Dissertations / Theses: 'Quality of life Australia'

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Wilson, David H. "Hearing in South Australia : disability, impairment and quality-of-life /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phw7469.pdf.

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Bagnato, Annunziata Teresa. "Postharvest improvement of Cavendish banana quality and shelf life /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2002. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phb147.pdf.

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Winter, Richard (Richard Philip) 1957. "Quality of work life of academics in Australian universities." Monash University, Dept. of Management, 2001. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8748.

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Bansal, Jacqueline A. "Quality of life issues in motor neurone disease." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1998. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36747/1/36747_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.

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Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is caused by the degeneration and death of motor neurones. It is universally fatal and causes wasting and weakness of the somatic musculature. The disease usually affects those aged between 40 and 70, with 50% of people with MND dying within 3 years and 90 percent within 6 years. Only 10 percent survive 10 years or more While the incidence of MND is much lower than that of Multiple Sclerosis, twice as many people die of MND as die from Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy combined. Once diagnosis is confirmed it appears that the health care service has little to offer in the way of care or a cure. The majority of people with MND are cared for in their home by family members which places enormous stress on both the individual and other family members. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors which influence quality of life (QOL) in people with MND. This remains sadly under-investigated with only one significant report in the last three decades. The present study utilised a self-rated questionnaire, sent to individuals with neurologically confirmed MND, volunteering their participation via requests for help published in the MND Association newsletters throughout Australia. The questionnaire comprised standard measures which allowed the assessment of general well being (Rand 36-item Health Survey), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), coping strategies (Jalowiec Coping Scale), levels of hope (Herth Hope Scale), social support network (Norbeck Social Support Scale). Additional questions were constructed to assess illness-related knowledge, use of alternative therapies, the importance of spirituality and satisfaction with the way the diagnosis was delivered. Demographically the individuals involved with the study differed little from other reports on MND. Psychologically, low mood was evident in over three quarters of the subjects. However, only 10 percent could be described as depressed. Coping strategies most frequently used was a problem solving approach and a dependency mechanism least frequently. Fifty three of the 74 in the study group held favourable levels of hope. For such a terrible diagnosis it was most disturbing that 45 percent of those with MND thought that the information made available at diagnosis was inadequate. Of even greater concern was the fact that three quarters said that the diagnosis was disclosed in a brutal manner, with 61 % saying the manner was officious and factual. Many individuals with MND had a poor knowledge about the disease with 40 percent believing that MND was a disorder of the muscles and one third did not know the median survival in this condition. Twenty three of the 74 admitted to using at least one alternative therapy at some stage. Expectedly, MND had a significant adverse effect on the life style, financial situation, social life, physical disability , psychological state and overall quality of life of many involved in the study. Only family relationships appeared to show little change following the diagnosis of MND. Despite great strains on marital harmony spouses remained the main carers in over half of the individuals with MND. People with MND suffer greatly from the moment that the diagnosis is communicated through the depression of relentless muscle weakness and finally death from aspiration or respiratory failure. This study has highlighted that in general the care available to those suffering from MND is rather a hit or miss affair. Several measures to meet the specific needs of those diagnosed with MND are discussed. Most important of all is the need to better anticipate the rapidly changing needs of such individuals and for the medical and nursing professionals to be aware of the great harm they cause by removing all hope by well meaning frankness and the good they can do by offering support at all stages of the disease.

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Dao, Tran Tiet Hanh. "Stressful life events, modifiable lifestyle factors, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, and chronic disease among older women in Vietnam and Australia : a cross-cultural comparison." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2017. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/105851/6/Tiet%20Hanh%20Dao%20Tran%20Thesis.pdf.

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This research validated measures to assess stress, social support, sleep disturbance, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life and compared stress, lifestyle, and health of older women in Vietnam and Australia. The research revealed a number of differences in stressful life event exposure among women in these nations. Also, Vietnamese women were more likely to report higher levels of daily physical activity, no exercise; and having sleep problems, depression, and low physical health. High BMIs, smoking and alcohol consumption were more common among Australian women. Stress and lifestyle impacted health for Vietnamese and Australian women in different patterns.

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Wang, Wan-Sheng, and n/a. "A Study of Relationships Between Educational Activities and the Well-Being and Life Satisfaction of Members of Chinese Community Groups." Griffith University. School of Cognition, Language and Special Education, 2006. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070104.153050.

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Most immigrants have to adjust their lives to living in a new country, especially when moving from an Eastern to a Western society. Chinese immigrants may face multiple difficulties, including cultural differences and the English language barrier, which are a particularly problem for older immigrants. To overcome these difficulties, many Chinese immigrants either form new community groups or join those currently operating. Normally, Chinese community groups provide a wide range of activities for members. The literature (e.g., Diener, 1984; Cantor & Sanderson, 1999; Csikszentmihalyi, 1975) provides some understanding of the value for new immigrants in attending these group activities. Participating members report improved life satisfaction within new society and have a more positive outcome as a result of their involvement. However, the magnitude of the influence life satisfaction and well-being is not as clear. This research aimed to better understand the relationships between participation in community group activities and the life satisfaction and well-being of participating members. A quantitative research method was adopted for this study to investigate the relationships between the variables. The study utilised a questionnaire that focused on specific demographic characteristics of participants, a 5-item life satisfaction measure (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), a short 18-item measure (Ryff, 1989a) of the six dimensions of psychological well-being, and on other factors likely to impinge on life satisfaction and well-being. The 7-point agreement scale asked participants the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the statements. The questionnaire was offered to participants in both English and Chinese. Questionnaires were completed by 600 Chinese-speaking immigrants from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore who were participants in educational activities and/or other activities offered through 21 different Chinese community groups in Brisbane. Four hundred took part in 20 different educational group activities, and 200 in 25 different non-educational group activities. Most participants were female, and approximately two thirds were over 50 years of age. Using AMOS, a number of structural equations models (SEMs) were tested to investigate the conceptually proposed links between the various variables. This study supports other literature, finding that both educational and general activities provided by the community groups positively influence the participating members' life satisfaction and feelings of well-being. The majority of participants in this study reported that they considered participating in community group educational activities (74.2% agreed), and general activities (66.6%), had the most impact on their life satisfaction and well-being. Most participants (70%) found that community group activities, both educational and general, were interesting. However, only around 53% of them claimed to have achieved their goals in these activities. The findings of this study indicate the complexity of the influences on life satisfaction and well-being levels facing this cohort of Chinese immigrants. Although results suggest that demographic variables such as year of migration and employment status have a greater influence on life satisfaction and well-being than educational activities and general activities, the outcomes of this study support the conclusion that the participating members have benefited from the variety of programs offered by Chinese community groups.

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Marquis, Ruth. "The meaning of quality in living service environments: An analysis of the experiences of people with disabilities, elderly people and service workers." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/976.

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The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of both people with disabilities and elderly people and to identify their perceptions of quality as it relates to living in a service or being supported by a service to live in the community. The study was naturalistic in design and used a phenomenological approach and inductive analysis. It involved immersion in living services for a two year period, in-depth interviews with people living and working in services and participant observation. Fifty service users between the ages of twenty-one and ninety-six, and twenty-six service workers between the ages of twenty-six and fifty-four were informants in the study. The study comprised of three phases, the first phase involved repeated in-depth interviews with service users in two disability and two aged care living services to examine the experiences of people living in services and their perceptions of quality. As a result of the consistency with which relationships with key staff members emerged in the context of quality experiences, selected service workers who were named by service users were also interviewed. The findings in this phase indicated that relationships experienced by service users in their encounters with service workers were more significant in service users' evaluation of quality than tangible acts of physical and environmental care. Relational experiences of people living in services were variable. Some informants experienced consistent validation and socio-emotional support, whilst others experienced role distancing and negative communication experiences. Service workers who were interviewed as a result of being identified by service users in the context of quality, attached importance to the relational domain in the acts and behaviours of providing a service. They also attached personal meaning to their roles as service workers and shared the view that their role as service worker was underpinned by an ethos of communality. The second phase of the study involved accessing another five disability and five aged care services to collect further data to support or refute the findings from phase one. As a result a large data bank was established to confirm the consistency with which relational experiences in living services were linked to perceptions of quality by both service users and service providers. Acts and behaviours which were consistently present in the context of quality were also identified and the need for emotional support in the living context was further confirmed. The third phase of the study involved an in-depth analysis and identification of commonly experienced categories of relationships between service users and workers. Relationships were categorised into ethical and technical living service experiences and exemplars used to illustrate findings. Data analysis indicated that service experiences lie on a continuum, with mutually supportive relationships between service users and workers at one end, and physical and psychological abuse at the other. Experiences were variable in singular service contexts. This highlighted the individual nature of service relationships between service users and workers and the need to articulate human service as relationship. It also highlighted the inadequacies of using standard measures to evaluate quality in living services.

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Senanayake, Sameera Jayan. "Prediction of graft survival and cost effectiveness of kidney transplantation according to donor quality levels in Australia." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2021. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/211469/1/Sameera%20Jayan_Senanayake_Thesis.pdf.

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This thesis sought to better understand how quality of donor kidneys and allocating kidneys based on the presumed longevity can increase value for money in donor kidney use. It showed that remaining on dialysis in the hope of receiving a superior-quality kidney is not a cost-effective strategy for any age group. If the Australian kidney allocation system can enable low-quality kidneys for older recipients, this will reduce discard rates, and promote the best value for all donated kidneys. The new index developed to predict graft failure demonstrated adequate potential to make pre-transplantation predictions about the longevity of a donated kidney.

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O'Driscoll, Catherine T. "A study to determine the quality of life and experiences for liver and kidney transplant recipients and living kidney donors in Western Australia : the economic implications." University of Western Australia. School of Surgery, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0077.

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The use of quality-of-life as an outcome measure provides detailed information about the effectiveness of medical treatments than morbidity or mortality rates alone. The use of quality-of-life data in the clinical setting can inform patients regarding treatment options, treatment benefits and costs. In competing health care markets, outcome measurement is regarded as important as it is concerned with the impact of health care practice and affects health policy decisions. Doessel (1978) conducted the first Australian study on the cost-effectiveness analysis of renal replacement therapies. The study was based on Klarman, Francis & Rosenthal's (1968) the study, where the output was measured in terms of the number of life years gained from kidney transplantation, and a twenty-five percent weight was allocated in an attempt to capture quality-of-life from kidney transplantation. Doessel (1978) used two sources of data: Australian data (Disney 1974) and European data (Gurland et al. 1973; Shiel et al. 1974). The study measured life years gained, and agreed with the Klarman et al. (1974) findings that transplantation is the most effective way to increase life expectancy of persons with chronic renal disease (Butler & Doessel 1989). The outputs of the alternative treatments were not reported in monetary terms; the study focused on life years gained as the output measure. Hence the importance of this current study, which includes a cost-effectiveness analysis for cadaver liver, and living kidney transplantation for end-stage liver and kidney disease patients. Calls to respect patient autonomy and to produce patient-centered outcomes have recently brought the patients point of view back into the center of clinical medicine (Sullivan 2003). Survival rates indicate one measure of outcome however they do not reflect patients perceptions of health benefit or experiences. Noting that patients psychosocial effect on functioning is of more concern to them than their physical Thesis Preamble iii ability, that more accurate knowledge of patients conditions be measured prior to transplantation (Tarter et al. 1991). Recently researchers advocated investigating transplant patients' states of health to assess the social benefit of these expensive health care services from their perspective (Joralemon & Fujinaga 1997). The current study's mixed method, bridges the gaps in treatment outcome measurements, as the mixed method applied (Creswell 1994; Sim & Sharp 1998) prospectively measured quality-oflife, determined health utility, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). The study reported the living donors experience of the donation process, described their needs; expressed using a new psychosocial model supporting future living kidney donor's during the donation process.

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Lybrand, Sean. "Health related quality of life and the burden of disease in Australian rheumatology practice /." [St. Lucia, Qld. : s.n.], 2003. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe17399.pdf.

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Doh, Daniel. "Towards active ageing: A comparative study of experiences of older Ghanaians in Australia and Ghana." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2017. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2010.

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Population ageing has become a central feature of the 21st century, as most countries search for economically viable strategies to support and manage their ageing populations to live in a dignified way. In 2002, the World Health Organisation (WHO) proposed the active ageing policy framework to guide countries to develop policies that promote the quality of life for their older people. However, the interpretation and application of the active ageing model in the literature and policy discussions are inconclusive on the most important elements that promote the quality of life of older people. The discussions have largely focused on health promotion and economic aspects of the model without much attention to other aspects. In addition, there are questions about the extent to which the active ageing model is adaptable to different contexts. The lack of consensus among researchers and policy actors on the meaning of active ageing, and its application to different contexts has resulted in calls for the need for studies that explore active ageing from the perspectives of older people themselves. This thesis presents findings from a study that examined the meaning of active ageing from the lived experiences of older Ghanaians living in Ghana and Australia, and compared the findings theoretically and conceptually with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) active ageing model. The study also investigated the extent to which research participants’ socio-cultural and political contexts influenced their respective experiences and the meaning they ascribed to active ageing, and the factors that contributed to their perceived quality of life at old age. The study was designed as an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) in combination with a comparative case study situated within the life course theoretical framework. The study drew on an in-depth qualitative data collected from 30 older Ghanaians, comprising 15 who were living in Ghana and 15 who were living in Australia. Two key findings emerged from this research. First, experientially, active ageing is multidimensional and comprises social interaction, activity, health, independence, work and employment, spirituality, happiness, and public safety. However, social interaction—which included strong family support systems, friendship networks and community activities—emerged as the single most significant experiential meaning of active ageing, and was considered critical for quality of life at old age. Despite the importance of social interaction for research participants’ quality of life, comparatively, the study found that social interaction is subsumed under the participation pillar of the WHO’s active ageing model, which is not particularly well understood or developed by policy makers compared with the pillar of health. In addition, there were notable variations in participants’ experiential meaning of active ageing between respondents in Ghana and Australia, reinforcing how different policy contexts shape people’s experiences. Second, the study found four types of quality of life from the typologies of quality of life at old age created in the data using a matrix of high and low levels of social interaction and access to essential social policy services. The types of quality of life in the matrix were optimum agers, happy poor agers, disconnected agers and destitute agers. The data showed that acquiring, creating and maintaining a high level of social interaction together with the development of knowledge, useful skills and personal initiatives in a favourable social, economic and health policy environment are likely to lead to optimum ageing. The overall contribution of this thesis relates to the need for active ageing stakeholders to contextualise the WHO’s active ageing model based on the perspectives and experiences of older people within their respective socio-cultural and political contexts. In addition, population ageing policy makers may need to consider taking steps to strengthen older people’s family systems, while creating opportunities for them to deepen their social networking and communal living. The study shows the usefulness of creating avenues for older people’s continuous engagement in activities that allow social interaction. Finally, the study also illustrates how optimum ageing occurs as a culmination of life course events, making it imperative for social policies to facilitate sound human capital development, as they have implications for income and the creation of assets needed to fuel social interaction.

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Alexander, Kimberly Elizabeth. "Quality of life and genetics in men with prostate cancer." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2011. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/46175/1/Kimberly_Alexander_Thesis.pdf.

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As family history has been established as a risk factor for prostate cancer, attempts have been made to isolate predisposing genetic variants that are related to hereditary prostate cancer. With many genetic variants still to be identified and investigated, it is not yet possible to fully understand the impact of genetic variants on prostate cancer development. The high survival rates among men with prostate cancer have meant that other issues, such as quality of life (QoL), have also become important. Through their effect on a person’s health, a range of inherited genetic variants may potentially influence QoL in men with prostate cancer, even prior to treatment. Until now, limited research has been conducted on the relationship between genetics and QoL. Thus, this study contributes to an emerging field by aiming to identify certain genetic variants related to the QoL found in men with prostate cancer. It is hoped that this study may lead to future research that will identify men who have an increased risk of a poor QoL following prostate cancer treatment, which will aid in developing treatments that are individually tailored to support them. Previous studies have established that genetic variants of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) may play a role in prostate cancer development. VEGF and IGF-1 have also been reported to be associated with QoL in people with ovarian cancer and colorectal cancer, respectively. This study completed a series of secondary analyses using two major data-sets (from 850 men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, and approximately 550 men from the general Queensland population), in which genetic variants of VEGF and IGF-1 were investigated for associations with prostate cancer susceptibility and QoL. The first aim of this research was to investigate genetic variants in the VEGF and IGF-I gene for an association with the risk of prostate cancer. It was found that one IGF-1 genetic variant (rs35765) had a statistically significant association with prostate cancer (p = 0.04), and one VEGF genetic variant (rs2146323) had a statistically significant association with advanced prostate cancer (p = 0.02). The estimates suggest that carriers of the CA and AA genotype for rs35765 may have a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.72, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.55, 0.95, OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.26, 1.39, respectively). Meanwhile, carriers of the CA and AA genotype for rs2146323 may be at increased risk of advanced prostate cancer, which was determined by a Gleason score of above 7 (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.12, 2.63, OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.08, 3.34, respectively). Utilising the widely used short-form health survey, the SF-36v2, the second aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between prostate cancer and QoL prior to treatment. Assessing QoL at this time-point was important as little research has been conducted to evaluate if prostate cancer affects QoL regardless of treatment. The analyses found that mean SF-36v2 scale scores related to physical health were higher by at least 0.3 Standard Deviations (SD) among men with prostate cancer than the general population comparison group. This difference was considered clinically significant (defined by group differences in mean SF-36v2 scores by at least 0.3 SD). These differences were also statistically significant (p<0.05). Mean QoL scale scores related to mental health were similar between men with prostate cancer and those from the general population comparison group. The third aim of this study was to investigate genetic variants in the VEGF and IGF-1 gene for an association with QoL in prostate cancer patients prior to their treatment. It was essential to evaluate these relationships prior to treatment, before the involvement of these genes was potentially interrupted by treatment. The analyses found that some genetic variants had a small clinically significant association (0.3 SD) to some QoL domains experienced by these men. However, most relationships were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Most of the associations found identified that a small sub-group of men with prostate cancer (approximately 2%) reported, on average, a slightly better QoL than the majority of the prostate cancer patients. The fourth aim of this research was to investigate whether associations between genetic variants in VEGF and IGF-1 and QoL were specific to men with prostate cancer, or were also applicable to the general male population. It was found that twenty out of one-hundred relationships between the genetic variants of VEGF and IGF-1 and QoL health-measures and scales examined differed between these groups. In the majority of the relationships involving VEGF SNPs that differed, a clinically significant difference (0.3 or more SD) between mean scores among the genotype groups in prostate cancer patients was found, while mean scores among men from the general-population comparison group were similar. For example, prostate cancer participants who carried at least one T allele (CT or TT genotype) for rs3024994 had a clinically significant higher (0.3 SD) mean QoL score in terms of the role-physical scale, than participants who carried the CC genotype. This was not seen among men from the general population sample, as the mean score was similar between genotype groups. The opposite was seen in regards to the IGF-1 SNPs examined. Overall, these relationships were not considered to directly impact on the clinical options for men with prostate cancer. As this study utilised secondary data from two separate studies, there are a number of important limitations that should be acknowledged including issues of multiple comparisons, power, and missing or unavailable data. It is recommended that this study be replicated as a better-designed study that takes greater consideration of the many factors involved in prostate cancer and QoL. Investigation into other genetic variants of VEGF or IGF-1 is also warranted, as is consideration of other genes and their relationship with QoL. Through identifying certain genetic variants that have a modest association to prostate cancer, this project adds to the knowledge surrounding VEGF and IGF-1 and their role in prostate cancer susceptibility. Importantly, this project has also introduced the potential role genetics plays in QoL, through investigating the relationships between genetic variants of VEGF and IGF-1 and QoL.

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Cheng, Qinglu. "Cost-effectiveness of guideline-based care for venous leg ulcers in Australia." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2019. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/134462/1/Qinglu_Cheng_Thesis.pdf.

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This thesis investigated the cost-effectiveness of guideline-based care to manage patients with venous leg ulcers in the Australian setting. It showed that both the healthcare system and patients affected by venous leg ulcers would benefit from implementing and funding guideline-based care. This research provided important evidence to policy makers on the most efficient use of scarce health resources to manage venous leg ulcers. It is expected that these results will support changes to the reimbursement structure to increase access to guideline-based care for venous leg ulcers in Australia.

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Pappne, Demecs Ilona. "The use of creative activities in dementia in residential aged care facilities in Australia : a cross-sectional study." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/82146/1/Ilona_Pappne%20Demecs_Thesis.pdf.

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This thesis provides the first inquiry into the use of creative activities in dementia care in residential aged care facilities in Australia. The study used descriptive method design, incorporating a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore the incidence and the characteristics of these activities from the carers' perspective. Information about the use of creative activities and the appreciation of these activities by residents and carers is essential to the provision of dementia care and treatment to improve the quality of life of people with dementia.

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Butten, Kaley Verlaine. "Oral health in an urban, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Queensland, Australia and the development of a culturally specific health-related quality of life measurement tool." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2020. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/204193/1/Kaley_Butten_Thesis.pdf.

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Within Australia, data on the oral health and health-related quality of life experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in urban areas are lacking. This project utilised a mixed-methods approach to contribute new epidemiological and life experience data to the field of oral health and create a culturally specific, parent-proxy tool to measure the health-related quality of life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. These findings provide contemporary oral health data to inform policy and a foundation for the development of other culturally specific health-related quality of life measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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Wilson, Glenice Joyce. "The lived experience of bedwetting in Western Australian male youth." Thesis, Curtin University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/132.

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This phenomenological study describes the lived experience of young men who have persistent bedwetting and live in the Western Australian community. The objectives of the research were to explore and describe these experiences and to set them within the context of existing literature. A purposive sample of six young men agreed to participate in this study and data were collected using semi-structured interviews.The findings revealed that all of the participants, aged between 19 and 27 years used hiding their problem as the primary means of coping with their bedwetting. This was evidenced during all of the developmental stages of pre-adolescence, adolescence and young adulthood. Within the pre-adolescence years the participants believed that their problem could be fixed and they would then be able to live a normal life.However, as they entered adolescence their bedwetting at night began to impact on all aspects of their lives including their identity and the choices they made regarding their future. As they reached young adulthood, all participants spoke of being socially isolated as a means of coping with their problem. At this stage they also came to the realization that their bedwetting may be present for the rest of their lives.These findings reinforce that all health professionals and the community need to be provided with more information regarding this important and currently hidden health issue occurring in young males. The provision of, and access to, appropriate community resources and health services to ensure early diagnosis and support is needed to optimize the quality of life for this group of people.

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Bennett, Paul J. "An investigation into the health related outcomes of surgery performed by Fellows of the Australian College of Podiatric Surgeons." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1999. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36746/1/36746_Digitised%20Thesis.pdf.

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Health care providers in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia debate the need for expanding the role of podiatrists' to include the surgical care of foot problems. Paradoxically, during a twelve month period from July 1995 to June 1996, Fellows of the Australian College of Podiatric Surgeons (FACPS) performed over 1,500 individual surgical operations on approximately 785 Australians. Few prospective investigations of podiatric surgeon outcomes have been conducted, none of which have taken place in Australia. More particularly, no studies have used valid psychometric instruments to measure the effects of care provided on patients' "health related quality of life". The research contained in this thesis deals with the conceptualisation, development and validation of a new health status instrument: the Foot Health Status Questionnaire. This instrument has been developed with the specific intent of investigating the impact of FACPS on patients' health related quality of life. One hundred and forty-two subjects treated by eleven Fellows for orthopaedic, neurological or integumentary systems diseases of the foot were recruited into a six month long quasi-experimental repeated measures (time series) study. The study identified that the vast majority of subjects (more than 92%) who underwent foot surgery experienced significant improvements' in a range of health related quality of life dimensions and indicated that they would undergo their procedure again. In particular, a MANCOVA analysis demonstrated that subjects' reported reduced levels of foot pain, increased levels of physical function, improved general foot health perception and footwear related quality of life, up to six months after their respective operations. Adverse effects of surgery identified in this study include a significant short-term functional disability for subjects' undergoing orthopaedic correction of foot problems and, in the immediate post operative phase, a significant reduction in social function for all three groups of subjects'. Generic measures of General Health and Vitality, as captured by the Short Form 36 health status instrument, were unaffected by Fellows treatment. This study did not identify any significant short to medium term morbid outcomes. Assessment of patients' satisfaction with surgery one, three and six months postoperatively reflected a general under-reporting of the beneficial effects of foot surgery. These findings support the premise that; specific health related quality of life measures provide significant explanatory power about the outcomes of care compared with the more traditional approach of evaluating patient satisfaction with surgery. In summary, it has been recommended that podiatrists, like other health care professionals, use recognised methods to determine whether their care meets professional standards and to generate evidence to prove that it does. This research contributes to meeting this important public health need.

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Feeney, Rachel. "Contribution of speech/language difficulties to health-related quality-of-life in Australian children: A longitudinal analysis." Thesis, The University of Queensland, 2016.

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Speech and/or language difficulties (SaLD) are among the most frequently observed developmental problems affecting children. Research points to the impact of childhood SaLD on literacy/educational achievement, behaviour and self-esteem; however, there has been limited attention paid to the impact of SaLD, directly or indirectly, on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). HRQoL is the impact a particular health condition (or intervention) has on an individual. HRQoL comprises numerous distinct dimensions (‘domains’, commonly physical, psychological and social). Very few studies have examined associations between HRQoL, SaLD, and other child and family factors and none have been undertaken in Australia. This research will explore these associations using data from a sample of children aged 4 to 9 years, extracted from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a nationally representative longitudinal study of childhood development. The rich data available in the LSAC afforded an opportunity to investigate various child and family factors that may be related to children’s HRQoL and hence was well suited to exploratory research. Use of LSAC data also enabled tracking of children’s outcomes over six years. The Disability-Stress-Coping (DSC) model (which examines physical health, mental health and social functioning in children with chronic illness) formed the basis for variable selection. This thesis comprises two studies, the first cross-sectional, and the second longitudinal. The cross-sectional study provided an exploration of the LSAC data and elicited variables which were appropriate for further analysis in the subsequent longitudinal investigation. Further, this study component enabled examination of relationships between HRQoL and SaLD while accounting for fine and gross motor skills which could not be examined in the longitudinal study component as there were no appropriate motor skills measures at Waves 4 and 5. The cross-sectional study involved analysis of data from the baby cohort (children aged 4-5 years) of the LSAC (n=4, 386). For this study, three domains of HRQoL were examined, assessed by the physical, emotional and social functioning subscales of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQLTM). SaLD was assessed in two ways: (1) parent concern about speech/language (Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status) and (2) receptive vocabulary ability (adapted Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III). Multiple regression analyses were used to examine relationships at the cross-sectional level between HRQoL, SaLD, and various other explanatory variables including child specific factors (e.g., gender, ethnicity, temperament) and family characteristics (social-ecological considerations and psychosocial stressors). The longitudinal study examined the trajectory of HRQoL for children aged from 4 to 9 years and its relationship with SaLD. Generalised linear latent and mixed modelling (GLLAMM) was used to analyse data from Waves 3, 4 and 5 of the LSAC to understand HRQoL trajectories, assessed in the longitudinal study across four domains of HRQoL (physical, emotional, social and school functioning). Domains of HRQoL were examined to find the contribution of SaLD while accounting for child specific factors and family characteristics considered in the cross-sectional study. In the cross-sectional study, children with SaLD, as defined by parent concern about speech/language, exhibited relatively lower functioning across all HRQoL domains. In contrast, children with SaLD, as determined by poor receptive vocabulary ability, demonstrated reduced social functioning only. In regression analyses various child and family factors representing all constructs from the DSC model were significantly associated with HRQoL. Specifically, HRQoL was positively associated with parental warmth and child’s general health and negatively associated with parent speech/language concerns and maternal depression across all domains. Children who were at least as competent as their peers at gross motor tasks demonstrated better social functioning. In the longitudinal study, HRQoL from 4 to 9 years was negatively associated with parent concerns about receptive language across all HRQoL domains. Parent concerns about expressive speech/language were also negatively associated with HRQoL trajectories. Covariates positively associated with all HRQoL domains from 4 to 9 years included child’s general health and primary caregiver labour force engagement. Parents who had concerns about their child’s speech and language (particularly receptive language), rated the quality of their child’s HRQoL significantly more poorly across physical, emotional, social and school functioning domains. Results indicate that overall, the impact of SaLD, particularly receptive language, on HRQoL increases over time. School and social functioning were the domains of HRQoL most strongly associated with SaLD, consistent with earlier research. Associations were notable for being apparent in a (non-clinical) population sample and for persisting, independent of factors such as maternal depression, parenting style and the child’s general health. Findings suggest that there are reductions in HRQoL even where SaLD are transient, as few children with SaLD displayed difficulties across multiple data collection waves. For most LSAC study children, having typical speech/language skills was a protective factor promoting HRQoL. Findings highlight the public health importance of early speech and language competence and the need for early intervention as well as further research on optimal methods for early identification of SaLD.

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Fu, Shiu Yun. "The relationship between culture, attitude, social networks and quality of life in midlife Australian and Taiwanese men and women." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2006. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16408/1/Shiu-Yun_Fu_Thesis.pdf.

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Background of the Study The aims of this study was to specifically investigate the differences in culture, attitude towards life and social networks between Australian and Taiwanese men and women in addition to determining the factors that predict midlife men and women's quality of life in both countries. Because individualism and collectivism are the two most thoroughly researched constructs in inter-cultural and cross-cultural studies we should look at how these construct affects societies. The theme for individualist cultures (such as Western cultures) is autonomy, while the theme for collectivist cultures (such as Asian cultures) is connection. Most literature available on individualism and collectivism note all cultures have different values that influence their society and ultimately a person's individual health outcome. Very little work has been undertaken in this domain in Australia or Taiwan, particularly in the area of midlife transition and from a cultural perspective. Methodology Data was collected from a cross-sectional, supervised self-administered survey using census data and a probability proportional sampling (PPS) strategy on a general population of men and women aged 40-59 years old who live permanently in Brisbane, Australia and Taipei, Taiwan. The study population was divided into 163 Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in Brisbane, and 449 Local Government Communities (LGCs) in Taipei. Sixty clusters were randomly selected using probability proportional sampling (PPS) to obtain 30 Australian clusters and 30 Taiwanese clusters. In this study, the 30 (areas) by 7(people) method was used with an additional strategy. The variables were measured including: culture (vertical and horizontal individualism and collectivism), attitude towards life (the total score of optimism), social networks (the total score of emotional, informational, affectionate, tangible, and positive social interaction) and quality of life (physical, psychological, social, and environmental health), social demographical factors and religion and spiritualty. The data analysis procedure included descriptive, bivarite and multivariate multiple regressions and classifications and regression trees (CART). A comparison of the linear regression and regression tree results were discussed. All data analysis was performed by SPSS and S-Plus softwares. Results The overall response rate for the study was 84.2% for midlife Australian men and women and 88.4% for midlife Taiwanese men and women this resulted in 278 Australians (45.3% men) and 398 Taiwanese (35.4% men) providing data to be analysed. Findings in this study indicated country of residence has an overwhelming impact on quality of life with significant differences seen between midlife Australian and Taiwanese men and women (F4, 666= 59.31, P< .001). Results suggest midlife Australian men and women have a better quality of life than midlife Taiwanese men and women. In addition, a comparison of the linear regression and regression tree results reveals that two models identified the same major affect variable for different countries of residence: which was attitude towards life in midlife Australians and social networks in midlife Taiwanese. However, regression trees were able to capture important nonlinear effects as well as interactions between cultural attribute variables. This study demonstrated culture significantly involves multiple functions and interacts with attitude towards life, social networks and individual factors to influence a person's quality of life. The interaction of cultural circumstances and the internal and external factors involved, show less comparative attributes and increased equality attributes, defining the need for people to have a good social networks and a healthy positive disposition. Conclusion Because of the ever increasing flexibility of world travel and a global population, people have much more opportunity to interact with many other cultures which would create improvement in learning opportunities and better health management effectiveness for people the world over. This study has addressed and contributed to the assessment of multi-cultural quality of life research and has important implications for all health professions in addition to government departments and organisational policy makers of both countries. And finally, this study has identified that there needs to be a concerted effort to implement major policy shifts in the near future because of the changing fabric of modern societies. At the same time technology and globalisation have advanced rapidly and point to new opportunities within and across countries for more diverse approaches in research and the implementation of policy initiatives to occur. This study has highlighted that opportunities exist to reflect on current policies for Australian and Taiwanese societies to provide enhanced opportunities to care for the growing midlife populations.

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Fu, Shiu Yun. "The relationship between culture, attitude, social networks and quality of life in midlife Australian and Taiwanese men and women." Queensland University of Technology, 2006. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16408/.

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Background of the Study The aims of this study was to specifically investigate the differences in culture, attitude towards life and social networks between Australian and Taiwanese men and women in addition to determining the factors that predict midlife men and women's quality of life in both countries. Because individualism and collectivism are the two most thoroughly researched constructs in inter-cultural and cross-cultural studies we should look at how these construct affects societies. The theme for individualist cultures (such as Western cultures) is autonomy, while the theme for collectivist cultures (such as Asian cultures) is connection. Most literature available on individualism and collectivism note all cultures have different values that influence their society and ultimately a person's individual health outcome. Very little work has been undertaken in this domain in Australia or Taiwan, particularly in the area of midlife transition and from a cultural perspective. Methodology Data was collected from a cross-sectional, supervised self-administered survey using census data and a probability proportional sampling (PPS) strategy on a general population of men and women aged 40-59 years old who live permanently in Brisbane, Australia and Taipei, Taiwan. The study population was divided into 163 Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in Brisbane, and 449 Local Government Communities (LGCs) in Taipei. Sixty clusters were randomly selected using probability proportional sampling (PPS) to obtain 30 Australian clusters and 30 Taiwanese clusters. In this study, the 30 (areas) by 7(people) method was used with an additional strategy. The variables were measured including: culture (vertical and horizontal individualism and collectivism), attitude towards life (the total score of optimism), social networks (the total score of emotional, informational, affectionate, tangible, and positive social interaction) and quality of life (physical, psychological, social, and environmental health), social demographical factors and religion and spiritualty. The data analysis procedure included descriptive, bivarite and multivariate multiple regressions and classifications and regression trees (CART). A comparison of the linear regression and regression tree results were discussed. All data analysis was performed by SPSS and S-Plus softwares. Results The overall response rate for the study was 84.2% for midlife Australian men and women and 88.4% for midlife Taiwanese men and women this resulted in 278 Australians (45.3% men) and 398 Taiwanese (35.4% men) providing data to be analysed. Findings in this study indicated country of residence has an overwhelming impact on quality of life with significant differences seen between midlife Australian and Taiwanese men and women (F4, 666= 59.31, P< .001). Results suggest midlife Australian men and women have a better quality of life than midlife Taiwanese men and women. In addition, a comparison of the linear regression and regression tree results reveals that two models identified the same major affect variable for different countries of residence: which was attitude towards life in midlife Australians and social networks in midlife Taiwanese. However, regression trees were able to capture important nonlinear effects as well as interactions between cultural attribute variables. This study demonstrated culture significantly involves multiple functions and interacts with attitude towards life, social networks and individual factors to influence a person's quality of life. The interaction of cultural circumstances and the internal and external factors involved, show less comparative attributes and increased equality attributes, defining the need for people to have a good social networks and a healthy positive disposition. Conclusion Because of the ever increasing flexibility of world travel and a global population, people have much more opportunity to interact with many other cultures which would create improvement in learning opportunities and better health management effectiveness for people the world over. This study has addressed and contributed to the assessment of multi-cultural quality of life research and has important implications for all health professions in addition to government departments and organisational policy makers of both countries. And finally, this study has identified that there needs to be a concerted effort to implement major policy shifts in the near future because of the changing fabric of modern societies. At the same time technology and globalisation have advanced rapidly and point to new opportunities within and across countries for more diverse approaches in research and the implementation of policy initiatives to occur. This study has highlighted that opportunities exist to reflect on current policies for Australian and Taiwanese societies to provide enhanced opportunities to care for the growing midlife populations.

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Elhebir, Elsamaul Suliman A. "Calcium antagonists-induced lower urinary tract symptoms." Thesis, Curtin University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/305.

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Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a group of obstructive and irritative urinary symptoms. These include storage, voiding, and post-micturition symptoms. LUTS are prevalent and bothersome in the rapidly growing ageing Australian population and they are associated with a significant deterioration in patients‟ quality of life (QoL). There are a number of risk factors for LUTS. These include medical conditions such as diabetes, stroke, Parkinson‟s disease along with some surgical procedures involving the pelvis or spinal cord. Ageing is also associated with structural and physiologic changes of the lower urinary tract which may contribute to LUTS. LUTS are often inappropriately thought of as a male only problem because of the high prevalence of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) in older men; however, the development of LUTS is not gender specific and women may develop LUTS following menopause or post-hysterectomy.A number of drugs have been found to affect the bladder and the micturition process including the commonly prescribed calcium antagonists (CAs). CAs were the ninth most frequently prescribed group of drugs in Australia in the year 2008, with more than seven million prescriptions dispensed during that year. Apart for their effects relaxing the detrusor smooth muscle hence impairing micturition, CAs can also increase the production of urine through their natriuretic effect and cause constipation through their muscle relaxation and anti-cholinergic activity, which can further exacerbate LUTS. The association between CA use and LUTS is not well investigated. The aim of this research was to investigate the association between CA use and LUTS in males and females. Further to assess the consequences of CA-associated LUTS on users‟ QoL and receipt of treatment for LUTS.During the Phase 1 of this research, a review was conducted for all reports submitted to the Adverse Drug Reaction Advisory Committee (ADRAC) of Australia up until January 2009. The review revealed 80 reported cases (females 45 [56.2%], males 34 [42.5%]). The mean age of the patients was 63.4±14.1 years (range 36-99 years). Amlodipine was the most frequently reported drug and lercanidipine was the least reported. Pollakiuria and other obstructive urinary symptoms were the most commonly reported symptoms. More than half of the patients (46; 57.5%) had complete resolution of their LUTS after medication discontinuation while 10 (12.5%) patients did not recover; an outcome was not reported for the remaining 24 (30%) patients. The review highlighted the importance of including females and younger patients in future studies. Further, it also suggested that LUTS associated with CA use is reversible in the majority of cases following medication discontinuation.A study was conducted, in Phase 2 of this research, to investigate the relationship between CA-use and LUTS amongst hospitalised medical patients at Royal Perth Hospital. The study also looked at the impact of CA-associated LUTS on patients‟ urological QoL. A demographic questionnaire was used along with the validated International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) -for measuring LUTS- and BPH Impact Index (BII) -for measuring urinary related QoL-. A total of 278 patients (151 males, 127 females, mean age 72.1±13.7 years) were recruited into the study. About one third of the patients were using CAs. The males mean IPSS of 12.2 ± 8.19 was higher compared to that of the females (9.74 ± 6.59, p = 0.007), indicating significantly worse LUTS. CA-users were found to have a statistically significantly higher mean IPSS (15.22 ± 8.1) compared to non-CA-users (9.25 ± 6.6, p < 0.0001). CA-users were found to be more likely to suffer from severe and moderate-to-severe LUTS (p < 0.0001 for both).The association between CA use and LUTS was not a class effect. A strong association emerged between amlodipine/nifedipine and diltiazem/verapamil use and severe LUTS, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of 9.8 (95% CI, 3.98-24.34) and 8.2 (95% CI, 1.93-34.92), respectively. However, none of the patients receiving felodipine/lercanidipine suffered from severe LUTS. A similar association was also observed with moderate-to-severe LUTS.This increased risk of suffering from moderate and/or severe LUTS was matched by a similar deterioration of QoL measured by patients‟ level of dissatisfaction (AOR amlodipine/nifedipine 2.80 [95% CI, 1.68-4.68] and diltiazem/verapamil 3.65 [95% CI, 1.02-13.01]). The AOR was not statistically significant for felodipine/lercanidipine, 1.12 (95% CI, 0.47-2.67). Further, an estimated 22.4% of the CA-users group were taking medications to treat LUTS compared to 9.3% in the non-CA-users group, p = 0.003. Both male and female CA-users were three times more likely to be on an alpha-blocker than non-CA-users (p=0.0001). Male CA-users were two times more likely to have undergone urological surgeries (Fisher exact test, p=0.07) whilst female CA-users were nine times more likely (Fisher exact test, p=0.029).In Phase 3 of the research, a prescription sequence symmetry analysis was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Veteran affairs (DVA), Australia. This method was developed to create signals of a potential adverse event of drugs. The DVA prescription database for a 5-year period (2004-2008) was used to estimate the sequence ratio and the adjusted sequence ratio (ASR). The data revealed that there was about two-fold-increase in prazosin use after the first CA commencement, ASR 1.91 (95% CI 1.69-2.17). The use of urinary antispasmodics was also higher after CA use, ASR of 1.31 (95% CI 1.15-1.49). These results present a strong signal of an association between CA use and prazosin and urinary antispasmodic use (markers for LUTS).The final phase of the research involved an audit of dispensing records of 1,548 patients from a number of Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs). In this study, CAs users were more likely to be on alpha blockers (as a group of drugs), AOR 2.11 (95% CI 1.05-4.26); and on prazosin, AOR 4.22 (95% CI 1.76-10.12). CA-users were also found to be more likely to be on urinary antispasmodics, AOR 2.18 (95% CI 1.32-3.61).The research had demonstrated a strong association between CA use and LUTS. This association could lead to a significant deterioration in QoL and it does not appear to be a class effect. CA-users are more likely to have more severe LUTS and to be on a treatment for LUTS or to have undergone urological interventions.xviiBased on these findings it is recommended that CA-users should be monitored for the development or the deterioration of LUTS. Moreover, CAs should always be considered as a possible cause for LUTS and consideration to be given to ceasing or switching CAs.

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Raftery, David Jonathon. "Competition, conflict and cooperation : an ethnographic analysis of an Australian forest industry dispute." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ARM/09armr139.pdf.

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Bibliography: leaves 135-143. An anthropological analysis of an industrial dispute that occurred within the East Gippsland forest industry, 1997-1998 and how the workers strove to acheive better working conditions for themselves, and to share in the wealth they had created.

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Barnes, Alison Kate School of Industrial Relations &amp Organisational Behaviour UNSW. "'The centre cannot hold': resistance, accommodation and control in three Australian call centres." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour, 2005. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/22026.

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Drawing upon case studies of three organisations operating six call centres in Australia, this thesis explores the manifestations and interplay of employee resistance and accommodation in response to five facets of employer control: electronic monitoring; repetitious work; emotional control; the built environment; and workplace flexibility. Accommodation refers to the ways workers protect themselves from and adapt to the pressures that make up their day-to-day experiences of work. Accommodation, unlike resistance, which implies opposition to control, may superficially resemble consent to control. I argue that resistance and accommodation are not polar opposites; rather they are both reflections of the conflict and tensions that lie at the heart of the employment relationship. At the study sites, employees utilised resistance and accommodation both separately and concurrently. An explanation of these seemingly contradictory responses and of the links among accommodation individual resistance and collective resistance lies in the concept of ???self???. In this thesis, ???self??? refers to workers??? perceptions of fairness, dignity and autonomy. I examine how these notions frame worker discontent and promote employee solidarity. ???Everyday resistance???, a concept first developed by Scott (1985) in relation to peasant struggles, is employed to highlight the existence of subterranean struggles in workplaces that otherwise appear to be harmonious. At the study sites, everyday resistance was a multi-faceted, widely employed strategy whose strength lay primarily in its immediate impact. There was, however, no necessary sequential development from accommodation, through everyday resistance to overt, formal forms of conflict. What was evident was that multiple responses to employer control could co-exist and inhibit or promote one another. But it was through organised collective resistance that more formalised gains were made and widely held grievances addressed. I suggest that, although everyday resistance may lay the groundwork for more formal struggles, one should not conclude that traditional collective resistance is ???genuine??? resistance and everyday resistance is simply a second-best prelude to it. Although conflict is always present, its intensity differs. If we are to understand the complexity of worker responses to managerial control, we need to expand the theoretical frameworks within which we analyse and interpret conflict.

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Anderson, Rhonda Laurelle. "Exercise and dietary behaviour change in a sample of midlife Australian women." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2008. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/18573/1/01Thesis.pdf.

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The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that encourage midlife women to make exercise and dietary changes, the prevalence of those changes, the process by which women make them, the factors that support or impede them, and how we can enhance women’s capacity to make health behaviour changes in midlife. Since the literature highlighted the importance of self-efficacy in changing health behaviour, and of health-related quality of life as a widely recognized measure of women’s mental and physical wellbeing, the study sought to understand the relationship between exercise and dietary self-efficacy, health behaviour change and health-related quality of life (SF-36), by testing a modified version of Bandura’s 1977 and 2002/2004b models of self-efficacy. The methodology involved postal surveys as well as semi-structured interviews with a subsample of the women who completed the survey. Surveys were sent to 866 women aged 51-66 years from rural and urban locations in Queensland, Australia. Five hundred and sixty-four (69%) were completed and returned. Survey data was analysed using descriptive and bivariate statistics and structural equation modeling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interviews. The results confirmed that midlife is a significant time for women to make positive health behaviour changes. Almost 40% of women made a change to their exercise and around 60% made a dietary change since turning 40. The main exercise change was doing more walking and the most common dietary change was reducing fat intake. Self-efficacy was shown to be a key influence on whether women made positive changes to their health in midlife. In the relationship between health behaviour change and health-related quality of life, making a positive change to exercise was significantly related to physical but not mental health, and making a dietary change was not related to either physical or mental health. Body mass index was shown to be an important influence on both self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (particularly physical health). Interviews were conducted with 29 of the participants. Interview data reinforced that the main motivations to make a positive health behaviour change among midlife women were being overweight, having an injury or being diagnosed with an illness or health condition. Witnessing the hardship experienced by others with a degenerative disease could also prompt a positive behaviour change. Successful changes mainly involved modifying existing practices and repeating new behaviours until they became part of the daily routine. The main facilitators of health behaviour change were having positive role models, having more time due to retirement, and having support from significant others (such as husbands), health professionals and organizations such as Weight Watchers. The main obstacles to making changes were work, care giving, illness and injury. Bandura’s (1977, 2000/2004b) model was partially supported, but the cross-sectional nature of the study may have been a limitation in demonstrating all aspects of the self-efficacy process. In summary, women are willing to make positive health behaviour changes in midlife, but they need education and support to have those changes be effective. It is anticipated that this research will lead to a greater understanding of the significance of midlife as a time for making healthy lifestyle changes that have the potential to improve women’s health and quality of life in later years.

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Anderson, Rhonda Laurelle. "Exercise and dietary behaviour change in a sample of midlife Australian women." Queensland University of Technology, 2008. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/18573/.

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The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that encourage midlife women to make exercise and dietary changes, the prevalence of those changes, the process by which women make them, the factors that support or impede them, and how we can enhance women’s capacity to make health behaviour changes in midlife. Since the literature highlighted the importance of self-efficacy in changing health behaviour, and of health-related quality of life as a widely recognized measure of women’s mental and physical wellbeing, the study sought to understand the relationship between exercise and dietary self-efficacy, health behaviour change and health-related quality of life (SF-36), by testing a modified version of Bandura’s 1977 and 2002/2004b models of self-efficacy. The methodology involved postal surveys as well as semi-structured interviews with a subsample of the women who completed the survey. Surveys were sent to 866 women aged 51-66 years from rural and urban locations in Queensland, Australia. Five hundred and sixty-four (69%) were completed and returned. Survey data was analysed using descriptive and bivariate statistics and structural equation modeling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interviews. The results confirmed that midlife is a significant time for women to make positive health behaviour changes. Almost 40% of women made a change to their exercise and around 60% made a dietary change since turning 40. The main exercise change was doing more walking and the most common dietary change was reducing fat intake. Self-efficacy was shown to be a key influence on whether women made positive changes to their health in midlife. In the relationship between health behaviour change and health-related quality of life, making a positive change to exercise was significantly related to physical but not mental health, and making a dietary change was not related to either physical or mental health. Body mass index was shown to be an important influence on both self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (particularly physical health). Interviews were conducted with 29 of the participants. Interview data reinforced that the main motivations to make a positive health behaviour change among midlife women were being overweight, having an injury or being diagnosed with an illness or health condition. Witnessing the hardship experienced by others with a degenerative disease could also prompt a positive behaviour change. Successful changes mainly involved modifying existing practices and repeating new behaviours until they became part of the daily routine. The main facilitators of health behaviour change were having positive role models, having more time due to retirement, and having support from significant others (such as husbands), health professionals and organizations such as Weight Watchers. The main obstacles to making changes were work, care giving, illness and injury. Bandura’s (1977, 2000/2004b) model was partially supported, but the cross-sectional nature of the study may have been a limitation in demonstrating all aspects of the self-efficacy process. In summary, women are willing to make positive health behaviour changes in midlife, but they need education and support to have those changes be effective. It is anticipated that this research will lead to a greater understanding of the significance of midlife as a time for making healthy lifestyle changes that have the potential to improve women’s health and quality of life in later years.

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Guo, Mei. "Exploring health behaviour determinants of ageing Australians with chronic diseases." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2011. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/45939/1/Mei_Guo_Thesis.pdf.

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Background: Chronic disease presents overwhelming challenges to elderly patients, their families, health care providers and the health care system. The aim of this study was to explore a theoretical model for effective management of chronic diseases, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or cardiovascular disease. The assumed theoretical model considered the connections between physical function, mental health, social support and health behaviours. The study effort was to improve the quality of life for people with chronic diseases, especially type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease and to reduce health costs. Methods: A cross-sectional post questionnaire survey was conducted in early 2009 from a randomised sample of Australians aged 50 to 80 years. A total of 732 subjects were eligible for analysis. Firstly, factors influencing respondents‘ quality of life were investigated through bivariate and multivariate regression analysis. Secondly, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model for regular physical activity, healthy eating and medication adherence behaviours was tested for all relevant respondents using regression analysis. Thirdly, TPB variable differences between respondents who have diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease and those without these diseases were compared. Finally, the TPB model for three behaviours including regular physical activity, healthy eating and medication adherence were tested in respondents with diabetes and/or cardiovascular diseases using Structure Equation Modelling (SEM). Results: This was the first study combining the three behaviours using a TPB model, while testing the influence of extra variables on the TPB model in one study. The results of this study provided evidence that the ageing process was a cumulative effect of biological change, socio-economic environment and lifelong behaviours. Health behaviours, especially physical activity and healthy eating were important modifiable factors influencing respondents‘ quality of life. Since over 80% of the respondents had at least one chronic disease, it was important to consider supporting older people‘s chronic disease self-management skills such as healthy diet, regular physical activity and medication adherence to improve their quality of life. Direct measurement of the TPB model was helpful in understanding respondents‘ intention and behaviour toward physical activity, healthy eating and medication adherence. In respondents with diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease, the TPB model predicted different proportions of intention toward three different health behaviours with 39% intending to engage in physical activity, 49% intending to engage in healthy eating and 47% intending to comply with medication adherence. Perceived behavioural control, which was proven to be the same as self-efficacy in measurement in this study, played an important role in predicting intention towards the three health behaviours. Also social norms played a slightly more important role than attitude for physical activity and medication adherence, while attitude and social norms had similar effects on healthy eating in respondents with diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease. Both perceived behavioural control and intention directly predicted recent actual behaviours. Physical activity was more a volitional control behaviour than healthy eating and medication adherence. Step by step goal setting and motivation was more important for physical activity, while accessibility, resources and other social environmental factors were necessary for improving healthy eating and medication adherence. The extra variables of age, waist circumference, health related quality of life and depression indirectly influenced intention towards the three behaviours mainly mediated through attitude and perceived behavioural control. Depression was a serious health problem that reduced the three health behaviours‘ motivation, mediated through decreased self-efficacy and negative attitude. This research provided evidence that self-efficacy is similar to perceived behavioural control in the TPB model and intention is a proximal goal toward a particular behaviour. Combining four sources of information in the self-efficacy model with the TPB model would improve chronic disease patients‘ self management behaviour and reach an improved long-term treatment outcome. Conclusion: Health intervention programs that target chronic disease management should focus on patients‘ self-efficacy. A holistic approach which is patient-centred and involves a multidisciplinary collaboration strategy would be effective. Supporting the socio-economic environment and the mental/ emotional environment for older people needs to be considered within an integrated health care system.

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Lothian, Andrew. "Landscape quality assessment of South Australia." Title page, table of contents, abstract and detailed contents only, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/37804.

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The object of this thesis is to provide, through a thorough analysis of human perception and interaction with aesthetics and landscape quality, a comprehensive basis on which to develop a credible methodology for the large scale assessment of perceived landscape quality. The analysis of human perception and interaction with aesthetics and landscape quality is gained by inquiring in depth into a range of theoretical constructs from key disciplines, cultural aspects, and empirical studies covering : 1. the contribution of philosophers to aesthetics 2. the psychology of perception and colour 3. the contribution of Gestalt psychology to aesthetics 4. the psychoanalytical construct of human responses to aesthetics 5. the influence of culture on landscape preferences, tracing the changing perceptions of mountains, the portrayal of landscapes in art, and the design of parks and gardens 6. a review of over 200 surveys of landscape quality in the late 20th century, including typologies and theories of landscape quality Based on the analysis of these and the knowledge gained, an empirical study is formulated and conducted, comprising a study of landscape quality of South Australia, an area of nearly 1 million km - 1. This involves, firstly, the acquisition of data covering the delineation of landscape character regions for the State, photography of these landscapes, derivation of a set of representative slides, and rating of these by groups of participants. Secondly, these preference ratings are comprehensively analysed on the basis of the attributes of the scenes covering land form, land cover, land use, water bodies, naturalism, diversity and colour. Thirdly, the results are applied as follows: 1. a map of landscape quality of South Australia is derived 2. the results are used to predict the effect that changes in land use ( e.g. clearance of trees ) will have on landscape quality 3. the theoretical constructs of landscape quality are evaluated on the basis of the preference ratings 4. a protocol is detailed to guide the undertaking of large - scale landscape quality assessment. The thesis thus fulfils the objective of conducting a thorough analysis of human perception and interaction with, aesthetics and landscape quality, to provide a basis for developing a credible methodology for the large - scale assessment of perceived landscape quality.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Social Sciences, 2000.

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Vong, Man Ieng. "Quality of work life and life satisfaction." Thesis, University of Macau, 2006. http://umaclib3.umac.mo/record=b1641454.

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McLean, Kirsten Elizabeth 1972. "Identifying as bisexual : life stories of Australian bisexual men and women." Monash University, School of Political and Social Inquiry, 2003. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/5755.

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Kudrna, Jiri, and g. kudrna@unsw edu au. "Retirement Income Policy in Australia: Life-Cycle Analyses." University of Sydney, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/4119.

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Doctor of Philosophy(PhD)
Retirement income policy in Australia has undergone significant changes over the last two decades, including the introduction of the Superannuation Guarantee [SG] with mandatory contributions in 1992 and the 2007 superannuation changes with the benefit tax abolition. Numerical implications of adopted pension reforms and reform proposals such as further increases in the SG contribution rate, changes to superannuation taxation and to means-testing of the age pension have been examined mainly by micro-simulation models. These models, often criticized for their lack of theoretical content, provide an incomplete picture of pension policy effects because of no or limited behavioural responses to underlying policy changes. In this thesis, models based on the life-cycle theory of saving pioneered by Modigliani and Brumberg (1954) are applied to simulate behavioural, welfare and macroeconomics effects of proposed changes to Australia’s pension policy. In particular, this thesis develops the following computable models: a life-cycle, single household model, a partial equilibrium, household model and a general equilibrium model with overlapping generations [OLG]. The single household model describes lifetime behaviour of the utility-maximising single household with uncertain lifespan. The model features perfect capital markets, endogenous labour supply and retirement decisions, and it incorporates main aspects of Australia’s pension and income tax policy settings. The simulated policy changes are (i) increase in the SG contribution rate, (ii) superannuation tax changes and (iii) abolition of the age pension means test. The results indicate higher retirement consumption and welfare gains from all the analysed pension policy changes. Partial equilibrium and general equilibrium models introduced in this thesis are built on lifetime behaviour of the single household. Both models distinguish many generations of households by age and, therefore, are capable of studying behavioural and welfare effects of policy changes for different generations. The partial equilibrium model examines behaviour of the household sector in the environment of the fixed factor prices. It is shown, for instance, that welfare gains from the investigated pension policy changes are not uniformly distributed across generations. The general equilibrium OLG model extends the partial equilibrium analyses by incorporating production, government and foreign sectors in addition to household and pension sectors. The model is a small open economy version of Auerbach and Kotlikoff’s (1987) OLG model. The simulation results are significantly different from those in the partial equilibrium framework, driven mainly by the changes in aggregate labour supply. For instance, the higher SG rate policy increases aggregate assets and saving. However, the saving increases are exported abroad rather than invested in the domestic capital stock. Hence, the implications of this policy change for the capital stock and output are minimal. Younger cohorts and future born generations experience consumption and welfare gains but older cohorts are negatively affected by a higher consumption tax rate resulting from this hypothetical policy change.

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Clarke, Patricia, and n/a. "Life Lines to Life Stories: Some Publications About Women in Nineteenth-Century Australia." Griffith University. School of Arts, Media and Culture, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040719.150756.

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This thesis consists of an introduction and six of my books, published between 1985 and 1999, on aspects of the history of women in nineteenth-century Australia. The books are The Governesses: Letters from the Colonies 1862-1882 (1985); A Colonial Woman: The Life and Times of Mary Braidwood Mowle 1827-1857 (1986); Pen Portraits: Women Writers and Journalists in Nineteenth Century Australia (1988); Pioneer Writer: The Life of Louisa Atkinson, Novelist, Journalist, Naturalist (1990); Tasma: The Life of Jessie Couvreur (1994); and Rosa! Rosa! A Life of Rosa Praed, Novelist and Spiritualist (1999). At the time they were published each of these books either dealt with a new subject or presented a new approach to a subject. Collectively they represent a body of work that has expanded knowledge of women's lives and writing in nineteenth-century Australia. Although not consciously planned as a sequence at the outset, these books developed as a result of the influence on my thinking of the themes that emerged in Australian social and cultural historical writing during this period. The books also represent a development in my own work from the earlier more documentary-based books on letters and diaries to the interpretive challenge of biographical writing and the weaving of private lives with public achievements. These books make up a cohesive, cumulative body of work. Individually and as a whole, they make an original contribution to knowledge of the lives and achievements of women in nineteenth-century Australia. They received critical praise at the time of publication and have led to renewed interest and further research on the subjects they cover. My own knowledge and expertise has developed as a result of researching and writing them. The Governesses was not only the first full-length study of a particular group of letters but it also documented aspects of the lives of governesses in Australia, a little researched subject to that time. A Colonial Woman, based on a previously unpublished and virtually unknown diary, pointed to the importance of 'ordinary' lives in presenting an enriched view of the past. Pen Portraits documented the early history of women journalists in Australia, a previously neglected subject. Three of the women I included in Pen Portraits, Louisa Atkinson, Tasma and Rosa Praed, the first two of whom were pioneer women journalists as well as novelists, became the subjects of my full-length biographies. In my biographies of women writers, Pioneer Writer, Tasma, and Rosa! Rosa!, I recorded and interpreted the lives of these important writers placing them in the context of Australian cultural history as women who negotiated gender barriers and recorded this world in their fiction. My books on Louisa Atkinson and Tasma were the first full-length biographies of these significant but largely forgotten nineteenth-century women writers, while my biography of Rosa Praed was the first for more than fifty years. Each introduced original research that changed perceptions of the women's lives and consequently of attitudes to their creative work. Each provided information essential for further research on their historical significance and literary achievements. Each involved extensive research that led to informed interpretation allowing insightful surmises essential to quality biography.

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Thorgrimsen, Lene Marie Harkjaer. "Quality of life in dementia." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2004. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.405573.

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Cremeens, Joanne. "Quality of life in childhood." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2004. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/14680/.

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The aim of this thesis was to develop a child self-report quality of life (QOL) measure for children below eight years. Two questions were central to the development of our instrument. First, can children below eight years self-report on their thoughts, feelings, and lives? Second, if so what are the best ways to gain self-reports from children? In answering these questions, we produced a set of guidelines that can be applied by researchers developing self-report measures for children. Studies 1 and 2 report the initial validation of our child self-report QOL measure (the teddy bear QOL measure, TedQL.l & 2). In Study 1, children's TedQL.l scores were positively correlated to their scores on an established measure (the PedsQLTM4.0). In Study 2, the response scale used to complete TedQL.2 items impacted on the psychometric properties of our measure. Study 3 reported further development of the content of our measure, using interview data from children about their lives. Based on the results of Study 3, a new version of our measure was developed (due to deletion, alteration, and addition of items). Study 4 established the most appropriate response scale for the TedQL.4, by comparing the psychometric properties of children's responses to TedQL.3 items across three response scales. Study 4 showed that children used concrete examples of specific situations to answer the TedQL.3 items, which may explain why young children's self reports are less stable over time compared to older children. The analysis in Study 4 revealed eight items that could be removed from the TedQL.3. Study 5 reported further validation of the child and parent versions of the TedQL.4. Both children's and parent's TedQLA scores were correlated to their PedsQLTM4.0 scores. No relations between child and parent rated child QOL were found for the PedsQLTM4.0 scores, however children's and parent's TedQL.4 scores were correlated across some of their scores. This thesis has shown the importance of gaining self-reports from children themselves, , and highlighted the best methods to use for such instruments. The applications of our TedQL measure have been discussed in the concluding section.

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Hoe, Juanita. "Quality of Life in dementia." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2006. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1446449/.

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Background: Quality of Life (QoL) is now an important outcome for people with dementia but the nature of the illness means that there may be difficulty in measuring it. Aims: This thesis, using an established dementia specific outcome measure, the QOL-AD, aims to assess the validity of measuring QoL in severe dementia and to investigate determinants both of QoL and of change in QoL in dementia. Method: In the first study, 224 people with Alzheimer's disease living in community and institutional settings and their caregivers were interviewed. In the second study, 238 people with dementia living in residential homes and staff were interviewed with a follow up assessment at 20 weeks.;Results: People with a MMSE scores of < 12 and 3 could provide valid and reliable ratings of their own QoL and mood, functional ability and psychosocial factors were associated with QoL in this group. Secondly, the person with dementia's self-ratings of QoL were independently predicted by current mood, cholinesterase inhibitor treatment and living environment, whereas family caregiver ratings of the person with dementia's QoL were predicted by mood and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Similarly, in residential homes, mood was the strongest predictor of self-rated QoL but staff ratings of resident's QoL were predicted by levels of dependency. Lastly, cognition, mood function and behaviour were investigated as putative factors influencing change in QoL over 20 weeks. Change in QoL was predicted by changes in mood and cognition. Conclusion: People with severe dementia (MMSE > 2) can comment on their QoL. People with dementia's perception of QoL differs from their caregiver's perception of it. Many people with dementia experience a decline in QoL and this may be linked to deterioration in mood or cognitive function. This suggests that psychological and pharmacological interventions aimed at improving mood or cognition may also benefit QoL.

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Moller, Valerie, and Benjamin J. Roberts. "South Africa, quality of life." Springer Netherlands, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67255.

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publisher version
The aim of this encyclopedia is to provide a comprehensive reference work on scientific and other scholarly research on the quality of life, including health-related quality of life research or also called patient-reported outcomes research. Since the 1960s two overlapping but fairly distinct research communities and traditions have developed concerning ideas about the quality of life, individually and collectively, one with a fairly narrow focus on health-related issues and one with a quite broad focus. In many ways, the central issues of these fields have roots extending to the observations and speculations of ancient philosophers, creating a continuous exploration by diverse explorers in diverse historic and cultural circumstances over several centuries of the qualities of human existence. What we have not had so far is a single, multidimensional reference work connecting the most salient and important contributions to the relevant fields. Entries are organized alphabetically and cover basic concepts, relatively well established facts, lawlike and causal relations, theories, methods, standardized tests, biographic entries on significant figures, organizational profiles, indicators and indexes of qualities of individuals and of communities of diverse sizes, including rural areas, towns, cities, counties, provinces, states, regions, countries and groups of countries.

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Cardona, Laura A. "Conceptualizing Quality of College Life." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2014. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc699982/.

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The objectives of this study were to mathematically model the quality of college life (QCL) concept and to study the associations between attachment style, emotion regulation abilities, psychological needs fulfillment and QCL via structural equation modeling. Data was collected from 507 undergraduate students (men = 178, women = 329; age M = 21.78 years, SD = 4.37). This data was used to provide evidence for the validity of the College Adjustment Scales (CAS) as a measure of quality of college life. The CAS demonstrated good convergent validity with the World Health Organization Quality of Life measure (WHOQOL), Subjective Well-being and Psychological Well-being Scales. Results: Students who were insecurely attached were as likely to feel adequate in their academic and professional endeavors as securely attached students. However, insecurely attached students had lower QCL levels, lower fulfillment of psychological needs and more emotion regulation difficulties than securely attached students. The results also indicated that Anxious Attachment and Avoidant Attachment were positively and strongly associated. Nonetheless, Anxious Attachment and Avoidant Attachment affected QCL through different mechanism. Emotion regulation mediated the path between Anxious Attachment and QCL while the fulfillment of psychological needs mediated the path between Avoidant Attachment and QCL. The fulfillment of psychological needs also mediated the path between emotion regulation and QCL. The described pattern of results was found for three separate models representing 1) the student’s attachment with their romantic partner, 2) best friend and 3) mother. Additionally, the study’s findings suggest a change in primary attachment figure during the college years. Emotion regulation, the fulfillment of psychological needs and QCL were all affected more strongly by the student’s attachment style with their romantic partner and best friend compared to their attachment style with their parents.

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Herman, Patricia Marie. "Unraveling Overall Quality of Life." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/196043.

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Whether the stated goal of a program is to improve health, reduce crime, or to increase standard of living, the ultimate goal of social programs is to improve overall quality of life. An adequate measure of this outcome would help determine whether achievement of these more specific goals (e.g., health, education) really leads to improvements in overall life quality, and would allow trade-offs to be made in terms of funding across programs. However, an understanding of the determinants of life quality (i.e., the mechanism by which a program did or did not have its intended effect) is also essential to program evaluation and the design of future programs.This study constitutes the analysis of an existing dataset of individual traits, life circumstances, satisfaction with a list of 30 life domains, and overall quality of life for 193 healthy elders to test a hypothesized model of the determinants of life quality. As expected, domain satisfaction appears to be a function of life circumstances. Individuals' traits (e.g., age, sex, personality) modify this relationship, but neither they, nor respondents' reports of domain importance, appear to have any direct effect on quality of life. Instead, domain satisfactions alone are the most proximal determinants of overall quality of life. It also appears that individuals respond differently in terms of overall quality of life to reductions in satisfaction with certain domains than to increases. These findings should be evaluated further as they could affect the design of future successful programs. Because individuals' traits and individuals' ratings of domain importance seem to have no effect on the relationship between domain satisfaction and overall quality of life, it may not be essential to measure these in future studies. Finally, although the data on life domains available to this study were sufficient to generate these results, the first step in the development of adequate measures of overall quality of life and of domain satisfactions will be the construction of a comprehensive, fully-representative list of the life domains that comprise life as a whole.

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Meuleners, Lynn. "Quality of life for adolescents." Thesis, Curtin University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2589.

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Assessments of quality of life (QOL) for adolescents have received relatively little attention in the literature. Although there is no consensus on the definition of adolescent QOL and what aspects should be measured, it is generally accepted that QOL is a multidimensional construct. Issues related to adolescent QOL bear special considerations since experiences of adolescents are substantially different from those of adults. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of adolescent QOL by assessing the impact of determinants of QOL over a six-month period. The study will also evaluate the measurement properties of the latent factors underlying adolescent OL based on a second-order confirmatory factor analysis. A recursive structural equation model is then proposed to determine the direction and magnitude of the interdependent effects among the latent factors. The Quality of Life Profile Adolescent Version (QOLPAV), a generic 54-item questionnaire was utilised. It was administered to 251 adolescents without a chronic condition and 112 adolescents with a chronic condition at baseline and the cohort of 204 adolescent without a chronic condition and 96 adolescents with a chronic condition a six months. Stratified sampling was used to recruit the adolescents from high schools in the Perth metropolitan area. Subjects were aged 10 to 19. A non-categorical approach was utilised to recruit adolescents with a chronic condition. To account for the hierarchical effects of the adolescents nested within schools multilevel modelling was undertaken to explore the potential determinants of adolescent QOL perceived in his/her life and the opportunities available were found to be significant predictors for adolescent QOL. However, as expected, health was rated poorer, with more sick days reported by chronically ill adolescents.The results of the second-order confirmatory factor analysis suggested that adolescent QOL may be measured by five underlying constructs namely social, environment, psychological, physical health, and opportunities for growth and development. interdependent relations among these constructs identified the environment factor as primary, exerting both direct and indirect effects on the other four factors. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) also revealed no difference between chronically ill and healthy adolescents in their perceptions of the five constructs. Multilevel longitudinal analysis was performed to explore and quantify the variations in QOL over the six-month period. Although a large proportion of the variation can be accounted for by the covariates perceptions of physical health, age, control and opportunities, 38% of the variability in QOL scores was actually due to time. Similar to the baseline results, there was again no significant difference in the overall QOL scores between chronic and non-chronic adolescents at six months. Health was again rated poorer, with more sick days reported by chronically ill adolescents. The majority of both groups reported a positive QOL. Only 1% of the adolescents (non-chronic) reported a problematic QOL at baseline, which increased to 2.5% (non-chronic) at six months. There was also no significant change between the baseline QOL scores and those at six months. However, the social, physical health and opportunities for growth and development composite factor scores showed a decrease for both groups over the six months. The findings indicated that adolescents with a chronic condition do not view themselves different from their healthy counterparts in terms of QOL. The study enhanced our understanding of the effects of the broader determinants of adolescent health through a QOL perspective.The perceptions that teachers, parents and health professionals have on the relative importance of different aspects of QOL for the adolescent with a chronic illness were separately explored using a three round Delphi study. The first round questionnaire identified the level of importance each of the three panels attached to sixteen aspects relating to QOL. Panelists were also encouraged to provide additional comments on why they felt a particular item was important to the chronically ill adolescent's QOL. In round two, panelists were asked to prioritise the items in order of importance whereas round three attempted to achieve consensus within each of the panels. Differences between and within each of the panels in the prioritisation of item importance in round one and round two were evident. However, consensus was achieved in round three for the prioritisation of very important items by the panel of teachers. Items identified by by all three panels as extremely important included the adolescent's attitude, and friendships with the same age group. Themes to emerge from the qualitative responses to the open-ended questions included the adolescent "not Wanting to be different" and the importance of a "positive attitude". The majority of the three panels also perceived the QOL for the adolescent with a chronic illness to be worse than their healthy counterparts.Panelists were also encouraged to provide additional comments on why they felt a particular item was important to the chronically ill adolescent's QOL. In round two, panelists were asked to prioritise the items in order of importance whereas round three attempted to achieve consensus within each of the panels. Differences between and within each of the panels in the prioritisation of item importance in round one and round two were evident. However, consensus was achieved in round three for the prioritisation of very important items by the panel of teachers. Items identified by by all three panels as extremely important included the adolescent's attitude, and friendships with the same age group. Themes to emerge from the qualitative responses to the open-ended questions included the adolescent "not Wanting to be different" and the importance of a "positive attitude". The majority of the three panels also perceived the QOL for the adolescent with a chronic illness to be worse than their healthy counterparts.

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Meuleners, Lynn. "Quality of life for adolescents." Curtin University of Technology, School of Public Health, 2001. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=12589.

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Assessments of quality of life (QOL) for adolescents have received relatively little attention in the literature. Although there is no consensus on the definition of adolescent QOL and what aspects should be measured, it is generally accepted that QOL is a multidimensional construct. Issues related to adolescent QOL bear special considerations since experiences of adolescents are substantially different from those of adults. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of adolescent QOL by assessing the impact of determinants of QOL over a six-month period. The study will also evaluate the measurement properties of the latent factors underlying adolescent OL based on a second-order confirmatory factor analysis. A recursive structural equation model is then proposed to determine the direction and magnitude of the interdependent effects among the latent factors. The Quality of Life Profile Adolescent Version (QOLPAV), a generic 54-item questionnaire was utilised. It was administered to 251 adolescents without a chronic condition and 112 adolescents with a chronic condition at baseline and the cohort of 204 adolescent without a chronic condition and 96 adolescents with a chronic condition a six months. Stratified sampling was used to recruit the adolescents from high schools in the Perth metropolitan area. Subjects were aged 10 to 19. A non-categorical approach was utilised to recruit adolescents with a chronic condition. To account for the hierarchical effects of the adolescents nested within schools multilevel modelling was undertaken to explore the potential determinants of adolescent QOL perceived in his/her life and the opportunities available were found to be significant predictors for adolescent QOL. However, as expected, health was rated poorer, with more sick days reported by chronically ill adolescents.
The results of the second-order confirmatory factor analysis suggested that adolescent QOL may be measured by five underlying constructs namely social, environment, psychological, physical health, and opportunities for growth and development. interdependent relations among these constructs identified the environment factor as primary, exerting both direct and indirect effects on the other four factors. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) also revealed no difference between chronically ill and healthy adolescents in their perceptions of the five constructs. Multilevel longitudinal analysis was performed to explore and quantify the variations in QOL over the six-month period. Although a large proportion of the variation can be accounted for by the covariates perceptions of physical health, age, control and opportunities, 38% of the variability in QOL scores was actually due to time. Similar to the baseline results, there was again no significant difference in the overall QOL scores between chronic and non-chronic adolescents at six months. Health was again rated poorer, with more sick days reported by chronically ill adolescents. The majority of both groups reported a positive QOL. Only 1% of the adolescents (non-chronic) reported a problematic QOL at baseline, which increased to 2.5% (non-chronic) at six months. There was also no significant change between the baseline QOL scores and those at six months. However, the social, physical health and opportunities for growth and development composite factor scores showed a decrease for both groups over the six months. The findings indicated that adolescents with a chronic condition do not view themselves different from their healthy counterparts in terms of QOL. The study enhanced our understanding of the effects of the broader determinants of adolescent health through a QOL perspective.
The perceptions that teachers, parents and health professionals have on the relative importance of different aspects of QOL for the adolescent with a chronic illness were separately explored using a three round Delphi study. The first round questionnaire identified the level of importance each of the three panels attached to sixteen aspects relating to QOL. Panelists were also encouraged to provide additional comments on why they felt a particular item was important to the chronically ill adolescent's QOL. In round two, panelists were asked to prioritise the items in order of importance whereas round three attempted to achieve consensus within each of the panels. Differences between and within each of the panels in the prioritisation of item importance in round one and round two were evident. However, consensus was achieved in round three for the prioritisation of very important items by the panel of teachers. Items identified by by all three panels as extremely important included the adolescent's attitude, and friendships with the same age group. Themes to emerge from the qualitative responses to the open-ended questions included the adolescent "not Wanting to be different" and the importance of a "positive attitude". The majority of the three panels also perceived the QOL for the adolescent with a chronic illness to be worse than their healthy counterparts.
Panelists were also encouraged to provide additional comments on why they felt a particular item was important to the chronically ill adolescent's QOL. In round two, panelists were asked to prioritise the items in order of importance whereas round three attempted to achieve consensus within each of the panels. Differences between and within each of the panels in the prioritisation of item importance in round one and round two were evident. However, consensus was achieved in round three for the prioritisation of very important items by the panel of teachers. Items identified by by all three panels as extremely important included the adolescent's attitude, and friendships with the same age group. Themes to emerge from the qualitative responses to the open-ended questions included the adolescent "not Wanting to be different" and the importance of a "positive attitude". The majority of the three panels also perceived the QOL for the adolescent with a chronic illness to be worse than their healthy counterparts.

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40

Rimmer, Matthew Rhys. "The pirate bazaar the social life of copyright law." View electronic text, 2001. http://eprints.anu.edu.au/documents/disk0/00/00/08/14/index.html.

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Available via the Australian National University Library Electronic Pre and Post Print Repository. Title from title screen (viewed Mar. 28, 2003) Includes bibliographical references. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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Georgiou, Jonathan. "Exploring the benefits of attracting, recruiting and retaining mature age employees up to and beyond the traditional age of retirement: Perspectives from Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1632.

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There has been a recent upsurge in media attention surrounding Australia’s ageing workforce. A review of academic, media and grey literature highlighted inadequacies in existing workplace polices, as well as flaws in financial and social security schemes. Of particular concern were persistent negative attitudes and counterproductive policies regarding mature age employees (MAEs). Poor retention rates among this cohort of workers aged 45 years and over are leading to skilled labour shortages and losses in corporate knowledge. This expected mass exodus of mature cohorts into retirement has been predicted to negatively impact the socio-economic sustainability of ageing societies world-wide and is a pertinent issue for Western Australia (WA). The overarching objective of this study was to identify the ‘place’ of mature cohorts within WA workplaces and promote strategies that will improve the employment conditions and overall quality of life of ageing workforces. Research questions aimed to address the need for greater mature age employment up to and beyond pensionable age; identify ‘gaps’ in policies and programmes; and explore how mature cohorts were perceived (valued) and the extent their departure may affect WA society (labour force). By using a mixed methods research design, this Doctoral dissertation developed a conceptual framework for limiting significant issues individuals, businesses and society may experience as a result of WA’s ageing workforce; whilst simultaneously promoting the benefits of maturity and mature age employment. This Re-Model draws upon the community development work principles of social justice, empowerment and social capital; and is further contextualised by methods of best practice identified from the triangulation of secondary sources, quantitative data and qualitative inquiry. Primary data collection involved the completion of 362 surveys, followed by 27 semistructured interviews and four focus group activities, with a cross section of MAEs, volunteers, their employers, retirees and unemployed cohorts from across WA. Over one-third of current MAEs, employers and volunteers in this study reported they intended working later than the traditional age of retirement, with 71 per cent of this sample planning to semi-retire. Furthermore, almost 60 per cent of a sample that had previously exited the labour force was working at the time of data collection as semi-retirees or rehired retirees (rehirees). Collectively, these statistics indicated that despite predictions of mass disengagement among mature cohorts, most of this crosssection of Western Australians are seeking to remain in (or re-enter) the WA workforce beyond pensionable age. However, quantitative and qualitative findings revealed several barriers to their continued engagement, including access to ‘age-friendly’ workplaces; a dearth of targeted training (career) development and employment assistance; and a lack of value attributed to mature age skills and experience, particularly deleterious in WA’s youth-centric culture. Primary data also highlighted several enabling factors for mature age employment. ‘Flexibility’ and ‘autonomy of choice’ were cited as key dimensions across all aspects of paid work, volunteering and retirement – whether in terms of worklife- balance; the individuation of training and development; or options available to those transitioning out of traditional employment. Data indicated that sustainable cultural change required more than just the removal of negative policies or introduction of punitive legislation. Maintaining a positive outlook among mature age individuals and simultaneously educating (younger) co-workers, employers, policy-makers (stakeholders) and society about the virtues of maturity and non-traditional work (skills) were considered essential to changing societal attitudes, behaviour and culture.

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Whitehead, Kay. "Women's 'life-work' : teachers in South Australia, 1836-1906 /." Title page, abstract and contents only, 1996. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phw592.pdf.

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43

Ramsenthaler, Christina. "Quality of life in multiple myeloma : longitudinal trajectories and monitoring symptoms and quality of life to improve quality of care." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2017. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/quality-of-life-in-multiple-myeloma(e7e699b2-f030-4818-b6d1-96f995fb119e).html.

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Background: Multiple myeloma is an increasingly common disease, but there is little evidence about the change in symptoms and problems in more advanced stages. Aim: To describe the health-related quality of life (QOL) trajectories in multiple myeloma, and to evaluate the longitudinal validity of the Myeloma Patient Outcome Scale (MyPOS), a questionnaire to monitor QOL and palliative care concerns. Methods: A national, multi-centre, observational study comprising (1) a cross-sectional analysis merging data from two studies, and (2) a longitudinal study, recruiting patients at various stages of the disease. Demographic and clinical data was collected alongside QOL measures. Analysis: (i) prevalence of symptoms and independently associated factors with poor quality of life, (ii) latent growth mixture analysis of quality of life trajectories, (iii) longitudinal validity and reliability via Rasch analysis, Generalizability theory and responsiveness to change. Results: (i) Cross-sectional study: 557 patients reported a mean of 7.2 symptoms with the most common symptoms, pain, fatigue and breathlessness, being present in 61-78% of patients. General symptom level, pain, anxiety and depression, physical decline, age and phase of illness had significant independent associations with high palliative care concerns. (ii) Longitudinal study: Four classes of individual QOL trajectories were identified (n=224): declining HRQOL over 8 months, stable moderate to good QOL, improving QOL, and fluctuating poor QOL. Logistic regression analysis revealed general symptom level (OR = 1.28), pain (OR=1.03) and presence of clinically relevant anxiety or depression (OR=1.19) to be predictors for a declining or poor QOL trajectory. (iii) The MyPOS demonstrated good to excellent test-retest reliability. Rasch analysis identified limitations of suboptimal scale-to-sample targeting, resulting in floor effects. Responsiveness analysis yielded an MID of +2.5 for improvement and -4.5 for deterioration. Conclusions: People with myeloma have four main trajectories of QOL which can be predicted by symptoms and psychological concerns. These could be tested as triggers for additional palliative support. The MyPOS is a valid and reliable outcome measure to monitor these indicators in routine clinical practice.

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Wong, Leon Keat Leong Accounting Australian School of Business UNSW. "The pricing or mispricing of earnings quality in Australia." Awarded By:University of New South Wales. Accounting, 2009. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43569.

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This thesis investigates the pricing (or mispricing) of earnings quality in Australia. It investigates whether information in earnings quality is used by investors in valuing firms, evidenced by an association between earnings quality and the cost of equity. In the alternate form, the question may be posed as whether earnings quality is mispriced by investors such that there may be opportunities to earn abnormal profits from trading strategies based on earnings quality. Ten earnings quality constructs are studied: total accruals, unexpected accruals, cash-to-profit, accrual quality, persistence, predictability, smoothness, relevance, conservatism and timeliness. In the cost of equity pricing tests, when earnings quality is proxied using one construct (accrual quality), it is found to be associated with the cost of equity. However, when the additional nine constructs are included in the regression models, accrual quality loses statistical significance. Various other constructs are found to be associated with the cost of equity depending on the choice of the cost of equity proxy. In the trading strategy tests, there is some initial evidence of trading strategy opportunities for firms with high quality earnings. However, after deleting outlier observations with annual buy-and-hold returns of greater than 200% the potential for earning abnormal returns from a hedge portfolio strategy disappears. The existence of Australian evidence on the accruals anomaly provides a convenient basis to validate the results of the earnings quality trading strategy tests. Although no clear evidence on the accruals anomaly is found, results are obtained which appear to be consistent with prior Australian evidence of the accruals anomaly, depending on the research design choices made. Overall, the evidence on whether earnings quality is priced or mispriced in Australia is best viewed as inconclusive. It highlights the importance of conducting thorough robustness tests and suggests a need for caution by researchers in making inferences from a narrow set of earnings quality constructs and research design specifications.

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Xydias, Maria. "Cost of quality reporting in manufacturing organisations in Australia /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09CM/09cmx91.pdf.

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Brice, Jeremy. "Pursuing quality wine in South Australia : materials, markets, valuations." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2014. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:f8ef1e0d-587e-4985-a088-9a1abdc24379.

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This thesis presents an ethnography of the processes and practices through which Australian grape and wine producers attempt to produce, and to assess, quality and value in the materials with which they work. Drawing on participant observation research conducted within two wine companies in South Australia – one owned by a multinational beverage conglomerate, one a family-owned boutique winery – this thesis engages with three overarching questions, which engage with the concerns of agro-food studies and of social studies of markets. First, how – and with what economic effects – are the sensory qualities of materials made to matter within the Australian wine industry? Second, how do grape and wine producers pursue wine quality in a more-than-human world, and in what ways might their endeavours problematise extant theorisations of economic agency? Finally, what might be the consequences of Australian wine producers’ recent engagements with principles of grape and wine quality centred upon geographical origin? In response to these questions, this thesis explores time-reckoning and value production in viticultural practice, the pricing of winegrapes during a fungal disease epidemic, the commercial relationships convened through the production of large-volume mass-market wine blends, and Australian wine producers’ recent attempts to produce ‘wines from somewhere.’ These empirical engagements lead it to argue that the qualification and valuation practices deployed within the Australian wine industry do not simply affect the qualities and prices of grapes and wines. They also shape economic agencies and vulnerabilities, organise and value commercial relationships among grape growers and wine producers, and reassemble the economic geographies of Australian grape production. This thesis concludes that because different ways of pursuing quality enact these phenomena in different ways, much may depend not only upon how successfully, but also upon how – through what techniques, practices, and associations – quality is pursued.

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Eslick, Harry. "Factors Affecting Truffle Production and Quality in Western Australia." Thesis, Eslick, Harry (2017) Factors Affecting Truffle Production and Quality in Western Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2017. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/36470/.

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Bowman, Marjorie June. "Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/34448.

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Objective: To explore quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. Concept Analysis: A concept analysis of quality of life in multiple sclerosis was conducted using Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis method. Eighty-three studies were reviewed. Study Proposal for Secondary Analysis: The proposal was for a secondary analysis using a quantitative, longitudinal, repeated measures design to determine if stem cell transplant has an impact on the quality of life of multiple sclerosis patients with aggressive disease. Summary of Findings: A concept analysis provided valuable insight into the use and understanding of the concept of quality of life in the multiple sclerosis literature. The subjective and multidimensional attributes of quality of life in multiple sclerosis were similar to findings in previous concept analyses of quality of life in general and in other diseases. The other attributes of the concept being measureable, modifiable and predictable revealed the uniqueness of quality of life in multiple sclerosis and provided a foundation for the development of future research. The results of the secondary analysis will provide new knowledge of a novel treatment for multiple sclerosis and its impact on quality of life. This advancement of knowledge in nursing and across health care disciplines will aid in the delivery of collaborative and comprehensive patient-centred care to ultimately improve the lives of multiple sclerosis patients.

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Sin, Pui-yee. "Quality of life in atrial fibrillation /." View the Table of Contents & Abstract, 2006. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B36222562.

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Rapley, Mark Timothy John. "Quality of life : a critical approach." Thesis, Lancaster University, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.337125.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Quality of life Australia'

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