Communities In Queensland Research Articles

Plant functional traits explain interspecific differences in immediate cyclone damage to trees of an endangered rainforest community in north Queensland

Abstract Cyclones cause profound immediate impacts on tropical rainforest trees, including defoliation, limb loss, snapping of stems and uprooting. Some studies have shown that plant functional traits such as tree size, buttress roots and wood density are correlated with these forms of cyclone damage. On 20 March 2006, Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry crossed the north Queensland coast and proceeded inland across the Atherton Tablelands, impacting the critically endangered Mabi Type 5b rainforest. We investigated the effects of Cyclone Larry on common tree species by categorizing damage to trees as uprooted, snapped, limbs damaged (light, moderate, severe) or upright and estimating levels of defoliation. Damage was then related to functional traits including tree size, presence of buttress roots, wood density, and leaf size and strength. Levels of damage differed between species. Tree size (diameter at breast height) and the presence of buttress roots were not related to damage levels. Wood density was significantly negatively correlated to proportion of trees with snapped stems and significantly positively correlated with the proportion of trees upright with no or light limb damage. Levels of defoliation were significantly related to leaf strength (specific leaf area – SLA) and to leaf width, but not other components of leaf size (area or length) or petiole length. Species with high wood density and low SLA (e.g. Argyrodendron spp.) were found to have high cyclone resistance, the ability to resist damage, while species with low wood density and high SLA (e.g. Dendrocnide photinophylla) exhibited low resistance. However, traits related to low resistance are also those linked to rapid growth and high cyclone resilience, the ability to recover from damage, so it is unlikely that the Mabi forest will experience long‐term changes in floristic composition following Cyclone Larry.

Wellsprings of Belonging: Water and Community Regeneration in Queensland

ABSTRACT This article considers how local communities in South Queensland make use of the cultural meanings encoded in water to articulate social connections and notions of belonging. Drawing on recent ethnographic research, it compares the activities of a community catchment group in Brisbane, and participants in a water festival in Maroochydore, exploring how each group engages creatively with local water sources to materialise particular beliefs and values about identity and belonging. Their creative efforts range from conventional attempts to strengthen local community ties through inclusion in catchment management, to more subversive visions, which resist inclusion in the mainstream and promulgate ‘alternative’ social and environmental values.

DWP5-2 High incidence of diabetes in Australian indigenous communities in north Queensland

[Extract] Type 2 diabetes is highly prevalent among indigenous populations in Australia and the highest prevalence has been documented among Torres Strait Islanders. However to date incidence has been reported only in one group from central Australia more than a decade ago. As part of a health service planning exercise and in collaboration with two peak Indigenous health councils in north Queensland, we undertook a 5 year follow-up study of 486 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults who were free of diabetes at baseline.

The Logan Healthy Living Program: A cluster randomized trial of a telephone-delivered physical activity and dietary behavior intervention for primary care patients with type 2 diabetes or hypertension from a socially disadvantaged community — Rationale, design and recruitment

Background Physical activity and dietary behavior changes are important to both the primary prevention and secondary management of the majority of our most prevalent chronic conditions (i.e., cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer). With over 85% of Australian adults visiting a general practitioner each year, the general practice setting has enormous potential to facilitate wide scale delivery of health behaviour interventions. However, there are also many barriers to delivery in such settings, including lack of time, training, resources and remuneration. Thus there is an important need to evaluate other feasible and effective means of delivering evidence-based physical activity and dietary behaviour programs to patients in primary care, including telephone counseling interventions. Methods Using a cluster randomized design with practice as the unit of randomization, this study evaluated a telephone-delivered intervention for physical activity and dietary change targeting patients with chronic conditions (type 2 diabetes or hypertension) recruited from primary care practices in a socially disadvantaged community in Queensland, Australia. Ten practices were randomly assigned to the telephone intervention or to usual care, and 434 patients were recruited. Patients in intervention practices received a workbook and 18 calls over 12 months. Assessment at baseline, 4-, 12- and 18-months allows for assessment of initial change and maintenance of primary outcomes (physical activity and dietary behavior change) and secondary outcomes (quality of life, cost-effectiveness, support for health behavior change). Conclusions This effectiveness trial adds to the currently limited number of telephone-delivered intervention studies targeting both physical activity and dietary change. It also addresses some of the shortcomings of previous trials by targeting patients from a disadvantaged community, and by including detailed reporting on participant representativeness, intervention implementation and cost-effectiveness, as well as an evaluation of maintenance of health behavior change.

Individual resilience in rural people: a Queensland study, Australia

This article reports the results of phase 1 of a study into community and individual resilience in rural Australians. The aim of the study was to develop, implement and evaluate a model that enhances psychological wellness in rural people and communities. The study used a critical participatory action research methodology to work in partnership with key individuals and groups in a rural community in Queensland which, anecdotally, was identified by its community representatives as having confronted and responded positively to and dealt with adversities such as drought, hailstorms and bushfire. A focus in the project was to identify vulnerable as well as resilient elements in individuals and the community, with an emphasis on identifying and then using existing individual, group and community resilience as exemplars for those who are less resilient. The study recognised that not all members of the community were resilient; clearly there are more and less resilient groups within this community. Additionally, it was acknowledged that resilience was not a steady state within an individual. Rather, an individual's level of resilience could vary over their lifetime. A participatory action research design was chosen for this study which aimed to identify individual and community resilience factors in a community. The study is being undertaken in three phases. In phase 1 of the study (the focus of this article), 10 in-depth interviews and one focus group (with four participants) were conducted. Individuals identified by a network of community service providers as being particularly resilient were selected to participate in this phase, with the aim of identifying these individuals' perceptions of individual and community resilience. This article reports on the factors identified that impact on the individual resilience of rural people. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data surrounding individual resilience revealed three themes: images of resilience; characteristics of resilient people and shapers of resilience (environmental influences that increase personal resilience). The findings of this study support existing theoretical concepts of resilience, with an added dimension not previously reported. The major finding of this study is that connection to the land, which is strongly embedded in the literature on Indigenous peoples (eg human ecology) and acknowledged as part of Indigenous culture and cosmology, may also be a factor that enhances the resilience of non-Indigenous people who have built up a relationship with the land over time. The extent of this connection and its impact on individual and community resilience was, however, not established in this study, but should also be a major focus of future research.

Conceptions of Art Education Programs Held by a Rural and Remote Australian Community

This article discusses the results of a one-year study in a physically isolated school community in Queensland, Australia. The decision-making processes in the selection of school subjects became the focus for interviews conducted with the school community (students, parents, and teachers) and the vehicle for identifying the held conceptions of art education programs. The school community’s conceptions of art education programs were examined and analyzed resulting in the identification of four categories: (a) cognitive abilities and expression, (b) the enjoyment of practical tasks, (c) employment for girls, and (d) the lack or existence of theory within the art education programs. The results suggest that the rural and remote geographical location of an Australian community has an influence on the held conceptions of art education.

The Influence of Bush Identity on Attitudes to Mental Health in a Queensland Community

There are many factors that impact on mental health and the utilization of these services in the bush. The results from a three year ethnographic study in a bush community indicate that attitudes to mental health in this area of Queensland are influenced by bush identity, defined by reference to historical and current characteristics which include self-reliance, resilience, independence and stoicism. In turn, these incorporated attributes and values have a direct impact on attitudes to mental health and the willingness to seek help for problems of a psychological nature. Other aspects of bush life such as the perceived lack of confidentiality and anonymity, fear of gossip, and isolation also impact on attitudes and the utilisation of mental health resources. Stigma is a significant barrier to the recognition and acceptance of mental health issues. Mental health services, therefore, are not as readily accepted or utilised in this bush community. It can be argued that, without the acknowledgement of the impact of bush identity and culture on attitudes to mental health, many in the bush will continue to suffer in silence and deny the need for treatment.

Australia - $26 million for Queensland home and community care services

Australia - $26 million for Queensland home and community care services

Envisioning a Global Future for Rural Australia: Local Government visions and local youths’ educational aspirations

Education, theoretical and vocational, has become an essential requirement for competing in local and global labour markets. In the 21st century, there are few work positions available for school leavers without further tertiary education and vocational training. Traditionally, for the majority of young people, the purpose of education and vocational training has been to satisfy employers’ requirements for a suitable workforce rather than an education for personal enjoyment and benefits. With the globalisation and specialisation of the work force, the education period has become an accepted phase between childhood and adulthood, giving young people the freedom to pursue education for professional gains and work opportunities, as well as for personal satisfaction. This paper discusses the vision of elected councillors for their rural communities and young people’s aspirations for further education and training. The research is based on interviews with local government councillors, council staff and a survey of 751 rural students, between 14 and 21 years of age who were attending local secondary high schools and living in two rural communities in Queensland, Australia, in 2003. The research explored students’ preferred education trajectories and work aspirations, and community representatives’ perception of young people’s future in rural communities. The findings indicate community awareness of the changing situation where females aspire to university education and professions beyond local family traditions and local employment opportunities, while males are still following strong traditional education pathways of mining and farming within their communities.

Psychological services in five South-west Queensland communities - supply and demand

This research gathered information in 2004 about psychological services provided to five rural communities located in South-west Queensland, Australia. Specifically, the aims of the project were to: (i) undertake an audit of existing psychological services; and (ii) determine the need for psychological services as perceived by providers of current services. Potential providers of psychological services were contacted to confirm the nature and extent of their provision of psychological support to target communities. Thirty organisations met the definition of service providers offering assessment or intervention by qualified and/or experienced persons. Data were collected by semi-structured telephone interviews with 44 employees of the service providers. The one main publicly-funded provider of services to the region offered limited services to the communities. Although some counselling was provided by social workers attached to the allied health program, for patients to be supported by the mental health sector of this service, they must have had moderate to severe mental illness. Regular, reliable and accessible psychological support for other conditions was limited largely to services provided by non-government organisations (NGOs) which are often constrained by continuity of funds. Counselling for alcohol and drug misuse, women's issues, sexual abuse, and crisis support were the most commonly identified unmet needs across the target communities. Difficulties in attracting experienced personnel to work in rural communities were reported. This was exacerbated by lack of job security brought about by short term funding to the NGOs. In general, unqualified counsellors were recognised as providing valuable services. There are limited psychological support services provided to these South-west Queensland communities. For available services, there are strict criteria for entry, limited accessibility and availability or lack of continuity owing to short-term funding. There are a number of unmet psychological needs, with abuse being the most widely identified. Any withdrawal of existing psychological services is perceived by current service providers as being potentially devastating.

Working with families from culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Queensland: An Australian exploratory study

In Australia there is limited research and information regarding how Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) families are assessed within the child protection system. This paper explores assessment issues faced by child protection investigation officers when working with CALD families in the Queensland child protection system. The research examined the level of knowledge, training and experiences of child protection officers and whether they were ‘culturally competent’. The study found that entry level officers did not receive adequate training and resources, and lacked CALD-specific knowledge on how to deal with cross cultural issues when working with CALD families. Respondents indicated that interpreters‘ services were effective during investigation and assessment of CALD families. The findings of this study highlight key concerns in the provision of child protection assessments, practice, policy and service delivery when working with CALD families.

Implementing Indigenous Standpoint Theory: Challenges For A Tafe Trainer

Vocational education and training outcomes for Indigenous Australians have remained below expectations for some time. Implementation of Indigenous Standpoint Theory (IST) presents the opportunity to further enhance Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous people in Australia. This paper briefly discusses this theory, the concept of Indigenous knowledge and its integration to enhance Vocational Education and Training for Indigenous learners. It presents a case study on the experiences and challenges of a non-Indigenous Technical and Further Education (TAFE) teacher who has been working with Indigenous learners and communities in regional Queensland for over eight years. The paper highlights issues and challenges and identifies three binaries in integrating this theory to improve outcomes for Indigenous learners and their communities.

The Personal, Practical and Policy Implications of Older Australians' Residential Choice

Despite ever-increasing popularity of retirement village living for older Australian adults, little is known about whether and how this might affect family visitation patterns, the provision of informal family caregiving and usage of formal instrumental support. This research examines who, paid help or family, provides instrumental support to older people living in retirement villages (n = 237) and the community (n = 338) in Queensland, Australia. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the provider of instrumental support to older people differs according to residential address. Family provides help to community-dwelling older people, whereas retirement village residents rely on paid assistance for help with everyday household chores and report less face-to-face contact with family members. These findings, implying that informal caregiving ensures regular family contact for community-dwelling older people, inform policy and highlight the need for further research to investigate how living in a retirement village might impact on care giving and family support patterns.

Carriage of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Queensland Indigenous community

To determine the prevalence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) carriage and infection among children living in an Indigenous community in Queensland. Swabs for culture of S. aureus were collected from the nose, throat and skin wounds of primary school children. MRSA carriage, antibiotic sensitivity, genotype, and presence of the virulence factor Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL); and epidemiological risk factors for MRSA carriage. 92 (59%) of 157 eligible children were included in the study. Twenty-seven (29%) carried S. aureus; 14 of these (15% of total) carried MRSA. MRSA was isolated from 29% of wound swabs, 8% of nose swabs, and 1% of throat swabs. Fourteen of 15 MRSA isolates were sensitive to all non-beta-lactam antibiotics tested. Eight children (9%) carried CA-MRSA clonal types: six carried the Queensland clone (ST93), and two carried the South West Pacific clone (ST30). All these isolates carried the virulence factor PVL. The remaining six children carried a hospital-associated MRSA strain (ST5), negative for PVL. We have identified a high prevalence of CA-MRSA carriage in school children from a Queensland Indigenous community. In this setting, antibiotics with activity against CA-MRSA should be considered for empiric therapy of suspected staphylococcal infection. Larger community-based studies are needed to improve our understanding of the epidemiology of CA-MRSA, and to assist in the development of therapeutic guidelines for this important infection.

Do Centralised Skin Screening Clinics Increase Participation in Melanoma Screening (Australia)?

To compare during the first 12 months of a 3-year randomised community-based trial of population screening for melanoma three methods of screening delivery: skin screening within day-to-day primary care (Group A); screening in dedicated skin screening clinics either organised privately by local physicians (Group B); or organised centrally with participants referred back to their physicians for definitive diagnosis and management (Group C). The trial involved 18 regional communities in Queensland, Australia. Of the nine communities randomised to the intervention group, three communities were allocated to each of the Groups A, B or C. All intervention communities received a community education programme and an education and support programme for primary care physicians. The self-reported prevalence of clinical skin examination was assessed by surveying 3,110 residents (66.9% participation rate) aged > or = 30 years by telephone at baseline, and 14,060 residents (70.9% participation rate) by self-administered mailed questionnaire at 12-month follow-up. At baseline the prevalence of skin screening did not differ between intervention and control communities. At 12-month follow-up, participants within intervention communities reported skin screening significantly more frequently (20.9% versus 10.9%; p < 0.001). Within intervention communities, the prevalence of clinical skin examinations in Group A was similar to that of control communities (12.6% and 10.9%; p = 0.33). Communities in Group B (16.5%; p = 0.001) and Group C (27.1%; p < 0.001) reported significantly higher prevalence of clinical examinations than the control group. The provision of centrally organised skin screening clinics significantly increases skin screening rates and may have relevance for future melanoma control programmes.

Evaluation of the Outreach School Garden Project: Building the capacity of two Indigenous remote school communities to integrate nutrition into the core school curriculum

This paper describes the Outreach School Garden Project, which was conducted in two remote Indigenous school communities in north-west Queensland. This project integrated nutrition into the key learning areas of the core school curriculum by using a school-based garden as a nutritional education tool. Evaluation was by a descriptive qualitative approach supplemented by some quantitative data consistent with Indigenous research methods. The objectives were linked to the Health Promoting Schools Framework, using concepts of community capacity building, action research, social capital and experiential learning. Nutrition was extensively integrated into the core school curriculum by the teaching staff, who required no specific nutrition knowledge or gardening skills prior to the implementation. Students' knowledge and skills in nutrition and gardening were increased over the six-month period and positive improvements in the physical and social environment at the school were observed. A school-based nutrition garden enables the teaching and learning of basic nutrition through the core school curriculum. This concept was an innovative, practical nutritional education tool to engage and build the capacity of Indigenous students, school staff and the broader community in nutrition.

Pasture composition in cleared and uncleared woodlands

Land clearing in Queensland is often practised to enhance pasture production, and hence, increase financial returns from beef production. The benefits of clearing have been quantified in terms of short-term gains in pasture yield but have not adequately accounted for possible medium- or longer-term impediments that may be attributed to clearing. Therefore, impacts of clearing and the subsequent sowing of exotic grasses such as Cenchrus ciliaris L. on pasture composition and production were studied. To achieve this, paired sites were selected representing cleared and uncleared pastures across three different times since clearing (i.e. 5, 11–13 and 33 years since clearing) for the three dominant tree communities of central Queensland (i.e. Eucalyptus populnea F.Muell. (poplar box), E. melanophloia F.Muell. (silver-leaved ironbark) and Acacia harpophylla F.Muell. ex. Benth. (brigalow)). The results demonstrated that species diversity declined with clearing and sowing of exotic pastures. Species diversity and pasture production were negatively related. Although pasture yield was 2–3 times greater 13 years after clearing of E. populnea and A. harpohylla, the gains in pasture yield were not consistent over time, yields being only 1.5 times greater after 33 years of clearing. In E. melanophloia, an increase in the yield of only 1.5–1.8 times occurred 5 years after clearing compared with uncleared pastures, whereas 33 years after clearing, yield was 3/4 of that in uncleared pastures. The initial gains in pasture yield were accompanied by a loss of plant diversity that may affect ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling or soil mineralisation, and the longer-term production gains.

Guaiac versus immunochemical tests: faecal occult blood test screening for colorectal cancer in a rural community

Objective: To describe patient participation and clinical performance in a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program utilising faecal occult blood test (FOBT).Methods: A community‐based intervention was conducted in a small, rural community in north Queensland, 2000/01. One of two FOBT kits – guaiac (Hemoccult‐ll) or immunochemical (Inform) – was assigned by general practice and mailed to participants (3,358 patients aged 50–74 years listed with the local practices).Results: Overall participation in FOBT screening was 36.3%. Participation was higher with the immunochemical kit than the guaiac kit (OR=1.9, 95% Cl 1.6‐2.2). Women were more likely to comply with testing than men (OR=1.4, 95% Cl 1.2‐1.7), and people in their 60s were less likely to participate than those 70–74 years (OR=0.8, 95% Cl 0.6‐0.9). The positivity rate was higher for the immunochemical (9.5%) than the guaiac (3.9%) test (χ2=9.2, p=0.002), with positive predictive values for cancer or adenoma of advanced pathology of 37.8% (95% Cl 28.1–48.6) for !nform and 40.0% (95% Cl 16.8–68.7) for Hemoccult‐ll. Colonoscopy follow‐up was 94.8% with a medical complication rate of 2–3%.Conclusions: An immunochemical FOBT enhanced participation. Higher positivity rates for this kit did not translate into higher false‐positive rates, and both test types resulted in a high yield of neoplasia.Implications: In addition to type of FOBT, the ultimate success of a population‐based screening program for CRC using FOBT will depend on appropriate education of health professionals and the public as well as significant investment in medical infrastructure for colonoscopy follow‐up.

Problem Gambling in Non-English Speaking Background Communities in Queensland, Australia: A Qualitative Exploration

This paper provides an overview of qualitative research into problem gambling among non-English speaking background (NESB) communities in Queensland, Australia. The focus for this pilot study was the Chinese, Greek and Vietnamese communities. Using qualitative methodologies, this community-based research explored the motivations for gambling, and the impacts of problem gambling upon individuals and communities. Findings indicate that problem gambling is evident in each of the communities of study, but the issue is characterised by a pervasive sense of denial. Gambling is an issue of enormous shame and stigma, not only for the problem gambler but their entire family. As a result, most problem gamblers do not seek professional help but try to resolve the problem themselves or within the family unit. Research findings indicate that service access could be increased through a range of strategies including the provision of culturally appropriate community education and gambling help services, partnerships between NESB communities, gambling help services and community workers, and the development and implementation of preventative strategies.

Faecal incontinence: an unrecognised epidemic in rural North Queensland? Results of a hospital‐based outpatient study

We explored the prevalence of faecal incontinence (FI) in a referral hospital outpatient population, to explore suspicions that FI is inadequately studied, underestimated and poorly appreciated in the rural North Queensland (NQ) community. Prospective cross-sectional study using a specifically designed questionnaire. The Townsville Hospital, a referral centre serving rural NQ. A total of 435 consecutive patients attending the gynaecology (n = 261) and colorectal clinics (n = 174) between 31 January and 12 June 2003 were enrolled (participating proportion 96.5%). FI prevalence, severity, impact on patients' lives, and risk factors. The prevalence of FI in the study population (median age 53 years) was 20.7%. Amongst affected patients (n = 90) the median duration of FI was 2 years with more than half of those affected soiling themselves at least once a month. Many patients with FI (42%) reported feeling hopeless at least some of the time. Rectal prolapse, chronic constipation, psychiatric problems, colon disease, and urinary incontinence were all significantly associated with FI. A CART analysis revealed that many patients (45%) with urinary incontinence and chronic constipation also experienced FI. This FI prevalence in a clinical setting in NQ is, apart from nursing home studies, the highest reported in the literature. FI negatively impacted on affected persons' lives. In patients presenting with urinary incontinence and chronic constipation, physicians should specifically enquire whether FI is also present. Definitive community studies to determine the scale of this 'silent epidemic' in northern Australia are now required.