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A study of academic resilience, psychological resilience and psychological distress in undergraduate nursing students in Hong Kong and Australia during COVID-19 restrictions
No full textAim: The aim of this study was to examine academic resilience and its relationship with psychological resilience, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being in Chinese undergraduate students compared with an Australian cohort of nursing students. Background: Evidence suggests that resilience acts as a protective factor against the adverse effects of stress, including psychological distress. Academic resilience, which specifically focuses on resilience in the face of academic adversity, remains largely unexplored in nursing students. Design: A correlational cross-sectional study. Methods: Using validated self-reported questionnaires, we aimed to increase the understanding of academic resilience in undergraduate students across two diverse international locations. Data were collected in three universities, one in Hong Kong and two in Australia, between November 2021 and January 2022 and socio-demographic information via the online Qualtrics survey platform. Results: Across the three recruitment sites questionnaires were distributed to 956 students and 477 participated, giving a response rate of 49.9 %. Nursing students in Hong Kong showed lower academic resilience (100.8 vs 102.9; p = 0.009), lower psychological resilience (30.6 vs 36.4; p < 0.001) and lower self-efficacy (26.8 vs 30.6; p < 0.001) than their Australian counterparts. Hong Kong participants showed higher levels of psychological distress (28.6 vs 25.1; p < 0.001). Conclusion: From a cross-cultural perspective, our study illustrates differences in levels of academic resilience, psychological resilience, and self-efficacy between nursing students in Hong Kong and Australia. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating resilience-building educational interventions within undergraduate nurse education; teaching academic resilience may provide a valuable attribute to help nursing students overcome issues of academic adversity. Reporting guideline: We adhered to STROBE reporting guidelines. © 2025 Elsevier Lt
Is Gen Z really that different? Environmental attitudes, travel behaviours and sustainability practices of international tourists to Canterbury, New Zealand
No full textAge has a significant influence on environmental attitudes and behaviour but there is no consensus on the effect that generational cohort has on these attitudes and behaviour. Using the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) as the theoretical lens, this study evaluates whether Gen Z is similar or different to three other generations (Gen X, Y and Baby Boomers) on their environmental attitudes toward travel. The sustainability practices that these generational cohorts undertake during their travel are also evaluated. Based on 615 useable surveys of international visitors to the Canterbury region of New Zealand, we identify segments of visitors based on environmental attitudes and behaviour toward travel and generational cohort using a two-step clustering procedure. The results confirm inter-generational differences in environmental attitudes and travel behaviours but also highlight intra-generational differences. Gen Z tourists are more likely to belong to “Environmental” or “Mixed-Bag Environmental” segments that are more likely engage in sustainable practices related to resource saving and buying local food compared to other generations. The findings have implications for destination marketing and management. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Exploring the impact of ERP simulation games on job-readiness of postgraduate is students in Australian Universities : an experiential learning approach
Full text linkThis thesis examines the effectiveness of ERP simulation games (ERPsim) in enhancing the job readiness of Information Systems (IS) students within the context of Australian universities. Grounded in experiential learning theory, the research employs a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative interviews with industry experts and ERPsim instructors and quantitative pre- and post-game surveys of students. The study aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations by aligning ERPsim learning outcomes with the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). The primary objective of this study is to determine whether ERP simulation games can effectively prepare information systems (IS) students for entry-level positions in the IT industry. The research is structured around three key objectives to achieve this goal. The first objective aims to define job-readiness within the Australian IT industry, drawing insights directly from recruiters and industry professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of industry experts to develop a comprehensive jobreadiness framework. The second objective evaluates the effectiveness of ERPsim in fostering job-ready skills among IS students. The phase involved engaging ERPsim instructors through in-depth interviews and conducting pre- and post-game surveys with students to measure changes in their skills and competencies. The final objective aligns ERPsim’s learning outcomes with relevant SFIA domains, ensuring that the competencies developed through ERPsim are directly applicable to industry standards and best practices. The qualitative interviews with industry experts revealed that job-readiness encompasses a blend of technical skills, soft skills, and professional attitudes. Technical skills include proficiency in ERP systems, coding, and data analysis, while soft skills encompass communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability. Previous research has also emphasised professional attitudes, such as willingness to learn, self-motivation, and a proactive approach, as critical. The quantitative findings of the pre-and post-game surveys indicated significant improvements in key job-ready skills. Communication skills improved from a pre-game mean of 3.2 to a postgame mean of 4.1, teamwork skills from 3.0 to 4.2, and problem-solving skills from 3.0 to 4.3. Decision-making and change management skills also showed notable enhancements Additionally, students demonstrated increased self-efficacy, creativity, and a greater willingness to engage in learning. The research contributes to the theoretical landscape by integrating ERPsim learning outcomes with the SFIA framework, providing a structured approach to evaluating the effectiveness of simulation-based learning tools in information systems (IS) education. Based on industry expert insights, the developed job-readiness framework provides a detailed understanding of the skills in demand for entry-level positions in the IT industry. This framework incorporates behavioural aspects such as self-efficacy, willingness to learn and creativity, which are often overlooked in traditional frameworks. The study also provides empirical evidence of the effectiveness of simulations in enhancing job readiness, utilising a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative and quantitative data. This comprehensive analysis addresses a gap in the literature, where previous studies have primarily focused on hard and soft skills, neglecting the importance of behavioural attributes. From a practical standpoint, the research findings have significant implications for curriculum development in higher education. The empirical evidence supports the integration of ERPsim into IS curricula, offering hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that enhance technical, soft, and behavioural skills. The alignment with SFIA ensures that the competencies developed are relevant to industry needs, improving the employability of graduates. The study also emphasises the importance of ongoing collaboration between academia and industry, ensuring that educational programs remain responsive to the evolving needs of the industry. The findings can guide educators and policymakers in designing curricula that better prepare students for professional roles by providing a clear benchmark for evaluating technical and soft skills. Despite its contributions, this research has several limitations. The study was conducted within the context of Australian universities, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other regions. Future research could expand the scope to include universities from various countries to validate the global applicability of the proposed framework. In conclusion, this thesis presents substantial evidence that ERP simulation games are an effective pedagogical tool for enhancing the job-readiness of IS students. By aligning ERPsim learning outcomes with SFIA competencies, the research offers a valuable framework for educators, policymakers, and researchers to improve the quality and relevance of IS education.Doctor of Philosoph
The application of digital tools for knowledge sharing in agriculture : a longitudinal case study from four Australian grower groups
Full text linkContext: Digital tools and platforms are universally used, however their application for knowledge and information sharing in agriculture is less understood. In Australia, grower groups (also known farming systems groups) are integral to information dissemination with farmers, and other industry stakeholders. Objective: Research was conducted to investigate the use of digital tools for knowledge and information sharing by staff at grower groups by examining their perceptions about the implementation, intended audience, impact monitoring, and the facilitators and barriers associated with using digital tools. Methods: This case study involved semi-structured, in-depth interviews at three time points with staff at four grower groups located in four states in Australia to understand their perceptions about using digital tools for knowledge and information sharing with different industry audiences. Results and Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that grower groups are embracing digital technologies: they are applying digital tools broadly and monitoring their uptake closely for the dissemination of industry-specific knowledge and information sharing. Groups were found to be utilising multiple, digital tools and adopting a range of approaches that are regularly monitored for impact, while continuously refining the use of digital tools over time. Despite the broad adoption of digital tools, various challenges were identified, including low audience uptake with some digital methods, limited staffing capacity and expertise to implement digital tools, poor digital infrastructure and unreliable connectivity in remote regions. A set of guidelines to support the application of digital tools for engagement within the agriculture sector have been developed, informed by this research. They include the provisioning of activities for digital engagement for planning, audience engagement, content assessment, piloting and reviewing, and establishing communities of practice for shared learnings. Significance: This research provides important insights about the application of digital tools for knowledge and information sharing with stakeholders in the Australian grains industry, by grower groups. This case study highlights the overwhelming commitment of grower groups to adopt digital tools for sharing knowledge to a wide and varied audience. The adoption of digital tools was ubiquitous by grower groups however their application represents just one component of a broader strategy of information sharing that also incorporates non-digital approaches (paper-based; face-to-face) to meet the information delivery preferences of stakeholders. © 202
Adverse childhood experiences and infidelity : the mediating roles of anxious and avoidant attachment styles
No full textInfidelity is any behavior that breaks the implied agreement of exclusivity within a romantic relationship and is a leading cause of divorce. Previous literature has established a relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and infidelity perpetration. As experiencing childhood adversity does not guarantee an individual will engage in infidelity, mechanisms explaining this relationship should be explored. We investigated whether avoidant and anxious attachment styles mediate the relationship between ACEs and cheating frequency. A sample of 584 participants aged 18–82 years (M = 35.31, SD = 11.68, 67.0% female) was recruited and completed online versions of the Childhood Experiences Survey—17, the Relationship Structures Questionnaire, and frequency of cheating behavior in their current or most recent relationship. After dichotomizing gender and testing assumptions, data from 553 participants were available for analysis. A parallel mediation provided support for the first hypothesis, and partial support for the second. Specifically, ACEs were positively associated with anxious and avoidant attachment styles, but only avoidant attachment was significantly and positively associated with cheating frequency. As such, only avoidant attachment acted in a manner consistent with a mediator in the relationship between ACEs and infidelity. This result suggests a potential link between childhood adversity and the development of both avoidant and anxious attachment styles, but that individuals with an avoidant attachment style are more likely to engage in infidelity. These findings provide insight into the role attachment styles play in infidelity post-childhood adversity, and have the potential to guide therapeutic interventions for affected individuals. © 2024 Family Process Institute
Self-confidence and perceived importance of pre-arrival sport students at an English higher education institution : exploring gender and programme of study differences
No full textTransitional issues into higher education (HE) are evident for all students with many encountering academic and social obstacles. Of particular importance is the need to understand the pre-entry confidence and perceived importance of students and move away from relying on exit metrics to dictate practice. Three hundred and sixty-eight first-year undergraduate sports students at a post-92 United Kingdom (UK) university completed a Pre-Arrival Survey. Findings highlight significant gender and programme of study differences in pre-arrival confidence and perceived importance. Practical implications are proposed to develop practice that supports with the integrating of student populations into HE and the continued learning of skills needed for a successful university education. © 2025 The Author
Improving sexual and reproductive health of those with serious mental illness : scoping review
No full textThe sexual and reproductive health of those with serious mental illness is known to be significantly poorer than the general population. Appropriate and timely sexual and reproductive health care can prevent poorer health outcomes and should be standard care. This scoping review has systematically located and summarised the available literature related to adults with serious mental illness and the current access to sexual and reproductive health care available within mental health services. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria set by the authors and were included in this review. The themes generated in this review highlighted that service users were provided poor sexual health care overall; service users welcome sexual health screening and education; and that mental health clinicians did not view sexual health as part of their role however, this was improved with training in sexual and reproductive health. This scoping review indicates the need to increase the sexual and reproductive health care provided to those with serious mental illness through further training of mental health clinicians and increased access within mental health services. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific burden of diarrhoeal diseases, their risk factors, and aetiologies, 1990–2021, for 204 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
No full textBackground: Diarrhoeal diseases claim more than 1 million lives annually and are a leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years. Comprehensive global estimates of the diarrhoeal disease burden for specific age groups of children younger than 5 years are scarce, and the burden in children older than 5 years and in adults is also understudied. We used results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021 to assess the burden of, and trends in, diarrhoeal diseases overall and attributable to 13 pathogens, as well as the contributions of associated risk factors, in children and adults in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Methods: We used the Cause of Death Ensemble modelling strategy to analyse vital registration data, verbal autopsy data, mortality surveillance data, and minimally invasive tissue sampling data. We used DisMod-MR (version 2.1), a Bayesian meta-regression tool, to analyse incidence and prevalence data identified via systematic reviews, population-based surveys, and claims and inpatient data. We calculated diarrhoeal disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) as the sum of years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) for each location, year, and age–sex group. For aetiology estimation, we used a counterfactual approach to quantify population-attributable fractions (PAFs). Additionally, we estimated the diarrhoeal disease burden attributable to the independent effects of risk factors using the comparative risk assessment framework. Findings: In 2021, diarrhoeal diseases caused an estimated 1·17 million (95% uncertainty interval 0·793–1·62) deaths globally, representing a 60·3% (50·6–69·0) decrease since 1990 (2·93 million [2·31–3·73] deaths). The most pronounced decline was in children younger than 5 years, with a 79·2% (72·4–84·6) decrease in diarrhoeal deaths. Global YLLs also decreased substantially, from 186 million (147–221) in 1990 to 51·4 million (39·9–65·9) in 2021. In 2021, an estimated 59·0 million (47·2–73·2) DALYs were attributable to diarrhoeal diseases globally, with 30·9 million (23·1–42·0) of these affecting children younger than 5 years. Leading risk factors for diarrhoeal DALYs included low birthweight and short gestation in the neonatal age groups, child growth failure in children aged between 1–5 months and 2–4 years, and unsafe water and poor sanitation in older children and adults. We estimated that the removal of all evaluated diarrhoeal risk factors would reduce global DALYs from 59·0 million (47·2–73·2) to 4·99 million (1·99–10·0) among all ages combined. Globally in 2021, rotavirus was the predominant cause of diarrhoeal deaths across all ages, with a PAF of 15·2% (11·4–20·1), followed by norovirus at 10·6% (2·3–17·0) and Cryptosporidium spp at 10·2% (7·03–14·3). In children younger than 5 years, the fatal PAF of rotavirus was 35·2% (28·7–43·0), followed by Shigella spp at 24·0% (15·2–37·9) and adenovirus at 23·8% (14·8–36·3). Other pathogens with a fatal PAF greater than 10% in children younger than 5 years included Cryptosporidium spp, typical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, and enterotoxigenic E coli producing heat-stable toxin. Interpretation: The substantial decline in the global burden of diarrhoeal diseases since 1990, particularly in children younger than 5 years, supports the effectiveness of health interventions such as oral rehydration therapy, enhanced water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, and the introduction and scale-up of rotavirus vaccination. Targeted interventions and preventive measures against key risk factors and pathogens could further reduce this burden. Continued investment in the development and distribution of vaccines for leading pathogens remains crucial. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 30 including Federation University Australia affiliates “Sheikh Alif, Biswajit Banik and Muhammad Aziz Rahman" are provided in this record** Alif, Sheikh Banik, Biswajit Rahman, Muhammad Azi
Healthcare professional's management of the risk for postoperative urinary retention in hip surgery patients – a qualitative interview study
No full textBackground: Postoperative urine retention can lead to permanent bladder dysfunction. This occurs even though healthcare personnel can access evidence-based guidelines on avoiding urine bladder injuries related to care. Aim: This study aimed to describe healthcare professionals’ experiences with, and strategies to avoid post-operative urinary retention among hip surgery patients. Method: A descriptive qualitative study using telephone interviews, were conducted in April to June 2021, with 22 healthcare professionals (13 nurses, 7 nursing assistants and 2 occupational therapists) in 17 orthopaedic wards in Sweden. Qualitative content analysis of interview data was performed. Results: Five categories were identified: “Knowledge about guidelines regarding bladder monitoring”, “Understanding of patients' prehospital bladder function influences healthcare professionals’ reasoning and actions”, “Strategies are applied to make it easier for the patients to empty their bladder”, “Indwelling catheter is used routinely” and “Short length of stay creates stress”. Conclusion: To optimise safe patient bladder monitoring after hip surgery, health care professionals need to be more aware of the availability of guidelines about bladder monitoring to adopt consistent monitoring practices, and to have enough time to care for patients. © 2025 The Author
Australian fathers’ experiences of caring for their preterm infants
No full textFathers and/or non-birthing partners are now actively involved in child-rearing globally; however some experience emotional difficulties during the perinatal period. With the birth of a preterm infant, parents experience additional stress beyond that normally engendered by having a baby, which can impact on parent-infant relationship and infant development. In Australia, there is limited evidence on fathers’ experiences of preterm birth. Thus, this study aimed to explore the experiences of Australian fathers of preterm infants including their emotional and physical wellbeing when they have a preterm infant. Narrative inquiry guided the study; 13 fathers whose preterm infant was admitted to Australian neonatal units participated in in-depth interviews lasting 22–72 min. Data analysis generated four themes: (i) emotional response, (ii) fathers’ wellbeing, (iii) fathering in neonatal unit and during transition home (iv) fathers’ needs in the neonatal unit. The findings revealed that fathers felt emotionally overwhelmed, had specific needs but their role in the neonatal unit was not well defined and they felt mothers were given more attention. Despite feeling excluded, many continued to support their partner and infant. Health professionals must be aware of their unconscious biases toward gender roles in the neonatal unit and utilize strategies to actively include fathers and non-birthing partners. © 2025 The Author(s). Infant Mental Health Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health