Papers by Nick Higginbotham
PubMed, 2007
Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE's) are part of practice in work injury prevention and rehabi... more Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE's) are part of practice in work injury prevention and rehabilitation, and are designed to define an individual's functional abilities or limitations in the context of safe, productive work tasks. Qualitative research methodology was used to investigate the attitudes and behaviours of health professionals in relation to FCE use. The study aimed to identify why health professionals chose a particular FCE, and to identify what factors influence health professionals' clinical judgements when providing results and recommendations for the individual being assessed. Five health professionals from the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, participated in semi-structured, individual interviews using a phenomenological approach. Following inductive analysis of the data, four themes reflecting participants' attitudes and behaviours of FCE use emerged: i) referrals and expectations, including why and when the assessment is completed ii) outcomes, -- what the results aim to provide iii) workplace/practice/usage issues and iv) skills of the assessor. The results indicate the need for further research on the clinical utility of FCE's. A large scale quantitative study would allow results to be generalised to a wider community of FCE users.
Oxford University Press eBooks, 2001
Around the world, the need to find creative solutions to health problems has never been greater, ... more Around the world, the need to find creative solutions to health problems has never been greater, and neither has the need to understand transdisciplinary research processes. Health Social Science: A Transdisciplinary and Complexity Perspective is an innovative text that ...
Regional Environmental Change, Sep 17, 2013
Environmental cognitive stress' a hybrid model combining environmental stress and cognitive deter... more Environmental cognitive stress' a hybrid model combining environmental stress and cognitive determinants of pro-environmental behavior is explored among Australians living in contrasting 'micro' climates in the same river catchment system. Peoples' climate risk perceptions are mediated by their connections to local environment, observations of environmental change and personal weather experiences. A longitudinal study randomly sampled 1,162 Hunter Valley coastal and rural residents in New South Wales. Telephone interviewers (2008) recruited lakeside homeowners 'at risk' of sea level rise, nearby 'control' residents and a comparable farming area group. Follow-up interviews (2011) located 81.5 % of the original sample. Fifty-six items based on the model asked about climate change observations, concerns, impacts and actions. Statistically significant rural-suburban and time differences were found. The rural sample was attuned to conditions affecting agricultural productivity: They worried about drought and heat, saw trees dying and changes to seasons and natural rhythms. They anticipate the impact of water scarcity, conserve water and value protecting plants and animals. Compared to higher elevation residents, lake dwellers observed marine life loss, worry about sea level rise and predict the decline of property values. Across time, all groups' perceptions of warming indicators declined. Concerns and impacts were high and generally stayed high, as did actions related to energy use. No differences emerged in beliefs about climate warming. Climate change observations, along with concerns and actions, have important implications for the environmental cognitive stress model. Overall, dynamic changes in residents' understandings are related to a changing policy environment, the vicissitudes of climate debates and weather experiences, including extreme swings from inundation to drought. Keywords Climate change Á Risk perceptions Á Subregional differences Á Urban vs rural Á Australia Á Longitudinal survey Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (
International Journal of Health Services, 1989
This article provides a critical examination of the professional ideology associated with the exp... more This article provides a critical examination of the professional ideology associated with the expansion of psychiatric treatment in the ASEAN countries of Southeast Asia. Four components of professional ideology are identified: appeal to "modernization"; medicalization of social problems; integration of psychiatry with primary health care; and panhuman uniformity of mental illness. However, the adoption of psychiatric technology has been a significant factor in the erosion of indigenous systems of social and psychological support since the colonial period. Contemporary psychiatric practices are also shown to exacerbate social inequalities, enhance state control of the populace, and continue to operate without adequate validation of diagnoses and treatments.
Otjr-occupation Participation and Health, Oct 1, 2002
Falls among the population of older people are a major international public health concern. Few p... more Falls among the population of older people are a major international public health concern. Few prospective studies have been conducted in Australia with a healthy, rural and urban communitysample that measure a broad range of health-related potential riskfactors forfalls. This study aims to identify the nature and circumstances offalls experienced by people aged 70 years and older, and explores any health and environmental variables associated with falls overa 6-month period. A total of 264 participants kept calendars and recorded information about falls. Health status measures were taken prior to thestudy period. Falls occurred mainly during mobility and housework activities causing a wide range of minor but notable injuries, andwere associated with psychosocial factors aswellas medical riskfactors. Theneed for occupational therapists to develop specific programs for healthy older people living in the community is identified, as wellas the need for cross-national falls research.
Psychology & Health, Sep 1, 1995
... and Dudley, 1991; Axelrod and Newton, 1991) have measured self-reported and/or actual behavio... more ... and Dudley, 1991; Axelrod and Newton, 1991) have measured self-reported and/or actual behavior as the outcome variable of Protection Motivation. ... Model has been moderately successful in predicting health and safety related intentions and behaviors for a variety of concerns. ...
The Medical Journal of Australia, Jul 1, 2002
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE and epidemiological evidence indicate that chronic pain of non-malignant orig... more CLINICAL EXPERIENCE and epidemiological evidence indicate that chronic pain of non-malignant origin is common among elderly people residing in the community or in nursing homes. 1-3 Elderly Australians living in high-levelcare residential facilities are dependent as a result of physical and/or cognitive impairment. Physical impairment caused by disease is often accompanied by pain, as acknowledged in the 1998 Australian federal legislation establishing outcome standards for pain management of the elderly in residential agedcare facilities. 4 The Federal Government is now seeking to ensure, by an accreditation process, that the standards for pain management are met throughout Australia. Recent surveys in other countries have estimated the prevalence of pain within nursing home populations to be anywhere between 27% and 83%. 5-9 One US study reported 15% persistent severe pain among residents of agedcare facilities, 10 while an Australian study by Madjar and Higgins found that 86% of residents in one nursing home were in chronic pain. 11 A broader population survey of Australians in high-level care is needed to achieve more accurate estimates of pain prevalence. The objectives of our study were to measure the prevalence of pain among nursing home residents in rural New South Wales and to describe the procedures that facilities use for pain management. Our data and survey methods are intended for use by medical officers
Acta Neuropsychiatrica, Dec 1, 2006
individual but also on the family, community and society. Just as the mental health effects on th... more individual but also on the family, community and society. Just as the mental health effects on the individual psyche can result in nonpathological distress as well as a variety of psychiatric disorders, massive and widespread trauma and loss can impact on family and social processes as well as the collective unconscious causing changes at the family, community and societal levels. Methods: This ecological study used qualitative methods of Participatory Action Research in Cambodia and Northern Sri Lanka, while involved in community mental health programmes among the Tamil and Khmer communities. Participant observation, key informant interviews and focus group discussion with community relief and rehabilitation workers and offi cials were used. Results: Fundamental changes in the functioning of the family and the community included the dynamics of single-headed families, lack of trust among members, and changes in signifi cant relationships (motherchild), and childrearing practices. Communities were more dependent, passive, silent, without leadership, mistrustful and suspicious. Additional adverse effects included the breakdown in traditional structures, institutions and familiar ways of life, and deterioration in social norms and ethics. On the positive side, the study observed the emergence of community organizations, enhanced female role and leadership, and a decrease in suicide rates. Conclusions: Exposure to confl ict, war and disaster impact on family and community dynamics resulting in changes at a collective level. Relief, rehabilitation and development programmes will need to use integrated multilevel approaches.
Elsevier eBooks, 2008
Public health problems cannot be explained without recourse to social science and humanities'... more Public health problems cannot be explained without recourse to social science and humanities' understandings of how the interconnections between humans and the environment flourish or fail. After presenting an overview of historical precedents, this article describes ecosystem health in terms of biophysical, healthy ecosystem, conservation medicine, eco-health, human ecology and ecological anthropology, health psychology, and conservation psychology approaches. Key concepts and methods of the ecosystem approach including complex systems, critical realism, ‘transdisciplinarity,’ and participatory methods are discussed. While by no means fully united, ecosystem health represents an emergent sustainability paradigm that can integrate many aspects of public health research and practice in the twenty-first century.
Journal of Health Psychology, May 1, 2002
Cross-sectional survey data describing health priorities and needs perceived by men and women liv... more Cross-sectional survey data describing health priorities and needs perceived by men and women living in Newcastle, Australia are compared and contrasted with national health policies. The highest prevalence of felt needs for men were stress (13 percent), cost of medical care (10 percent) and money problems (9 percent); while stress (16 percent), overweight (16 percent) and money problems (15 percent) were highest for women. These contrast with the 2000 National Health Priorities of cancer, mental health, injury, cardiovascular health, diabetes and asthma. We conclude that men’s perceived unmet health needs are similar to those of women; while sharing some commonalities, they also differ from health professional priorities. Incorporating felt needs into health service planning and delivery is a critical unmet challenge for government planners.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 1996
Australian journal on ageing, Nov 1, 1996
Page 1. Preventive Programs for Older People: How Effective are They? M. Harris, J. Byles, N. Hig... more Page 1. Preventive Programs for Older People: How Effective are They? M. Harris, J. Byles, N. Higginbotham, BR Nair The purpose of the study is to critically review the empirical evidence for the effectiveness of preventive health ...
The table of contents for this item can be shared with the requester. The requester may then choo... more The table of contents for this item can be shared with the requester. The requester may then choose one chapter, up to 10% of the item, as per the Fair Dealing provision of the Canadian Copyright Ac
The Journal of Rural Health, 2019
PurposeRural areas may face under‐recognized threats to air quality. We tested 2 hypotheses that ... more PurposeRural areas may face under‐recognized threats to air quality. We tested 2 hypotheses that 1) rural areas in New South Wales, Australia, would have better air quality than metropolitan Sydney, and that 2) the rural Upper Hunter region characterized by coal mining and coal combustion would have worse air quality than other rural areas of the state.MethodsWe analyzed 2017 daily mean values for New South Wales, Australia, for particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and NOx (sum of NO and NO2). Forty‐six air monitoring stations were grouped into 6 rural and urban regional areas. Linear regression models examined pollution levels in association with rural and urban regions and meteorological covariates.ResultsFindings show that daily mean pollutant levels in the rural Upper Hunter were the highest of all regions, and were significantly higher than metropolitan Sydney, with and without control for weather conditions, for ...
Behaviour Change, 1991
The potential application of behaviour therapy to cross-cultural situations is explored as societ... more The potential application of behaviour therapy to cross-cultural situations is explored as societies move to recognise their bicultural or multicultural composition. First reviewed are the moral and epistemological underpinnings of behaviour therapy and questions involving the universality of behaviour principles and technologies. Expected competencies of cross-cultural therapists are next raised. The basic message, told through examples from Australia, North American, and elsewhere, is that cultural norms and values penetrate every facet of client–therapist interaction and clinical decision-making. Competently performed functional analyses can produce culturally accommodating interventions that respond to culture-specific definitions of deviancy, accepted norms of role behaviour, expectations of change techniques, and approved behaviour change practitioners.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 1993
Abatraet-A slightly modified version of the Quality-of-Life after Myocardial Infarction (QLMI) qu... more Abatraet-A slightly modified version of the Quality-of-Life after Myocardial Infarction (QLMI) questionnaire developed by Oldridge and colleagues was applied in a self-administered mode to patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a randomized controlled trial of secondary prevention. Acceptability of the questionnaire was good, with 93% of responders answering all items. Factor analysis suggested three quality-of-life (QL) dimensions which we called "emotional", "physical" and "social". These differed somewhat from the dimensions proposed by Oldridge and colleagues. However, a sensitivity analysis showed relative invariance of results to weighting schemes. Scores on our three dimensions were responsive to differences between the treatment groups, and demonstrated construct validity based on associations between the measured QL and variables expected to affect QL. We conclude that the QLMI questionnaire has good potential as an instrument for assessing QL in post-AM1 patients and that it can be successfully self-administered. Quality of life Factor analysis Self-administered questionnaire Acute myocardial infarction
Health social science has evolved rapidly since the late 1980s. This volume presents ten case stu... more Health social science has evolved rapidly since the late 1980s. This volume presents ten case studies that exemplify some of the best practice in health social science in developing countries. The studies address the critical question of how social/behavioural ...
INRUD social scientist …, 1996
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Papers by Nick Higginbotham