Australian Catholic University

About: Australian Catholic University is a education organization based out in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 2721 authors who have published 10013 publications receiving 215248 citations. The organization is also known as: ACU & ACU National.

Protocol and pilot data for establishing the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry

Abstract: BackgroundDisease registries assist with clinical practice improvement. The Australian Stroke Clinical Registry aims to provide national, prospective, systematic data on processes and outcomes for ...

Do Natural Experiments of Changes in Neighborhood Built Environment Impact Physical Activity and Diet? A Systematic Review.

Abstract: Physical activity and diet are major modifiable risk factors for chronic disease and have been shown to be associated with neighborhood built environment. Systematic review evidence from longitudinal studies on the impact of changing the built environment on physical activity and diet is currently lacking. A systematic review of natural experiments of neighborhood built environment was conducted. The aims of this systematic review were to summarize study characteristics, study quality, and impact of changes in neighborhood built environment on physical activity and diet outcomes among residents. Natural experiments of neighborhood built environment change, exploring longitudinal impacts on physical activity and/or diet in residents, were included. From five electronic databases, 2084 references were identified. A narrative synthesis was conducted, considering results in relation to study quality. Nineteen papers, reporting on 15 different exposures met inclusion criteria. Four studies included a comparison group and 11 were pre-post/longitudinal studies without a comparison group. Studies reported on the impact of redeveloping or introducing cycle and/or walking trails (n = 5), rail stops/lines (n = 4), supermarkets and farmers' markets (n = 4) and park and green space (n = 2). Eight/15 studies reported at least one beneficial change in physical activity, diet or another associated health outcome. Due to limitations in study design and reporting, as well as the wide array of outcome measures reported, drawing conclusions to inform policy was challenging. Future research should consider a consistent approach to measure the same outcomes (e.g., using measurement methods that collect comparable physical activity and diet outcome data), to allow for pooled analyses. Additionally, including comparison groups wherever possible and ensuring high quality reporting is essential.

The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect, competence self-perceptions, and relativity: Substantive advances and methodological innovation

Abstract: Enhancing the academic self-concept (ASC) is an important goal in its own right and facilitates the accomplishment of a wide variety of educational outcomes. The big-fish–little-pond effect (BFLPE), based on an integration of theoretical models, posits that high-ability students will have lower ASCs when placed in high-ability educational tracks with other high-ability students, while lower-ability students will have higher ASCs when placed in low-ability tracks with other lower-ability students. Thus, in terms of ASC, highly segregated educational systems are expected to disadvantage the brightest students and advantage the least able students in terms of ASC. Here we review the BFLPE literature over the 30 years since the first BFLPE study, with a focus on ongoing empirical issues, new theoretical perspectives, increasingly sophisticated methodological approaches, and policy/practice implications. We conclude with an overview of methodological issues pertaining to the BFLPE and the ways in which BFLPE methodology has changed and progressed over the last 30 years to take advantage of advances in statistical methodology.