Search

Aim: To describe the distribution of neuroimaging patterns in a term/late preterm population‐based cohort with cerebral palsy (CP), ascertain associations between neuroimaging patterns and neonatal well‐being, estimate the proportion with antenatal or perinatal timing of neuropathology, and apply this information to the understanding of common mechanisms of brain injury and causal pathways. Method: The cohort for this observational study comprised 1348 persons born between 1999 and 2017 in Victoria, Australia. Using algorithms designed for the study, neonatal well‐being and timing of brain injury were tabulated for the whole cohort and across neuroimaging patterns and birth epochs. Results: Clinical and demographic profiles, neonatal well‐being, and timing of brain injury differed across neuroimaging patterns. An estimated 57% of the cohort had a complicated neonatal period. Timing of brain injury was antenatal in 57% and perinatal in 41%. A decrease in the relative proportions of perinatal timing of brain injury was observed over a period when the rates of CP in live births at term decreased. Interpretation: This study begins to bridge the knowledge gap about causation in CP, moving towards better description of the main mechanisms of brain injury and their contribution within CP cohorts, and facilitating the ability to monitor changes over time and the success of preventive measures. What this paper adds: In a population‐based, term/late preterm cohort with cerebral palsy, 57% had a complicated neonatal period.In the same cohort, 57% had presumed antenatal timing of brain injury.The relative proportion with perinatal injury decreased over time. What this paper adds: In a population‐based, term/late preterm cohort with cerebral palsy, 57% had a complicated neonatal period.In the same cohort, 57% had presumed antenatal timing of brain injury.The relative proportion with perinatal injury decreased over time. This original article is commented on by O'Shea on pages 829–830 of this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenced by a harm reduction philosophy, the then Victorian Labor Government announced the establishment of the state's first medically supervised injecting room (MSIR) in North Richmond in late 2017. But, public and political opinion remains sharply divided as to the merits of the MSIR. One influence on policy development appears to be media commentary on the MSIR and the wider illicit drugs policy debate. This paper compares the official editorials of the two daily Melbourne newspapers, the Herald Sun and The Age regarding the MSIR, from November 2017 until November 2022. Based on 33 articles (Herald Sun, N = 28; The Age, N = 5), our findings identify philosophical differences between the two newspapers as reflected in their sources of information, language and highlighted issues. The Age was mostly supportive of both the introduction of the North Richmond MSIR and proposals for a second site. The Herald Sun's position was more ambiguous, ranging from qualified support for the North Richmond MSIR to strong opposition to further sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: The COVID‐19 pandemic bears many similarities to other disasters such as bushfires, earthquakes and floods. It also has distinctive features including its prolonged and recurrent nature and the social isolation induced by pandemic responses. Existing conceptual frameworks previously applied to the study of disaster, such as the Recovery Capitals Framework (RCF), may be useful in understanding experiences of the COVID‐19 pandemic and in guiding agencies and governments tasked with supporting communities. Methods: This paper presents an analysis of interviews conducted with residents of the Australian state of Victoria in 2020–2021. The RCF was used to analyse how participant experiences and well‐being were influenced by seven forms of capital—social, human, natural, financial, built, cultural and political—with particular focus on the interactions between these capitals. Results: Social capital featured most prominently in participants' accounts, yet the analysis revealed important interactions between social and other capitals that shaped their pandemic experiences. The RCF supported a strengths‐based and holistic analysis while also revealing how inequities and challenges were compounded in some cases. Conclusions: Findings can be leveraged to develop effective and innovative strategies to support well‐being and disrupt patterns of compounding inequity. Applying the RCF in the context of COVID‐19 can help to link pandemic research with research from a wide range of disasters. So What?: In an increasingly complex global landscape of cascading and intersecting disasters including pandemics, flexible and nuanced conceptual approaches such as the RCF can generate valuable insights with practical implications for health promotion efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on consultants in policymaking described their expanding policy involvement and impact. This research focuses on consultants' policy formulation roles and on how and why these roles vary across jurisdictions and contexts. It draws on comparative research on healthcare policy in Ontario, Canada, and Victoria, Australia. Based on analysis of contracts and expenditure data, and 59 semi‐structured interviews, this research finds that consultants in Victoria are partners in formulation, used routinely for a variety of tasks, including core formulation work. Their role is institutionalized through formal and informal rules. In contrast, consultants in Ontario perform non‐core formulation work and are primarily active in linking the government to other sites and pools of knowledge. The paper ties this variation to public sector internal capacity and policy sector complexity. It offers new empirical data and provides a nuanced understanding of the roles of consultants in policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]