Christina Mills

Factors associated with the academic success of first year Health Science students

The academic success of students is a priority for all universities. This study identifies factors associated with first year academic success (performance and retention) that can be used to improve the quality of the student learning experience. A retrospective cohort study was conducted with a census of all 381 full time students enrolled in the Bachelor of Health Science at The University of Western Australia since the inception of the course in the year 2000. Factors found to be associated with successful academic performance were high matriculation score, female sex, non-Indigenous status, attendance at a government secondary school, upfront payment of university fees and completion of secondary school English Literature. The most influential factor on first year academic performance was a high matriculation score. Retention into second year was found to be influenced by participation in the university mentor scheme, non-Indigenous status and first year university marks. The factor of most influence on student retention was first year university marks. Valuable information about the performance and retention of first year Bachelor of Health Science students is provided in this study which is relevant to the operational priorities of any university.

Enhanced pharmacy services, barriers and facilitators in Australia's community pharmacies: Australia's National Pharmacy Database Project.

Objective To report the frequency of 27 enhanced pharmacy services (EPS) provided in Australias community pharmacies and to analyse barriers and facilitators for providing priority services. Setting A large representative sample of community pharmacies in Australia in 2002.

Wet and wild: results from a pilot study assessing injuries among recreational water users in Western Australia.

To identify, describe and compare injuries among three water sport activities: kite surfing (KS), personal watercraft (PWC) and towed water sports (TWS). The study was a cross sectional, online survey. The setting was on Perth, Western Australias popular beaches and riverbanks. Main outcome measures were number of injuries and level of severity; level of exposure and protection measures. Overall, 43% reported at least one injury in the past 12 months, a rate of 22.3 injuries per 100 h. Kite surfers were more likely to report an injury than PWC or TWS. One-half of injuries occurred while on the water. Most injuries were caused by landing awkwardly (56%) and/or trying new tricks (41%). Despite 90% of respondents having used at least one personal protective equipment (PPE) item, half (49%) reported always using a personal floatation device. This study provided information on KS, PWC and TWS injuries as well as a range of safety behaviours. It is recommended that these results form the basis of further research to reduce injury rates and encourage the use of PPE items.

The Epidemiology of Injury among Surfers, Kite Surfers and Personal Watercraft Riders: Wind and Waves

The objective of this review was to summarize the epidemiological literature for surfboard riding (surfing), kite surfing and personal watercraft (PWC) riding injuries and describe the incidence and nature of these injuries, common risk factors, and strategies for prevention. The databases searched for relevant publications included Medline, ScienceDirect, ProQuest International, PubMed, Academic Search Premier as well as Google Scholar to identify additional, non-indexed studies. Overall, there was a lack of good quality descriptive studies for these three sports and many of the studies reviewed involved the use of administrative datasets or case-series designs. Among the few studies to provide incidence estimates, there were inconsistencies in how injury was defined, the inclusion criteria, and the reporting of incidence rates, making comparisons within and between the sports difficult. While the reported incidence rates were generally low, head and lower extremity injuries were common across all three sports. Only two studies reported evidence for postulated risk factors. Bigger waves and surfing over rock or reef sea floor increased the risk of injury among competitive surfers, while older age and having more experience increased the risk of significant injuries among recreational surfers. No evaluations of preventative measures were identified. This review demonstrates the need for well-designed epidemiological research, especially studies that focus on the accurate measurement and description of incidence, nature, severity and circumstances of injuries. Once this has occurred, interventions targeted at reducing the incidence of injuries among these sports can be designed, implemented and evaluated.

Are the arts an effective setting for promoting health messages

Aim: Individuals can contribute to their own well-being through the adoption of positive health behaviours and the avoidance of negative health behaviours. The promotion of health messages is a cognitive strategy used to influence the adoption of health-enhancing behaviours. Since 1991, arts organizations have been sponsored by the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway) to promote anti-smoking, safe alcohol consumption, physical activity, sun protection and nutrition messages to the general population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of arts sponsorship to promote health messages and therefore gauge the effectiveness of the arts as a communication channel to promote health to the general population. Methods: A secondary analysis of the Healthway Survey of Community Recreation and Health data was conducted. The data were collected via a telephone survey of Western Australian adults aged 16–69 years. Overall, 1997 respondents participated in this study, a response rate of 59%. The analysis included a descriptive investigation, followed by logistic regression analyses of message awareness by those engaged and not engaged in the arts for sponsored anti-smoking, safe alcohol consumption, physical activity, sun protection and nutrition messages. Results: Overall, 68% of those surveyed were classified as engaged in the arts, either as a participant, attendee or member of an arts organization. In general, those engaged in the arts were significantly more likely to recall health messages relating to physical activity (adjusted OR = 1.9), sun protection (OR = 1.8) nutrition (OR = 1.5), safe alcohol consumption (OR = 1.5) and anti-smoking (adjusted OR = 1.3) than those not engaged in the arts. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest the arts have merit beyond intrinsic artistic value and are a viable means of promoting health messages to the general population.