No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

A high incidence of road accidents has been recorded in Saudi Arabia in recent years (Traffic Department Statistics 1991). Various factors might have accounted for this high rate of road accidents; the aim of this research, therefore, was to examine what factors contribute to road accidents in the country. In pursuit of this aim, a review of relevant literature on factors related with road accidents in many countries of the world was undertaken. Through this review, a list of road, vehicle and driver-related variables was selected for investigation in this study. The target population for the study was 4,100 drivers in Eastern Saudi Arabia who had been involved in road accidents in the period. Out of this population, a sample of 600 drivers was selected. The instrument used to collect data for the study was a questionnaire which requested demographic information on factors which had caused them to have an accident, and questions analysing habitual driving behaviour. Drivers were also tested on their knowledge of road signs. Returns were received from 484 drivers, 81% of the study sample. Two statistical techniques, chi square and correlation coefficient Spearman Brown formula, were utilised to test the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable - the number of road accidents. The findings of the study show that certain variables were significantly associated with road accidents in Saudi Arabia. Among the significant variables were the age of the driver, education level, profession, violation record, vehicle ownership, joy-riding, poor eye sight, sun haze, sand storm, long hours driving, non-observance of speed limit, emerging and exiting from roads without signals, presence of stray animals, non-marking of the road, non-familiarity with the road, lack of regular checking of vehicles, lack of regular servicing of vehicles and driving under medication. The variables that were not significant include marital status, non-possession of a licence, mechanical fault, reversing, non-alertness to others' errors, use of high beam lights while driving, non-lighting of the roads, passengers' behaviour, ear disorder. Conclusions were drawn as to deficiencies in driver training in Saudi Arabia and inadequacies of supervision by the law enforcement agents. It is recommended that policy makers should make intensive efforts in organising training programmes and seminars for drivers and curriculum of driving schools should be expanded. Measures for improving enforcement of traffic regulations are made, and it is suggested that an Islamic insurance policy for vehicles should be introduced in the country. Finally, suggestions are made for further research.

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The economic and public health benefits of improving return to work outcomes after workplace injury remain major goals for employers, injured workers and compensation administrators. A step to improving return to work outcomes is identifying which workers have the greatest risk of not being successful. While there has been considerable study in this area there has not been a bringing together of current knowledge, nor is there consensus regarding predictors of return to work. / The purpose of this Meta-Analytic review was to achieve the bringing together of current knowledge and to provide: greater understanding of predictive measures available, guide development of policy and procedures, increase usage of predictive measures as part of the service delivery model, progress the knowledge base about predictive measures, and renew interest in developing risk assessment tools and associated services to improve return to work outcomes for injured workers. / Eighty-four predictor variables were identified from thirty-four studies that researched return to work after workplace injury. The six most studied variables were then critically reviewed. The variables were age, sex, living arrangements, employment maintenance, delay to rehabilitation, and employment type. Due to the lack of statistical analysis, either undertaken or available in the literature, effect sizes and associated analysis was not undertaken. Based on the number of statistical findings, and on review of the articles, age, employment maintenance, and delay to rehabilitation demonstrated strong relationships with return to work. The variables of sex, living arrangements and employment type did not demonstrate such relationships. / While the current research brought together the current knowledge base the inability to quantitatively analyse previous results was a major limitation. It was recommended that ongoing research in this area ensures that analysis and publication of results provides information that would allow such secondary analysis in the future. It was also recommended that the current research focus on demographic variables be shifted to include a larger focus on prospective intervention based research. / Thesis (MRehabilitationCounselling)--University of South Australia, 2005.

Thesis (MEng)--University of South Australia, 1999

Nurses espouse a caring ethic and demonstrate effectiveness in prevention of patient falls but are often observed taking risks with patients’ safety. These actions reflect poor congruence between espoused values and behaviours. Attitudes, values and involvement in decision- making are factors that influence work behaviours. Nurses’ attitudes are held to be a definitive factor in prevention work; however, few studies have focused on adherence with best practice principles of fall prevention. Yet nurses claim no authority to change their work. It was assumed that increased adherence would be achieved by improving nurses’ attitudes through participation in decision- making surrounding fall prevention practice. This study aimed to tes t this assumption by empowering nurses working in two medical wards with high numbers of patient falls to improve their ownership of practice by utilising critical social theory and action research. Nurses’ attitudes, including self-esteem, professional values and work satisfaction were established before and after a practice development project using action research. Mixed methods were employed by praxis groups meeting fortnightly for a year reflecting on, and re-engineering practice. Action research occurred in cycles focusing on assessment, communication, everyday work, and performance. Nurses’ work was re-organised to gain time to spend in prevention work. Patients’ environments were made safer and more patient-centred. New and effective ways of assessing risk to fall, communication of risk and monitoring nurses’ performance of prevention work were created and evaluated. Analysis demonstrated that nurses had good self-esteem and professional values but were not satisfied with their work. Self-esteem and professional values were unaffected by participation in work-related decisions however, nurses expressed increased sense of ownership, more satisfaction and were observed to engage in more prevention work. In conclusion, manipulation of attitudes and values is not warranted if attitudes and values are good. However, participation in work-related decision- making engages practitioners and leads to greater congruence between values and behaviour. The “unspoken rules” constraining practice that were exposed in the action research oblige nurses to assume authority, confronting and dispelling these constraints to enable more therapeutic care to emerge. Recommendations include promoting practice development as the preferred means for cultural change and improving person-centred care whilst recognising its fragile nature and dependence on clinical leadership.

Thesis (MEng)--University of South Australia, 1999

Thesis (MEng)--University of South Australia, 1999