University of South Australia

About: University of South Australia is a education organization based out in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 10086 authors who have published 32587 publications receiving 913683 citations. The organization is also known as: The University of South Australia & UniSA.

Work-related fatigue and recovery: the contribution of age, domestic responsibilities and shiftwork.

Abstract: Journal ofAdvanced Nursing 56(4), 438–449Work-related fatigue and recovery: the contribution of age, domestic responsibilitiesand shiftworkAim. This paper reports a study of the relationship between age, domestic respon-sibilities (being partnered and having dependents), recovery from shiftwork-relatedfatigue and the evolution of maladaptive health outcomes among full-time workingfemale nurses.Background. Several studies have suggested that full-time working women withfamily responsibilities are at greater risk of developing work-related fatigue prob-lems than single women without these responsibilities.Method. A questionnaire was distributed in 2004 to 2400 nurses at two hospitals inAustralia, and 1280 responses were obtained (response rate 54%). The data from apurposive sample of 846 full-time working nurses are reported here.Findings. Domestic responsibilities were not related to differences in fatigue andrecovery. Our results suggested that for full-time shiftworking nurses, being part ofa family structure, may actually be protective against the development ofmaladaptive fatigue. The most important factor determining maladaptive fatigueoutcome was shift pattern worked, particularly rotation including night duty. Theeffect of age was equivocal. The youngest age group reported the highest fatigue andpoorest recovery compared to the oldest group, who reported the best characteris-tics. However, this latter group may represent a particularly well-adapted ‘survivorcohort’. The relationship between age and fatigue was partly confounded by older,experienced, nurses with greater job responsibilities, working fewer multiple shiftsincluding night duty. In general, increasing age was not associated with poorerrecovery or higher maladaptive fatigue.Conclusions. Unpredictable internal shift rotations, including night duty, which aretraditional and typical in nursing, are inimical to maintaining nurses’ health. Morecreative approaches to rostering for nurses working multiple shifts are a necessarystep towards reducing wastage from the profession due to chronic work-relatedfatigue. Younger nurses in particular, may need more support than is currentlyrecognized if they are to be retained within the profession.

The capacity of refugia for conservation planning under climate change

Abstract: Refugia – areas that may facilitate the persistence of species during large-scale, long-term climatic change –are increasingly important for conservation planning. There are many methods for identifying refugia, but the ability to quantify their potential for facilitating species persistence (ie their “capacity”) remains elusive. We propose a flexible framework for prioritizing future refugia, based on their capacity. This framework can be applied through various modeling approaches and consists of three steps: (1) definition of scope, scale, and resolution; (2) identification and quantification; and (3) prioritization for conservation. Capacity is quantified by multiple indicators, including environmental stability, microclimatic heterogeneity, size, and accessibility of the refugium. Using an integrated, semi-mechanistic modeling technique, we illustrate how this approach can be implemented to identify refugia for the plant diversity of Tasmania, Australia. The highest-capacity climate-change refugia we...

Market Orientation and Company Profitability: Further Evidence Incorporating Longitudinal Data

Abstract: This study examines the association between market orientation and company profitability. It incorporates two methodological approaches that have generally not been used in previous research. First, it uses lagged company and environmental control variables in the data analysis, to better discern their effects on profitability and, hence, clarify any relationship between market orientation and perfor Mance. Second, it analyses the individual components of market orientation and their relationships with business profitability separately. The study finds that, of the components of a market orientation, a competitor orientation emerges as the variable with the strongest association with perfor Mance. This association is robust in two models, one with solely cross‐sectional data, and the other with lagged control variables. In simple terms, the strongest distinguishing feature of high‐profit firms in this study is that they are very attuned to the activities and characteristics of competitors. For managers, t...

Breast Cancer and Sexuality

Abstract: Breast cancer affects a woman's body image and feelings of sexuality. Little is known about the perceptions of spouses to the sensitive topics of sexuality and body image. A qualitative inquiry was undertaken using in-depth interviews. A diagnosis of breast cancer brought some relationships closer. Mastectomy by disturbing body image did obliterate sexual relationships for a significant period of time. Women often felt (wrongly) that their partner would be repulsed by changes. More support in relation to sexuality and body image could improve relationships by identifying and clarifying perceptions, and therefore the quality of life.

The multimedia activity recall for children and adolescents (MARCA): development and evaluation

Abstract: Self-report recall questionnaires are commonly used to measure physical activity, energy expenditure and time use in children and adolescents. However, self-report questionnaires show low to moderate validity, mainly due to inaccuracies in recalling activity in terms of duration and intensity. Aside from recall errors, inaccuracies in estimating energy expenditure from self-report questionnaires are compounded by a lack of data on the energy cost of everyday activities in children and adolescents. This article describes the development of the Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adolescents (MARCA), a computer-delivered use-of-time instrument designed to address both the limitations of self-report recall questionnaires in children, and the lack of energy cost data in children. The test-retest reliability of the MARCA was assessed using a sample of 32 children (aged 11.8 ± 0.7 y) who undertook the MARCA twice within 24-h. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing self-reports with accelerometer counts collected on a sample of 66 children (aged 11.6 ± 0.8 y). Content and construct validity were assessed by establishing whether data collected using the MARCA on 1429 children (aged 11.9 ± 0.8 y) exhibited relationships and trends in children's physical activity consistent with established findings from a number of previous research studies. Test-retest reliability was high with intra-class coefficients ranging from 0.88 to 0.94. The MARCA demonstrated criterion validity comparable to other self-report instruments with Spearman coefficients ranging from rho = 0.36 to 0.45, and provided evidence of good content and construct validity. The MARCA is a valid and reliable self-report questionnaire, capable of a wide variety of flexible use-of-time analyses related to both physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and offers advantages over existing pen-and-paper questionnaires.