Dr Jane Sims

Profile

Dr Jane Sims is Senior Research Fellow in the Healthy Ageing Research Unit (HARU), School of Primary Health Care at Monash University and Honorary Senior Fellow, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne.

Dr Sims has a long-standing research interest in older persons’ health, particularly interventions to promote physical activity in older people, and falls prevention. She currently manages the current phase of the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies of Healthy Ageing (MELSHA). The MELSHA program is concerned with the discovery of modifiable determinants of healthy ageing to inform population level and clinical interventions. The program is being conducted in partnership with the University of Sydney. MELSHA commenced in 1994 when a baseline survey of 1000 people aged 65 year and over living in non-institutional settings was conducted in Melbourne, Australia. The sample has been followed up annually since then. The team have an NHMRC grant to continue the study until 2010.

Dr Sims is also involved in the Unit’s ‘Healthy Lifestyles and Enhancing Participation for Older People’ research program.

Publications

Atlantis, E., Grayson, D., Browning, C., Sims, J., & Kendig, H. (In Press). Cardiovascular disease and death associated with depression and antidepressants in the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies on Healthy Ageing (MELSHA). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Atlantis, E., Browning, C., Sims, J., & Kendig, H. (2010). Diabetes incidence associated with depression and antidepressants in the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies on Healthy Ageing (MELSHA). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(7), 688-696.

Bird, S. R., Radermacher, H., Sims, J., Feldman, S., Browning, C., & Thomas, S. (2010). Factors affecting walking activity of older people from culturally diverse groups: An Australian experience. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13(4), 417–423.

Sims, J., Hill, K., Hunt, S., & Haralambous, B. (2010). Physical activity recommendations for older Australians. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 29(2), 81-87.

Sims, J., O'Connor, D., & Browning, C. (2010). Management of depression in older people: a role for physical activity. In D. M. Montez (Ed.), Psychiatric Research Trends: Dreams and Geriatric Psychiatry. New York: Nova  Science Publishers Inc.

Angus, J., Sims, J., Feldman, S., & Radermacher, H. (2009). The effectiveness of social marketing for community awareness of public health issues: Implications for dementia-risk reduction. Chinese Journal of General Practice.

Bird, S., Kurowski, W., Feldman, S., Browning, C., Lau, R., Radermacher, H., Thomas, S., & Sims, J. (2009). The influence of the built environment and other factors on the physical activity of older women from different ethnic communities. Journal of Women and Aging, 21(1), 33-47.

Bird, S., Radermacher, H., Feldman, S., Sims, J., Kurowski, W., Browning, C., & Thomas, S. (2009). Factors in influencing the physical activity levels of older people from culturally diverse communities: An Australian experience. Ageing & Society, 29(Special Issue 08), 1275-1294.

Browning, C., Sims, J., Teshuva, K., & Kendig, H. (2009). Predictors of physical activity behaviour in older community-dwelling adults. Journal of Allied Health, 38(1), 8-17.

Browning, C., Thomas, S., Sims, J., Lindner, H., & Kelly, J. (2009). Promoting long term behaviour change in older people with type 2 Diabetes: The Good Life Club self-management program. Journal of Chinese General Practice, 12(12A), 2099-2104.

Kelly, J., Schattner, P., & Sims, J. (2009). Are general practice networks ‘ready’ for clinical data management? Australian Family Physician, 38(12), 1007-1010.

Sims, J., Galea, M., Taylor, N., Dodd, K., Jespersen, S., Joubert, L., & Joubert, J. (2009). Regenerate: assessing the feasibility of a strength-training program to enhance the physical and mental health of chronic post stroke patients with depression. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(1), 76-83.

Teoh, V., Sims, J., & Milgrom, J. (2009). Psychosocial predictors of quality of life in a sample of community-dwelling stroke survivors: a longitudinal study. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 16(2), 157-166.

Angus, J., Sims, J., Feldman, S., & Radermacher, H. (2008). Can community-based interventions from other key national health priority areas inform strategies to reduce the risk of dementia? Chinese Journal of General Practice, 11(10A), 1725-1730.

Sims, J., Angus, J., Feldman, S., & Radermacher, H. (2008). Dementia's disease burden and the potential role of community-based interventions to inform risk reduction strategies. Chinese Journal of General Practice, 11(9A), 1527-1530.

Sims, J., Browning, C., & Mullins, D. (2008). Older women's perceptions of physical activity: Do they matter? In L. A. Charlington (Ed.), Exerceise and Women's Health Research (pp. 25-44). New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Browning, C., & Sims, J. (2007). Ageing without driving: Keeping older people connected. In G. Currie, J. Stanley & J. Stanley (Eds.), No Way to Go: Transport and Social Disadvantage in Australian Communities (pp. 6.1-6.10). Melbourne: Monash Univeristy ePress.

McIntyre, E., Saltman, D., Traynor, V., Sims, J., Richards, J., & Dollard, J. (2007). Building research capacity in Australian departments of general practice and rural health: a snapshot of 2003. Primary Care Research and Development, 8, 3-11.

Nunn, R., Annells, M., & Sims, J. (2007). Screening for depression in older district nursing clients: A feasibility study. British Journal of Community Nursing, 12(3), 108-114.

Sims, J., Hill, K., Davidson, S., Gunn, J., & Huang, N. (2007). A snapshot of the prevalence of physical activity amongst older, community dwelling Victorians: patterns across the ‘young-old’ and ‘old-old’. BMC Geriatrics, 7(4).

Sims, J., Hill, K., Davidson, S., Gunn, J., & Huang, N. (2006). Exploring the feasibility of a community-based strength training program for older people with depressive symptoms and its impact on depressive symptoms. BMC Geriatrics, 18(6).

Furler, J., Stewart, A., Sims, J., & Naccarella, L. (2005). Patient social and economic circumstances: GP perceptions and their influence on management. Australian Family Physician, 32(3), 189-192.

McNair, R., Stone, N., Sims, J., & Curtis, C. (2005). Australian evidence for interprofessional education contributing to effective teamwork preparation and interest in rural practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 19(6), 779-794.

Naccarella, L., Tacticos, T., Sims, J., & Potiriadis, M. (2005). Capacity Building Initiatives within the Divisions of General Practice Setting in Victoria, Australia. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 11(2), 128-135.

Rowlands, G., Sims, J., & Kerry, S. (2005). A lesson learnt: the importance of modelling in randomised controlled trials for complex interventions in primary care. Family Practice, 22(1), 132-139.

Conference Activity

Dow, B., Black, K., Scott, P., Ratnayeke, A., Wise, K., Sims, J., & Hill, K. (2010, July ). Rural Carers on Line. Presentation at the Information Technology in Aged Care Conference. Melbourne.

Sims, J., Fiatrone Singh, M., Cowlishaw, S., Browning, C., & Kendig, H. (2010, July). What determines the walking behavior of older Australians? Lessons from the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies on Healthy Ageing. Presentation at the Annual Primary Health Care Research Conference. Darwin.

Sims, J., Fiatrone Singh, M., Cowlishaw, S., Browning, C., & Kendig, H. (2010, November). Walking into older age: findings from the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies on Healthy Ageing. Presentation at the Australasian Association of Ageing Annual Conference. Hobart.

Sims, J., Hill, K., Hunt, S., & Haralambous, B. (2010, May). Activating the Physical Activity Recommendations for Oder Australians. Presentation at the International Federation on Ageing 10th Global Conference. Melbourne.

Sims, J., Hill, K., Hunt, S., & Haralambous, B. (2010, June). Walking together: Partnering to disseminate the National Physical Activity Recommendations for Older People. Presentation at the Australian Health Promotion Association 19th National Conference. Melbourne.

Sims, J., Hill, K., Hunt, S., & Haralambous, B. (2010, November). Advancing the dissemination of the physical activity Recommendations for Older Australians. Presentation at the Australasian Association of Ageing Annual Conference. Hobart.

Sims, J., Galea, M., Taylor, N., Dodd, K., Jespersen, S., Joubert, J., Joubert, L., Teoh, V., & Milgrom, J. (2009). Regenerate: assessing the physical and mental health of chronic stroke survivors with depression. Paper presented at XIXth World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Paris. Published in the The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 13(S1), S244-S245.

Sims, J., Hill, K., Hunt, S., & Haralambous, B. (2009, July). Physical activity recommendations for older Australians. Presentation at the Annual General Practice and Primary Health Care Research Conference. Melbourne.