Academic literature on the topic 'Australian Longitudinal Survey'

This study investigates changes in willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 and the effect of the extended restrictions in metropolitan Victoria on this change. Longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional data were collected from online surveys distributed in April, between July and August, and December 2020. Australian adults who were ≥18 years old were recruited through email lists, social media networks, and paid Facebook advertisement. Willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 was self-reported. The results showed that participants were more willing to vaccinate if the vaccine was safe at survey 1 (longitudinal: adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.88, 95%CI = 1.38, 2.56; cross-sectional: aOR = 3.73, 95%CI = 2.55, 5.45) and survey 2 (longitudinal: aOR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.19, 2.00; cross-sectional: aOR = 2.48, 1.67, 3.67), compared to survey 3. The change in willingness to vaccinate if the vaccine was safe and effective was not significant for those in Metropolitan Victoria; but was for those living in other Australian locations at survey 1 (OR = 2.13, 95%CI = 1.64, 2.76) and survey 2 (OR = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.30, 2.01), compared to survey 3. Willingness to vaccinate even if a vaccine had not been proven safe decreased at survey 3 (OR = 2.02, 95%CI = 1.14, 3.57) for those living in Metropolitan Victoria. In conclusion willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 decreased over time among Australians, except for those living in metropolitan Victoria, where an additional strict and prolonged lockdown was implemented around the time of survey 2. Either the experience of the lockdown, or the presence of the COVID-19 virus itself had a positive influence on participants’ willingness to vaccinate, even if such a vaccine was not yet proven to be safe and effective.

One of the features of contemporary society is the increasing global mobility of professionals. While the education industry is a key site of the demand for contemporary global professional migration, little attention has been given to the global circulation of education professionals. Over past decades, immigrant teachers have been an important component of skilled and professional immigration into Australia, there is no comprehensive contemporary national study of the experiences of immigrant teachers in Australia. This article aims to fill this gap and to answer questions about their decision to move to Australia, their experience with Australian Education Departments in getting appointed to a school, their experiences as teachers in the classroom and in their new Australian community. It draws on primary data sources - in the form of a survey of 269 immigrant teachers in schools in NSW, SA and WA conducted in 2008-9 - and secondary sources - in the form of the 2006 national census and Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants in Australia – to provide insights into immigrant teachers in Australian schools, adding also to our understanding of Australia’s contemporary immigration experience.

Young Canadian women engage in post-school study at a much higher rate than their Australian peers, with a large part of the difference in this rate attributable to differences in rates of participation in the non-university sector. This article uses data from the Australian Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth and the Canadian Youth in Transition Survey to generate a unique cross-country comparison of the characteristics of young women engaged in different types of post-school education. The results highlight important differences in the role played by academic ability and parental resources in the allocation of educational ‘slots' in the non-university sectors of the two countries. The results suggest that ‘second-tier’ post-school institutions could play a role in boosting rates of post-school education in Australia, with important consequences for the design of policy on this sector.

AbstractObjectiveTo study social patterning of overeating and symptoms of disordered eating in a general population.DesignA representative, population-based cohort study.SettingThe Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH), Survey 1 in 1996 and Survey 2 in 2000.SubjectsWomen (n12 599) aged 18–23 years completed a questionnaire survey at baseline, of whom 6866 could be studied prospectively.ResultsSeventeen per cent of women reported episodes of overeating, 16 % reported binge eating and 10 % reported compensatory behaviours. Almost 4 % of women reported symptoms consistent with bulimia nervosa. Low education, not living with family, perceived financial difficulty (OR=1·8 and 1·3 for women with severe and some financial difficulty, respectively, compared with none) and European language other than English spoken at home (OR=1·5 for European compared with Australian/English) were associated with higher prevalence of binge eating. Furthermore, longitudinal analyses indicated increased risk of persistent binge eating among women with a history of being overweight in childhood, those residing in metropolitan Australia, women with higher BMI, smokers and binge drinkers.ConclusionsOvereating, binge eating and symptoms of bulimia nervosa are common among young Australian women and cluster with binge drinking. Perceived financial stress appears to increase the risk of binge eating and bulimia nervosa. It is unclear whether women of European origin and those with a history of childhood overweight carry higher risk of binge eating because of genetic or cultural reasons.

There has been limited longitudinal investigation to date into the association between bullying, self-harm, and suicidality in Australia and the impact of specific demographic differences on this relationship. This is despite the continued rise in the incidence of bullying, self-harm, and suicide. As such, the current study draws on data from the Longitudinal Survey of Australian children (LSAC) to examine the association between bullying, self-harm, and suicidality and explore the impact of demographic differences across three bullying related behaviors (being bullied, bullying others and being both bullied and bullying others). The evidence indicates that bully-victims exhibit the highest risk of self-harm and suicidality in Australia. When considering demographic differences, it was identified that females and adolescents aged 16-17-years-of-age had the highest risk of self-harm and suicidality. Further, a direct curvilinear relationship between age and the categories of self-harm was identified with an inflection point around 16–17 years. The study supports the need for further investigation into the association between bullying, self-harm, and suicidality longitudinally with a particular focus on other moderators.

This paper investigates the commitment of journalists to change programs, which is a previously unexplored aspect of organisational change. Studies of organisational change in newsrooms have until now focused on journalists' attitudes to change, rather than their commitment to change. This paper draws on the findings of a longitudinal survey of Australian journalists involved in an ongoing corporate change program in order to enrich the literature and theory-building around corporate change in media organisations. The organisational science literature is used to explore whether commitment to change operates among journalists in similar ways to other types of workers. The data are drawn from three annual surveys of journalists in 14 newsrooms operated by the Australian corporation APN News & Media. The paper explores the trajectory of the journalists' commitment to APN's corporate-change program across more than three years of change. Although the study is limited in that it examines only one media organisation's change program, it has implications for those researching in the field of organisational change in newsrooms — particularly at a theoretical level. It also has practical implications for those managing, planning and implementing change at the newsroom level.

Purpose The relationship between sustainability and value in property has been a major area of investigation over the past decade. However, in spite of the extant literature and research, the connections made by valuers in practice of the value relationship are still unresolved. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, in the Australian context, valuers’ perception of the relationship between sustainability and value; and their experience and knowledge of sustainability in valuation practice. Design/methodology/approach The research investigates valuers’ perception and knowledge of sustainability and its inclusion in valuation practice in Australia. The approach uses a longitudinal survey of valuers from 2007 to 2015 tracking valuers’ knowledge, understanding, inclusion of sustainability reporting and the perceptions of the relationship between sustainability and market value. Findings This paper presents findings from a longitudinal survey that has been conducted in Australia since 2007, identifying changes between 2007, the height of the property market and sustainability engagement prior to the global financial crisis, and the subsequent years to 2015. The growth of sustainability in the property market is significant, however, valuers’ knowledge and reporting on sustainability is not demonstrating the same level of development. As a result, this is inhibiting valuers reporting on sustainability and has implications for practice and treatment of market values. Practical implications This research highlights the need to examine how to assist valuers to more rapidly develop knowledge and experience to reflect the implications of change in practice. Current approaches being developed in the UK and Europe, like the introduction of RenoValue professional development programs and guidance documents, to assist valuers to develop their knowledge needs to be implemented in the Australian environment as current approaches are inadequate, and steps need to be taken in order to assist their development of knowledge and experience as the market demonstrates growth and acceptance of sustainability. This research identifies the need to re-examine how professional development is undertaken and knowledge developed by those practicing in the profession in Australia. Originality/value This longitudinal survey is the only research that has spanned a substantial period of time attempting to ascertain valuers’ perception of the relationship between sustainability and value; and attempts to track the knowledge development of valuers in the context of sustainability. The findings identify how the market is developing and adhering to a product model development theory, however, also identifies more fundamental issues and implications for valuation praxis, in the development of knowledge and ability of valuers to adapt to change and reflect these valuations.

Using data from the nationally representative longitudinal survey of Australian children, this thesis contributes to the emerging body of literature on intergenerational transmission in health and human capital by presenting the causal estimates on the impacts of maternal and paternal health on children's health, cognitive and non-cognitive development in their early lives. The results have highlighted that failing to control for the child-parent unobservable characteristics may result in an over-estimation of the detrimental impact of poor parental health and health shocks on child development. The results also indicate detrimental effects of poor parental health on selected cognitive and non-cognitive skills of children.

This thesis research has had two aims: first, to determine how discontinuous (or “casual”) employment impacts on quality of life, mental health, and coping for a population of Australian job seekers; second, to determine how different groups of workers differ in coping style, quality of life, and mental health when dealing with discontinuous (casual, short-term) work. To address these aims a national survey was conducted of white collar, business and technical/scientific workers (N=229 at Time 1). Workers were sampled three times over the study period of nine months. The mixed method design consisted of two phases in order to capture the richness of the phenomena in question. The quantitative phase (QN) was initiated first with a tri-monthly national survey running from July 2006-until February 2007. The survey yielded information on workers’ employment conditions, job permanency, sense of resilience, and distress levels. Phase QN yielded an “overall snapshot” of worker issues and life facet coping patterns. The qualitative phase (QL) was initiated two weeks after the start of Phase QN. In this phase the investigator conducted semi-structured interviews from a subset of nine workers taken at three- month intervals. Phase QL yielded narratives of nine-month “slices of life” for these respondents, illustrating their most current work/life conflicts and the strategies and attitudes they employed to manage such conflicts. Phase QL also allowed for the uncovering of personal meanings for work-life transitions role conflicts, perceived time shortages and respondents’ personal work-life goals. Narratives, goals and personal meanings were eventually uncovered and were integrated into nine-month case trajectories. Phase QL trajectory results were then compared and integrated with the QN quantitative survey results via a process of audit trailing, data reconfiguring, member checking, and comparing of data sets. Main Findings: for the QN analysis/methods, Distress was predicted by only three Life Facet variables: number of children, permanency (security) of one’s job, and the time of year (season). The outcome variable Resilience/Coherence was predicted by only two of the variables of interest: permanency (job security) and time of year. Overall the weak QN findings could only hint at but not substantiate the patency of the Life Facets Model in explaining discontinuous work. However the Phase QL results showed the Life Facets Model to better fit the coping narratives than other models (of staged grief, active agency, drive reduction, and stress-appraisal-coping). Though some mismatches occurred across the two (QL and QN) methods, most were resolved through mixed method techniques of auditing, cross referencing and integration. Implications of the findings for future research, social welfare, and public policy were suggested.

Women in Australia have gone from being under-represented to being over-represented in university education, but they are still far less likely than men to engage in mathematically intensive science fields including engineering, information technology and the physical sciences. With a rapid growth of employment opportunities in these fields, women need quantitative skills to become competitive in technologically and science-oriented niches of the labour market. The persisting gender gap in mathematically intensive fields is important also because it may reinforce the stereotypical belief that males are naturally more talented in mathematics, abstract thinking and technical problem solving. The prevalence of such a belief drives adolescents to aspire to gender-typical occupations and thus reproduces gender inequality. Given this, there is an urgent need to systematically examine the extent to which socialisation influences and educational experiences in adolescence affect the participation in advanced high school mathematics and mathematically intensive university qualifications. The key question to consider is why engagement in advanced mathematics and cognate disciplines remains so strongly segregated by gender. This thesis offers a comprehensive examination of this issue in Australia by drawing on the theories of gender stratification and educational psychology. The scope of this examination is broader than any other Australian study of this issue to date. I adopt a life course perspective to study the impact of teenage educational experiences and occupational expectations on the gender differences in later pursuits of advanced mathematics subjects in Year 12 and mathematically intensive fields at university. To achieve this, I use multilevel logistic regression models to analyse the data from the 2003 cohort of the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth. The data comprise a nationally representative sample of adolescents who turned 15 around 2003 and entered the labour market in the following decade. Occupational expectations are crucial in explaining why boys are considerably more likely than girls to enrol in advanced mathematics subjects in Year 12. These expectations, however, are less influential than the combined effect of self-assessed mathematical competence of students and their achievement in mathematics. The gender gap in Year 12 advanced mathematics enrolment would disappear completely should we succeed in generating the same levels of self-assessed mathematical competence and in fostering similar levels of early achievement in mathematics across both genders. To achieve gender parity in the choice of a mathematically intensive university major, we would also have to persuade teenagers of both genders to aspire to similar careers and have similar confidence in their mathematical abilities. Apart from individual micro-social characteristics of students, single-sex schooling enhances the participation of girls in advanced high school mathematics and related fields of study at university. The advantage of all-girls education is evident in these analyses even after considering the pre-existing differences between single-sex and coeducational schools in school resources, teacher quality and the policy of selectivity in student admissions. These results suggest that all-girls secondary education provides an environment that somewhat counters gender stereotypes and fosters mathematically intensive studies, not only in high school but also at university.

Chronic radiation proctitis (CRP), characterized by increased frequency and urgency of defecation, fecal incontinence and rectal bleeding, is an under-estimated cause of morbidity after pelvic irradiation for urological and gynecological malignant diseases. Despite improvements in radiotherapy technology, 90% of patients have persistent long term symptoms and 50% of all patients report impairment of quality of life after pelvic radiotherapy. Research by an Australian group of clinician scientists, including prospective, longitudinal and retrospective studies as well as a randomized trial of two current approaches used for the treatment of haemorrhagic radiation proctitis over a time span exceeding two decades, have provided important insights into the prevalence, pathophysiology natural history and treatment of CRP. The findings have important implications for the management and amelioration if not prevention of CRP. Data from 4 selected studies conducted by the Australian group, each characterizing changes in anorectal function and anal sphincteric morphology, are first presented. This is followed by discussion of how the findings have led to the development of more rational therapeutic interventions for CRP and how novel approaches designed to reduce the prevalence of CRP when combined could lead to its elimination in the foreseeable future.

Abstract If group-based cross-pressures are key to explaining the surge in electoral volatility, there should be evidence of an over-time increase in levels of cross-pressure too. This chapter provides a test of this intuition. In a first section, the longitudinal election survey data from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great-Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States is used to assess, in a bivariate way, how levels of group-based cross-pressure vary over time. This descriptive analysis suggests much change, especially in countries characterised by an increase in electoral volatility. In a next section, this over-time trend is scrutinized more - with specific attention for evaluating the extent to which this change is driven by generational change or reflects period effects. The third section of this chapter evaluates the role that party-system change plays for the trend toward higher levels of group-based cross-pressure. In a final section, it is verified whether focusing on a main correlate and outcome of group-based cross-pressure, i.e., party ambivalence, similarly shows evidence of over-time change. Overall, the results in this chapter provide much evidence of change. In countries that have been marked by a surge in volatility, there also is evidence of increased levels of group-based cross-pressure. This change appears to affect voters of all generations, and even holds when the increased fragmentation of party systems is accounted for

[This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2019 issue of the journal Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, Volume 16] Aim/purpose The purpose of this article is to discuss the psychosocial and emotional outcomes of an introductory health science workshop designed to support and assist incoming health science students before starting their university study. Background For the past two decades, a South Australian university offered an on-campus face to face workshop titled ‘Preparation for Health Sciences’ to incoming first-year students from eleven allied health programs such as Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medical Imaging. While many were locals, a good number came from regional and rural areas, and many were international students also. They consisted of both on-campus and off-campus students. The workshop was created as a new learning environment that was available for students of diverse age groups, educational and cultural backgrounds to prepare them to study sciences. The content of the four-day workshop was developed in consultation with the program directors of the allied health programs. The objectives were to: introduce the assumed foundational science knowledge to undertake health sciences degree; gain confidence in approaching science subjects; experience lectures and laboratory activities; and become familiar with the University campus and its facilities. The workshop was delivered a week before the orientation week, before first-year formal teaching weeks. The topics covered were enhancing study skills, medical and anatomical terminology, body systems, basic chemistry and physics, laboratory activities, and assessment of learning. Methodology In order to determine the outcomes of the workshop, a survey was used requiring participants to agree or disagree about statements concerning the preparatory course and answer open-ended questions relating to the most important information learned and the best aspects of the workshop. Several students piloted this questionnaire before use in order to ascertain the clarity of instructions, terminology and statements. The result of the 2015-2018 pre- and post-evaluation showed that the workshop raised confidence and enthusiasm in commencing university and that the majority considered the workshop useful overall. The findings of the survey are drawn upon to examine the psychosocial and emotional impacts of the workshop on participants. Using secondary qualitative analysis, the researchers identified the themes relating to the psychosocial and emotional issues conveyed by the participants. Contribution The contributions of the article are in the areas of improving students’ confidence to complete their university degrees and increasing the likelihood of academic success. Findings Of the 285 students who participated in the workshops from 2015 to 2018, 166 completed the survey conducted at the conclusion of the initiative, representing a 58% response rate. The workshops achieved the objectives outlined at the outset. While there were many findings reported (Thalluri, 2016), the results highlighted in this paper relate to the psychosocial and emotional impacts of the workshop on students. Three themes emerged, and these were Increased preparedness and confidence; Networking and friendships that enhanced support, and Reduced anxiety to study sciences. Some drawbacks were also reported including the cost, time and travel involved. Recommendations for practitioners Students found the introductory workshop to be psychosocially and emotionally beneficial. It is recommended that the same approach be applied for teaching other challenging fields such as mathematics and physics within the university and in other contexts and institutions. Recommendations for researchers Improving and extending the workshop to provide greater accessibility and autonomy is recommended. A longitudinal study to follow up the durability of the workshop is also proposed. Impact on society The impacts in the broader community include: higher academic success for students; improved mental health due to social networking and friendship groups and reduced anxiety and fear; reduced dropout rate in their first year; greater potential to complete educational degrees; reduced wastage in human and financial resources; and increased human capital. Future research Addressing the limitations of cost, time and travel involved, and following-up with the participants’ academic and workplace performance are future directions for research.

This paper provides insights from a pilot study which is part of a larger longitudinal research project focused on assessing the value of different national digital health solutions. In this study, the focus is on Australia’s My Health Record and the German e-Health Card. The adopted methodology is a multicase qualitative approach which enables deeper insights to be uncovered. Data collection is from multiple sources including semi-structured interviews, surveys and the analysis of key documents. An initial model for assessing the value of the digital health solution is presented and findings are analyzed against this model to provide recommendations and understand critical success factors for designing, developing and deploying national digital health solutions.

Emergency Relief (ER) is a Department of Social Services (DSS) funded program, delivered by 197 community organisations (ER Providers) across Australia, to assist people facing a financial crisis with financial/material aid and referrals to other support programs. ER has been playing this important role in Australian communities since 1979. Without ER, more people living in Australia who experience a financial crisis might face further harm such as crippling debt or homelessness. The Emergency Relief National Coordination Group (NCG) was established in April 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to advise the Minister for Families and Social Services on the implementation of ER. To inform its advice to the Minister, the NCG partnered with the Institute for Governance at the University of Canberra to conduct research to understand the issues and challenges faced by ER Providers and Service Users in local contexts across Australia. The research involved a desktop review of the existing literature on ER service provision, a large survey which all Commonwealth ER Providers were invited to participate in (and 122 responses were received), interviews with a purposive sample of 18 ER Providers, and the development of a program logic and theory of change for the Commonwealth ER program to assess progress. The surveys and interviews focussed on ER Provider perceptions of the strengths, weaknesses, future challenges, and areas of improvement for current ER provision. The trend of increasing case complexity, the effectiveness of ER service delivery models in achieving outcomes for Service Users, and the significance of volunteering in the sector were investigated. Separately, an evaluation of the performance of the NCG was conducted and a summary of the evaluation is provided as an appendix to this report. Several themes emerged from the review of the existing literature such as service delivery shortcomings in dealing with case complexity, the effectiveness of case management, and repeat requests for service. Interviews with ER workers and Service Users found that an uplift in workforce capability was required to deal with increasing case complexity, leading to recommendations for more training and service standards. Several service evaluations found that ER delivered with case management led to high Service User satisfaction, played an integral role in transforming the lives of people with complex needs, and lowered repeat requests for service. A large longitudinal quantitative study revealed that more time spent with participants substantially decreased the number of repeat requests for service; and, given that repeat requests for service can be an indicator of entrenched poverty, not accessing further services is likely to suggest improvement. The interviews identified the main strengths of ER to be the rapid response and flexible use of funds to stabilise crisis situations and connect people to other supports through strong local networks. Service Users trusted the system because of these strengths, and ER was often an access point to holistic support. There were three main weaknesses identified. First, funding contracts were too short and did not cover the full costs of the program—in particular, case management for complex cases. Second, many Service Users were dependent on ER which was inconsistent with the definition and intent of the program. Third, there was inconsistency in the level of service received by Service Users in different geographic locations. These weaknesses can be improved upon with a joined-up approach featuring co-design and collaborative governance, leading to the successful commissioning of social services. The survey confirmed that volunteers were significant for ER, making up 92% of all workers and 51% of all hours worked in respondent ER programs. Of the 122 respondents, volunteers amounted to 554 full-time equivalents, a contribution valued at $39.4 million. In total there were 8,316 volunteers working in the 122 respondent ER programs. The sector can support and upskill these volunteers (and employees in addition) by developing scalable training solutions such as online training modules, updating ER service standards, and engaging in collaborative learning arrangements where large and small ER Providers share resources. More engagement with peak bodies such as Volunteering Australia might also assist the sector to improve the focus on volunteer engagement. Integrated services achieve better outcomes for complex ER cases—97% of survey respondents either agreed or strongly agreed this was the case. The research identified the dimensions of service integration most relevant to ER Providers to be case management, referrals, the breadth of services offered internally, co-location with interrelated service providers, an established network of support, workforce capability, and Service User engagement. Providers can individually focus on increasing the level of service integration for their ER program to improve their ability to deal with complex cases, which are clearly on the rise. At the system level, a more joined-up approach can also improve service integration across Australia. The key dimensions of this finding are discussed next in more detail. Case management is key for achieving Service User outcomes for complex cases—89% of survey respondents either agreed or strongly agreed this was the case. Interviewees most frequently said they would provide more case management if they could change their service model. Case management allows for more time spent with the Service User, follow up with referral partners, and a higher level of expertise in service delivery to support complex cases. Of course, it is a costly model and not currently funded for all Service Users through ER. Where case management is not available as part of ER, it might be available through a related service that is part of a network of support. Where possible, ER Providers should facilitate access to case management for Service Users who would benefit. At a system level, ER models with a greater component of case management could be implemented as test cases. Referral systems are also key for achieving Service User outcomes, which is reflected in the ER Program Logic presented on page 31. The survey and interview data show that referrals within an integrated service (internal) or in a service hub (co-located) are most effective. Where this is not possible, warm referrals within a trusted network of support are more effective than cold referrals leading to higher take-up and beneficial Service User outcomes. However, cold referrals are most common, pointing to a weakness in ER referral systems. This is because ER Providers do not operate or co-locate with interrelated services in many cases, nor do they have the case management capacity to provide warm referrals in many other cases. For mental illness support, which interviewees identified as one of the most difficult issues to deal with, ER Providers offer an integrated service only 23% of the time, warm referrals 34% of the time, and cold referrals 43% of the time. A focus on referral systems at the individual ER Provider level, and system level through a joined-up approach, might lead to better outcomes for Service Users. The program logic and theory of change for ER have been documented with input from the research findings and included in Section 4.3 on page 31. These show that ER helps people facing a financial crisis to meet their immediate needs, avoid further harm, and access a path to recovery. The research demonstrates that ER is fundamental to supporting vulnerable people in Australia and should therefore continue to be funded by government.