ORCID Profile
0000-0003-4265-4646
Current Organisations
University of Queensland
,
University of New South Wales
,
James Cook University
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-1998
DOI: 10.1111/J.1467-842X.1998.TB01466.X
Abstract: A survey was undertaken to ascertain the vaccination status of all 773 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children who were born and remained in Far North Queensland during the 1993-94 financial year. Only 42% had received all 15 vaccines scheduled in the first two years of life by their second birthday. More who resided in remote communities were fully vaccinated (64%) by then than those who lived in rural towns (32%) or an urban setting (21%) (p < 0.01). The 445 children who were not fully vaccinated required a median of three vaccines to have been fully vaccinated by the second birthday. Of these, 146 (33%) required only one vaccine, nearly 60% of whom would have been fully vaccinated if they had had the fourth (18-month) dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine. Of the 445, 143 (32%) required five or more vaccines to have been fully vaccinated. Only 26% and 36% of the children received all the vaccines scheduled at six and 12 months of age, respectively, on the same day. However, the eventual uptakes of the three vaccines scheduled at six months of age were very similar (approximately 80%) and simultaneous vaccination with the two vaccines scheduled at 12 months of age would have made a very limited (approximately 4 percentage points) impact on the overall percentage of fully vaccinated children. Considerably more than simple and apparently logical strategies will be required to ensure that Indigenous children in Far North Queensland are adequately vaccinated. A systematic approach, with a careful understanding of the barriers to routine vaccination and a means of prospectively tracking the vaccination status of each child, will be needed if state and national vaccination goals are to be met.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-12-2018
DOI: 10.1111/ZPH.12437
Abstract: Despite ongoing public health messages about the risks associated with bat contact, the number of potential exposures to Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) due to intentional handling by members of the general public in Queensland has remained high. We sought to better understand the reasons for intentional handling among these members of the public who reported their potential exposure to inform future public health messages. We interviewed adults who resided in a defined geographic area in South East Queensland and notified potential exposure to ABLV due to intentional handling of bats by telephone between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013. The participation rate was 54%. Adults who reported they had intentionally handled bats in South East Queensland indicated high levels of knowledge and perception of a moderately high risk associated with bats with overall low intentions to handle bats in the future. However, substantial proportions of people would attempt to handle bats again in some circumstances, particularly to protect their children or pets. Fifty-two percent indicated that they would handle a bat if a child was about to pick up or touch a live bat, and 49% would intervene if a pet was interacting with a bat. Future public health communications should recognize the situations in which even people with highrisk perceptions of bats will attempt to handle them. Public health messages currently focus on avoidance of bats in all circumstances and recommend calling in a trained vaccinated handler, but messaging directed at adults for circumstances where children or pets may be potentially exposed should provide safe immediate management options.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-12-2020
DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2020.1858135
Abstract: Microfinance has emerged as an effective approach to address health outcomes, particularly infectious diseases and maternal and child health. However, there remains a significant knowledge gap about microfinance and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). This review synthesises current evidence on microfinance and NCDs, including NCD-specific modifiable risks, health-seeking behaviour, and financing mechanisms of adults using microfinance services. Studies were identified through a systematic search of seven electronic databases, extracted for full-text screening, and analysed using a narrative analysis. A total of twelve articles that covered thirteen countries and four global regions were included in the review. Variations in study designs and reporting in the articles limited the ability to draw strong conclusions about microfinance and NCDs. However, the review revealed that microfinance may reduce modifiable risk factors, promote health-seeking behaviour, and reduce out-of-pocket health expenditure and catastrophic health expenditure related to NCDs. One study, however, found microfinance to be associated with negative effects of higher waist circumference, BMI and obesity rates. Overall, the review helped to identify the current gaps in knowledge, and highlighted the need to focus future research and publication on the use of microfinance to target NCDs of the poor.
Publisher: University of Queensland Library
Date: 2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2007
DOI: 10.1111/J.1753-6405.2007.00013.X
Abstract: To obtain, through a survey, estimates of immunisation coverage in a birth cohort of Indigenous children, and to compare survey estimates with those obtained from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) for the same birth cohort of Indigenous children. Cluster s ling of a birth cohort of two-year-old Indigenous children across Queensland, stratified according to accessibility/remoteness from services, was undertaken in 2003. An innovative method of identifying participants was used. Survey results of 10 vaccine doses were compared with ACIR data. The survey obtained a 4% s le of the birth cohort (137 children). Universally recommended vaccines showed high levels of coverage at 12 and 24 months, and survey estimates were slightly higher than ACIR estimates. Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine dose 3 (DTPa3) coverage was 93.8% (95% CI 88.0-99.6) by 12 months on survey and 87.5% on ACIR. Coverage was not timely and a lag phase of 4-6 months occurred for each vaccine dose. Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine dose 2 (Hib2), scheduled for the age of four months, reached 90% coverage by nine months of age in the survey children. Both methods reported here provided similar results. These data indicate that ACIR Indigenous reporting rates have increased and coverage estimates are comparable to those provided by a survey. Immunisation coverage appears to be high, and the main remaining challenge in further reducing vaccine-preventable disease in Indigenous children is to improve immunisation timeliness.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 15-07-2016
Publisher: European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC)
Date: 29-10-2015
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2015.20.43.30050
Abstract: Increased febrile reactions in Australian children from one influenza vaccine brand in 2010 diminished confidence in influenza immunisation, highlighting the need for improved vaccine safety surveillance. AusVaxSafety , a national vaccine safety surveillance system collected adverse events in young children for 2015 influenza vaccine brands in real time through parent/carer reports via SMS/email. Weekly cumulative data on 3,340 children demonstrated low rates of fever (4.4%) and medical attendance (1.1%). Fever was more frequent with concomitant vaccination.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-1997
DOI: 10.1111/J.1440-1754.1997.TB01027.X
Abstract: Despite the importance of flowering for fruit formation, it has been considered very little in breeding programs involving fruit species, including olives. We evaluated the principal morphological flower-quality components in the olive cultivars, 'Arbequina' and 'Picual', and in the progenies of their crosses. Wide ranges of variation were obtained for all the inflorescence traits and ovary tissue sizes. An analysis of variance indicated that the residual error was the main contributor to the inflorescence traits, except for the number of perfect flowers, underlining the need to evaluate adequate numbers of inflorescences for accurate measurements of these traits. However, the high repeatability obtained for the inflorescence traits suggests that simple evaluation procedures could be accurate enough for genotype characterization. The average values for 'Arbequina' were in the upper range for all the traits the opposite occurred for 'Picual', and the values for most of the progenies were intermediate. No significant differences between the maternal and paternal effect on inheritance were found. Some interesting transgressive segregants showed a higher flower number, greater ovary and mesocarp size, or percentage of ovaries with all four fully developed ovules. The correlations among the parameters may have reflected a relatively consistent distribution of the ovaries' structural components and a close relationship between the ovaries and their mesocarp growth.
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 10-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.VACCINE.2011.01.116
Abstract: Using findings from a random, computer assisted telephone survey of households, this paper examines influenza and pneumococcal immunisation coverage and predictors of immunisation in 2203 adults with asthma, diabetes or a cardiovascular condition living in Queensland, Australia. 47% and 31% of high-risk persons were immunised against influenza and pneumococcus respectively. Immunisation coverage varied across chronic conditions and increased with age, being significantly higher for those aged 65 years and older and consequently eligible for free vaccination. Poor self reported health status was an independent predictor of pneumococcal vaccination status for people with asthma, diabetes or a cardiovascular condition however it was only an independent predictor of influenza immunisation status for people with diabetes. Extending free vaccination to all people at risk may increase immunisation rates for younger people with a chronic condition.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-09-2014
Abstract: To determine whether the disparity gap is closing between stillbirth rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women and to identify focal areas for future prevention efforts according to gestational age and geographic location. Population-based retrospective cohort study. Queensland, Australia. All singleton births of at least 20 weeks of gestation or at least 400 g birthweight. Routinely collected data on births were obtained for the period 1995 to 2011. Indigenous and non-Indigenous stillbirth rates and percent reduction in the gap were compared over time and by geographic location and gestational age. All-cause and cause-specific stillbirth rates (per 1000 ongoing pregnancies). Over the study period there was a 57.3% reduction in the disparity gap. Although marked reductions in the gap were shown for women in regional (57.0%) and remote (56.1%) locations, these women remained at increased risk compared with those in urban regions. There was no reduction for term stillbirths. Major conditions contributing to the disparity were maternal conditions (diabetes) (relative risk [RR] 3.78, 95% confidence intervals [95% CI] 2.59-5.51), perinatal infection (RR 3.70, 95% CI 2.54-5.39), spontaneous preterm birth (RR 3.08, 95% CI 2.51-3.77), hypertension (RR 2.22, 95% CI 1.45-3.39), fetal growth restriction (RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.17-2.71) and antepartum haemorrhage (RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.13-2.22). The gap in stillbirth rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women is closing, but Indigenous women continue to be at increased risk due to a number of potentially preventable conditions. There is little change in the gap at term gestational ages.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-02-2013
Start Date: 2007
End Date: 2013
Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council
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