Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Integrated Mental Health Atlas Of Western Sydney, Luis Salvador-Carulla, Ana Fernandez, Cailin Mass, Jennifer Smith-Merry, James Gillespie, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Xiaoqi Feng

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Australians living with serious and continuing ill-health face bewilderingly complex health and social care systems. Even experienced health professionals have trouble navigating this health care maze. The mental health service system poses some of the greatest navigation challenges. The recovery of individuals living with mental health issues, requires a smooth link between acute and domiciliary health care, housing and other social care agencies. The need for simple rules of navigation is strong, but fragmentation and gaps in services remain great, confounding attempts to understand and organise appropriate care and support. The need for deeper knowledge about the mental health system …

Beyond Lockouts: Sydney Needs To Become A More Inclusive City, Peta Wolifson, Christopher R. Gibson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In recent weeks debate on the regulation of Sydney's nightlife has escalated. Thus far it has largely been pitched as a battle between night-time businesses struggling with lockout and last-drinks laws, and a "nanny state" government. But there is much more at stake. Our newly published research focused on Surry Hills - one of Sydney's cultural and night-time hubs - found that underlying the nightlife debate are the critical issues of Sydney's worsening inequality, aspirations to govern Sydney as an enterprising "global" city, and who gets left behind. At stake is "the right to the city". Currently, it seems many …

Preteen Boys, Body Image, And Eating Disorders, Jan Wright, Christine Halse, Gary Levy

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In recent years, academic and public attention has increasingly focused on the issue of men's preoccupation with body image and the increasing incidence of eating disorders among men. Although most of this focus has been on young and adult males, media discourse has tended to extend explanations for men's aspirations for social body ideals to explanations for eating disorders in young boys. In this article, we take a critical look at the way the boys/body image/eating disorder nexus has been represented in some of the mainstream media. In particular, we propose that the boys/body image/eating disorder nexus has been constituted …

Use Of Mobile And Cordless Phones And Cognition In Australian Primary School Children: A Prospective Cohort Study, Mary Redmayne, Catherine L. Smith, Geza Benke, Rodney J. Croft, Anna Dalecki, Christina Dimitriadis, Jordy Kaufman, Skye Macleod, Malcolm R. Sim, Rory Wolfe, Michael J. Abramson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Use of mobile (MP) and cordless phones (CP) is common among young children, but whether the resulting radiofrequency exposure affects development of cognitive skills is not known. Small changes have been found in older children. This study focused on children's exposures to MP and CP and cognitive development. The hypothesis was that children who used these phones would display differences in cognitive function compared to those who did not. Methods: We recruited 619 fourth-grade students (8-11 years) from 37 schools around Melbourne and Wollongong, Australia. Participants completed a short questionnaire, a computerised cognitive test battery, and the Stroop colour-word …

An Internet-Supported Physical Activity Intervention Delivered In Secondary Schools Located In Low Socio-Economic Status Communities: Study Protocol For The Activity And Motivation In Physical Education (Amped) Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Chris Lonsdale, Aidan Lester, Katherine B. Owen, Rhiannon L. White, Ian Moyes, Louisa Peralta, Morwenna Kirwan, Anthony Maeder, Andrew Bennie, Freya Macmillan, Gregory Kolt, Nikos Ntoumanis, Jennifer M. Gore, Ester Cerin, Thierno M.O Diallo, Dylan P. Cliff, David R. Lubans

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: School-based physical education is an important public health initiative as it has the potential to provide students with regular opportunities to participate in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Unfortunately, in many physical education lessons students do not engage in sufficient MVPA to achieve health benefits. In this trial we will test the efficacy of a teacher professional development intervention, delivered partially via the Internet, on secondary school students' MVPA during physical education lessons. Teaching strategies covered in this training are designed to (i) maximize opportunities for students to be physically active during lessons and (ii) enhance students' autonomous motivation towards …

Analysis Of Health Service Amenable And Non-Amenable Mortality Before And Since China's Expansion Of Health Coverage In 2009, Xiaoqi Feng, Yunning Liu, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Peng Yin, Andrew Page, Shiwei Liu, Jiangmei Liu, Lijun Wang, Maigeng Zhou

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To explore early impacts of China's health reforms in 2009 on mortality. Methods Annual mortality counts were obtained from 161 counties across all 31 provinces of mainland China between 2006 and 2012. We examined time-series of health service amenable mortality counts, including separate analyses for deaths from stroke and ischaemic heart diseases (IHD). Non-amenable mortality counts, including separate models for oesophageal and pancreatic cancers, were also analysed as part of a negative-outcome strategy to provide stronger foundations for falsification. Deaths due to amenable causes were hypothesised to decrease, whereas non-amenable causes of mortality would remain uninfluenced. All analyses were …

Configuring Urban Carbon Governance: Insights From Sydney, Australia, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Harriet Bulkeley, Robyn Dowling

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In the political geography of responses to climate change, and the governance of carbon more specifically, the urban has emerged as a strategic site. Although it is recognized that urban carbon governance occurs through diverse programs and projects-involving multiple actors and working through multiple sites, mechanisms, objects, and subjects-surprisingly little attention has been paid to the actual processes through which these diverse elements are drawn together and held together in the exercise of governing. These processes-termed configuration-remain underspecified. This article explores urban carbon governance interventions as relational configurations, excavating how their diverse elements-human, institutional, representational, and material-are assembled, drawn into …

Adherence To Dietary Guidelines And Successful Aging Over 10 Years, Bamini Gopinath, Joanna Russell, Annette Kifley, Victoria M. Flood, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background. We aimed to prospectively examine the relationship between overall diet quality (reflecting adherence to dietary guidelines) and successful aging in a population-based cohort of older adults. Methods. In this population-based cohort study, we analyzed 10-year follow-up data from 1,609 adults aged 49 years and older, who were free of cancer, coronary artery disease, and stroke at the baseline and who had complete dietary data. Dietary data were collected using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Total diet scores (TDS) were allocated for intake of selected food groups and nutrients for each participant as described in the national dietary guidelines. Higher …

Ability Of Measures Of Adiposity In Identifying Adverse Levels Of Inflammatory And Metabolic Markers In Adolescents, J Oliveira-Santos, Rute Santos, Carla Moreira, Sandra Abreu, Luis Lopes, C Agostinis-Sobrinho, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Overweight and obesity have been associated with a pro-inflammatory state. We aimed to assess the ability of different measures of overall and abdominal adiposity for identifying adverse levels of inflammatory and metabolic markers in adolescents. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis with 529 Portuguese adolescents (267 girls), mean age 14.3 ± 1.7 years. Weight, height, sitting height, waist circumference (WC), and body fat percentage (BF%) were measured; and BMI, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and waist-to-sitting-height ratio (WsHtR) were calculated. We measured C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), complements C3 and C4, leptin, and adiponectin levels. Receiver operating characteristic …

Children's Exposure To Food Advertising On Free-To-Air Television: An Asia-Pacific Perspective, Bridget Kelly, Lana Hebden, Lesley King, Yang Xiao, Yang Yu, Gengsheng He, Liangli Li, Lingxia Zeng, Hamam Hadi, Tilakavati Karupaiah, Ng See Hoe, Mohd Ismail Noor, Jihyun Yoon, Hyogyoo Kim

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is an established link between food promotions and children's food purchase and consumption. Children in developing countries may be more vulnerable to food promotions given the relative novelty of advertising in these markets. This study aimed to determine the scope of television food advertising to children across the Asia-Pacific to inform policies to restrict this marketing. Six sites were sampled, including from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea. At each site, 192 h of television were recorded (4 days, 16 h/day, three channels) from May to October 2012. Advertised foods were categorized as core/healthy, non-core/unhealthy or miscellaneous, and by …

Cognitive Benefits Of Social Dancing And Walking In Old Age: The Dancing Mind Randomized Controlled Trial, Dafna Merom, Anne Grunseit, Ranmalee Eramudugolla, Barbara Jefferis, Jade Mcneill, Kaarin J. Anstey

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: A physically active lifestyle has the potential to prevent cognitive decline and dementia, yet the optimal type of physical activity/exercise remains unclear. Dance is of special interest as it complex sensorimotor rhythmic activity with additional cognitive, social, and affective dimensions. Objectives: To determine whether dance benefits executive function more than walking, an activity that is simple and functional. Methods: Two-arm randomized controlled trial among community-dwelling older adults. The intervention group received 1 h of ballroom dancing twice weekly over 8 months (~69 sessions) in local community dance studios. The control group received a combination of a home walking program …

Mindfulness And Emotional Regulation As Sequential Mediators In The Relationship Between Attachment Security And Depression, Judith A. Pickard, Peter Caputi, Brin F. S Grenyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Depression is a significant global health issue that has previously been associated with negative early care experiences and insecure attachment styles. This has led to much interest in identifying variables that may interrupt this relationship and prevent detrimental personal, social and economic outcomes. Recent research has indicated associations between the two seemingly distinct constructs of secure attachment and mindfulness, with similar positive outcomes. One hundred and forty eight participants completed an online survey exploring a possible sequential cognitive processing model, which predicted that higher levels of mindfulness and then emotional regulation would mediate the relationship between attachment and depression. Full …

Digital Storytelling: Capturing Children's Participation In Preschool Activities, Lisa Kervin, Jessica Mantei

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Children should be active participants in the environments in which they engage. However in the prior to school setting, it is not necessarily clear to educators how children understand their role and place within that community. Lave and Wenger's (2005) situated learning theory provides a useful frame to consider this developing sense of membership and the connections children make between home and their prior to school centre. In the spirit of belonging, being and becoming (COAG, 2009), a cohort of 27 children (aged 4-5 years) transitioning to the first year of formal schooling were invited to create a digital story …

Perceptions Of Task Interdependence And Functional Leadership In Schools, Kerry Barnett, John Mccormick

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The context of the research was senior leadership teams in schools in Australia. The study investigated relationships between task interdependence, psychological collectivism, self-efficacy for teamwork, and team member perceptions of leadership functions. A cross-sectional and correlational research design was employed. Fifty-seven senior leadership teams composed of principals and senior teachers within two Catholic education systems in New South Wales, Australia, participated in the study. Data were collected from an online survey completed by senior leadership team members and analyzed using multilevel data analysis strategies. The findings suggest the extent of functional leadership was positively related to perceived task interdependence.

Burnout And The Work-Family Interface: A Two-Wave Study Of Sole And Partnered Working Mothers, Laura D. Robinson, Christopher Magee, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine whether work-to-family conflict (WFC) and work-to-family enrichment (WFE) predicted burnout in working mothers using conservation of resources theory. The authors also examined whether these relationships varied between sole and partnered working mothers. Design/methodology/approach - In total, 516 partnered and 107 sole mothers in paid employment completed an online survey twice, six months apart. Findings - WFC was significantly positively related to burnout, and WFE significantly negatively related to burnout. Marital status moderated the inverse relationship between WFE and personal burnout, and this relationship was significant for partnered mothers only. Research …

Australia And Other Nations Are Failing To Meet Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines For Children: Implications And A Way Forward, Leon Straker, Erin Kaye Howie, Dylan Paul Cliff, Melanie T. Davern, Lina Engelen, Sjaan R. Gomersall, Jenny Ziviani, Natasha K. Schranz, Tim Olds, Grant Ryan Tomkinson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Australia has joined a growing number of nations that have evaluated the physical activity and sedentary behavior status of their children. Australia received a "D minus" in the first Active Healthy Kids Australia Physical Activity Report Card. Methods: An expert subgroup of the Australian Report Card Research Working Group iteratively reviewed available evidence to answer 3 questions: (a) What are the main sedentary behaviors of children? (b) What are the potential mechanisms for sedentary behavior to impact child health and development? and (c) What are the effects of different types of sedentary behaviors on child health and development? Results: …

Electrophysiology Of Facilitation Priming In Obsessive-Compulsive And Panic Disorders, Susan J. Thomas, Craig J. Gonsalvez, Stuart J. Johnstone

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Repeated experience with stimuli often primes faster, more efficient neuronal and behavioural responses. Exaggerated repetition priming effects have previously been reported in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), however little is known of their underlying neurobiology or disorder-specificity, hence we investigated these factors. Methods: We examined event-related potentials (ERPs) and behaviour while participants with OCD, panic disorder and healthy controls (20 per group) performed a Go/NoGo task which manipulated target repetition sequences. Results: Both clinical groups showed stronger reaction time (RT) priming than HCs, which in OCD was greater in a checking, than washing, subgroup. Both clinical groups had similar RT deficits …

Cognitive And Oculomotor Performance In Subjects With Low And High Schizotypy: Implications For Translational Drug Development Studies, Ivan Koychev, D Joyce, Emma Barkus, Ulrich Ettinger, Anne Schmechtig, Colin Dourish, Gerard Dawson, Kevin Craig, John Francis Deakin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The development of drugs to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia is a major unmet clinical need. A number of promising compounds failed in recent clinical trials, a pattern linked to poor translation between preclinical and clinical stages of drug development. Seeking proof of efficacy in early Phase 1 studies in surrogate patient populations (for example, high schizotypy individuals where subtle cognitive impairment is present) has been suggested as a strategy to reduce attrition in the later stages of drug development. However, there is little agreement regarding the pattern of distribution of schizotypal features in the general population, creating uncertainty …

Geographies Of Making: Rethinking Materials And Skills For Volatile Futures, Chontel A. Carr, Christopher R. Gibson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Making material things remains central to human economies and subsistence, and to how earthly resources are transformed. Yet experiences and knowledges of those who make things - especially in the heart of the industrial complex - are notably absent in existing debates on shifting to a less resource-intensive future. We review research on materials and their making, presenting three research trajectories: making beyond binaries of craft and manufacturing; the social life of making; and acknowledging industrial cultures, workers and capacities amidst climate change. Success in transforming economy and society in anticipation of volatile futures depends on material acknowledgements and accomplishments.

Slow Eyelid Closure As A Measure Of Driver Drowsiness And Its Relationship To Performance, Melinda L. Jackson, Susan Raj, Rodney J. Croft, Amie C. Hayley, Luke Downey, G Kennedy, Mark E. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Slow eyelid closure is recognized as an indicator of sleepiness in sleep-deprived individuals, although automated ocular devices are not well validated. This study aimed to determine whether changes in eyelid closure are evident following acute sleep deprivation as assessed by an automated device and how ocular parameters relate to performance after sleep deprivation. Methods: Twelve healthy professional drivers (45.58 ± 10.93 years) completed 2 randomized sessions: After a normal night of sleep and after 24 h of total sleep deprivation. Slow eye closure (PERCLOS) was measured while drivers performed a simulated driving task. Results: Following sleep deprivation, drivers displayed …

Assembling Urban Regeneration? Resourcing Critical Generative Accounts Of Urban Regeneration Through Assemblage, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Kathy Mee, Kristian J. Ruming

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In critical urban studies, managed urban regeneration has been linked to trajectories of neo-liberalising urban policy and urban entrepreneurialism. While the insights arising from this work have been many and valuable, significant gaps remain particularly in terms of the foci of analysis and the conception of politics. In this paper, we aim to address these gaps and to reposition the conceptualization of regeneration as a performed and emergent consequence of 'relatedness' and as subject to a range of relational effects and determinations. To do so we work through four capacities of assemblage thinking that are particularly productive for this task: …

Association Between Serum Adiponectin Levels And Muscular Fitness In Portuguese Adolescents: Labmed Physical Activity Study, C Agostinis-Sobrinho, Rute Santos, Carla Moreira, Sandra Abreu, Luis Lopes, J Oliveira-Santos, R Rosario, Susana Povoas, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background and aim: Paradoxically, recent investigations have showed that adiponectin levels are inversely associated with muscle strength. However, to date, there is a lack of knowledge on the relationship between muscular fitness (MF) and adiponectin levels in adolescents. We aimed to examine the independent associations between MF and adiponectin levels in adolescents, controlling for several potential confounders. Methods and results: This is a cross-sectional analysis with 529 Portuguese adolescents aged 12-18 years. A MF score was computed as the mean of the handgrip strength and standing long jump standardized values by age and gender. We measured fasting glucose, insulin, HDL-cholesterol, …

Physical Activity Patterns During Pregnancy In A Sample Of Portuguese Women: A Longitudinal Prospective Study, Paula Clara-Santos, Sandra Abreu, Carla Moreira, Rute Santos, Margarida Ferreira, Odete Alves, Pedro Moreira, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Physical activity (PA) patterns during pregnancy have not been explored in depth and most previous studies lack assessment of variables such as type, frequency, duration and intensity of activity. Objectives: This study had two goals: 1) to analyze PA patterns during pregnancy according to weekly time spent on different types of activity; and 2) to determine women's perception about health care providers regarding PA advisement during pregnancy. Patients and Methods: A longitudinal prospective study was carried out with a 118-pregnant women cohort. Participants were evaluated during all trimesters. Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect personal and obstetric data. Type, …

The Clinical Effectiveness Of Concise Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With Or Without Pharmacotherapy For Depressive And Anxiety Disorders; A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Equivalence Trial In Clinical Practice, Denise Meuldijk, Ingrid V. Carlier, Irene M. Van Vliet, T Van Veen, R Wolterbeek, Albert M. Van Hemert, Frans G. Zitman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders contribute to a high disease burden. This paper investigates whether concise formats of cognitive behavioral- and/or pharmacotherapy are equivalent with longer standard care in the treatment of depressive and/or anxiety disorders in secondary mental health care. Methods: A pragmatic randomized controlled equivalence trial was conducted at five Dutch outpatient Mental Healthcare Centers (MHCs) of the Regional Mental Health Provider (RMHP) 'Rivierduinen'. Patients (aged 18-65 years) with a mild to moderate anxiety and/or depressive disorder, were randomly allocated to concise or standard care. Data were collected at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months by Routine Outcome …

How Well Are Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Doing Academically At School? An Overview Of The Literature, Deb Keen, Amanda Webster, Greta Ridley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The academic achievement of individuals with autism spectrum disorder has received little attention from researchers despite the importance placed on this by schools, families and students with autism spectrum disorder. Investigating factors that lead to increased academic achievement thus would appear to be very important. A review of the literature was conducted to identify factors related to the academic achievement of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 19 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for the review. Results indicated that many individuals demonstrate specific areas of strength and weakness and there is a great …

John Dewey And Reggio Emilia: Worlds Apart - One Vision, Gai M. Lindsay

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Reggio Emilia educational project is internationally renowned for an early childhood pedagogy that centralises visual arts as a graphic language within multi-disciplinary projects. Loris Malaguzzi, the first director of the Italian project, is credited for introducing ateliers (art studios), as well as an atelierista (visual arts specialist) within each preschool. This paper suggests that Malaguzzi's conception of the atelier as a place for art focused, hands-on collaborative research with children may have been inspired by John Dewey's (1900) discussions about art laboratories as a unifying force for democratic and transformative education. Contemporary educators are invited to reflect on their …

Nature, Noel Castree

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There are close connections between scientific claims about the contemporary world and wider shifts in the terms of societal discourse. As history demonstrates time and again, scientists change our actualite not only through their technological inventions but also through the vocabularies and methods they employ to persuade those outside science to pay attention. Consequently, when Time magazine recently informed its many readers that "[n]ature is over"-one of "[t]en ideas that are changing your life"-it came as no surprise to discover science as its inspiration. In his article, Time journalist Bryan Walsh pointed to the idea-first advanced by Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric …

Feeling Futures: The Embodied Imagination And Intensive Time, Anna Hickey-Moody, Valerie Harwood, Samantha Mcmahon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction Young people with tenuous relationships to schooling and education are an enduring problem for addressing social inclusion. To understand how educational failure is produced, we develop an appreciation of the influence of embodied imagination: the affective, and gesture towards embodied imagination as a form of intensive time that arrests possibilities of some kinds of future imaginings. We contend that young people who 'fail' in educational terms do so for practical reasons: reasons that relate to relationships between class, gender, 'race', geography and experience. There are dimensions of this experience of 'failure' and cultural disengagement that can be read as …

Illawarra Aboriginal Community Profile: A Snapshot Of An Urban Aboriginal Community, Kathleen F. Clapham, Scott F. Winch, Valerie Harwood, Peter James Kelly, Paul A. Chandler, Kate Senior, Darcelle Wu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This community profile report provides information about the Aboriginal population of the Illawarra Region. It is intended to begin a discussion about how research can contribute to the social health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people. The report highlights disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians that are apparent not only in the health statistics but also in almost every key socioeconomic indicator.

However the report is not just about ill-health and disadvantage. The Illawarra region has numerous well-established Aboriginal-controlled organisations which provide important leadership and social health and wellbeing services for Aboriginal people, many of which have survived within the region …

Planned Derailment For New Urban Futures? An Actant Network Analysis Of The "Great [Light] Rail Debate" In Newcastle, Australia, Kristian J. Ruming, Kathleen Mee, Pauline M. Mcguirk

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

With urban and economic restructuring, facilitating urban regeneration for rundown post- industrial cities has become a central urban planning policy objective in Western cities since the late twentieth century, leaving some centres in prolonged social and economic decline. This chapter explores one example of planning policies seeking to regenerate an urban centre. Our focus is Newcastle, approximately 160km (100 miles) north of Sydney, Australia. Newcastle has a long history as an industrial city, dominated by manufacturing and coal-mining in the surrounding Hunter Valley. The port of Newcastle remains the world's largest coal export port. In 1999, BHP closed the Newcastle …