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Menstrual management is recognized as a critical issue for young people internationally. Relatively little published research explores issues pertaining to menstruation in school education. This paper is based on the results of an Australian survey of 5007 young women aged 13-25, which examined their experiences of menstruation and dysmenorrhea. It focuses specifically on participant qualitative responses to the question, "What do you think schools could do to better support girls during their period?" Six key themes were identified across responses. These related to sanitation; pain management; removing stigma; adequate breaks; and being considerate. The findings reported herein highlight some of the challenges menstruating young people encounter at school and give voice to their needs; these have important implications for school improvement in this area.

Hygiene education is becoming increasingly popular and is now addressed in both formal and informal education systems. Examining hygiene education research and developing a vision for the future will lead to creating a roadmap for future research as well as an analysis of past research. Research on hygiene education encompasses a variety of subtopics. It is critical for future researchers and thematic studies in this area to determine if there is a pattern to these concerns that cover a wide range of topics. The purpose of this study is to examine the topic of hygiene education using bibliometric analysis. From the Scope Database, 503 records remain for bibliometric analysis. This results in an average number of 5.02 publications per year. 1973 people contributed to the study. Among the top 10, most influential sources in terms of the number of articles are four websites related to dental hygiene. The United States leads the world in both the number of publications and a total number of citations, followed by Canada and China. Most of the research was related to oral hygiene education.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2019 meant higher education was forced to delivering education online. For most, the transition to emergency remote teaching was a natural next step to support continuity of education. However, there were some examples where education remained on campus. Where after taking all COVID-19 safety measures of social distancing, hand hygiene measures and other health protocols, institutions decided to continue to deliver face-to-face on-campus offerings with limited capacity. The COVID-19 and higher education literature have focused primarily on rapid digitalisation. This manuscript adds value to the literature by focusing on three case studies of on-campus delivery for face-to-face teaching in the classroom and practical lessons during the pandemic in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan. The changes to the learning process affected students' interactions with the lecturer, other students, and the equipment they were learning to use. Also, it affected interactions with each other in practical activities due to limited numbers of participants, motivation in learning and achieving learning outcomes. Not only the students, but the lecturer's capability in delivering the course was affected by fatigue due to spending more time teaching within a 'COVID-19 safe' environment. This study will provide important documentation on the effect of COVID-19 on on-campus delivery, as well as opportunities to support greater student engagement in class environments through the sharing of learning equipment, fostering positive motivation, managing learning outcomes, and self-monitoring of lecturer capability in more highly stressful teaching and learning environments practical training affected.

The objective was to document the influence of face mask use by other people on communication experiences, participation in activities, and quality of life. Australian adults (n = 665) completed an online survey; 90.8% resided in a state with mandatory mask use outside the home and 44.1% self-reported hearing difficulties. Mask use was reported as negatively affecting communication quality in the community (90.2%) and workplace (91.8%), and with household members (59.1%), including an increased requirement for clarification and repetition, increased difficulty communicating, and decreased understanding. Masks influenced feelings when communicating in the community (74.1%) and workplace (76.7%), and with household members (43.6%), including increased fatigue and frustration, and decreased connection to others. Masks influenced the time spent communicating in the community (68.8%) and workplace (67.9%), and with household members (42.3%), including a decrease in the number of individuals communicated with, and the time spent communicating with each individual. Masks influenced participation in activities in the community (50.9%) and workplace (59.7%), and with household members (41.3%), including reduced participation in health-related activities, shopping, and socialising. Influences on quality of life included reduced physical and mental health, including increased loneliness. Female gender and greater self-reported hearing difficulties were significantly associated with increased influence of mask use. The wide-ranging influences of face mask use have implications for physical health and mental health, including social connectedness, and for employers and the economy. As an important measure for combatting disease spread, the negative impacts of mask use must be considered during policy formulation, and appropriate mitigating measures, such as educational campaigns, enacted.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to "forced innovation" in the health education industry. High-quality training of the future rural health workforce is crucial to ensure a pipeline of rural health practitioners to meet the needs of rural communities. This paper describes the implementation of an online multidisciplinary teaching program focusing on integrated care and the needs of rural communities. Design/methodology/approach: A multidisciplinary teaching program was adapted to allow students from various disciplines and universities to learn together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contemporary issues such as the National Aged Care Advocacy Program for Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Project were explored during the program. Findings: This case study describes how the program was adopted, how learning needs were met, practical examples (e.g. the Hand Hygiene Advocacy within a Rural School Setting Project), the challenges faced and solutions developed to address these challenges. Guidelines are proposed for remote multidisciplinary learning among health professional students, including those in medical, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and allied health disciplines. Originality/value: The originality of this program centers around students from multiple universities and disciplines and various year levels learning together in a rural area over an extended period of time. Collaboration among universities assists educators in rural areas to achieve critical mass to teach students. In addition it provides experiences and guidance for the work integrated learning sector, rural health workforce practitioners, rural clinical schools, universities, policy makers, and educators who wish to expand rural online multidisciplinary learning.

Purpose: This paper examines the views of Australian primary school parents regarding the food and nutrition education (FNE) curriculum. Associations with personal values (Universalism and Hedonism) and demographic measures were also explored. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was conducted among 787 parents in March 2021. Parents rated the importance of 17 FNE topics. They were also asked about their support for six curriculum improvements and to state their own improvement suggestions. Findings: Parents viewed the "Effect of food on health" and "Food hygiene" as the most important topics. Three FNE components were derived: (1) food safety and preparation, (2) health and nutrition information, (3) food origins and environmental sustainability. The "Food safety and preparation" component score was associated with both universalism-nature and hedonism values but negatively associated with parental education. The "Health and nutrition information" component score was associated with universalism-nature value and main language spoken at home. Lastly, the "Food origins and environmental sustainability" component score was associated with universalism-nature value. The two personal values, universalism-nature and hedonism, were more strongly associated with parents' views of curriculum topics than parental demographic characteristics. Parents had several criticisms of current FNE, including school food environments not resonating with FNE taught in the classroom and that FNE might increase the risk of eating disorders. They also suggested that the FNE curriculum should support both parents and teachers by providing relevant resources and training. Originality/value: Australian parents' views of the importance of FNE topics and how to improve FNE in primary schools have been under-examined.

Objectives: To gain insight into children's health-related knowledge and understanding of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) and COVID-19, and measures adopted to mitigate transmission. Design: A child-centred qualitative creative element embedded in an online mixed-methods survey of children aged 7-12years. Setting: Children participated in the study in six countries -- the UK, Australia, Sweden, Brazil, Spain and Canada. Method: A qualitative creative component, embedded in an online survey, prompted children to draw and label a picture. Children were recruited via their parents using the researchers' professional social media accounts, through known contacts, media and websites from health organisations within each country. Analysis of the form and content of the children's pictures took place. Results: A total of 128 children (mean age 9.2 years) submitted either a hand-drawn (n = 111) or digitally created (n = 17) picture. Four main themes were identified which related to children's health-related knowledge of (1) COVID-19 and how it is transmitted; (2) measures and actions to mitigate transmission; (3) places of safety during the pandemic; and (4) children's role in mitigating COVID-19 transmission. Conclusion: Children's pictures indicated a good understanding of the virus, how it spreads and how to mitigate transmission. Children depicted their actions during the pandemic as protecting themselves, their families and wider society.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic raises a question about the role of national curriculum frameworks in acquiring and applying knowledge about hygiene and prevention of disease. For curriculum designers, this means determining what children of different ages should learn about these topics and how they should develop and apply this knowledge. Curriculum designers must do so amid trends towards reducing curriculum content and transitioning to competency-based curricula with transversal elements. Arguments can be made for placing health literacy competences, knowledge, and skills across the intended curriculum for science, physical education, and health. These are different disciplines with different models of knowledge, learning, and progression. This exploratory study looks at the placement of public health-related content in a selection of recently reformed, competency-based national curriculum frameworks from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Australasia. From these examples, it highlights risks and opportunities for incorporating public health messages into the intended curriculum.

Waste created by modern lifestyles is of key concern to sustainable development globally. Early childhood centres engage in sustainable practices, and waste management is one of these practices. Past research has indicated that early childhood staff are challenged to implement sustainable practices. However, the National Quality Standard requires centres to engage in sustainable practices. This study reports on research undertaken to examine the effectiveness of effectiveness of a waste management professional learning programme run in 30 early childhood centres in Australia. The data collected was interviews of the directors of 16 centres, 6 months after the programme. Findings found the programme to be effective in encouraging waste management practices as all centres changed practices to reduce or recycle waste. The majority of the centres had a staff member who championed environmental education and was an inspiration for other staff, but barriers to good waste management practices were experienced because of external stakeholders' power over decision-making, owners not agreeing to make changes, and, internally, from having to maintain hygienic standards. Recommendations are made for future professional learning programmes.

Background: People with intellectual disability and chronic and complex support needs often require unique models of care that are intensive and expensive. How these supports can be continued within a rapidly changing policy and funding context in Australia, has not been fully determined. Method: This descriptive study utilised a retrospective electronic case-file audit design. Demographic details, chronic health conditions, medications, behaviours of concern, and overall support needs profile were mapped for 41 participants. Results: The profile is one of an ageing cohort, with high levels of chronicity and polypharmacy that requires a specialised workforce to fully meet their support needs. Conclusion: As the people with ID in this cohort age, the training needs of the current and future workforce will need to adapt as different issues become more prominent. How the national disability health and policy settings can best accommodate these support needs remains unclear.

Health promotion within Aboriginal communities has typically come from a top-down approach with government-funded health research directing the nature in which health information is disseminated. Previous literature has argued for two-way interaction that requires an equivalent bottom-up approach to integrate community beliefs and perceptions. Good hygiene has been the focus of many health promotion campaigns to reduce the presence of a wide variety of pathogens, but to date, there have been few attempts to incorporate traditional knowledge into such campaigns. This article proposes that visual ethnography, specifically community video, provides a good method for understanding community beliefs while simultaneously creating health promotion materials within the local culture.

This article is informed by two studies in Australian primary school playgrounds and provides a critique of the interaction between adults and children during recess breaks in the school day. The study investigates the contours/lines of force that shape the moral geographies of playgrounds through management and supervision strategies. This scholarly discussion is underpinned by categories, including play that is risky, unhygienic, worthwhile, an obsession, violent/aggressive and good. It is argued that supervising teachers in the primary school playground can often rush to judge the play that they observe. Although mostly well intentioned, such types of play can often negatively impact adult agendas and biases. At an individual school level, critical engagement with the points raised in this article provides an opportunity for schools to reflect on primary school playground strategies and practices that they implement. Improving understanding of the moral geographies within primary school playgrounds can raise awareness in schools of the implications of supervisory interactions and judgement on the health and wellbeing of pupils.

Background: Food literacy can encourage adolescents to develop healthy dietary patterns. This study examined home economics teachers' (HET) perspectives of the importance, curriculum, self-efficacy, and food environments regarding food literacy in secondary schools in Australia. Methods: A 20-item cross-sectional survey was completed by 205 HETs. The survey focused on the importance of aspects of food literacy, HETs' self-efficacy, and attitudes toward food literacy and schools' food environments. Data were analyzed descriptively, and associations between participants' demographic characteristics and perceptions were investigated by chi-square analyses. Results: HETs rated aspects of food literacy including preparing and cooking food, knowing about healthy foods and food safety and hygiene practices as very important. They indicated animal welfare, where food comes from, and plan and manage time for food shopping to be the least important aspects of food literacy. HETs reported that students' involvement in food literacy activities resulted in healthier diets and improved food practices, but the schools' food environments are not comprehensively supportive of food literacy. Conclusions: HETs report that food literacy is very important for adolescents to learn. The focus is more on microaspects in comparison to macroaspects of food literacy. Schools' food environments are ideally positioned to shape dietary intake of adolescents but their potential is not being realized.

Research has shown that psychological well-being is positively associated with student engagement, persistence, and performance. To learn more about the behaviors that underlie well-being, 206 (predominantly female) university students completed measures of well-being and six self-care practices. Four such practices (mindful acceptance, seeking social support, sleep hygiene, and food habits) uniquely predicted well-being, but physical exercise did not. Findings can aid the development and implementation of interventions to increase self-care and well-being in student populations.

Hand hygiene is the primary measure in hospitals to reduce the spread of infections, with nurses experiencing the greatest frequency of patient contact. The "5 critical moments" of hand hygiene initiative has been implemented in hospitals across Australia, accompanied by awareness-raising, staff training and auditing. The aim of this study was to understand the determinants of nurses' hand hygiene decisions, using an extension of a common health decision-making model, the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), to inform future health education strategies to increase compliance. Nurses from 50 Australian hospitals (n = 2378) completed standard TPB measures (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control [PBC], intention) and the extended variables of group norm, risk perceptions (susceptibility, severity) and knowledge (subjective, objective) at Time 1, while a sub-sample (n = 797) reported their hand hygiene behaviour 2 weeks later. Regression analyses identified subjective norm, PBC, group norm, subjective knowledge and risk susceptibility as the significant predictors of nurses' hand hygiene intentions, with intention and PBC predicting their compliance behaviour. Rather than targeting attitudes which are already very favourable among nurses, health education strategies should focus on normative influences and perceptions of control and risk in efforts to encourage hand hygiene adherence.

In this article, the authors explore a vital, if rarely focused upon, space in early childhood settings (0-5 years): the bathroom. In bathrooms, more or less fundamental biological, self-care, and "civilising" (Elias 1978) processes are performed by children, such as those related to personal hygiene, the management of bodily discharges, the maintenance of the body and improvement of its appearance, and learning about appropriate social and private conduct of oneself in relation to these. In this article, the authors begin to examine the preschool bathroom as a site for the workings of power in general and biopower in particular, and more specifically as an institutional context in which strategies and techniques that seek to shape children's subjectivities in relation to health are mobilised. Following the introduction, the authors provide a brief overview of some ways in which power was analysed within early childhood settings and describe their data. In the findings, the authors deliver their analysis of power by providing their own empirical examples collected in the bathroom of a case study preschool in Australia. They employ two analytical questions to focus their analyses and the presentation of findings: how are children's bodies and conduct regulated within the preschool bathroom, and to what extent is this bathroom a site for the mobilisation and exercise of biopower? (Contains 2 notes.)

The link between sleep hygiene and adolescent sleep is well documented, though evidence suggests contributions from other factors, particularly the family environment. The present study examined whether sleep hygiene mediated the relationship between family disorganization and self-reported sleep onset latency, total sleep time, and daytime sleepiness in adolescents. Participants were 217 adolescents, aged 13 to 18 (M = 14.9, SD = 1.0) years, (43% male), recruited from four high schools in South Australia. Sleep hygiene fully mediated the relationship between family disorganization and sleep onset latency (z = 2.77, p less than 0.01) and daytime sleepiness (z = 3.47, p less than 0.01). Only partial mediation was evident for total sleep time (z = 2.50, p less than 0.05). These findings suggest that consideration should be given to the family environment when assessing sleep disturbance in adolescents, and subsequently implementing interventions. (Contains 3 tables.)

Background: Adults with intellectual disability have a range of significant health problems. If they are to live independently, they need to engage in behaviours that are health promoting, as well as avoiding behaviours that might directly lead to ill health. There is very little research about health-related knowledge and behaviour in this group. Method: A group of 38 adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) and their families participated in this study. A semi-structured interview and a series of tasks were used to collect data on individuals' health knowledge and behaviour relating to 4 aspects of health: hygiene, substance use, exercise and healthy eating. Results: While the majority of young people demonstrated some awareness of basic hygiene, they were not yet at the level where these behaviours could be guaranteed to occur without parental support. Knowledge about substance use, exercise and healthy food was generally poor. Conclusion: Knowledge of most aspects of health assessed in this study was poor and pointed to a gap in the preparation of these young people for independent living. (Contains 1 table.)

Summaries of 20 selected instructional films for elementary, intermediate, and secondary students are presented. Subjects include the solar system, lighting, insects, health, friendship, fairy tales, fire hazards, glassmaking, and foreign countries. Film adaptions of "The Wizard of Oz" and two stories by Mark Twain are also reviewed. (PP)

Aim: To develop and test the psychometric properties of an expanded catheter self‐management scale for patients with in‐dwelling urinary catheters. Design: A cross‐sectional validation study. Despite the utility of the original 13‐item catheter self‐management scale, this instrument did not include bowel management, general hygiene and drainage bag care, which are fundamental skills in urinary catheter self‐management to prevent common problems resulting in unnecessary hospital presentations. The expanded catheter self‐management scale was developed with 10 additional items to comprehensively assess all five essential aspects of urinary catheter self‐management. Methods: A total of 101 adult community‐dwelling patients living with indwelling urinary catheters were recruited from Western Sydney, Australia. Using exploratory factor analysis with Varimax rotation, the number of factors to be extracted from the expanded 23‐item expanded catheter self‐management scale was determined using a scree plot. The reliability of the overall scale and subscales was measured using Cronbach's alpha. Convergent validity was assessed using Spearman's correlations between clinical characteristics, overall scale and subscales. Results: The 23‐item expanded catheter self‐management scale yielded a 5‐factor solution, labelled as: (i) self‐monitoring of catheter function, (ii) proactive, help‐seeking behaviour function, (iii) bowel self‐care function, (iv) hygiene‐related catheter site function and (v) drainage bag care function. Cronbach's alpha of the expanded catheter self‐management scale indicating all 23 items contributed to the overall alpha value. Convergent validity results showed a negative correlation between the overall expanded catheter self‐management scale and catheter‐related problems. Conclusion: The 5‐factor structure provided a comprehensive assessment of key aspects of urinary catheter self‐management essential to reduce the likelihood of catheter‐related hospital presentations. Implications: The expanded catheter self‐management scale can be used to assess and monitor effective patient‐centred interventions for optimal self‐management to prevent catheter‐related problems and improve the quality of life of patients. Impact: Many patients start their journey of living with a urinary catheter unexpectedly and are not supported with quality information to care for their catheter.The findings of this study show the correlation between catheter self‐management skills and catheter‐related problems.The expanded catheter self‐management scale (E‐CSM) assists with analysing the self‐management skills of patients living with a catheter and developing tailored interventions to prevent problems and improve their quality of life. In addition, this screening tool can be included in policies, guidelines, and care plans as a standard for improving catheter management and developing educational resources for patients. Reporting Method: STROBE checklist was used to report all aspects of this study comprehensively and accurately. Patient or Public Contribution: Patients living with indwelling urinary catheter and their carers have participated in surveys, interviews and co‐designing interventions. This paper reports the psychometric analysis of the expanded catheter self‐management scale (E‐CSM) used in the patient survey as part of the main study 'Improving Quality of Life of Patients Living with Indwelling Urinary Catheters: IQ‐IDC Study' (Alex et al. in Collegian, 29:405–413, 2021). We greatly value our consumers' contributions and continue to communicate the progress of the study to them. Their contributions will be acknowledged in all publications and presentations. In addition, all participants will be provided the option of receiving the interventions and publications generated from this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The utilization of patient experience surveying by health care institutions has become increasingly prevalent, yet its effectiveness in promoting quality improvement remains uncertain. To enhance the utility of patient feedback, the examination of free‐text comments may provide valuable insights to guide patient experience strategy. Aims: This study aims to explore the utility of free‐text comments and identify key differences for patient experience drivers between Net Promoter Score (NPS) subcategories of Detractors, Passives, and Promoters. Methods: Evaluation and classification of comments was conducted using the eight Picker Principles of Person Centred Care, with descriptive analysis of patient comments performed on the NPS data. Results: Analysis of patient NPS comments can be classified into three key drivers: "feeling well‐treated" (for Detractors), "feeling comfortable" (for Passives), and "feeling valued" (for Promoters). Specifically, Detractor comments provided the most comprehensive and detailed feedback to guide patient experience improvement activities. Conclusion: This study highlights differences between NPS subcategories, particularly regarding aspects of safety, comfort, and feeling valued. Comments from Detractor respondents may be especially useful for guiding quality improvements due to increased specificity and insights. These results also emphasize the essential nature of empathy and compassionate interactions between patients and clinicians to achieve the highest level of patient satisfaction and experience. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? There is a large amount of patient experience data collected worldwide, including system‐level mandated metrics, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey.Despite this, health care organizations may experience challenges with effectively analysing patient experience data and gathering insights from patient feedback.As such, there is an opportunity to improve the analysis of patient experience data—particularly qualitative data from patient comments—which may improve the understanding of patient experiences and identify key areas for health care improvement. What this paper adds? The study revealed significant differences in patient experience drivers among NPS subcategories (i.e., Detractors, Passives, and Promoters).These findings emphasize the importance of addressing patients' needs for safety, comfort, and feeling valued.Specifically, the Detractor comments offered rich insights for guiding health care improvement activities. The implications of this paper: The findings illustrate the importance of empathetic and compassionate interactions between patients and clinicians, which is essential to attain the highest levels of patient‐reported experience measures.This study may assist health care organizations to maximize the insights obtained from patient feedback and support development of a data‐driven patient experience strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality traits play a role in prosocial behavior in relation to containment measures intended to tackle the COVID‐19 pandemic. Empirical findings indicated that individuals high in socially aversive traits such as callousness are less compliant with containment measures. This study aimed to add cross‐cultural data on the relationship between antisocial traits and adherence to COVID‐19 containment measures. The sample consisted of 4,538 adults recruited by convenience in nine countries (Australia, Brazil, England, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States). Statistical analyses indicated two latent profiles from our sample, empathic and antisocial, and six COVID‐19 containment‐measure‐related factors using measures covering antisocial traits (PID‐5), empathy (ACME), global personality pathology (LPFS‐BF), and COVID‐19 behaviors and beliefs. Through MANCOVA, the antisocial profile consistently showed less compliance and concern about the COVID‐19 containment measures, even when controlling for demographics and local pandemic covariables. The network analysis indicated a lack of empathy and callousness as crucial traits of the predisposition to non‐compliant behavior. In elaborating on prosocial campaigns in community emergencies, our cross‐cultural findings would need to consider personality traits that focus on antisociality, anticipating similar associations and potential impacts in future disease outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aims of this project were to improve the utilization of developmental care practices in the neonatal unit and to increase opportunities for parental involvement in the planning and provision of caregiving. Methods: This implementation project was conducted in a 79-bed neonatal tertiary referral unit in Australia. A pre/postimplementation survey design was utilized. A preimplementation survey was conducted to collect data on staff's perceived perception of developmental care practices. Following analysis of the data, a process for multidisciplinary developmental care rounds was developed and then implemented across the neonatal unit. A postimplementation survey was then conducted to evaluate whether staff perceived any changes in developmental care practices. The project was conducted over 8 months. Results: A total of 97 surveys (pre: n = 46/post: n = 51) were received. Differences were demonstrated in staff's perceived perception of developmental care practices between the pre- and postimplementation periods in 6 themes of developmental care practice. Identified areas of improvement included the use of the 5-step dialogue, encouragement of parents to contribute to care planning, availability of a well-defined care plan for parents to visualize and document caregiving activities, increased use of swaddled bathing, side-lying position for nappy changes, consideration of infants sleep state before caregiving, and increased use of skin-to-skin therapy for management of procedural pain. Conclusion: Despite the majority of staff members who participated in both surveys acknowledging the importance of family-centered developmental care practice on neonatal outcomes, their use in clinical care is not always considered or practiced. Although it is reassuring to see improvements in several areas of developmental care postimplementation of the developmental care rounds, continued awareness and reinforcement of developmental neuroprotective caregiving strategies through initiatives such as a multidisciplinary care rounds are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menstrual hygiene management is a global public health issue that requires local and individualized support to reduce activity limitations and enable safe, independent task performance for people with impaired body functions. How do women with blindness or low vision self-manage their menstrual hygiene to promote independence, and what do they recommend occupational therapists incorporate in education for young women when working in this field? Phenomenological design revealing lived experience expertise. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six women who are blind or have low vision aged 16–70 in Australia. The resulting data transcripts were coded and analyzed thematically using the Person-Environment Occupation Performance Model as an organizing framework. Participants reported a range of personal (touch) and organizational strategies relying on environmental cues such as regular times for changing sanitary items, lining up pads using underwear seams and wearing dark clothing to disguise leaks. Participants suggested that group occupational therapy education sessions be used to promote self-management. The lived experience of women who successfully self-manage menstrual hygiene with blindness or low vision has generated evidence to inform the development of therapist-mediated interventions and resources that could be applied with women across a range of clinical populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and Melbourne's multiple community lockdowns (between 2020–21) on total live birth rates and preterm births in a large health network. Analysis revealed a decrease in total live birth rates following easing of initial lockdowns, and a sharp increase in births at one stage in between lockdowns. The proportion and number of preterm births (<37 weeks gestation) decreased at the start of initial lockdowns with the strongest decrease after the end of the second lockdown period. Births <34 weeks gestation also decreased during lockdowns, but no significant change was identified for births <28 weeks gestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional impairment in people diagnosed with depression is common, although the domain of personal hygiene and grooming has received limited attention in the scholarly literature. While issues concerning personal hygiene and grooming by those experiencing depression have been reported in personal narratives, they are rarely included in symptom lists or treatment guidelines, or as an outcome indicator in research studies. The aim of this research was to better understand how mental health practitioners assessed, understood and worked with, service users diagnosed with depression who had previously exhibited declining personal hygiene and grooming standards. In‐depth interviews (n = 16) explored the views of professionals experienced in this area of mental health practice. A qualitative descriptive methodology was utilised. Findings indicated that for some service users, personal hygiene and grooming issues were an integral aspect of their depression, which negatively impacted recovery, particularly in areas concerned with overall functioning, mood, social and vocational engagement, motivation, self‐worth and esteem, and engagement with treatment. Study results supported the benefits of a person‐centred approach to assess, engage with and intervene effectively when a decline in personal hygiene and grooming was noted. However, lack of pertinent research is a barrier to appropriately assessing specific skill or performance difficulties when declining standards are observed. This impedes the provision of interventions which might support the person to develop and maintain of personal hygiene routines, which conform to socially acceptable standards. Difficulties with personal hygiene and grooming presented both a barrier to recovery and an opportunity for timely and salient intervention. Further investigation is needed to build the research evidence needed to develop appropriate and acceptable interventions, and to inform effective treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate coronavirus disease 2019 community transmission concerns and adherence to social distancing and hygiene practices across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas in Australia. Design: Cross‐sectional online survey of Australian adults conducted between April and May 2020 through convenience snowball sampling. Setting: A range of locations across all states and territories of Australia. Participants: Six hundred and seventy‐seven Australian adults, of which 78.8% lived outside of a metropolitan area. Main outcome measures: Perceived threat of coronavirus disease 2019; social distancing guidelines and adherence; infection concerns; hygiene practices; frequency of leaving the house; impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on day‐to‐day life. Results: Almost all respondents perceived the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic was serious. There were high levels of support for the Australian Government's social distancing guidelines, although the perception that social distancing guidelines in participants' communities were 'too strict' increased with remoteness area classification. Most respondents reported adherence with Australian Government social distancing guidelines. There was an association between remoteness and risk perception, with non‐metropolitan respondents more likely to feel safe when leaving the house. However, there was no association between geographical remoteness and self‐reported adherence with Australian Government social distancing guidelines. Conclusions: This study provides an important initial insight into Australian perceptions and behaviours relating to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and how perceptions and behaviours varied by geographical remoteness. The geographical remoteness of communities should be considered by policy makers to ensure effective communication with the Australian public regarding coronavirus disease 2019 and ongoing adherence with preventative health behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis has highlighted the public health history of infectious disease control. Yet while much historiographical focus has been directed to the management of international movement in pandemic times, this has proved insufficient as restrictions on movement have turned inward and become far more domestic and local during COVID-19. We argue for a new significance of, and for, local historical analysis of medico-legal border regulation. We consider Australian responses to the influenza pandemic of 1918–19 in this light, examining three geographies through which movement was restricted – interstate, intrastate, and town and district – and the internal lines of hygiene that were both established and evaded. We analyse the exercise of authority, as much as law, including the micro-authorities claimed by local residents' groups in 1919. We argue that authority – lawful and sometimes lawless – was both devolved and assumed at a finer scale than historical scholarship has recognised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective and consistent engagement in personal hygiene practices is important for preventing the acquisition and transmission of communicable diseases in childhood. This study aimed to investigate trends in adherence to recommended hygiene practices and identify factors contributing to difficulties in establishing good hygiene habits with young children (0–4 years) in Australia. A self-selected community sample of parents (N = 426) completed an online survey assessing children's adherence to recommended hygiene practices and barriers and enablers of establishing good personal hygiene habits. Parents reported interest in receiving information/tips on children's personal hygiene (yes/no) and nominated topics of interest. Less than half of children in any age group consistently (always/almost always) covered coughs and sneezes, washed hands after toileting, or washed hands before meals or when dirty. Children's non-compliance (i.e. resistance, refusal) was the most commonly reported barrier to establishing good personal hygiene habits, while children's compliance (i.e. cooperative behaviour, following or complying with caregivers' instructions) was the most commonly cited enabler. Despite low levels of adherence, less than half (41.2%) of parents wanted information/tips on children's hygiene. Results suggest a disconnect between parents' knowledge about recommended hygiene practices and actual behaviour. Development and testing of approaches to behaviour change that incorporate evidence-based strategies to manage children's resistance and support parents to encourage the development of healthy hygiene habits is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: There has been increased attention to university students’ experiences of menstrual disorders, and access to menstrual products, in high-income countries. Less attention has been directed to other aspects of their menstrual experience, including confidence for menstrual management. This study aimed to understand the factors affecting university students’ confidence to manage menstruation at university. Methods: An online survey was completed by 410 participants (age range: 16–46 years, mean = 20.1 years) who menstruate and study at an Australian university. Participants reported demographic characteristics, confidence to manage menstruation at university, and personal, physical and environmental factors. A Mann–Whitney U-test analysed differences in confidence between groups of students. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and bivariate linear regressions determined associations between factors and confidence. Statistically significant associations were inputted into a multiple linear regression model. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: A minority of students (16.2%) felt completely confident to manage their menstruation at university. Menstrual knowledge, positive perceptions of menstruation and comfort to discuss menstruation with others positively predicted confidence. Physical menstrual symptoms, negative perceptions of menstruation, perceived stigma and using a menstrual cup or period underwear predicted lower confidence. In multiple regression, private and clean and sanitary university bathroom facilities, changing menstrual products at university, perceived stigma and negative perceptions of menstruation remained significant predictors. Conclusion: Most students did not have complete confidence to manage their menstruation at university. Several personal, physical and environmental factors were related to students’ confidence to manage menstruation. Assessment of these factors in future research with university students is recommended to enable a comprehensive understanding of their menstrual needs, and inform interventions aimed at improving their menstrual management confidence at university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To determine the nature and prevalence of workers' concerns regarding workplaces reopening during the pandemic. To identify characteristics of workers and industries where particular concerns are more common. Method Prospective cohort study of 1063 employed Australian adults, enrolled at the start of the pandemic. Data on attitudes to workplaces reopening were collected 1 July–30 September 2020. The frequency of concerns describes infection risk and changes to work and impact on home life. Regression models examined associations between demographic and industry factors with reopening concerns. Results More than four in five (82.4%) of workers reported concerns about workplace infection risk. Just over half (53.4%) reported concerns about impacts to work and home life. Concerns were more prevalent for workers reporting psychological distress, financial stress, and among those exclusively working from home. Concerns regarding infection risk were common for workers in health care (IRR 1.16, 95% CI [1.01, 1.33]), retail (IRR 1.31, 95% CI [1.06, 1.61]), and accommodation/food service industries (IRR 1.25, 95% CI [1.01, 1.55]). Concerns regarding changes to work and home life were more common for female workers (IRR 1.24, 95% CI [1.07, 1.43]), and partners/spouses with dependent children (IRR 1.44, 95% CI [1.16, 1.79]). Conclusion Concerns of COVID-19 infection in the workplace are common. Many workers are also concerned about changes to their work and home life. The prevalence of concerns is related to the nature of work and responsibilities at home. Actions that reduce risk of workplace transmission, coupled with effective communication of infection controls, may alleviate worker concerns whilst recognising workers' family and social circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into focus obligations for health services to protect the health and safety of their staff, arising from Occupational, Health and Safety legislation and the duty of care owed by a health service as an employer. Health workers, by nature of their work, are a particularly at-risk population in the context of COVID-19. This article examines the legal standard of care that healthcare employers owe their staff in terms of reduction of risk exposure, both physically and psychologically, to COVID-19, the obligation to provide staff with personal protective equipment, adequate hygiene, cleaning and the consequences for breaching these standards. This article also explores the right to dismiss employees who are non-compliant with their obligations. What is known about the topic?: It is well known that health workers are an at-risk population for COVID-19, particularly those with direct exposure to affected patients. Since early 2020, healthcare services have faced substantial challenges in managing employee risk while complying with Occupational, Health and Safety law in Australia. What does this paper add?: This paper explores the standard of care that healthcare services owe their staff in terms of reduction of risk exposure within the current Australian legal framework, as well as the rights and obligations of healthcare service employees. What are the implications for practitioners?: Health services should be aware of the range of legal obligations to protect healthcare workers from the consequences of COVID-19 in order to minimise risk as much as reasonably practicable for employees. This includes ensuring access to adequate personal protective equipment, psychological support, adequate hygiene and cleaning of the physical workspace as well as the appropriate reporting of incidents and exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated the preferences of dentists in Australia in providing professional implant maintenance and implant‐specific oral hygiene instructions (OHI). Methods: General dentists were surveyed online about their preferences in peri‐implant diagnostics, maintenance provision, armamentarium used, and implant OHI techniques and frequency. Results: Most of the 303 respondents (96%) provided maintenance services; 87.6% reviewed implants regularly while 10.7% only performed diagnostics after detecting clinical signs/symptoms. Supragingival prosthesis cleaning was performed by 77.9% of respondents, 35.0% performed subgingival debridement, 41.9% treated peri‐implant mucositis and 18.2% treated peri‐implantitis. About 15% did not treat nor refer peri‐implant disease, including significantly more non‐implant providers and dentists without implant training. Maintenance armamentarium commonly included floss (76.3%), prophylaxis (73.9%), plastic curettes (43.3%) and stainless‐steel ultrasonics (38.0%). Brushing (86.5%), flossing (73.9%) and interdental brush use (68.3%) were most commonly recommended. Implant OHI was repeated routinely by 57.4% of dentists who provided it. Dentists with greater implant training and experience were more likely to perform reviews and complex maintenance procedures. Conclusions: Peri‐implant diagnostics performed, treatments provided and armamentarium varied among dentists. Implant providers and those with higher levels of training had more preventative approaches to implant OHI. Possible shortcomings in disease management and OHI reinforcement were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the contribution of pharmacists to primary care has been long discussed, particularly in the context of health workforce shortages and the push to better integrate all providers across primary care. This study examines the employment preferences of Australian pharmacy degree holders (PDHs) elicited through a discrete choice experiment (DCE), to better understand the drivers of current labour force choices. A labelled DCE was developed incorporating the six employment sectors: hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, primary healthcare settings, pharmaceutical industry, government/academia , and non-pharmacy-related sector. Each alternative was described by five attributes using Herzberg's Two Factor Theory as a conceptual framework. They include motivators - role and career opportunities, and hygiene factors- flexible work schedule , geographic location , and salary. Unforced choice data were analysed using conditional logit and mixed logit models. Based on a sample of 678 PDHs in Australia, our findings indicated pharmaceutical industry is the least preferred sector, followed by non-pharmacy-related sector. Motivators in the form of role and career opportunities are the most important attributes in hospital pharmacy while hygiene factors - geographic location and salary significantly drive the choice of community pharmacy and primary care settings. We provided evidence of a willingness to adopt expanded roles in community pharmacy. This unique interpretation of the key drivers of employment preference in light of motivators and hygiene factors provides policy makers with important information when designing policies to attract and retain PDHs across employment sectors. • Pharmacy degree holders' preferences were explored with a complete job choice set. • Motivators and hygiene play distinctive roles in shaping employment sector choices. • Policy reforms to expand community pharmacists' responsibilities are supported. • Combinations of motivators and hygiene factors should be used for policy reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this exploratory study were to (1) describe the association between herd-level udder hygiene and clinical mastitis and (2) investigate how sample size and milking stage affect the accuracy and precision of herd udder hygiene assessments made at milking time. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a dairy herd in Northern Australia as part of a previously published clinical trial of premilking teat disinfection. Video footage from 35 afternoon milkings was used to conduct 12,544 udder hygiene scores from 504 cows during an 89-d period and measure udder hygiene of the herd (proportion of cows with udder hygiene ≥3 out of 4). Linear interpolation was used to estimate herd udder hygiene on the days that were not scored, such that a herd-level udder hygiene measure was available for all cow-days in the study. Clinical mastitis events occurring during the study period were detected and recorded by farm staff according to a standardized definition. The relationship between herd udder hygiene on each of 1, 2, and 3 d before each study day (d −1, −2, and −3, respectively) and clinical mastitis at the cow level on each study day (each in turn being set as d 0) was determined using multivariable generalized estimating equations (family = Poisson, link = log), with the unit of analysis being the cow-day, adjusting for potential confounders and the clustering within the data. In addition, sampling strategies were evaluated by simulating herd udder hygiene assessments using a subset of cows in the herd. Herd udder hygiene from d −1, −2, and −3 was positively associated with clinical mastitis on d 0 (incidence rate ratio = 1.4 per 10-point increase in the percentage of cows with poor udder hygiene). Sampling strategy simulation found that at least 80 cows needed to be scored to achieve sufficiently precise estimations of herd udder hygiene. Furthermore, cows scored later during milking were slightly more likely to have poor udder hygiene than those scored earlier (risk ratio = 1.02 for cows that were 10% later in the milking order). More research is needed to evaluate risk factors for poor udder hygiene and potential interventions in pasture-based dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation areas face growing visitor numbers and heightened biosecurity risks from vectors such as bushwalkers and mountain bikers. For mountain areas, such pressures, with climate change, may be increasing in vulnerability to invasive species. Strategies to manage these risks include encouraging visitors to undertake biosecurity hygiene practices such as cleaning footwear at trailhead cleaning stations. However, limited social science biosecurity hygiene research has been undertaken. We address the issue by using a survey based on a social marketing approach to assess footwear cleaning practices among walkers in Kosciuszko National Park in south-eastern Australia. We identified perceived barriers and benefits to footwear cleaning among walkers, finding a low level of cleaning but that most walkers identified addressing biosecurity risks as a benefit from cleaning. Barriers to cleaning included queues and station maintenance. We use elements from the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a heuristic to reflect on walker behaviour and responses. Outcomes suggest strategies for station installation and design, and the value of further research into visitor norms and behaviour. We reflect on the use of social marketing and what it asks of both visitors and managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate (i) the proportion of Australian children who do not adhere to preventive child health behaviours, (ii) clustering of child health behaviours, (iii) the proportion of parents who are concerned about not meeting recommendations and (iv) parents' access to and interest in information on ways to establish healthy habits in their child.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of 477 Australian parents of 0-4-year-old children assessed the degree to which children meet key child health recommendations (diet, physical activity, oral health, sleep, pedestrian/vehicle safety, screen use, sun safety, personal hygiene, medical care), examined clustering of health behaviours and identified parents' greatest concerns.Results: A significant proportion of children do not meet recommendations for many preventive child health behaviours. More than half of the parents report infrequent toothbrushing and dentist check-ups, less than the recommended vegetable consumption, excessive consumption of treats, not wearing safety equipment, excessive screen time and screen time during meals, child inactivity, insufficient sleep, not covering coughs and sneezes, insufficient hand and nail hygiene and inadequate sun protection. No clustering of life-style risk behaviours was found. Areas of greatest concern to parents are vegetable consumption, toothbrushing, covering coughs and sneezes, screen time and wearing sunglasses.Conclusions: While the majority of Australian parents have accessed child health recommendations, relatively few consistently implement health-protective practices with their children. Parents are concerned about this and interested in receiving information. Future research should investigate barriers to following guidelines and how parents can best be supported in establishing healthy habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The transition from childhood to adolescence is a critical transitional period for girls, and as they experience these changes, having knowledge of, and being able to practice, good menstruation hygiene management is crucial. The objective of this study was to understand in and out of school adolescents' menstrual hygiene management practice, sources of information and attitudes towards menstruation. Methods: A cross sectional, descriptive study was conducted between November 2018 and May 2019. The sampling included adolescent girls aged 11--19 years in higher secondary schools in Khammouane and Champassak provinces and out-of-school adolescent girls. Out of the total number of 433 participants enrolled in the study, only 343 girls had reached menarche and were included in the study. Factors associated with menstruation hygiene management practice were examined with bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Out of 343 subjects who had reached menarche, 44% reported good menstrual hygiene management practice. Over half of the participants, however, were unable to access the tools of good menstruation hygiene management practice, including having somewhere to dispose of used sanitary pads in private. Being older (16--19 years) (AOR:2.4; 95%CI 1.4 to 3.9), and having primary education (AOR 0.4; 95%CI 0.2 to 0.9) were associated with good practice as was fathers' level of education (AOR 2.1; 95%CI 1.0 to 4.1) and mother-girl discussion about menstruation (AOR 2.2; 95%CI 1.0 to 5.0). No significant differences were found between in- and out-of-school adolescents. Conclusions: In this study, not all participants were able to practice optimal menstruation hygiene management. This is important as good menstrual hygiene management is associated with better health and being able to participate fully in education and work. Further education is needed, but it is also important to ensure that all adolescent girls have access to the necessary tools for effective menstruation hygiene management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia is a continent seemingly without a cryohistory. But take a closer look. Its cryohistory differs dramatically from that of the northern hemisphere-a contrast that long baffled Victorian geologists seeking evidence of glaciation in the Great South Land. Just as historians have sought to redress the image of a static Arctic through a new attention to its cryohistory, so too historians of Australia have sought to recover a continent that is anything but a "timeless land." Its long geological history-its cryohistory-framed Aboriginal lifeways across the continent, which in turn, shaped colonial encounters in the aftermath of British invasion in 1788. Guiding this historical project have been the moral challenges of the settler nation's legacy of Indigenous dispossession and displacement, and the unfolding planetary crisis of the Anthropocene and its implications for critically understanding deep time. This article examines the colonial hydrology of water scarcity in the goldfields of arid Western Australia in the late nineteenth century. It shows how access to freshwater became a flashpoint for relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples on an extractive frontier. At the turn of the twentieth century, water was the means by which to improve health, hygiene and cleanliness, without which the privileges of white civilisation could not be afforded. Although such conditions also developed elsewhere in settler Australia, the limited water availability on the eastern goldfields made the circumstances that emerged there especially dire. Accordingly, the material conditions of the arid inland- the product of Australia's Pleistocene-came to bear on the nature of the encounters between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples from the mid-nineteenth century. The very absence of ice in Australia's cryohistory left its mark on the peoples of the eastern goldfields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]