Multidimensional correlates of preschool children's physical activity

This thesis identified a number of factors which are associated with preschool children’s physical activity and were previously unexplored. The findings are important as they help identify possible targets for interventions to support healthy levels of physical activity in young children.

Accounting for the multidimensional nature of the relationship between adult obesity and socio-economic status : the French second National Individual Survey on Food Consumption (INCA 2) dietary survey (2006–07)

The objective was to study the multidimensional nature of the relationship between adult obesity (OB) and socio-economic status (SES),
using comprehensive indices of SES taken separately or synthesised in an overall index. A nationally representative sample of adults aged
18–79 years was taken from the French second National Individual Survey on Food Consumption (INCA 2) dietary survey (2006–07).
Weight and height were measured and OB defined as BMI $ 30 kg/m². SES variables were reported in questionnaires and included
occupation, education and characteristics of household wealth. Composite indices of SES (household wealth and overall SES indices)
were computed by correspondence analysis, and relationships with OB were investigated with logistic regression analysis. In total, 11·8
(95% CI 10·1, 13·4) % of French adults were obese, without significant difference by sex. While no significant relationship was observed
in men, all SES indicators were inversely correlated to OB in women. Both education and the household wealth index were retained in the
stepwise multivariate model, confirming that different socio-economic variables are not necessarily proxies of each other regarding the OB
issue. On the other hand, ‘controlling for SES’ while including several measures of SES in multivariate models may lead to collinearity, and
thus over-adjustment. A more integrative approach may be to derive a synthetic index by including the SES factors available in a given
study. Beyond this methodological perspective, understanding how OB is related to the different dimensions of SES should help to
target the more vulnerable groups and increase the effectiveness of prevention.

A multidimensional framework for embedded academic skill development : transition pedagogy in social work

As a consequence of the widening participation agenda, student cohorts in Australian higher education are becoming increasingly diverse. While diversity is often characterised by a focus on culture or ethnicity, this variability also independently exists in regard to competence in academic skills (Dillon, 2007). Successfully developing discipline-specific academic skills is crucial to a student’s learning, progress and attainment in higher education. The growing recognition that students are entering Australian universities with varying levels of academic preparedness as a result of the widening participation agenda has made effective academic skill support even more important, since ‘access without a reasonable chance of success is an empty promise’ (International Associations of Universities, 2008, p. 1).

Duration and persistence in multidimensional deprivation : methodology and Australian application

This article extends the recent literature on static multidimensional deprivation to propose dynamic deprivation measures that incorporate both the persistence and duration of deprivation across multiple dimensions. The article then illustrates the usefulness of the extension by applying it to Australian panel data for the recent period, 2001–2008. The empirical application exploits the subgroup decomposability of the deprivation measures to identify the subgroups that are more deprived than others. The proposed measure is also decomposable by dimensions and is used to identify the dimensions where deprivation is more persistent. The comparison between the subgroups shows that the divide between homeowners and non-homeowners is one of the sharpest, with the latter suffering much more deprivation than the former. The results are robust to alternative schemes for weighting and aggregating the dimensions as well as to the choice of model parameters.

The determination of bioactives using multidimensional separation and detection systems

This project was focused on the development of platform technology for the separation and detection of complex samples. The samples investigated included roasted coffee beans, opiate alkaloids and amino acids.

We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are : a multidimensional worldview model of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Cognitive-behavioral models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) assign a central role to specific beliefs and coping strategies in the development, maintenance and exacerbation of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms. These models also implicate perceptions of self and the world in the development and maintenance of OC phenomena (e.g., overestimation of threat, sociotropy, ambivalent or sensitive sense of self, looming vulnerability), although such self and world domains have not always been emphasized in recent research. Following recent recommendations (Doron & Kyrios, 2005), the present study undertook a multifaceted investigation of self and world perceptions in a nonclinical sample, using a coherent worldview framework (Janoff-Bulman, 1989, 1991). Beliefs regarding the self and the world were found to predict OC symptom severity over and above beliefs outlined in traditional cognitive-behavioral models of OCD. Self and world beliefs were also related to other OC-relevant beliefs. Implications of these findings for theory and treatment of OCD are discussed.

Development and validation of a new measure of everyday adolescent functioning : the multidimensional adolescent functioning scale implications and contribution

Everyday functioning is an important outcome for studies of the developmental psychopathology of adolescence. An unbiased, well-validated, and easy-to-use instrument to specifically assess normal adolescent functioning is not yet available. The current study aimed to introduce and validate the Multidimensional Adolescent Functioning Scale

Outlining a multidimensional approach for the analysis of coffee using HPLC

This study investigated approaches for the profiling of coffee using two multidimensional approaches: (1) a multi-detection process and (2) a multi-separation process employing HPLC. The first approach compared multidetection techniques of conventional High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) hyphenated with a detector (DPPH•, UV-Vis and MS), and multiplexed mode via HPLC with an Active Flow Technology (AFT) column in Parallel Segmented Flow (PSF) format with DPPH• detection, UV-Vis and MS running simultaneously. Multiplexed HPLCPSF enabled the determination of key chemical entities by reducing the data complexity of the sample whilst obtaining a greater degree of molecule-specific information within a fraction of the time it takes using conventional multi-detection processes. DPPH•, UV-Vis and MS (TIC) were multiplexed for the analysis of espresso coffee and decaffeinated espresso coffee. Up to 20 DPPH• peaks were detected for each sample, and with direct retention time peak matching, 70% of DPPH• peaks gave a UV-Vis response for the espresso coffee and 95% for the decaffeinated espresso coffee. The second approach involved the use of a two-dimensional (2D) HPLC system to expand the separation space and separation power for the analysis of coffee, focusing on the resolution and detection of coeluting and overlapping peaks, which was beyond the limits of conventional HPLC in resolving complex samples. The 2DHPLC analysis resulted with the detection of 176 peaks and a closer observation showed the presence of an additional 17 peaks in a cut section where in 1D mode only one peak was observed.