Region Of South Australia Research Articles

Lessons from a community vaccination programme to control a meningococcal disease serogroup W outbreak in remote South Australia, 2017.

ProblemFrom December 2016 to February 2017, two cases of invasive meningococcal disease and one case of meningococcal conjunctivitis, all serogroup W, occurred in Aboriginal children in the Ceduna region of South Australia. The clustering of cases in time and place met the threshold for a community outbreak.ContextThe Ceduna region is a remote part of South Australia, with more than 25% of the population identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.ActionAs part of the outbreak response, a community-wide meningococcal vaccination programme against serogroups A, C, W and Y was implemented in a collaboration among different agencies of the South Australia Department for Health and Well-being, Aboriginal health and community services providers, and other local service providers and government agencies. The programme comprised an outbreak vaccination schedule, targeting all people aged 3 2 months residing in the cases’ places of residence or in towns with close links.OutcomeBetween March and June 2017, 3383 persons were vaccinated, achieving an estimated coverage of 71–85% of the target population, with 31% (n = 1034) of those vaccinated identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. No local cases of serogroup W occurred during the vaccination programme, but two further cases were notified by the end of 2018.DiscussionThe participation of a large number of local and non-health-sector stakeholders in programme planning and implementation, a clear response management structure and high community acceptability were identified as key factors that contributed to the programme achieving high vaccination coverage. The need to develop standard operating procedures for community-based outbreak response interventions to ease logistical challenges was considered an important lesson learnt.

Four new species of parasitoid wasp (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) described through a citizen science partnership with schools in regional South Australia.

Involving the community in taxonomic research has the potential to increase the awareness, appreciation and value of taxonomy in the public sphere. We report here on a trial citizen science project, Insect Investigators, which partners taxonomists with school students to monitor Malaise traps and prioritise the description of new species collected. In this initial trial, four schools in regional South Australia participated in the program and all collected new species of the braconid subfamily Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). These four species are here described as new, with the names being chosen in collaboration with the participating school students: Choeras ramcomarmorata Fagan-Jeffries Austin sp. nov., Glyptapanteles drioplanetus Fagan-Jeffries Austin sp. nov., Dolichogenidea franklinharbourensis Fagan-Jeffries Austin sp. nov. and Miropotes waikerieyeties Fagan-Jeffries Austin sp. nov. All four species are diagnosed against the known members of the genera from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, and images and COI DNA barcodes are provided of the holotypes. Students had positive feedback about their experiences of the program, and there is significant potential for it to be expanded and used as a means to connect communities with taxonomic science.

Family influence on refugee youth education and employment aspirations and choices

ABSTRACT During cultural transition, refugee-background youth in Australia must navigate adolescence and the demands of cultural transition and adaptation, including educational and employment decisions. Using a qualitative methodology we report on a study exploring the influence of family – including parents, siblings and extended family members – on youth aspirations and decision-making regarding education and employment pathways. Based on interviews with 79 participants (46 refugee-background youth aged 15–26 years and 33 parents or caregivers) residing in regional and metropolitan South Australia, we find that although there were some tensions between youth and family expectations, motivations, identities, and acculturation in resettlement, there were also mutual support strategies that strengthened family relationships and supported youth aspirations. We note four key themes: ‘motivating and supporting’ or how families supported youth to select their future education and employment pathways; ‘Independence versus influence’ or to what extent families influenced youth decision-making; ‘clash of expectations’ between parents and youth expectations; and ‘family responsibilities’ that interfered with youth aspirations. Implications of study findings for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Using ecological variables to predict Ross River virus disease incidence in South Australia.

Ross River virus (RRV) disease is Australia's most widespread vector-borne disease causing significant public health concern. The aim of this study was to identify the ecological covariates of RRV risk and to develop epidemic forecasting models in a disease hotspot region of South Australia. Seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models were used to predict the incidence of RRV disease in the Riverland region of South Australia, an area known to have a high incidence of the disease. The model was developed using data from January 2000 to December 2012 then validated using disease notification data on reported cases for the following year. Monthly numbers of the mosquito Culex annulirostris (β=0.033, p<0.001) and total rainfall (β=0.263, p=0.002) were significant predictors of RRV transmission in the study region. The forecasted RRV incidence in the predictive model was generally consistent with the actual number of cases in the study area. A predictive model has been shown to be useful in forecasting the occurrence of RRV disease, with increased vector populations and rainfall being important factors associated with transmission. This approach may be useful in a public health context by providing early warning of vector-borne diseases in other settings.

New host and locality records for gastrointestinal helminths of five reptile species from the Mid North region of South Australia

ABSTRACT Parasites in wildlife tend to be poorly studied in spite of the ecological roles they play, and even basic information such as the geographic distribution of the parasites and the hosts they infect or infest are not well known. For parasites that live within the host, part of the reason for this lack of information is that the hosts must be killed and dissected to determine which endoparasites they harbour, which has legal and/or ethical implications and limitations. These obstacles can be overcome by collecting and examining potential hosts that are found dead on roads or that are sacrificed as part of other non-related studies. In this study, our objective was to expand on our understanding of the gastrointestinal parasites of some common reptiles from an area in the vicinity of a study site in the Mid North region of South Australia by making use of snakes and large lizards that were found dead on roads or that were humanely killed for another study. Our study provides new locality and/or host species records for some parasite species.

Health service access and utilisation amongst culturally and linguistically diverse populations in regional South Australia: a qualitative study.

Over the past few decades, Australia's population and multicultural landscape have changed significantly. The growing population of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups requires changes in the provision of health services to meet their special health needs. CALD populations face multiple challenges in accessing health services. Access to and utilisation of health services are multifaceted and are influenced by factors at individual, household and societal levels. Additionally, poor access to and utilisation of health services are affected by health systems, organisations and provider factors. Given the growing number and diversity of CALD populations in Australia, including in regional areas, a better understanding of these factors is crucial to identifying existing gaps and health service needs. This qualitative study aimed to explore factors affecting effective access to and utilisation of health services among CALD populations in the south and east regions of South Australia (SA). The 'access to health service' theoretical framework developed by Levesque and colleagues guided this study. A qualitative study was conducted between December 2018 and April 2019 through: (a) individual interviews with service providers (n=23); and (b) focus group discussions (n=4) with CALD populations in three regional towns in SA. Data from interview and focus group discussions were analysed using inductive and deductive analysis approaches. Poor health literacy among CALD populations, such as difficulties in searching and understanding health information, and seeking the right services at the right time, were significant barriers to effective navigation and utilisation of health services. Factors leading to low health literacy included language and communication problems, the complexity of the Australian health system, and poor availability of multilingual health materials to health providers and community members. Interpreting services were widely used to facilitate communication between patients and health providers, although these were inadequate and needed some improvements. A shortage and high turnover of health providers as well as distance and transport difficulties were major barriers to the accessibility of health services. Poor access to female-specific services to meet cultural needs in some population groups and the lack of cultural competency training were key issues reported in relation to acceptability and cultural appropriateness of health services. Additionally, the cost of services and poor service affordability hampered access to and utilisation of some services. Finally, broader social determinants of health such as poor housing and unemployment were reported as factors negatively affecting access to health services by CALD populations. This study revealed key factors facilitating or constraining access to and utilisation of health services by CALD populations living in regional SA. A combination of strategies at different levels of health services is required to ensure services are accessible, culturally appropriate, acceptable and affordable. Improving accessibility is necessary in order to reduce inequity in health access and outcomes among the growing CALD populations in Australia.

Impact of Plant Closures on Urban and Regional Communities: A Case Study of South Australian Gas Industry and its Workers

Purpose: This research paper has been compiled from the articles and journals of various scholars. The elements and factors, which affected the plant closure and its impact on the economical fields, are analyzed at depth. Design/Methodology/Approach: The economic condition based on geographical scenario along with the case study on the Limestone Coast region of South Australia is vividly discussed. In other words, the paper has thrown down an in-depth analysis of the Pine plantations and Plan for the acceleration of electrical as well as industrial allocations and the role of gas on the Limestone Coast that had generated premium wine. Findings: There were four scenarios planned prior to proceeding with the work as well. At the same time, it also found different stakeholders involved in agricultural practices as well. Hence, it has focussed on the overall mission of the company. Practical Implications: The study had emphasized the methods and material of qualitative that had dealt with the case study of the Lime industry as well. Originality/value: This study contributes by supporting that conceptual, strategic, and technical competencies have a significant relationship with competitive intelligence and is achievable to be used by goverments in region and local economies.

Beyond Kayaking - A qualitative investigation of parents and facilitators views regrading an outdoor, activity-based, multi-session parenting intervention program.

The Beyond Kayaking program is a free, outdoor activity-based, parenting intervention delivered across multiple sessions to vulnerable families in regional South Australia. Current literature on outdoor activity-based interventions have demonstrated improvements in family communication, problem-solving, bonding and trust. However, these studies are mostly based on single session interventions from the United States. This study explored the subjectively reported benefits of a multi-session intervention delivered in an Australian setting including how families perceived their relationships had changed (if at all) through participation in the program. This was accomplished through the use of open-ended, qualitative interviews with 20 parents who participated in the Beyond Kayaking program between 2016 and 2017. Additionally, a one-off focus group with three members of Beyond Kayaking staff was conducted to give context to the research. Thematic analysis of the data identified three dominant themes regarding participants' experiences of the Beyond Kayaking program. The first theme was 'building family capacity' and identified how kayaking produced an environment that helped families to communicate and problem solve together, which improved family understanding overall. The second theme was 'local culture' which discussed how education on local Indigenous culture helped build awareness in non-Indigenous people while helping Indigenous families to connect. The final theme 'support and shared circumstances' discussed the benefits of participants meeting people in similar circumstance, which helped them both improve, and feel better about, their own situation. Importantly, this study demonstrates that learning a new skill while being unsure and vulnerable in front of others strengthens family relationships - thus improving understanding of how activity-based interventions aid families. However, longitudinal research that follows up with participants is needed to better understand the lasting impacts of the improvements witnessed in this research.

Acceptability of the culturally adapted ASQ-TRAK developmental screening tool to caregivers of Aboriginal children.

The Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Talking about Raising Aboriginal Kids (ASQ-TRAK) culturally adapted developmental screening tool is widely used in Australian Aboriginal communities. However, there has been limited exploration of the tool's acceptability to caregivers. The aim of the study is to determine the acceptability of the ASQ-TRAK developmental screening tool to caregivers of Aboriginal children in urban, regional and remote South Australia. Caregivers of Aboriginal children completed a survey regarding acceptability of the ASQ-TRAK. Convenience samples of caregivers were invited to a telephone interview. Ninety-two caregivers completed the survey (96% response). Acceptability (92%) and caregiver satisfaction (73%) were high. Families perceived the screen as easy to use and understand, strengths-based and providing valuable information about their child's development. The ASQ-TRAK tool was highly acceptable to caregivers in Aboriginal communities in South Australia. The study highlights the importance of culturally safe practice and supports ASQ-TRAK implementation. Broader use and further evaluation of the ASQ-TRAK in Aboriginal communities needs consideration.

Geoscience in the Flinders Ranges: papers in support of World Heritage Nomination

The Flinders Ranges region of South Australia (Figure 1) has been nominated, as a South Australian Government initiative, for World Heritage listing on the basis of its exceptional geological and p...

Health care need and health disparities: Findings from the Regional South Australia Health (RESONATE) survey.

Regional South Australia has some of the highest rates of psychological distress, chronic disease and multimorbidity of any Australian State or Territory. Yet, the healthcare needs of this population are still not completely understood. To better understand the healthcare needs of regional South Australians, we invited adults living in the region to complete the 44-item consumer utilisation, expectations and experiences of healthcare instrument (CONVERSATIONS), online or in hard-copy. The survey was conducted between April 2017 and March 2018. A multi-modal recruitment campaign was utilised to promote the survey. We examined associations between study outcomes and remoteness area, and drew comparisons between our findings and other surveys reporting pertinent outcomes in the urban SA population. The questionnaire was completed by 3,926 adults (52.5% females; 37.6% aged 60+years). Among the 264 distinct health conditions reported by participants, the most prevalent were hypertension (31.6%), depression (25.7%), anxiety (23.5%) and hypercholesterolaemia (22.9%). The lifetime prevalence of these conditions among participants exceeded rates reported in urban SA. The largest regional-urban health disparities were observed for eczema/dermatitis, skin cancer, other cancer types and cataracts, where prevalence rates were 2075%, 400%, 373% and 324% higher, respectively, than that reported in urban SA. Participants also reported higher levels of multimorbidity (37.7% higher) relative to urban South Australians. By contrast, participants appeared to be exposed to fewer lifestyle risk behaviours (e.g. smoking, alcohol, inadequate fruit or vegetable intake) than their urban counterparts. In summary, there was a high level of healthcare need, and considerable health disparity among participants when compared with urban settings (particularly for skin and eye conditions). These findings highlight the need for a more targeted approach to delivering health services and health promotion activities in regional areas.

Expressed Demand for Health Care Services in Regional South Australia: A Cross-sectional Study.

Accessibility and availability of health care services/providers is an increasing concern for many regional communities, particularly regional South Australia. Assessing the level of health service/provider utilization within a region (ie, expressed demand) can be useful in determining health care need and health service/workforce demand. The regional South Australia health (RESONATE) survey aimed to determine the expressed demand for health care services and the health workforce in a regional South Australian population. The study was open to adults living in regional South Australia and was promoted using a comprehensive multimodal recruitment campaign. Data were collected between April 2017 and March 2018 using the consumer utilization, expectations and experiences of healthcare instrument. A total of 3,926 adults completed the questionnaire. Participants reported using 47 different health care providers in the previous 12 months. Whilst almost all (92.9%) participants had seen a general practitioner in the past 12 months, yoga instructors, chiropractors, pharmacists, and physiotherapists were visited most frequently. Proportionally fewer participants in more remote locations received conventional services/treatments, though a significantly greater proportion of those in more remote locations had received complementary medicine services/treatments (relative to inner regional areas). Findings of the RESONATE survey point to a high level of expressed demand for conventional and complementary health care services among study participants, possibly higher than that reported in the general population. Examining the extent to which the health needs of this and other regional populations are met should be the focus of further research to better inform future health workforce/services planning.

A historical perspective on Australian temperature extremes

Global temperature increases are most clearly detected in the shifting distribution of extreme events. Australia’s warming climate has resulted in significant changes in the frequency of temperature extremes, with a general increase in heatwaves and a reduction in the number of cold days. Here, we present the longest historical analysis of daily Australian temperature extremes and their societal impacts compiled to date. We use a newly consolidated early instrumental dataset and a range of historical sources for the South Australia region of Adelaide—the nation’s driest state, containing the most heatwave-affected city in Australia—to investigate any changes in the characteristics of daily temperature extremes back to 1838. We identify multidecadal variability in heatwave and snow event frequency with a peak in the early twentieth century, with an overall decrease in cold extremes and an increase in heatwaves in the region over the 1838–2019 period. Documentary and instrumental records show a decrease in the number of snow events in Adelaide, and a clear increase in the number of heatwaves since the late twentieth century. To gain dynamical insight into historical extremes in South Australia, detailed case studies are presented to compare the synoptic characteristics of historical hot and cold extremes and their impacts. We place a particular emphasis on lesser-known events of the pre-1910 period and rare low-elevation snowfall. Significantly, this is the first study to provide long-term evidence for a reduction of low-elevation snow events and cold outbreaks in Australia. Finally, a discussion is provided on the value and limitations of using historical instrumental and documentary data to assess long-term changes in Australian temperature extremes and their potential to improve future climate change risk assessment.

An exploration of midwives’ role in the promotion and provision of antenatal influenza immunisation: A mixed methods inquiry

ProblemNo South Australian study has previously investigated the role of midwives in the promotion and provision of antenatal influenza immunisation. BackgroundInfluenza acquired in pregnancy can have serious sequalae for both mother and foetus. Recent studies have demonstrated that influenza vaccine in pregnancy is both safe and effective. Despite this, evidence suggests that vaccine uptake in pregnancy is suboptimal in both Australia and worldwide. AimThe aim of this study was to investigate the role of midwives in the promotion and provision of antenatal influenza vaccine and, to provide a statistical and thematic description of the barriers and enablers midwives encounter. MethodsThis mixed method study incorporated a cross sectional on-line survey and in-depth interviews conducted with midwives, employed in urban and regional South Australia. FindingsQuantitative data were available for 137 midwives and 10 midwives participated in the interviews. Recruitment for the interview phase was through the last question on the survey. Whilst all midwives indicated that education and vaccine promotion were part of their role, immunisation knowledge varied between Registered Nurse/Midwives (RM/RN) 80% and Registered Midwives (RM) 48.90% (p=0.001). Quantitative data showed that only 43% of midwives felt sufficiently educated to provide the vaccine. Midwives who had received formal immunisation training were more likely to recommend the vaccine 93.7% (p=0.001). Qualitative data confirmed these results and identified the lack of immunisation education as a barrier to practise. ConclusionMidwives identified an immunisation knowledge deficit. Midwives who had received immunisation education were more likely to actively promote and provide the vaccine to pregnant women. These findings indicate the need for more immunisation education of midwives in both tertiary and practice settings.

Initial results and observations on a radiocarbon dating program in the Riverland region of South Australia

This paper presents a preliminary occupation chronology for the Riverland region of South Australia, based on 31 radiocarbon age determinations. This region has represented a significant geographic gap in understanding occupation chronologies for the broader Murray-Darling Basin. The dating forms part of an ongoing research program exploring the long-term engagements of Aboriginal people with the habitat mosaics of the central River Murray corridor. Dating targets were selected on the basis of their landscape context. Results relate occupation evidence to an evolving riverine landscape through the period extending from approximately 29 ka to the late Holocene. These results include the first pre-Last Glacial Maximum ages returned on the River Murray in South Australia and extend the known Aboriginal occupation of the Riverland by approximately 22,000 years.

Development of an evidence-based Evaluation Toolkit for suicide prevention networks in regional Australia.

Suicide is a global public health concern, particularly for those living in rural, regional and remote areas. Despite numerous prevention initiatives, suicide continues to impact individuals, families and communities. Suicide prevention networks are an innovative, community-based approach to addressing suicide within local government areas. Anecdotally, suicide prevention networks make an important contribution to suicide prevention, yet frameworks for evaluating their impact do not exist. The purpose of this project was to develop an Evaluation Toolkit to be used by suicide prevention networks throughout South Australia to monitor their impact. Participatory action research was used to work with one suicide prevention network in regional South Australia to co-design and produce the Evaluation Toolkit. One regional South Australian town, with an established suicide prevention network. The development of an Evaluation Toolkit, to allow all South Australian suicide prevention networks to measure their impact in a consistent manner. The Evaluation Toolkit has been made freely available in electronic form and as a hard copy booklet for use by all South Australian suicide prevention networks. The purpose of this project was to develop the Evaluation Toolkit. Formal assessment of its usability and effectiveness is yet to be undertaken, but preliminary anecdotal evidence indicates aspects of the Evaluation Toolkit are useful, especially the questionnaire templates that can be adapted and used to evaluate various community events. Participatory action research is a useful method for working with community-based suicide prevention groups.

Biology, ecology and management of Diuraphis noxia (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Australia

AbstractThe Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko ex Kurdjumov), is one of the world's most economically important pests of grain crops and has been recorded from at least 140 grass species within Poaceae. It has rapidly dispersed from its native origin of Central Asia into most major grain‐producing regions of the world including Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Diuraphis noxia was first found in Australia in a wheat crop in the mid‐north of South Australia in May 2016. Since then, D. noxia has been recorded throughout grain‐growing regions of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. The distribution will continue to expand, with climatic suitability modelling suggesting D. noxia can persist in all key grain regions, including large parts of Western Australia and Queensland. Australian populations of D. noxia appear to be anholocyclic, with no sexual stages being observed. The aphids can reproduce year round as long as host plants are available. Australian farmers have generally adopted prophylactic insecticide seed treatments and/or foliar sprays to manage D. noxia. Research is required to fully understand yield impacts, host preferences and host plant resistance associated with D. noxia. Cultural control through managing alternate host plants over summer, agronomic crop management, biological control and developments in host plant resistance should provide considerable future benefits.

Determinants of Complementary Medicine Service Utilization in a Regional South Australian Population: A Cross‐Sectional Study

The dearth of accessible and appropriate conventional health care services in regional areas may drive many people to seek care provided by complementary medicine (CM) practitioners. Understanding the drivers of CM service use in this population may help inform future health services planning. This study set out to examine the determinants of CM service utilization in a regional South Australian population. Adults residing in regional South Australia between April 2017 and March 2018 were invited to complete the 44-item consumer utilization, expectations, and experiences of health care instrument. The questionnaire was available in print and online, and was promoted using a multimodal recruitment campaign. Independent predictors of CM service use were determined using multivariate logistic regression. Completing the questionnaire were 3,926 adults (56.7% aged 50+ years; 52.5% females). Forty-seven percent of participants reported using a CM service within the last 12 months. Univariate analyses revealed a statistically significant association between 13 factors and CM service use. When these factors were forced into a multivariate logistic regression model, the number of predictors of CM service utilization was reduced to 10, which included 6 predisposing factors, 3 enabling factors, and 1 personal health practice. This model was able to explain 23.1% (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.231) of the variation in CM service use in this sample. A high level of CM service use was reported among participants living in regional South Australia. The findings highlight the degree to which the appropriateness of health services impacts health-seeking behavior in regional communities.

\u201cYou get exposed to a wider range of things and it can be challenging but very exciting at the same time\u201d: enablers of and barriers to transition to rural practice by allied health professionals in Australia

BackgroundThere is consistent evidence highlighting the mal-distribution of the health workforce between urban and rural and remote regions. To date, addressing this mal-distribution has focused on medicine and nursing with limited initiatives targeted at allied health. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore the enablers of and barriers to transition to rural practice by allied health professionals across South Australia in Australia.MethodQualitative descriptive methodology was used to underpin this research. Individual, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with employers, managers and allied health professionals from rural regions of South Australia who were identified using purposive maximum variation sampling strategy.ResultsA total 22 participants shared their perspectives on the enablers of and barriers to transition to rural practice by allied health professionals across South Australia. Thematic analysis of the interview data resulted in a number of key issues impacting transition to rural-based practice. These findings could be broadly categorised into three stages during the transition: ‘before’; ‘during’ and ‘after’.DiscussionThis study identified a range of enablers of and barriers to transition to rural practice by allied health professionals. Five overarching themes – nature of rural practice, exposure to rural ‘taster’, social/lifestyle, job availability/characteristics, and mentor and support were identified. In particular, exposure to rural ‘taster’, social/lifestyle, and mentor and support were the key themes reported by the stakeholders. The multifactorial nature of the barriers and enablers highlight the complexity underpinning how AHPs transition to rural-based practice. These barriers/ enablers are often inter-linked and continually evolving which pose significant challenges for health care stakeholders to successfully addressing these.ConclusionThis research sheds light on the complexities that confront and successful strategies that are required for health care stakeholders when considering how best to support allied health professional transition to rural practice.

Citizen science implements the first intensive acoustics-based survey of insectivorous bat species across the Murray–Darling Basin of South Australia

Effective land management and biodiversity conservation policy relies on good records of native species occurrence and habitat association, but for many animal groups these data are inadequate. In the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), the most environmentally and economically important catchment in Australia, knowledge gaps exist on the occurrence and habitat associations of insectivorous bat species. We relied on the interest and effort of citizen scientists to assist with the most intensive insectivorous bat survey ever undertaken in the MDB region of South Australia. We used an existing network of Natural Resource Management groups to connect interested citizens and build on historical observations of bat species using a fleet of 30 Anabat Swift bat detectors. The survey effort more than doubled the number of bat occurrence records for the area in two years (3000 records; cf. 2693 records between 1890 and 2018; freely available through the Atlas of Living Australia). We used multinomial logistic regression to look at the relationship between three types of environmental covariates: flight space, nearest open water source and vegetation type. There were no differences in species richness among the environmental covariates. The records have been, and will continue to be, used to inform government land management policy, more accurately predict the impact of development proposals on bat populations, and update conservation assessments for microbat species. A social survey tool also showed that participation in the project led to positive behaviours, and planned positive behaviours, for improving bat habitat on private land.