Dr Kerith Duncanson

Purpose: Effective use of data across public health organisations (PHOs) is essential for the provision of health services. While health technology and data use in clinical practice have been investigated, interactions with data in non-clinical practice have been largely neglected. The purpose of this paper is to consider what constitutes data, and how people in non-clinical roles in a PHO interact with data in their practice. Design/methodology/approach: This mixed methods study involved a qualitative exploration of how employees of a large PHO interact with data in their non-clinical work roles. A quantitative survey was administered to complement insights gained through qualitative investigation. Findings: Organisational boundaries emerged as a defining issue in interactions with data. The results explain how data work happens through observing, spanning and shifting of boundaries. The paper identifies five key issues that shape data work in relation to boundaries. Boundary objects and processes are considered, as well as the roles of boundary spanners and shifters. Research limitations/implications: The study was conducted in a large Australian PHO, which is not completely representative of the unique contexts of similar organisations. The study has implications for research in information and organisational studies, opening fields of inquiry for further investigation. Practical implications: Effective systems-wide data use can improve health service efficiencies and outcomes. There are also implications for the provision of services by other health and public sectors. Originality/value: The study contributes to closing a significant research gap in understanding interactions with data in the workplace, particularly in non-clinical roles in health. Research analysis connects concepts of knowledge boundaries, boundary spanning and boundary objects with insights into information behaviours in the health workplace. Boundary processes emerge as an important concept to understand interactions with data. The result is a novel typology of interactions with data in relation to organisational boundaries.

The study reported here investigated what enables emergency department (ED) staff to support domestic violence victim-survivors of strangulation, which poses potentially life-threatening medical and psychosocial risks. Informed by Appreciative Inquiry, interviews were conducted with twelve staff from eight emergency departments in New South Wales, Australia. Doctors, nurses, and social workers with experience in supporting victim-survivors of domestic violence-related strangulation were interviewed. De-identified transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Themes identified from the data were the importance of recognising strangulation injuries, that understanding experiences of violence improves ED staff's responses to victim-survivors of strangulation, the value of social work in multidisciplinary response, and that informal support sustains staff in this work. These themes highlight the need for emergency department staff education in identifying and responding to domestic violence and strangulation, which enables informed responses, positive patient engagement, and effective multidisciplinary care. IMPLICATIONS Multidisciplinary care for health and safety assessments are essential for domestic violence victim-survivors of strangulation presenting to emergency departments. 24-hour access to social workers in emergency departments facilitates safety planning and may mitigate the risks of escalating violence. Strangulation and domestic violence education is essential for emergency department staff. There is an evident need for increased social work roles in EDs, especially in rural hospitals, to support victim-survivors and to apply a social work approach to train ED staff to respond appropriately. Formalising supportive structures through enhancing social work and domestic violence education in emergency departments whilst encouraging informal support networks for staff may enhance safety for victims-survivors and maximise staff emotional wellbeing.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and indeterminate colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) that adversely affect the healthcare needs and quality of life (QoL) of people with IBD. The aim of this study was to explore the needs and perceptions of people with IBD in a primary care setting. Methods: This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study consisted of a cross-sectional survey (included validated tools), followed by semistructured interviews on participants' perceptions: IBD management, healthcare professionals, IBD care, flare management, and pharmacist's IBD roles. Results: Sixty-seven participants completed the survey, and 8 completed interviews. Quantitative findings: Age at diagnosis had significant association with medication nonadherence (P =. 04), QoL (P =. 04), and disease control (P =. 01) among the respondents. The odds of medication nonadherence were 8 times (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 8.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08, 60.10) higher among younger participants aged <30 years. Those diagnosed with CD (P =. 02) reported more likely to have unfavorable perceptions of pharmacists' role in managing their IBD (AOR = 9.45, 95% CI = 1.57, 56.62) than those with UC and indeterminate colitis. Qualitative findings: General practitioners were considered the most important care provider and the first point of contact for patients in managing all aspects of IBD. Participants identified their key need to be timely access to specialized IBD care and found that other primary healthcare professionals lacked disease-specific knowledge for managing IBD. Conclusions: Primary healthcare professionals are well positioned but need targeted training to influence the needs of IBD patients. The specialty role of an IBD educator could complement existing services to deliver and address patient-specific care.

This study investigated the implementation model and research methods of a peer education program for new parents focused on infant feeding and nutrition. Two hundred and sixty-nine parents with an infant aged birth to two years old were invited to become co-researchers in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study over three years. Data included focus group and online participant meeting transcripts, social media data, correspondence between the implementation team and peer educators, and field notes. All data were consolidated regularly and discussed by project participants and the research team. After each PAR cycle, structured content analysis was conducted, informing the next iteration of the implementation model and research methods. Participating parents were highly engaged in child feeding peer-to-peer education, but felt more effective and comfortable being considered as a child-feeding information resource sharer or 'champion' rather than a formal peer educator. Similarly, quantitative data collection was only effective when it was integrated seamlessly into the implementation model. PAR methodology suited the diversity and dynamic real-life study setting, facilitating substantial improvements to the peer nutrition intervention model and data collection methods. Our study demonstrated that a genuine collaboration between health professionals and participants to implement research in practice can achieve both intervention outcomes and research aims.

Objectives Research capacity building programmes usually only examine short-term outcomes, following up participants after 1 or 2 years. Capacity building in health research requires a long-term view to understand the influence and impact of capacity building endeavours. This study examined long-term outcomes for individuals regarding the maintenance and use of research skills and the conduct of real-world research in a rural area. We also explored the changes individuals had seen in their career, work team or organisation as a result of this training. Design A qualitative study underpinned by critical realism and based on interviews and focus groups with graduates of the Rural Research Capacity Building Programme (RRCBP), a researcher development programme that has been delivered since 2006. Setting Rural and remote areas of New South Wales, Australia. Participants 22 graduates of the RRCBP from the 2006 to 2015 cohorts (20 female, 2 male). All were experienced rural-based health workers at the time of training. Results Focus groups and interviews yielded three themes about capacity building outcomes: (1) developed research capable individuals; (2) embedded research capability into teams and (3) real-world research that makes a difference within an organisation. Conclusions Research training improved graduates' skill, experience, confidence and employability. Research capable individuals enabled others, enhancing team research capacity and raising the profile of research within their organisation. Training in research, alongside tangible organisational support for research activity, creates real-world impacts for policy and clinical practice. Providing ongoing opportunities for researchers to undertake research would enhance return on investment and assist with retention of experienced staff.

Introduction: Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterised by symptoms of epigastric pain or early satiety and post prandial distress, has been associated with duodenal eosinophilia, raising the possibility that it is driven by an environmental allergen. Non-coeliac gluten or wheat sensitivity (NCG/WS) has also been associated with both dyspeptic symptoms and duodenal eosinophilia, suggesting an overlap between these two conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of wheat (specifically gluten and fructans) in symptom reduction in participants with FD in a pilot randomized double-blind, placebo controlled, dietary crossover trial. Methods: Patients with Rome III criteria FD were recruited from a single tertiary centre in Newcastle, Australia. All were individually counselled on a diet low in both gluten and fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) by a clinical dietitian, which was followed for four weeks (elimination diet phase). Those who had a >30% response to the run-in diet, as measured by the Nepean Dyspepsia Index, were then re-challenged with 'muesli' bars containing either gluten, fructan, or placebo in randomised order. Those with symptoms which significantly reduced during the elimination diet, but reliably reappeared (a mean change in overall dyspeptic symptoms of >30%) with gluten or fructan re-challenge were deemed to have wheat induced FD. Results: Eleven participants were enrolled in the study (75% female, mean age 43 years). Of the initial cohort, nine participants completed the elimination diet phase of whom four qualified for the rechallenge phase. The gluten-free, low FODMAP diet led to an overall (albeit non-significant) improvement in symptoms of functional dyspepsia in the diet elimination phase (mean NDI symptom score 71.2 vs. 47.1, p = 0.087). A specific food trigger could not be reliably demonstrated. Conclusions: Although a gluten-free, low-FODMAP diet led to a modest overall reduction in symptoms in this cohort of FD patients, a specific trigger could not be identified. The modified Salerno criteria for NCG/WS identification trialled in this dietary rechallenge protocol was fit-for-purpose. However, larger trials are required to determine whether particular components of wheat induce symptoms in functional dyspepsia.

Food ingestion is heavily implicated in inducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD), which affect over one-third of adults in developed countries. The primary aim of this paper was to assess the alignment of dietary assessment and symptom-reporting capture periods in diet-related studies on IBS or FD in adults. Secondary aims were to compare the degree of alignment, validity of symptom-reporting tools and reported significant associations between food ingestion and symptoms. A five-database systematic literature search resulted in 40 included studies, from which data were extracted and collated. The food/diet and symptom capture periods matched exactly in 60% (n = 24/40) of studies, overlapped in 30% (n = 12/40) of studies and were not aligned in 10% (n = 4/40) of studies. Only 30% (n = 12/40) of studies that reported a significant association between food and global gastrointestinal symptoms used a validated symptom-reporting tool. Of the thirty (75%) studies that reported at least one significant association between individual gastrointestinal symptoms and dietary intake, only four (13%) used a validated symptom tool. Guidelines to ensure that validated symptom-reporting tools are matched with fit-for-purpose dietary assessment methods are needed to minimise discrepancies in the alignment of food and symptom tools, in order to progress functional gastrointestinal disorder research.

Guidance for food consumption and portion control plays an important role in the global management of overweight and obesity. Carefully conceptualised serving size labelling can contribute to this guidance. However, little is known about the relationship between the information that is provided regarding serving sizes on food packages and levels of actual food consumption. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate how serving size information on food packages influences food consumption. We conducted a systematic review of the evidence published between 1980 and March 2018. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts for relevance and assessed relevant articles for eligibility in full-text. Five studies were considered eligible for the systematic review. In three of the included studies, changes in serving size labelling resulted in positive health implications for consumers, whereby less discretionary foods were consumed, if serving sizes were smaller or if serving size information was provided alongside contextual information referring to the entire package. One study did not find significant differences between the conditions they tested and one study suggested a potentially negative impact, if the serving size was reduced. The influence of labelled serving size on consumption of non-discretionary foods remains unclear, which is partially due to the absence of studies specifically focusing on non-discretionary food groups. Studies that investigate the impact of serving size labels within the home environment and across a broad demographic cross-section are required.

Aim: Grandparents are assuming increased child-caregiving responsibilities, which potentially influences the dietary intake of grandchildren. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the influence of grandparental care on the dietary intake, food-related behaviours, food choices and weight status of their preschool and school-aged grandchildren. Methods: Six electronic health databases were searched in January 2017. Inclusion criteria were publication in English language, peer-reviewed journal between 2000 and 2017; children aged 2¿12 years; study outcomes included child dietary intake/weight status, grandparent nutrition knowledge/beliefs or grandparent/parent feeding practices. Included studies were appraised for quality and bias. The review was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016047518. Results: Sixteen studies were identified in the review, published between 2007 and 2016, with 15 assessed as moderate or high quality. Nine studies reported grandparental child feeding attitudes and behaviours that are considered to negatively influence child dietary intake, while three studies identified positive influences. Seven studies identified that differences in child feeding attitudes and behaviours between parents and grandparents created conflict and tensions between caregivers, often resulting in poor feeding practices. Statistically significant positive associations (odds ratio 1.47¿1.72) between grandparent cohabitation and increased rates of child overweight and obesity were found in four studies. Conclusions: Grandparents in caregiving roles may negatively influence the dietary intake and weight status of their grandchildren. More rigorous, targeted studies are required to further define the mechanisms by which grandparents' knowledge, attitudes and feeding behaviours may influence child dietary intake. This review suggests that grandparents may be an important audience to target in future child nutrition interventions.

Aim: The aim was to evaluate the utility of a brief dietary intake assessment tool in measuring nutritional adequacy of preschoolers and differences in food and nutrient intake between quartiles stratified by overall diet quality. Methods: Dietary intakes of preschoolers (n = 146) from the Feeding Healthy Food to Kids trial were reported by parents/caregivers using a 120-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Diet quality was assessed using the Australian Recommended Food Score for Preschoolers. Analyses were performed using Kruskal¿Wallis one-way analysis of variance, adjusted for Type 1 error. Participants were grouped into quartiles by total food score for comparison of subscale scores, food groups and nutrient intakes from the FFQ. Results: Participants who scored less than the median total food score of 36 were more likely to have suboptimal micronutrient intakes. Median fruit (9 vs 5, P < 0.0001) and vegetable (14 vs 7, P < 0.0001) subscale scores for preschoolers in the highest quartile were significantly higher than the lowest quartile, indicating much greater fruit and vegetable variety. Statistically significant differences in diet quality score by quartiles (P < 0.05) were found for total energy and percentage energy from core foods, protein, fibre and 11 micronutrients. Conclusions: The Australian Recommended Food Score for Preschoolers is a practical brief diet quality assessment tool to measure food variety and nutritional adequacy in Australian preschoolers. Stratifying children by baseline diet quality in future nutrition interventions is recommended in order to identify those who are likely to benefit or require more targeted approaches to address specific nutritional needs in order to optimise food and nutrient intakes.

Issues addressed It is not known whether individuals can accurately estimate the portion size of foods usually consumed relative to standard serving sizes in national food selection guides. The aim of the present cross-sectional pilot study was to quantify what adults and children deem a typical portion for a variety of foods and compare these with the serving sizes specified in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE). Methods Adults and children were independently asked to serve out their typical portion of 10 common foods (rice, pasta, breakfast cereal, chocolate, confectionary, ice cream, meat, vegetables, soft drink and milk). They were also asked to serve what they perceived a small, medium and large portion of each food to be. Each portion was weighed and recorded by an assessor and compared with the standard AGHE serving sizes. Results Twenty-one individuals (nine mothers, one father, 11 children) participated in the study. There was a large degree of variability in portion sizes measured out by both parents and children, with means exceeding the standard AGHE serving size for all items, except for soft drink and milk, where mean portion sizes were less than the AGHE serving size. The greatest mean overestimations were for pasta (155%; mean 116 g; range 94-139g) and chocolate (151%; mean 38 g; range 25-50g), each of which represented approximately 1.5 standard AGHE servings. Conclusion The findings of the present study indicate that there is variability between parents' and children's estimation of typical portion sizes compared with national recommendations. So what? Dietary interventions to improve individuals' dietary patterns should target education regarding portion size.

Background: Diet quality tools provide researchers with brief methods to assess the nutrient adequacy of usual dietary intake. This study describes the development and validation of a pediatric diet quality index, the Australian Recommended Food Scores for Pre-schoolers (ARFS-P), for use with children aged two to five years. Methods. The ARFS-P was derived from a 120-item food frequency questionnaire, with eight sub-scales, and was scored from zero to 73. Linear regressions were used to estimate the relationship between diet quality score and nutrient intakes, in 142 children (mean age 4 years) in rural localities in New South Wales, Australia. Results: Total ARFS-P and component scores were highly related to dietary intake of the majority of macronutrients and micronutrients including protein, ß-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin A. Total ARFS-P was also positively related to total consumption of nutrient dense foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and negatively related to total consumption of discretionary choices, such as sugar sweetened drinks and packaged snacks. Conclusion: ARFS-P is a valid measure that can be used to characterise nutrient intakes for children aged two to five years. Further research could assess the utility of the ARFS-P for monitoring of usual dietary intake over time or as part of clinical management.

Background: Food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) are used in epidemiological studies to investigate the relationship between diet and disease. There is a need for a valid and reliable adult FFQ with a contemporary food list in Australia. Aims: To evaluate the reproducibility and comparative validity of the Australian Eating Survey (AES) FFQ in adults compared to weighed food records (WFRs). Methods: Two rounds of AES and three-day WFRs were conducted in 97 adults (31 males, median age and BMI for males of 44.9 years, 26.2 kg/m2, females 41.3 years, 24.0 kg/m2. Reproducibility was assessed over six months using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and comparative validity was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) estimated by fitting a mixed effects model for each nutrient to account for age, sex and BMI to allow estimation of between and within person variance. Results: Reproducibility was found to be good for both WFR and FFQ since there were no significant differences between round 1 and 2 administrations. For comparative validity, FFQ ICCs were at least as large as those for WFR. The ICC of the WFR-FFQ difference for total energy intake was 0.6 (95% CI 0.43, 0.77) and the median ICC for all nutrients was 0.47, with all ICCs between 0.15 (%E from saturated fat) and 0.7 (g/day sugars). Conclusions: Compared to WFR the AES FFQ is suitable for reliably estimating the dietary intakes of Australian adults across a wide range of nutrients. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism.

Background: A direct association between parenting style and child feeding behaviours has not been established. This review explores whether an authoritative, authoritarian or permissive parenting style is associated with parental pressure to eat, responsibility, monitoring or restriction of child dietary intake. Methods: A search of eight electronic health databases was conducted. Inclusion criteria were children aged <12 years, published between 1975 and 2012, measured and reported associations between parenting style and child feeding behaviours. Results: Seven studies (n = 1845) were identified in the review. An authoritarian parenting style was associated with pressuring a child to eat and having restrictive parental food behaviours. Authoritative parenting was associated with parental monitoring of child food intake. A permissive parenting style was inversely related to monitoring of child dietary intake. Conclusions: Parenting styles showed only weak to moderate associations with individual domains of child feeding. The most consistent relationship found was a negative association between permissive parenting and monitoring for both mothers and fathers in two studies. Progress in this field could be achieved by conducting studies targeting fathers and culturally diverse populations, and development of a tool which could reflect overall child feeding behaviour rather than individual domains.

OBJECTIVES:: Community-based nutrition interventions aimed at influencing child dietary intake are rarely evaluated. We hypothesised that providing self-directed nutrition and parenting resources to parents living in rural northern New South Wales, Australia, would positively affect the dietary patterns of children ages 2 to 5 years. METHODS:: A total of 146 parent-child dyads (76 boys, ages 2.0-5.9 years) were randomly assigned to either a 12-month parent-centred intervention involving self-directed education provided in CD and DVD formats, or a participant-blinded control group who received generic nutrition and physical activity information. Data were collected at baseline, 3, and 12 months. RESULTS:: Total reported energy from nutrient-dense food groups and percentage energy from energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods were high at baseline relative to estimated total energy expenditure for child age. Using random effects modelling, there were significant group-by-time effects for a reduction in mean (standard deviation) total energy intake (EI) at 12 months (-461 kJ/day (196); Pâ¿¿=â¿¿0.04). An intervention group-by-time effect on carbohydrate intake (-17.4 g/day (10.6); Pâ¿¿<â¿¿0.05) was largely attributable to decreased consumption of breads and cereals (-180 g/day (80); Pâ¿¿=â¿¿0.007). Decreases in energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS:: The proportion of total EI from noncore foods in children in rural New South Wales is high and did not improve in response to a low-intensity nutrition intervention. Parents reported small changes in consumption frequency for core and noncore food intakes, leading to a reduction in total EI. Strategies to increase resource use such as prompting via e-mail are required to further explore the effectiveness of nutrition resource dissemination at a population level. Copyright © 2013 by European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology.