225 resultados para community-based monitoring


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This paper discusses the Townsville City Council Dry Tropics Water Smart (DTWS) initiative, developed by TCC Integrated Sustainability Services (ISS) and Townsville Water, and informed by The University of Adelaide. The program draws on many years of experience by the TCC team to blend key community-based research approaches in order to develop this residential outdoor water conservation program. Several community pilots have been conducted to test different behaviour change strategies and messages. This paper outlines recent steps taken to develop the community trials, as guided by a combination of behaviour change theories including community-based social marketing and thematic communications methods. Some preliminary results are outlined focused on community uptake of different strategies, community perceptions of communication materials, and some insights into the effectiveness of outdoor water hardware.

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Review question/objective The objective of this review is to identify the effectiveness of surveillance systems and community-based interventions in identifying and responding to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic infections in Southeast Asia (SE Asia). More specifically the research questions are: 1. What is the effectiveness of community-based surveillance interventions designed to identify emerging zoonotic infectious diseases? 2. What is the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical community-based interventions designed to prevent transmission of emerging zoonotic infectious diseases? 3. How do factors related to the emergence and management of emerging zoonotic infectious diseases impact the effectiveness of interventions designed to identify and respond to them?

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Background Knowledge about genital Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections in the Pacific is limited. In this study we investigated CT infection in Samoan women. Methods We recruited women having unprotected sex aged 18 to 29 years from 41 Samoan villages. They completed a questionnaire and provided a urine sample for CT testing by PCR. Associations between CT infection and possible risk factors were explored using logistic regression. Results Altogether, 239 women were recruited; 86 (36.0%; weighted estimate of prevalence: 41.9%; 95% CI: 33.4–50.5%) were positive for CT infection. A higher proportion of women aged 18 to 24 were positive (54/145; 37.2%) than those aged 25 to 29 (32/94; 34.0%; p=0.20). Being single (OR 1.92; 95% CI: 1.02–3.63) and having two or more lifetime sexual partners (OR 3.02; 95% CI: 1.19–7.67) were associated with CT infection; 27.6% of those with one lifetime partner were positive. Participants who had a previous pregnancy were less likely to be positive (OR 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27–0.87). Primiparous and multiparous women were less likely to be positive than nulliparous women (OR 0.54; 95% CI: 0.30–0.99 and OR 0.46; 95% CI: 0.24–0.89, respectively). Conclusions The prevalence of CT infection in these Samoan women is very high. Further studies, including investigating the prevalence of CT infection in men, and strategies for sustainable control are needed.

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Purpose This research investigates whether application of a community-based social marketing principle, namely increasing the visibility of a target behaviour in the community, can change social norms surrounding the behaviour. Design/methodology/approach A repeated measures quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation’s Walk to School 2013 programme, which increases the visibility of walking to and from school through programme participation to promote active transportation for primary school children. The target population for the survey were caregivers of primary school children aged between 5-12 years old. The final sample size across the three online surveys administered was 102 respondents. Findings The results suggest that the programme increased caregivers’ perceptions that children in their community walked to and from school and that walking to and from school is socially acceptable. Originality/value The study contributes to addressing the recent call for research examining the relationship between community-based social marketing principles and programme outcomes. Further, the results provide insight for enhancing the social norms approach, which has traditionally relied on changing social norms exclusively through media campaigns.

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Background Sleep disorders are very common in the community and are estimated to affect up to 45% of the world’s population. Pharmacists are in a position to give advice and provide appropriate services to individuals who are unable to easily access medical care. The purpose of this study is to develop an intervention to improve the management of sleep disorders in the community. The aims are: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of a community pharmacy-based intervention in managing sleep disorders; (2) to evaluate the role of actigraph as an objective measure in monitoring certain sleep disorders, and; (3) to evaluate the extended role of community pharmacists in managing sleep disorders. This intervention is developed to monitor individuals undergoing treatment and overcome the difficulties in validating self-reported feedback. Method/design This is a community-based intervention, prospective, controlled trial, with one intervention group and one control group, comparing individuals receiving a structured intervention with those receiving usual care for sleep-related disorders at community pharmacies. Discussion This study will demonstrate the utilisation and efficacy of community pharmacy-based intervention to manage sleep disorders in the community, and will assess the possibility of implementing this intervention into the community pharmacy workflow.

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Background: SEQ Catchments Ltd and QUT are collaborating on groundwater investigations in the SE Qld region, which utilise community engagement and 3D Visualisation methodologies. The projects, which have been funded by the Australian Government’s NHT and Caring for our Country programmes, were initiated from local community concerns regarding groundwater sustainability and quality in areas where little was previously known. ----- Objectives: Engage local and regional stakeholders to tap all available sources of information;•Establish on-going (2 years +) community-based groundwater / surface water monitoring programmes;•Develop 3D Visualisation from all available data; and•Involve, train and inform the local community for improved on-ground land and water use management. ----- Results and findings: Respectful community engagement yielded information, access to numerous monitoring sites and education opportunities at low cost, which would otherwise be unavailable. A Framework for Community-Based Groundwater Monitoring has been documented (Todd, 2008).A 3D visualisation models have been developed for basaltic settings, which relate surface features familiar to the local community with the interpreted sub-surface hydrogeology. Groundwater surface movements have been animated and compared to local rainfall using the time-series monitoring data.An important 3D visualisation feature of particular interest to the community was the interaction between groundwater and surface water. This factor was crucial in raising awareness of potential impacts of land and water use on groundwater and surface water resources.

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Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogen that causes a variety of infections including soft tissue infections, impetigo, septicemia toxic shock and scalded skin syndrome. Traditionally, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was considered a Hospital-Acquired (HA) infection. It is now recognised that the frequency of infections with MRSA is increasing in the community, and that these infections are not originating from hospital environments. A 2007 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that Staphylococcus aureus is the most important cause of serious and fatal infections in the USA. Community-Acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) are genetically diverse and distinct, meaning they are able to be identified and tracked by way of genotyping. Genotyping of MRSA using Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is a rapid and robust method for monitoring MRSA, specifically ST93 (Queensland Clone) dissemination in the community. It has been shown that a large proportion of CA-MRSA infections in Queensland and New South Wales are caused by ST93. The rationale for this project was that SNP analysis of MLST genes is a rapid and cost-effective method for genotyping and monitoring MRSA dissemination in the community. In this study, 16 different sequence types (ST) were identified with 41% of isolates identified as ST93 making it the predominate clone. Males and Females were infected equally with an average patient age of 45yrs. Phenotypically, all of the ST93 had an identical antimicrobial resistance pattern. They were resistant to the β-lactams – Penicillin, Flu(di)cloxacillin and Cephalothin but sensitive to all other antibiotics tested. Virulence factors play an important role in allowing S. aureus to cause disease by way of colonising, replication and damage to the host. One virulence factor of particular interest is the toxin Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), which is composed of two separate proteins encoded by two adjacent genes. PVL positive CA-MRSA are shown to cause recurrent, chronic or severe skin and soft tissue infections. As a result, it is important that PVL positive CA-MRSA is genotyped and tracked. Especially now that CA-MRSA infections are more prevalent than HA-MRSA infections and are now deemed endemic in Australia. 98% of all isolates in this study tested positive for the PVL toxin gene. This study showed that PVL is present in many different community based ST, not just ST93, which were all PVL positive. With this toxin becoming entrenched in CA-MRSA, genotyping would provide more accurate data and a way of tracking the dissemination. PVL gene can be sub-typed using an allele-specific Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR) followed by High resolution meltanalysis. This allows the identification of PVL subtypes within the CA-MRSA population and allow the tracking of these clones in the community.

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An increased emphasis on community-based care has not ensured that people recovering from psychiatric disorders return to active and valued roles in their local communities. Although clinical recovery remains a priority for mental health services there is increasing recognition of the need for functional recovery to be attained and demonstrated in roles valued by the wider community. With this need in mind, a method for classifying socially-valued role functioning among people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder was developed and trialed. Participants (n = 104) were recruited via mental health, psychosocial rehabilitation, and other community support services. Socially-valued roles were investigated via participation in five categories: (1) self-care and home duties; (2) caring for others; (3) self-development, voluntary work or rehabilitation; (4) formal education or training; and (5) employment. Activities were classified by primary role type and role status level at baseline, six, and 12 months. Current role status was assessed along with highest and lowest status in the previous year. Preliminary psychometric results were favorable. Research applications are now recommended for monitoring socially-valued role functioning in community settings.

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Increasingly, the not-for-profit sector, as an emerging contributor to the creative economy, is creating a context for engaging creative practitioners in developing solutions to complex problems, triggering a demand for skills and knowledge needed to address this complexity. Across the university and community contexts alternative models of engagement are emerging to support this dynamic. This paper presents a case study of a creative project in which a value-based approach is used to foster a collaborative partnership between community partners and a multidisciplinary team of final year Creative Industries students who in the course of the project developed a range of communication resources, including a social media campaign, an interactive game and a series of short films to support volunteer engagement and leadership initiatives. The paper considers the implications this values approach has for the design of service learning curriculum for multidisciplinary creative teams and the potential it has to support meaningful collaboration between creatives and the not-for-profit sector. It further explores how it impact on student and partner engagement, learning outcomes and the benefits for the partner organisation. The paper concludes that a value-based approach to university-community engagement has the potential to support and enable a greater degree of reciprocity, deeper engagement between stakeholders and greater relevance of the final outcome.

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This report describes results and conclusions from the monitoring component of the Douglas Shire Council (DSC) water quality project. The components of this project that this report addresses are: • Site selection and installation of in-stream and off-paddock automatic water quality monitoring equipment in the Douglas Shire. • Design of appropriate sampling strategies for automatic stations. • Estimation of loads of suspended sediment, total nitrogen and total phosphorus in rivers and also estimation of the changes in nutrient loads from sugar cane under different fertilizer application rates. • Development of a community-based water quality sampling program to complement the automatic sampling efforts. • Design of an optimised, long-term water quality monitoring strategy.

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The primary focus of this chapter is an exploration of four pedagogical principles emerging from a practice-based learning lab. Following an overview of community engaged learning and the Lab approach, the chapter is structured around a discussion of pedagogical principles related to (1) collaboration, (2) interdisciplinarity, (3) complexity and uncertainty and (4) reflection. Through a participatory action research (PAR) framework, students, academics and community partners have worked to identify and refine what it takes to support students negotiate complexity and uncertainty inherent in problems facing communities. It also examines the pedagogical strategies employed to facilitate collaboration across disciplines and professional contexts in ways that leverage difference and challenge values and practices.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of pain on functioning across multiple quality of life (QOL) domains among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). A total of 219 people were recruited from a regional MS society membership database to serve as the community-based study sample. All participants completed a questionnaire containing items about their demographic and clinical characteristics, validated measures of QOL and MS-related disability, and a question on whether or not they had experienced clinically significant pain in the preceding 2 weeks. Respondents who reported pain then completed an in-person structured pain interview assessing pain characteristics (intensity, quality, location, extent, and duration). Comparisons between participants with and without MS-related pain demonstrated that pain prevalence and intensity were strongly correlated with QOL: physical health, psychological health, level of independence, and global QOL were more likely to be impaired among people with MS when pain was present, and the extent of impairment was associated with the intensity of pain. Moreover, these relationships remained significant even after statistically controlling for multiple demographic and clinical covariates associated with self-reported QOL. These findings suggest that for people with MS, pain is an important source of distress and disability beyond that caused by neurologic impairments.