Healthward ho! : How to keep healthy and happy grades 1 and 2

A book of ideas in stories and rhymes on how to help keep children healthy

Australia's insurance crisis and the inequitable treatment of self-employed midwives

Based upon a review of articles published in Australia's major newspapers over the period January 2001 to December 2005, a case study approach has been used to investigate why, when compared with other small business operators, including medical specialists, Australian governments have appeared reluctant to protect the economic viability of the businesses of self-employed midwives. Theories of agenda setting and structuralism have been used to explore that inequity. What has emerged is a picture of the complex of factors that may have operated, and may be continuing to operate, to shape the policy agenda and thus prevent solutions to the insurance problems of self-employed midwives being found

Tenure, mobility and retention of nurses in Queensland, Australia: 2001 and 2004

[Abstract]: Aim: Data were collected on tenure, mobility and retention of the nursing workforce in Queensland to aid strategic planning by the Queensland Nurses’ Union. Background: Shortages of nurses negatively affect the health outcomes of patients. Population rise is increasing the demand for nurses in Queensland. The supply of nurses is affected by recruitment of new and returning nurses, retention of the existing workforce and mobility within institutions. Methods: A self-reporting, postal survey was undertaken of Queensland Nurses Union members from the major employment sectors of aged care, public acute and community health and private acute and community health. Results: Only 60% of nurses had been with their current employer more than five years. In contrast 90% had been nursing for five years or more and most (80%) expected to remain in nursing for at least another five years. Breaks from nursing were common and part-time positions in the private and aged care sectors offered flexibility. Conclusion: The study demonstrated a mobile nursing workforce in Queensland although data on tenure and future time in nursing suggested that retention in the industry was high. Concern is expressed for replacement of an aging nursing population

Anaemia in pregnancy among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women of Far North Queensland: a retrospective cohort study

Aim: Anaemia during pregnancy is common worldwide. In Australia between 7.1% and 11% of mothers have been reported to have anaemia in pregnancy. Higher rates are reported for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (Townsville: 34.2%, remote Northern Territory: 50%). The present study describes anaemia in pregnancy among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women of Far North Queensland. Methods: Health service information was analysed for 2076 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who gave birth between 2006 and 2010. The prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy, characteristics of the mothers and pregnancy outcomes were described. Logistic regression for bivariate analyses and multivariable linear modelling with and without imputed data were used to compare those mothers who had anaemia in pregnancy with those who did not. Results: More than half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women (54.5% (95% CI: 52.4%, 56.7%)) had anaemia in pregnancy. For mothers who gave birth in 2009 and 2010 (n = 1796) with more complete data, those who were iron deficient during pregnancy were more likely to be anaemic (RR: 1.40, P = <0.001). Mothers (29.0%) from localities of relative socioeconomic advantage had lower risk of anaemia in pregnancy (RR: 0.86, P = 0.003), as did mothers (31.9%) who were obese (RR: 0.87, P = 0.013). Conclusions: The prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women of Far North Queensland is high. Prevention and treatment of anaemia will improve the health of these mothers, and possibly the health and early development of their children

Active adults recall their physical activity differently to less active adults: test-retest reliability and validity of a physical activity survey

Issue addressed: This paper determined the test-retest reliability and criterion validity of a modified version of the Active Australia Survey (AAS) and whether these properties varied across participants' activity levels

The development of national injury prevention policy in the Australian health sector: and the unmet challenges of participation and implementation

For the last 20 years injury prevention policy in Australia has been hampered by poor consultation practices, limited stakeholder involvement, inadequate allocation of resources, poor implementation, and an absence of performance measures. This paper describes the development of injury prevention policy in Australia from its beginnings in 1981 to the current day and considers what measures should be undertaken to create an effective platform for the reduction of the burden of injury in Australia. The National Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Plan 2004–2014, released in 2005, needs to be supported by a whole of government commitment to the reduction of injury. The Council of Australian Governments would be an ideal forum to monitor progress, supported by a cross-government Ministerial Council

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

Depression in multicultural Australia: Policies, research and services

BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the leading causes of disability in Australia. The cultural and linguistic diversity of the Australian population poses a significant challenge to health policy development, service provision, professional education, and research. The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which the fact of cultural and linguistic diversity has influenced the formulation of mental health policy, the conduct of mental health research and the development of mental health services for people with depression from ethnic minority communities. METHODS: The methods used for the different components of the study included surveys and document-based content and thematic analyses. RESULTS: Policy is comprehensive but its translation into programs is inadequate. Across Australia, there were few specific programs on depression in ethnic minority communities and they are confronted with a variety of implementation difficulties. The scope and scale of research on depression in Ethnic minority communities is extremely limited. CONCLUSION: A key problem is that the research that is necessary to provide evidence for policy and service delivery is lacking. If depression in Ethnic minority communities is to be addressed effectively the gaps between policy intentions and policy implementation, and between information needs for policies and practice and the actual research that is being done, have to be narrowed

From little things, big things grow: a local approach to system-wide maternity services reform in the absence of definitive evidence

For nearly two decades calls have been made to expand the role of midwives within maternity services in Australia. Although some progress has been made, it has been slow and, at system-wide level, limited. There are many barriers that prevent the expansion of midwifery-led services in Australia including funding arrangements for midwifery care, a lack of political will and resistance from powerful medical interest groups. The ongoing debate that exists about the evidence for the safety of midwifery-led care, particularly for the intrapartum phase, is likely to be an important reason why policy-makers are reluctant to implement system-wide reforms of maternity services