Publications by authors named "Nafiseh Ghafournia"

Objectives: Research to develop early screening tools to determine an individual's risk of developing adult-onset disease is a growing field. Expectant parents may find themselves with an option in the future to undergo screening to determine not only genetic abnormalities in their child but also their risk of developing adult-onset non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as hypertension, obesity or hypercholesterolaemia. To ensure acceptability and feasibility of new screening tools researchers must work in partnership with healthcare consumers to discern consumers' current understanding and acceptance of these technologies in research and the potential for clinical applications.

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Objective: Community leadership enhances collective action in times of uncertainty, such as during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This study explores the role of leadership related to the COVID-19 response and information sharing among a newly emerging Congolese community in the Hunter New England region of Australia.

Methods: Semi-structured qualitative inquiry was used to interview four participants who were identified as being influential leaders of the local Congolese community.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups worldwide. Newly emerging CALD populations formed by recently arrived refugees are predisposed to even greater health disadvantages due to complexities of the refugee experience. The aim of this study was to explore how culture, refugee experiences and existing relationships shaped what COVID-19 messages were listened to and shared during the early-mid phases of the pandemic.

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Objective: To map the main characteristics of and differences between domestic violence and sexual assault cases presenting to a hospital emergency department in Australia.

Methods: This retrospective observational cross-sectional study presents a snapshot of domestic violence and sexual assault cases presenting to the emergency department of a regional tertiary Australian hospital between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018. Data were extracted from the health district electronic information system for all eligible females.

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Objective: This paper presents a rapid assessment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic plans and explores the representation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in such plans. Four levels of pandemic plans were reviewed: regional, state, national and international.

Methods: Discussions with representatives from four CALD communities informed the development of search and selection criteria for the COVID-19 plans, which were gathered and assessed using a CALD lens.

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Background: There is growing evidence that government health information related to COVID-19 has failed to adequately reach culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations in Australia. Refugees are a unique sub-set of the CALD communities and are subject to numerous barriers preventing adequate health care, both pre- and post-migration. The barriers are accentuated during emergencies, such as a pandemic, as a result of an intersection of various social and economic inequalities.

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There has been significant research on women's experiences of domestic violence (DV) as well as on the women's help-seeking behaviors when living with partner abuse. Most of the Australian literature has focused on nonimmigrant women. We know that help seeking can include informal sources such as family, friends, religious leaders, and colleagues or formal assistance from police, doctors, social workers, counselors, and DV agencies.

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