Faculty Of Health Science The Mark Liveris Health Science

The Sustainability of a Physical Activity and Nutrition Program for SeniorsPresented by: Maria Pasalich, School of Public HealthCourse: Bachelor of Science (Health Science) (Honours)Supervisors: Dr. Jonine Jancey, Prof. Andy Lee, Linda BurkeOlder adults, a growing segment of the population are at an increased risk of developing chronichealth problems, and this is not simply due to the physiological changes associated with ageing.This age group is becoming increasingly inactive and a large proportion of them are not meetingthe recommended daily intake for fruit and vegetables. Both of these factors have contributed tothe high levels of overweight and obesity, a major public health issue in Australia. Regular physicalactivity and a nutritionally balanced diet lead to a range of health benefits, and play a preventativerole for several chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It istherefore vital that efforts be made to improve the physical activity and dietary behaviours of theolder population through healthy lifestyle promotion.The PANS (Physical Activity and Nutrition for Seniors) program was developed for insufficientlyactive, younger seniors groups (aged 60 to 70 years) living in low to medium socioeconomicsuburbs. This 12-month randomised controlled trial involved a 6-month home-based, semi-tailoredphysical activity and nutrition intervention, which incorporated goal setting and social support.The current focus of this research is to assess the long-term impact of the PANS program inrelation to self-reported physical activity, dietary behaviours and anthropometric measures, at 6-months post-program. Evaluation at this time point is important as there is insufficient evidenceregarding the sustainability of health promotion interventions for older adults. This follow-upresearch will provide valuable insight into the effectiveness of interventions after a no-contactperiod, an area of program sustainability which has been largely ignored.Family Functioning in Families with a Child with Down Syndrome: A MixedMethods ApproachPresented by: Kate Povee, School of Psychology and Speech PathologyCourse: Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)Supervisors: Dr. Lynne Roberts, Dr. Helen LeonardThis study aimed to explore the factors that predict functioning in families with a child with Downsyndrome using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Thequantitative component examined the effect of maladaptive and autism-spectrum behaviours onthe functioning of the family whilst the qualitative component explored the impact of having a childwith Down syndrome on family holidays, family activities and general family functioning.Participants in this study were 256 primary care givers of children with Down syndrome aged 4-25years (57.47% male; 42.53% female) currently residing in Western Australia (75.10% inmetropolitan Perth and 24.90% in rural Western Australia).In 2004, primary care givers completed the multi-dimensional, self-report Down syndrome NOWquestionnaire. The scales used in this study assessed family functioning, marital adjustment,maladaptive behaviour, autism-spectrum behaviour and functional ability. Maladaptive and autismspectrumbehaviour accounted for a significant 5.64% of the variance in family functioning. Meantotal scores on the measures of family functioning and marital adjustment were comparable to thatof families of typically developing children.Consistent with the quantitative findings, normality was the most common theme to emerge in thequalitative data. Child problem behaviours were also identified by parents/carers as having anegative impact of the family. This study has implications for the development of programs tosupport families with a child with Down syndrome and may dispel some of the myths surroundingthe impact of intellectual disability on the family.