segregation. These parameters were used to determine the relative sensitivity of concrete to under- versus over-compaction. If segregation was present, it was hypothesized the results would indicate a mathematical relationship between the segregation and strength reduction. This relationship would allow for determination …

Evaluating The Managing Medicines For People With Dementia Website Version 2, Pippa Burns, Judy Mullan, Robyn J. Gillespie, Lindsey Harrison, Khin Than Win, Amanda Ann Baker, Victoria Traynor, Catherine Kostovski, Rhett Jay Thomas-Lee, Holly Gleeson, Frances Horne, Zoran Velev

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The Managing Medicines for People With Dementia version 2 website was developed in three languages, English, Italian, and Macedonian, to assist informal caregivers in the task of managing medications. Medication management is a complex task with potentially high stakes health outcomes, including hospitalization and death. A mixed-methods evaluation was carried out. A survey was available to site users and Web log data were collected over a 3-month period. Subsequently, the quality and suitability of the information and readability and usability of the Web site were evaluated. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with end users from all three language groups. …

Performance Simulation And Evaluation Of Net Zero Energy Buildings In An Australian Coastal Climate, Joel Anderson, Duane A. Robinson, Zhenjun Ma

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Net zero energy buildings (NZEB) are becoming more common, and as new energy saving designs and technologies become available, the ability to estimate overall energy use and understand the impact on operation of building appliances will become important. This paper outlines simulation results of performance improvements achieved by modifying various components (glazing, lighting, thermal comfort settings) of two tertiary education NZEBs and a typical modern commercial building. The DesignBuilder models' thermal performance and energy consumption were validated using real data from case study buildings. The work shows validating models of smaller, less conven-tional, buildings is more difficult than for larger …

Effects Of Micro Flexible Rolling And Annealing On Microstructure, Microhardness And Texture Of Aluminium Alloy, Mingshuai Huo, Jingwei Zhao, Haibo Xie, Fanghui Jia, Shengli Li, Hongmei Zhang, Zhengyi Jiang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The microstructure and texture after plastic deformation are strongly dependent on the corresponding manufacturing process and subsequent annealing which significantly affect the properties of the final products. In this study, 1060 aluminium alloy with a thickness of 464 μm was micro flexibly rolled to a constant thickness ratio of 3.6 by a combined control of the roll gap, the rolling speed and the roll lifting speed. Afterwards, the rolled specimens were subjected to isochronal annealing at a temperature range of 200 to 400 °C for 30 min and isothermal annealing at 400 °C for 10-60 min. Results indicate that the …

Top Sheath Flow-Assisted Secondary Flow Particle Manipulation In Microchannels With The Slanted Groove Structure, Qianbin Zhao, Dan Yuan, Shiyang Tang, Guolin Yun, Sheng Yan, Jun Zhang, Weihua Li

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

In the regime of inertial microfluidics, the secondary flow is widely adopted to reduce the number of the equilibrium position and improve the focusing performance of particles. At the same time, secondary flow can also enhance the mixing effect and may deteriorate particle focusing due to the induced rotating streams, especially for the particle with a small size. In a double-layered microchannel with slanted groove structures, it has been demonstrated that the generated secondary flow at a high flow rate could focus the particle with a large size (> 8 µm). However, the manipulation of small-size particles (< 8 µm) was unsuccessful as the effects of secondary flow on the small-size particles were not strong enough. In this work, to manipulate the small-size particle, we proposed a scheme to utilize a top sheath flow to enhance the focusing efficiency of the structure-induced secondary flow. The effects of the total flow rate and the flow rate ratio between the sheath and sample flow were investigated comprehensively in a large range. The 4.8 µm particle could be manipulated effectively at different flow rates with the assistance of appropriate sheath flows. Besides, the effects of other factors, such as the quantity of the expansion groove structure, and particle concentration and size, on particle focusing performance were also investigated. We found that the particles with the diameter of 2.9 µm can also be effectively focused within the double-layered microchannel. Furthermore, we demonstrated the continuous plasma extraction from the undiluted whole blood using this proposed technique to validate its potential biological applications. The results show that the purity of plasma extracted could reach up to ~ 99% after a single process. As such, this demonstrated that sheath flow-assisted particle manipulating method can overcome the limitations of conventional design and offer much better performance for controlling smaller particles. Such a platform may enable great potential in the applications of biological and diagnostic assays, for bioparticles smaller than the normal cell size.

Physical And Chemical Insights Into Molecular Adsorption Of Copolymer's Monomers On Rutile Surface, Thi D. Ta, Anh Kiet Tieu, Hongtao Zhu, Manh Ha Le, Thi Thuy Huong Ta, Viet Nhan Nghi Tran, Shanhong Wan

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The adsorption of triblock copolymer's moieties such as DME, 1,2-DME, and 1,2-DMP on a Rutile surface has been studied by DFT. The insights into their adsorption mechanism have been investigated by analyzing various physical and chemical properties such as the adsorption energies, the structural properties, difference of charge density, density of state, bond overlap population, and the atomic partial charge. Dispersion interaction plays a major role on the absorption energy in 1,2-DME, and the upward bridging oxygen configurations of DME and 1,2-DMP; whilst electrostatic and polarization energies are insignificant. A new Ob-Ti bond has been formed from the overlap of …

Use Of Geogrids And Recycled Rubber In Railroad Infrastructure For Enhanced Performance, Buddhima Indraratna, Yujie Qi, Ngoc Trung Ngo, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn, Tim Neville, Fernanda Bessa Ferreira, Amir Shahkolahi

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Railway tracks are conventionally built on compacted ballast and structural fill layers placed above the natural (subgrade) foundation. However, during train operations, track deteriorations occur progressively due to ballast degradation. The associated track deformation is usually accompanied by a reduction in both load bearing capacity and drainage, apart from imposing frequent track maintenance. Suitable ground improvement techniques involving plastic inclusions (e.g., geogrids) and energy absorbing materials (e.g., rubber products) to enhance the stability and longevity of tracks have become increasingly popular. This paper presents the outcomes from innovative research and development measures into the use of plastic and rubber elements …

Increased Beta Activity Links To Impaired Emotional Control In Adhd Adults With High Iq, Hui Li, Qihua Zhao, Fang Huang, Qingjiu Cao, Stuart J. Johnstone, Yufeng Wang, Changming Wang, Li Sun

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: The present study investigated the neuropathology of everyday-life executive function (EF) deficits in adults with ADHD with high IQ. Method: Forty adults with ADHD with an IQ ≥ 120 and 40 controls were recruited. Ecological EFs were measured, and eyes-closed Electroencephalograph (EEG) signals were recorded during a resting-state condition; EEG power and correlations with impaired EFs were analyzed. Results: Compared with controls, the ADHD group showed higher scores on all clusters of EF. The ADHD group showed globally increased theta, globally decreased alpha, and increased central beta activity. In the ADHD group, central beta power was significantly related to …

When A Postgraduate Student Becomes A Novice Researcher And A Supervisor Becomes A Mentor: A Journey Of Research Identity Development, Melinda Kirk, Kylie Lipscombe

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Developing a research identity is a critical space for novice researchers in teacher education. This co-authored self-study explores the experiences of a postgraduate Master of Education student who was working as a novice research assistant with her supervisor and how these experiences contributed to research identify development. Utilising Gee's (2000) Identity Framework as an analytical frame we, a novice researcher and supervisor, examine entries of a reflective research journal and supervisor feedback to gain insights into experiences that both support and constrain positive research identity development. Specifically, we promote mentorship and collaborative research as an effective strategy in normalising the …

Factors Supporting Retention Of Aboriginal Health And Wellbeing Staff In Aboriginal Health Services: A Comprehensive Review Of The Literature, Sara Deroy, Heike Schutze

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction: Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing staff are crucial for successful primary health care for Aboriginal communities. However, they are often affected by high rates of stress, burnout, and staff turn-over, which can impact primary health care delivery to Aboriginal peoples. The aim of this review was to identify organisational factors that help support the retention of Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing staff in Aboriginal Health services.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was undertaken. Eleven electronic databases were searched for papers published between 2002 and 2017 and supplemented by hand searching. Papers were included if they were in English, full text, peer-reviewed, …

Time Effects On Resting Eeg In Children With/Without Ad/Hd, Dawei Zhang, Stuart J. Johnstone, Hui Li, Robert J. Barry, Adam R. Clarke, Qihua Zhao, Yan Song, Lu Liu, Qiujin Qian, Yufeng Wang, Li Sun

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this study we extend on behavioural evidence to examine the effect of time on EEG measures related to arousal and emotion/motivation in children with/without AD/HD. Thirty children with AD/HD and 30 age- and sex-matched controls participated. EEG was recorded during an eyes-closed resting condition and divided into three 2.5 min blocks after pre-processing. Time effects for absolute and relative alpha activity were found in healthy controls; these effects did not interact with AD/HD status. Interactions between time and AD/HD status were found for absolute theta, relative theta, and theta/beta ratio (TBR), with these EEG indices increasing over time in …

Using Principal Components Analysis To Examine Resting State Eeg In Relation To Task Performance, Diana Karamacoska, Robert J. Barry, Genevieve Z. Steiner

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Brain dynamics research has highlighted the significance of the ongoing EEG in ERP genesis and cognitive functioning. Few studies, however, have assessed the contributions of the intrinsic resting state EEG to these stimulus-response processes and behavioral outcomes. Principal components analysis (PCA) has increasingly been used to obtain more objective, data-driven estimates of the EEG and ERPs. PCA was used here to reassess resting state EEG and go/no-go task ERP data from a previous study (Karamacoska et al., 2017) and the relationships between these measures. Twenty adults had EEG recorded with eyes closed (EC) and eyes open (EO), and as they …

Pc 12 Pheochromocytoma Cell Response To Superhigh Frequency Terahertz Radiation Fromsynchrotron Source, Palalle G. Tharushi Perera, Dominique Rt Appadoo, Samuel Cheeseman, Jason V. Wandiyanto, Denver Linklater, Chaitali Dekiwadia, Vi Truong, Mark Tobin, Jitraporn Vongsvivut, Olha Bazaka, Kateryna Bazaka, Rodney J. Croft, Russell Crawford, Elena Ivanova

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

High frequency (HF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) have been widely used in many wireless communication devices, yet within the terahertz (THz) range, their effects on biological systems are poorly understood. In this study, electromagnetic radiation in the range of 0.3-19.5 x 10 12 Hz, generated using a synchrotron light source, was used to investigate the response of PC 12 neuron-like pheochromocytoma cells to THz irradiation. The PC 12 cells remained viable and physiologically healthy, as confirmed by a panel of biological assays; however, exposure to THz radiation for 10 min at 25.2 ± 0.4 ◦ C was sufficient to induce a …

Data-Driven Derivation Of Natural Eeg Frequency Components: An Optimised Example Assessing Resting Eeg In Healthy Ageing, Robert J. Barry, Frances M. De Blasio, Diana Karamacoska

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: The majority of electroencephalographic (EEG) investigations in normal ageing have determined EEG spectra from epochs recorded in the eyes-closed (EC) and/or eyes-open (EO) resting states, and summed amplitudes or power estimates within somewhat-arbitrary and/or inconsistently defined traditional frequency band limits. New method: Natural frequency components were sought using a data-driven frequency Principal Components Analysis (f-PCA) approach, optimised to reduce between-condition and between-group misallocation of variance. Frequency component correspondence was screened using the Congruence Coefficient and topographic correlations for potential matches on Condition and/or Group. The amplitudes of corresponding natural components were then explored as a function of these independent …

David Gillespie's 'Teen Brain': A Valid Argument Let Down By Selective Science And Over-The-Top Claims, Sarah P. Loughran

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Screen time has arguably become the most concerning aspect of development for modern-day parents. A 2015 poll identified children's excessive screen time as the number one concern for parents, overtaking more traditional concerns such as obesity and not getting enough physical activity.

Developing And Applying A Deductive Coding Framework To Assess The Goals Of Citizen/Community Jury Deliberations, Anna Mae Scott, Rebecca Sims, Christopher J. Degeling, Stacy M. Carter, Rae Thomas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Public participation in health policy decision making is thought to improve the quality of the decisions and enhance their legitimacy. Citizen/Community Juries (CJs) are a form of public participation that aims to elicit an informed community perspective on controversial topics. Reporting standards for CJ processes have already been proposed. However, less clarity exists about the standards for what constitutes a good quality CJ deliberation-we aim to begin to address this gap here.

Methods: We identified the goals that underlie CJs and searched the literature to identify existing frameworks assessing the quality of CJ deliberations. We then mapped the items …

An Internet-Supported School Physical Activity Intervention In Low Socioeconomic Status Communities: Results From The Activity And Motivation In Physical Education (Amped) Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial, Chris Lonsdale, Aidan Lester, Katherine B. Owen, Rhiannon L. White, Louisa R. Peralta, Morwenna Kirwan, Thierno M.O Diallo, Anthony Maeder, Andrew Bennie, Freya Macmillan, Gregory S. Kolt, Nikos Ntoumanis, Jennifer M. Gore, Ester Cerin, Dylan P. Cliff, David R. Lubans

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective Quality physical education (PE) is the cornerstone of comprehensive school physical activity (PA) promotion programmes. We tested the efficacy of a teacher professional learning intervention, delivered partially via the internet, designed to maximise opportunities for students to be active during PE lessons and enhance adolescents’ motivation towards PE and PA.

Methods A two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial with teachers and Grade 8 students from secondary schools in low socioeconomic areas of Western Sydney, Australia. The Activity and Motivation in Physical Education (AMPED) intervention for secondary school PE teachers included workshops, online learning, implementation tasks and mentoring sessions. The primary …

Antenatal Depression Symptoms In Pacific Women: Evidence From Growing Up In New Zealand, Frances Mcdaid, Lisa Underwood, Jacinta Fa'alili-Fidow, Karen E. Waldie, Elizabeth R. Peterson, Amy L. Bird, Stephanie D'Souza, Susan Morton

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

INTRODUCTION: Pacific women in New Zealand (NZ) have higher rates of antenatal depression than women from other ethnic groups. AIM: To identify factors that are significantly associated with depression symptoms in pregnant Pacific women living in NZ.

METHODS: Data were collected from 5657 pregnant women, 727 of whom identified their ethnicity as Pacific Island. Antenatal depression symptoms were measured using the Edinburgh Depression Scale with scores above 12 indicating elevated antenatal depression symptoms (ADS).

RESULTS: Pacific women had significantly higher rates of ADS than non-Pacific women, with 23% of pregnant Pacific women experiencing ADS. Factors associated with ADS for Pacific …