Physiotherapy - Research Publications

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    "We are a unique breed": strategies to enhance physical activity participation for preschool-aged children born extremely preterm, a mixed-methods study
    Coulston, F ; Spittle, A ; McDonald, C ; Remedios, L ; Toovey, R ; Cheong, J ; Sellick, K (Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-11)
    PURPOSE: Preschool-aged children (three to five years old) born preterm participate in less physical activity (PA) than term-born children. Circus activities (a type of recreational PA) are a potential avenue to increase PA rates, but further insight into how to tailor these to address the participation gap is needed. This study investigated barriers and facilitators informing participation in recreational PA for preschool-aged children born extremely preterm and explored strategies to enhance participation in circus activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sequential mixed-methods study utilizing surveys (n = 217), interviews (n = 43), and a focus group (n = 6) with key stakeholder groups (parents, coaches, and clinicians). Qualitative data (Framework Method) and quantitative data (descriptive statistics) were mixed during preliminary and final analyses. RESULTS: Five themes were developed from the mixed data: the crucial role of the coach and the need for specific training, the therapeutic role of PA and promoting outcomes beyond the physical, the impact of communication and class planning, consideration of convenience and cost, and finally, the role of clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: Barriers, facilitators, and strategies were identified which may be used to modify or co-design circus-based PA interventions to enhance participation and improve rates of PA for preschool-aged children born extremely preterm.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONFamilies consider recreational physical activities to be part of the therapeutic agenda for their preschool-aged children born extremely preterm.Key stakeholders feel that recreational physical activity should target outcomes beyond the physical.Coach attributes and capability impact participation of children born preterm and their families, and may be enhanced with specific training.Clinicians should be engaged in design of recreational physical activities for children born preterm.
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    Circus activities as a health intervention for children, youths, and adolescents: a scoping review protocol
    Coulston, F ; Cameron, KL ; Spittle, A ; Sellick, K ; Toovey, R (LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 2022-01)
    OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to map the evidence on circus activities described and/or evaluated as a health intervention for children, youths, and adolescents. Increased understanding of how these interventions work, and gaps identified, will allow researchers and practitioners to advance the science behind these approaches. INTRODUCTION: Circus activities are proposed in the literature as a health intervention, due to their variety, non-competitive nature, and potential to develop fundamental physical and social skills. For the purposes of this review, circus activities as a health intervention are defined as aerial, acrobatic, equilibristic, and manipulation skills taught to participants to maintain, improve, or modify health, functioning, or health conditions. INCLUSION CRITERIA: English-language evidence will be considered where circus activities as a health intervention are described and/or evaluated for participants up to 24 years of age, or who are defined as children, youths, or adolescents. Literature will be excluded where the focus of the intervention is clowning, magic, or drama games, or where circus activities are not the therapeutic part of the activity. METHODS: MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL Complete (EBSCO), Scopus (Elsevier), PsycINFO (Ovid), ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and Google Scholar will be searched for peer-reviewed and gray literature. No restriction on dates, type, methodology, or setting will be imposed, but limits will include "human" and "English language." Screening and data extraction will be performed by two independent reviewers. Reference lists of included sources will be screened. Results will be presented in diagrammatic or tabular format, alongside a narrative description, under headings aligning with the research sub-questions.
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    Circus Activities as a Health Intervention for Children, Youth, and Adolescents: A Scoping Review
    Coulston, F ; Cameron, KL ; Sellick, K ; Cavallaro, M ; Spittle, A ; Toovey, R (MDPI, 2023-03)
    Circus activities are emerging as an engaging and unique health intervention. This scoping review summarises the evidence on this topic for children and young people aged up to 24 years to map (a) participant characteristics, (b) intervention characteristics, (c) health and wellbeing outcomes, and (d) to identify evidence gaps. Using scoping review methodology, a systematic search of five databases and Google Scholar was conducted up to August 2022 for peer-reviewed and grey literature. Fifty-seven of 897 sources of evidence were included (42 unique interventions). Most interventions were undertaken with school-aged participants; however, four studies included participants with age ranges over 15 years. Interventions targeted both general populations and those with defined biopsychosocial challenges (e.g., cerebral palsy, mental illness, or homelessness). Most interventions utilised three or more circus disciplines and were undertaken in naturalistic leisure settings. Dosage could be calculated for 15 of the 42 interventions (range one-96 h). Improvements in physical and/or social-emotional outcomes were reported for all studies. There is emerging evidence of positive health outcomes resulting from circus activities used in general populations and those with defined biopsychosocial challenges. Future research should focus on detailed reporting of intervention elements and increasing the evidence base in preschool-aged children and within populations with the greatest need.
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    Health professional workforce education in the Asia Pacific
    Lees, J ; Webb, G ; Coulston, F ; Smart, A ; Remedios, L (SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2016)
    OBJECTIVE: To design and implement an international and interprofessional Global Learning Partnership Model, which involves shared learning between academics and students from Universitas 21 network with other universities with United Nations Millennium Development Goal needs. DESIGN: Two literature reviews were conducted to inform ethical aspects and curriculum design of the GLP model. Feedback from conference presentations and consultation with experts in education and public health has been incorporated to inform the current iteration of the GLP model. INTERVENTION: The pilot group of 25 students from U21 universities and Kathmandu University, representing six health disciplines will meet in Nepal in April 2016 for a shared learning experience, including a one week university based workshop and three week community based experience. OUTCOME MEASURES: A multi-phase, mixed method design was selected for the evaluation of the GLP model, utilising a combination of focus groups and questionnaires to evaluate the efficacy of the placement through student experience and learning outcomes in cultural competency, UN SDG knowledge, community engagement and health promotion skills. RESULTS: The literature review demonstrated that cultural awareness and cultural knowledge were improved through participation in cultural immersion programs that incorporated preparatory workshops and clinical experiences. Data will be gathered in April 2006 and the results of the evaluation will be published in the future. CONCLUSIONS: The GLP model proposes a project around the fundamental concept of engagement and sharing between students and academics across universities and cultural contexts to build capacity through education, while capitalising on strengths of existing global health placements. Further the inclusion of host-country students and academics in this learning exchange will promote the establishment of an international and interprofessional network for ongoing health promotion. Significance for public healthThe Global Learning Partnership model aims to contribute to the capacity building of a health workforce that is capable of working effectively in cross cultural and interprofessional health care teams. A shared public health focused global placement has the potential to catalyse collaborative relationships between educational institutions in the Asia Pacific region.