Predictors of change in depressive symptoms over time: Results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

Background: Depressive symptoms fluctuate over time, and are most common amongst women in early adulthood. Understanding predictors of changes in depressive symptoms among young women may inform health promotion and early intervention.

Methods: Data were collected at three-yearly intervals from 2000 (Survey 2) to 2012 (Survey 6) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

Mental health-related quality of life and the timing of motherhood: a 16-year longitudinal study of a national cohort of young Australian women.

Purpose: We examine timing of motherhood in a longitudinal cohort of young Australian women, and its relationship with mental health-related quality of life (SF-36 MHI-5), and with sociodemographic, health behaviour and health-related variables.

Methods: We analysed longitudinal self-report data from a nationally representative cohort of 10,332 Australian women born 1973-1978, surveyed 6 times between 1996 (aged 18-23) and 2012 (aged 34-39).

Results: Group-based trajectory modelling identified four groups.

Trajectories of mental health over 16 years amongst young adult women: The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

This article used data from 5,171 young women participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a nationally representative longitudinal cohort study, to identify longitudinal trajectory patterns of mental health across 6 surveys over 16 years of early adulthood, from age 18-23 to age 34-39. In addition, we identified both predictors and outcomes of these trajectories. Using group-based trajectory modeling, we identified 4 distinct trajectory groups of mental health.

Longitudinal trajectory patterns of social support: correlates and associated mental health in an Australian national cohort of young women.

Purpose: Although social support is a significant contributor to health and well-being, little is known about patterns of perceived social support over time in young adulthood. It is also unclear which personal characteristics are associated with different patterns, and whether there is an association between social support and mental health over time. We explore these issues in a large national cohort of young women.

Longitudinal analysis of relationships between social support and general health in an Australian population cohort of young women.

Purpose: The influence of social support on health and quality of life has been well documented. There is less evidence on whether health status affects social support, and little is known about longitudinal relationships between social support and health in early adulthood. This study investigates these associations using both concurrent and time-lagged measures at 5 time-points over 12 years during early adulthood.

Validation of the MOS Social Support Survey 6-item (MOS-SSS-6) measure with two large population-based samples of Australian women.

Purpose: This study aimed to validate a 6-item 1-factor global measure of social support developed from the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) for use in large epidemiological studies.

Methods: Data were obtained from two large population-based samples of participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The two cohorts were aged 53-58 and 28-33 years at data collection (N = 10,616 and 8,977, respectively).

Uptake of Medicare chronic disease management incentives - a study into service providers' perspectives.

Background: Chronic disease is responsible for 80% of the burden of disease in Australia. The Australian Government Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) provides incentives through specific Medicare items to optimise chronic disease management (CDM), yet little is known about factors that influence their uptake.

Methods: Exploratory qualitative research was used, which incorporated focus groups and interviews with 26 staff from nine general practices in southeast Queensland, together with review of practice-specific data on CDM income.

Comprehensive health assessments for adults with intellectual disability living in the community - weighing up the costs and benefits.

Background: Health assessments have beneficial effects on health outcomes for people with intellectual disability living in the community. However, the effect on medical costs is unknown.

Methods: We utilised Medicare Australia data on consultations, procedures and prescription drugs (including vaccinations) from all participants in a randomised control trial during 2002-03 that examined the effectiveness of a health assessment.

Disturbed eating behaviours and thoughts in Australian adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Aim: To describe the presence and type of disturbed eating behaviours and thoughts in a combined male/female Australian sample of adolescents with type 1 diabetes, and examine the association of eating behaviours and thoughts with glycaemic control as evidenced by high glycosylated haemoglobin levels (HbA1c).

Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 124 adolescents aged 13-18  years were invited to complete three self-administered questionnaires. The Youth Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (YEDE-Q) and the Eating Disorder Inventory -3 Risk Composite (EDI-3RC) assessed risk for an eating disorder.

A thematic analysis of the role of the organisation in building allied health research capacity: a senior managers' perspective.

Background: Evidence-based practice aims to achieve better health outcomes in the community. It relies on high quality research to inform policy and practice; however research in primary health care continues to lag behind that of other medical professions. The literature suggests that research capacity building (RCB) functions across four levels; individual, team, organisation and external environment.

Identifying comorbidity patterns of health conditions via cluster analysis of pairwise concordance statistics.

Identification of comorbidity patterns of health conditions is critical for evidence-based practice to improve the prevention, treatment and health care of relevant diseases. Existing approaches focus mainly on either using descriptive measures of comorbidity in terms of the prevalence of coexisting conditions, or addressing the prevalence of comorbidity based on a particular disease (e.g.

Concurrent validity of self-report measures of eating disorders in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Aim: Eating disorder screening tools have not been adequately validated for use with adolescents with type 1 diabetes. This study compared the Youth Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (YEDE-Q) and the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Risk Composite (EDI-3RC) against the child Eating Disorder Examination (chEDE). These screening tools were chosen because they broadly assess eating disorder psychopathology and have subscales helpful for clinical management.

Evaluating a team-based approach to research capacity building using a matched-pairs study design.

Background: There is a continuing need for research capacity building initiatives for primary health care professionals. Historically strategies have focused on interventions aimed at individuals but more recently theoretical frameworks have proposed team-based approaches. Few studies have evaluated these new approaches.

Motivators, enablers, and barriers to building allied health research capacity.

Purpose: A sound, scientific base of high quality research is needed to inform service planning and decision making and enable improved policy and practice. However, some areas of health practice, particularly many of the allied health areas, are generally considered to have a low evidence base. In order to successfully build research capacity in allied health, a clearer understanding is required of what assists and encourages research as well as the barriers and challenges.

Validation of the research capacity and culture (RCC) tool: measuring RCC at individual, team and organisation levels.

Research capacity building (RCB) in Australia has recently focussed on strategies that take a whole of system approach to developing research culture at individual, team and organisation levels. Although a theoretical framework exists, no tool has been published that quantitatively measures the effectiveness of RCB interventions aimed at these three levels. A sample of 134 allied health workers was used to validate the research capacity and culture (RCC) tool.

Skin disease in the first two years of life in Aboriginal children in East Arnhem Land.

Background: The most common skin infections affecting children in remote Aboriginal communities are scabies and impetigo. Group A streptococcal skin infections are linked to the high rates of heart and renal disease occurring in Aboriginal Australians.

Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was conducted in a primary health care centre in the East Arnhem region of the Northern Territory.

Distribution of volumes of individual glomeruli in kidneys at autopsy: association with physical and clinical characteristics and with ethnic group.

We have demonstrated considerable variability in the volumes of different glomeruli in given individuals (individual glomerular volume: IGV) in a stereologic study of kidneys at forensic autopsy performed to investigate sudden or unexpected death in people without manifest kidney disease. We review some important associations of IGV by subject characteristics and by ethnic groups. IGVs were measured by the Cavalieri method in 30 glomeruli in each of 111 adult males who belonged to 4 ethnic groups, i.

Patterns of multimorbidity in working Australians.

Background: Multimorbidity is becoming more prevalent. Previously-used methods of assessing multimorbidity relied on counting the number of health conditions, often in relation to an index condition (comorbidity), or grouping conditions based on body or organ systems. Recent refinements in statistical approaches have resulted in improved methods to capture patterns of multimorbidity, allowing for the identification of nonrandomly occurring clusters of multimorbid health conditions.

Health-related productivity losses increase when the health condition is co-morbid with psychological distress: findings from a large cross-sectional sample of working Australians.

Background: The health condition of workers is known to impact on productivity outcomes. The relationship between health and productivity is of increasing interest amid the need to increase productivity to meet global financial challenges. Prevalence of psychological distress is also of growing concern in Australia with a two-fold increase in the prevalence of psychological distress in Australia from 1997-2005.

Which health conditions impact on productivity in working Australians?

Objective: To identify health conditions associated with productivity loss in working Australians, adjusting for comorbidity, demographics, and work-related characteristics.

Methods: The Australian Work Outcomes Research Cost-benefit study cross-sectional screening data set was used to identify health-related productivity losses in a sample of approximately 78,000 working Australians. Data collected with the World Health Organisation Health and Productivity Questionnaire were analyzed using negative binomial logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression models for absenteeism and presenteeism, respectively.

Psychological distress is associated with a range of high-priority health conditions affecting working Australians.

Background: Psychological distress is growing in prevalence in Australia. Comorbid psychological distress and/or depressive symptoms are often associated with poorer health, higher healthcare utilisation and decreased adherence to medical treatments.

Methods: The Australian Work Outcomes Research Cost-benefit (WORC) study cross-sectional screening dataset was used to explore the association between psychological distress and a range of health conditions in a sample of approximately 78,000 working Australians.

Work performance decrements are associated with Australian working conditions, particularly the demand to work longer hours.

Objectives: To demonstrate the importance of including a range of working conditions in models exploring the association between health- and work-related performance.

Methods: The Australian Work Outcomes Research Cost-benefit study cross-sectional screening data set was used to explore health-related absenteeism and work performance losses on a sample of approximately 78,000 working Australians, including available demographic and working condition factors. Data collected using the World Health Organization Health and Productivity Questionnaire were analyzed with negative binomial logistic regression and multinomial logistic regressions for absenteeism and work performance, respectively.

Nephron number and individual glomerular volumes in male Caucasian and African American subjects.

Background: Glomerular hypertrophy has been described in several populations at high risk of chronic kidney disease. Total nephron (and thereby glomerular) number (N(glom)) varies widely in normal adult human kidneys and is generally inversely correlated with mean glomerular volume (V(glom)). However, little is known about the range of individual glomerular volumes (IV(glom)) within single human kidneys and the association with N(glom).

Characteristics of nonparticipants differed based on reason for nonparticipation: a study involving the chronically ill.

Background: Individuals who do and do not participate in studies often have different characteristics. The profile of nonparticipants may vary by type of nonparticipation. Few cross-sectional or longitudinal studies of chronically ill individuals identify these differences at baseline and of those that do; many do not have information on type of nonparticipation.