Wenbo Peng

• MMed, PhD
• PostDoc Position at University of Technology Sydney

This study aimed to determine the longitudinal predictors of lifestyle behaviours among stroke survivors in New South Wales, Australia. This longitudinal study utilised data from the baseline survey (2005–2009) and a sub-study survey (2017) of the 45 and Up Study. Physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking status, and supplement use were inclu...

Introduction: This longitudinal study aimed to explore the impacts of adopting a healthy lifestyle on self-reported physical and mental health outcomes among Australian females who are living with stroke. Methods: The study utilized data retrieved from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health's 1946-51 cohort (from survey 5 conducted...

Australian osteopaths engage in multidisciplinary care and referrals with other health professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), for musculoskeletal care. This secondary analysis compared characteristics of Australian osteopaths who refer to, and receive referrals from, GPs with osteopaths who do not refer. The analysis was undertaken t...

Background Prenatal stress can have a negative effect on the quality of life (QoL) of pregnant women. Social support plays a vital role in improving the psychological well-being of pregnant women by enhancing their stress-coping ability. The current study assessed the association between social support and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as...

Background: After a stroke, survivors are often left with significant disabilities and are at a greater risk of recurrent strokes. It is vital stroke survivors receive effective treatments to assist with rehabilitation and reduce risk factors for secondary stroke. Observational and preclinical studies have highlighted the promising role of polyphe...

Background International research shows marital status impacts the mental health of pregnant women, with prenatal depression and anxiety being higher among non-partnered women. However, there have been few studies examining the relationship between marital status and prenatal mental disorders among Australian women. Methods This is a population-ba...

Introduction Self-management is generally considered a dynamic and collaborative process by individuals and caregivers to manage a chronic condition. Self-management has recently emerged as a promising strategy for stroke rehabilitation. This scoping review aims to examine and summarize self-management strategies utilized by stroke survivors for st...

Introduction Pregnancy is a time of profound physical and emotional change as well as an increased risk of mental health problems. Providing social support is vital to reduce such risk. Objectives This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at examining the relationship between social support and depression, anxiety and self-harm during pregnan...

Introduction Antenatal depression and antenatal anxiety adversely affect several obstetric and foetal outcomes, and increase the rate of postnatal mental illness. Thus, to tackle these challenges the need for social support during pregnancy is vital. Objectives This study examined the association between domains of social support and antenatal dep...

Background: Stroke represents a major source of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Guidelines for stroke management and secondary prevention focus on reducing stroke-related risk factors such as smoking cessation, exercise and diet. Several clinical practice guidelines specifically recommend a Mediterranean diet (MD) for individuals with stroke. H...

Background Fatigue is a common and often debilitating symptom experienced by many stroke survivors. Significant post stroke fatigue may predispose individuals to other health complications, such as falls, which can lead to fractures and soft tissue injuries. Only limited research has examined the association between fatigue and falls in stroke surv...

Objective Stroke is a major cause of mortality and disability worldwide. People with stroke have a number of options available to treat post-stroke related symptoms and challenges. The aim of this study was to assess the use of healthcare services, self-care practices and out-of-pocket expenses associated with post-stroke healthcare. Methods We re...

Plain language summary Social support is a resource or a means that an individual can use to cope with stressful events and improve psychological wellbeing. It improves emotional and physical well-being and promotes health for a successful pregnancy. However, the relationship between domains of social support and antenatal depressive and anxiety sy...

Background Antenatal depression and antenatal anxiety adversely affect several obstetric and foetal outcomes, and increase the rate of postnatal mental illness. Thus, to tackle these challenges the need for social support during pregnancy is vital. However, an extensive literature search failed to show a published study on the relationship between...

Healthcare professionals' advice on lifestyle behaviours is a key factor in improving a nation's health. Although allied health professionals have been well placed to provide such advice as part of patient care, little is known about the characteristics of allied health practitioners who discuss lifestyle topics with patients. This paper focused up...

Background: Pregnancy is a time of profound physical and emotional change as well as an increased risk of mental illness. While strengthening social support is a common recommendation to reduce such mental health risks, no systematic review or meta-analysis has yet examined the relationship between social support and mental problems during pregnanc...

Background Pregnancy is a time of profound physical and emotional change as well as an increased risk of mental illness. While strengthening social support is a common recommendation to reduce such mental health risk, no systematic review or meta-analysis has yet examined the relationship between social support and mental problems during pregnancy....

Introduction: Globally, depressive disorders affect over 311 million people and women are more likely than men to suffer depression. However, no study has comprehensively described the diverse health services used for managing depression in middle-aged and older women. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was sent to 800 Australian women aged over 45-...

Background: Complementary medicine (CM) use is a ubiquitous aspect of an increasingly consumer-driven model of healthcare delivery and plays an increasingly prominent role in the Australian health sector. Yet there is limited empirical research investigating the quality and integrity of protections for consumers in Australia. The aim of this study...

Background: Pain management has become a critical problem worldwide with the aging population. More than half of older people have experienced pain with different severity. The aim of this research is to identify the characteristics of older people with body pain and the associations between pain and characteristics of demographic, health status, a...

Hypertension is a common condition worldwide that significantly increases morbidity and mortality rates in the older population. A number of treatment options are available to control blood pressure. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of health services and self-care amongst people with hypertension and to estimate the out-of-pocket ex...

This study explored the characteristics associated with the use of self‐care products and practices by people rehabilitating from stroke. A cross‐sectional sub‐study of the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study in which 1300 participants who had indicated a doctor had diagnosed them as having had a stroke were mailed a sub‐study survey. The survey instru...

Objective Work-related injuries constitute a significant proportion of osteopaths' practice. This study was designed to determine the practitioner and practice characteristics of osteopaths who treat people with work-related injuries and to identify the impact of workers’ compensation scheme status on the use of osteopathic medicine. Methods A cro...

Background Dyspepsia represents a symptom domain rather than a diagnostic condition and covers a wide range of complex, underlying pathophysiologies that are not well understood. The review explores comparative effectiveness interventions for the treatment of symptomatic dyspepsia along a pragmatic-explanatory continuum. The aim is to identify rele...

Background This is a case study for recurrent stroke prevention. Lifestyle factors account for about 80% of the risk of recurrent stroke. Most health services studies examining stroke prevention rely on stroke survivors' self-reported lifestyle behaviour data. How can researchers increase the value of collected self-reported data to provide additio...

Background Stroke prevention via lifestyle modification is a public health priority in developed countries. Few studies have examined the association of high-risk lifestyle factors with long-term mortality of stroke survivors. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of key lifestyle factors on all-cause mortality after stroke. Methods Sam...

Both the Osteopathic Research Innovation Network (ORION) and the Osteopathy Research Connect-New Zealand (ORC-NZ) are practice-based research networks (PBRNs) recently established in Australia and New Zealand. This paper highlights the profile of the osteopaths participating in each PBRN in order to encourage and facilitate further related research...

Background Approximately 60% of people with low back pain also have associated leg pain symptoms. Guidelines for low back pain recommend non-pharmacological approaches, including spinal manipulation - a therapy provided by chiropractors. However, limited empirical data has examined the characteristics of chiropractors managing patients with low bac...

Background: Approximately one in four adults do not meet the World Health Organisation physical activity recommendations. While health promotion (i.e., physical activity) is common within chiropractic settings, little is known about chiropractors discussing this public health issue with their patients. The aim of our study is to examine the preval...

Aims: To provide a critical analysis of peer-reviewed literature reporting research from practice-based research networks (PBRNs) relating to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Methods: A comprehensive literature search of peer-reviewed literature reporting PBRN research focusing upon CAM was conducted in PubMed, Ovid Medline, EMBASE,...

Objectives: To explore the characteristics of the Australian osteopathy workforce who participate in the management of older patients with musculoskeletal complaints. Design: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey of osteopaths. Setting: The Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION), an Australian practice-based research network. M...

Objective To examine the prevalence and profile of chiropractors who frequently manage people aged 65 years and older. Methods A national cross‐sectional survey collected practitioner characteristics, practice settings and clinical management characteristics. Multiple logistic regression was conducted on 1903 chiropractors to determine the factors...

Objective To determine the prevalence and clinical management characteristics of chiropractors practising in urban and rural or remote Australia. Design A cross‐sectional analysis of the Australian Chiropractic Research Network project data. Setting Nationally representative sample of registered chiropractors practising in Australia. Participant...

Objectives. To assess the risk of Christmas-related injuries for Santa Claus, Santa’s helpers, Santa impersonators and Christmas revellers. Methods: Data were obtained from the US using National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a national probability sample of U.S. hospitals with 24-hour accident and emergency services. Data from 2007...

Objectives: To explore the perceptions, experiences, and attitudes toward scientific and traditional knowledge within contemporary naturopathic education. Design: A qualitative focus group and semistructured individual interview study. Settings/location: Naturopathic educational organizations and institutions in North America (United States/Ca...

Background Modifications to lifestyle risk factors for stroke may help prevent stroke events. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarise the evidence of acupuncture interventions for those people with lifestyle risk factors for stroke, including alcohol-dependence, smoking-dependence, hypertension, and obesity. Methods MEDLINE, CINAHL/...

PROSPERO protocol registration. (PDF)

Background: Despite a lack of evidence of clinical efficacy for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), these medicines remain popular around the world. Objective: To examine the prevalence and cost of CAM use in ALS and CAM users' profile, decision-making, information seeking, and disclosure amon...

Objectives Little is known about women’s use of health services affected by headache or migraine during pregnancy. This paper directly addresses the research gap reporting on the healthcare utilization among Australian pregnant women experiencing headache or migraine. Design and setting In this retrospective observational study, data on 1,835 Aust...

Objectives A range of health-care professionals including chiropractors provide treatment for sports-related health problems. This study reports analyses from the first national workforce survey to determine practitioner and practice-related factors associated with the frequent treatment of athletes or sports people by Australian chiropractors. De...

Background: Limited information is available regarding the profile and clinical practice characteristics of the osteopathy workforce in Australia. This paper reports such information by analysing data from a nationally-representative sample of Australian osteopaths. Methods: Data was obtained from a workforce survey of Australian osteopathy, inv...

Introduction Emerging evidence has shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a positive effect on arthritis. This research provides the first critical, systematic examination of TCM practitioners’ perceptions of TCM use for people with arthritis. Methods An online survey was distributed to all TCM professionals including acupuncturists and...

Objectives: To systematically review and meta-analyze the effectiveness of yoga for menopausal symptoms. Methods: Medline (via PubMed), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus were screened through to February 21, 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms to those of no...

Background: There is growing acupuncture use amongst people with osteoarthritis, and acupuncture has been shown to have a positive effect on osteoarthritis. The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of Australian women who consult acupuncturists for osteoarthritis treatment in order to help inform patients, practitioners and policy m...

Background This review aims to summarize the evidence of Tai Chi and qigong interventions for the primary prevention of stroke, including the effects on populations with major stroke risk factors. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted on January 16, 2017 using the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases. Randomized co...

Background: The vast majority of stroke burden is attributable to its modifiable risk factors. This paper aimed to systematically summarise the evidence of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) interventions on stroke modifiable risk factors for stroke prevention. Methods: A literature search was conducted via the MEDLINE, CINAHL/EBSCO, SCOPUS, and Cochran...

Objectives The Australian Chiropractic Research Network (ACORN) practice-based research network (PBRN) cohort was established to provide sustainable infrastructure necessary to address lack of rigorous investigation and to bridge the research–practice gap focused on chiropractic care for future years. This paper presents the profile of chiropractor...

Background: Mindfulness practices provide numerous benefits for individuals with a variety of health issues. Recent research has highlighted the benefits of mindfulness for health professionals. The potential benefits for physical and occupational therapists or students however, are currently unclear. Objectives: To perform a scoping review on the...

Study design: Secondary analysis of a national survey. Objective: To investigate the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of chiropractic utilization in the US general population. Summary of background data: Chiropractic is one of the largest manual therapy professions in the US and internationally. Very few details have been reported about th...

Background This paper reports the profile of the Australian chiropractic workforce and characteristics of chiropractic care from a large nationally-representative sample of practitioners. Methods A 21-item questionnaire examining practitioner, practice and clinical management characteristics was distributed to all registered chiropractors (n = 4,6...

Background Back pain is a common, disabling and costly disorder for which patients often consult with a wide range of health practitioners. Unfortunately, no research to date has directly examined the association between the severity of back pain and back pain sufferers’ choice of whom and in what order to consult different health practitioners. Me...

Background: Little research has been conducted regarding the comprehensive health service utilisation in constipation care. This study investigates the comprehensive health service utilisation amongst Australian women with constipation. Methods: This study draws upon data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. A total of 8074...

Objectives: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly used by those suffering from constipation. This paper reports the first critical integrative review of CAM use for people with constipation focusing upon the prevalence, type and cost of CAM use, as well as CAM users' profile, perception and motivations. Methods: A comprehe...

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and incidence of hypertension in women, and describe their self-care and health-seeking behaviours. This research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a study comprising a nationally representative sample of Australian women in three age groups. The focus...

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonplace in Australia with massage being a popular CAM modality. Methods: This is a sub-study from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). A total of 2120 mid-age (56-61 year old) women who consulted a CAM practitioner were invited to participate in th...

Objectives: The increasing acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) worldwide has highlighted the importance of ensuring the provision of high-quality TCM clinical education. This clinical training should be partly guided by a robust assessment of patient data outcomes in TCM teaching clinics. We undertook a comprehensive literature review...

Objectives: To examine the association between self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine use and menopause-related symptoms, stratified by menopausal status. Methods: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of 10,011 menopausal women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Hea...

This study aims to determine associations between consultations with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners/use of self-prescribed CAM and menopause-related symptoms. Data were obtained from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Generalized estimating equations were used to conduct longitudinal data analyses, whic...

Objectives: To examine the associations between consultations with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners and menopause-related symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of 10 011 women aged 59-64 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, conducted in 2010. Women,...

Large population-based studies of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and conventional medicine use amongst menopausal women are lacking. This study helps address this gap by analysing data from a nationally-representative sample of 10011 Australian women aged 59-64 years. Overall, 39% of menopausal women consulted CAM practitioners, 75% u...

Objectives: To provide the first critical review of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use amongst symptomatic menopausal women, drawing upon work examining the perspectives of both TCM users and TCM practitioners. Methods: A search was conducted in three English-language databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and AMED) and three Chinese-language databases...

This study aims to undertake the first critical review of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among menopausal women (a term here used to include premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women) by focusing on the prevalence of CAM use and CAM users' characteristics, motivation, decision-making, and communication with healthcare...

Objective: Even in secular societies, a small portion of patients find their spirituality to help cope with illness. But for the majority of patients, psychosocial and spiritual needs are neither addressed nor even considered a relevant factor by health care professionals. To measure such specific needs, the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) wa...