Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gender And Evolutionary Theory In Workplace Health Promotion, Erika Bjorklund, Jan Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Ideas from evolutionary theories are increasingly taken up in health promotion. This article seeks to demonstrate how such a trend has the potential to embed essentialist and limiting stereotypes of women and men in health promotion practice. Design: We draw on material gathered for a larger ethnographic study that examined how discourses of health were re-contextualised in four workplace health promotion interventions in Sweden. Method: This study provided the opportunity to investigate how ideas derived from evolutionary theories produced particular constructs of the healthy employee. A Foucauldian notion of governmentality was used to examine the rationalities, truths and techniques …

The Road To Same-Sex Marriage Support Has Been Long - And The Fight Isn't Over Yet, Scott J. Mckinnon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Today's same-sex marriage survey results represent a moment of extraordinary change. It is well within living memory that homosexuality in Australia was considered a crime, a sickness and a threat to the nation itself. The final Australian state to decriminalise male homosexuality was Tasmania, as recently as 1997. Plenty of gay men still remember the fear of prison terms that shadowed their lives. Plenty of lesbians still remember that, although their sex lives were never criminalised, the police and the courts found ways to oppress and harass them nonetheless. Many LGBTIQ people still carry the emotional and physical scars of …

Reinterpretation In Visual Imagery Is Possible Without Visual Cues: A Validation Of Previous Research, Kevin Kamermans, Wim T. J. L Pouw, Fred Mast, Fred Paas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Is visual reinterpretation of bistable figures (e.g., duck/rabbit figure) in visual imagery possible? Current consensus suggests that it is in principle possible because of converging evidence of quasi-pictorial functioning of visual imagery. Yet, studies that have directly tested and found evidence for reinterpretation in visual imagery, allow for the possibility that reinterpretation was already achieved during memorization of the figure(s). One study resolved this issue, providing evidence for reinterpretation in visual imagery (Mast and Kosslyn, Cognition 86:57-70, 2002). However, participants in that study performed reinterpretations with aid of visual cues. Hence, reinterpretation was not performed with mental imagery alone. Therefore, …

Friday Essay: The Cultural Meanings Of Wild Horses, Michael J. Adams

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

From 30,000-year-old cave paintings to The Man From Snowy River, wild horses have always been part of human culture. As Australia debates what to do with 'brumbies' in mountain environments, it's time to reconsider their place.

Gender Effects In A Multischool Alcohol Media Literacy Study With Preadolescents, Chloe S. Gordon, Steven J. Howard, Lisa K. Kervin, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective. Alcohol media literacy (AML) programs have achieved positive results for alcohol prevention; however, gender may moderate program effectiveness. This study investigated gender differences for an Australian AML intervention. Method. Fifth and sixth graders (N = 165), allocated to an intervention or wait-list control group, participated in an AML program. Student questionnaires were administered at three time points. Results. The intervention resulted in significantly higher media deconstruction skills but did not lead to less preference for branded merchandise or greater understanding of persuasive intent, and these effects did not differ by gender. Gender differences were present in social norms for …

Do Aspects Of Social, Emotional And Behavioural Development In The Pre-School Period Predict Later Cognitive And Academic Attainment?, David Hammer, Edward Melhuish, Steven J. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

© 2017, © Australian Council for Educational Research 2017. Some aspects of child non-cognitive development in pre-school have independently been shown to predict academic outcomes in later primary and early high school. However, the extent to which each aspect uniquely predicts these outcomes remains unclear. It is also unclear as to what mechanisms may predict these aspects of non-cognitive development. To address these issues, the current study sought to explore the antecedents to, and the predictive strength of, prominent aspects of early non-cognitive development (e.g. hyperactivity, pro-social behaviour, peer and conduct problems at 4–5 years of age) on children’s academic …

Enjoyment And Behavioral Intention Predict Organized Youth Sport Participation And Dropout, Lauren Gardner, Christopher A. Magee, Stewart A. Vella

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Dropout from organized youth sport has significant adverse health implications. Enjoyment and behavioral intentions have consistently been linked with participation and dropout; however, few studies have investigated these links using a prospective design. This study explored whether enjoyment and intentions to continue predicted dropout behavior at 1-year follow-up. Methods: Questionnaires were completed by 327 regular sport participants (mean age = 13.01 y at baseline). After 1 year, 247 individuals (75.5%) continued participating in their main sport and 26 individuals (8%) dropped out. A hierarchical logistic regression model estimated the probability of dropout. In step 1, the following covariates were …

Overdiagnosis, Ethics, And Trolley Problems: Why Factors Other Than Outcomes Matter-An Essay, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In February 2014, the non-governmental Swiss Medical Board recommended that mammography programmes in Switzerland may eventually be closed down because they might not deliver more benefits than harms. In the resulting uproar the board was accused of being "unethical." Controversy about mammography has persisted in the UK, US, Canada, and elsewhere, and disputes about overdiagnosis exist in prostate cancer, chronic kidney disease, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and many other conditions. People concerned about overdiagnosis are compelled by evidence of harms outweighing benefits. But not everyone is equally compelled. This may be because of disagreements over the evidence, conflicts of interest, or …

Transformative Travel As A Sustainable Market Niche For Protected Areas: A New Development, Marketing And Conservation Model, Isabelle D. Wolf, Gillian Ainsworth, Jane Crowley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Many protected areas worldwide are mandated to provide visitor enjoyment and sustainable heritage conservation but face growing challenges and competition. To satisfy modern aspirational markets, parks must design meaningful experiences delivering long-lasting participant benefits that cultivate visitation rates and a conservation constituency. Transformative travel can deliver such benefits through participants' psycho-physiological transformation but market insights critical for experience development in parks are lacking. Our systematic quantitative review of 126 transformative travel articles provides those insights, linking experiential characteristics, participant traits and motivations to experience outcomes according to five transformative travel typologies pertinent to parks: health and wellness, nature-based physical activity, …

Exposure To Digital Marketing Enhances Young Adults' Interest In Energy Drinks: An Exploratory Investigation, Li Min Buchanan, Bridget Kelly, Heather Yeatman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Young adults experience faster weight gain and consume more unhealthy food than any other age groups. The impact of online food marketing on "digital native" young adults is unclear. This study examined the effects of online marketing on young adults' consumption behaviours, using energy drinks as a case example. The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion was used as the theoretical basis. A pre-test post-test experimental research design was adopted using mixed-methods. Participants (aged 18-24) were randomly assigned to control or experimental groups (N = 30 each). Experimental group participants' attitudes towards and intended purchase and consumption of energy drinks were …

Impact Of A Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis On Mental Health, Quality Of Life, And Social Contacts: A Longitudinal Study, Xiaoqi Feng, Thomas E. Astell-Burt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aims The aim was to examine whether a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) diagnosis increases the odds of psychological distress, a worsening in overall quality of life, and a potential reduction in social contacts.

Method Longitudinal data were obtained from the 45 and Up Study (baseline 2006–2008; 3.4±0.95 years follow-up time). Fixed effects logistic and negative binomial regression models were fitted on a complete case on outcome sample that did not report T2DM at baseline (N=26 344), adjusted for time-varying confounders. The key exposure was doctor-diagnosed T2DM at follow-up. Outcome variables examined included the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, self-rated quality …

Stunting And Severe Stunting Among Children Under-5 Years In Nigeria: A Multilevel Analysis, Blessing Akombi, Kingsley E. Agho, John J. Hall, Dafna Merom, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Andre Renzaho

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Stunting has been identified as one of the major proximal risk factors for poor physical and mental development of children under-5 years. Stunting predominantly occurs in the first 1000 days of life (0–23 months) and continues to the age of five. This study examines factors associated with stunting and severe stunting among children under-5 years in Nigeria.

Methods

The sample included 24,529 children aged 0–59 months from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Height-for-age z-scores (HFAz), generated using the 2006 World Health Organisation (WHO) growth reference, were used to define stunting (HFAz < −2SD) and severe stunting (HFAz < −3SD). Multilevel logistic regression analyses that adjusted for cluster and survey weights were used to determine potential risk factors associated with stunting and severe stunting among children under-5 years in Nigeria.

Results

The prevalence of stunting …

Societal Perspective On Access To Publicly Subsidised Medicines: A Cross Sectional Survey Of 3080 Adults In Australia, Lesley Chim, Glenn P. Salkeld, Patrick J. Kelly, Wendy Lipworth, Dyfrig A. Hughes, Martin R. Stockler

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Around the world government agencies responsible for the selection and reimbursement of prescribed medicines and other health technologies are considering how best to bring community preferences into their decision making. In particular, community views about the distribution or equity of funding across the population. These official committees and agencies often have access to the best available and latest evidence on clinical effectiveness, safety and cost from large clinical trials and population-based studies. All too often they do not have access to high quality evidence about community views. We therefore, conducted a large and representative population-based survey in Australia to …

With Moonlight's Oscar Win, Hollywood Begins To Right Old Wrongs, Scott J. Mckinnon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

When Faye Dunaway, standing next to a puzzled-looking Warren Beatty, announced that La La Land had won Best Picture at Monday's Oscars, I doubt many people were surprised. Sure, pretty much all of the queer film fans, writers and academics I follow on Twitter were hoping for a win by the new gay classic Moonlight, but we are a crowd that has been disappointed before.

Understanding Carers' Lived Experience Of Stigma: The Voice Of Families With A Child On The Autism Spectrum, Timothy Broady, Gerard J. Stoyles, Corinne Morse

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Existing research suggests that there are several unique challenges associated with caring for a child on the autism spectrum. Despite a growing evidence base regarding autism spectrum disorders and their increasing prevalence, children on the autism spectrum and their families continue to perceive stigmatisation from various sources throughout the community. These perceptions of stigma can profoundly impact the quality of life of these children and their carers alike. This exploratory study sought to investigate carers' perceptions of stigma in caring for a child with high functioning autism. Fifteen carers from Sydney and the South Coast regions of New South Wales, …

Continued Participation In Youth Sports: The Role Of Achievement Motivation, Lauren Gardner, Stewart A. Vella, Christopher A. Magee

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study explored the antecedents of enjoyment and intention to continue in youth sports using the social-cognitive model of achievement motivation with the 2x2 achievement goal modification. Participants were 327 sports participants aged between 11 and 15 years. Individuals high in incremental beliefs reported greater enjoyment and intention to continue. This was perhaps due to endorsing mastery-approach goals. Individuals relatively high in entity beliefs reported relatively less enjoyment. This was perhaps due to endorsing performance-avoidance goals. These individuals also reported relatively less intention to continue regardless of their achievement goals. Findings could have implications for preventing dropout from youth sports.

Current Forms Of Inhibitory Training Produce No Greater Reduction In Drinking Than Simple Assessment: A Preliminary Study, Janette Smith, Nicole Dash, Stuart J. Johnstone, Katrijn Houben, Matt Field

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

2017 Elsevier B.V.Background Disinhibition is apparent in users of many substances, including heavy drinkers. Previous research has shown that brief training to improve inhibitory control is associated with reduced alcohol consumption. We investigated whether a new form of inhibitory training would produce greater reductions, relative to a carefully designed control condition and a proven method of reducing consumption, the Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI). Methods One hundred and fourteen regular drinkers were assigned randomly to one of five training conditions: Control (no inhibitory training); Beer-NoGo (inhibit responses linked to task-irrelevant pictures of beer); Restrained-Stop (requiring more urgent inhibition but without pictures …

Mental Health Workers' Values And Thier Congruency With Recovery Principles, Bianca Glajz, Frank P. Deane, Virginia Williams

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Recovery in mental health emphasises the empowerment of clients to discover and develop hope and a more satisfying life often in presence of ongoing symptoms of mental health.

Total Diet Score As A Valid Method Of Measuring Diet Quality Among Older Adults, Joanna Russell, Victoria M. Flood, Ali Sadeghpour, Bamini Gopinath, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the accuracy of a diet quality measurement tool, the Total Diet Score (TDS) using two validation methods; firstly the TDS calculated from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was compared to the TDS calculated from weighed food records (WFRs); secondly the TDS was compared to a number of dietary biomarkers. Methods and Study Design: Data were collected from a population based cohort study located in the Blue Mountains region of Sydney, Australia. To compare dietary assessment tools, a sub sample of 75 subjects (aged 63 to 83 years) completed the FFQ and three, …

The Relationship Between Neighbourhood Green Space And Child Mental Wellbeing Depends Upon Whom You Ask: Multilevel Evidence From 3083 Children Aged 12-13 Years, Xiaoqi Feng, Thomas E. Astell-Burt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Recent reviews of the rapidly growing scientific literature on neighbourhood green space and health show strong evidence for protective and restorative effects on mental wellbeing. However, multiple informants are common when reporting mental wellbeing in studies of children. Do different informants lead to different results? This study utilised nationally representative data on Goodman’s 25-item Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire reported by 3083 children (aged 12–13 years old), and their parents and teachers. Multilevel models were used to investigate whether similar associations between child mental wellbeing (as measured using the total difficulties score and the internalising and externalising subscales) and neighbourhood green …

How Technology Shapes Assessment Design: Findings From A Study Of University Teachers, Sue Bennett, Phillip Dawson, Margaret Bearman, Elizabeth K. Molloy, David J. Boud

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A wide range of technologies has been developed to enhance assessment, but adoption has been inconsistent. This is despite assessment being critical to student learning and certification. To understand why this is the case and how it can be addressed, we need to explore the perspectives of academics responsible for designing and implementing technology-supported assessment strategies. This paper reports on the experience of designing technology-supported assessment based on interviews with 33 Australian university teachers. The findings reveal the desire to achieve greater efficiencies and to be contemporary and innovative as key drivers of technology adoption for assessment. Participants sought to …

Qualitative Process Evaluation Of An Australian Alcohol Media Literacy Study: Recommendations For Designing Culturally Responsive School-Based Programs, Chloe Gordon, Lisa K. Kervin, Sandra C. Jones, Steven J. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Alcohol media literacy programs seek to mitigate the potentially harmful effects of alcohol advertising on children's drinking intentions and behaviours through equipping them with skills to challenge media messages. In order for such programs to be effective, the teaching and learning experiences must be tailored to their specific cultural context. Media in the Spotlight is an alcohol media literacy program aimed at 9 to 12 year old Australian children. This study evaluates the process and implementation of the program, outlining the factors that facilitated and inhibited implementation. From this evaluation, a pedagogical framework has been developed for health professionals …

Educator Engagement And Interaction And Children's Physical Activity In Early Childhood Education And Care Settings: An Observational Study Protocol, Karen Tonge, Rachel A. Jones, M. Hagenbuchner, Tuc Nguyen, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction: The benefits of regular physical activity for children are significant. Previous research has addressed the quantity and quality of children's physical activity while in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, yet little research has investigated the social and physical environmental influences on physical activity in these settings. The outcomes of this study will be to measure these social and physical environmental influences on children's physical activity using a combination of a real-time location system (RTLS) (a closed system that tracks the location of movement of participants via readers and tags), accelerometry and direct observation. Methods and analysis: This …

The Role Of Community Sports Clubs In Adolescent Mental Health: The Perspectives Of Adolescent Males' Parents, Diarmuid Hurley, Christian F. Swann, Mark S. Allen, Anthony D. Okely, Stewart A. Vella

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Adolescent males are at relatively high risk of developing mental health disorders and show low rates of help seeking when mental health disorders arise. Parents are the primary source of support for adolescents and therefore have an important role in mental health promotion and prevention of mental health disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions of adolescent males' parents on the potential role of community sport clubs in adolescent mental health promotion. Forty-six parents of adolescent males took part in 10 focus groups to investigate parents' mental health knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, perceptions of the role …

Psychological States Underlying Excellent Performance In Sport: Toward An Integrated Model Of Flow And Clutch States, Christian F. Swann, Lee Crust, Patricia C. Jackman, Stewart A. Vella, Mark S. Allen, Richard J. Keegan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study investigated the psychological states underlying excellent performance in 26 athletes (Mage = 29 years, SD = 7.7) across a range of sports (team, net/wall, sprint, endurance, adventure) and standards (world class to recreational). Participants were primarily interviewed on average 4 days after excellent performances. The data were analyzed thematically. Distinct states of flow and clutch were reported, each of which occurred through separate contexts and processes, while athletes also transitioned between states during performance. These findings extend current knowledge of the psychology of excellent performance and are discussed in terms of implications for future research and applied practice.

Relationship Between Children's Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, And Childcare Environments: A Cross Sectional Study, Michele Peden, Rachel A. Jones, Silvia Costa, Yvonne Ellis, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the childcare environment and physical activity and sedentary behavior of toddlers and preschoolers. A total of 68 toddlers (1.0–2.9 years) and 233 preschoolers (3.0–5.9 years) were recruited from 11 childcare services in 2013 within the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region of NSW, Australia. For this study analysis was conducted in 2016. The childcare environmentwas assessed using the Environment and Policy Assessment Observation (EPAO) instrument, and childcare services categorized as low, medium, or high based on their scores. Time spent in physical activity and sitting was assessed over one week using …

Developing Intervention Strategies To Optimise Body Composition In Early Childhood In South Africa, Catherine E. Draper, Simone Tomaz, Matthew Stone, Trina Hinkley, Rachel A. Jones, Johann Louw, Rhian Twine, Kathleen Kahn, Shane A. Norris

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this research was to collect data to inform intervention strategies to optimise body composition in South African preschool children. Methods. Data were collected in urban and rural settings. Weight status, physical activity, and gross motor skill assessments were conducted with 341 3-6-year-old children, and 55 teachers and parents/caregivers participated in focus groups. Results. Overweight and obesity were a concern in low-income urban settings (14%), but levels of physical activity and gross motor skills were adequate across all settings. Focus group findings from urban and rural settings indicated that teachers would welcome input on leading activities to promote …

Knowledge And Attitudes To Sexual Health And Sti Testing For Students At An Australian Regional University: A Cross-Sectional Study, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Tinashe Dune, Gina Dillon, Saifur Rahman, Rasheda Khanam, Laura Jenkins, Marnie Britton, Bernie Green, Christine Edwards, Annette Stevenson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Notifications for sexually transmitted diseases in young people in Australia are increasing. Young people are a priority population within the National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy, yet their knowledge of sexual health issues is limited. In the context of Health-Promoting Universities, we examined sexual health knowledge and access to care of both on and off-campus students at a regional university. In late 2012, 418 tertiary students aged 18-29 years completed an online baseline survey on their recent sexual behaviours and attitudes. In mid-2014, 956 students aged 18-31 years, of which 105 had completed the 2012 survey, completed the same or "endline" …

Pharmacology Students' Perceptions Of Creating Multimodal Digital Explanations, Wendy S. Nielsen, Garry F. Hoban, Christopher J. T Hyland

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Students can now digitally construct their own representations of scientific concepts using a variety of modes including writing, diagrams, 2-D and 3-D models, images or speech, all of which communicate meaning. In this study, final-year chemistry students studying a pharmacology subject created a ''blended media'' digital product as an assignment to summarize an independently prepared technical literature review on a current research topic in pharmacology for a non-expert audience. A blended media is a simplified way for students to combine a variety of modes to complement a narration to explain a concept to others. In this study, the students learned …

The Preschool Activity, Technology, Health, Adiposity, Behaviour And Cognition (Path-Abc) Cohort Study: Rationale And Design, Dylan P. Cliff, Jade Mcneill, Stewart A. Vella, Steven J. Howard, Megan A. Kelly, Douglas J. Angus, Ian M. R Wright, Rute Santos, Marijka Batterham, Edward Melhuish, Anthony D. Okely, Marc De Rosnay

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Prevalence estimates internationally suggest that many preschool-aged children (3-5 years) are insufficiently physically active and engage in high levels of screen-based entertainment. Early childhood is the developmental period for which we know the least about the effects of physical activity on development and health. Likewise, rapid technological advancements in mobile electronic media have made screen-based forms of entertainment for young children ubiquitous, and research demonstrating the impacts on cognition, psychosocial well-being, and health has lagged behind the rate of adoption of these technologies. The purpose of the Preschool Activity, Technology, Health, Adiposity, Behaviour and Cognition (PATH-ABC) study is to …