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This paper addresses a gap in research regarding the efficacy of software programs to help children with reading difficulties. Forty-two children aged 5-13 years identified as poor readers participated in a study over twelve weeks using ReadingDoctor, a software program targeting phonemic awareness, orthographic-phonemic mappings, decoding ability and sight word recognition. Measures were taken using the Sutherland Phonological Awareness Test - Revised (SPAT-R), the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE), and the graphemes and decoding subtests of the Phonological Awareness Test 2 (PAT-2). A quasi-experimental one group study with three multiple baseline measures was used. The dependent variables/measures were assessed seven times over a period of 32 weeks, allowing the research to be completed in the school-allocated timeframe. Significant improvements were found on all three measures of phonological/phonemic awareness and word-reading efficiency. These improvements were maintained when assessed three months later, during which time the software program was not used.

This paper is about the millennial generation. Much has been written about the generation: their character; beliefs; motivations; values; and future potentialities. This literature has gained momentum as marketers, employers, and educators seek to understand the generation as they come of age and enter into positions of social responsibility. The purpose of this paper is to examine the claims made about the Millennials, determine who are making these claims and why, and discuss the utility of such claims for teacher educators. This paper argues that teacher educators should be cautious about accepting and adopting popular discourses about the generation as a basis for the designing and developing millennial appropriate educational practices and pedagogy.

This paper reports findings from a 2-year Australian study that explored children's perceptions of the meaning and value of the arts, and accounts of their engagement in arts activities in school and youth arts settings. The research also aimed to develop data generation methods sensitive to the ways children communicate and make meaning. The 570 children who participated in the project ranged in age between 5 and 18 years. Different approaches to access children's perspectives were used with different age groups. This paper focuses on the youngest children in the study (ages 5-8) working in school settings, and the data generated with them through small group interviews and drawing elicitation techniques. Through the findings young children's accounts of their engagement in the arts in everyday life are heard. The paper also provides opportunity to explore the methodological challenges of undertaking research with young children that seeks to engage them as active participants in the investigative process.

Scholars in critical masculinities studies argue that we need men involved and engaged in gender equity movements for gender justice to be realised. Yet we need to know more about how different groups of men are understanding gender equity and what the barriers might be. Amidst significant media interest in elite private boys' schooling and its possible (re)production of sexist cultures, this paper explores how 13 men who attended such schools in Australia between the 1970s and the 2000s understand gender justice, revealing a diversity of positions and practices across the different generational groups. We argue the men's engagements with gender justice are shaped by a broad 'curriculum of privilege' including school and non-school based experiences that mediates their lives. Further research with both elite boys' schools and their alumni is needed to better understand generational change in their engagements with gender justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to first explore whether Australia and the main metropolitan areas demonstrate significant differences in tenure and property type between generational groups. Second, whether the millennial generation is more likely to rent rather than own. Third, if such variation in tenure and property type by millennials is one of individual choice and lifestyle or the impact of housing market inefficiencies. Design/methodology/approach: This paper employs a comparative research approach using secondary data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to consider housing tenure and type distributions across generations as well as through cross-city analysis. Findings: The results show that home ownership is still the dominant tenure in Australia, but private rental is of increasing significance, becoming the tenure of choice for Millennials. Owner occupation is shown to remain and high and stable levels for older generations and while lower in percentage terms for Generation X; this generation exhibits the highest growth rate for ownership. Significant differences are shown in tenure patterns across Australia. Originality/value: The significance of this paper is the focus on the analysis of generational differences in housing tenure and type, initially for Australia and subsequently by major metropolitan areas over three inter-census periods (2006, 2011 and 2016). It enhances the understanding of how policies favouring ageing in place can contradict other policies on housing affordability with specific impact on Millennials as different generations are respectively unequally locked-out and locked-in to housing wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used a retrospective cohort study to measure the impact of caring for children on female Australian researchers. Our aim was to see whether caring for children was associated with reduced outputs and collaboration. Women were randomly selected for inclusion if they published a first author paper in one of three Australian journals during 2007 to 2015, women who did not publish during this time were not included. One-hundred and sixty women were approached and 95 (59%) completed a survey on their history of caring for children. Two key outcomes were the women's publication and citation counts, which were accessed from Scopus. We also examined the number of authors, affiliations and countries on their published papers, as a reduction in these numbers could indicate an impaired ability to collaborate. We examined the probability of being first or last author as a measure of esteem. There was a small increase in publication counts after the first child that was reversed after the second child. Average citations counts declined after children, particularly after the second child. There was some evidence of a reduced collaboration with overseas collaborators after the first child. The probability of being the last author increased after the second child. Three women were identified as statistically influential and all three had children and were in the top 10% of overall publications and citations. After removing these women the estimated changes in outcomes were noticeably different for most of the outcomes. The repeated presence of statistically influential women shows that it may be impossible to find an "average impact" of caring for children when considering research output. Adjustments may need to be made individually, with women explaining how caring for children has altered their career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework, the purpose of this paper is to explore whether the standard TPB constructs explained variance in Generation Y (Gen Y) individuals' intentions to join their ideal organisation. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed methods approach was used featuring qualitative and quantitative methods. Findings: The overall TPB model accounted for a significant 51.6 per cent of the variance in intention to join one's ideal organisation in the next six months with the significant predictors in the model being subjective norm and perceived behaviour control but not attitude. Research limitations/implications: Using graduating students from a single Australian university sample may mean that the current findings may not extend to all Gen Y individuals. The current study has demonstrated the explanatory utility of the TPB in relation to graduate Gen Y's intention to join their ideal organisation, providing further evidence of the robustness of the TPB framework in an organisational setting. Practical implications: These findings have implications for enhancing understanding of the most effective recruitment processes for Gen Y students entering the workforce. The findings could inform recruitment policies and strategies to attract Gen Y applicants. Originality/value: To the authors' knowledge this study is the first application of the TPB to this topic. The current research extends the recruitment literature with a theoretically based investigation. Identification of factors which inform organisational recruitment strategies, allow organisations to stand out from their competitors and potentially achieve a larger application pool from which to select the best human capital and sustain competitive advantage.

Purpose: Generation Y (Gen Y) is the newest and largest generation entering the workforce. Gen Y may differ from previous generations in work-related characteristics which may have recruitment and retention repercussions. Currently, limited theoretically-based research exists regarding Gen Y's work expectations and goals in relation to undergraduate students and graduates. The aim of this paper is to attempt to address this gap in the research. Design/methodology/approach: This study conducted a theoretically-based investigation of the work expectations and goals of Generation Y and, in particular, student Gen Y versus working Gen Y individuals based within a framework incorporating both expectancy-value and goal setting theories. n = 398 provided useable data via an on-line survey. Findings: Overall, some support was found for predictions with career goals loading on a separate component to daily work expectations and significant differences between students and working Gen Y on career goals. No significant differences were found, however, between the two groups in daily work expectations. Research limitations/implications: Future research studies may benefit from adopting a theoretical framework which assesses both daily work expectations and career goals. At a practical level, based on the findings, some examples are provided of the means by which organisations may draw upon daily work expectations and career goals of importance to Gen Y and, in doing so, influence the likelihood that a Gen Y individual will join and remain at their particular organisation. Originality/value: This research has demonstrated the utility of adopting a sound theoretical framework in furthering understanding about the motivations which influence an organisations' ability to recruit and retain Gen Y. (Contains 2 tables and 3 notes.)

Participation in electronic gaming machine (EGM) gambling has declined sharply in Australia over the last two decades. At the same time, there has been a gradual slowing and decline in revenue from this form of gambling. In this paper, we use data drawn from a series of population surveys in a single jurisdiction (South Australia) to gain insights into these changes. In particular, we examine whether changes in EGM participation have been reflected similarly in different demographic groups. The results indicate that there have been declines in every age group, in both men and women, and at different levels of household income. However, the decline has been greater in some groups than others, including for women, for middle aged groups (46–64 years), and for those living in the metropolitan area. The paper discusses some of the socio-demographic explanations for these changes. In particular, we highlight the role of population ageing and its potential implications for the long-term future for this form of gambling. EGM gamblers are now older and are not necessarily being replaced by a new generation of younger gamblers, which has implications for the industry and the State government finances as well as gambling-treatment services. At the same time, the evidence we present here does not, however, indicate a strong trend towards a concentration of EGM gambling in more vulnerable groups (e.g. disproportionately in lower income groups or the unemployed). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article revisits factors in intergenerational language maintenance and shift within the family. It does so through an in-depth analysis of what 14 migrants to Australia from German-speaking Switzerland reported in written life stories and subsequent life story interviews. The participants represent four family types and a wide age range, and they migrated over several decades. Whether they transmitted Swiss German to the children and if so, to what extent, cannot be unequivocally correlated with either the family type or the time of migration. However, participants who migrated and raised their children during a more assimilationist period in Australia tended to transmit their language to a limited degree only or not at all. The analysis of the personal narratives also considers the specific language variety in question (Swiss German) as well as the role of the parents' attitudes and their beliefs about language, bilingualism and language learning. The paper argues that a life story approach is a valuable complement and extension of macro-level research into language transmission, highlighting the diverse experiences and the complexity of the variables involved. (Contains 3 notes and 3 tables.)

Past research has stressed the role of age and generation in climate change discourse, worries, and willingness to act. Therefore, the present paper aimed to examine the role of chronological age (as an arbitrary factor, which represents ageism) in lay people's climate change-related attitudes, feelings, and behavioral intentions. Two experiments in different countries, Australia and Israel, were conducted for this purpose. The first study examined the impact of the age of the speaker, who provides information about the climate crisis and the second examined the impact of the age of the group being blamed for the situation. Outcome variables included perceived responsibility and motivation for the current climate situation in study 1 and perceived climate change-related attitudes, feelings, and behavioral intentions in study 2. In study 1 (n = 250, Australia), the age of the speaker, a climate activist, varied randomly to test the hypothesis that a younger activist would be more influential and increase motivation and responsibility to act compared to an older activist. In study 2 (n = 179, Israel), the age (young vs. old) of the group identified as being responsible for the climate crisis varied randomly, to test the hypothesis that people would be more willing to identify older people as being responsible for the current climate situation, and this would impact climate change-related attitudes, feelings, and behavioral intentions. Both studies resulted in null effects. Additionally, there was no interaction between the age of the respondent and the age of the source of the message or the age group being blamed by the message. The present study has failed to show that strategies that emphasize intergenerational conflict and ageism impact people's attitudes, feelings, and behavioral intentions towards the current climate situation. This possibly can serve as an instigator for strategies that emphasize intergenerational solidarity, rather than conflict, as a guiding principle in future campaigns that advocate climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer support action research is a co‐production method used by groups of people with a shared experience, in order to generate knowledge and mutual assistance. This paper analyses co‐production experiences from a recent Australian research project, which formed peer support groups to explore how disabled people were managing their transition to self‐directed support. Using the project as a case study and applying a community participation framework derived from social geography, this paper addresses questions about which collaborative mechanisms strengthen peer support research so that the research process and outputs benefit each of the participants involved. The project used a mixed‐method, co‐production approach. University researchers formed research partnerships with disability community organisations to support the research activity in each Australian state. The community organisations formed peer support groups, facilitated the groups and communicated group processes and findings to the university researchers. The group members and facilitators decided what they wanted to do in the group and how to do it. The academics provided research support, training, a topic guide and resources for group activities. All participants reflected on challenges and lessons learnt and modified the project as it progressed. Both the methods and findings have implications for peer support as co‐productive research. The process enhanced the research capacity of the participants, disability community and academics, and strengthened peer support, advocacy and confidence about self‐directed support. The findings from the peer support groups about their transition to self‐directed support demonstrated their preference for, and trust in, peers as information sources. The regular collective reflections with the facilitators produced an additional level of data collection and analysis that enhanced the quality of the co‐production, enabling greater participant control over design and knowledge generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research to date has failed to generate a comprehensive understanding of the source of the gender gap in financial literacy in adulthood. Using microdata from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey and an analysis covering four age groups (15–19, 20–24, 25–29 and 30–34), this paper suggests that the gender gap starts young and well before individuals enter adulthood. The analysis also suggests that that raw (unadjusted) gender gap likely underestimates the underlying gap. It is important to establish whether the gap begins before or after children enter school, since policy aimed at addressing it would be very different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues Addressed: Well‐being intervention frameworks may help improve well‐being. The Wheel of Well‐being (WoW) is designed to empower individuals to understand and use the WoW framework for themselves, their communities and in workplaces. This paper evaluates the well‐being impacts on participants of a well‐being capacity building programme using WoW, in Australia. Methods: The programme collected quantitative data from participants at two time points, once at the beginning of the programme (Time 1) and on the final session (Time 2). Surveys assessed well‐being outcomes as well as life satisfaction, knowledge and understanding of well‐being and behavioural changes. Results: Results of a total of 162 participants were included in this evaluation of the programme across nine cohorts. Between Time 1 and Time 2 the participants saw a small, but significant increase in well‐being scores, with no difference between age groups. The number of participants regarded as having a "High" well‐being score increased from 11% to 24%. Increases in knowledge, understanding and the implementation of actions and behaviours to improve well‐being were also observed. Conclusion: This evaluation provides evidence that participation in a short, intensive WoW programme can positively impact well‐being, behaviour and knowledge and understanding regarding well‐being. This suggests WoW may be an effective framework around which individuals can improve their well‐being. So What?: Consideration should be given to the implementation of comprehensive health promotion frameworks, including WoW, to improve the well‐being of individuals. Further evaluation is needed to see if improved well‐being is maintained over longer time periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International students in the secondary school sector are a particularly vulnerable group due to their age and status as unaccompanied minors. The establishment of friendships is an important component of the adjustment for these students as they transition into their new school environments. This paper presents issues related to friendships, investigated as part of a larger study examining the motivations, expectations and experiences of international students from the People's Republic of China studying in Australian secondary schools. Data were collected in two phases from 116 international students and 10 teachers using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, and descriptive analyses employed. Because there is a paucity of information about the experiences of international secondary school students, this was an exploratory study that has contributed understanding of the lived experiences of a small group of international students from mainland China. The study identified that expectations regarding the establishment of friendships are not being met, and that international students from China are seeking more opportunities to form relationships with Australian peers. To reduce dissonance between expectations and experiences of studying in Australia, it is recommended that Australian schools work with both international and domestic students to provide authentic opportunities to build peer relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China-born population have a long history of migrating to and settling in Australia, and have recently grown to become the third largest overseas-born population. To measure their integration in Australia, a spatial perspective is adopted in this paper. Spatial distribution is an important indicator of immigrants' integration in the host country and is linked to their socioeconomic integration. It is generally agreed that the more concentrated immigrants distribute, the less integrated socioeconomically they are; the more immigrants' spatial distribution patterns mirror the local population, the more integrated they are. Distributions of mainland Chinese population at sub-national levels are examined. Using coefficient of variation and index of dissimilarity, spatial integration patterns of the China-born population in Australia are analyzed over time, across age groups and immigrant cohorts, and against those of other birthplace groups using 1981–2016 Australian census data. Changes in the distribution of China-born immigrants substantiate the 'contrasting' dispersion-concentration picture uncovered in earlier Australian censuses. With the influx of international students and skilled migrants, results from spatial integration analyses show a slow but uninterrupted improvement in the China-born immigrants' spatial integration after the 2001 Census. In the spatial analysis across immigrant cohorts, it is found that the interaction between cohort characteristics and lengths of residence in Australia is likely an important factor influencing the spatial distribution patterns of mainland Chinese. Findings of the study contribute to the knowledge of immigrants' spatial distribution and integration in the host country, especially in the context of Australia and a context of broader Chinese diaspora in major immigration countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods for calculating health indicators profoundly influence understanding of and action on population health and inequities. Age-standardization can be useful and is commonly applied to account for differences in age structures when comparing health indicators across groups. Age-standardized rates have well-acknowledged limitations, including that they are relative indices for comparison, and not accurate measures of actual rates where the age structures of groups diverge. This paper explores these limitations, and demonstrates alternative approaches through a case study quantifying mortality rates within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) population of Australia and inequities compared with the non-Indigenous population, over 2001-16. Applying the Australian Standard Population, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander age-standardized mortality rate was more than double the crude mortality rate in 2001 and 2016, inflated through high weighting of older age groups. Despite divergent population age structures, age-standardized mortality rates remain a key policy metric for measuring progress in reducing Indigenous-non-Indigenous inequities in Australia. Focusing on outcomes age-standardized to the total population can obscure inequities, and denies Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities valid, actionable information about their health and well-being. Age-specific statistics convey the true magnitude of health risks and highlight high-risk subgroups. When requiring standardization, standardizing to a population-specific standard (here, an Indigenous standard) generates metrics centred around and reflective of reality for the population of focus, supporting communities' self-determination to identify priorities and informing resource allocation and service delivery. The principles outlined here apply across populations, including Indigenous and other populations internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Middle ear disease (otitis media) is endemic among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia and represents an important cause of hearing loss. The disease is the result of a mix of biological, environmental and host risk factors that interact in complex, non-linear ways along a dynamic continuum. As such, it is generally recognised that a holistic, systems approach is required to reverse the high rates of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The objective of this paper is to examine the alignment between efforts designed to address otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland, Australia and core concepts of systems thinking. This paper’s overall purpose is to identify which combination of activities, and at which level, hold the potential to facilitate systems changes to better support ear health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Methods: We began with a review of documents identified in consultation with stakeholders and an online search. In addition, key informants were invited to participate in an online survey and a face-to-face or phone interview. Qualitative interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were used to explore survey responses in more depth. We also undertook interviews at the community level to elicit a diverse range of views. Ideas, statements or activities reported in the documents and interviews as being performed under the Intervention Level Framework were identified using qualitative thematic and content analysis. A quantitative descriptive analysis was also undertaken, whereby data was extracted into an Excel spreadsheet and coded under the relevant strategic directions and performance indicators of the Framework. Subsequently, we coded activities against the five-level intervention framework developed by Malhi and colleagues, that is: 1) paradigm; 2) goals; 3) system structure; 4) feedback and delays; and 5) structural elements. Results: Overall, twenty documents were reviewed. We examined surveys and interviews with six key informants. Twenty-four individual and 3 group interviews were conducted across central and community level informants. One hundred and four items were coded from the 20 documents and 156 items from interview data. For both data sets, the majority of activities were coded at the structural elements level. The results suggested three key areas where further work is needed to drive sustained improvements: 1) build the governance structures needed for paradigm shift to achieve a multi-sectoral approach; 2) develop shared system level goals; 3) develop system-wide feedback processes. Conclusions: Sustained progress in improving ear health within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children requires a holistic, system-wide approach. To advance such work, governance structures for multi-sectoral collaboration including the development of joint goals and monitoring and feedback are required. Intervening at these higher leverage points could have a profound effect on persistent public health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As in other advanced industrial democracies, tax and welfare policies in Australia over the last few decades have tended to preserve benefits for some groups of citizens while the safety net for others is weakened. Young people, including children, are among those bearing increased social risks which tend to be exacerbated rather than ameliorated by redistributive policies. There is little evidence of discontent about the overall redistributive policy context, suggesting it broadly aligns with public opinion. The research described in this paper set out to explore the factors underpinning the attitudes of young adult and senior Australians towards redistributive policy, whether there were differences between the two age groups, and if there was any support for policy reform. The results suggest that the young participants' habituation to neo-liberal policy settings, particularly their adherence to individualistic norms, made them less likely than the seniors to express negative attitudes towards existing policy settings or to advocate reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early adolescence (12–13 years old) is a critical but under-researched demographic for the formation of attitudes related to climate change. We address this important area by exploring adolescent views about climate change. This paper presents opinions collected from surveys of 463 1st-year secondary school students (12–13 years old) in public secondary schools in inner-urban centres in Austria and Australia on whether climate change is (1) something about which to worry, (2) caused by humans and (3) happening now. Eligible respondents in both countries showed similar levels of agreement that climate change was probably or definitely something we should (1) worry about (84.6% Austria, 89.1% Australia), which is significantly higher than either country's adult population. Eligible respondents agreed that climate change probably or definitely is (2) caused by humans (75.6% Austria, 83.6% Australia) and that climate change is probably or definitely something that is (3) happening now (73.1% Austria, 87.5% Australia). Their response differed from the respective adult populations, but in opposite directions. Our results suggest that socio-cultural worldview may not have as much influence on this age group as it does on the respective adult populations and suggests that this age group would be receptive and ready for climate science education and engagement initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) potentially increase vehicle travel by reducing travel and parking costs and by providing improved mobility to those who are too young to drive or older people. The increase in vehicle travel could be generated by both trip diversion from other modes and entirely new trips. Existing studies however tend to overlook AVs' impacts on entirely new trips. There is a need to develop a methodology for estimating possible impacts of AVs on entirely new trips across all age groups. This paper explores the impacts of AVs on car trips using a case study of Victoria, Australia. A new methodology for estimating entirely new trips associated with AVs is proposed by measuring gaps in travel need at different life stages. Results show that AVs would increase daily trips by 4.14% on average. The 76+ age group would have the largest increase of 18.5%, followed by the 18-24 age group and the 12-17 age group with 14.6 and 11.1% respectively. If car occupancy remains constant in AV scenarios, entirely new trips and trip diversions from public transport and active modes would lead to a 7.31% increase in car trips. However increases in car travel are substantially magnified by reduced car occupancy rates, a trend evidenced throughout the world. Car occupancy would need to increase by at least 5.3-7.3% to keep car trips unchanged in AV scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of public health, childhood vaccination programs have benefits that far outweigh risks. However, some parents decide not to vaccinate their children. This paper explores the ways in which such parents talked about the perceived risks and benefits incurred by vaccinating (or not vaccinating) their children. Between 2013–2016 we undertook 29 in-depth interviews with non-vaccinating and/or ‘vaccine hesitant’ parents in Australia. Interviews were conducted in an open and non-judgmental manner, akin to empathic neutrality. Interviews focused on parents talking about the factors that shaped their decisions not to (or partially) vaccinate their children. All interviews were transcribed and analysed using both inductive and deductive processes. The main themes focus on parental perceptions of: 1. their capacity to reason; 2. their rejection of Western medical epistemology; and 3. their participation in labour intensive parenting practices (which we term salutogenic parenting). Parents engaged in an ongoing search for information about how best to parent their children (capacity to reason), which for many led to questioning/distrust of traditional scientific knowledge (rejection of Western medical epistemology). Salutogenic parenting spontaneously arose in interviews, whereby parents practised health promoting activities which they saw as boosting the natural immunity of their children and protecting them from illness (reducing or negating the perceived need for vaccinations). Salutogenic parenting practices included breastfeeding, eating organic and/or home-grown food, cooking from scratch to reduce preservative consumption and reducing exposure to toxins. We interpret our data as a ‘logic of care’, which is seen by parents as internally consistent, logically inter-related and inter-dependent. Whilst not necessarily sharing the parents’ reasoning, we argue that an understanding of their attitudes towards health and well-being is imperative for any efforts to engage with their vaccine refusal at a policy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Unintentional drowning deaths are only part of the drowning profile, with little attention being paid to intentional drowning in Australia. Strategies for the prevention of intentional drowning deaths are likely to be different from unintentional. Quality documentation, analysis and dissemination of intentional deaths data is crucial for developing appropriate strategies for prevention. Objective: To conduct a systematic literature review to investigate the mortality rates and risk factors of intentional drowning deaths in Australia. Methods: A systematic search guided by PRISMA was performed using Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO (ProQuest), Scopus, Google Scholar, and BioMed Central databases to locate relevant original research articles published between 2007 and 2018. Results: Ten papers reporting the mortality rates and risk factors of intentional drowning deaths in Australia published between 2007 and 2018, with study periods of the included articles spanning from 1907 to 2012, were reviewed. Most studies investigated suicidal drowning deaths in Australia, none reported homicidal drowning deaths. The downward trend of fatal suicide drowning was identified in Australia. The annual rate of intentional drowning between 1994 and 2012 can be inferred from eight studies, ranging from 0.06 to 0.21 for nation-wide mortality rates. The highest annual state-wide mortality rate was identified in the state of Queensland, ranging from 0.02 to 0.11 per 100,000 individuals. Of four studies examining the risk factors of fatal intentional drowning in Australia, being of older age groups, being female, and the presence of substance use were identified as important factors for suicidal drowning deaths. The national-scale proportion of suicide drowning in Australia, ranging from 2% to 3% of all intentional self-harm deaths, was also identified. Conclusion: Limited publications reporting the mortality rates and risk factors of intentional drowning deaths in Australia were identified. Being of older age groups and being female were recognised as factors for suicide drowning deaths, and psychoactive substances were widely identified amongst cases. Future research on improving death reporting systems and the legal framework for medico-legal death investigation, along with the investigation of the risk factors of intentional drowning, are required to inform the planning, implementation, and evaluation of prevention interventions for intentional drowning deaths in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of challenging behaviours in children impacts upon families, educational settings, and within the broader society of Australia. Challenging behaviours develop early in an individual's life and can lead to more serious problems including substance abuse and delinquency in adolescence and adulthood. Given the high incidence of challenging behaviours in children, the need for prevention and early intervention strategies to target the onset and development of this phenomenon is paramount. Further, research in prevention needs to focus on how approaches to early intervention and prevention operate within a cross-cultural context. The Early Impact (EI) program is an early intervention and prevention program designed to reduce the incidence of conduct problems in children. It provides a framework for regular classroom teachers to equip them in working with children presenting challenging behaviours in the school setting. Further, the EI program serves to promote stronger partnerships between schools and families to best address the diverse needs of this population of children and ameliorate the stresses for school personnel and families associated with working with children at-risk of challenging behaviour. This paper explores the psychosocial variables that influence the child's trajectory towards dysfunction. It also provides a description of the EI program design including its philosophical framework that has been informed by current advances in the psychology literature which underpins the various EI program components. Finally, the paper emphasises the significance of comprehensive interventions programs for children and families at-risk that focus on both school and home settings and that are easily implemented in, and cost-effective to, community populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Economic evaluation of healthcare typically assumes that an identical health gain to different patients has the same social value. There is some evidence that the public may give greater value to gains for children and young people, although this evidence is not always consistent. We present a mixed methods study protocol where we aim to explore public preferences regarding health gains to children and young people relative to adults, in an Australian setting. Methods: This study is a Person Trade Off (PTO) choice experiment that incorporates qualitative components. Within the PTO questions, respondents will be asked to choose between treating different groups of patients that may differ in terms of patient characteristics and group size. PTO questions will be included in an online survey to explore respondent views on the relative value of health gains to different age groups in terms of extending life and improving different aspects of quality of life. The survey will also contain attitudinal questions to help understand the impact of question style upon reported preferences. Additionally, the study will test the impact of forcing respondents to express a preference between two groups compared with allowing them to report that the two groups are equivalent. One-to-one 'think aloud', semi-structured interviews will be conducted to explore a sub-sample of respondents' motivations and views in more detail. Focus groups will be conducted with members of the public to discuss the study findings and explore their views on the role of public preferences in health care prioritisation based on patient age. Discussion: Our planned study will provide valuable information to healthcare decision makers in Australia who may need to decide whether to pay more for health gains for children and young people compared with adults. Additionally, the methodological test of forcing respondent choice or allowing them to express equivalence will contribute towards developing best practice methods in PTO studies. The rationale for and advantages of the study approach and potential limitations are discussed in the protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin and the Precambrian tectonic evolution of the Alxa Block have not been well studied, largely due to widespread desert coverage and a lack of high-resolution geochronological data. This paper reports zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotopic data for the Langshan Group in the northeastern Alxa Block. Detrital zircons from the Langshan Group mainly provide U–Pb ages between ca. 2000 Ma and 1100 Ma, suggesting that their provenance was dominated by late Palaeoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic rocks, which yield two main peak ages at 1592 Ma and 1745 Ma. These zircons possess εHf (t) values between − 15 and + 8, implying the derivation of their precursor magmas from old crust and juvenile materials. Zircon U–Pb dating yields ages of 898 ± 4 Ma and 808 ± 4 Ma for the granite cobbles in coarse conglomerate in the Fourth Formation and the diorite intruding into the Second Formation of the Langshan Group, which constrains the depositional age of the main part of the Langshan Group to between 898 and 804 Ma. Our data show that the Langshan Group was probably deposited in an intra-continental rift basin and originated from recycled orogens. The geochronology and palaeocurrent data indicate that the North China Craton (NCC) could not have provided source materials for the Langshan Group. Instead, the Langshan Group shares a similar origin and detrital zircon age spectrum with the Beishan Complex in the South Beishan Collage. Combining these findings with published data, we propose that the Alxa Block was not a part of the NCC during the Neoproterozoic but a Precambrian micro-continent block. The Alxa Block recorded footprints that are related to the late amalgamation of the Rodinia supercontinent and the initial breakup. We suggest that the Alxa Block laid between Australia and Laurentia in the Rodinia supercontinent during the Neoproterozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Home visiting programs are implemented in high income countries to improve outcomes for families with young children. Significant resources are invested in such programs and high quality evaluations are important. In the context of research trials, implementation quality is often poorly reported and, when reported, is variable. This paper presents the quality of implementation of the right@home program, a sustained nurse home visiting intervention trialled in Australia, and delivered in a ‘real world’ context through usual child and family health services. right@home is structured around the core Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH) program, which is a salutogenic, child focused prevention model. Method: At each visit right@home practitioners completed a checklist detailing the client unique identifier, date of contact and activities undertaken. These checklists were collated to provide data on intervention dose, retention to program completion at child age 2 years, and visit content, which were compared with the program schedule. Quality of family-provider relationship was measured using the Session Rating Scale. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify clusters of activities and allow qualitative assessment of concordance between program aims and program delivery. Results: Of 363 intervention families offered the program, 352 (97·0%) commenced the program and 304 (87·3%) completed the program to child age 2 years. 253 of 352 (71·9%) families who commenced the program received more than 75 percent of scheduled visits including at least one antenatal visit. Families rated the participant-practitioner relationship highly (mean 39.4/40). The factor analysis identified six antenatal and six postnatal components which were concordant with the program aims. Conclusions: The right@home program was delivered with higher adherence to program dose, schedule and content, and retention than usually reported in other home visiting research. Program compliance may have resulted from program design (visit schedule, dose, content and delivery flexibility) that was consistent with family aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Mental health can affect young people’s sense of wellbeing and life satisfaction, their ability to participate in employment and education, and their onward opportunities in life. This paper offers a rare opportunity to longitudinally examine mental health in a population-representative study of children aged 4–5 years to 14–15 years. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), this study examined maternally-reported child mental health over a 10 year period, in order to understand their initial mental health status early in life and its change over time, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Longitudinal models were fitted from ages 4–5 to 14–15 years. Results showed that child sex, maternal mental health, socio-economic status (family income, maternal education, neighbourhood disadvantage), maternal hostility, and child temperament (persistence, sociability, reactivity) are all independent contributors to child mental health at age 4. These effects largely persist over time, with the effects of maternal mental health increasing slightly over time. Persistence of these effects suggests the need for early intervention and supports. The independent contribution of these factors to child mental health suggests that multi-faceted approaches to child and maternal mental health are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Advancing knowledge about effectively managing the ageing workforce and ensuring economic sustainability for a growing retired cohort is a recognised priority for organisational health researchers, employers and governments. The purpose of this paper is to test social perceptions that older workers' cognitive performance and job attitudes compare adversely to their younger colleagues. Design/methodology/approach – The research assessed samples of older and younger workers in objective tests of cognitive abilities and subjective job attitudes. An opportunity sampling method was employed to recruit a heterogeneous group of participants in Australia (n=172). Findings – No significant differences in cognitive ability between the groups were identified; older workers were as cognitively skilled for their job as their younger colleagues. No significant group difference for perceptions of social support, job commitment, job satisfaction or turnover intentions was identified. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional research design adopted by this research prevented a more detailed examination of the data in terms of causal relationships. While the cognitive testing provided objective rather than subjective data and, therefore, is not as susceptible to response biases such as common method variance, the small sample who undertook the cognitive testing is acknowledged as a research limitation. Social implications – This research has implications for the reduction in unemployment of older workers and directly addresses the social issues of an ageing labour force. Originality/value – The paper demonstrates that stereotypical assumptions concerning inadequate performance and low job commitment commonly attributed to older workers are not in fact indicative of all ageing employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the context of Australia's rapidly ageing population, this paper argues that there is a need to consider the positive contributions made by older people through their volunteer and civic engagement activities. There is a strong civil society tradition in Australia, and a growing body of evidence that demonstrates that older Australians contribute both as volunteers and more informally to their families, their peers, and their communities. Older Australians are active volunteers across a range of organizations, and contribute more time than other age group. Yet there are few policies and very few programs in Australia that promote and support volunteering amongst older people, despite the associated health benefits. There are also significant barriers to volunteering that require attention if these benefits are to be made available to a broader and more diverse group of older Australians. [image omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies an overlapping generations model in order to evaluate the case for smoothing the fiscal costs associated with population ageing. The motivation is the establishment in Australia of the Future Fund which acts to smooth the tax burden over time. The conclusion is that tax smoothing of the order implied by the Future Fund yields a gain in social welfare in the order of 1.0 per cent in equivalent annual increases in GDP. All current generations of workers and retired workers are worse off, with middle-aged workers the worst affected, but future generations are better off and by larger magnitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk exposures and predictions of child development outcomes typically estimate the independent effects of individual exposures. As a rule though, children are not exposed piecemeal to individual or single risks but, rather, they are exposed to clusters of risk. Many of these clusters of risks are better thought of as comprising a developmental “circumstance” with a substantial duration, over which period, additional risk exposures also accumulate. In this paper we examined the distribution of 16 single risk exposures for low language ability using latent class analysis across a sample of approximately 4000 children from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The best fitting model identified six distinct classes. 46% of children were in a Developmentally Enabled group, 20% were in a group typified as Working Poor families, 10% of children were in group typified as Overwhelmed group, 9% of children were in a group defined by Child Developmental Delay, 8% of children were in a group defined by Low Human Capital, and 7% of children were in a group defined by Resource Poor non-English Speaking background families. These groups had quantitatively and qualitatively distinct patterns of risk factors and showed different onward trajectories of receptive vocabulary. Our results demonstrate a range of multiple risk profiles in a population-representative sample of Australian children and highlight the mix of risk factors faced by children. Children with distinct patterns of risk factors have different onward trajectories of receptive vocabulary development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth alcohol consumption has been steadily declining in Australia, as in other countries; fewer young people are drinking and the age of initiation is increasing. However, young people, their parents and others in their communities continue to believe that adolescent (excessive) drinking is the norm. This perception, and the concurrent misperception that the majority of parents are happy to provide their underage children with alcohol, creates a perceived culture of acceptance of youth alcohol consumption. Young people believe that it is accepted, and even expected, that they will drink; and parents perceive that not providing their adolescent children with alcohol will lead to social exclusion. There is evidence that shifting social norms can have an immediate and lasting effect adolescents’ (and adults’) alcohol related attitudes and behaviors. This paper reports on a novel, community based social marketing intervention designed to correct misperceptions of alcohol related social norms in an Australian community. The project utilized a social marketing approach, informed by the full complement of Andreasen’s social marketing benchmarking criteria, and concurrently targeted adolescents, parents of adolescents and the broader community. Using extensive formative research and multiple evaluation techniques, the study demonstrates that shifts in community social norms are possible and suggests that this approach could be used more widely to support the positive trends in youth alcohol consumption and parental supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In a high-income country, Australia, it is unclear how raised systolic blood pressure (SBP) ranks among other risk factors regarding the overall and cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, and whether the situation has changed over time. Methods: We analysed the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, with focus on Australia. We assessed ten leading risk factors for all-cause and CVD deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and compared findings with the Australian Burden of Diseases Study. Results: From 1990 to 2019, raised SBP remained the leading risk factor for attributable all-cause deaths (followed by dietary risks and tobacco use), accounting for 29,056/75,235 (95% Uncertainty Interval (UI) [24,863 to 32,915]) deaths in 1990; 21,845/76,893 [17,678 to 26,044] in 2010; and 25,498/90,393 [20,152 to 30,851] in 2019. Contributions of raised SBP to cardiovascular deaths for both sexes were 54.0% [45.8 to 61.5] in 1990, 44.0% [36.7 to 51.3] in 2010 and 43.7% [36.2 to 51.6] in 2019, respectively. The contribution of raised SBP to cardiovascular deaths declined between 1990 and 2010 but exhibited an increase in males from 2010 onwards, with figures of 52.6% [44.7 to 60.0] in 1990, 43.1% [36.0 to 50.5] in 2010 and 43.5% [35.7 to 51.4] in 2019. The contribution of raised SBP to stroke deaths and DALYs in males aged 25–49 years were higher than other age groups, in excess of 60% and increasing steeply between 2010 and 2019. Conclusion: Raised SBP continues to be the leading risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular deaths in Australia. We urge cross-disciplinary stakeholder engagement to implement effective strategies to detect, treat and control raised blood pressure as a central priority to mitigate the CVD burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Having a strong connection to culture and Country is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of Australian Aboriginal children. The aim of the research was to evaluate the feasibility of study methods and programme implementation of a co-created afterschool cultural programme, and identify areas for improvement. Methods: Aboriginal Relational Research Methodology and mixed methods were applied to evaluate the feasibility of the implementation of the programme and study methods using a non-randomised single-group study design. Australian Aboriginal children and their siblings aged 5–13 years were recruited within regional New South Wales, Australia. The primary outcomes for feasibility included recruitment rates of children and Aboriginal programme mentors, compliance rates of outcome data collection and of the planned programme activities, programme attendance, retention rates and mean enjoyment scores. Follow-up yarning circles were conducted with the children, their parents/caregivers, programme mentors and teachers to explore aspects of feasibility, and areas for improvement. Results: A total of 90 caregivers consented to their children (n = 111) being part of the research. Sixteen Aboriginal mentors were recruited to deliver the programmes across the communities. Overall, 74.4% of all health outcome measures were completed across baseline (86.5%) and follow-up (55.9%). Only 61.0% of the programme activities were delivered as originally planned. The average programme attendance rate was 70.0% with a 92.0% retention rate. Eighty-nine percent of children reported a high level of enjoyment with the programmes. Follow-up yarning identified the importance of relational methodologies and flexibility within the programme design and implementation to ensure programmes were adapted to the local community, conditions and differing age groups. Considerations for future programmes included the timing of the programme and identifying health outcome assessment tools and methods that acknowledge cultural protocols and experiences. Conclusions: Engaging the communities in the development, implementation and evaluation of the programmes were key to community support of the programme and conducting the feasibility study. Future programmes and evaluations need to be built on strong partnerships and embrace flexible and culturally embedded methodologies in order to be adaptive and responsive to research approaches, communities and to Country. Trial registration: ACTRN12619001224112. Retrospectively registered on 05 September 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unhealthy diet is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, there are no studies reporting the impact and trends of dietary risk factors on CVD in Australia. This study aimed to determine the burden of CVDs attributable to dietary risk factors in Australia between 1990 and 2019. We used data from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) study and quantified the rate (per 100,000) of deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with a disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs) for 21 CVDs attributable to 13 dietary risk factors (eight food groups and five nutrients) in Australia by sex and age groups (≥25 years and over). In 2019, the age-standardised rates of deaths, YLDs, YLLs, and DALYs attributable to dietary risk factors attributable to CVDs in the Australian population were 26.5, 60.8, 349.9, and 410.8 per 100,000 in women and 46.1, 62.6, 807.0, and 869.6 in men. Between 1990 and 2019, YLLs consistently contributed more towards the rates of DALYs than YLDs. Over the 30-year period, CVD deaths, YLLs, and DALYs attributable to dietary risk factors declined in both women and men. The leading dietary risk factors for CVD deaths and DALYs were a diet high in red meat (6.1 deaths per 100,000 [3.6, 8.7] and 115.6 DALYs per 100,000 [79.7, 151.6]) in women and a diet low in wholegrains (11.3 deaths [4.4, 15.1] and 220.3 DALYs [86.4, 291.8]) in men. Sex differences were observed in the contribution of dietary risk factors to CVD over time such that the lowest rate of decrease in deaths and DALYs occurred with diets high in sodium in women and diets high in processed meat in men. Although the burden of diet-related CVD has decreased significantly in the Australian population over the past 30 years, diets low in wholegrains and high in red meat continue to contribute significantly to the overall CVD burden. Future nutrition programs and policies should target these dietary risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION What is the self-reported use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and ovulation induction (OI) in comparison with insurance claims by Australian women aged 28–36 years? SUMMARY ANSWER The self-reported use of IVF is quite likely to be valid; however, the use of OI is less well reported. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Population-based research often relies on the self-reported use of IVF and OI because access to medical records can be difficult and the data need to include sufficient personal identifying information for linkage to other data sources. There have been few attempts to explore the reliability of the self-reported use of IVF and OI using the linkage to medical insurance claims for either treatment. STUDY DESIGN This prospective, population-based, longitudinal study included the cohort of women born during 1973–1978 and participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) (n = 14247). From 1996 to 2009, participants were surveyed up to five times. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Participants self-reported their use of IVF or OI in two mailed surveys when aged 28–33 and 31–36 years (n = 7280), respectively. This study links self-report survey responses and claims for treatment or medication from the universal national health insurance scheme (i.e. Medicare Australia). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Comparisons between self-reports and claims data were undertaken for all women consenting to the linkage (n = 3375). The self-reported use of IVF was compared with claims for OI for IVF (Kappa, K = 0.83), oocyte collection (K = 0.82), sperm preparation (K = 0.83), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (K = 0.40), fresh embryo transfers (K = 0.82), frozen embryo transfers (K = 0.64) and OI for IVF medication (K = 0.17). The self-reported use of OI was compared with ovulation monitoring (K = 0.52) and OI medication (K = 0.71). BIAS, CONFOUNDING AND OTHER REASONS FOR CAUTION There is a possibility of selection bias due to the inclusion criteria for participants in this study: (1) completion of the last two surveys in a series of five and (2) consent to the linkage of their responses with Medicare data. GENERALIZABILITY TO OTHER POPULATIONS The results are relevant to questionnaire-based research studies with infertile women in developed countries. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) ALSWH is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. This research is funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence grant. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the analysis of interview fragments from two young men with hearing disabilities who attended secondary schools in Australia, this paper will demonstrate that masculinity in the schoolyard frequently emerges within and as a collective form of violence and malevolence against the disabled body. Yet while certain individuals or groups may constitute them as 'Other', the young men themselves do not believe that because they have a hearing disability, they are 'abnormal' or should tolerate acts of violence against their being. The young men's emphasis on the antagonistic nature of subjectivity in the context of dynamics of the schoolyard points to the uncertainty of settlements of what constitutes dominant masculinity in a given person between and within other groups. Their stories demonstrate the identities of masculinity and disability as fragile, antagonistic and mediated productions, contingent upon approximate performances grounded in what different male peer cultures deem 'acceptable' and 'unacceptable'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of whether video games with mature or adult content should be restricted from sale in Australia represents a complex social issue. Under the current classification system for video games, any game deemed unsuitable for people under the age of 15 is banned from sale in Australia. With reference to relevant supporting literature, this paper presents a critical summary of the arguments for and against the introduction of an R 18+ rating for video games. Analysis of the key issues reveals that the R 18+ rating issue encompasses matters of accessibility versus restriction of adult material, censorship versus freedom of creative expression, parental versus governmental responsibility, among many other considerations. It is concluded that the known benefits outweigh the perceived but empirically insubstantial risks of introducing an R 18+ rating for video games in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a follow-up study of Shin and Jung's (2016, 2018) research that has examined language shift and maintenance of the Korean community in Australia reflected in the previous Australian Censuses from 2006 to 2016. The present study analysed the 2021 Census and updated the Korean community's language shift and maintenance with the latest census data. It examined the community's language shift by various sociodemographic factors such as generation, age, gender, education, and religion and compared the results of the analyses with the previous studies' findings. The results of this study revealed that in the 2021 Census, the shift to English in the first generation increased from the 2016 Census, possibly due to the restricted migration of Koreans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results confirmed that the inter-generational language shift (i.e., the increase in language shift by generation) is taking place in the Korean community in Australia, and that it is progressing further. The results showed similar patterns and trends in the extent of language shift by different sociodemographic factors and variable that had been observed in the previous censuses. Language shift was higher in females than in males in the first generation, but the pattern was reverse in age groups younger than 35 years old. Those with certain educational qualifications (e.g., a graduate diploma or certificate) had a higher shift rate. On the other hand, lower shift was observed among those affiliated with the religions/denominations with a strong presence of Korean immigrants in the community. These findings provide valuable insights to the community's language shift to English and its maintenance of the Korean language regarding its unique temporal and locational circumstances such as the temporary stop of the influx of South Koreans in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic and its language practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health service utilisation changes across the life-course and may be influenced by contextual factors at different times. There is some evidence that men engage less with preventive health services, including attending doctors' clinics, however the extent to which this varies temporally and across different age groups is unclear. This study aimed to describe age or cohort effects on engagement with GPs among employed mothers and fathers in Australia, and differences in these trends between men and women. Methods: We linked data from the 'Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children' with administrative health service records from Medicare. We used a small-domain estimation Age-Period-Cohort method to describe patterns in health service use among working-age male and female parents in Australia while adjusting for employment status and controlling for time-invariant factors. Our small-domain method assumes a smooth response surface of Age, Period and Cohort. Results: Male parents have lower health service engagement than women of the same age at the same time period. Men's pattern of health service use across time is likely explained entirely by ageing. That is, we find that patterns in health service utilisation among men are largely driven by age effects, with no evidence of periods or cohort effects in health service engagement for men between 2002 and 2016. Conclusions: Differences in health service utilisation between male and female parents at all age-period-cohort combinations highlight a need for more research to examine the extent to which this level of health service use among Australian men meets men's health needs, as well as barriers and enablers of health service engagement for men. Absence of evidence for period effects suggests that there is little shift in gendered patterns of health service utilisation during the observed period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Equine strongyles encompass more than 64 species of nematode worms that are responsible for growth retardation and the death of animals. The factors underpinning variation in the structure of the equine strongyle community remain unknown. Methods: Using horse-based strongyle community data collected after horse deworming (48 horses in Poland, 197 horses in Ukraine), we regressed species richness and the Gini-Simpson index upon the horse's age, faecal egg count, sex and operation of origin. Using the Ukrainian observations, we applied a hierarchical diversity partitioning framework to estimate how communities were remodelled across operations, age groups and horses. Lastly, strongyle species counts collected after necropsy (46 horses in France, 150 in Australia) were considered for analysis of their co-occurrences across intestinal compartments using a joint species distribution modelling approach. Results: First, inter-operation variation accounted for > 45% of the variance in species richness or the Gini-Simpson index (which relates to species dominance in communities). Species richness decreased with horse's age (P = 0.01) and showed a mild increase with parasite egg excretion (P < 0.1), but the Gini-Simpson index was neither associated with parasite egg excretion (P = 0.8) nor with horse age (P = 0.37). Second, within-host diversity represented half of the overall diversity across Ukrainian operations. While this is expected to erase species diversity across communities, community dissimilarity between horse age classes was the second most important contributor to overall diversity (25.8%). Third, analysis of species abundance data quantified at necropsy defined a network of positive co-occurrences between the four most prevalent strongyle genera. This pattern was common to necropsies performed in France and Australia. Conclusions: Taken together, these results show a pattern of β-diversity maintenance across age classes combined with positive co-occurrences that might be grounded by priority effects between the major species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: People with mental illness are a vulnerable and stigmatised group with poor health outcomes including greater premature mortality. This study aimed to investigate trends and rates of change in unintentional drug-related deaths for people with mental illness, describe types of medicines involved, and identify populations at risk in a cohort from New South Wales, Australia. Methods: Features of unintentional drug-related deaths for people with mental illness between 2012 and 2016 were identified in a retrospective review of data from the National Coronial Information System. Results: A total of 495 unintentional drug-related deaths were identified (1.6 deaths/100,000 population), showing an upward trend (p < 0.01). The most common substance involved was diazepam in both genders (males 135/319, 42%, female 76/176, 43%) and more than one contributory drug was included in 80% of cases. Between 2012 and 2016, amphetamine-related deaths showed the highest increase (3.2-fold), followed by codeine (2.5-fold) and quetiapine (2.5-fold). Males (RR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5–2.2) and people aged 35–44 (RR 1.7, CI 1.3–2.2) were more likely to die from unintentional drug-related deaths compared with the reference (females and people aged 25–34). Conclusion: This study found that the drugs commonly involved in deaths are also the drugs commonly used by and prescribed to people with mental illness. There were also significant differences between gender, age group, and marital status in the trend and rate of unintentional drug-related deaths for people with mental illness. A multifaceted approach encompassing both pharmaceutical prescribing and targeted public health messaging is required to inform intervention and prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : Children and adolescents in care experience higher rates of mental illness. No studies have looked at differences in treatment effect amongst age groups for children/young people in care accessing mental health services. This study aims to determine if age is associated with outcomes for children and adolescents in care receiving treatment from a specialist mental health service in Queensland, Australia. Method : This 5-year retrospective cohort study consisted of a sample of 1338 children and adolescents in care aged 0–17 with pre- and post-treatment data. The Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) and the Health of the Nations Outcome Scale for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) were used to assess functioning and mental health outcomes. Results : Data analysis revealed significant differences between the age groups. Age 0–4 also showed significantly greater improvement on a number of domains when compared with older age groups, including overactivity and attention, scholastic and language skills, emotional symptoms, peer relationships, and family life and relationships. Conclusion : This study demonstrated positive outcomes for all ages, yet better outcomes for the younger age groups in a cohort of children and adolescents in care attending a specialist mental health service. It highlights the importance of providing mental health interventions to children/young people in care, particularly age 0–4. Further, it calls for validated measures for young children to be utilised across mental health services to aid research in this area and optimise outcomes for this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we contrast the digital kinning and digital homing practices of PRC Chinese transnational grandparents in Australia from two migration cohorts. Our case studies demonstrate that these digital practices form an integral part of the ability to anticipate aging futures. This "digital anticipation" not only helps to safeguard and affirm social and cultural identities that are often at risk as people age in migrant settings, but also provides the potential to imagine either a future return to China that involves physical separation from children and grandchildren, or, conversely, a future lived in Australia while still maintaining connection and participating digitally in affective economies that extend beyond the nuclear family to encompass siblings, friends, and lifelong workmates. Here the role of facilitated digital access is highlighted as a form of care that can be provided by younger generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The objective of this study was to apply a strength-based approach to examine the relation of cultural and social determinants to high family functioning for Aboriginal people in Central Australia. Design Cross-sectional study involving a quantitative analysis of survey data. Prevalence rate ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs were calculated from binomial regressions, adjusted for gender and age. Qualitative data from workshops with Aboriginal leaders in Central Australia supported the interpretation of the research findings. Participants The study involved 639 Aboriginal people in Central Australia who participated in the Mayi Kuwayu Study. Result Overall, 57.9% (370/639) of participants reported high/very high family functioning, 16.9% (108/639) reported moderate and 13.3% (85/639) reported low. The adjusted prevalence of family functioning was similar across gender, age groups and household sizes. Family functioning was associated with lower family financial status (aPR=0.74, 95% CI=0.60 to 0.91) and receiving welfare (0.88, 0.77 to 1.00). Family functioning was greater with high community cohesion (2.72, 1.68 to 4.39), high individual agency in community (2.15, 1.63 to 2.85); having an Aboriginal language as a first language (1.20, 1.04 to 1.37); speaking your Aboriginal language a lot (1.37, 1.12 to 1.68); high exposure to cultural practice and knowledge (1.45, 1.28 to 1.65); and multigenerational or extended family households (1.19, 1.02 to 1.38). Conclusion High family functioning is a strength in Central Australia and is intrinsically connected with culture. Healthcare providers and programmes that build on the foundations of culture and family are an important approach to improving wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]