The Brimbank atlas of health and education

Presents a detailed regional profile of the City of Brimbank, covering a range of health, education and other social and demographic characteristics. Overview This atlas, prepared by the Public Health Information Development Unit at The University of Adelaide for the Mitchell Institute, provides a range of information for decision-makers, planners, service providers, researchers and communities. It is hoped its production will bring a better understanding of the complex interactions between individuals and families, their environments and social structures over a lifetime, and how these factors influence the health, education and ultimately, the flourishing of current and future generations of Brimbank residents. In order to do this, a number of indicators have been chosen to describe different aspects of the population, and, by using them, to highlight differences, especially in health and education outcomes, across the community. The indicators have also been selected to cover the lifespan and offers a perspective on understanding inequalities across life and tracing outcomes at one stage of life, to the accumulation of experiences which occurred at earlier stages

Socio-demographic factors drive regional differences in participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program – An ecological analysis

© 2017 The Authors Objective: To examine if geographic variations in the participation rates in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) are related to population-level socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: Data reflecting participation in the NBCSP for 504 Local Government Areas (LGAs) between July 2011 and June 2013 were extracted from the Social Health Atlas of Australia. Logistic regression models were used to examine independent associations (odds ratios [ORs]) between participation, Remoteness Area (RA) and selected socio-demographic variables. Results: Compared to the participation rate for major cities (33.4%), participation was significantly higher in inner regional areas (36.5%, OR=1.15), but was much lower in remote (27.9%, OR=0.77) or very remote areas (25.0%, OR=0.65). When controlling for study period, gender, proportion of persons aged 65 years and older, Indigenous status, cultural background and socioeconomic status, significantly higher rates were observed in all non-metropolitan areas than in major cities. Indigenous status was strongly related to the poorer participation in remote areas. Conclusions: Socio-demographic characteristics, particularly Indigenous status, cultural background and population ageing, seem to be more important drivers of regional disparities in NBCSP participation than geographic remoteness. Implications for public health: This study provides important evidence to understand the regional disparities in participating in the national screening program

Independent advocacy for children and young people: developing an outcomes framework

Advocacy services for vulnerable children and young people began to be provided in the 1980s (Willow, 2013) and have grown as legislation and guidance expanded the range and remit of services (Wood and Selwyn, 2013). Research has followed the development of policy and services, but until recently has not examined the impact and outcomes of advocacy in any depth. In this article we draw on findings from a study of the outcomes and impact of independent advocacy for children and young people to explore how the value of advocacy is understood by them and by advocates, social workers and other professionals, and to consider what differences advocacy can make to the lives of children and young people (Thomas et al., 2016). Our findings indicate that the outcomes of advocacy in children and young people’s lives can be significant and wide-ranging, including both direct effects on the child or young person and wider impact on services. This complex picture has implications for how best to capture and report the outcomes of advocacy, which we explore in the latter part of the article with the aid of a proposed new conceptual framework

Aboriginal premature mortality within South Australia 1999-2006: a cross-sectional analysis of small area results

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This paper initially describes premature mortality by Aboriginality in South Australia during 1999 to 2006. It then examines how these outcomes vary across area level socio-economic disadvantage and geographic remoteness.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The retrospective, cross-sectional analysis uses estimated resident population by sex, age and small areas based on the 2006 Census, and Unit Record mortality data. Premature mortality outcomes are measured using years of life lost (YLL). Subsequent intrastate comparisons are based on indirect sex and age adjusted YLL results. A multivariate model uses area level socio-economic disadvantage rank, geographic remoteness, and an interaction between the two variables to predict premature mortality outcomes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Aboriginal people experienced 1.1% of total deaths but 2.2% of YLL and Aboriginal premature mortality rates were 2.65 times greater than the South Australian average. Premature mortality for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people increased significantly as area disadvantage increased. Among Aboriginal people though, a significant main effect for area remoteness was also observed, together with an interaction between disadvantage and remoteness. The synergistic effect shows the social gradient between area disadvantage and premature mortality increased as remoteness increased.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>While confirming the gap in premature mortality rates between Aboriginal South Australians and the rest of the community, the study also found a heterogeneity of outcomes within the Aboriginal community underlie this difference. The results support the existence of relationship between area level socio-economic deprivation, remoteness and premature mortality in the midst of an affluent society. The study concludes that vertically equitable resourcing according to population need is an important response to the stark mortality gap and its exacerbation by area socio-economic position and remoteness.</p

A study protocol for applying the co-creating knowledge translation framework to a population health study

BACKGROUND: Population health research can generate significant outcomes for communities, while Knowledge Translation (KT) aims to expressly maximize the outcomes of knowledge producing activity. Yet the two approaches are seldom explicitly combined as part of the research process. A population health study in Port Lincoln, South Australia offered the opportunity to develop and apply the co-KT Framework to the entire research process. This is a new framework to facilitate knowledge formation collaboratively between researchers and communities throughout a research to intervention implementation process. DESIGN: This study employs a five step framework (the co-KT Framework) that is formulated from engaged scholarship and action research principles. By following the steps a knowledge base will be cumulatively co-created with the study population that is useful to the research aims. Step 1 is the initiating of contact between the researcher and the study contexts, and the framing of the research issue, achieved through a systematic data collection tool. Step 2 refines the research issue and the knowledge base by building into it context specific details and conducting knowledge exchange events. Step 3 involves interpreting and analysing the knowledge base, and integrating evidence to inform intervention development. In Step 4 the intervention will be piloted and evaluated. Step 5 is the completion of the research process where outcomes for improvement will be instituted as regular practice with the facilitation of the community. In summary, the model uses an iterative knowledge construction mechanism that is complemented by external evidence to design interventions to address health priorities within the community. DISCUSSION: This is a systematic approach that operationalises the translational cycle using a framework for KT practice. It begins with the local context as its foundation for knowledge creation and ends with the development of contextually applicable interventions. It will be of interest to those involved in KT research, participatory action research, population health research and health care systems studies. The co-KT Framework is a method for embedding the principles of KT into all stages of a community-based research process, in which research questions are framed by emergent data from each previous stage.Kathryn Powell, Alison Kitson, Elizabeth Hoon, Jonathan Newbury, Anne Wilson and Justin Beilb

Geographic distribution of admissions to hospital with a mental health diagnosis and use of community mental health services, 2004

This set of maps outlines the distribution of clients of mental health services in South Australia. This resource was produced for the Mental Health Directorate, Central Northern Adelaide Health Service and complements other health atlases including the Social Health Atlas of South Australia and the Social Health Atlas of the Central Northern Adelaide Health Service. Together, these provide important information for policy makers, planners, service providers and community members working towards the future health and wellbeing of South Australians

A three-year retrospective study of emergency visits at an oral health clinic in south-east Queensland

Background: There is little information available regarding dental emergencies for children in Australia. The aim of this study was to investigate the reasons for dental emergency cases which were treated at a public oral health clinic in a low socioeconomic district in south-east Queensland. Methods: From a register kept at a public oral health clinic, we analysed the monthly number of emergency visits for children over a three-year period (January 2008 to August 2010) with respect to numbers treated, reasons for presentation and types of treatment rendered. Results: During the period 2008-2010, there was a mean of 196 +/- 86 cases presenting for emergency care each month. The proportions of the various types of emergencies remained fairly consistent over the three-year period, with the majority presenting for caries related problems (74-75%), followed by trauma (89%), orthodontic treatment related (2-5%) and other reasons (16-11%). Between 8-11% of cases were preschool children who were added to the waitlist for treatment for caries under general anaesthesia at the public hospital. Conclusions: Trends in the past three years at a public oral health clinic in a low socioeconomic district in south-east Queensland show that dental caries constitute nearly three-quarters of all paediatric emergency appointments