92 results on '"Melissa Kang"'
Search Results
2. Supplementary Data from Aberrant Expression and Subcellular Localization of ECT2 Drives Colorectal Cancer Progression and Growth
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Channing J. Der, Antje Schaefer, Christine Sers, Owen J. Sansom, Robert S. Sandler, Alan P. Fields, Adrienne D. Cox, Michael S. Lee, Jen Jen Yeh, Temitope O. Keku, Catriona A. Ford, Andrew D. Campbell, Priya S. Hibshman, Andrew M. Waters, Philipp Jurmeister, Armin Jarosch, David F. Vincent, Karen A. Pickering, Verline Justilien, Dimitri G. Trembath, Gabriela H. Loeza, Joseph A. Galanko, Timothy D. Martin, Melissa Kang, and Danielle R. Cook
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Supplementary Tables and Methods.
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- 2023
3. Data from Aberrant Expression and Subcellular Localization of ECT2 Drives Colorectal Cancer Progression and Growth
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Channing J. Der, Antje Schaefer, Christine Sers, Owen J. Sansom, Robert S. Sandler, Alan P. Fields, Adrienne D. Cox, Michael S. Lee, Jen Jen Yeh, Temitope O. Keku, Catriona A. Ford, Andrew D. Campbell, Priya S. Hibshman, Andrew M. Waters, Philipp Jurmeister, Armin Jarosch, David F. Vincent, Karen A. Pickering, Verline Justilien, Dimitri G. Trembath, Gabriela H. Loeza, Joseph A. Galanko, Timothy D. Martin, Melissa Kang, and Danielle R. Cook
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ECT2 is an activator of RHO GTPases that is essential for cytokinesis. In addition, ECT2 was identified as an oncoprotein when expressed ectopically in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. However, oncogenic activation of ECT2 resulted from N-terminal truncation, and such truncated ECT2 proteins have not been found in patients with cancer. In this study, we observed elevated expression of full-length ECT2 protein in preneoplastic colon adenomas, driven by increased ECT2 mRNA abundance and associated with APC tumor-suppressor loss. Elevated ECT2 levels were detected in the cytoplasm and nucleus of colorectal cancer tissue, suggesting cytoplasmic mislocalization as one mechanism of early oncogenic ECT2 activation. Importantly, elevated nuclear ECT2 correlated with poorly differentiated tumors, and a low cytoplasmic:nuclear ratio of ECT2 protein correlated with poor patient survival, suggesting that nuclear and cytoplasmic ECT2 play distinct roles in colorectal cancer. Depletion of ECT2 reduced anchorage-independent cancer cell growth and invasion independent of its function in cytokinesis, and loss of Ect2 extended survival in a KrasG12D Apc-null colon cancer mouse model. Expression of ECT2 variants with impaired nuclear localization or guanine nucleotide exchange catalytic activity failed to restore cancer cell growth or invasion, indicating that active, nuclear ECT2 is required to support tumor progression. Nuclear ECT2 promoted ribosomal DNA transcription and ribosome biogenesis in colorectal cancer. These results support a driver role for both cytoplasmic and nuclear ECT2 overexpression in colorectal cancer and emphasize the critical role of precise subcellular localization in dictating ECT2 function in neoplastic cells.Significance:ECT2 overexpression and mislocalization support its role as a driver in colon cancer that is independent from its function in normal cell cytokinesis.
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- 2023
4. Supplementary Figures from Aberrant Expression and Subcellular Localization of ECT2 Drives Colorectal Cancer Progression and Growth
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Channing J. Der, Antje Schaefer, Christine Sers, Owen J. Sansom, Robert S. Sandler, Alan P. Fields, Adrienne D. Cox, Michael S. Lee, Jen Jen Yeh, Temitope O. Keku, Catriona A. Ford, Andrew D. Campbell, Priya S. Hibshman, Andrew M. Waters, Philipp Jurmeister, Armin Jarosch, David F. Vincent, Karen A. Pickering, Verline Justilien, Dimitri G. Trembath, Gabriela H. Loeza, Joseph A. Galanko, Timothy D. Martin, Melissa Kang, and Danielle R. Cook
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Supplementary Figures S1-S4
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- 2023
5. Differences in school factors associated with adolescent HPV vaccination initiation and completion coverage in three Australian states
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Lena Sanci, Alison Venn, V. Sheppeard, J Kaldor, Lisa J. Whop, Rebecca Lorch, Cristyn Davies, Paul V. Effler, Sharyn Burns, Cassandra Vujovich-Dunn, Sonya Ennis, Julia M.L. Brotherton, Heather F. Gidding, Linda A. Selvey, Karen Canfell, Handan Wand, Melissa Kang, Meredith Temple-Smith, Rebecca Guy, N. Lane, JS Hocking, Michael Kidd, Julie Leask, S.R. Skinner, Megan Smith, J. Sisnowski, Dennis Meijer, Mark Veitch, and Chloe A Thomson
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Adolescent ,education ,HPV vaccines ,Logistic regression ,Indigenous ,Genital warts ,Virology ,medicine ,Humans ,Papillomavirus Vaccines ,Rank correlation ,06 Biological Sciences, 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, 11 Medical and Health Sciences ,Schools ,General Veterinary ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,Immunization Programs ,business.industry ,Papillomavirus Infections ,Vaccination ,Australia ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Attendance ,medicine.disease ,Health equity ,Infectious Diseases ,Molecular Medicine ,business ,Demography - Abstract
BackgroundSchools are the primary setting for the delivery of adolescent HPV vaccination in Australia. Although this strategy has achieved generally high vaccination coverage, gaps persist for reasons that are mostly unknown. This study sought to identify school-level correlates of low vaccination course initiation and completion in New South Wales, Tasmania, and Western Australia to inform initiatives to increase uptake.MethodsInitiation was defined as the number of first doses given in a school in 2016 divided by vaccine-eligible student enrolments. Completion was the number of third doses given in a school in 2015-2016 divided by the number of first doses. Low initiation and completion were defined as coverage ≤ 25thpercentile of all reporting schools. We investigated correlations between covariates using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. Due to multicollinearity, we used univariable logistic regression to investigate associations between school characteristics and low coverage.ResultsMedian initiation was 84.7% (IQR: 75.0%-90.4%) across 1,286 schools and median completion was 93.8% (IQR: 86.0%-97.3%) across 1,295 schools. There were strong correlations between a number of school characteristics, particularly higher Indigenous student enrolments and lower attendance, increasing remoteness, higher postcode socioeconomic disadvantage, and smaller school size. Characteristics most strongly associated with low initiation in univariate analyses were small school size, location in Tasmania, and schools catering for special educational needs. Low completion was most strongly associated with schools in Tasmania and Western Australia, remote location, small size, high proportion of Indigenous student enrolments, and low attendance rates.ConclusionThis study provides indicative evidence that characteristics of schools and school populations are associated with the likelihood of low initiation and completion of the HPV vaccination course. The findings will guide further research and help target initiatives to improve vaccination uptake in schools with profiles associated with lower coverage.
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- 2021
6. A healthy lifestyle text message intervention for adolescents: protocol for the Health4Me randomized controlled trial
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Rebecca, Raeside, Karen, Spielman, Sarah, Maguire, Seema, Mihrshahi, Katharine, Steinbeck, Melissa, Kang, Liliana, Laranjo, Karice, Hyun, Julie, Redfern, Stephanie R, Partridge, and Danielle, Castles
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Internet ,Text Messaging ,Adolescent ,Quality of Life ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Humans ,Single-Blind Method ,Healthy Lifestyle ,Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic - Abstract
Background Adolescence presents a window of opportunity to establish good nutrition and physical activity behaviours to carry throughout the life course. Adolescents are at risk of developing cardiovascular and other chronic diseases due to poor the complex interplay of physical and mental health lifestyle risk factors. Text messaging is adolescents main form of everyday communication and text message programs offer a potential solution for support and improvement of lifestyle health behaviours. The primary aim of this study is to determine effectiveness of the Health4Me text message program to improve adolescent’s physical activity or nutrition behaviours among adolescents over 6-months, compared to usual care. Methods Health4Me is a virtual, two-arm, single-blind randomised controlled trial, delivering a 6-month healthy lifestyle text message program with optional health counselling. Recruitment will be through digital advertising and primary care services. In total, 330 adolescents will be randomised 1:1 to intervention or control (usual care) groups. The intervention group will receive 4–5 text messages per week for 6-months. All text messages have been co-designed with adolescents. Messages promote a healthy lifestyle by providing practical information, health tips, motivation and support for behaviour change for physical activity, nutrition, mental health, body image, popular digital media and climate and planetary health. Virtual assessments will occur at baseline and 6-months assessing physical health (physical activity, nutrition, body mass index, sleep), mental health (quality of life, self-efficacy, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, eating disorder risk) and lifestyle outcomes (food insecurity and eHealth literacy). Discussion This study will determine the effectiveness of a 6-month healthy lifestyle text message intervention to improve physical activity and nutrition outcomes in adolescents. Trial registration Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12622000949785, Date registered: 05/07/2022.
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- 2022
7. Complex intervention to promote human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake in school settings: A cluster-randomized trial
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Cristyn Davies, Helen S. Marshall, Julia M.L. Brotherton, Kirsten McCaffery, Melissa Kang, Kristine Macartney, Suzanne M. Garland, John Kaldor, Gregory Zimet, and S. Rachel Skinner
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Epidemiology ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health - Published
- 2023
8. Barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: an exploratory qualitative study
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Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Lin Perry, Fiona Brooks, and Melissa Kang
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Policy ,Adolescent ,Pregnancy ,Pregnancy in Adolescence ,Humans ,Female ,General Medicine ,1103 Clinical Sciences, 1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1199 Other Medical and Health Sciences ,Child ,Ghana ,Poverty ,Qualitative Research - Abstract
ObjectivesThis study explored the perceived barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at reducing adolescent pregnancy among health and education professionals (‘professionals’), grassroots workers and adolescent girls in Ghana.Design and settingWe employed an exploratory qualitative study design involving interviews with professionals, grassroots workers and adolescent girls in the Central Region of Ghana.ParticipantsThis study involved 15 professionals employed in government or non-governmental organisations, 15 grassroots workers and 51 pregnant/parenting and non-pregnant adolescent girls.Data analysisThematic analysis was conducted deductively using the ecological framework for understanding effective implementation.ResultsEighteen themes mapped to the five domains of the ecological framework emerged. Perceived barriers included gender inequality, family poverty, stigma, community support for early childbearing and cohabitation, inadequate data systems, lack of collaboration between stakeholders and lack of political will. Effective implementation of community by-laws, youth involvement, use of available data, and collaboration and effective coordination between stakeholders were the perceived facilitators.ConclusionPolitical leaders and community members should be actively engaged in the implementation of adolescent sexual and reproductive health policies and programmes. Gender empowerment programmes such as education and training of adolescent girls should be implemented and strengthened at both the community and national levels. Community members should be sensitised on the negative effects of norms that support child marriage, gender-based violence and early childbearing.
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- 2022
9. Youth Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Unique Needs and Practical Strategies From International Perspectives
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Abigail English, Jihane Naous, Melissa Kang, Diane Santa Maria, Janna R. Gewirtz O'Brien, Jessica A. Heerde, Do-Quyen Pham, Colette L. Auerswald, Seth Ammerman, Meera Beharry, and April Elliott
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Adult ,Social Work ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Internationality ,Adolescent ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Social work ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,MEDLINE ,COVID-19 ,Homeless Youth ,Young Adult ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Nursing ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Pandemic ,Housing ,Humans ,Public Health ,Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health ,Sociology ,11 Medical and Health Sciences, 13 Education, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences ,Prevention control - Abstract
Even in the best of times, youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) face significant morbidities [[1],[2]]. Youth from marginalized communities, many of which are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, also disproportionately experience homelessness [[3],[4]]. YEH have been overlooked in COVID-19 response planning. Drawing on our international experiences, we summarize the vulnerability of YEH during the pandemic and describe strategies to mitigate its impact. We focus on unaccompanied minors (aged
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- 2021
10. Adolescents' self-efficacy and digital health literacy: a cross-sectional mixed methods study
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Melody Taba, Tiffany B. Allen, Patrina H.Y. Caldwell, S. Rachel Skinner, Melissa Kang, Kirsten McCaffery, and Karen M. Scott
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Internet ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Adolescent ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Humans ,Public Health ,Self Efficacy ,Telemedicine ,1117 Public Health and Health Services ,Health Literacy - Abstract
Background The internet and social media are increasingly popular sources of health information for adolescents. Using online health information requires digital health literacy, consisting of literacy, analytical skills and personal capabilities such as self-efficacy. Appraising trustworthiness and relevance of online health information requires critical health literacy to discriminate between sources, critically analyse meaning and relevance, and use information for personal health. Adolescents with poor digital health literacy risk using misinformation, with potential negative health outcomes. We aimed to understand adolescents’ contemporary digital health literacy and compared self-efficacy with capability. Methods Adolescents (12–17 years) completed an eHEALS self-report digital health literacy measure, a practical search task using a think-aloud protocol and an interview to capture perceived and actual digital health literacy. eHEALS scores were generated using descriptive statistics, search tasks were analysed using an observation checklist and interviews were thematically analysed based on Social Cognitive Theory, focussing on self-efficacy. Results Twenty-one participants generally had high self-efficacy using online health information but perceived their digital health literacy to be higher than demonstrated. They accessed online health information unintentionally on social media and intentionally via search engines. They appraised information medium, source and content using general internet searching heuristics taught at school. Information on social media was considered less trustworthy than websites, but participants used similar appraisal strategies for both; some search/appraisal heuristics were insufficiently nuanced for digital health information, sometimes resulting in misplaced trust or diminished self-efficacy. Participants felt anxious or relieved after finding online health information, depending on content, understanding and satisfaction. They did not act on information without parental and/or health professional advice. They rarely discussed findings with health professionals but would welcome discussions and learning how to find and appraise online health information. Conclusions Whilst adolescents possess many important digital health literacy skills and generally feel self-efficacious in using them, their critical health literacy needs improving. Adolescents desire increased digital health literacy so they can confidently appraise health information they find online and on social media. Co-designed educational interventions with adolescents and health providers are required.
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- 2022
11. Factors influencing refugees' willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines in Greater Sydney: a qualitative study
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Abela Mahimbo, Melissa Kang, Lidija Sestakova, Mitchell Smith, and Angela Dawson
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Coronavirus ,Refugees ,Vaccines ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Vaccination ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,Humans ,Public Health ,1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1402 Applied Economics, 1605 Policy and Administration - Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Achieving high vaccination coverage is a critical strategy to reducing the spread of COVID-19 infection. This study, undertaken before the Delta variant outbreak, aimed to understand potential drivers and barriers influencing COVID-19 vaccine uptake for refugees. METHODS: Four focus group interviews were conducted with 37 refugees from four language groups (Arabic, Dari, Dinka and Karen). Data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines was associated with participants' perceptions of disease severity, and benefits such as increased immunity against COVID-19 disease and prevention of the spread of the disease. Cues for increasing individual willingness to get vaccinated included obtaining information from trusted sources and community engagement. By contrast, information gaps on vaccines compounded by misinformation on social media contributed to a reluctance to be vaccinated. CONCLUSION: As this study was conducted before the Delta variant outbreak, participants' stance on COVID-19 vaccines may have changed. However, addressing vaccine literacy needs for this group remains an on-going priority. Health promotion initiatives must be tailored to the different socio-cultural contexts of each community. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Engagement with refugee populations is critical for optimising access and uptake of vaccines to protect health, prevent death and ensure that control of the pandemic is equitable. This may also provide valuable public health lessons for other marginalised populations.
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- 2022
12. Rumination as a Moderating Effect Between Math Computation and Executive Function Skills in Elementary Students
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Rhonda Martinussen, Melissa Kang, and Anne-Claude V. Bédard
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Coping (psychology) ,Computation ,media_common.quotation_subject ,05 social sciences ,050301 education ,Affect (psychology) ,medicine.disease ,Executive functions ,Mathematical anxiety ,Developmental psychology ,Rumination ,Developmental and Educational Psychology ,medicine ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,medicine.symptom ,Psychology ,Function (engineering) ,0503 education ,050104 developmental & child psychology ,Test anxiety ,media_common - Abstract
Although students with stronger executive functions (EFs) tend to do better on math computation (MC) assessments than students with weaker EFs, stressful testing situations may lower or affect their mathematical ability. Rumination is one maladaptive coping strategy that can negatively affect EF processes, but little is known about how it impacts the relationship between EFs and MC. This study aimed to examine the relationship between students’ performance on a standardized MC task and ratings of EF ability as a function of their level of rumination. In a sample of students from Grades 4 to 6 ( n = 72, mean age = 10.74), there was an interaction between EF scores and rumination in predicting MC. Students with weaker EF scores demonstrated worse math performance than students with stronger EF scores. Interestingly, their level of rumination moderated this association. Specifically, EF difficulties were only associated with less proficient MC performance among high ruminators; this association was not observed among those students reporting low rumination levels. For school psychologists, these findings provide insight into the potential causes of poor MC performance among students with average or better EFs.
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- 2020
13. Adolescent abortion in 11 high‐income countries including Australia: towards the establishment of a minimum data set
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Melissa Kang, Elizabeth A. Sullivan, Angela Dawson, and Anisa R. Assifi
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,030309 nutrition & dietetics ,Gestational Age ,Abortion ,Health Services Accessibility ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Pregnancy ,Induced abortion ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Retrospective Studies ,Reproductive health ,0303 health sciences ,Minimum Data Set ,Government ,Data collection ,business.industry ,Incidence ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,Public health ,public health ,Australia ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Abortion, Induced ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,Geography ,Population Surveillance ,Family Planning Services ,adolescent ,surveillance ,Female ,Public Health ,Descriptive research ,business ,Adolescent health - Abstract
© 2019 The Authors Objective: A major public health challenge in Australia is the lack of national adolescent abortion data. This descriptive study identifies, collates and describes publicly available adolescent abortion data in high-income countries including Australia, to describe trends over 10 years and provide recommendations for strengthening data collection. Methods: Data were extracted from publicly available government sources that met inclusion criteria. All relevant adolescent abortion data from 2007 to 2017 were extracted from datasets and analysed. Results: Eleven high-income countries were included. Incidence data for the adolescent population were available for all countries and states. Incidence of adolescent abortion over 10 years shows a downward trend in all countries. Gestational age at time of abortion was the second-most available variable. The level and type of data across all countries varied; there was a lack of age range standardisation and aggregation of gestational weeks differed, making comparisons difficult. Conclusion: A minimum data set of standardised abortion information will enable appropriate adolescent abortion policies and services to be developed that are informed by high quality, up-to-date intelligence. Implications for public health: Availability of data affects government’s ability to adequately monitor national adolescent health outcomes and plan and evaluate appropriate reproductive health policy and services.
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- 2019
14. Predictors of young people's healthcare access in the digital age
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Stephen Jan, Melissa Kang, Catherine Hawke, Marlene Kong, Georgina Luscombe, Lena Sanci, Katharine Steinbeck, Tim Usherwood, and Fiona Robards
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Male ,Gerontology ,Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,medicine.medical_specialty ,marginalised youth ,Adolescent ,Attitude of Health Personnel ,030309 nutrition & dietetics ,Cross-sectional study ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Vulnerable Populations ,Ordinal regression ,Health Services Accessibility ,young people ,access to healthcare ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,Health services ,0302 clinical medicine ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Health care ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,adolescents ,Young adult ,Child ,media_common ,technologies ,Internet ,0303 health sciences ,business.industry ,Public health ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,Health Services ,Help-seeking ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Social Marginalization ,Female ,Public Health ,New South Wales ,Psychology ,business ,Delivery of Health Care ,Autonomy - Abstract
© 2019 The Authors Objective: To quantify barriers to healthcare for young people (12–24 years) and identify socio-demographic correlates and predictors. Methods: This cross-sectional survey targeted young people living in New South Wales, Australia, with oversampling of marginalised groups. Principles Component Analysis (PCA) identified clusters of barriers. Ordinal regression identified predictors of each barrier cluster. Results: A total of 1,416 young people completed surveys. Participants with chronic conditions and increasing psychological distress reported a greater number of barriers. Of 11 potential barriers to visiting a health service, cost was most common (45.8%). The PCA identified three clusters: structural barriers (61.3%), attitudinal barriers (44.1%) and barriers relating to emerging autonomy (33.8%). Conclusions: Barriers to healthcare reported by young people are multi-dimensional and have changed over time. Structural barriers, especially cost, are the most prominent among young people. Approaches to overcome structural barriers need to be addressed to better support marginalised young people's healthcare access. Implications for public health: Understanding predictors of different barrier types can inform more targeted approaches to improving access. Equitable access to healthcare is a priority for early diagnosis and treatment in young people, especially reducing out of pocket costs.
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- 2019
15. Aberrant expression and subcellular localization of ECT2 drives colorectal cancer progression and growth
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Adrienne D. Cox, Owen J. Sansom, Dimitri G. Trembath, David F. Vincent, Robert S. Sandler, Armin Jarosch, Joseph A. Galanko, Temitope O. Keku, Priya S. Hibshman, Michael S Lee, Melissa Kang, Gabriela H Loeza, Andrew D. Campbell, Philipp Jurmeister, Christine Sers, Timothy D. Martin, Alan P. Fields, Verline Justilien, Jen Jen Yeh, Antje Schaefer, Danielle R. Cook, Catriona A. Ford, Adele Waters, Channing J. Der, and Karen Pickering
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Male ,Cancer Research ,Colorectal cancer ,Ribosome biogenesis ,Biology ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,Mice ,0302 clinical medicine ,Proto-Oncogene Proteins ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,030304 developmental biology ,Aged ,0303 health sciences ,Cancer ,Genomics ,Subcellular localization ,medicine.disease ,Disease Models, Animal ,Oncology ,Tumor progression ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Cancer cell ,Cancer research ,Disease Progression ,Female ,Colorectal Neoplasms ,Cytokinesis ,Nuclear localization sequence - Abstract
ECT2 is an activator of RHO GTPases that is essential for cytokinesis. In addition, ECT2 was identified as an oncoprotein when expressed ectopically in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. However, oncogenic activation of ECT2 resulted from N-terminal truncation, and such truncated ECT2 proteins have not been found in patients with cancer. In this study, we observed elevated expression of full-length ECT2 protein in preneoplastic colon adenomas, driven by increased ECT2 mRNA abundance and associated with APC tumor-suppressor loss. Elevated ECT2 levels were detected in the cytoplasm and nucleus of colorectal cancer tissue, suggesting cytoplasmic mislocalization as one mechanism of early oncogenic ECT2 activation. Importantly, elevated nuclear ECT2 correlated with poorly differentiated tumors, and a low cytoplasmic:nuclear ratio of ECT2 protein correlated with poor patient survival, suggesting that nuclear and cytoplasmic ECT2 play distinct roles in colorectal cancer. Depletion of ECT2 reduced anchorage-independent cancer cell growth and invasion independent of its function in cytokinesis, and loss of Ect2 extended survival in a KrasG12D Apc-null colon cancer mouse model. Expression of ECT2 variants with impaired nuclear localization or guanine nucleotide exchange catalytic activity failed to restore cancer cell growth or invasion, indicating that active, nuclear ECT2 is required to support tumor progression. Nuclear ECT2 promoted ribosomal DNA transcription and ribosome biogenesis in colorectal cancer. These results support a driver role for both cytoplasmic and nuclear ECT2 overexpression in colorectal cancer and emphasize the critical role of precise subcellular localization in dictating ECT2 function in neoplastic cells. Significance: ECT2 overexpression and mislocalization support its role as a driver in colon cancer that is independent from its function in normal cell cytokinesis.
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- 2021
16. Effect of a School-Based Educational Intervention About the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine on Psychosocial Outcomes Among Adolescents: Analysis of Secondary Outcomes of a Cluster Randomized Trial
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John M. Kaldor, Kirsten McCaffery, Melissa Kang, Julia M.L. Brotherton, Suzanne M. Garland, Helen Marshall, Cristyn Davies, Gregory D. Zimet, Kevin McGeechan, and S. Rachel Skinner
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Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,Adolescent ,Decision Making ,Psychological intervention ,Anxiety ,Intervention (counseling) ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Medicine ,Cluster Analysis ,Humans ,Cluster randomised controlled trial ,Papillomavirus Vaccines ,Students ,Health Education ,Original Investigation ,Response rate (survey) ,Schools ,business.industry ,Research ,Papillomavirus Infections ,Vaccination ,General Medicine ,Fear ,Western Australia ,Focus group ,Clinical trial ,Online Only ,Adolescent Behavior ,Physical therapy ,Female ,Public Health ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Psychosocial - Abstract
Key Points Question Does a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intervention in the school setting improve adolescent psychosocial outcomes? Findings In this analysis of secondary outcomes of a cluster randomized trial and qualitative evaluation of an education and logistical intervention (HPV.edu) to improve acceptability of HPV vaccination in 40 schools (6967 adolescents), the mean score for adolescent involvement in decision-making was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group. There were also small, significant differences in favor of the intervention group with respect to adolescents’ vaccination-related anxiety and self-efficacy scores, measured before each of the 3 vaccine doses. Meaning An HPV vaccination intervention implemented in schools improved psychosocial vaccine-related outcomes in adolescents, an effect that was maintained throughout the vaccination course., This analysis of secondary outcomes of a cluster randomized trial examines the effect of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination education and logistical intervention on adolescent psychosocial outcomes., Importance Delivery of vaccination to adolescents via a school-based program provides an opportunity to promote their involvement in health decision-making, service provision, and self-efficacy (belief in one’s ability to perform a certain behavior). Objective To examine the effect of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination education and logistical intervention on adolescent psychosocial outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cluster randomized trial and process and qualitative evaluation, adolescents aged 12 to 13 years (first year of high school) were recruited at high schools in Western Australia (WA) and South Australia (SA) in 2013 and 2014. Statistical analysis was performed from January 2016 to December 2020. Interventions The complex intervention consisted of an adolescent intervention to promote knowledge and psychosocial outcomes, shared decisional support tool, and logistical strategies. Main Outcomes and Measures Prespecified secondary outcomes were assessed. The HPV Adolescent Vaccination Intervention Questionnaire (HAVIQ) was used to measure changes in adolescent knowledge (6-item subscale), fear and anxiety (6-item subscale), self-efficacy (5-item subscale), and decision-making (8-item subscale). The hypothesis was that the intervention would improve adolescent involvement in vaccine decision-making (measured before dose 1 only), improve vaccine-related self-efficacy, and reduce vaccine-related fear and anxiety (measured before doses 1, 2, and 3). Mean (SD) scores for each subscale were compared between intervention and control students. In the process evaluation, focus groups were conducted. Analyses of the HAVIQ data were conducted from 2016 to 2020. Qualitative analyses of the focus groups were undertaken from 2017 to 2020. Results The trial included 40 schools (21 intervention and 19 control) across sectors with 6967 adolescents (mean [SD] age, 13.70 [0.45] years). There were 3805 students (1689 girls and 2116 boys) in the intervention group and 3162 students (1471 girls and 1691 boys) in the control group. The overall response rate for the HAVIQ was 55%. In WA, where parental consent was required, the response rate was 35% (1676 of 4751 students); in SA, where parental consent was not required, it was 97% (2166 of 2216 students). The mean (SD) score for decision-making in the intervention group before dose 1 was 3.50 (0.42) of 5 points and 3.40 (0.40) in the control group, a small but significant difference of 0.11 point (95% CI, 0.06 to 0.16 point; P < .001). There was a small difference in favor of the intervention group in reduced vaccination-related anxiety (pre–dose 1 difference, −0.11 point [95% CI, −0.19 to −0.02 point]; pre–dose 2 difference, −0.18 point [95% CI, −0.26 to −0.10 point]; pre–dose 3 difference, −0.18 [95% CI, −0.24 to −0.11]) and increased vaccination self-efficacy (pre–dose 1 difference, 4.0 points; [95% CI, 1.0 to 7.0 points]; pre–dose 2 difference, 4.0 points [95% CI, 2.0 to 6.0 points]; pre–dose 3 difference, 3.0 points [95% CI, 1.0 to 5.0 points]). Focus group data from 111 adolescents in 6 intervention and 5 control schools revealed more confidence and less anxiety with each vaccine dose. Conclusions and Relevance In this cluster randomized trial, there was a small difference in adolescent decisional involvement and vaccine-related confidence and reduced vaccination-related fear and anxiety that was maintained throughout the vaccine course in the intervention vs control groups. Guidelines for vaccination at school should incorporate advice regarding how this outcome can be achieved. Trial Registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12614000404628
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- 2021
17. Building evidence into youth health policy: a case study of the access 3 knowledge translation forum
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Daniel Waller, Fiona Robards, Carmen Huckel Schneider, Lena Sanci, Katharine Steinbeck, Sally Gibson, Tim Usherwood, Catherine Hawke, Stephen Jan, Marlene Kong, and Melissa Kang
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Mental Health Services ,Adolescent ,Health Policy ,Health Policy & Services ,Administrative Personnel ,1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1605 Policy and Administration ,Humans ,Policy Making ,Translational Science, Biomedical - Abstract
Background Effective integration of evidence and youth perspectives into policy is crucial for supporting the future health and well-being of young people. The aim of this project was to translate evidence from the Access 3 project to support development of a new state policy on youth health and well-being within New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Ensuring the active contribution of young people within policy development was a key objective of the knowledge translation (KT) process. Methods The KT activity consisted of a 1-day facilitated forum with 64 purposively sampled stakeholders. Participants included eight young people, 14 policy-makers, 15 academics, 22 clinicians or managers from NSW health services, four general practitioners and one mental health service worker. Research to be translated came from the synthesized findings of the NSW Access 3 project. The design of the forum included stakeholder presentations and group workshops, guided by the 2003 Lavis et al. KT framework that was improved by the Grimshaw et al. KT framework in 2012. Members of the Access 3 research team took on the role of knowledge brokers throughout the KT process. Participant satisfaction with the workshop was evaluated using a brief self-report survey. Policy uptake was determined through examination of the subsequent NSW Youth Health Framework 2017–2024. Results A total of 25 policy recommendations were established through the workshop, and these were grouped into six themes that broadly aligned with the synthesized findings from the Access 3 project. The six policy themes were (1) technology solutions, (2) integrated care and investment to build capacity, (3) adolescent health checks, (4) workforce, (5) youth participation and (6) youth health indicators. Forum members were asked to vote on the importance of individual recommendations. These policy recommendations were subsequently presented to the NSW Ministry of Health, with some evidence of policy uptake identified. The majority of participants rated the forum positively. Conclusions The utilization of KT theories and active youth engagement led to the successful translation of research evidence and youth perspectives into NSW youth health policy. Future research should examine the implementation of policy arising from these KT efforts.
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- 2021
18. Emergency Department Initiated Mental Health Interventions for Young People: A Systematic Review
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Katharine Steinbeck, Sharon Medlow, Melissa Kang, Lin Perry, S. Rachel Skinner, Rebecca Ivers, Patricia Cullen, Natasha Walker, and Amanda Georges
- Subjects
Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Health Personnel ,Best practice ,Psychological intervention ,Young Adult ,Intervention (counseling) ,Humans ,Medicine ,Child ,Service (business) ,business.industry ,General Medicine ,Emergency department ,Mental health ,Emergency & Critical Care Medicine ,Mental Health ,Family medicine ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Community health ,Emergency Medicine ,1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine ,Emergency Service, Hospital ,business ,Inclusion (education) - Abstract
ObjectiveYoung people (10-24 years old) with mental health concerns are increasingly presenting to hospital emergency departments (EDs). The purpose of this review was to identify the core components and outcomes of mental health interventions for young people that are initiated in the ED, such that they are delivered in the ED and/or by ED health workers.MethodsSix electronic databases were systematically searched. Primary peer-reviewed qualitative or quantitative studies describing an ED-initiated mental health intervention for young people published between 2009 and 2020 were included.ResultsNine studies met the inclusion criteria. The included studies demonstrated that compared with traditional ED care, ED-initiated mental health interventions lead to improved efficiency of care and decreased length of stay, and a core component of this care was its delivery by allied health practitioners with mental health expertise. The studies were limited by focusing on service efficiencies rather than patient outcomes. Further limitations were the exclusion of young people with complex mental health needs and/or comorbidities and not measuring long-term positive mental health outcomes, including representations and whether young people were connected with community health services.ConclusionsThis systematic review demonstrated that ED-initiated mental health interventions result in improved service outcomes, but further innovation and robust evaluation are required. Future research should determine whether these interventions lead to better clinical outcomes for young people and staff to inform the development of best practice recommendations for ED-initiated mental health care for young people presenting to the ED.
- Published
- 2021
19. School-Level Variation in Coverage of Co-Administered dTpa and HPV Dose 1 in Three Australian States
- Author
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Mark Veitch, Vicky Sheppeard, Lisa J. Whop, Sharyn Burns, Nikole Lane, S R Skinner, Chloe A Thomson, Cassandra Vujovich-Dunn, Heather F. Gidding, John M. Kaldor, Rebecca Lorch, Sonya Ennis, Paul V. Effler, Karen Canfell, Lena Sanci, Julie Leask, Michael Kidd, Cristyn Davies, Melissa Kang, Jana Sisnowski, Meredith Temple-Smith, Rebecca Guy, Jane S Hocking, Julia M.L. Brotherton, Linda A. Selvey, Handan Wand, Alison Venn, Megan Smith, and Dennis Meijer
- Subjects
Multivariate analysis ,Immunology ,education ,Article ,Interquartile range ,Drug Discovery ,differential uptake ,medicine ,school-based immunisation ,Pharmacology (medical) ,School level ,implementation ,Pharmacology ,Cancer prevention ,cancer prevention ,Tetanus ,business.industry ,Diphtheria ,medicine.disease ,vaccination ,Vaccination ,Infectious Diseases ,Context specific ,Medicine ,evaluation and impact ,adolescent vaccination ,business ,vaccine specific hesitancy ,Demography - Abstract
Background: Australian adolescents are routinely offered HPV and dTpa (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccines simultaneously in the secondary school vaccination program. We identified schools where HPV initiation was lower than dTpa coverage and associated school-level factors across three states. Methods: HPV vaccination initiation rates and dTpa vaccination coverage in 2016 were calculated using vaccine databases and school enrolment data. A multivariate analysis assessed sociodemographic and school-level factors associated with HPV initiation being >, 5% absolute lower than dTpa coverage. Results: Of 1280 schools included, the median school-level HPV initiation rate was 85% (interquartile range (IQR):75–90%) and the median dTpa coverage was 86% (IQR:75–92%). Nearly a quarter (24%) of all schools had HPV vaccination initiation >, 5% lower than dTpa coverage and 11 % had >, 10% difference. School-level factors independently associated with >, 5% difference were remote schools (aOR:3.5, 95% CI = 1.7–7.2) and schools in major cities (aOR:1.8, 95% CI = 1.0–3.0), small schools (aOR:3.3, 95% CI = 2.3–5.7), higher socioeconomic advantage (aOR:1.7, 95% CI = 1.1–2.6), and lower proportions of Language-background-other-than-English (aOR:1.9, 95% CI = 1.2–3.0). Conclusion: The results identified a quarter of schools had lower HPV than dTpa initiation coverage, which may indicate HPV vaccine hesitancy, and the difference was more likely in socioeconomically advantaged schools. As hesitancy is context specific, it is important to understand the potential drivers of hesitancy and future research needs to understand the reasons driving differential uptake.
- Published
- 2021
20. Remembering more than you can say: Re-examining 'amnesia' of attended attributes
- Author
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Daryl E. Wilson, Melissa Kang, and Geoffrey W. Harrison
- Subjects
media_common.quotation_subject ,lcsh:BF1-990 ,Amnesia ,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology ,050105 experimental psychology ,Task (project management) ,Memory models ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) ,Phenomenon ,Encoding (memory) ,Developmental and Educational Psychology ,medicine ,Humans ,Attention ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Attention and memory ,media_common ,Working memory ,05 social sciences ,General Medicine ,Surprise ,Memory, Short-Term ,lcsh:Psychology ,Mental Recall ,Negative priming ,Memory consolidation ,medicine.symptom ,Psychology ,Color Perception ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Cognitive psychology ,Attribute amnesia - Abstract
Attribute amnesia (AA) describes a phenomenon whereby observers fail a surprise memory test which asks them to report an attribute they had just attended and used to fulfil a task goal. This finding has cast doubt on the prominent theory that attention results in encoding into working memory (WM), to which two competing explanations have been proposed: (1) task demands dictate whether attended information is encoded into WM, and (2) attended information is encoded in a weak state that does not survive the demands of the surprise memory test. To address this debate our study circumvented the limitations of a surprise memory test by embedding a second search task within a typical color-based AA search task. The search task was modified so that the attended attribute would reappear in the second search as either the target, a distractor, or not at all. Critically, our results support encoding of the attended attribute in WM though to a weaker extent than the attribute that is required for report. A second experiment confirmed that WM encoding only occurs for the attended attribute, though distractor attributes produce a bias consistent with negative priming. Our data provide novel support for a theory of memory consolidation that links the strength of a memory's representation with expectations for how it will be used in a task. Implications for the utility of this procedure in future investigations previously limited by single trial data (i.e., surprise question methodology) are discussed.
- Published
- 2021
21. Intersectionality: Social Marginalisation and Self-Reported Health Status in Young People
- Author
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Melissa Kang, Susan Towns, Karen Zwi, Lena Sanci, Tim Usherwood, Fiona Robards, Catherine Hawke, Georgina Luscombe, and Katharine Steinbeck
- Subjects
Gerontology ,Adult ,Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ,marginalised youth ,Adolescent ,Cross-sectional study ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Refugee ,Health Status ,lcsh:Medicine ,Human sexuality ,intersectionalities ,Toxicology ,Article ,young people ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,adolescents ,Young adult ,Child ,Disadvantage ,Intersectionality ,lcsh:R ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Australia ,Mental health ,Torres strait ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,access to health care ,Self Report ,New South Wales ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Background: The aim of this study was to measure young people&rsquo, s health status and explore associations between health status and belonging to one or more socio-culturally marginalised group. Methods: part of the Access 3 project, this cross-sectional survey of young people aged 12&ndash, 24 years living in New South Wales, Australia, oversampled young people from one or more of the following groups: Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander, living in rural and remote areas, homeless, refugee, and/or, sexuality and/or gender diverse. This paper reports on findings pertaining to health status, presence of chronic health conditions, psychological distress, and wellbeing measures. Results: 1416 participants completed the survey, 897 (63.3%) belonged to at least one marginalised group, 574 (40.5%) to one, 281 (19.8%) to two and 42 (3.0%) to three or four groups. Belonging to more marginalised groups was significantly associated with having more chronic health conditions (p = 0.001), a greater likelihood of high psychological distress (p = 0.001) and of illness or injury related absence from school or work (p <, 0.05). Conclusions: increasing marginalisation is associated with decreasing health status. Using an intersectional lens can to be a useful way to understand disadvantage for young people belonging to multiple marginalised groups.
- Published
- 2020
22. The relationship between having a regular general practitioner (GP) and the experience of healthcare barriers: a cross-sectional study among young people in NSW, Australia, with oversampling from marginalised groups
- Author
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Tim Usherwood, Georgina Luscombe, Lena Sanci, Melissa Kang, and Fiona Robards
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander ,Adolescent ,Cross-sectional study ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Human sexuality ,Adolescents ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,General Practitioners ,Health care ,Humans ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Survey ,Health equity ,Primary health care ,media_common ,lcsh:R5-920 ,business.industry ,030503 health policy & services ,Health services accessibility ,Australia ,Continuity of patient care ,Preventive health ,Odds ratio ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Feeling ,Family medicine ,General practice ,New South Wales ,lcsh:Medicine (General) ,0305 other medical science ,Family Practice ,business ,Research Article - Abstract
Background Young people (12–24 years) visit general practice but may not have a ‘regular’ general practitioner (GP). Whether continuity of GP care influences experiences with, and barriers to, health care among young people is unknown. This paper explores the association between having a regular GP and experience of healthcare barriers and attitudes to health system navigation among young people in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods This study was a cross-sectional survey administered either online or face-to-face in community settings. Young people living in NSW were recruited, with oversampling of those from five socio-culturally marginalised groups (those who were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, homeless, of refugee background, in rural or remote locations, sexuality and/or gender diverse). In this analysis of a larger dataset, we examined associations between having a regular GP, demographic and health status variables, barriers to health care and attitudes to health system navigation, using chi-square tests and odds ratios. Content and thematic analyses were applied to free-text responses to explore young people’s views about having a regular GP. Results One thousand four hundred and sixteen young people completed the survey between 2016 and 2017. Of these, 81.1% had seen a GP in the previous 6 months and 57.8% had a regular GP. Cost was the most frequently cited barrier (45.8%) to accessing health care generally. Those with a regular GP were less likely to cite cost and other structural barriers, feeling judged, and not knowing which service to go to. Having a regular GP was associated with having more positive attitudes to health system navigation. Free-text responses provided qualitative insights, including the importance of building a relationship with one GP. Conclusions General practice is the appropriate setting for preventive health care and care coordination. Having a regular GP is associated with fewer barriers and more positive attitudes to health system navigation and may provide better engagement with and coordination of care. Strategies are needed to increase the proportion of young people who have a regular GP.
- Published
- 2020
23. Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy in Anglophone Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review of National Policies
- Author
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Lin Perry, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Melissa Kang, and Fiona Brooks
- Subjects
Health (social science) ,Adolescent ,Leadership and Management ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Health Information Management ,Pregnancy ,Political science ,Humans ,National Policy ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Policy Making ,Human resources ,Reproductive health ,Government ,030219 obstetrics & reproductive medicine ,business.industry ,Health Policy ,Monitoring and evaluation ,Public relations ,Policy ,Reproductive Health ,Systematic review ,Content analysis ,Pregnancy in Adolescence ,Female ,Reproductive Health Services ,business ,Strengths and weaknesses - Abstract
Background: Despite the existence of preventive policies across sub-Saharan Africa, countries within the sub-region lead global rankings for rates of adolescent pregnancy. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and review national policies on the prevention of adolescent pregnancy in Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Relevant policies were identified from searches of national government websites and the search engine Google. Recognised screening and data extraction processes were used; data were subjected to content analysis using a published Framework for Evaluating Program and Policy Design on Adolescent Reproductive Health. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews guidelines was used in reporting the review. Results: In line with the inclusion criteria that guided the selection of relevant policies in this study, 17 of 75 national policies were suitable for the analysis. All were backed by political recognition, were government and public initiatives, acknowledged a range of determinants of adolescent pregnancy and allocated human resources to policy activities. Few specified financial resourcing. Most policies acknowledged the importance of coordination and collaboration among public and private actors. All policies had objectives that addressed adolescent pregnancy but none were measurable or included timeframes. Provision of comprehensive sexuality education and adolescent reproductive health services were the most common recommendations. Monitoring and evaluation plans were present in all the policies. However, youth involvement in policy formulation, and plans for implementation, monitoring and evaluation was scarce. Conclusion: Overall, national policy strengths were seen in relation to their political recognition, and all aspects of policy formulation. Policy implementation strengths and weaknesses were identified, the latter in relation to clear descriptions of financial resources. Importantly, the absence of measurable and time-bound objectives or formal evaluation of policy effectiveness confounds demonstration of what has been delivered and achieved. Youth involvement was notably absent in many policies. For future policy-setting, governments and policy-makers should make efforts to engage young people in policy development and to be transparent, realistic and address the necessary financial resourcing. They should set quantifiable policy objectives that provide a basis for assessing the adoption, uptake and effectiveness of policies in relation to measurable objectives.
- Published
- 2020
24. Assessing care trajectories of adolescent females seeking early induced abortion in New South Wales: multistage, mixed-methods study protocol
- Author
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Melissa Kang, Anisa R. Assifi, Elizabeth A. Sullivan, and Angela Dawson
- Subjects
Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,health services administration & management ,Criminal code ,Abortion ,Health Services Accessibility ,primary care ,Young Adult ,Pregnancy ,medicine ,Humans ,Reproductive health ,Service (business) ,Protocol (science) ,Data collection ,business.industry ,Qualitative interviews ,Public health ,public health ,Australia ,Abortion, Induced ,General Medicine ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Family medicine ,Medicine ,Female ,Sexual Health ,New South Wales ,business - Abstract
IntroductionIn Australia, New South Wales (NSW), abortion has recently been removed from the criminal code. Previous research from Australia and other high-income countries has focused on adult women’s access to abortion services. This protocol describes a five-stage mixed-methods study to determine the care trajectories and experiences of adolescent females, aged 16–19 years, seeking an early induced abortion in NSW. The aims are to (1) explore the needs and perspectives of adolescent females seeking sexual and reproductive health services in NSW and (2) develop a framework for abortion service provision for adolescents in NSW.Methods and analysisThis study comprises: (1) semistructured qualitative interviews with key informants, individuals with diverse, in-depth experience of providing and/or supporting abortion care in NSW; (2) a cross-sectional online survey of adolescent females residing in NSW; (3) case study interviews with adolescents females who have accessed an abortion service in NSW; (4) a co-design workshop with adolescents who took part in stage 3 to develop relevant knowledge and recommendations and (5) a knowledge dissemination forum with key stakeholders.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been received from the University of Technology Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee for this study. Data collection commenced in March 2019 and will continue until the end of 2020. This study aims to develop a deep understanding of adolescent abortion care trajectories and experiences of abortion services in NSW. The study will deliver co-produced recommendations to improve adolescent access to abortion information and services.
- Published
- 2020
25. Australian federal, state and territory policy on the health and wellbeing of young people: A scoping review
- Author
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Lin Perry, Katharine Steinbeck, Melissa Kang, Daniel Waller, and Fiona Brooks
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Population ,Public policy ,Public administration ,Youth voice ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Political science ,medicine ,1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1605 Policy and Administration ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,education ,Policy Making ,Health policy ,education.field_of_study ,Government ,Equity (economics) ,business.industry ,030503 health policy & services ,Public health ,Health Policy ,Australia ,International health ,Health Policy & Services ,Public Health ,0305 other medical science ,business - Abstract
BackgroundThe health and wellbeing of young people are critical for the future of society but the extent to which they are addressed by overarching Australian Federal, State and Territory health policy is difficult to determine. Analysing high-level youth health policy will help establish how Australian governments are articulating and prioritising issues and may guide local and international health agendas.MethodsThis scoping review aimed to determine the extent, range and nature of Australian high-level government policy focused on the general health and wellbeing of the general population of young people. Policies published by Australian Federal, State, or Territory government departments between 2008 and 2019 were thematically analysed employing Braun and Clark's six-step recursive framework.FindingsTwelve policy documents met inclusion criteria. Three meta-themes emerged, comprising policy development, youth health challenges, and policy goals. Policy goals fell into three ubiquitous and overarching categories focused on supporting public health, promoting equity, and improving the health system for young people.ConclusionsA number of youth-specific health policies have been developed by Australian governments in recent years. Whilst goals and strategies are clearly articulated, more can be done to ensure a youth voice in policy development. The policy goals of supporting public health, promoting equity and improving the health system deserve consideration from other countries developing youth health policies.
- Published
- 2020
26. School-based HPV vaccination positively impacts parents' attitudes toward adolescent vaccination
- Author
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Kristine Macartney, Helen Marshall, Kirsten McCaffery, S. Rachel Skinner, Julie Leask, Tanya Stoney, Heidi E. Hutton, Melissa Kang, Julia M.L. Brotherton, Gregory D. Zimet, Cristyn Davies, and Adriana Parrella
- Subjects
Male ,Parents ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,Adolescent ,030231 tropical medicine ,Decision Making ,Context (language use) ,Disease ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Papillomavirus Vaccines ,Cervical cancer ,Schools ,General Veterinary ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,Papillomavirus Infections ,Vaccination ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Australia ,Patient Acceptance of Health Care ,medicine.disease ,Infectious Diseases ,Immunization ,Family medicine ,Molecular Medicine ,Female ,Thematic analysis ,Psychology ,Inclusion (education) ,Qualitative research - Abstract
Introduction This qualitative study aimed to explore parental attitudes, knowledge and decision-making about HPV vaccination for adolescents in the context of a gender-neutral school-based Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP). Methods Semi-structured interviews with parents of adolescents eligible for HPV vaccination were undertaken as part of an evaluation of a cluster-randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention in 40 schools (2013–2015). In this qualitative study, we purposively recruited a nested sample of parents from 11 schools across two Australian jurisdictions. Interviews explored parent knowledge and understanding of the HPV vaccine program; HPV vaccination decision-making; their adolescent’s knowledge about HPV vaccination; and their adolescent’s understanding about HPV vaccination, sexual awareness and behaviour. Transcripts were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Results Parents’ of 22 adolescents had positive attitudes towards the program; the school-based delivery platform was the key driver shaping acceptance of and decision-making about HPV vaccination. They had difficulty recalling, or did not read, HPV vaccination information sent home. Some adolescents were involved in discussions about vaccination, with parents’ responsible for ultimate vaccine decision-making. All parents supported in-school education for adolescents about HPV and HPV vaccination. Parents’ knowledge about HPV vaccination was limited to cervical cancer and was largely absent regarding vaccination in males. Conclusions Parents’ positive attitudes towards the NIP and inclusion of the HPV vaccine is central to their vaccine decision-making and acceptance. More intensive communication strategies including school education opportunities are required to improve parents’ knowledge of HPV-related disease and to promote vaccine decision-making with adolescents.
- Published
- 2020
27. Exploring organizational involvement preferences of student pharmacists transitioning into professional practice
- Author
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Christopher Medlin, Melissa Kang, Christina Y Martin, Laura Roccograndi, and Diane B. Ginsburg
- Subjects
Pharmacology ,Medical education ,Health Policy ,Professional development ,Pharmacy Residencies ,Professional practice ,Professional Practice ,Pharmacists ,Students, Pharmacy ,Education, Pharmacy ,Humans ,Professional association ,Psychology ,Societies - Published
- 2020
28. What adolescents think of relationship portrayals on social media: a qualitative study
- Author
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S. Rachel Skinner, Kath Albury, Spring Chenoa Cooper, Melissa Kang, Kon Shing Kenneth Chung, Megan Lim, Melody Taba, Larissa Lewis, and Deborah Bateson
- Subjects
Male ,Longitudinal study ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,social media ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,0507 social and economic geography ,02 engineering and technology ,Grounded theory ,Digital media ,Developmental psychology ,1117 Public Health and Health Services ,Young Adult ,Medicine ,Humans ,Social media ,Interpersonal Relations ,11 Medical and Health Sciences ,Qualitative Research ,Uncategorized ,business.industry ,Public health ,05 social sciences ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,11 Medical and Health Sciences, 16 Studies in Human Society ,Australia ,021107 urban & regional planning ,Witness ,Romance ,Infectious Diseases ,romantic relationships ,Adolescent Behavior ,adolescent ,qualitative ,Female ,Public Health ,business ,050703 geography ,Social Media ,Qualitative research - Abstract
© 2020 Journal Compilation Background: Understanding the factors influencing adolescents' relationship views is important because early romantic relationships often act as precursors for relationships in adulthood. This study sought to examine the types of relationship-focused content adolescents witness on social media and how they perceive its effect on their romantic relationship beliefs. Methods: Sixteen semistructured interviews were conducted with Australian adolescents aged 16-19 years who were purposively sampled from a larger longitudinal study. Interview transcripts were analysed qualitatively using constructivist grounded theory. Results: Participants described the types of romantic relationship portrayals they saw on social media, including relationship-focused trends like 'Relationship Goals' and 'Insta-Couples'. Participants explained their ability to identify incomplete and unrealistic relationship portrayals, as well as the pressure to share their relationships online in the same incomplete fashion. Views regarding the influence of social media were varied, but most believed social media relationship portrayals had some level of influence on young people's relationship views; some participants believed this occurred regardless of awareness of the incompleteness of the online portrayal. Conclusions: Although participant interview data revealed the pervasiveness of social media relationship portrayals, it also revealed the sophisticated capabilities of adolescents in critiquing online media portrayals.
- Published
- 2020
29. Recruitment and Engagement of Marginalized Young People in Mixed Methods Research: Exploring Health System Access, Engagement, and Navigation
- Author
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Cristyn Davies, Fiona Robards, Tim Usherwood, Catherine Hawke, Melissa Kang, Katharine Steinbeck, Georgina Luscombe, S. Rachel Skinner, and Lena Sanci
- Subjects
business.industry ,Multimethodology ,Sociology ,Public relations ,business - Published
- 2020
30. Youth health and practical justice – Time for renewed conversation
- Author
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Fiona Brooks, Melissa Kang, Peter Aggleton, and Angela Dawson
- Subjects
03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Conversation ,Public Health ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Justice (ethics) ,Sociology ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Criminology ,media_common - Published
- 2018
31. How Marginalized Young People Access, Engage With, and Navigate Health-Care Systems in the Digital Age: Systematic Review
- Author
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Fiona Robards, Tim Usherwood, Lena Sanci, and Melissa Kang
- Subjects
Gerontology ,Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ,Adolescent ,Health Personnel ,Youth participation ,CINAHL ,Global Health ,Health Services Accessibility ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Health care ,Global health ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Sociology ,Qualitative Research ,Reproductive health ,Intersectionality ,Internet ,030505 public health ,business.industry ,Developed Countries ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Mental health ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Social Marginalization ,0305 other medical science ,business ,Delivery of Health Care ,Qualitative research - Abstract
Purpose This systematic review examines how marginalized young people access and engage with health services and navigate health-care systems in high-income countries. Methods Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo, The University of Sydney Library database, and Google Scholar were searched to identify qualitative and quantitative original research, published from 2006 to 2017, that focused on selected definitions of marginalized young people (12 to 24 years), their parents/carers, and/or health professionals working with these populations. A thematic synthesis was undertaken identifying themes across and between groups on barriers and/or facilitators to access, engagement, and/or navigation of health-care systems. Results Of 1,796 articles identified, 68 studies in the final selection focused on marginalized young people who were homeless (n = 20), living in rural areas (n = 14), of refugee background (n = 11), gender and/or sexuality diverse (n = 11), indigenous (n = 4), low income (n = 4), young offenders (n = 2), or living with a disability (n = 2). Studies were from the United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Portugal, including 44 qualitative, 16 quantitative, and 8 mixed-method study types. Sample sizes ranged from 3 to 1,388. Eight themes were identified relating to ability to recognize and understand health issues; service knowledge and attitudes toward help seeking; structural barriers; professionals' knowledge, skills, attitudes; service environments and structures; ability to navigate the health system; youth participation; and technology opportunities. Conclusions Marginalized young people experience barriers in addition to those common to all young people. Future studies should consider the role of technology in access, engagement, and health system navigation, and the impact of intersectionality between marginalized groups.
- Published
- 2018
32. Marginalised young people’s healthcare journeys: Professionals’ perspectives
- Author
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Tim Usherwood, Kate Tolley, Catherine Hawke, Fiona Robards, Melissa Kang, and Lena Sanci
- Subjects
030505 public health ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Service provider ,Public relations ,Grounded theory ,Health equity ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Health care ,Transgender ,Power structure ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Sociology ,0305 other medical science ,business ,Sampling frame ,Disadvantage - Abstract
Introduction: The pursuit of social justice includes a commitment to health equity for marginalised young people. Health professionals are central to marginalised young people’s engagement and access to health care and their navigation of health systems. They are also uniquely positioned to shed insight into structures and inefficiencies within the health system, including the role of technology, and to advocate for system change. Methods: This qualitative cross-sectional study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews with 22 health service managers and experienced clinicians to better understand service providers’ perspectives. The sampling frame comprised professionals from different sectors and levels of the health system. Analysis used Grounded Theory methods. Results: Three major themes were identified in the data: (1) intersectionalities – understanding the complexity of multiple disadvantage; (2) health system fragmentation – leading to inefficiencies, inertia and advocacy; and (3) services needing to be ‘turned on their head’ – rethinking service delivery and models of care. Conclusion: A better understanding of marginalised young people’s healthcare experiences, including the complexities of multiple disadvantage, and how this contributes to health inequalities could lead to more welcoming and respectful services. Services can reconceptualise their roles by reaching out to young people, both physically and online, to make the navigation of the health system easier. Marginalised young people’s healthcare journeys can be supported by advocates that help them navigate the health system.
- Published
- 2018
33. Health status of marginalised young people in unstable accommodation
- Author
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Melissa Kang, Veronica Vatiliotis, Emily Klineberg, Sharon Medlow, Michael Cummings, Graeme Pringle, Katharine Steinbeck, and Lucinda Sullivan
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,030505 public health ,business.industry ,Health services research ,Mental health ,Physical trauma ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,NOMINATE ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,medicine ,Case note ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Justice (ethics) ,Disengagement theory ,0305 other medical science ,business ,Psychiatry ,Accommodation - Abstract
Aim More than 26 000 Australians aged 12–24 years experience homelessness, yet data on the health status of homeless youth remain limited. The aim of this study was to describe the health of young people attending a youth health service in Western Sydney who were experiencing homelessness. Methods Retrospective case note review for clients aged 12–25 years attending Youth Health Services in Western Sydney. Extracted data included: homelessness status; demographics; physical health issues; mental health issues; involvement with juvenile justice; and disengagement from education or employment. Results Just under half of the 180 clients attending a Youth Health Service in Western Sydney were homeless, and an additional 15 young people who were not currently homeless nominated homelessness as a presenting issue. In comparison with currently domiciled young people, homeless youth were less likely to have a regular general practitioner and more likely to nominate a physical health concern as a presenting issue, although there was no difference between groups in terms of diagnosed mental or physical health conditions. Considered as a whole, the sample showed high rates of acute physical symptoms, physical trauma, psychological distress and self-harm. Conclusions Youth homelessness is associated with risk of both poor physical and mental health. As much of youth homelessness is hidden, health-care providers need to ensure that they inquire about homelessness status, and have an awareness of potentially complex multi-morbidities in the physical and mental health of young marginalised people presenting to health services.
- Published
- 2017
34. Health care equity and access for marginalised young people: a longitudinal qualitative study exploring health system navigation in Australia
- Author
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Lena Sanci, Katharine Steinbeck, Fiona Robards, Ying Ying Liew, Stephen Jan, Catherine Hawke, Melissa Kang, Tim Usherwood, and Marlene Kong
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Health literacy ,Adolescents ,Health Services Accessibility ,Health system navigation ,Grounded theory ,Young Adult ,Nursing ,Health care ,medicine ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,Sociology ,Child ,Qualitative Research ,Marginalised youth ,Health policy ,Health Equity ,business.industry ,Research ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,Health Policy ,Public health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Health services research ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,Technologies ,Health equity ,Access to health care ,Social Marginalization ,Female ,Young people ,Public Health ,New South Wales ,business ,Delivery of Health Care ,Qualitative research - Abstract
Background Young people have unique social, emotional and developmental needs that require a welcoming and responsive health system, and policies that support their access to health care. Those who are socially or culturally marginalised may face additional challenges in navigating health care, contributing to health inequity. The aim of this study was to understand health system navigation, including the role of technology, for young people belonging to one or more marginalised groups, in order to inform youth health policy in New South Wales, Australia. Methods This qualitative longitudinal study involved 2–4 interviews each over 6 to 12 months with marginalised young people aged 12–24 years living in NSW. The analysis used Nvivo software and grounded theory. Results We interviewed 41 young people at baseline who were living in rural or remote areas, sexuality and/or gender diverse, refugee, homeless, and/or Aboriginal. A retention rate of over 85% was achieved. Nineteen belonged to more than one marginalised group allowing an exploration of intersectionality. General practitioners (family physicians) were the most commonly accessed service throughout the study period. Participants were ambivalent about their healthcare journeys. Qualitative analysis identified five themes:Technology brings opportunities to understand, connect and engage with servicesHealthcare journeys are shaped by decisions weighing up convenience, engagement, effectiveness and affordability.Marginalised young people perceive and experience multiple forms of discrimination leading to forgone care.Multiple marginalisation makes health system navigation more challengingThe impact of health system complexity and fragmentation may be mitigated by system knowledge and navigation support Conclusions The compounding effects of multiple discrimination and access barriers were experienced more strongly for young people belonging to mutiple marginalised groups. We identify several areas for improving clinical practice and policy. Integrating technology and social media into processes that facilitate access and navigation, providing respectful and welcoming services that recognise diversity, improving health literacy and involving professionals in advocacy and navigation support may help to address these issues. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12939-019-0941-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
- Published
- 2019
35. Prescribing for adolescents
- Author
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Kiely Kim and Melissa Kang
- Subjects
Unconscious mind ,Psychotherapist ,Medical treatment ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Clinical judgement ,Adolescent patient ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Informed consent ,General & Internal Medicine ,Pharmacology (medical) ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Adolescent development ,Psychology ,Autonomy ,media_common - Abstract
The process of prescribing changes as children move into adulthood. For some medicines, such as psychotropic drugs, safety and efficacy are less well understood in adolescents As adolescents mature they attain the capacity to consent to their own medical treatment. An assessment of their competency will need to take into account the nature of the treatment being proposed Parental involvement is usually beneficial particularly for adolescents with chronic or complex conditions, but increasing adolescent autonomy needs to be respected Adherence to treatment can be supported by understanding adolescent development and involving adolescents in management plans Keywords: adolescent development, informed consent Introduction The challenges in prescribing for adolescents fall into four main categories: medicine safety and efficacy, taking into account the physiology of puberty the increasing autonomy of the adolescent patient conscious or unconscious clinician bias regarding young people concerns about adherence. Prescribing decisions will involve clinical judgement, the adolescent’s preferences, parent’s or carer’s wishes and the medicolegal framework.
- Published
- 2019
36. Abortion care pathways and service provision for adolescents in high-income countries: A qualitative synthesis of the evidence
- Author
-
Angela Dawson, Anisa R. Assifi, Melissa Kang, and Elizabeth A. Sullivan
- Subjects
Service delivery framework ,Maternal Health ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Social Sciences ,Abortion ,Adolescents ,Geographical locations ,Health Services Accessibility ,Families ,Database and Informatics Methods ,Cognition ,Pregnancy ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Psychology ,Confidentiality ,Termination of Pregnancy ,Database Searching ,Children ,reproductive and urinary physiology ,Multidisciplinary ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,Information quality ,Medical abortion ,Telemedicine ,embryonic structures ,Abortion, Legal ,Medicine ,Female ,Research Article ,Adolescent ,Science ,Legislation ,Decision Making ,Context (language use) ,Medical Services ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Nursing ,medicine ,Humans ,Developed Countries ,Cognitive Psychology ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Abortion, Induced ,Patient Acceptance of Health Care ,United States ,Health Care ,Age Groups ,People and Places ,North America ,Women's Health ,Cognitive Science ,Population Groupings ,Law and Legal Sciences ,Neuroscience - Abstract
Limited research in high-income countries (HICs) examines adolescent abortion care-seeking pathways. This review aims to examine the pathways and experiences of adolescents when seeking abortion care, and service delivery processes in provision of such care. We undertook a systematic search of the literature to identify relevant studies in HICs (2000–2020). A directed content analysis of qualitative and quantitative studies was conducted. Findings were organised to one or more of three domains of an a priori conceptual framework: context, components of abortion care and access pathway. Thirty-five studies were included. Themes classified to the Context domain included adolescent-specific and restrictive abortion legislation, mostly focused on the United States. Components of abortion care themes included confidentiality, comprehensive care, and abortion procedure. Access pathway themes included delays to access, abortion procedure information, decision-making, clinic operation and environments, and financial and transportation barriers. This review highlights issues affecting access to abortion that are particularly salient for adolescents, including additional legal barriers and challenges receiving care due to their age. Opportunities to enhance abortion access include removing legal barriers, provision of comprehensive care, enhancing the quality of information, and harnessing innovative delivery approaches offered by medical abortion.
- Published
- 2020
37. Talking to migrant and refugee young people about sexual health in general practice
- Author
-
Anthony B. Zwi, Jessica R. Botfield, Christy E. Newman, and Melissa Kang
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Project commissioning ,Refugee ,Sexual Behavior ,Judgement ,General Practice ,Health Promotion ,Interviews as Topic ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Nursing ,medicine ,Humans ,Confidentiality ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Qualitative Research ,Preventive healthcare ,Reproductive health ,Transients and Migrants ,030505 public health ,business.industry ,Focus Groups ,Health promotion ,Female ,Sexual Health ,0305 other medical science ,business ,Psychology ,Qualitative research - Abstract
Background and objectives: Young people are an important group to target with health promotion and preventive healthcare. This paper focuses on the engagement of migrant and refugee young people with sexual and reproductive healthcare in general practice. Method: Semi-structured first interviews (n = 27; 16 female, 11 male) and follow-up interviews (n = nine; six female, three male) were undertaken with migrant and refugee young people aged 16-24 years living in Sydney. Results: The majority of participants had seen a general practitioner (GP) for general health issues. However, most were reluctant to discuss sexual health with a practitioner whom they described as their 'family doctor', primarily because of concerns about judgement and confidentiality. Most described negative experiences with GPs for sexual health matters, including not being listened to or being rushed through the appointment. Discussion: There appears to be a lack of effective engagement with migrant and refugee young people by GPs in relation to sexual health. Building the skills and confidence of GPs to work with this group and promote sexual health and wellbeing should be considered, and efforts should be made to communicate confidentiality and trustworthiness.
- Published
- 2018
38. Racism and Its Harmful Effects on Nondominant Racial-Ethnic Youth and Youth-Serving Providers: A Call to Action for Organizational Change
- Author
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Melissa Kang, Tamera Coyne-Beasley, Lisa Barkley, Enoch Leung, Veenod L. Chulani, Michele A. Kelley, Maria Veronica Svetaz, Kimberly J. West, Raina Voss, Marissa Raymond-Flesch, and Wanda Thruston
- Subjects
Ethnocentrism ,Equity (economics) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,education ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Criminology ,Racism ,Minority stress ,Call to action ,03 medical and health sciences ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,0302 clinical medicine ,030225 pediatrics ,Xenophobia ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Justice (ethics) ,Psychology ,media_common ,Adolescent health - Abstract
Author(s): Svetaz, Maria Veronica; Chulani, Veenod; West, Kimberly J; Voss, Raina; Kelley, Michele A; Raymond-Flesch, Marissa; Thruston, Wanda; Coyne-Beasley, Tamera; Kang, Melissa; Leung, Enoch; Barkley, Lisa | Abstract: Racism can exert negative effects on the self-concepts, health and well-being, and life trajectories of both nondominant racial-ethnic (NDRE) youth and youth-serving providers. In the face of growing nationalism, ethnocentrism, xenophobia, and overt expressions of racism, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine recognizes the critically important need to address the issue of racism and its impact on both NDRE youth and youth-serving providers. Organizations involved in clinical care delivery and health professions training and education must recognize the deleterious effects of racism on health and well-being, take strong positions against discriminatory policies, practices, and events, and take action to promote safe and affirming environments. The positions presented in this paper provide a comprehensive set of recommendations to promote routine clinical assessment of youth experiences of racism and its potential impact on self-concept, health and well-being, and for effective interventions when affected youth are identified. The positions also reflect the concerns of NDRE providers, trainees, and students potentially impacted by racism, chronic minority stress, and vicarious trauma and the imperative to create safe and affirming work and learning environments across all levels of practice, training, and education in the health professions. In this position paper, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine affirms its commitment to foundational moral and ethical principles of justice, equity, and respect for humanity; acknowledges racism in its myriad forms; defines strategies to best promote resiliency and support the health and well-being of NDRE youth, providers, trainees, and students; and provides recommendations on the ways to best effect systemic change.
- Published
- 2018
39. Evaluation of a school screening programme for young people from refugee backgrounds
- Author
-
Lisa Woodland, Melissa Kang, Astrid Perry, Sandy Eagar, Chris Elliot, and Karen Zwi
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Refugee ,Impact evaluation ,Qualitative property ,Focus group ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Nursing ,030225 pediatrics ,Family medicine ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Needs assessment ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Intersectoral Collaboration ,Thematic analysis ,business ,Qualitative research - Abstract
Aim To describe the development of the Optimising Health and Learning Program, guided by the only available published framework for the delivery of health services to newly arrived refugee children and report on the evaluation of the programme. Methods We conducted process and impact evaluation using a mixed methods approach. The sample was 294 refugee young people enrolled in two Intensive English Centres in New South Wales. We collected quantitative data (demographic and clinical information) as well as qualitative data via focus groups, key informant interviews, surveys and programme documentation. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis; programme documents underwent document review. Results There were high levels of programme participation (90%), and the yield from routine health screening was high (80% of participants screened positive for two or more health conditions). All identified programme development strategies were implemented; programme partners and participants reported satisfaction with the programme. Sixteen programme partners were identified with a high level of intersectoral collaboration reported. Significant in-kind contributions and seed funding enabled the uptake of the programme to increase from one to five Intensive English Centres over a 4-year period. Conclusion Process and impact evaluation identified that the programme was well implemented and met its stated objectives of increasing the detection of health conditions likely to impact on student health and learning; linkage of newly arrived students and their families with primary health care; and coordination of care across primary health and specialist services.
- Published
- 2015
40. Access 3 project protocol: Young people and health system navigation in the digital age: A multifaceted, mixed methods study
- Author
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Stephen Jan, Lena Sanci, Catherine Hawke, Melissa Kang, Tim Usherwood, Fiona Robards, Marlene Kong, and Katharine Steinbeck
- Subjects
Research design ,knowledge translation ,Adolescent ,Refugee ,Health Status ,Human sexuality ,Adolescents ,Health Services Accessibility ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Knowledge translation ,Health care ,Protocol ,Medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Longitudinal Studies ,Child ,Health policy ,Qualitative Research ,youth ,Medical education ,Internet ,030505 public health ,business.industry ,health policy ,General Medicine ,Consumer Health Informatics ,Oceanic Ancestry Group ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Research Design ,health services accessibility ,Public Health ,Self Report ,New South Wales ,0305 other medical science ,business ,Consumer health informatics ,Attitude to Health ,Qualitative research - Abstract
BackgroundThe integration of digital technology into everyday lives of young people has become widespread. It is not known whether and how technology influences barriers and facilitators to healthcare, and whether and how young people navigate between face-to-face and virtual healthcare. To provide new knowledge essential to policy and practice, we designed a study that would explore health system access and navigation in the digital age. The study objectives are to: (1) describe experiences of young people accessing and navigating the health system in New South Wales (NSW), Australia; (2) identify barriers and facilitators to healthcare for young people and how these vary between groups; (3) describe health system inefficiencies, particularly for young people who are marginalised; (4) provide policy-relevant knowledge translation of the research data.Methods and analysisThis mixed methods study has four parts, including: (1) a cross-sectional survey of young people (12–24 years) residing in NSW, Australia; (2) a longitudinal, qualitative study of a subsample of marginalised young people (defined as young people who: identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; are experiencing homelessness; identify as sexuality and/or gender diverse; are of refugee or vulnerable migrant background; and/or live in rural or remote NSW); (3) interviews with professionals; (4) a knowledge translation forum.Ethics and disseminationEthics approvals were sought and granted. Data collection commenced in March 2016 and will continue until June 2017. This study will gather practice and policy-relevant intelligence about contemporary experiences of young people and health services, with a unique focus on five different groups of marginalised young people, documenting their experiences over time.Access 3will explore navigation around all levels of the health system, determine whether digital technology is integrated into this, and if so how, and will translate findings into policy-relevant recommendations.
- Published
- 2017
41. Improving sexual healthcare in general practice
- Author
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Tim Usherwood, Penelope A Abbott, Jennifer Reath, Melissa Kang, Wendy Hu, Carolyn Murray, Ann M Dadich, Chris Bourne, and Hassan Hosseinzadeh
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Nursing ,Leadership and Management ,business.industry ,Health Policy ,Family medicine ,Health care ,General practice ,medicine ,Outcome measures ,Sexual history ,Primary care ,business - Abstract
Objective: Describe how different types of resources are received and perceived by primary care clinicians to improve sexual healthcare. Study design: Cross-sectional online survey of primary care clinicians in New South Wales, Australia, to evaluate the perceived impact of nine resources to promote sexual healthcare—seven were tailored to general practitioners (GPs) and two to practice nurses (PNs). Participants: 431 primary care clinicians (GPs=214; PNs=217). Main outcome measures: Awareness, use and perceived impact of the resources. Principal findings: Most GPs were aware of and used the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Testing Tool; the Online STI Testing Tool GP training was perceived to improve GPs' ability to raise the topic of STIs with patients and order appropriate tests. Although the highest proportion of PNs were aware of the online STI PN training, most used the PN Postcard. The former helped to improve PNs' ability to identify at-risk patients and document sexual history. Conclusions: This study supports the need for a multimodal approach to improve the delivery of sexual healthcare in general practice. This would involve the communication of similar messages in different modes, via different channels, at different times.
- Published
- 2014
42. Adolescents' Use of Dr Google: Help or Hindrance?
- Author
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Melissa Kang, Kirsten McCaffery, Karen M. Scott, Patrina H Y Caldwell, and S. Rachel Skinner
- Subjects
03 medical and health sciences ,Medical education ,0302 clinical medicine ,business.industry ,030225 pediatrics ,Information seeking behavior ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,MEDLINE ,Medicine ,Health literacy ,030212 general & internal medicine ,business - Published
- 2018
43. Understanding Access and Equity: Associations between Barriers to Health Care and Social Marginalisation
- Author
-
Catherine Hawke, Georgina Luscombe, Stephen Jan, Lena Sanci, Katharine Steinbeck, Fiona Robards, Melissa Kang, Tim Usherwood, and Marlene Kong
- Subjects
Psychiatry and Mental health ,Economic growth ,Equity (economics) ,business.industry ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Health care ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,business - Published
- 2018
44. How Do Marginalized Young People Navigate the Australian Healthcare System?
- Author
-
Fiona Robards, Katharine Steinbeck, Lena Sanci, Tim Usherwood, Catherine Hawke, Marlene Kong, Stephen Jan, and Melissa Kang
- Subjects
Psychiatry and Mental health ,business.industry ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Sociology ,Public relations ,business ,Healthcare system - Published
- 2018
45. Health status of marginalised young people in unstable accommodation
- Author
-
Emily, Klineberg, Veronica, Vatiliotis, Melissa, Kang, Sharon, Medlow, Lucinda, Sullivan, Michael, Cummings, Graeme, Pringle, and Katharine, Steinbeck
- Subjects
Male ,Adolescent ,Databases, Factual ,Primary Health Care ,Health Status ,Australia ,Personal Satisfaction ,Homeless Youth ,Young Adult ,Social Marginalization ,Humans ,Female ,Self-Injurious Behavior ,Retrospective Studies - Abstract
More than 26 000 Australians aged 12-24 years experience homelessness, yet data on the health status of homeless youth remain limited. The aim of this study was to describe the health of young people attending a youth health service in Western Sydney who were experiencing homelessness.Retrospective case note review for clients aged 12-25 years attending Youth Health Services in Western Sydney. Extracted data included: homelessness status; demographics; physical health issues; mental health issues; involvement with juvenile justice; and disengagement from education or employment.Just under half of the 180 clients attending a Youth Health Service in Western Sydney were homeless, and an additional 15 young people who were not currently homeless nominated homelessness as a presenting issue. In comparison with currently domiciled young people, homeless youth were less likely to have a regular general practitioner and more likely to nominate a physical health concern as a presenting issue, although there was no difference between groups in terms of diagnosed mental or physical health conditions. Considered as a whole, the sample showed high rates of acute physical symptoms, physical trauma, psychological distress and self-harm.Youth homelessness is associated with risk of both poor physical and mental health. As much of youth homelessness is hidden, health-care providers need to ensure that they inquire about homelessness status, and have an awareness of potentially complex multi-morbidities in the physical and mental health of young marginalised people presenting to health services.
- Published
- 2016
46. Evaluation of a sexually transmissible infections education program: Lessons for general practice learning
- Author
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Jennifer, Reath, Penelope, Abbott, Ann, Dadich, Hassan, Hosseinzadeh, Wendy, Hu, Melissa, Kang, Tim, Usherwood, Carolyn, Murray, and Chris, Bourne
- Subjects
Interviews as Topic ,Internet ,Education, Nursing, Continuing ,General Practitioners ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,General Practice ,Sexually Transmitted Diseases ,Humans ,Learning ,Education, Medical, Continuing ,Nurse Practitioners ,New South Wales ,Program Evaluation - Abstract
The New South Wales (NSW) Sexually Transmissible Infections Program Unit (STIPU) produced nine resources to support the diagnosis and management of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in general practice.In this study, we explored the processes of developing the resources and outcomes achieved.We analysed project documents and undertook a focus group interview with the STIPU Working Group to evaluate resource development and dissemination. Interviews with general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses (PNs), combined with previously reported survey findings, provided an outcomes evaluation.STIPU used a rigorous, multimodal approach to develop evidence-based clinical resources. GPs and PNs received information opportunistically rather than through targeted searches unless they had a particular interest. GPs were less aware of online re-sources.STIPU's best practice translation of clinical guidelines could be enhanced by promotion of online resources, links through general practice software, strong engagement with general practice organisations, and developing the role of PNs.
- Published
- 2016
47. A Rare Case of Primary Gastric MALToma with Hepatocytes Found in the Stomach!
- Author
-
Silvia Fernández, Ahmed Shady, Melissa Kang, Jennifer Harley, and Nicole Gomez
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Hepatology ,business.industry ,Internal medicine ,Stomach ,Rare case ,Gastroenterology ,Medicine ,business ,Gastric MALToma - Published
- 2018
48. Encounters between adolescents and general practice in Australia
- Author
-
Melissa Kang, Michael L. Booth, and Stephanie Knox
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Weakness ,Adolescent ,MEDLINE ,Pediatrics ,Young Adult ,Age groups ,Humans ,Medicine ,Young adult ,Child ,business.industry ,Australia ,Preventive health ,Health Services ,Mental health ,Health Care Surveys ,Family medicine ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,General practice ,Female ,Health education ,medicine.symptom ,Family Practice ,business - Abstract
Aim: To describe the nature of the encounters between adolescents and general practice in Australia. Methods: Data collected by the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health programme from 1998-2004 were analysed. Data for 10-14-year-old and 15-19-year-old males and females were compared with data for 25-29-year-olds. The outcome measures included: number of encounters compared with other age groups, reasons for encounter, problems managed, treatments prescribed and referrals made for key problems and types of consultations. Results: Adolescents have the lowest rate of encounter with general practice, compared with all other age groups. Respiratory, skin, musculoskeletal and unspecified (fever, injury, weakness) problems accounted for the great majority of reasons for encounter and problems managed. Management of mental health problems, preventive health care and health education were very infrequently managed problems. Standard surgery consultations were more common among adolescents than among young adults. Conclusions: Adolescents have a relatively low rate of encounter with general practice and the problems managed are primarily physical ailments. There is great scope to improve delivery of preventive health care and to increase management of mental health problems. © 2008 The Authors.
- Published
- 2008
49. Imaging of Tinnitus
- Author
-
Edward J. Escott and Melissa Kang
- Subjects
Diagnostic Imaging ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Vascular Malformations ,Radiography ,Pulsatile flow ,Contrast Media ,Audiology ,Asymptomatic ,Magnetic resonance angiography ,Tinnitus ,otorhinolaryngologic diseases ,medicine ,Medical imaging ,Humans ,In patient ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Brain Neoplasms ,business.industry ,Temporal Bone ,Magnetic resonance imaging ,General Medicine ,Image Enhancement ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Radiographic Image Enhancement ,Otorhinolaryngology ,Radiology ,Bone Diseases ,medicine.symptom ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed ,business ,Algorithms ,Magnetic Resonance Angiography ,Petrous Bone - Abstract
From a radiologic workup perspective, tinnitus is classified into pulsatile, which can be objective, and nonpulsatile, which is typically subjective. There is considerable discrepancy within the literature regarding the percentage of positive findings in patients with pulsatile tinnitus. The authors discuss the overlap in the radiographic findings detected in association with tinnitus in both asymptomatic patients and symptomatic patients and the importance for imaging to detect treatable causes. They discuss imaging related to diagnosis and treatment and provide an imaging workup algorithm.
- Published
- 2008
50. Young people's concerns about sex: unsolicited questions to a teenage radio talkback programme over three years
- Author
-
Susan Quine and Melissa Kang
- Subjects
business.industry ,Teaching method ,Human sexuality ,Education ,Developmental psychology ,Interpersonal relationship ,Popular music ,Content analysis ,Medicine ,Young adult ,business ,Social Sciences (miscellaneous) ,Reproductive health ,Qualitative research - Abstract
This paper describes a novel qualitative study that identified the concerns of young people about sex through a talk‐back segment from 2002 to 2004 on an Australian national radio popular music programme targeting 15–24 year olds. Two hundred and thirty‐one unsolicited callers (150 female and 81 male) went to air over the study period, and 212 (92%) of these asked questions relating to sexuality and sexual health. Content analysis was used to categorise the verbatim data. Four categories were identified: sexual development; sexual and reproductive health, sexual relationship issues and sexual practices. The findings suggest that young people have a wide range of concerns, many of which are very explicit. An important finding was the high proportion of questions related to concerns over relationships. The overall implication for health educators and professionals is that a broader approach to sex education is warranted.
- Published
- 2007
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