The Oswald Clergy Burnout Scale: reliability, factor structure and preliminary application among Australian clergy

This study assesses the Oswald Clergy Burnout Scale (OCBI), the psychometric properties of which have not been previously described. Analysis of responses from a large number (N  = 3,012) of ministers in charge of Australian congregations showed that the scale’s internal reliability was satisfactory, and that the scale could be represented by two factors, identified, respectively, as the personal and social aspects of burnout. This structure was supported by confirmatory factor analysis. Several demographic and job-related variables that might relate to burnout were regressed on the total, personal and social factor scores. Age is the predominant (negative) predictor of burnout as measured by the total scale and the personal factor scores. All variables predict burnout as measured by the social factor. However, in all models, the predictor variables account for no more than 5% of the total variance. These findings suggest that demographic factors and working conditions are poor predictors of burnout among clergy

Psychological type and work-related psychological health among clergy in Australia, England and New Zealand

A sample of 3,715 clergy from Australia, England and New Zealand completed two indices of work-related psychological health, the Scale of Emotional Exhaustion in Ministry (negative affect) and the Satisfaction in Ministry Scale (positive affect), together with a measure of Jungian psychological type, the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The data were employed to establish three issues: the level of work-related psychological health among clergy; the psychological type profile of clergy; and the relationship between psychological type and individual differences in work-related psychological health. The data demonstrate that clergy display high levels of positive affect coupled with high levels of negative affect; that the predominant psychological type profile of clergy prefers introversion over extraversion, sensing over intuition, feeling over thinking, and judging over perceiving; and that psychological type is able to predict differences in work-related psychological health among clergy. Clergy who prefer introversion and thinking experience lower levels of work-related psychological health than clergy who prefer extraversion and feeling. The implications of these findings are discussed for developing effective and healthy Christian ministry

Esplorando la spiritualita in Australia

In questi ultimi anni stanno avvenendo molti cambiamenti nel modo con cui gli australiani danno un senso alla vita, ai propri valori e alla propria fede. La Wellbeing and Security Survey tenta di fissare alcuni paletti sul terreno spirituale dell’Australia contemporanea. Cerca di offrire dei dati di base in vista di un’ampia mappa della spiritualità, permettendo una più dettagliata analisi ed osservazione delle tendenze in atto. Il presente contributo è una presentazione iniziale, tratta da quell’indagine, di alcuni contorni del panorama religioso e spirituale nell’Australia attuale. Esplora le questioni di cosa significhi spiritualità e cerca di porre l’orientamento religioso in un contesto più ampio

Do penile cutting practices other than full circumcision protect against HIV?

Introduction: Male circumcision provides a high level of protection against sexually acquired HIV infection and is a key element of prevention in countries with extensive heterosexual transmission. In some countries, penile cutting practices other than full circumcision are a part of the cultural landscape, raising the question of their ability to modify the risk of HIV. One such country is Papua New Guinea. Methods: We reviewed information on prevalence of HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and penile cutting practices, and their possible relationships. Results: Based on antenatal testing, the prevalence of HIV infection among pregnant women in Papua New Guinea is around 0.9%. Surveys of STI in pregnant women have found prevalences of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas in the range 15-25%, and infectious syphilis at 2-3%. In three studies of penile cutting around half the men have some form of procedure; 10% had full foreskin removal with a further 30-40% having dorsal slits, with lateral retraction of the foreskin and exposure of the glans. There is evidence of an inverse geographic correlation between HIV prevalence and partial cutting practice. Conclusions: Levels of curable STIs in Papua New Guinea are very high by international levels, while HIV infection is at moderate levels compared to the countries in which male circumcision is now being promoted. The role of partial penile cutting procedures deserves further examination to see whether it provides protection, and if so what this tells us of the biology of HIV transmission

Identity and Religion in Contemporary Australia

This paper draws on data from two national surveys conducted by Edith Cowan University and NCLS Research to examine the nature of religious identification in Australia. It finds that the importance of religion to people's sense of identity is closely related to church attendance, religious beliefs, and the importance of ethnic identity. Some people describe themselves as 'spiritual' rather than 'religious', although most people opt to describe themselves using both terms or neither. The lower levels of importance of religion to identity among younger people are associated with lower levels of involvement in religious organizations. The importance attributed to spirituality has been largely retained through the generations, but is now expressed somewhat differently. For many younger people, spirituality is being explored quite apart from involvement in, or identification with, religious communities

Health communication messaging about HPV vaccine in Papua New Guinea.

Objective: The type of health education messages that communities and individuals seek to have communicated about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is important if vaccine programmes are to succeed, especially in settings such as Papua New Guinea (PNG), which have a high burden of cervical cancer, low health literacy and negative experiences of earlier vaccination programmes. This study sought to identify the health education messages that are viewed as most appropriate in such a context. Methodology: A qualitative study using gender-specific focus group discussions (N = 21) and semi-structured interviews (N = 82) was undertaken in three sites in PNG. Sites included both rural and urban locations in Milne Bay, Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands Provinces. Results: Two divergent discourses emerged. One group of participants, largely young people, felt communication messages should stress that HPV is a preventable sexually transmitted infection, which can cause cervical cancer. The other group, mainly members of the older population, believed that messaging should focus on the vaccine as a prevention strategy for cervical cancer. A small minority wanted both aspects of the vaccine discussed. Conclusion: Sensitivity needs to be taken when engaging with communities which have negative experiences of earlier infant immunisation programmes. Ensuring that the health communication needs and priorities of different sections of the populations are taken into account is key to the successful introduction and roll-out of HPV vaccination in this setting

HPV vaccination in Papua New Guinea to prevent cervical cancer in women: Gender, sexual morality, outsiders and the de-feminization of the HPV vaccine

First study of HPV vaccine acceptability in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. Evidence of strong support for the vaccination of both girls and boys against HPV in Papua New Guinea. Local beliefs and concerns about HPV immunisation may impact acceptability in Papua New Guinea. Suspicion of Western medicine and health care workers reported in rural areas

Multiple paths through the complexities of globalization: : The next three years of Competition & Change

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Hulya Dagdeviren, Peter Lund-Thomsen and Leo McCann, 'Multiple paths through the complexities of globalization: The next three years of Competition & Change'. The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Competition & Change, Vol 2 (1): 3-9, advanced access publication 1 February 2017. DOI: 10.1177/1024529416680875. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by SAGE Publishing, All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Pertussis vaccination in a cohort of older Australian adults following a cocooning vaccination program

Background While recommendations to vaccinate adults against pertussis exist, information on uptake for adult tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine (Tdap) among older adults is limited. Methods We used data from the 45 and Up Study, a prospective cohort of adults aged ≥45 years who completed a questionnaire between 2012 and 2014 asking about pertussis vaccination. We evaluated Tdap uptake following a program providing free vaccine for adults in contact with young children between 2009 and 2012. Results Among 91,432 adults (mean age = 66.3 years, SD = 9.6), 3.1% (n = 2823) reported receiving Tdap prior to the program. This increased seven-fold to 21.8% (n = 19898) after the program finished. Tdap coverage was almost twice as high in women compared to men and among adults more likely to be grandparents than those not. Conclusion These findings suggest that funding for a targeted program can help to substantially increase vaccination coverage as well as decrease disparities in the uptake of Tdap in different sub-groups.This study was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grant no 1048180. AD received a PhD scholarship from the NHMRC. BL, JK, EB receive fellowships from the NHMRC