Persons In Australia Research Articles

Counting Shadows – Measuring trafficking in Persons in Australia

The true extent and nature of trafficking in persons in Australia remains a mystery despite wild speculations about the scale of this problem. This article aims to dispel some of the confusion surrounding trafficking in persons by examining the claims made about the prevalence of this offence and displacing many of the myths about the number of victims in Australia. This involves an analysis of the Australian Government’s approach to data collection and a critical examination of the data provided by non-official sources, especially non-governmental organisations and advocacy groups. The article also investigates the ‘dark figure’ of trafficking in persons in Australia and concludes by developing recommendations to measure trafficking in persons in Australia more accurately and by offering directions for further research in this field.

Life space and mental health: a study of older community-dwelling persons in Australia

Objectives: The ability of older people to mobilise within and outside their community is dependent on a number of factors. This study explored the relationship between spatial mobility and psychological health among older adults living in Australia.Methods: The survey sample consisted of 260 community-dwelling men and women aged 75–80 years, who returned a postal survey measuring spatial mobility (using the Life Space Questionnaire) and psychological health (using the SF36 Health Related Quality of Life Profile). From the Life Space Questionnaire, participants were given a life-space score and multinomial regression was used to explore the potential effect of mental health on life-space score.Results: The study found a significant association between mental health and life space. However, gender, physical functioning, and ability to drive were most strongly associated with the extent of life space and spatial mobility. Compared to men, older women are more likely to experience less spatial mobility and restricted life space, and hence are more vulnerable to social isolation.Conclusion: Mental health and life space were associated for the older people in this study. These findings have important implications for health policy and highlight the need to support older persons to maintain independence and social networks, and to successfully age in place within their community. This study also highlights the utility of the Life Space Questionnaire in terms of identifying older persons at risk of poorer mental health.

MLB1 Astrovirus in Children with Gastroenteritis, Italy

MLB1 Astrovirus in Children with Gastroenteritis, Italy

Research in Transnational Archives: The Forgotten Story of the ‘Australian Immigration Project’

The transformative period in Australian Jewish history was the pre- and post-war migration of Jewish refugees. The Jewish community trebled in size from a tiny community of 23,000 to 61,000. However, whilst the number arriving at the edge of the Diaspora was significant, many more could have benefited. This opportunity was limited because of xenophobic and antisemitic attitudes, which resulted in government quotas and restricted funding. This period signalled the beginning of a partnership between Australian and American Jewry in the enormous task of resettling Jewish Displaced Persons in Australia. A largely forgotten story, it has been preserved in archives in Australia, New York and Jerusalem. This essay draws on this Australian case study to demonstrate the importance of transnational archival research.

Trafficking in Persons in Australia: Myths and Realities / Andreas Schloenhardt and Jarrod Jolly

Trafficking in Persons in Australia: Myths and Realities / Andreas Schloenhardt and Jarrod Jolly

Genetic characterization of selected parasites from people with histories of gastrointestinal disorders using a mutation scanning‐coupled approach

A SSCP analysis and targeted sequencing approach was used for the genetic characterization of some major pathogens from a cohort of 227 people with histories of gastrointestinal disorders. Genomic DNAs from fecal samples were subjected to PCR-amplification of regions in the glycoprotein (gp60) or triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) gene, or the second internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS-2). Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and strongylid nematodes were detected in 94, 132 and 12 samples. Cryptosporidium hominis subgenotypes IbA10G2, IdA15G1, IgA17, IgA18, and IfA13G1 were identified in 74.6, 16.9, 5.6, 1.4, and 1.4% of 71 samples, respectively. For Cryptosporidium parvum, subgenotypes IIaA17G2R1 (47.6%) and IIaA18G3R1 (23.8%) were identified in 23 samples. Giardia duodenalis assemblage B (78%) was more common than assemblage A (22%). In addition, DNA of the nematodes Ancylostoma ceylanicum (n = 2), Ancylostoma duodenale (4), Necator americanus (5), and Haemonchus contortus (1) was specifically detected. This is the first report of A. ceylanicum in two persons in Australia and, we provide molecular evidence of H. contortus in a child. This SSCP-based approach should provide a useful diagnostic and analytical tool for a wide range of pathogens.

Work-related fatal injury among young persons in Australia, July 2000–June 2007

Every year, young people are killed as a result of their work and the work of others in Australia. The loss of a young life is disproportionately high in potential years of life lost and lost productivity. The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed description of the industry and mechanism-specific fatal incidents involving young workers aged 15–24-years in Australia, and compare them with all workers. We retrospectively reviewed coronial records extracted from the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) for all work-related deaths in Australia from July 2000 to June 2007. A total of 232 young persons were fatally injured as a result of work-related activity in the seven year study period. Working for income, commuter and bystander deaths accounted for 148, 67 and 17 deaths respectively. The death rate for young workers was 1.24 per 100,000 employed person-years. This compared to an all age death rate of 2.22 per 100,000 employed person-years. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector had the highest industry-specific fatality rate for young workers. This was followed by the Transport, Postal and Warehousing industry, and Mining. In each sector, young worker’s fatality rates were higher than the overall rate. The use of publicly available data did not allow for stratification by age group. However, these results update what is currently known about young worker deaths, using a low-cost, publicly available data source. In the absence of a rigorous surveillance and reporting system documenting young worker injury and fatality, these findings serve a quasi-surveillance role.

Mental Health of a Police Force: Estimating Prevalence of Work-Related Depression in Australia without a Direct National Measure

The risk of work-related depression in Australia was estimated based on a survey of 631 police officers. Psychological wellbeing and psychological distress items were mapped onto a measure of depression to identify optimal cutoff points. Based on a sample of police officers, Australian workers, in general, are at risk of depression when general psychological wellbeing is considerably compromised. Large-scale estimation of work-related depression in the broader population of employed persons in Australia is reasonable. The relatively high prevalence of depression among police officers emphasizes the need to examine prevalence rates of depression among Australian employees.

Trafficking in Persons and Victim Health in Australia

This article explores the health problems experienced by victims of trafficking in persons in Australia and analyses the domestic support schemes established to assist these victims. It focuses specifically on the health of adult, female victims who constitute the majority of identified victims, and who are the principal recipients of government support services. Domestic experiences and support schemes are reviewed in the light of international law and best practice guidelines. Recommendations are made to improve the health services available to victims of trafficking in persons in Australia.

An update on the pilot trial of consumer-directed care for older persons in Australia

The Australian Government has commenced a two-year pilot of consumer-directed care (CDC) across 500 home and community aged care packages. This policy paper discusses the model being trialled in Australia in light of the UK's Individual Budgets' Pilot Programme and the USA's Cash and Counselling Demonstration. The results of these randomised controlled studies suggest that older people vary in their preferences for consumer direction and that many find the administrative tasks of implementing CDC programs difficult. The relatively restricted model of CDC that the Australian Government is trialling may minimise the problems encountered in the overseas programs, but does not allow consumers to hire family or friends which they preferred to do overseas.

Reflections on the role of less-than-comprehensive (exclusionary) private health insurance hospital products in the Australian healthcare system

The number of people in Australia that are currently covered by a hospital private health insurance product continues to rise every quarter. In September 2010, for the first time since the introduction of the public universal social insurance scheme, Medicare, more than 10million persons in Australia are covered by private health insurance. Although the number of persons covered by private health insurance continues to grow, the quality and level of cover that members are holding is changing significantly. In an effort to limit premium rises and to reduce the benefits paid for treatment, private health insurers have introduced, and moved a large number of existing members to, less-than-comprehensive private health insurance policies. These policies, known as 'exclusionary' policies, are changing the dynamics of private health insurance in Australia. After examining the emergence and prevalence of these products, this commentary gives three different examples to illustrate how such products are changing the nature of private health insurance in Australia and are now set to create a series of policy issues that will require future attention.

Increasing cancer mortality among opioid‐dependent persons in Australia: a new public health challenge for a disadvantaged population

To examine cancer mortality in a population-based cohort of opioid-dependent persons. New South Wales opioid substitution therapy (OST) program registrants from 1985 to 2005 (n=43,789) were probabilistically linked to the National Death Index. Crude and standardised mortality rates and standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated. The crude cancer mortality rate increased from 4 to 65 deaths per 100,000 person-years (p trend <0.001). Overall, OST registrants were 1.7 times more likely to die of cancer than the general population (SMR 95% CI 1.4-1.9). Site-specific SMRs were significantly elevated for lung cancer (3.6, 95% CI 2.8-4.6), liver cancer (6.9, 95% CI 4.3-10.5), and anogenital cancers (2.8, 95% CI 1.3-5.3), and significantly reduced for breast cancer (0.4, 95% CI 0.1-0.9). Cancer is an increasingly important cause of death among OST registrants as they live longer with their dependency. The site-specific excess deaths suggest the role of tobacco, alcohol, and infection with hepatitis C and human papillomavirus. The OST setting may be a useful setting for the delivery of programs aimed at detection of precursor lesions, reducing exposure to established carcinogens, and treatment for those with HCV infection. Such targeted steps are likely to reduce the future cancer burden in this population.

HFE Cys282Tyr homozygotes with serum ferritin concentrations below 1000 microg/L are at low risk of hemochromatosis.

Hemochromatosis gene (HFE)-associated hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic predisposition to iron overload and subsequent signs and symptoms of disease that potentially affects approximately 80,000 persons in Australia and almost 1 million persons in the United States. Most clinical cases are homozygous for the Cys282Tyr (C282Y) mutation in the HFE gene, with serum ferritin (SF) concentration >1000 microg/L as the strongest predictor of cirrhosis. The optimal treatment regimen for those with SF concentrations above the normal range but <1000 microg/L is unknown. We assessed HFE mutations in a prospective cohort of 31,192 participants of northern European descent, aged 40-69 years. An HFE-stratified random sample of 1438 participants including all C282Y homozygotes with iron studies 12 years apart were examined by physicians blinded to participants' HFE genotype. All previously undiagnosed C282Y homozygotes (35 male, 67 female) and all HFE wild-types (131 male, 160 female) with baseline and follow-up SF concentrations <1000 microg/L were assessed for HH-associated signs and symptoms including abnormal second/third metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP2/3), raised liver enzymes, hepatomegaly, and self-reported liver disease, fatigue, diabetes mellitus, and use of arthritis medication. The prevalence of HH-associated signs and symptoms was similar for C282Y homozygotes and HFE wild-types for both normal and moderately elevated SF concentrations. The maximum prevalence difference between HFE genotype groups with moderately elevated SF was 11% (MCP2/3, 95% confidence interval = -6%, 29%; P = 0.22) and for normal SF was 6% (arthritis medicine use, 95% confidence interval = -3%, 16%; P = 0.11). Previously undiagnosed C282Y homozygotes with SF concentrations that remain below 1000 microg/L are at low risk of developing HH-associated signs and symptoms at an age when disease would be expected to have developed. These observations have implications for the management of C282Y homozygotes.

A Study on the Actual Conditions of Support for Homeless Persons in Australia

A Study on the Actual Conditions of Support for Homeless Persons in Australia

A Study on the Actual Conditions of Support for Homeless Persons in Australia

A Study on the Actual Conditions of Support for Homeless Persons in Australia

Trafficking in persons in Australia: myths and realities

In Australia, despite greater public awareness and acknowledgement of the problem by government agencies, trafficking in persons remains a phenomenon poorly understood and researched. The true extent of Australia's human trafficking problem is not fully known, largely due to the clandestine nature of this phenomenon. Anecdotal evidence, media reports, and statistical estimates without proper evidentiary bases are the only sources of information currently available about trafficking in persons in Australia. This article produces a more accurate assessment of the scale of trafficking in persons in the light of the open source evidence, thus contributing to the understanding of the immediate problem, and paving the way for further research on the many facets and aspects associated with trafficking in persons in Australia and elsewhere. The article calls for further research into trafficking and greater openness from relevant stakeholders, in order to clarify the facts about trafficking in Australia, and to help to dispel the myths and misconceptions that abound in discussing this issue.

Does a Minimum Job Search Requirement Reduce Time on Unemployment Payments? Evidence from the Jobseeker Diary in Australia

This study examines the impact of the Jobseeker Diary (JSD), a program designed to increase the job search effort of unemployed persons in Australia. The JSD program is distinguished by combining a focus on work search verification with large scale implementation. Applying a quasi-experimental matching method to data on unemployment spells occurring in 1997–98, the authors find that JSD participation was associated with an increased rate of exit from unemployment payment recipiency and a shorter total time spent on payments. Payment receipt duration is estimated to have fallen for about one-half of JSD participants. The largest effects of the JSD occurred for payment recipients for whom labor demand conditions were the most favorable. Cost-benefit analysis suggests a fairly large net societal gain per program participant.

Falls in older persons in Australia: screening instruments for general practitioners

Falls are a relatively common problem in older people in Australia causing significant morbidity including restricted activities of daily living and increased mortality. Falls may initiate institutionalisation and will increase in significance with the rapidly ageing population profile.Falls in older people are attributed to multiple factors and are potentially preventable with early detection and intervention. General practitioners, as the primary community medical care providers, are in an ideal position to screen all older patients for falls risk. A detailed history to identify falls risk factors should be complemented by screening with a simple and easy to use screening instrument.The requirements of a reliable and validated falls screening instrument are explored along with a review of available instruments. Although the literature is inconclusive, a suitable falls screening instrument is identified for use by general practitioners.

Belonging to two worlds: The experience of migration

Migration is one of the most enduring themes of human history. It is one of the most drastic life changes and transitions an individual can face. Each person's reaction to migration is unique; migrants may either experience stability and opportunity or a sense of emotional uprootedness, or in fact, all. Having recently migrated to Australia from South Africa, I was curious to know about the experiences of other South Africanswho were in the early stages of migration. Over the last decade South Africa has experienced severe political, social and economic uncertainty, as well as increasing levels of violence and crime. For these reasons, many South Africans have chosen to leave their country of birth. By 1992 South Africa had one of the world's highest crime rates, on a per capita basis. In 1994 South Africa had the highest per capita incidence of rape recorded from anywhere and from then to 1996 the total annual number of rape cases reported nationally increased from 42 429 to 50 481. The 1996 homicide rate of 61 per 100 000 placed the country among the most violent in the world. According to a Health Review released in 1997, violence is the leading cause of injury mortality in South Africa. A report from the World Economic Forum declared that South Africa's organised crime is second only to Colombia's, with its frightening drug cartels, and Russia's, with its omni-present mafia. According to a recent study, the rape homicide rate in one of South Africa's major cities, Cape Town, is 12 times higher than in the United States, which is an entire nation. (The Star newspaper Internet site). As a consequence, many South Africans have made the decision to build a safer, more secure life elsewhere. While many choose to settle in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, a large portion of South Africans choose to begin their new life in Australia. South African immigrants perceive Australia to offer the type of lifestyle, values and culture into which they can readily integrate. According to the Australian Immigration Statistics Internet site, the immigration of South Africans to Australia has risen steadily over the last decade. Between 1984 and 1988 14,700 South African's immigrated to Australia. Between 1997 and 1998 there were 4,281 new immigrants, and between 1998 and 1999 there were 5,024 South African immigrants. The latest Census in 1996 recorded 55,755 South African-born persons in Australia, an increase of 14% from the 1991 Census. It would seem as though anyone living in South Africa would want to leave and that a feeling of total relief would be the full story. But, I am one of those and relief is not all there is. Instead, a blend of powerful emotions is deeply felt and the psychological repercussions, far-reaching. It is my belief that migration entails one of the most extreme forms of rupture at the social level and the intrapsychic level; it involves alterations in the external reality that rebound in each individual's internal reality.

Attributes required of graduates for the future workplace

While many training and educational institutions and government agencies have delineated the competency standards required of professionals and trades persons in Australia, the changes in the nature of work mean that postcompulsory education (secondary schools, vocational colleges and universities) graduates need to be able to demonstrate additional knowledge, skills and abilities – herein referred to as virtual attributes – in order to generate an income in the twenty-first century. Set against a background of alternative work organisations, virtual teaming and flexible modes of income generation, this research produces some diverse findings. The virtual attributes are first gathered and ratified by a panel of experts, then 127 employers and 84 educators are surveyed as to how they perceive the importance of each of the attributes in generating an income in the year 2005. The items are then explored utilising factor analysis and four factors are produced: adaptability to changing work environments, cross-cultural competence, accountability and business management skills. Implications for the training of postcompulsory education graduates are discussed.