ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9290-719X
Current Organisation
Griffith University Logan Campus
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-04-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-08-2020
DOI: 10.1111/NHS.12643
Abstract: Lack of time, financial issues, and stressful clinical and educational environments in nursing studies promote higher intakes of convenience and fast foods loaded with fat and sugar, which are linked to reduced mental and physical health. In this study, we examined the dietary patterns of nursing students and their associated sociodemographic factors to inform the development of future health-promotion interventions. A total of 548 Bachelor of Nursing students were invited to complete a survey. Associations were explored using χ
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-03-2021
DOI: 10.1111/INM.12862
Abstract: There is limited research on mental health literacy among undergraduate nursing students in Australia. Overseas studies indicate significant gaps in students’ knowledge and practice. The aims of this study were to (1) assess mental health literacy knowledge in undergraduate nursing students and compare these across year levels, and to (2) identify students’ learning needs about mental health literacy in practice. A convenience s le of 114 Bachelor of Nursing students studying at one Australian University completed the online survey. Results showed that third‐year students reported higher levels of mental health literacy compared to first‐ and second‐year students. Almost 40% of students felt they did not have sufficient understanding of mental health literacy for practice. Most respondents (66.7%) wanted more information on different types of mental illnesses, treatments, how to reduce mental health stigma, and how to care for and communicate with people with mental illness. Students identified that mental health first aid training should be compulsory for all nursing students. Mental health literacy is a crucial area to be addressed in undergraduate nursing education. Explicit content and skill development are required to improve students’ awareness of health literacy and inform their practice.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/NHS.12943
Abstract: Supportive counseling and facilitated referrals to support organizations have shown positive effects on mental health and coping with domestic and family violence. However, the reasons why and how such effects are significant remain unknown. The current paper used data from a randomized controlled trial of a psychosocial intervention implemented in Nepal among 140 abused pregnant women. The hypothesized mediating effects of self‐efficacy and social support on mental health and quality of life of abused pregnant women were tested using serial mediation analyses. Significance of parameter estimates and bias‐corrected 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the indirect effects were generated using bootstrapping. The postintervention changes in self‐efficacy and social support were found to have significant mediating effects on the relationship between the intervention and changes in both mental health and quality of life of participants post intervention. The positive effects on outcomes were seen at follow‐up as well, though to a lesser extent. Further interventions should focus on enhancing abused women's self‐efficacy and social support to ensure their positive mental health and better lives.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2016.04.010
Abstract: Reducing violence against women is a national public health priority in Australia. Routine antenatal intimate partner violence screening by a skilled midwife is essential for assessment, support and appropriate referral, but can be challenging to implement. To explore midwives' experiences of routine enquiry, perceptions of facilitators and barriers, and suggested strategies to improve practice. A qualitative descriptive design was used. Participants were recruited from an e-mail bulletin by the Australian College of Midwives. In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with 21 midwives. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Three themes were identified: The first theme Asking the Question incorporated the belief that whilst asking women about intimate partner violence were within the role of the midwife, participants felt unsupported and unprepared. The second theme The big fear factor represented concerns around positive disclosures of intimate partner violence, including a sense of responsibility, worries about encouraging women to disclose without clear processes and resources to support them. The third theme Building a relationship incorporated the importance of continuity of care, trust and rapport-building. Continuity of care was identified as a positive enabler for routine enquiry. A perceived lack of support, time pressures, and presence of a partner at appointments were all considered barriers to routine enquiry. Routine enquiry about IPV is a valuable and important midwifery role. Midwives described frustration and fear when women disclosed violence. The perceived level of support from health services varied according to practice contexts and needs to be improved.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2017.10.014
Abstract: Asking women about experiences of domestic violence in the perinatal period is accepted best practice. However, midwives and nurses may be reluctant to engage with, or effectively respond to disclosures of domestic violence due a lack of knowledge and skills. To evaluate the impact of training on knowledge and preparedness of midwives and nurses to conduct routine enquiry about domestic violence with women during the perinatal period. A pre-post intervention design was used. Midwives and nurses (n=154) attended a full day workshop. Of these, 149 completed pre-post workshop measures of knowledge and preparedness. Additional questions at post-training explored participants' perceptions of organisational barriers to routine enquiry, as well as anticipated impact of training on their practice. Training occurred between July 2015 and October 2016. Using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, all post intervention scores were significantly higher than pre intervention scores. Knowledge scores increased from a pre-training mean of 21.5-25.6 (Z=-9.56, p<0.001) and level of preparedness increased from 40.8 to 53.2 (Z=-10.12, p<0.001). Most participants (93%) reported improved preparedness to undertake routine enquiry after training. Only a quarter (24.9%) felt their workplace allowed adequate time to respond to disclosures of DV. Brief training can improve knowledge, preparedness, and confidence of midwives and nurses to conduct routine enquiry and support women during the perinatal period. Training can assist midwives and nurses to recognise signs of DV, ask women about what would be helpful to them, and address perceived organisational barriers to routine enquiry. Practice guidelines and clear referral pathways following DV disclosure need to be implemented to support gains made through training.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2013
DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2013.794459
Abstract: We investigated the effects of physical, psychological, and sexual violence on the health status of women attending antenatal clinics at two tertiary hospitals in rural Thailand. We asked 421 pregnant women at 32 weeks gestation or later to complete a survey questionnaire. Participants reported high rates of psychological abuse (53.7%) threats, acts of physical abuse, or both (26.6%) and sexual violence (19.2%). Women abused during pregnancy had poorer health compared with nonabused women, in role emotional functioning, vitality, bodily pain, mental health, and social functioning. Given the high prevalence of violence and poor health status, routine screenings by maternity services is urgently required.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1442-2018.2012.00735.X
Abstract: In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of psychological, physical, and sexual violence perpetrated by an intimate partner, and the effects on health status of postpartum women who gave birth at two tertiary hospitals in northeastern Thailand. Participants were recruited during pregnancy and interviewed at 6 weeks' postpartum. Measures included the Short Form 12-Item Health Survey, Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory, and Severity of Violence against Women scale. Participants reported high rates of psychological abuse, threats and/or acts of physical abuse, and sexual violence. Abused postpartum women had lower well-being than non-abused women on all Short Form 12-Item Health Survey subscales, except the general health subscale. These women also had significant poorer health compared to non-abused women, in social functioning and mental health. The study findings suggest that routine screening for intimate partner violence by maternity services is urgently needed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2015.01.009
Abstract: Intimate partner violence is recognised as a global public health issue. Living with intimate partner violence results in poorer health status with reduced quality of life and higher utilisation of health services. Increased awareness, education and training, and an understanding of multi-agency collaboration are vital in order for health practitioners to respond to women experiencing partner violence and abuse. Midwives are well placed to identify, provide immediate support, and refer women onto appropriate support agencies but may lack appropriate education, training or support. To investigate midwives' knowledge of intimate partner violence against women during pregnancy. An online survey link was distributed through the Australian College of Midwives. The survey included personal, professional and practice details, and 25 questions that tested knowledge about intimate partner violence. 152 midwives completed the online questionnaire. Knowledge scores ranged from 27 to 48 (out of a possible 50), with the mean total score of 42.8 (SD=3.3). Although 60% of participants scored 48, two-thirds did not know about the risks and signs of intimate partner violence. One-third of the midwives did not know about age risks associated with intimate partner violence. Around 25% incorrectly believed that perpetrators are violent because of alcohol or drug use. Nearly 90% (88%) of participants had some education or training about intimate partner violence. Those with some training achieved higher knowledge scores than those with no formal training (Mann-Whitney U=1272, p=0.003). Participating midwives generally reported a high level of knowledge about intimate partner violence but held misconceptions about risks and characteristics of perpetrators of violence. These knowledge gaps may adversely affect their ability to identify women at risk of violence. Education about intimate partner violence was associated with improved knowledge. Future training and education on intimate partner violence should target identified knowledge gaps.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 19-08-2020
Abstract: Survivors of domestic and family violence (DFV) report poorer quality of life and worsening mental health. This study evaluated the effect of a counseling and education intervention on the mental health and help-seeking behaviors among pregnant women living with DFV. A parallel pilot randomized controlled trial was performed among 140 pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic of a tertiary hospital of Nepal. Using computer-generated random numbers, participants were randomized to the intervention group (a counseling session, an information booklet about DFV, and contact details of the counselor) or a control group (usual care plus a booklet containing contact details of local DFV support services). Outcome measures included mental health, quality of life (QOL), self-efficacy, social support, and safety planning behaviors. Analyses followed intention-to-treat, using the generalized estimating equation model. Intervention participants showed significant improvements in anxiety (β = −3.24, p .001) and depression (β = −3.16, p .001) at postintervention. Such improvements were also sustained at follow-up assessment ( p .001). Significant group and time interaction for QOL, social support, use of safety behaviors, and self-efficacy ( p .05) revealed a greater increase in these outcome measures among intervention participants at both follow-up assessments compared with the control group. This pilot integrated intervention showed promising outcomes in improving the mental health, social support, and the use of safety behaviors among women with DFV. This intervention could be incorporated into regular antenatal care as a strategy to identify and support victims of DFV. Larger controlled trials with longer follow-up are needed to support and expand on the current findings regarding the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention targeting victims of DFV in resource-constrained settings.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WOMBI.2018.01.004
Abstract: Routine enquiry about domestic violence during pregnancy is accepted best practice. Training is essential to improve knowledge and practice. Few studies have undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of training impact over time. To evaluate the longitudinal impact of a domestic violence training and support program to promote midwives' routine antenatal enquiry for domestic violence using a mixed methods design. Data sources included (1) surveys of midwives at 6 months post-training, (2) interviews with key stakeholders at 12 months, (3) chart audit data of screening, risk, and disclosure rates (for 16 months). Measures included midwives' knowledge, preparation for routine enquiry, knowledge of domestic violence and perceptions of impact of the training and support for practice change. Forty (out of 83) participant surveys could be matched and responses compared to baseline and post-training scores. Wilcoxon signed-rank test identified that all 6-month follow-up scores were significantly higher than those at baseline. Level of preparedness increased from 42.3 to 51.05 (Z=4.88, p<.001) and knowledge scores increased from a mean of 21.15 to 24.65 (Z=4.9, p 90%) reported improved confidence to undertake routine inquiry. A chart audit of screening rates revealed that of the 6671 women presenting for antenatal care, nearly 90% were screened. Disclosure of domestic violence was low (<2%) with most women at risk or experiencing violence declining referral. Training, support processes, and referral pathways, contributed to midwives' sustained preparedness and knowledge to conduct routine enquiry and support women disclosing domestic violence.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-10-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1442-2018.2009.00472.X
Abstract: This exploratory descriptive study is part of a larger program that investigated the prevalence and frequency of different forms of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and the immediate post-partum period among Thai women and the associated maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Two case studies are used to illustrate the different experiences of victims, as well as the barriers to seeking help and the strategies used to manage their circumstances. The study highlights the neglect of women's rights by police and community leaders, the attribution of blame to women, and their perceived sense of powerlessness and a lack of knowledge about the available resources.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-03-2022
DOI: 10.1111/NICC.12766
Abstract: Family‐centred care (FCC) is an approach to promote family and health care provider partnership. This has been incorporated into neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) worldwide. However, FCC in low resource health settings, such as Thailand, is challenging and further impacted by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). To evaluate FCC innovations to improve respect, collaboration and support in a Thai NICU. A quasi‐experimental study was conducted in an NICU in southern Thailand. Pre‐implementation was prior to COVID‐19, and parental and staff perceptions of FCC were measured via Perceptions of Family Centred Care‐Parent (PFCC‐P) and ‐Staff (PFCC‐S) survey. The FCC innovations were developed by stakeholders based on the COVID‐19 restrictions, pre‐survey results, parents' and clinicians' interviews and integrative review, then implemented via a flowchart. Post‐implementation evaluation was via repeated surveys. Comparisons were made pre‐and post‐implementation, with Mann–Whitney U ‐test statistics for parents and Wilcoxon's Rank Sum for staff. A total of 185 (85 pre 100 post) parents and 20 (pre and post paired group) health care professionals participated. Because of COVID‐19, many planned interventions were unfeasible, however, other innovations achieved (e.g., structured telephone updates, information booklet revision). There was an increase in parents' perception of respect ([median] 2.50–3.50), collaboration (2.33–3.33) and support (2.60–3.60) domains and overall (2.50–3.43 p .001 95% CI: 2.93–3.11). Interdisciplinary professionals' perception of FCC did not significantly change pre‐and post‐implementation/COVID‐19 pandemic for respect (3.00–2.92), collaboration (3.22–3.33), support (3.20–3.20) and overall (3.15–3.20 95% CI: 3.10–3.25). Despite the challenges of COVID‐19 restricting NICU access, the provision of FCC was maintained and even improved. Further research is necessary to develop FCC practice innovations associated with communication, across erse health care systems and resources.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 09-03-2020
No related grants have been discovered for Amornrat Saito.