Challenges to delivering university health-based work-integrated learning to students with a disability: A scoping review

Students with disability experience numerous challenges when engaging in Work-Integrated Learning (WIL). Successful WIL requires stakeholder collaboration to provide an equitable and relevant WIL experience. Stakeholder disparity around disclosure, accommodations, poor attitudes, and behaviours result in negative WIL experiences for students with disability. Understanding stakeholder preparedness and capabilities, in particular host organisations, is key to providing equitable WIL opportunities. Searches of five electronic databases (CINAHL, PubMed, Embase/Scopus, A + Education Informit and Web of Science) were conducted. Twenty-one peer-reviewed articles published between 2005 and 2022 were included in the review. Four themes were identified: Disclosure of the disability; University staff and WIL supervisor attitudes and training; Surviving WIL and Adjusting WIL to the individual. Embedding a strengths-based approach to WIL through strong relationships between student, host organisation and university will produce safe environments that are essential for high quality and fit for purpose WIL experiences for students with disability

Host organizations\u27 perceptions to providing safe and inclusive work-integrated learning programs for students with disability

Inclusive work-integrated learning (WIL) requires collaboration between universities, host organizations and students, particularly, when designing and delivering WIL for students with disabilities. Host organizations, however, are not often included in the collaborations. This study explored host organization knowledge, capacity and challenges to providing WIL experiences for students with disability. A case study multi-method approach comprising an online survey and focus groups was undertaken. Host organizations, represented by supervisors, providing WIL to students enrolled in health courses at two Australian higher education institutions participated. The perceived need for student disclosure, office building limitations, and host organization limited knowledge of WIL expectations, training and student needs impeded the development and provision of optimal WIL experiences for students with disability. A strengths-based approach is proposed to improve the inclusion of host organizations in stakeholder collaborations, their capacity and confidence to support students with disability on WIL and to provide relatable student WIL experiences

High occurrence of food insecurity in young people attending a youth mental health service in regional Australia

Aim: Despite the relationship between food insecurity and poor mental health, food insecurity in young people attending mental health services in Australia remains understudied. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and predictors of food insecurity, and the relationship with dietary factors in young people attending a mental health service. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in a sample of young people (15–25 years) who attended a mental health service in Launceston, Australia. The survey utilised a single-item food insecurity screening tool and eight demographic, health and service use questions. Five questions determined self-reported intake of fruit, vegetables, breakfast, water, sugarsweetened beverages and takeaway foods. Binary logistic regression determined predictors of food insecurity. Cross-tabulations determined differences in dietary intake according to food security. Results: Of survey respondents (n = 48; 68% female), 40% (n = 19) were food insecure. Respondents living out of home or in unstable accommodation were at significantly higher risk of food insecurity (odds ratio [OR]: 4.43; SE: 0.696; 95% CI: 1.13–17.34; p = 0.032) compared to those living with their parents. Those receiving government financial assistance (OR: 5.00; SE: 0.676; 95% CI: 1.33–18.81; p = 0.017) were also at significantly higher risk of food insecurity. Regardless of food security status, self-reported intake of fruits, vegetables and breakfast were low, and respondents regularly consumed takeaway foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Conclusions: There was a high occurrence of food insecurity and poor dietary intake in young people attending a youth mental health service demonstrating that initiatives to support access to healthy food in this group should be a priority, with potential benefits for mental health outcomes

Cornerstone Youth Services Nutrition and Physical Activity Capacity Building Project: Final Report

Healthy eating and physical activity habits during adolescence help support normal growth and development and underpin the establishment of lifelong health and wellbeing. The eating habits of many young people are inconsistent with dietary recommendations and, along with sedentary physical activity levels, escalate risks of current and future obesity, type 2 diabetes and mental health issues. Mental health conditions predominantly emerge during adolescence and early adulthood. People with a mental health condition are more likely to be overweight and have metabolic complications. Emerging research has demonstrated that healthy eating patterns (e.g., Mediterranean-style diets), based on whole grains, fruit and vegetables, lean protein and nuts, contribute to reducing obesity and metabolic chronic diseases, and to improving mental health. Early nutrition and physical activity interventions for young people at risk of developing a mental health condition are needed. Cornerstone Youth Services (CYS) provides social and emotional support for young people with mild to moderate mental health conditions in the greater Launceston area. CYS professionals reported a need for: 1) developing their capacity to provide brief, nutrition-related interventions; 2) greater access to referral pathways and arrangements with community and government organisations that provide specialist nutrition support; and 3) greater understanding of how they can use evidence-based resources to evaluate a client’s dietary habits and provide up-to-date advice about eating for health and wellbeing. CYS is uniquely placed to support healthy eating in this at-risk target group. CYS secured a $47,000 grant from the Healthy Tasmania Fund to increase its capacity to deliver best practice interventions aimed at improving both nutrition and mental health, and reducing obesity risk. CYS approached the University of Tasmania’s School of Heath Sciences (SHS) and Centre for Rural Health (CRH) to manage the full project. Drawing on their multidisciplinary expertise (including nutrition and dietetics, clinical and health psychology, exercise science, exercise physiology, and physiotherapy), the project team proposed to enhance the existing project brief by incorporating physical activity across all elements of the proposed project. Physical activity is well recognised as an essential component of physical and mental health and wellbeing

A review of Australian universities work-integrated learning policies and procedures: Referencing disability

This article reports on a desktop evidence review of Australian public universities work-integrated learning policies and procedures. The review examined the availability and accessibility of these documents to prospective students with disability, as well as their inclusivity and quality, against three dimensions developed from analysis of equity best practice literature. The findings reveal an inconsistent approach by Australian universities to inclusive work-integrated learning for students with disability. The variability in availability and accessibility of inclusive work-integrated learning materials implies course and university decision-making for future university students with disability may be difficult. Quality concerns included a limited reference to relevant standards, transparent terminology and research evidence in available materials, as well as expired policies and procedures, outdated language and disability theory, and a lack of evidence of industry collaboration. Recommendations from these findings support the development of equitable WIL practices with students with disability across Australian universities