Bridging the evidence-to-practice gap: exploring dental professionals' perspectives on managing oral health during pregnancy in Tasmania, Australia.

Background: Poor oral health is associated with adverse health, social and economic consequences for pregnant women. While dental professionals promote good oral health within the dental practice context, more broadly, women in the antenatal period face poor oral health outcomes. Therefore, this study explored dental professionals' perceptions of their role in managing the oral health of pregnant women and identified the barriers and facilitators to improving maternal oral health.

Exploring the experiences and perspectives of women on oral health during pregnancy: A qualitative study in Tasmania, Australia.

Objective: To explore women's oral health experiences and barriers to dental care and identify potential strategies to improve oral health during pregnancy.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study design was used. Purposively elected antepartum and postpartum women ≥18 years of age from Tasmania, Australia, were recruited using maximum variation sampling.

Psychological Distress, Resilience, and Help-Seeking Experiences of LGBTIQA+ People in Rural Australia.

The aims of this paper were to explore mental health, the aspects associated with psychological distress and resilience, and the help-seeking experiences of LGBTIQA+ people. This research used a mixed-method approach using a survey and semi-structured interviews. The study was conducted in rural and remote Tasmania, Australia.

The use of telehealth in the provision of after-hours palliative care services in rural and remote Australia: A scoping review.

Background: Accessing quality palliative care, especially at the end of life is vital in reducing physical and emotional distress and optimising quality of life. For people living in rural and remote Australia, telehealth services can be effective in providing access to after-hours palliative care.

Objective: To review and map the available evidence on the use of telehealth in providing after-hours palliative care services in rural and remote Australia.

Mobility-Focused Physical Outcome Measures Over Telecommunication Technology (Zoom): Intra and Interrater Reliability Trial.

Background: Rehabilitation provided via telehealth offers an alternative to currently limited in-person health care. Effective rehabilitation depends on accurate and relevant assessments that reliably measure changes in function over time. The reliability of a suite of relevant assessments to measure the impact of rehabilitation on physical function is unknown.

The Health Needs of Regionally Based Individuals Who Experience Homelessness: Perspectives of Service Providers.

The bidirectional relationship between homelessness and poor health and the barriers that individuals who experience homelessness face when trying to access healthcare are well documented. There is, however, little Australian research exploring the situation of individuals who experience homelessness in regional contexts and, moreover, from the perspective of service providers. A qualitative descriptive methodology underpinned this study, with in-depth semi-structured interviews being conducted with 11 service providers to identify barriers to care faced by people who experience homelessness and barriers that service providers themselves experience in supporting this population.

High occurrence of food insecurity in young people attending a youth mental health service in regional Australia.

Aim: Despite the relationship between food insecurity and poor mental health, food insecurity in young people attending mental health services in Australia remains understudied. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and predictors of food insecurity, and the relationship with dietary factors in young people attending a mental health service.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in a sample of young people (15-25 years) who attended a mental health service in Launceston, Australia.

A systematic review of the health and health care of rural sexual and gender minorities in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Introduction: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and people with a diversity of sexual and gender identities (LGBTIQ+) residing in rural contexts may face additional challenges to attaining wellbeing, yet a comprehensive understanding of these experiences is lacking. The purpose of the systematic review is to address this knowledge gap. The aims of the review are to progress understanding about rural LGBTIQ+ communities with regard to wellbeing, healthcare access and experience, and barriers and facilitators to health care.

The knowledge, barriers and opportunities to improve nutrition and physical activity amongst young people attending an Australian youth mental health service: a mixed-methods study.

Background: Mental illnesses are the leading cause of disability in young people, and lifestyle interventions in young people at risk of mental illness remain a priority. Opportunities to improve nutrition and physical activity among young people through youth mental health services remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and behaviors towards nutrition and physical activity, the barriers and enablers to improving behaviors, and the preferred providers and sources of information for nutrition and physical activity among a sample of young people attending a youth mental health service.

Clinical practice guidelines and consensus statements for antenatal oral healthcare: An assessment of their methodological quality and content of recommendations.

Objectives: To review the content of recommendations within antenatal oral healthcare guidance documents and appraise the quality of their methodology to inform areas of development, clinical practice, and research focus.

Method: A systematic search of five electronic databases, Google search engine, and databases from relevant professional and guideline development groups published in English, developed countries, and between 2010 and 2020 was undertaken to identify guidance documents related to antenatal oral healthcare. Quality of documents was appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II tool, and a 3-step quality cut-off value was used.

Kink-Oriented People and Exogenous Oppressions: Understanding Mental Health and Related Service Use in a Rural Context.

Rural, kink-oriented people experience much exogenous oppression and yet related research is scarce. This study examined the risk and protective factors of kink-oriented rural Tasmanian Australians with preexisting mental health conditions and help-seeking barriers and facilitators. Participants completed either an online survey (n = 42), an interview (n = 10), or both.

Use of telehealth in the provision of after-hours palliative care services in rural and remote Australia: A scoping review protocol.

Introduction: After-hours services are essential in ensuring patients with life limiting illness and their caregivers are supported to enable continuity of care. Telehealth is a valuable approach to meeting after-hours support needs of people living with life-limiting illness, their families, and caregivers in rural and remote communities. It is important to explore the provision of after-hours palliative care services using telehealth to understand the reach of these services in rural and remote Australia.

Mental health and related service use by sex workers in rural and remote Australia: 'there's a lot of stigma in society'.

Sex workers experience risk and protective factors that affect their psychological well-being, yet little is known about sex workers' mental health and their experiences with related services in rural and remote Tasmania, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six current or former sex workers with pre-existing mental health problems, and thematic analysis was used to identify their experiences with mental health and related care. Generally, sex work does not contribute to participants' mental health concerns; rather, social exclusion and systemic issues cause psychological harm.

Factors Influencing the Provision of Oral Health Care Practices by Antenatal Care Providers: A Systematic Review.

Antenatal care (ANC) providers are recommended to promote oral health care during pregnancy through the provision of oral health care practices, but studies have indicated that providers remain unclear and inconstant in adopting these practices into routine care. Therefore, the objectives were to undertake a systematic review of the current oral health care practices of ANC providers and identify factors (barriers and facilitators) that influence the provision of ANC providers' oral health care practices. Qualitative and quantitative studies were systematically searched within four databases (database inception, October 2020).

Piloting an interprofessional chronic pain management program: Perspectives of health students and community clients.

Interprofessional learning (IPL) is vital for developing work-ready graduates of tertiary health professions and enhancing outcomes of patients with chronic pain. Twenty-two students from six health professions participated in or co-facilitated components of a 6-week group chronic pain management program. Twelve community clients with chronic pain and one family member participated.

Implementing an outreach headspace mental health service to increase access for disadvantaged and rural youth in Southern Tasmania.

Problem: Barriers, including distance and lack of transport, make it difficult for young people to access mental health services such as headspace.

Design: A collaborative mental health outreach service initiative with outcome measures assessed at baseline and after 2 years.

Setting: The service was designed and implemented by headspace Hobart and Pulse Youth Health Service based in Glenorchy, Tasmania, Australia.

Promoting mental health through a Rural Art Roadshow: perspectives of participating artists.

Background: The therapeutic potential of art to contribute to mental health, well-being and recovery is widely recognised. Benefits include improved self-esteem, self-confidence, communication skills, personal relationships, and fostering greater social inclusion. The is a collaborative art project between the University of Tasmania and not-for-profit mental health and disability support service, Wellways.

Mechanical Safety of Embedded Electronics for In-body Wearables: A Smart Mouthguard Study.

The growing popularity of contact sports drives the requirement for better design of protective equipment, such as mouthguards. Smart mouthguards with embedded electronics provide a multitude of new ways to provide increased safety and protection to users. Characterisation of how electronic components embedded in typical mouthguard material, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), behave under typical sports impacts is crucial for future designs.

Benefits, barriers and enablers of mentoring female health academics: An integrative review.

This integrative literature review synthesizes the primary research evidence on mentoring female health academics published from 2000 to 2018, to identify the benefits, enablers and barriers to mentoring women. The need for this review is underpinned by the magnitude of change in higher education, the high number of women in health disciplines, limited progress in advancing women's academic careers, escalating role expectations, faculty shortages and staff turnover. Data were sourced from Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature.

Gambling Behaviour, Problem Gambling and Reasons for Gambling Among International Students in Tasmania, Australia.

Individuals who undertake tertiary study outside their home countries ("international students") may be at increased risk of problem gambling behaviour. To inform this issue, we examined gambling behaviour, problem gambling behaviour and reasons for gambling among international students, primarily from Asian countries, attending university in Tasmania, Australia. Online surveys that included established measures of each outcome were completed by these students (n = 382) along with a comparison group of domestic students (n = 1013).

Health and Well-Being of International University Students, and Comparison with Domestic Students, in Tasmania, Australia.

International students comprise an increasingly larger proportion of higher education students globally. Empirical evidence about the health and well-being of these students is, however, limited. We sought to examine the health and well-being of international students, primarily from Asian countries, attending the University of Tasmania, Australia, using domestic students as a comparison group.

Evaluation of a Health Literacy Program for Chronic Conditions.

Background: Although much is known about health literacy in concept and practice, more research is needed to understand the mechanisms that improve health literacy and result in healthy behavior change. This is particularly so for those at risk of or living with chronic conditions who reside in communities experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.

Objective: The program aimed to improve the prevention and management of chronic conditions by responding to health literacy needs.

Mental health academics in rural and remote Australia.

Context: The significant impact of mental ill health in rural and remote Australia has been well documented. Included among innovative approaches undertaken to address this issue has been the Mental Health Academic (MHA) project, established in 2007. Funded by the Australian Government (Department of Health), this project was established as a component of the University Departments of Rural Health (UDRH) program.