Staff profile

Professor Rhonda E Small

Director, Mother & Child Health Research

Faculty of Health Sciences

School of Nursing and Midwifery Mother and Child Health Research Centre

Melbourne (City)

 

Qualifications

BA (Melb) Dip Ed (La Trobe) Grad Dip Lib (RMIT) Grad Dip Epid (Melb) PhD (La Trobe)

Area of study

Public Health

Brief profile

Rhonda has worked at MCHR since the Centre was established in 1991 and was appointed Director in 2009. Rhonda has been involved in several programs of research over the last 20 years.

Her PhD investigated maternity care experiences and postnatal health of Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino women in Melbourne and her current research is focused on analyses of routine perinatal data investigating country of birth variations in obstetric outcomes. She is Co-Leader (with A/Prof Anita Gagnon) of the international perinatal research collaboration: ROAM - Reproductive Outcomes And Migration, working with perinatal researchers across Europe, the US and Canada. Rhonda has also been involved in the Centre’s major research program on maternal depression, ranging from descriptive studies on prevalence and women's experiences of depression, to three randomised trials of interventions to improve women's emotional wellbeing after birth. Other areas of work include being a lead investigator with COMPASS, an NHMRC capacity building grant in population health research, and a chief investigator with Angela Taft in research to improve maternal health in the context of intimate partner violence.

Rhonda's research interests include: women's views and experiences of maternity care, cross-cultural issues in perinatal research and birth outcomes for immigrant and refugee women, models of maternity care, promoting normal birth, maternal depression, women's health and intimate partner violence.

Research interests

Health Services and policy reform

- Migration and birth outcomes

Pregnancy and childbirth

- Immigrant and refugee maternity care experiences

Women's Health

- Maternal wellbeing in the early years of motherhood

Recent publications

Publications 2006 - 2012

Willis K, Small R, Brown S. Using documents to investigate links between implementation and sustainability in a complex community intervention: The PRISM study. Soc Sci Med. 2012;75(7):1222-9. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612004534.

Taft A, Small R, Humphreys C, Hegarty K, Walter R, Adams C, et al. Enhanced maternal and child health nurse care for women experiencing intimate partner/family violence: protocol for MOVE, a cluster randomised trial of screening and referral in primary health care. BMC Public Health. 2012; 12(1): 811. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/811.

Shafiei T, Small R, McLachlan H. Women's views and experiences of maternity care: A study of immigrant Afghan women in Melbourne, Australia. Midwifery. 2012;28(2):198-203. Available from: http://www.midwiferyjournal.com/article/S0266-6138(11)00025-8/abstract.

Horey D, Davey M-A, Small R, Kealy M, Crowther CA. Interventions for supporting women with decisions about mode of birth in a pregnancy after caesarean birth [Protocol]. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012; (8): Art. No.: CD010041. Available from: http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD010041/frame.html.

Edvardsson K, Ivarsson A, Garvare R, Eurenius E, Lindkvist M, Mogren I, et al. Improving child health promotion practices in multiple sectors -- outcomes of the Swedish Salut Programme. BMC Public Health. 2012; 12: 920. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/920.

Taft AJ, Small R, Hegarty KL, Watson LF, Gold L, Lumley JA. Mothers' AdvocateS In the Community (MOSAIC) -- non-professional mentor support to reduce intimate partner violence and depression in mothers: a cluster randomised trial in primary care. BMC Public Health. 2011; 11: 178. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/178.

Small R, Taft AJ, Brown SJ. The power of social connection and support in improving health: lessons from social support interventions with childbearing women. BMC Public Health [serial on the Internet] 2011; 11(Suppl 5): S4. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/S5/S4.

Edvardsson K, Ivarsson A, Eurenius E, Garvare R, Nystrom M, Small R, et al. Giving offspring a healthy start: parents' experiences of health promotion and lifestyle change during pregnancy and early parenthood. BMC Public Health. 2011; 11: 936. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/11/936.

Bandyopadhyay M, Small R, Davey MA, Oats JJ, Forster DA, Aylward A. Lived experience of gestational diabetes mellitus among immigrant South Asian women in Australia. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2011;51(4):360-4. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1479-828X.2011.01322.x/full.

Kealy MA, Small RE, Liamputtong P. Recovery after caesarean birth: A qualitative study of women's accounts in Victoria, Australia. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2010; 10: 47. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/10/47.

Bandyopadhyay M, Small R, Watson LF, Brown S. Life with a new baby: How do immigrant and Australian-born women's experiences compare? Aust N Z J Public Health. 2010;34(4):412-21. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00575.x.

Armstrong SJ, Small RE. The paradox of screening: Rural women's views on screening for postnatal depression. BMC Public Health. 2010; 10: 744. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/10/744.

Aghlmand S, Lameei A, Small R. A hands-on experience of the voice of customer analysis in maternity care from Iran. Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2010;23(2):153-70. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09526861011017085.

Taft AJ, Small R, Hegarty KL, Lumley J, Watson LF, Gold L. MOSAIC (mothers' advocates in the community): Protocol and sample description of a cluster randomised trial of mentor mother support to reduce intimate partner violence among pregnant or recent mothers. BMC Public Health. 2009; 9: 159. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/9/159.

Gissler M, Alexander S, Macfarlane A, Small R, Stray-Pedersen B, Zeitlin J, et al. Stillbirths and infant deaths among migrants in industrialized countries. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2009;88(2):134-48. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00016340802603805.

Flood M, Small R. Researching labour and birth events using health information records: methodological challenges. Midwifery. 2009;25(6):701-10. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2007.12.003.

Brown S, Small R, Argus B, Davis Peter G, Krastev A. Early postnatal discharge from hospital for healthy mothers and term infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009; (2): Art. No.: CD002958. Available from: http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD002958/frame.html. 

Taft AJ, Small R, Hoang KA. Intimate partner violence in Vietnam and among Vietnamese diaspora communities in Western societies: A comprehensive review. J Fam Stud. 2008;14(2-3):167-82. Available from: http://pubs.e-contentmanagement.com/doi/abs/10.5172/jfs.327.14.2-3.167.

Small R, Gagnon A, Gissler M, Zeitlin J, Bennis M, Glazier RH, et al. Somali women and their pregnancy outcomes postmigration: Data from six receiving countries. BJOG. 2008;115(13):1630-40. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2008.01942.x/abstract.

Bastos MH, Bick D, Rowan CJ, Small R, McKenzie-McHarg K. Debriefing for the prevention of psychological trauma in women following childbirth [Protocol]. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008; (2): Art. No.: CD007194. Available from: http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD007194/frame.html.

Aghlmand S, Akbari F, Lameei A, Mohammad K, Small R, Arab M. Developing evidence-based maternity care in Iran: A quality improvement study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2008; 8: 20. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/8/20.

Willis K, Daly J, Kealy M, Small R, Koutroulis G, Green J, et al. The essential role of social theory in qualitative public health research. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007;31(5):438-43. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2007.00115.x.

Small R, Lumley J, Yelland J, Brown S. The performance of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale in english speaking and non-English speaking populations in Australia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2007;42(1):70-8. Available from: http://www.springerlink.com/content/8ww88730k0665131/.

Green J, Willis K, Hughes E, Small R, Welch N, Gibbs L, et al. Generating best evidence from qualitative research: the role of data analysis. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007;31(6):545-50. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2007.00141.x.

Daly J, Willis K, Small R, Green J, Welch N, Kealy M, et al. A hierarchy of evidence for assessing qualitative health research. J Clin Epidemiol. 2007;60(1):43-9. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/08954356/60/1. [76 citations]

Armstrong S, Small R. Screening for postnatal depression: Not a simple task. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007;31(1):57-61. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2007.00011.x/abstract.

Lumley J, Watson L, Small R, Brown S, Mitchell C, Gunn J. PRISM (Program of Resources, Information and Support for Mothers): A community-randomised trial to reduce depression and improve women's physical health six months after birth [ISRCTN03464021]. BMC Public Health. 2006; 6: 37. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/6/37.

Small R, Lumley J, Toomey L. Midwife-led debriefing after operatrive birth: Four to six year follow-up of a randomised trial [ISRCTN24648614]. BMC Med. 2006; 4: 3. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/4/3/abstract.  

Older publications

Hegarty K, Gunn J, Chondros P, Small R. Association between depression and abuse by partners of women attending general practice: descriptive, cross sectional survey. BMJ. 2004;328(7440):621-4. Available from: http://www.bmj.com/content/328/7440/621?tab=full. [95 citations]

Brown S, Bruinsma F, Darcy M-A, Small R, Lumley J. Early discharge: no evidence of adverse outcomes in three consecutive population-based Australian surveys of recent mothers, conducted in 1989, 1994 and 2000. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2004;18(3):202-13. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3016.2004.00558.x. [23 citations]

Small R, Lumley J, Yelland J. Cross-cultural experiences of maternal depression: associations and contributing factors for Vietnamese, Turkish and Filipino immigrant women in Victoria, Australia. Ethn Health. 2003;8(3):189-206. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1355785032000136416. [39 citations]

Research projects

Improving maternal and child health nurse care for vulnerable mothers (MOVE)  [link to MOVE website]

Team: Angela Taft and Rhonda Small; Cathy Humphreys and Kelsey Hegarty,The University of Melbourne; Leesa Hooker Funding: ARC Linkage Project 2008-2011   

Evaluation of Victorian Homebirthing Pilots

Team: Helen McLachlan, Della Forster, Rhonda Small, Mary-Ann Davey, Ya-Seng (Arthur) Hsueh, Michelle Newton, Heather McKay and Felicity Lawton in collaboration with Fiona Cullinane, the Royal Women's Hospital; Colleen White, Southern Health; and Susan Gannon, Western Health  Funding: Victorian Department of Health   

Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC project)  [link to SILC website]

Team: Helen McLachlan, Della Forster, Lisa Amir, Rhonda Small, Méabh Cullinane, Healther McKay and Touran Shafiei Funding: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2011–2014  

LaCE – Labour Companion Evaluation: Developmental work for a randomised trial

Team: Della Forster, Rhonda Small, Touran Shafiei; Tanya Farrell, Royal Women's Hospital Funding: Faculty of Health Sciences Research Grant 2011   

Obstetric outcomes for immigrant women

Team: Rhonda Small, Mary-Ann Davey and Paul Agius, in collaboration with the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection Unit Funding: none

South Asian Women's experiences of living with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM)

Team: Mridula Bandyopadhyay, Rhonda Small, Mary-Ann Davey, Della Forster in collaboration with Jeremy Oats, Amanda Aylward, The Royal Women's Hospital Funding: La Trobe University Faculty of Health Sciences Research Grant 2009   

Lost in translation? Health care providers and South Asian women's views about management of diabetes in pregnancy

Team: Mridula Bandyopadhyay, Rhonda Small, Mary-Ann Davey; in collaboration with Jeremy Oats, Amanda Aylward, The Royal Women's Hospital; Catharine McNamara, Deborah Boyce, The Mercy Hospital for Women; Helena Teede, Southern Health Funding: La Trobe University Faculty of Health Sciences Research Grant 2010–2011   

Are women really scared of giving birth? Women's explanations for choosing elective caesareans for their first birth

Team: Karalyn McDonald, Jo Rayner and Rhonda Small Funding: La Trobe University Faculty of Health Sciences Research Grants 2010   

MOSAIC (MOtherS' Advocates In the Community) a cluster randomised trial

Team: Angela Taft, Rhonda Small, Lyn Watson and previously with Judith Lumley; in collaboration with Kelsey Hegarty, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne;and Lisa Gold, Deakin University Funding: NHMRC, VicHealth, Community Support Grants Fund, beyondblue      

Systematic Reviews      

Interventions for supporting women with decisions about vaginal birth after caesarean birth

Team: Dell Horey, La Trobe University; Mary-Ann Davey, Rhonda Small, Michelle Kealy

Collaborative Work      

Health promotion in pregnancy and early parenthood. The challenge of innovation, implementation and change

Team: Kristina Edvardsson in collaboration with Annel iIvarsson, Eva Eurenius, Marie Lindkvist and Ingrid Mogren, Umeå University, Sweden; Rickard Garvare, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden; Monica Nyström, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; and Rhonda Small (MCHR) Funding: The Faculty of Medicine and FAS Centre of Global Health Research at Umeå University in Sweden 2009–2012   

Reproductive Outcomes And Migration (ROAM): an international collaboration

Team: Rhonda Small, Mary-Ann Davey and Mridula Bandyopadhyay; ROAM Steering Group: Anita Gagnon, McGill University, Canada; Rhonda Small, MCHR; Mika Gissler, Institute of Health, Finland; Carolyn Roth, University of Keele, UK; Jennifer Zeitlin, INSERM, France and EURO-PERISTAT http://migrationandreproductivehealth.org Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research International Collaboration grant 2007–2008 and Systematic Review grant 2010; further funding sought in 2012