Australian Program Research Articles

Visibility of alcohol and other drug subjects and careers provided by Australian social work programs

ABSTRACT Higher education providers play an important role in equipping social work students with alcohol and other drug (AOD) related knowledge, attitudes and skills to help them support clients. They also play a role in promoting awareness of AOD-related career pathways. A scoping review of the websites of sixty-three accredited pre-service social work degree programs in Australia found that nine (14%) programs offered explicit AOD-related subjects (n = 9) and 12 (19%) programs referenced AOD-related careers. These findings suggest that many social work graduates may be inadequately prepared to support clients with AOD issues. A specialist AOD credential or program could increase knowledge and skills and promote awareness of AOD-related careers for social workers, but should not detract from the relevance of AOD-related content at an undergraduate level. This study establishes the need for primary research with graduates to determine their AOD-related knowledge, attitudes, and skills.

Australian practice nurses' perspectives on integrating specialist diabetes care with primary care: a qualitative study.

In 2015, the Australian Diabetes Alliance Program (DAP) was implemented in the Hunter New England Local Health District, New South Wales as a collaboration with the Hunter Medicare Local. DAP integrates specialist teams within primary care practices, delivering case conferencing, practice performance reviews, and education sessions. To report on practice nurses (PNs) perspectives on the impact of the DAP on their skills, knowledge, and approach in delivering care for adults with type 2 diabetes. Three primary care practices with high rates of monitoring haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (> 90% of patients annually) and three practices with lower rates of monitoring HbA1c levels (< 80% of patients annually) from DAP provided the sampling frame. Interviews were conducted with six PNs, which were transcribed and analysed using codebook thematic analysis. Overall, DAP was viewed favourably by PNs. Significant improvements in knowledge and skills were reported relating to administering antihyperglycemic agents, insulin, and other injectable therapy, as well as dietary modifications for diabetes management. PNs transferred this knowledge and skills to other patients not participating in DAP. An improvement in the delivery of diabetes care, rather than a change in approach, was also reported by PNs. However, the amount of preparation required for case conferencing in the program was identified as a burden to PNs. PNs were supportive of DAP and identified knowledge gains that were transferable to other patients. The administrative burdens on PNs need to be considered for scalability of the program.

An Ongoing Teacher Professional Development Programme to Enhance Critical Health Literacy Pedagogies and Assessment.

Health literacy is an important asset for adolescents to develop through engagement in schooling and curriculum. The few studies that have focused on teachers, health literacy pedagogies and assessment, show that teachers find it difficult to enhance students' critical health literacy levels and to measure students' health literacy knowledge and capabilities using valid models. The aim of this study was to develop a longer-term PD programme for secondary school teachers to enhance their ability to plan for critical health literacy learning and to co-design with teachers a curricular model for assessing health literacy. Two face-to-face (F2F) PD sessions and two online PD sessions were scheduled with three participating specialist Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers, seven HPE programmes were deductively analysed using Nutbeam's health literacy hierarchy and the Australian Curriculum: HPE outcomes and content. Analysis showed that interactive learning activities were dominant (64%), compared with functional (4%) and critical learning activities (4%). The co-designed curriculum model for measuring student health literacy was also developed for use in Australian schools. The resultant rubric is informed by Nutbeam's model, Broder etal.'s definition and Bloom's taxonomy. To our knowledge, this is the first ongoing teacher PD programme that has embedded co-design processes for teachers and researchers to design a curricular health literacy assessment model for Australian and international HPE programmes. SO WHAT?: The valid measurement and assessment of child and adolescent health literacy has largely been ignored in previous research. This study is the first attempt to co-design a curricular health literacy assessment for secondary schools that can be used by teachers and health professionals.

How Are We Preparing Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Teachers to Be Health Promotors? Examining Physical Activity, Sleep and Sun Safety in Initial Teacher Education.

While physical activity, sleep and sun safety (PASS) have been identified as important modifiable health behaviours and schools and teachers have been identified as vital for health promotion and primary prevention; little is known about how initial teacher education programs across Australia and New Zealand (NZ) are preparing future teachers to deliver PASS-related curriculum. This study investigated teacher educators' insights on their programs and their graduate's preparedness to plan and teach PASS education. Teacher educators (n = 98) from Australia and NZ completed a 30-item electronic survey. Quantitative tests were used to explore differences in the data. Consistently, time spent on physical activity far outweighed sun safety and sleep with many programs having little or no sleep or sun safety content. Of concern, many indicated they did not agree, or know if their graduates were confident to plan and teach physical activity (28%), sun safety (42%) or sleep (75%) lessons, nor were they aware of the related guidelines, health benefits and risks. Findings reveal significant variance in what is being offered in Australian and NZ initial teacher education programs. Findings highlight potential gaps in graduate's knowledge of various health behaviours and confidence to plan and teach related content and their preparedness for health promotion. SO WHAT?: Findings highlight a need to include more targeted health promotion education in initial teacher education in Australia and NZ to enable teachers to deliver consistent health promotion messages when they enter school settings to properly support young people's health needs.

Effectiveness of an embedded oral health educational intervention in an undergraduate nursing program: A mixed methods study.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an oral health educational intervention designed for undergraduate nursing students. The role of oral health promotion and screening has been extended to non-dental health professionals, for example, nurses. To prepare the future workforce for these responsibilities, an educational intervention underpinned by Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory was codesigned and implemented in an Australian undergraduate nursing program. A concurrent mixed methods design was used to evaluate the educational intervention Semi-structured interviews with second-year nursing students and faculty staff along with pre-post-test surveys (validated tool) were used to assess changes in attitude and confidence among nursing students regarding oral healthcare. Directed Content Analysis and univariate and bivariate analyses were used to analyse the data. Nursing students experienced a positive change in attitude following the educational intervention, which was also observed by faculty staff. This was corroborated by statistically significant improvements in attitude (5.89 versus 6.22, p=0.002) with the main area of improvement being a positive recognition of the role that nurses have in oral health assessment (21% increase). Students demonstrated a positive shift in confidence, which was supported by the quantitative data which showed an increase in mean scores post intervention (4.73 versus 5.26, p<0.001). Marked improvement in confidence was observed around the recognition of periodontitis (24-25% increase) which was the key focus of the educational intervention. This is the first time an oral health educational intervention has been implemented and found to be effective in improving the attitude and confidence of nursing students when undertaking oral healthcare activities in Australia. Adopting a transformative approach to teaching oral health is recommended for undergraduate nursing education providers as this learning approach can positively influence practice and behaviour changes.

School-based teacher educators use of a teaching performance assessment as a boundary object

Abstract Australian teacher education programs must include a summative, capstone assessment of students’ achievement against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (a teaching performance assessment). This program accreditation requirement seeks to ensure graduate teachers are adequately prepared for the academic and practical demands of career entry. Research has examined a range of issues related to these assessments however examination of school-based teacher educators’ contributions to this process is limited. School-based teacher educators work across school and university settings with pre-service teachers, drawing on their knowledge of both settings to enhance teacher preparation. This research explored the perceptions of these teacher educators as trained panellists involved in the assessment of one teaching performance assessment. Using constructs drawn from Carlile’s work on boundary objects (2002), researchers analysed the meaning (knowledge), language (syntax) and pragmatics (practice) emerging from their movement between the intersecting worlds of university and school. Findings highlight the teaching performance assessment acted as an influential boundary object which reshaped participants’ practice, on both sides of this boundary. Participants reported expanded knowledge of university and school practices for preparing pre-service teachers. The implications of this include enhanced practice, increased knowledge of conducive conditions for preparing pre-service teachers and improved assessment enactment. These findings illustrate the benefits of expanded engagement of these educators and their effective transfer of inherent knowledge back and forth across the threshold between their intersecting teaching contexts.

Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme, 1 July to 30 September 2024.

The Australian National Neisseria Network (NNN) comprises reference laboratories in each state and territory that report data on antimicrobial susceptibility testing to an agreed group of antimicrobial agents for the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP). The AGSP data are presented quarterly in tabulated form, as well as in the AGSP annual report. This report presents national gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance data from 1 July to 30 September 2024.

Investigating digital poverty and the new forms of agency and advocacy needed in Initial Teacher Education

ABSTRACT Using Judith Butler’s theory of performative subjection, this paper explores the issue of digital poverty in Initial Teacher Education and the need for new forms of agency and advocacy to address it. The concept of digital agency (DA) and educational data advocacy (EDA) are discussed as possible ameliorating concepts for digital poverty and the increasing digital divide in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). In this theoretical paper, the authors employ the concept of DA alongside EDA specifically in the context of learners in university settings where technology is often used but the level of autonomy that students experience might vary considerably. Drawing on the context of Australian Initial Teacher Education programs, the paper calls for greater advocacy around the potential for forms of discrimination, inequity, and prejudice perpetuated as a result of digital poverty. The authors draw on two studies and examine their own practices in relation to the ways teaching academics might act as Educational Data Advocates (EDA) in Initial Teacher Education. The findings provide a novel perspective of the ways Digital Poverty in Australian Initial Teacher Education programs are associated with agency and advocacy, with implications for policy and practice in an increasingly digitised teacher training context.

Body donor programs in Australia and New Zealand: Current status and future opportunities.

Body donation is critical to anatomy study in Australia and New Zealand. Annually, more than 10,000 students, anatomists, researchers, and clinicians access tissue donated by local consented donors through university-based body donation programs. However, little research has been published about their operations. This study sought to examine the characteristics of the nineteen body donation programs operating in Australia and New Zealand. Information was collected from publicly available sources, virtual interviews with 17/19 programs, and responses to a set of questions (11/19). Body donation is locally regulated in both countries. Four Australian programs operate as central mortuaries supplying users in their state, while the remainder and the New Zealand programs operate institutionally. Annually, 1000-1500 donors are received across both countries. Retention periods vary, although most donors are returned for disposition within 3 years. All facilitate the return of cremated remains to the family on donor election. Most programs (16/19) reported that they received sufficient donors, with many narrowing their acceptance area. Pre-death registration of donors is required by 12/19 programs; five Australian programs will accept next-of-kin donations post-mortem. Next-of-kin authorization is required for donation; New Zealand programs seek this at the time of donor registration. All programs recognize donors; fifteen host commemoration/thanksgiving services for donors and their families. Body donation is well supported by local communities in both countries. Opportunities for improvement include the development of regional standards, engagement with donors/the community about body donation, and recognition of the primacy of donor elections over next-of-kin wishes.

Annual Blood Tests Are an Acceptable form of Surveillance to Supplement Colonoscopies for Colorectal Cancer

BackgroundIndividuals at increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) are recommended surveillance colonoscopies as a preventative measure, but timely provision of colonoscopies remains a significant hurdle. Biomarker testing has emerged as a potential strategy to mitigate excessive colonoscopy use by prioritizing procedures for those most at risk of CRC. However, the acceptability of supplementing surveillance colonoscopies with regular blood tests is unknown.AimTo evaluate patient acceptance of a hypothetical surveillance protocol providing annual blood tests between 5-yearly colonoscopies.MethodsEight hundred individuals enrolled in an Australian surveillance colonoscopy program were invited to complete a survey on surveillance preferences. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the influence of sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables on participants’ comfort with the surveillance protocol.ResultsA total of 409 (51%) individuals participated, with 346 (51% male, mean age 63 years) providing complete outcome data. Most participants (n = 250/346, 72%) reported being comfortable with the surveillance protocol. Significantly higher levels of comfort were reported by individuals with greater confidence in their ability to undergo blood testing (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.08–1.47, p = 0.003) and those having less frequent surveillance colonoscopies (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.01–1.58, p = 0.043). Significant associations were not observed between other variables and comfort with the surveillance protocol (p > 0.05).ConclusionsAnnual blood testing between surveillance colonoscopies was highly accepted by individuals at increased risk of CRC. Offering new blood-based modalities to specific subpopulations, particularly individuals who are more comfortable with blood testing, or those having less frequent surveillance colonoscopies, could enhance overall acceptance.

Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme Annual Report, 2023.

The Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP) has continuously monitored antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae for more than 40 years. In 2023, a total of 10,105 isolates from patients in the public and private sectors, in all jurisdictions, were tested for in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility by standardised methods. Nationally, in 2023, the AGSP captured antimicrobial susceptibility data for 25% of all gonococcal infection notifications. The current treatment recommendation for gonorrhoea, for the majority of Australia, continues to be dual therapy with ceftriaxone and azithromycin. In 2023, of N. gonorrhoeae isolates tested, 0.22% (22/10,105) met the WHO criterion for ceftriaxone decreased susceptibility (DS), defined as a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value ≥ 0.125 mg/L. Resistance to azithromycin was reported in 4.5% of N. gonorrhoeae isolates, proportionally stable since 2019. There were 27 isolates (0.27%) with high-level resistance to azithromycin (MIC value ≥ 256 mg/L) reported in Australia: Victoria (13), New South Wales (11), non-remote Western Australia (2) and Queensland (1). This is the highest number ever detected and reported in a twelve-month period by the AGSP. In 2023, penicillin resistance was found in 30.7% of gonococcal isolates, and ciprofloxacin resistance in 60.3%, although there was considerable variation by jurisdiction. In some remote settings, penicillin remains recommended as part of an empiric therapy strategy. However, in 2023, in remote Northern Territory, five penicillin-resistant isolates were reported; and in remote Western Australia, 14.1% of gonococcal isolates (10/71) were penicillin resistant. In addition, there were eight ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates reported from remote Northern Territory; ciprofloxacin resistance rates have increased in remote Western Australia (16/71; 22.5%). This increase in penicillin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the Northern Territory has effected a change in gonococcal treatment recommendations.

Australian Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (AGAR) Australian Gram-negative Surveillance Outcome Program (GnSOP) Bloodstream Infection Annual Report 2023.

The Australian Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (AGAR) performs regular period-prevalence studies to monitor changes in antimicrobial resistance in selected enteric gram-negative pathogens. From 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, a total of 57 hospitals across Australia participated in the Australian Gram-negative Surveillance Outcome Program (GnSOP). The 2023 survey tested 10,453 isolates, comprising Enterobacterales (9,503; 90.9%), P. aeruginosa (806; 7.7%) and Acinetobacter species (144; 1.4%), using commercial automated methods. The results were analysed using European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) breakpoints (January 2024). Key resistances reported are to the third-generation cephalosporin ceftriaxone in 12.9% of Escherichia coli and in 6.9% of Klebsiella pneumoniae complex isolates. Resistance rates to ciprofloxacin were 14.5% for E. coli; 7.8% for the K. pneumoniae complex; 3.2% for the Enterobacter cloacae complex; and 7.6% for P. aeruginosa. Resistance rates to piperacillin-tazobactam were 6.0%; 9.4%; 23.3%; and 13.7% for the same four species/complexes, respectively. Thirty Enterobacterales isolates from 30 patients were shown to harbour a carbapenemase gene: ten with a blaNDM gene (blaNDM-1 [4], blaNDM-5 [4], blaNDM-7 [2]); nine with a blaOXA-48-like gene (blaOXA-244 [4], blaOXA-48 [2], blaOXA-181 [1], blaOXA-232 [1], blaOXA-484 [1]); eight with blaIMP-4; two with blaNDM-5 + a blaOXA-181-like gene; and one with blaKPC-2 + blaNDM-5 + blaOXA-181. Transmissible carbapenemase genes were also detected in two Acinetobacter baumannii complex isolates (blaOXA-23; blaOXA-23 + blaOXA-58 + blaIMP-4) and one P. aeruginosa (blaIMP-4).

Meningococcal Surveillance Australia: Reporting period 1 July to 30 September 2024.

The reference laboratories of the Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme (AMSP) report data on the number of cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) confirmed by laboratory testing using culture and molecular based techniques. Data contained in quarterly reports are restricted to a description of case numbers of IMD by jurisdiction and serogroup, where known, and expanded in 2024 to include antimicrobial resistance data for ceftriaxone, penicillin, ciprofloxacin and rifampicin. A full analysis of laboratory confirmations of IMD in each calendar year are contained in the AMSP annual reports.

Closed genomes of commercial inoculant rhizobia provide a blueprint for management of legume inoculation.

Inoculation of cultivated legumes with exotic rhizobia is integral to Australian agriculture in soils lacking compatible rhizobia. The Australian inoculant program supplies phenotypically characterized high-performing strains for farmers but in most cases, little is known about the genomes of these rhizobia. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of symbiosis genes from inoculant strains to native non-symbiotic rhizobia frequently occurs in Australian soils and can impact the long-term stability and efficacy of legume inoculation. Here, we present the analysis of reference-quality genomes for 42 Australian commercial rhizobial inoculants. We verify and classify the genetics, genome architecture, and taxonomy of these organisms. Importantly, these genome sequences will facilitate the accurate strain identification and monitoring of inoculants in soils and plant nodules, as well as enable detection of horizontal gene transfer to native rhizobia, thus ensuring the efficacy and integrity of Australia's legume inoculation program.

Accessibility of Australian government online cancer screening information for people with intellectual disability

Abstract Aim Public health campaigns, including Australian cancer screening programs, are increasingly promoted online through government websites. The accessibility of these initiatives for people with intellectual disability is unknown. However, a lack of accessible information about available services is an important barrier to cancer screening for this group. This study aimed to investigate the accessibility of online information for cancer screening programs. Subject and methods Australian government health websites promoting the national breast, bowel, and cervical screening programs were identified and web pages were evaluated for their compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, cognitive accessibility guidelines, readability recommendations, and where relevant, compliance with Easy Read guidelines. Results The most common accessibility errors included low-contrast colors, missing alternative text, broken links, and excessive content. Readability was a consistent issue, with most materials written at levels considered too high for both people with intellectual disability and the general population. The limited number of documents that were readily available in Easy Read did not follow guidelines. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that government public health initiatives currently fail to meet the communication and information needs of people with intellectual disability. This places the population at risk of continued under-screening and fails to uphold their right to information about their healthcare. The creation and dissemination of accessible materials should be a priority for governments and health services.

Serum concentrations of PFAS across Australian States and Territories.

Serum concentrations of PFAS across Australian States and Territories.

Heart2Heart: a digital peer support programme for people with heart disease: protocol for a community-based, investigator-blinded randomised controlled trial conducted in Australia

IntroductionCardiac rehabilitation is known to reduce morbidity and improve quality of life in people living with heart disease, however, adherence, access and completion of these programmes is suboptimal. Peer support...

Talent identification of 12-year old male Australian rules footballers: Physical advantages and prognosis for junior and senior national-level selection.

Talent identification focuses on the ability to identify and select young athletes who show potential for future sporting success. The aim of this study was to compare the anthropometry and physical performance of male youth Australian Football players selected and not selected into a high performance sports academy program. Its secondary aim was to determine whether selection into a talent development environment at 12 years old affects the odds of selection into subsequent junior national level representative and senior professional Australian Football programs. 168 youth males (11.7 ± 0.4 years) who nominated for the selection process to attend a specialised high school sports academy completed a series of physical and anthropometric assessments. The data collection period occurred over seven years (2013-2019), with a prognostic period between one to ten years. Results found selected 12 years olds were taller and had greater lower body power, speed and aerobic fitness than non-selected athletes. A combination of height, aerobic fitness, and lower body power best distinguished between selected and non-selected players. This discriminant analysis had high accuracy and greater sensitivity than specificity. Further, athletes selected into the talent development environment had a much greater likelihood of being selected into junior state/national (54-fold) and senior professional (5-fold) teams than non-selected athletes. Overall, the findings demonstrate some support for the prognostic ability of selection into a talent development program at 12 years old to predict later selection in the talent pathway. These findings support the role of talent development programs in the development of male Australian footballers.

'They Take the Fear out of Failing': Children's and Parents' Experiences of the Risky Kids Program in Australia.

Risky Kids is an Australian community-based program that seeks to build resilience in children and adolescents by teaching 'risk intelligence' through parkour, ninja, and free-running skills, underpinned by psychological approaches. The aim of this study was to explore children's and parents' experiences of the Risky Kids program. We interviewed 18 children aged 6-13 years and held three focus groups with 15 parents and caregivers across three sites (two metropolitan and one regional). Guided by phenomenological design, template analysis was used to generate codes, categories and themes. We identified four overarching themes: (1) Learning to Navigate Risk; (2) Risky Kids is Different; (3) Coaches Facilitating Growth and Change; and (4) Stronger Minds and Bodies. Findings suggest that a facilitated risky play program can offer a supportive, safe space for children to develop confidence and resilience, and may particularly benefit children who prefer non-competitive group activities that nurture individual strengths and accommodate all abilities. Families reported that the program offered valuable opportunities to enhance children's mental wellbeing, including social, emotional and behavioural regulation. Large-scale quantitative evidence is required to examine children's outcomes-both physical and psychological, with a focus on resilience-including investigation of mechanisms of change.

Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Program, 1 April to 30 June 2024.

The Australian National Neisseria Network (NNN) comprises reference laboratories in each state and territory that report data on antimicrobial susceptibility testing to an agreed group of antimicrobial agents for the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP). The AGSP data are presented quarterly in tabulated form, as well as in the AGSP annual report. This report presents national gonococcal antimicrobial resistance surveillance data from 1 April to 30 June 2024.