Using experiential learning and authentic assessments to support students to become competent health promotion practitioners.

TITLE: Using experiential learning and authentic assessments to support students to become competent health promotion practitioners. ISSUE ADDRESSED: The aim of this article is to describe how experiential learning, authentic assessments, community development and ethical principles were consolidated in the design and delivery of a health promotion planning and evaluation subject (HPE) during 2019 to 2021. Experiential learning and authentic assessments were used to guide the development of health promotion competencies in line with the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) Core Competencies and Professional Standards for Health Promotion. Students were required to complete three sequential authentic assessments. Ethics approval was granted for students to undertake a needs/assets assessment with a local community group following which, students completed a literature review and planned a community development program. METHODS: The subject comprises 10 h of weekly engagement over a 12-week semester with weekly topics following a program logic model. Working in teams and individually, students work with a local community group to assess their needs/assets and establish priority areas regarding health and wellbeing. This then informed the development of a health promotion program and evaluation plan. Students undertook three sequential authentic assessment tasks: (i) needs/assets report, (ii) a literature review and (iii) a program folio. Retrospective anonymous student feedback on subject (SFS) data from 2019 to 2021 was used to evaluate HPE. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: HPE provides students with the opportunity to understand ethical principles and processes, engage with stakeholders in the community and develop qualitative research skills, to plan and evaluate health promotion programs. SFS scores have improved with an overall score of 3.7 (response rate 49.44%) in 2019 to 4.3 (response rate 39.58%) in 2020 and 4.04 (response rate 28.57%) in 2021. CONCLUSION: Students acquire a broad range of knowledge and skills in line with IUHPE Core Competency and Professional Standards for Health Promotion preparing them for their future professional practice. SO WHAT?: These teaching and learning experiences show that students can develop health promotion competencies through sound pedagogical approaches, both online and face-to-face and in challenging environments.

Working towards More Effective Implementation, Dissemination and Scale-Up of Lower-Limb Injury-Prevention Programs: Insights from Community Australian Football Coaches.

Disseminating lower-limb injury-prevention exercise programs (LL-IPEPs) with strategies that effectively reach coaches across sporting environments is a way of preventing lower-limb injuries (LLIs) and ensuring safe and sustainable sport participation. The aim of this study was to explore community-Australian Football (community-AF) coaches' perspectives on the strategies they believed would enhance the dissemination and scale-up of LL-IPEPs. Using a qualitative multiple case study design, semi-structured interviews with community-AF coaches in Victoria, Australia, were conducted. Overall, coaches believed a range of strategies were important including: coach education, policy drivers, overcoming potential problem areas, a 'try before you buy approach', presenting empirical evidence and guidelines for injury-prevention exercise programs (IPEPs), forming strategic collaboration and working in partnership, communication and social marketing, public meetings, development of a coach hotline, and targeted multi-focused approaches. A shift to a culture whereby evidence-based IPEP practices in community-AF will take time, and persistent commitment by all involved in the sport is important. This will support the creation of strategies that will enhance the dissemination and scale-up of LL-IPEPs across community sport environments. The focus of research needs to continue to identify effective, holistic and multi-level interventions to support coaches in preventing LLIs. This could lead to the determination of successful strategies such as behavioural regulation strategies and emotional coping resources to implement LL-IPEPs into didactic curricula and practice. Producing changes in practice will require attention to which strategies are a priority and the most effective.

Domestic violence screening in maternal and child health nursing practice: a scoping review.

This scoping review explores the breadth of literature on domestic violence (DV) screening by nurses, within the well child setting. The review followed the introduction of universal DV screening into the Victorian maternal and child health (MCH) service, in Australia. A scoping review provides a panoramic overview of a chosen topic that may be later used to influence policy and practice. This review explored the literature in the well child area, with a view to identifying further research priorities. The 'Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework' was used to ensure methodological rigor. There was little relevant research on DV screening in the well child setting. Emergent themes included barriers and enabling factors associated with DV screening and children at risk. From this research we can conclude that further research is required on the appropriateness of DV screening, risk assessment and referral in MCH practice.

Health diaries in a rural Australian study.

The authors designed a study around the use of health diaries comprising both open- and closed-ended questions and kept over a 16-week period by 118 rural and remote-dwelling families in Victoria, Australia. Participants documented their use of health services, episodes of illness, actions taken to keep healthy, and reflections on services and programs. In this article, the authors report on the health diary method. They discuss the qualitative ways in which the participants used their study involvement to enrich their lives: accessing health information and advice, furthering their concerns about rural health, and using the research process for social support. The authors discuss issues surrounding the rural and remote context of the study and the length of time over which the diaries were kept.