ORCID Profile
0000-0002-2055-7733
Current Organisation
James Cook University
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 08-2019
DOI: 10.1017/JIE.2017.42
Abstract: In meeting the social and emotional learning (SEL) needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the capacities of school staff are critical. There is very limited evidence for relevant capacity development initiatives. This evaluation reports a multicomponent SEL training intervention delivered to staff of an Australian education service that operates independently of any particular school to assist with the transitions of students from remote communities to boarding schools. A participatory action research (PAR) approach was implemented over 13-months with 21 staff participants. Results from a pre-, mid- and six months post-training survey and staff interviews were analysed and fed back through reflective group discussions. The training was associated with improved staff attitudes to mental health and skills to support student wellbeing. Sixteen participants received a tertiary qualification. Despite ‘working in challenging environments’, staff were ‘dedicated to help’ students, and ‘acknowledged the need for change’ to better support student wellbeing. However, given the service's brokering role between families and schools, fewer staff members reported feeling empowered to influence issues in their workplace. The evaluation demonstrated the value of SEL training for education staff and potential utility for school teachers and boarding staff who have direct duty of care for Indigenous students. The multicomponent training described in this study would need to be condensed for school settings.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2010
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 05-01-2023
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-07-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-09-2013
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 25-03-2021
DOI: 10.1017/JIE.2019.3
Abstract: Abstract More than 4000 Indigenous Australian students enrol and take up a placement at boarding school each year. While reasons for attending boarding school vary, the impetus for many remote and very remote-dwelling students is restricted secondary educational opportunities in their home communities. A large multi-site study is being undertaken across Queensland to understand the conditions required for these students to be resilient while studying away from home. This paper reports on levels of student satisfaction with Queensland Department of Education's Transition Support Service (TSS) that provide assistance to remote-dwelling Indigenous students in the transition to boarding schools. A survey instrument administered to students included 22 close-ended questions to elicit levels of student satisfaction with TSS. Data were collected electronically using SurveyMonkey™ and analysed in SPSS v24. Descriptive statistics were calculated for variables assessing service support, student perceptions and experiences. A total of 294 primary, secondary and re-engaging students across 21 sites responded. Nearly all primary students (97%) anticipated that TSS would assist their move to boarding school. All secondary students identified that TSS had assisted their transition to boarding school. All re-engaging students agreed that TSS support had increased their capacity to cope when things go wrong. Lower scores related to students’ ability to access TSS when needed. Very high levels of satisfaction with TSS were countered by constraints of distance between TSS and students, and resources available to support the work of TSS. Findings point to the need for equitable provision of transition services in Queensland that emphasise the importance of relationship between service provider and student, and can inform the design of similar transition services across Australia.
Publisher: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Regional Office
Date: 06-05-2015
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 02-2022
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2021-055756
Abstract: This systematic review was undertaken to assist the implementation of the WOmen’s action for Mums and Bubs (WOMB) project which explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community women’s group (WG) action to improve maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. There is now considerable international evidence that WGs improve MCH outcomes, and we were interested in understanding how and why this occurs. The following questions guided the review: (1) What are the characteristics, contextual influences and group processes associated with the MCH outcomes of WGs? (2) What are the theoretical and conceptual approaches to WGs? (3) What are the implications likely to inform Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander WGs? We systematically searched electronic databases (MEDLINE (Ovid) CINAHL (Ebsco) Informit health suite, Scopus, Emcare (Ovid) and the Cochrane Library and Informit), online search registers and grey literature using the terms mother, child, group, participatory and community and their variations during all time periods to January 2021. The inclusion criteria were: (1) Population: studies involving community WGs in any country. (2) Intervention: a program/intervention involving any aspect of community WGs planning, acting, learning and reviewing MCH improvements. (3) Outcome: studies with WGs reported a component of: (i) MCH outcomes or (ii) improvements in the quality of MCH care or (iii) improvements in socioemotional well-being of mothers and/or children. (4) Context: the primary focus of initiatives must be in community-based or primary health care settings. (5) Process: includes some description of the process of WGs or any factors influencing the process. (6) Language: English. (7) Study design: all types of quantitative and qualitative study designs involving primary research and data collection. Data were extracted under 14 headings and a narrative synthesis identified group characteristics and analysed the conceptual approach to community participation, the use of theory and group processes. An Australian typology of community participation, concepts from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group work and an adapted framework of Cohen and Uphoff were used to synthesise results. Risk of bias was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Thirty-five (35) documents were included with studies conducted in 19 countries. Fifteen WGs used participatory learning and action cycles and the remainder used cultural learning, community development or group health education. Group activities, structure and who facilitated groups was usually identified. Intergroup relationships and decision-making were less often described as were important concepts from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander perspective (the primacy of culture, relationships and respect). All but two documents used an explicit theoretical approach. Using the typology of community participation, WGs were identified as predominantly developmental (22), instrumental (10), empowerment (2) and one was unclear. A framework to categorise links between contextual factors operating at micro, meso and macro levels, group processes and MCH improvements is required. Currently, despite a wealth of information about WGs, it was difficult to determine the methods through which they achieved their outcomes. This review adds to existing systematic reviews about the functioning of WGs in MCH improvement in that it covers WGs in both high-income and low-income settings, identifies the theory underpinning the WGs and classifies the conceptual approach to participation. It also introduces an Australian Indigenous perspective into analysis of WGs used to improve MCH. CRD42019126533.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-03-2018
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 23-04-2019
Abstract: Drawing from Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, we conceptualize the association between community participation and continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes in Indigenous primary health care (PHC) services. Indigenous experiences of community participation were drawn from our study identifying contextual factors affecting CQI processes in high-improving PHC services. Using case study design, we collected quantitative and qualitative data at the micro-, meso-, and macro-health system level in 2014 and 2015 in six services in northern Australia. Analyzing qualitative data, we found community participation was an important contextual factor in five of the six services. Embedded in cultural foundations, cultural rules, and expectations, community participation involved interacting elements of trusting relationships in metaphorically safe spaces, and reciprocated learning about each other’s perspectives. Foregrounding Indigenous perspectives on community participation might assist more effective participatory processes in Indigenous PHC including in CQI processes.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-06-2013
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-09-2020
DOI: 10.1093/BJC/AZAA058
Abstract: There is a small but important body of literature on female sex workers’ (FSWs) violence towards others, but little of that focused on low- and middle-income countries. Drawn from a larger biobehavioural study of FSWs in three cities in Papua New Guinea, we analyse the interviews from 19 FSWs who reported having perpetrated physical violence towards four major groups: (1) ex-husbands (2) clients (3) other sex workers and (4) other people (mainly women). Our study demonstrates that FSWs’ use of violence arises from a complex set of social, material and gendered circumstances and cannot be addressed in isolation from other aspects of their lives.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 24-05-2017
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 26-01-2023
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0280667
Abstract: The number of young people utilising sexual and reproductive health services in Pacific Island Countries and Territories remains poor despite the availability and the existence of the fundamental rights to access these services. Adolescents and youth need accurate information and timely access to contraceptives to prevent adverse consequences associated with unintended pregnancies, abortion, childbirth and untreated sexually transmitted infections. This scoping review identifies and analyses factors contributing to young people’s low access to sexual and reproductive health information and services in this region. Guided by the PRISMA Scoping review guidelines, we searched three databases (Medline Ovid, Scopus and CINAHL Complete) for peer-reviewed articles published between 1 st January 2000 and 31 st August 2020 that reported on factors, including barriers and enablers, affecting access to sexual and reproductive health information and services by young people living in Pacific Island Countries and Territories. We assessed the quality of each study according to the study designs, methods of data collection, data analysis and ethical considerations. All information was sorted and organised using an Excel Spreadsheet. Text data from published articles were charted inductively using thematic analysis with no predetermined codes and themes. Five hundred eighty-nine articles were screened, and only eight met the inclusion criteria outlined in this scoping review protocol. These eight articles reported studies conducted in four Pacific Island Countries and Territories: Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. Factors such as lack of accurate sexual and reproductive health knowledge and social stigma were the leading causes of young people’s limited access to sexual and reproductive health services. Cultural and religious beliefs also invoked stigmatising behaviours in some family and community members. This scoping review revealed that social stigma and judgemental attitudes imposed by family and community members, including healthcare providers, hinder young unmarried in iduals in Pacific Island Countries and Territories from accessing sexual and reproductive health information and contraceptives. Alternatively, a non-judgmental healthcare provider is perceived as an enabler in accessing sexual and reproductive health information and services. Moreover, given that only a few studies have actually focused on young people’s sexual and reproductive health needs in the region, more research is required to fully understand the health-seeking behaviours of young people in their specific contexts.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-10-2010
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 04-01-2023
DOI: 10.1177/14680173221144223
Abstract: Social workers are an integral part of end-of-life (EOL) care interdisciplinary services and provide comprehensive psychosocial support to dying people. However, despite the rewards, EOL care social work is wrought with challenges. There is currently limited research into the experience of EOL care social workers. Therefore, this qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) study examines the experience of EOL care social workers as revealed in existing literature. The QIMS methodology was used to synthesize and interpret findings from four original qualitative studies to elicit an in-depth response to the research question: What is the experience of social workers who work in EOL care? The theme “EOL care social work is a privilege and a struggle” emerged, with six associated contributing factors: Privilege—(1) death is sacrosanct, (2) death is an opportunity for growth and healing, and (3) the religious/spiritual element of EOL care. Struggle—(1) ongoing pain and heightened emotions, (2) conflict of values, and (3) contextual challenges. This QIMS study serves as a preliminary phase to a subsequent, larger study. This QIMS study provides a foundation for further narrative research into the experience of EOL care social workers. In addition, findings from this QIMS study highlights areas for further attention to foster the well-being of EOL care social workers. Finally, findings from this QIMS study could augment relevant EOL care content in undergraduate social work education.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-07-2022
DOI: 10.1177/15327086221105666
Abstract: Western research and education draw heavily on evidence-based approaches underpinned by positivism. Reliance on this scientific approach informs what is to be counted, measured, and tested—what can be “known.” In our experience, evidence generated using this approach does not always bring the most useful outcomes in our erse, naturalistic settings. In fact, often the proffered solution can distance and dehumanize the very people expected to be beneficiaries. In this article, we, as researchers and educators from different cultural and professional backgrounds in the “post-colonial” South Pacific, pose an alternative to this Western approach. We engage in a story saturated process akin to collaborative auto-ethnography. We first undertake a process of owning our stories, critically reflecting upon ourselves and how we approach evidence. In the context of values-driven, dialogical relationships, we experiment with intersectionality, interdisciplinarity, and experiences of time and space to critically explore our practice and experience of decoloniality and transformation. Then, through sharing our stories, we critically reflect upon creative, culturally relevant practices. These stories include using poetry in social work education and health research, cake art, and social work storytelling. We acknowledge cultural story forms, collaboration, and performance in a higher education setting. These experiences lead to creating new stories. We share ex les of change we “talk up” to and challenge rationalist, evidence-based approaches in our respective professional spaces. We examine relationality and Indigenous epistemology underpinning our use of story. We present the power of story as a process of transformation toward decoloniality of theory and practice.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-05-2013
DOI: 10.1111/IJN.12095
Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the motivations of student nurses enrolled in nursing courses across a variety of Pacific Island countries. The image of nursing, the desire to help others, family and friends in the profession, personal experience, security, travel opportunities and flexibility have all been identified as motivators for people to enter nursing. To date, what motivates students in Pacific Island countries to enrol in a nursing course has not been investigated. An exploratory qualitative approach using focus group interviews with 152 nursing students was undertaken. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis, revealing four themes: (i) helping others (ii) 'making a difference for my people' (iii) following in the footsteps of others and (iv) financial and professional gain. In a time of health and nursing workforce shortages, developing a deeper understanding of what drives people can be used to improve recruitment strategies in the future.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-11-2013
Abstract: Undertaking HIV research in the culturally erse Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) requires careful consideration of social, cultural and religious beliefs and practices. Here, we share a detailed description of culturally informed research processes and lessons learned from the first ever study undertaken on male circumcision for HIV prevention at a faith-based university in PNG. Male and female staff and students at Pacific Adventist University were invited to complete an anonymous self-administered questionnaire, and/or participate in a semi-structured interview or focus group discussion. Male participants were invited for clinical examination. Results were collated and disseminated to the university community in gender segregated sessions. The study deliberately partnered with student leaders and centralised social, cultural, and religious paradigms. Student leaders were interviewed about their experience of partnering in sensitive health research. The student leaders reported that pre-existing relationships, cultural ties, gendered sensitivity and regular communication reinforced trust between researchers, student leaders and participants, and helped the success of the study. The amount of time, complex logistics and social and cultural relationships between single and married staff and students were highlighted as challenges. Partnering with regional student leaders to plan and implement the study gave a legitimate and immediate mechanism for involving PNG staff and students in this sensitive health research. Gendered research processes utilised established social and cultural structures and ensured the safety of participants all of these factors contributed to the acceptability of the study. Capacity was strengthened in PNG and Australian researchers to undertake sensitive HIV research in PNG. The study demonstrated that it is possible to conduct sensitive sexual health research at a faith-based university in PNG.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-2015
Abstract: We report the background to and preliminary evaluation of the Leadership in Mental Health: Island Nations course, run for the first time in Cairns in conjunction with Creating Futures 2015. The course was well attended and well received, with increased confidence in key areas demonstrated and concerns regarding local application identified. In addition to positive comments, content and delivery issues were raised. Future opportunities for expanding upon this initial course are discussed.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 30-04-2018
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 28-06-2018
Abstract: Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems in schools contribute to successful education by promoting good health and supporting school attendance. Girl students and students with disability face significant challenges when there are inadequate WASH systems. Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) have some of the lowest levels of improved WASH systems on earth. The aim of this review was to document the characteristics and effectiveness of approaches to improve WASH systems that promote the health and education of girl students, and students with disability in PICTs. This systematic scoping review comprehensively searched peer-reviewed and grey literature about WASH, PICTs, schoolgirls and students with disability. At best, there are only fleeting mentions in the grey literature about WASH and disability in schools in PICTs. Inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in 12 publications being included: 1 review 7 original research 4 commentaries roject reports. A holistic approach to WASH in schools in PICTs must consider how the entire school WASH system can be inclusive of girls and children with disability. Incorporating local PICT learning epistemologies (ways of knowing) and local PICT pedagogies (ways of learning) are required to ensure new WASH systems reduce existing inequalities for girls and students with disability.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1753-6405.2010.00556.X
Abstract: To describe and discuss challenges and opportunities encountered when estimating tobacco consumption in six remote Aboriginal communities using tobacco sales data from retail outlets. We consider tobacco sales data collected from retail outlets selling tobacco to six Aboriginal communities in two similar but separate studies. Despite challenges--including: not all outlets provided data data not uniform across outlets (sales and invoice data) change in format of data personnel change or management restructures and anomalies in data and changes in community populations--tobacco consumption was estimated and returned through project newsletters and community feedback sessions. Amounts of tobacco sold were returned using graphs in newsletters and pictures of items common to the community in community feedback sessions. Despite inherent limitations of estimating tobacco consumption using tobacco sales data, returning the amount of tobacco sold to communities provided an opportunity to discuss tobacco consumption and provide a focal point for in idual and community action. Using this method, however, may require large and sustained changes be observed over time to evaluate whether initiatives to reduce tobacco consumption have been effective. Estimating tobacco consumption in remote Aboriginal communities using tobacco sales data from retail outlets requires careful consideration of many logistical, social, cultural and geographic challenges.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-04-2021
DOI: 10.1186/S12905-021-01229-0
Abstract: Menarche, the first menstruation, is a significant developmental milestone for females. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), menarche is an important socio-cultural event marking transition from girlhood to womanhood. PNG is a culturally and linguistically erse nation, with wide-ranging socio-cultural beliefs and practices around menarche. This study explored post-menarcheal women’s understanding about body changes and menarche, preparation for menarche, and related cultural beliefs and practices at menarche. A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted with 98 female participants who originated from four PNG provinces: Eastern Highlands Province East Sepik Province Milne Bay Province and National Capital District. The participants were purposively and theoretically s led, with 10 focus group discussions and six in idual interviews conducted using a semi-structured interview guide for data collection. Focus group discussions and interviews were voice recorded and transcribed. Data were inductively analyzed using initial, intermediate and advanced coding, memos and constant comparative methods to develop a theoretical model that explains women’s experiences at menarche. Interview participants also identified actions required to improve future experiences of girls at menarche in PNG. A grounded theory comprising the core category of ‘Making of a Strong Woman’ and four interconnecting categories (‘Having Baby Sense’ ‘Beginning of Learning’ ‘Intensifying Learning’ and ‘Achieving Womanhood’) was constructed. ‘Urban’ and ‘Rural’ represented both geographical and socio-cultural intervening conditions that influence the experiences of girls at menarche. Experiences of young women at menarche were rooted in socio-cultural beliefs and practices. Women reported being physically and emotionally distressed and unprepared at onset of menarche. Mothers were considered important support, however, their ability to adequately prepare their daughters is limited by shame and secrecy. Despite these limitations, cultural practices at menarche provided an opportunity for intensive preparation of girls for womanhood. Limited pre-menarcheal awareness of the meaning of body changes and menarche of girls was linked to culture of shame and secrecy about open discussion on sexuality. However, traditional cultural practices provide an opportunity for collective support and focused learning for girls. Findings from this study have implications for broader sexual and reproductive health education programs in addressing menstrual health and hygiene in PNG, and the Pacific.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 15-05-2020
Publisher: The Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA)
Date: 16-11-2020
Abstract: Education provides opportunities for adolescents to make developmental gains. Remote Indigenous adolescents not engaged in education programs need alternate learning opportunities to reach developmental goals. This review identifies attributes that contribute to an alternate model of education within the existing literature and reports on the quantity and nature of evidence. Thirty-seven databases and grey literature were canvassed using strict search criteria. Analysis of papers was conducted to find the enablers of alternate models by identifying the conditions, strategies and outcomes the intervention produced. Papers were categorised according to their nature by Canada's Hierarchy of Evidence and the Sanson-Fisher model. There was limited literature on alternate models of education for Indigenous adolescents in settings outside a school environment. Three papers were classified as descriptive and ten as intervention research. All papers were described as 'emerging' and 'promising' practices. The five attributes embedded within a model included 1) cultural connectedness and awareness 2) being contextually designed 3) fosters relationships with peers and adults 4) specific teaching and learning strategies and 5) holistic outcomes. The findings will contribute to the co-design of an alternate model of education for remote Indigenous communities. Gaps identified in the literature included ex les of 'best practice' models and highlighted the need for further research of innovative models that move from descriptive research to form an evidence base.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 23-01-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.NEPR.2014.03.006
Abstract: Nurses are often first line responders in a large scale emergency or disaster. This paper reports an evaluative study of a tailored research capacity building course for nurse delegates from the Asia Pacific Emergency and Disaster Nursing Network (APEDNN). Twenty-three participant delegates from 19 countries attended a three-week course that included learning and teaching about the critique and conduct of research. An outcome of the course was the collaborative design of a study now being implemented in a number of countries with the aim of investigating nurses' preparedness for disaster response. Formal mentoring relationships have also been established between more and less experienced peers and facilitators to provide support in implementing this collaborative study. Overall, participant delegates rated the planning, implementation and content of the course highly. Recommendations from this study include funding a mix of face-to-face and distance mentoring and writing for publication workshops to ensure the sustainability of outcomes from a research capacity building course such as the one described.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2021-060316
Abstract: Menopause denotes the end of a woman’s reproductive life. A woman’s experiences of menopause are shaped by her in idual circumstances and may vary between social and cultural contexts. Evidence is needed to inform research and programme delivery that supports women’s health and well-being throughout the menopausal transition. This scoping review will map evidence of women’s experiences of menopause in Asia Pacific countries, where limited research exists. We will follow the five-stage framework of Arksey and O’Malley, further developed by Levac et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus databases will be systematically searched between February 2022 and May 2022 using subject headings and keywords. The title–abstract and full text of retrieved studies will be assessed against eligibility criteria. The review will focus on studies with a qualitative research component. Citation searching of selected articles will supplement database searching. Data will be extracted, charted, synthesised and summarised. Findings will be presented in narrative format and implications for research and practice reported. Ethical approval is not required for this scoping review of selected studies from peer-reviewed journals. Ethical approval has been granted from relevant ethics committees for community consultation. Findings will be shared in peer-reviewed publications, presented at conferences and disseminated with communities, health workers and researchers.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-12-2017
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 19-04-2018
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-07-2018
DOI: 10.1093/CID/CIY574
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 23-01-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-08-2014
DOI: 10.3402/GHA.V7.25214
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 05-08-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0255080
Abstract: The use of contraceptives for family planning improves women’s lives and may prevent maternal deaths. However, many women in low and middle-income countries, including the Pacific region, still die from pregnancy-related complications. While most health centres offer family planning services with some basic contraceptive methods, many people do not access these services. More than 60% of women who would like to avoid or delay their pregnancies are unable to do so. This scoping review identifies and analyses evidence about family planning service provision in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), with the aim of better informing family planning services for improved maternal health outcomes in the Pacific. We used Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review guidelines, supported by Levac, Colquhoun and O’Brien to identify gaps in family planning service provision. Selected studies included peer-reviewed publications and grey literature that provided information about family planning services from 1994 to 2019. Publication data was charted in MS Excel. Data were thematically analysed and key issues and themes identified. A total of 45 papers (15 peer-reviewed and 30 grey literature publications) were critically reviewed. Five themes were identified: i) family planning services in the Pacific ii) education, knowledge and attitudes iii) geographical isolation and access iv) socio-cultural beliefs, practices and influences and v) potential enabling factors for improved family planning, such as appropriate family planning awareness by health care providers and services tailored to meet in idual needs. While culture and religion were considered as the main barriers to accessing family planning services, evidence showed health services were also responsible for limiting access. Family planning services do not reach everyone. Making relevant and sustainable improvements in service delivery requires generation of local evidence. Further research is needed to understand availability, accessibility and acceptability of current family planning services for different age groups, genders, social and marital status to better inform family planning services in the Pacific.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-07-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-09-2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 25-04-2014
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-2015
Abstract: To provide an ex le of one model of research capacity building for mental health from a remote setting in Solomon Islands. The Atoifi Health Research Group is building health research capacity with a health service on the remote east coast of Malaita, Solomon Islands. The group uses a ‘learn-by-doing’ approach embedded in health service and community-level health projects. The group is eclectic in nature and deliberately engages a variety of partners to discover culturally informed methods of collecting, analysing and disseminating research findings. Key successes of the Atoifi Health Research Group are: that it was initiated by Solomon Islanders with self-expressed desire to learn about research the learn-by-doing model inclusion of community people to inform questions and socio-cultural appropriateness and commitment to ongoing support by international researchers. Given different social, cultural, economic, geographic, spiritual and service contexts across the Pacific, locally appropriate approaches need to be considered. Such approaches challenge the orthodox approach of centralized investment to replicate specialist driven approaches of funder nations. Increasing expertise at all levels through participatory capacity building models that define and address local problems may be more sustainable and responsive to local mental health contexts.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 23-10-2018
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 25-06-2021
Abstract: In this article, poetic inquiry is introduced, the author’s standpoint explicated, and a critical poetic inquiry from the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea reported. Auto-ethnographic, narrative, and found (transcription) poems are included re-presenting observational and qualitative data. Impacts of violence, poverty, and stigma, along with life-affirming actions of in iduals, families, and their communities, are explored. This critical poetic inquiry encourages the reader toward critical thinking and positive action for improved sexual health and well-being.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 09-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2019-030461
Abstract: Community-based Participatory Women’s Groups (PWGs) have proven to be an effective intervention to improve maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes in low/middle-income countries (LMICs). Less is known about how PWGs exert their effects in LMICs and virtually nothing is known about the contextual issues, processes and power relationships that affect PWG outcomes in high resource settings. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise and critically analyse the current evidence on how and why PWGs improve the quality of MCH care. We aim to demonstrate how PWGs function and why PWG interventions contribute to social and health outcomes. The protocol will follow Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guidelines. The databases Medline (Ovid): Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (Ebsco) Informit health suite Scopus, Australian HealthInfoNet, the Cochrane Library and other sources will be searched under broad categories: intervention, context and outcomes to 30 June 2019. As only secondary data will be analysed ethical approval is not required. The review will be disseminated to relevant organisations and presented in peer-reviewed papers and at conferences. This will be the first attempt to summarise the current available evidence on the characteristics, contextual influences and mechanisms that are associated with the outcomes and effectiveness of PWGs. CRD42019126533.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2019
Abstract: With words as data, qualitative researchers rely upon language to understand the meaning participants make of the phenomena under study. Cross-language research requires communication about and between linguistic systems, with language a site of power. This article describes the use of the lingua franca of Tok Pisin in a study conducted to explore the implications of male circumcision for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention for women in Papua New Guinea. Utilizing a transformational grounded theory methodology, researchers conducted an analysis of data from an HIV prevention study. Researchers then facilitated in idual interviews and interpretive focus groups to explore preliminary categories identified during the analysis. Most focus groups and interviews were conducted in the local lingua franca Tok Pisin, which is neither the researchers’ nor most participants’ first language. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed. Researchers returned to research participants to discuss research findings and recommendations. Following critical reflection by the authors and further discussions with participants, it was evident that using Tok Pisin enriched the research process and findings. Using the lingua franca of Tok Pisin enabled interaction in a language closer to the lived experience of participants, devolved the power of the researcher, and was consistent with decolonizing methodologies. Participants reported the use of Tok Pisin, em i tasim (pilim) bun bilong mipela, “it touches our bones,” and enabled a flow of conversation with the researchers that engendered trust. It is critical researchers address hierarchies of language in order to enable cogeneration of quality research findings.
No related grants have been discovered for Michelle Redman-MacLaren.