ACU Research Bank
Recent Submissions
Item Open Access Experienced weight stigma and its biopsychosocial correlates : The role of internalised weight stigma(Australian Catholic University, 2025-11-20)Weight stigma is defined as social devaluation directed toward individuals because of their body-weight. Existing theoretical models have suggested that internalised weight stigma (i.e., the application of negative stereotypes about weight to the self) explains the well-established relationship between weight stigma experiences and adverse psychosocial health correlates. The first aim of this thesis was to review, test, and replicate the proposed effects of internalised weight stigma in the literature (Studies 1-3). The second aim of this thesis was to move beyond cross- sectional research to understand the temporal relationship between weight stigma and biopsychosocial health correlates (Studies 4 and 5). The first study in this thesis was a systematic review (n = 17), which found that internalised weight stigma mediated the relationship between experienced weight stigma and several biopsychosocial correlates, including disordered eating, body image disturbances, self-esteem, and psychological distress. Studies 2 and 3 replicated these observed effects in bariatric surgery candidates (n = 217; Study 2) and in a community-based sample (n = 418; Study 3). In both samples, I found that internalised weight stigma mediated the relationship between experienced weight stigma and several psychosocial (but not physical) health correlates, including disordered eating, symptoms of depression and anxiety, self-esteem, and body image disturbances. Study 3’s second aim after replication was to characterise the protective nature of awareness, engagement, and endorsement (AEE) of non-diet approaches to health. Hypotheses were partially supported, such that non-diet AEE was related to external measures of weight stigma, but not internal measures. There were few consistent relationships between non-diet AEE and psychosocial health correlates. Though mixed, our findings suggest non-diet approaches remain an important factor to consider in future research. To address the second aim of this thesis, I also reviewed the literature that used real-time data collection methods (i.e., Ecological Momentary Assessment [EMA] methods) to analyse temporal relationships between weight stigma and health outcomes (Study 4). The findings from this review (n = 12) indicated that EMA results corroborate those in cross-sectional studies, and that weight stigma precedes negative health outcomes – including negative affect, body image disturbances, psychological distress, exercise avoidance, and disordered eating. This review also found several limitations in existing literature, including a lack of consistency in methods used and research questions posed. Study 5 aimed to address this by creating a coherent research agenda through establishing a data-sharing consortium. Specifically, in Study 5, I used survey methods and conference workshops to collect quantitative and qualitative data about clinical, lived experience, and research experts’ views of the direction of future EMA weight stigma research and research priorities. Healthcare avoidance, disordered eating, body image disturbances, and psychological distress, respectively, were rated as the most important outcomes of weight stigma that research should prioritise. Taken together, the findings from the studies in this thesis emphasise that internalised weight stigma is an important construct for understanding the relationship between experiences of weight stigma and adverse health correlates. This research also suggests that EMA methods provide a unique opportunity to address the limitations of existing research. The proposed data-sharing consortium may be an important component of future research for understanding and effectively addressing weight stigma’s consequences.Item Open Access Open educational resources : Supporting equitable outcomes for all students at ACU(Australian Catholic University, 2018-07-27)A presentation on the benefits of using Open Educational Resources (OERs) for staff and students at Australian Catholic University. Includes an embedded presentation by Vanessa Tuckfield ACU Copyright Officer.Item Open Access System reform for children and young people in statutory child protection exposed to domestic and family violence(Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, 2020-07)Children and young people’s exposure to domestic and family violence (DFV) is a prominent policy issue across Australia. According to many practitioners working in statutory child protection systems, we need to understand more deeply how the service system is responding to children and young people. To understand these issues in more detail, the Australian Government Department of Social Services commissioned the ACU Institute of Child Protection Studies to investigate service system responses for families involved in child protection in the context of domestic and family violence. The aim of the project was to understand the nature of services, the case management approach and the service system pathways for children and young people exposed to DFV and who were also engaged with the child protection system. In this Research to Practice issue, we explore the implications of the findings from our study of the current practice of Child Safety Officers (CSOs) in Queensland and non government (NGO) practitioners in the South West region of Queensland who work with children and young people in the child protection system who have also experienced domestic and family violence. Our study details the levels of engagement from CSOs and practitioners with children and young people in their case management processes. This document provides a useful reflection framework that is relevant for CSOs and practitioners across Australia. For further information on the study, read the full report: https://doi.org/10.26199/5e2fc4dd37b96Item Open Access Main findings from the kContact trial of a contact intervention to support parents with children in out-of-home care(Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, 2020)[Key points] This research summary outlines the main outcomes and implications for practice of the kContact study which was conducted across three jurisdictions in Australia. The trial took place between 2015 and 2017 in Victoria and ACT, and 2017 to 2018 in NSW. The kContact study is the largest trial to date testing the effectiveness of a contact intervention (the kContact Practice Model) in the out of home care context. The main component of the kContact Practice Model consisted of the key workers contacting parents before and after each contact visit to provide them with support. This support helped parents clarify their concerns and expe ctations about contact, and provid ed practical and emotional support for the next visit with the study child. The study demonstrated that the kContact intervention significantly reduced the proportion of contact visits cancelled by parents. In addition when the program was fully delivered it significantly improved caseworkers’ receptivity to family contact, and significantly improved parents’ satisfaction with contact. T he study showed that supporting parents can be an effective approach to improving contact experiences that can be easily embedded in the current casework practice. These findings demonstrate the benefit of the kContact Practice Model in providing support to parents to attend contact visits. Given the distress children experience when visits are cancelled or when parents fail to attend a scheduled visit, and when contact visits are negative experiences, being able to show an improvement on these outcomes as a result of the intervention is particularly important. The findings in this research summary are based on the following publication: Suomi, A., Lucas, N., McArthur, M., Humphreys, C., Dobbins, T., & Taplin, S. (2020). Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to Support Parental Contact for Children in Out-of-Home Care. Child Abuse & Neglect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104708Item Open Access Children and young people’s safety : 2018-2020 report(Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, 2021)[Executive summary] It is a troubling fact that children and young people are at risk of sexual abuse in places where they should expect to be safe – their school, sports club, church and other youthserving organisations. Organisations are taking steps to improve children’s safety and are implementing many changes to become safer for children and young people. The Children and Young People’s Safety project is an on-going research engagement tool, developed by the Institute of Child Protection Studies, at the Australian Catholic University. The project aims to support organisations to develop and improve their child-safe culture. The Institute also uses the information to help answer research questions that will support policy and practice development across Australia and internationally. The project continues important research work commissioned by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which handed down its final report in 2017. Since then, governments have agreed to implement National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, and organisations have been working to apply the Principles to better protect and safeguard children from child sexual abuse. An important aspect of policy and practice changes is the ability to monitor and evaluate their effectiveness. In the case of child sexual abuse this can be difficult for a number of reasons: 1. Child sexual abuse often goes undisclosed; if disclosed it can often involve decades-long gaps between abuse occurring and disclosure (the Royal Commission found the gap was typically 23 years) 2. A reduction in the number of reports of child sexual abuse made through mandatory reporting systems cannot be relied upon as an estimate of whether child sexual abuse is actually happening less often; since the recommendations of the Royal Commission were handed down, organisations, staff, volunteers and the wider community are likely to be more vigilant leading to an increase in officially recorded reports. 3. Like many other countries, Australia does not yet have community-wide prevalence data to show whether actual rates of child sexual abuse rates and other forms of child maltreatment are changing. The Children and Young People’s Safety project offers two empirically developed survey tools: 1. Children’s Safety Survey 2. Safeguarding Capabilities in Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Survey. Organisations can use the surveys to measure their conditions of safety. The data is accessible in real time and quickly shows participating organisations, peak bodies, or government whether changes to safeguarding policy and practice are helping move the organisation towards greater conditions of safety for the children and young people they serve. Organisations that invest in improving the culture of child safety, developing policies and practices that prevent abuse from occurring, and responding more appropriately when abuse does occur need to know how well those changes are demonstrating improved safeguarding. The data from these surveys can be used to measure improvements in the culture of safety and measure the success of child sexual abuse prevention efforts from the perspective of children and the workforce. This knowledge can help youth-serving organisations protect children and young people from grooming and sexual abuse.
Communities in ACU Research Bank
Select a community to browse its collections.