Research teams

Research efforts are focussed primarily on determining the nutritional status of different populations. This includes measuring food consumption, energy and nutrient intake, anthropometric measurements such as height, weight, abdominal and waist circumference as well as body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to determine the proportion of muscle, body fat and body water.

As part of the first Tyrolean Nutrition Survey 2015 (TEE2015), the nutritional status of almost 500 Tyroleans was surveyed. The aim of this study was to generate current and representative data on the adult population in Tyrol and to compare the nutritional situation with the intake recommendations of the D-A-CH societies for nutrition (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The results of the TEE2015 can be found in the 1^st Tyrolean Nutrition Report.

Periodic surveys on the nutritional status in Tyrol are planned for the coming years in order to ensure monitoring of the nutritional situation, to identify changes in the nutritional and health behaviour of the Tyrolean population, and to be able to recognise or derive any resulting need for action at an early stage.

Surveys of the nutritional status of senior citizens and athletes are also planned as part of research collaborations. Other focal points include nutrition and its environmental impact (nutrition-related greenhouse gas emissions and CO2 equivalents) as well as the ongoing development of the dietetic process as a quality assurance tool.

The degree programme also deals with the topic of nudging in communal catering. To find out more about this topic, please refer to our book "Nudge: Die Kunst, Essen geschickt zu platzieren" (currently only available in German).

We use quantitative and qualitative methods to study topics relevant to speech therapy at a functional, activity and participation level.

Research projects:

• Lexical tasks in the diagnosis of aphasic word retrieval disorders: Factors influencing processing performance
• Accessibility in the service sector: Facilitating communicative interaction with linguistically impaired people (cooperation with the master's programme Quality and Process Management in Healthcare)
  • Project part 1: Examining the awareness of speech/language disorders among employees in the retail and service sectors
  • Project part 2: Conducting workshops with employees in the retail and service sectors on communicative interaction with people affected by language impairments

Midwifery research enables midwives to further establish themselves in the field of obstetrics and to promote interdisciplinary exchange. By applying scientific methods and resulting findings, midwives learn to analyse and critically reflect on actions from their intra- and extramural professional field with suitable questions and to initiate potential change in routine actions and processes by transferring evidence-based knowledge. It is the aim of our midwifery research team to continuously advance regionally, nationally and internationally recognised midwifery research and development.

Numerous active participations by the midwifery team at national and international congresses and conferences are proof of the high level of research activity:

• 61st Congress of the German Society for Gynaecology and Obstetrics (2016)
• 4th European Congress on Intrapartum Care (2019)
• International Confederation of Midwives Triennial Congress (2017)
• European Conference on Domestic Violence (2017, 2019)
• European Congress on Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (2019)
• Congress of the International Society of Gender Medicine (2019)
• European Conference on Domestic Violence (2021)
• Conference of the Austrian Society for Psychology (2022)

Some of these studies were subsequently published as peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.

Third-party funding from the Tyrolean Science Promotion Fund was acquired for several projects:

• 2016 - 2019: "Experiential and expert knowledge in the care of mothers with disabilities in the peripartum context" (in cooperation with FH Gesundheitsberufe OÖ)
• 2018: "Resilience-oriented strengthening of midwives in the care of women affected by violence" (in cooperation with the Women's Health Centre of the Medical University of Innsbruck)
• 2019: "It's more than just the belly: A study on the economic and social behaviour of pregnant women" (in cooperation with the Institute of Financial Economics at the University of Innsbruck and the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn).
  
  

Current research projects:

• Resilience-oriented strengthening of midwives in the care of women affected by violence (in cooperation with the Women's Health Centre of the Medical University of Innsbruck)
• It's more than just the belly: A study on the economic and social behaviour of pregnant women (in cooperation with the Institute of Financial Economics at the University of Innsbruck and the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn).
• Epidemiological studies on clinical obstetrics in Austria (in cooperation with the Institute for Clinical Epidemiology of the tirol kliniken based on data from the Austrian Birth Registry)
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The midwifery research team is a collaboration partner in the

• international Babies Born Better Project (www.babiesbornbetter.org/about/)
• international project "Interprofessional educators' competencies, assessment and training for healthcare education (IPEcat)"
• international project IMAGINE EURO for the improvement of maternal and neonatal care in the EURO region

The project "Obstetric and gynaecological care in Austria from the perspective of Somali women - A qualitative study on social and medical care with regard to FGM" (in cooperation with the Refugee-Midwifery-Service-Austria and the Institute of Political Science at the University of Vienna) has been granted a positive ethics vote by the RCSEQ.

One current research project is looking into the challenges of long-term rehabilitation for patients with secondary damage after a COVID-19 infection. A quantitative questionnaire survey is used to determine the extent to which extramural physiotherapists possess the necessary skills and the required technical resources. Additionally, the need for further training in this area is to be assessed.

By developing case reports on the treatment of COVID-19 patients - both in inpatient and outpatient settings - relevant treatment approaches are identified, evaluated, and prepared for practice and teaching.

In the field of quality management and prevention, a nationwide survey is currently being carried out to determine the status quo of the current procedure for identifying motor deficits in kindergarten aged children. Despite the legislative requirement to support the motor development of children in elementary education and to take preventative measures to avoid maldevelopment, a standardised process for assessing children's motor development has not yet been established. This research project aims to identify potential areas for improvement from the perspective of kindergarten teachers in order to derive measures for process implementation and quality assurance.

The radiological technology research team uses quantitative and qualitative research methods to address discipline-specific topics and research projects in the fields of diagnostic and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and oncology, radiation protection, new technologies and telemedicine, as well as pedagogical-didactic and health-promoting topics.

Previous and current research projects:

• Influence of mobile phones on gamma cameras
• NLP as a support tool for claustrophobia in MRI
• Stochastic risk assessment of ionising radiation in radiodiagnostics
• Dose reduction in osteodensitometry
• MR diffusion, standard data spinal column nerve roots
• Evaluation of SUV in nuclear medicine dosimetry
• Interprofessional networking in cross-training online modules
• Food and radiation: radioactivity in chanterelles
• Hygienic aspects of marker pens in radiation therapy
• Development of new radiopharmaceuticals in diagnostics and therapy
• Evaluation of an ICAROS VR training programme for health promotion and prevention
• New methods of bone density measurement
• Causes of the healthcare staff shortage, coping strategies
• Social presence in distance learning, learning in relationships
• Use of the "Smart Simulator" in the training of radiological technologists
• Error culture, inhibiting and promoting factors
• Ultrasound as a source of anatomical and physiological standard data
  
• Survey on the prevalence of osteoporosis in different population groups