Different patterns of Australian adults' knowledge of foods and nutrients related to metabolic disease risk

A nationwide survey of 2022 consumers was conducted in Australia in late 2011. A short list of questions about knowledge of the nutrient composition of common foods was administered along with questions about the respondents’ food attitudes, demographics, school education and dieting practices. Overall, the results showed that nutrition knowledge was relatively high. Latent class analysis showed two groups of consumers with ‘high’ and ‘low’ knowledge of nutrition. Higher knowledge was positively associated with age, female sex, university education, experience of home economics or health education at school, having a chronic disease, and attitudes to food issues, and negatively with type 1 diabetes or the use of diabetes-control diets. The implications of the findings for nutrition communication are discussed.

Australian adults’ knowledge of Australian agriculture

Purpose – Agriculture is a major generator of wealth and employment in Australia. However, it faces a range of economic and environmental challenges which require substantial community support. The purpose of this paper is to examine Australian adults’ Australian knowledge of, and attitudes towards, Australian agriculture. Design/methodology/approach – Online questionnaire survey of 1,026 adults conducted nationwide during August 2012. Findings – Most respondents had little knowledge of even the basic aspects of the industry but they approved of farmers’ performance of their roles. Latent class analysis showed that there are two groups of consumers with low and lower levels of knowledge. The respondents’ age, rural residence and universalist values were positive predictors of agricultural knowledge. Research limitations/implications – This was a cross-sectional, quota-based survey which examined only some aspects of agriculture. However, the findings suggest that more communication with the general public about the industry is required in order to build on the positive sentiment that exists within the community. Practical implications – More education about agriculture in schools and higher education is indicated. Social implications – The poor state of knowledge of agriculture threatens the social contract upon which agricultural communities depend for survival. Originality/value – The study highlights the poor state of general knowledge about agriculture in Australia. The findings could be used as a baseline against which the efficacy of future education programmes could be assessed.

Stakeholder knowledge of threatened coastal species; the case of beach-goers and the Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis

One way of measuring pre-existing knowledge of a threatened species and its circumstances is to measure the degree of surprise expressed by stakeholders in relation to factual statements regarding the species. Beach-goers (n = 684) were surveyed in regard to their knowledge of the beach-dwelling, threatened, Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis, a coastal obligate in south eastern Australia. Principle components analysis revealed that respondents’ degree of knowledge could be categorized as involving ‘chick (flightless young) ecology’ and ‘human impacts’ (threatening processes). Respondents were more surprised by aspects of chick ecology than by threatening processes (F1,514 = 460.446, p < 0.001). Prior knowledge of the species was associated with less surprise at factual statements. Therefore, priorities for further education should focus on linking threats with chick ecology, particularly because an understanding that chicks are not stationary within fenced areas is critical to the interpretation and effectiveness of current signage used to mitigate human impacts.

Using an evidence-based care bundle to improve Thai emergency nurses' knowledge of care for patients with severe traumatic brain injury

There is known variation in Thai nurses' knowledge regarding the best available evidence for care of patients with severe traumatic brain injury. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an evidence-based care bundle on Thai emergency nurses' knowledge regarding management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury. A pre-test/post-test design was used. The study intervention was an evidence-based care bundle for initial nursing management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury. Data were collected from 31 Registered Nurses using multiple choice questions. Results revealed a statistically significant improvement in overall knowledge scores after care bundle implementation (p < 0.001). There were statistically significant improvements in five areas of knowledge: understanding of target end-tidal carbon dioxide levels (p < 0.001), implications of hypocapnia in severe traumatic brain injury (p = 0.01), implications of hypercapnia in severe traumatic brain injury (p = 0.02), importance of maintaining head and neck in neutral position (p = 0.05), and administration of sedatives and analgesics in severe traumatic brain injury (p = 0.01). This study suggested that implementation of an evidence-based care bundle improved emergency nurses' knowledge regarding management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Knowledge of glaucoma, and its relationship to self-care practices, in a population sample

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level of knowledge of glaucoma in a population-based sample, and its relationship to self-care practices.

DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: A cluster random sample of the Melbourne population 40 years of age and older was interviewed. One thousand seven hundred and eleven residents living in five randomly selected Melbourne metropolitan suburbs, each consisting of two adjacent census collector districts.

MEASURES: Questions were asked concerning respondents' awareness, knowledge and description of the disease. Respondents were also asked the year of their last visit to their eye health care provider.

RESULTS: Seventy per cent of the sample had heard of glaucoma. However, only 22% provided a description that demonstrated a reasonable understanding of the disease. A lack of awareness and knowledge of glaucoma appeared to be negatively related to self-care practices.

CONCLUSION: Serious deficiencies in the basic knowledge of glaucoma in the community was demonstrated. This has significant public health implications as only a small percentage of the at-risk population may present themselves for assessment and treatment. Informing the community about glaucoma is an important step in promoting preventative ophthalmic care and reducing visual impairment and blindness.

The value of ethnoecological knowledge of the Minahasans: repositioning traditional biocultural knowledge in Indonesian environmental planning

Indonesian strategic and statutory environmental regimes have drawn directly from conventional Western models of environmental planning and natural resource management. These models are often at odds with, do not connect with, nor appreciate generational traditional biocultural knowledge and information from regionally-specific Indigenous communities in Indonesia. This knowledge, and the voice of the custodians of this knowledge, has been overlooked and circumvented in the name of broadscale nationalistic co-ordinated strategic planning. The problem is that nationalist planning, in a multicultural archipelago full of a diverse set of communities often with their own languages, dialects, cultural relationships to landscape, and mixed connectivity to different cohorts of colonial (European and Asian) and religious affiliations means that a deep understanding of environmental information at local and regional level is negated and denied legitimacy. This paper offers a platform to discuss this issue, the difficulty of nationalistic planning and its failings at the Minahasan regional level in Indonesia, and the wealth of cultural and environmental answers the Minahasan culture can bring to the table to better management its landscape sustainably and culturally. This paper’s purpose is to question conventional and generic environmental planning systems in Indonesia and charts an alternate culturally-attuned agenda that can offer to inform and better manage landscapes sustainably and culturally. The tipping points are deep questions about how to regionally manage landscapes sustainably and culturally in deference to a nationalistic agenda before the latter dooms the former producing a 'one-fits all' or generic Indonesian biogeographical landscape devoid of cultural nuances.

Intensive care nurses' knowledge of enteral nutrition: a descriptive questionnaire

BACKGROUND: Nurses have an important role in the delivery and management of enteral nutrition in critically ill patients, to prevent iatrogenic malnutrition. It is not clear how nurses source enteral nutrition information. 

Working and learning in vocational education and training in the knowledge era : final report of the professional development for the future project

This Report summarises the outcomes of the phases of the Professional
Development for the Future Project and presents the implications of this research for professional development of staff in Vocational Education and Training (VET), as they become knowledge workers.

These shifts are occurring within the knowledge era. Distinguishing features of this era are summarised into four broad areas:
- the importance and value placed on knowledge in organisations
- the time span of discretion
- the complexity of relationships, and
- the ubiquitous nature of information and communication technology.

It is within this context that work is currently performed, and understanding this context provides the foundation for considering new capabilities required in the knowledge era.
Key capabilities required of knowledge workers to work effectively in the
knowledge era were drawn together from an analysis of the theoretical literature and the results of interviews with knowledge workers. The core capabilities identified include:
- adaptive problem solving – becoming designers as well as problem -
solvers
- rapid knowledge gathering and sharing with others
- discriminating between relevant and irrelevant information, and
- understanding and working effectively with the organisation’s culture.

Knowledge era characteristics and knowledge worker capabilities have been mapped to each other illustrating conceptual linkages between these two areas.

Professional development themes drawn from interviews with knowledge
workers are presented. While global trends in knowledge work have been well documented, the impact of these trends on the capabilities of workers, and the ways in which knowledge workers develop these capabilities is less well understood. Their learning methods challenge our current thinking in relation to the ways in which workers acquire skills and knowledge. Some of the professional development methods include seeking exposure to new ideas from a wide variety of sources, embracing intense learning opportunities, and using relationships to increase knowledge.

‘Thought pieces’ (see p17 ff) commissioned for this Project, as well as
subsequent interviews with the authors, provided further insights into the
professional development of knowledge workers. The implications of these insights are an extension of earlier themes and emphasise:
- the emergent nature of knowledge work
- the importance of relationships that facilitate knowledge sharing
- coherent conversations and dialogue
- collaborative work and generosity.

A key insight is the shift from thinking about knowledge work in terms of
borrowed knowledge to an emphasis on generated knowledge within a context.

Data from focus groups of the Project provide further insights for knowledge worker professional development. These augment the perspectives of the earlier data analysis but also add greater emphasis to:
- the clear and direct relationship between professional development and
work and career aspirations of knowledge workers,
- the relationship of professional development to the organisational
mission, and
- the issues of managing and leading knowledge workers and their
development.

As part of this analysis the defining features of organisational life in VET were reviewed in relation to effective professional development of knowledge workers.

The final section of the Report revisits the core dimensions of the Project.
Concise commentaries on working and learning in the knowledge era,
professional development in the knowledge era, and leadership and
management in the knowledge era are presented.

The Report concludes with a discussion of the enablers of professional
development for knowledge workers in VET. This discussion is introduced by a re-statement of the VET sector’s positioning in the knowledge era and the consequences of this for VET managers an d staff in terms of complexity, uncertainty and diminished prospects for accurate predictiveness. The enablers comprised:
- integration of information technology into socio -technical systems
- greater understanding of the organisation from within
- connecting staff to the organisation’s fundamental identity
- connecting to the work and career trajectories of workers
- establishing work structures which integrate the use of professional
development resources with knowledge work
- providing workers with the autonomy to design their own professional
development activities
- building professional development into the iterative nature of knowledge
work, and
- creating organisational contexts that value intuitive thinking and working.

Professional development needs to be thou ght of in a much broader context in the knowledge era. What each VET staff member knows and shares will become increasingly central to their work, and in that sense all VET workers require capabilities for knowledge work. This report accurately describes t he VET context, the capabilities required, and the organisational enablers that will promote ‘knowing’ and thus embed a new style of professional development within VET.

Knowledge and attitudes of lawyers regarding offenders with intellectual disability

People with an intellectual disability appear to be over represented in the criminal justice system and have characteristics that may render them particularly vulnerable. Hypotheses concerning different treatment have been investigated by others through analysis of the attitudes of various criminal justice personnel. The current study extends this work by examining the knowledge and attitudes of Victorian criminal lawyers towards offenders with an intellectual disability. Criminal lawyers (n = 96) responded anonymously to a questionnaire concerning their knowledge of the characteristics of people with intellectual disability and their attitudes regarding the exposure and disposition of this population within the criminal justice system, In addition, respondents were asked to indicate their level of social and professional experience with people with intellectual disability. Results revealed that although the majority of criminal lawyers generally had some understanding of the problems encountered by people with an intellectual disability when they come into contact with the criminal justice system, some deficits that may contribute to vulnerability were evident.

Using the results of diagnostic testing to promote mathematical pedagogical knowledge

Teachers require a range of knowledge bases, including both content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge (Shulman, 1986). In recent times there have been calls from a variety of sources for teacher preparation courses to improve the mathematical knowledge of teachers, particularly primary teachers. These calls have been underlined by the recent formation of bodies such as the Institutes of Teachers in Victoria and NSW, as well as the development of teaching standards by professional bodies including the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. Rather than simply adopt a "back-to-basics" approach, work is required that uses the results of educational research to design courses that help pre-service students to understand how and why errors are made (by themselves and by children in their own classrooms). Diagnostic testing of preservice students is the first step in the process. However, it is not enough to simply test students and to remediate their misconceptions. Instead, the aim is to use the results of the testing to improve students' pedagogical knowledge as well as their subject content knowledge. This paper outlines one approach to the use of diagnostic testing with pre-service students and how the results can be used to assist in the development of pedagogical knowledge.

Peripartum urinary incontinence : a study of midwive's knowledge and practices

Urinary incontinence impacts on women's quality of life and their wellbeing. The objectives of this study were to obtain knowledge and information on midwives’ assessment and management practices of urinary incontinence in childbearing women and to explore midwives’ knowledge of risk factors associated with developing urinary incontinence. A non-experimental descriptive research design was used, and participants were current members of the Victorian branch of the Australian College of Midwives. Data was obtained using a survey tool that contained both qualitative and quantitative questions. Key findings indicated that the majority of midwives do not assess women for urinary incontinence during the peripartum period and guidelines for bladder management in maternity services were lacking.

Knowledge and attitudes of ED staff before and after implementation of the emergency nurse practitioner role

Introduction
The Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) role was implemented in the Emergency Department (ED) at The Northern Hospital (TNH) in April 2004. Implementation of the ENP role occurred as part of a Department of Human Services funded project to establish the ENP model as an effective and sustainable model of care delivery in Victorian EDs.

Aim
The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes and knowledge of ED medical and nursing staff prior to, and following, implementation of the ENP role.

Methods
The design was a pre-test/post-test design and the Northern Emergency Nurse Practitioner Staff Survey was used for data collection. A total of 104 ED staff completed the pre-test survey and the post-test survey was completed by 79 ED staff.

Results
The attitudes and knowledge of ED medical and nursing staff changed significantly during implementation of the ENP role. Pre-test data indicated that staff were generally supportive of the role but had a poor understanding of the requirements for endorsement and how the role would function in clinical practice. Post-test data showed significant increases in support for the ENP role, a greater understanding of the requirements to become an ENP and increased understanding of the logistics and functions of an ENP.

Conclusion
The implementation of the Nurse Practitioner role within the emergency department of The Northern Hospital, Victoria Australia has been a positive experience for both medical and nursing staff.

The changing face of the Australian teaching profession : new generations and new ways of working and learning

Today’s workforce is characterised by an increasing mix of people with varying career aspirations, work motivators and job satisfiers. This paper discusses the intergenerational nature of today’s workforce, which is currently dominated by the age groups commonly referred to as Baby Boomers and Generation X. The Baby Boomers defined and redefined work during the last quarter of the twentieth century, but as they track towards retirement, GenXers’ valued work patterns and their career and life aspirations are increasingly dominating. This paper draws on a body of literature about a younger generation of workers and the current world of work in today’s knowledge society, and discusses possible implications for the teaching profession, particularly for attracting and retaining young people as teachers.

Multi-type maltreatment : relationships between familial characteristics, maltreatment and adjustment of children and adults

This thesis examines the nature, extent and impact of multiple forms of maltreatment (multi-type maltreatment) from within a developmental victimological framework. The interrelationships between sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, neglect, and witnessing family violence are assessed. The role of family variables in predicting maltreatment and the relative contribution of child maltreatment and family variables to adjustment are evaluated. Risk factors for multi-type maltreatment, and the relationship between multi-type maltreatment and adjustment are explored. The major theories of child development are reviewed. As well as exploring the relevance of developmental theories to understanding the impact of child maltreatment, factors influencing the emergence of child psychopathology are reviewed from a developmental psychopathology perspective. Ecological and developmental perspectives on how child maltreatment translates into the behavioural and emotional adjustment problems of children are integrated in the Child Maltreatment: Risk and Protection Model. After exploring some of the relevant conceptual issues, the literature on the prevalence and impact of each maltreatment type is reviewed, and the literature on multi-type maltreatment critiqued. Methodological and ethical concerns with the conduct of research in the field of child maltreatment using direct assessment of children led to the need for an instrument to assess parent perceptions of each of the types of abuse and neglect, as well as adult retrospective reports. Data are presented from two cross-sectional questionnaire-based studies using the Parent and Adult versions of the Family and Life Experiences Questionnaire which was designed to assess perceptions of children's experiences of sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, neglect and witnessing family violence. Problems with the isolated focus of research on single forms of child maltreatment are addressed by the inclusion of each of these forms of child maltreatment within a single research design. Respondents for both studies were volunteers recruited from counselling agencies, medical, community health, child care and fitness centres and a first year psychology course. Parents (N=50) described their perceptions of primary school children's family characteristics, experiences of maltreatment and adjustment. Children's behavioural adjustment (internalising and externalising), sexual behaviours, emotions, self-esteem, gender identity, family adaptability and cohesion, parental traditionality, parental sexual punitiveness, interparental relationship satisfaction, and demographic characteristics are assessed in the study of Parents' perceptions. A large degree of overlap between the different types of abuse and neglect was found, with a high proportion of parents describing children's experiences of multiple forms of child maltreatment. Using both maltreatment and family characteristics to predict internalising behaviour problems, neglect and family cohesion were the only unique predictors. Family adaptability and cohesion were the only unique predictors of externalising behaviour problems. Physical and sexual abuse were not predicted from family characteristics; neglect was predicted, but no variables provided unique prediction. Unique predictors of psychological maltreatment were family cohesion, parental sexual punitiveness and divorce. Divorce was the only variable with significant unique prediction of the child witnessing family violence. Family background and family functioning were found to predict some forms of maltreatment, but to also be important factors mediating the adjustment of children, independent of maltreatment. The results are interpreted within an ecological framework, integrating risk factors for maltreatment with experiences of abuse and neglect and subsequent adjustment in childhood. Retrospective reports of adults' (N=175) own childhood family characteristics, experiences of maltreatment, and reports of their current adjustment are also studied. Included with the adult version of the FLEQ were the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40, Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale, and the Family and Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale-II. Similar results were found in the in the Adult Study. As hypothesised, adult retrospective reports of the five different types of child maltreatment were found to be highly intercorrelated. Family characteristics predicted maltreatment and adjustment scores and discriminated between single and multi-type maltreatment. Maltreatment scores also predicted adult adjustment. As the number of maltreatment types increased, there was an increase in the number of adjustment problems reported. Alternate hypotheses regarding the possible operation of mediating and moderating processes in the relationships between family characteristics, maltreatment and the adjustment of adults were assessed. Finally, the results of these investigations are discussed and interpreted in the light of extant findings previously reviewed. Data from the two major empirical studies are used to demonstrate the overlap between different child maltreatment categories, and the extent and impact of multi-type maltreatment. The results show that children are vulnerable to more than one type of maltreatment. Individuals who experience a number of different forms of maltreatment had greater adjustment problems than those experiencing only one or two different types of abuse or neglect. Dysfunctional families place children at risk of child maltreatment. Negative family characteristics lead to adjustment problems in children and adults. The type of maltreatment having the most damaging effect on children was neglect, and in the long-term, sexual abuse. A multi-dimensional approach to prevention and intervention needs to be adopted, based on the co-morbidity of maltreatment types, and the likelihood of children experiencing further abuse or neglect of a different type. Dysfunctional family dynamics which place children at risk of multi-type maltreatment, and mediate the effects of maltreatment on adjustment, need to be specifically targeted with support and family intervention strategies. Risk-assessment measures used by Child Protection workers must include adequate knowledge of the inter-relationships between maltreatment types, and the particularly negative impact on adjustment of experiencing many forms of abuse or neglect. Suggestions for future clinical and research work in the area of child maltreatment are developed. The importance of assessing all forms of maltreatment when examining the relationships of maltreatment to adjustment is emphasised. It is recommended that prevention and intervention strategies acknowledge the interrelationships between maltreatment types.