bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drink‐driving in the general night‐time driving population, Adelaide 1989
Authors: McLean A.J. , Kloeden C.N. , McCaul K.A.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: A roadside breath alcohol survey was conducted by the NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit in 1989 to monitor the efficacy of random breath testing (RBT) by the police. A reduction of 40 per cent in the proportion of drivers above the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.08 g/100 ml was found to coincide with a marked increase in the level of publicity of police RBT operations. Other factors may also have contributed to these large reductions in illegal drink‐driving but this result was similar to that observed in 1987 when a major increase in publicity was accompanied by an increase in the level of enforcement of RBT. Although the full effect of these reductions has diminished with time, there appears to have been a decrease in illegal drink‐driving in Adelaide from 1983 to 1987 and again to 1989.
Food and nutrition policy issues in remote Aboriginal communities: lessons from Arnhem Land
Authors: McMillan Stuart J.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: There is a high incidence of nutrition‐related diseases amongst Aborigines living in remote areas. An outline of the corporate food and nutrition policy of the Arnhemland Progress Association is given to demonstrate the potential for positive strategies in remote area stores. The Association is a retailer owned by Aboriginal groups and operates 11 remote community stores. Factors such as price, Aboriginal buying habits, seasonality, consumer demand and most importantly remote area stock management affect the supply of and demand for food items. Further, government policy on sales tax and private sector capital city pricing policies influence retailing in remote areas. The experience of the Arnhemland Progress Association illustrates the extent to which factors affecting supply of and demand for food lie outside the health sector and points to the need for an intersectoral policy on food and nutrition.
Evaluating the impact of a promotional campaign for screening mammography: who attends?
Authors: Adelson Pamela , Irwig Les , Turnbull Deborah
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The Breast X‐ray Programme of the Central Sydney Health Service is one of 11 pilot programs in Australia assessing the best methods of delivering population‐based mammographic screening. The aim of this study was to determine the attendance rate and to describe sociodemographic predictors of attendance in an area serviced by the program. A well‐defined population of approximately 4500 women aged 45 to 70 was identified within the Central Sydney area for intensive testing of recruitment strategies. After four visits (spanning two years) to the area by a mobile screening van, 48% of the women were screened. Women from non‐English‐speaking backgrounds were just as likely to attend as women from English‐speaking backgrounds, probably because special attention was given to recruiting these women. Older women from English‐speaking backgrounds were less likely to attend, whereas no age trend existed for women of non‐English‐speaking backgrounds.

Sampled attendance data of women from English‐speaking backgrounds showed that women with more education were more likely to attend screening. Women who were employed were just as likely to attend as those who were not.

In order to screen 70% of the targeted population as set forth for a national mammography screening program, it appears that community recruitment efforts alone will not be sufficient. With special attention to recruitment coverage, older women and women from non‐English‐speaking backgrounds can be successfully recruited. Special attention will also need to be focused on encouraging attendance in women who have less formal education.
Medical care for institutionalised elderly people in Singapore
Authors: Soh George
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This study examined physical and financial arrangements for medical care of institutionalised elderly people in Singapore. Chief administrators of all long‐term care facilities were interviewed on the existing arrangements for medical care of their residents. Results showed that 66 out of a total of 68 (97%) homes arranged medical care for residents. Of those, 29 homes offered on‐site medical care with alternative arrangements when the in‐house facilities were not operating. While government‐owned homes would pay for all medical costs incurred by their residents, over 48% of voluntary homes and 87% of commercial homes required residents to be financially responsible for their care. The availability of financial support given to residents for payment of medical care was found to be associated with the type of sponsorship of the homes. While there was adequate physical access to medical care, the lack of financial support would pose a potential barrier to use of medical care for institutionalised elderly people.
Identifying hazards and risk opportunity in child farm injury
Authors: Wolfenden Kevin , McKenzie Anne , Sanson‐Fisher Robert W.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Although children are overrepresented in farm injury, little is known about the environmental hazards and risk behaviours associated with injury, or about how to identify these factors at a local level. This study addresses the measurement of these hazards and hazardous behaviours.

The study was conducted in 1990 at Gloucester, New South Wales, a small dairy, beef and hobby farm community. After some formative research and local consultation, a checklist survey was constructed and sent to 120 farm families with school‐age children. Families were sent the checklist forms again two weeks later to assess test‐retest reliability, which was found to be acceptable among the 38 per cent who responded on both occasions. The findings on the prevalence of environmental hazards and risk behaviours from the 84 per cent of respondents were useful to refine the existing injury information available from local hospital morbidity figures, which had identified injuries related to riding Qiorses, bicycles and motorcycles) and to machinery and drowning as major rural injury issues. In particular the importance of bicycle riding and horse‐related injury were confirmed. The survey importantly identified some previously undetected issues, most notably the danger to children's hearing.

The prevalence data were used to identify targets for the development of local health promotion initiatives, leading the local farm safety action group to select horses, helmets and hearing as issues for preventive action. Findings from the method indicated the importance of local information, involving farmers in constructing the checklist, and feeding back results to the community.
Discourse analysis: a new methodology for understanding the ideologies of health and illness
Authors: Lupton Deborah
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry which has been little employed by public health practitioners. The methodology involves a focus upon the sociocultural and political context in which text and talk occur. Discourse analysis is, above all, concerned with a critical analysis of the use of language and the reproduction of dominant ideologies (belief systems) in discourse (defined here as a group of ideas or patterned way of thinking which can both be identified in textual and verbal communications and located in wider social structures). Discourse analysis adds a linguistic approach to an understanding of the relationship between language and ideology, exploring the way in which theories of reality and relations of power are encoded in such aspects as the syntax, style and rhetorical devices used in texts. This paper argues that discourse analysis is pertinent to the concerns of public health, for it has the potential to lay bare the ideological dimension of such phenomena as lay health beliefs, the doctor‐patient relationship, and the dissemination of health information in the entertainment mass media. This dimension is often neglected by public health research. The method of discourse analysis is explained, and examples of its use in the area of public health given.
Teenage pregnancy and fertility in New South Wales: an examination of fertility trends, abortion and birth outcomes
Authors: Adelson Pamela L. , Frommer Michael S. , Pym Margaret A. , Rubin George L.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This paper reviews the data available in New South Wales on teenage fertility rates and pregnancy outcomes. Teenage births comprise six per cent of all births in New South Wales, but they constitute a significant public health problem because they are associated with elevated rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes, which include low birthweight, perinatal death and pre‐eclampsia. Risk is concentrated in females under 18 years of age. Pregnancy outcomes for females aged 18 to 19 years are similar to those of women aged 20 to 24 years. Teenage fertility rates have remained stable since the mid‐1980s, following a decline which began in the early 1970s. There are large geographic variations in teenage fertility within the state, with the highest rates in the far west of New South Wales and in western Sydney. Teenage pregnancy in New South Wales (as distinct from fertility which reflects births) cannot be assessed accurately because of the lack of information on terminations of pregnancy. However, available data suggest that teenage pregnancy rates have not increased during the 1980s.
Mortality from respiratory system cancer in New South Wales and Sydney
Authors: Burnley I. H.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Differential and spatial analyses of respiratory system cancer were undertaken for New South Wales and Sydney for the period 1980–1986. The source of data was death certificate information on the unit list mortality file tapes provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Characteristics of persons dying included age, sex, birthplace, occupational status and cause of death (ICD9 classification). The aim was to identify populations at risk from respiratory system cancer, and where they were located. Deaths were disaggregated for the abovementioned categories by cross‐tabulation at the state level and for geographical areas having populations with higher levels of respiratory cancer mortality. Never‐married males of lower occupational status had higher rates of respiratory cancer, mainly lung cancer. Divorced men also had higher mortality as did widowers who were in lower occupational status work, while married men in managerial work also had significantly high mortality. The marital status variation was mostly not found with females, although significantly high female mortality was found in several low socioeconomic status areas of Sydney. Mortality of both sexes was significantly higher in metropolitan Sydney than in the rest of New South Wales and associations between older age mortality and some industrial areas were found in Sydney.
An outbreak of measles in the Hunter area of New South Wales
Authors: Miles Thaïs A. , Merrell W. Hugh
Published: August 2010

Abstract: An outbreak of measles occurred in 1990 in the Port Stephens Shire of New South Wales. The incidence of confirmed cases of measles and associated histories of immunisation are detailed by age for the period 24 June 1990 to 31 December 1990. Data were obtained from health and education professionals and from interviews with parents. Among the 158 cases were 116 school pupils, 82 of whom attended two large primary schools which had attack rates of 9.4 per cent and 4.1 per cent. The cases also included 29 persons who had been appropriately immunised. Inadequate immunisation coverage was seen as the principal cause of the outbreak in the Port Stephens Shire. Observance of institutional protocol was regarded as a principal impediment to disease counter‐measures in a neighbouring measles‐affected area. Regulated immunisation of young children and cooperative interaction among service providers could ultimately lead to the control of this serious disease in New South Wales.
Diabetes in Aborigines and other Australian populations
Authors: Guest Charles S. , O'Dea Kerin
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The aetiology of diabetes mellitus is reviewed in the light of Australian epidemiological studies. The prevalence of diabetes has been studied in a wide variety of Australian settings. Comparisons of prevalences in Aborigines and other populations suggest that occurrence of this disease has both genetic and environmental determinants. Diet and obesity are associated with diabetes, but to increase physical exercise may be the most feasible intervention. Public health approaches are discussed.
Future directions for mental health services in Australia
Authors: Whiteford Harvey
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The last decade has seen a marked increase in the attention given to mental health policy and services at both a state and national level. Mental health consumers, carers, service providers, and a number of professional bodies have contributed to the scrutiny of what had been a relatively neglected area. The release of Australia's first National Mental Health Policy is a milestone in the development of a national focus on mental health promotion, prevention and the provision of enhanced services for persons with mental disorder and mental health problems. This paper discusses briefly the directions promoted in the national policy, including mental health promotion, reorientation of mental health services, the nongovernment sector, consumer rights, intersectoral links, service quality, research and evaluation.
Assessing community attitudes toward medical practitioner authority
Authors: Rigby Ken , Metzer Jacques C.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Despite the widespread belief that medical authority is under increasing challenge, no adequate research instrument has been available to measure relevant community attitudes. This paper reports the development of the Attitude Toward Medical Practitioners Scale (the AMPS). Samples of Australians (in total N > 1000) completed the AMPS, using three different procedures. The reliability of the scale, assessed by coefficient alpha, ranged from 0.80 to 0.86. A principal component analysis of the AMPS yielded loadings on each item exceeding 0.3 on the first unrotated factor; subsequent varimax rotation revealed dimensions associated with critical attitudes to doctors and evaluations of doctors' interpersonal competence and technical expertise. Positive and significant correlations between the AMPS and one measure of the General Attitude toward Institutional Authority (GAIAS) strongly suggested that the scale is consistent with generalised evaluations of community authorities. The specific validity of the AMPS was supported for each of three samples, using as validating criteria respondent ratings of the last doctor visited, satisfaction with the consultation and reported compliance with the doctor's advice. Significant improvements were found in the prediction of each of these criteria by the addition of the AMPS to contributions made by the GAIAS and the demographic variables, age and sex. The AMPS is an appropriate measure for assessing community attitudes towards medical practitioners conceived as institutional authorities, at least in the Australian context.
Accuracy of asthma death statistics in Australia
Authors: Jenkins Mark A. , Rubinfeld Abe R. , Robertson Colin F. , Bowes Glenn
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Asthma mortality statistics issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) were compared with clinical data from a survey of asthma mortality. Deaths in Victoria from May 1986 to April 1987 containing ‘asthma’ in Parts 1 or 2 of the death certificate (N = 405) were reviewed. For each subject, the cause of death attributed by the Victorian Asthma Mortality Survey was compared with the ABS cause of death, by age and sex of the subject. Information on 393 of the 405 deaths investigated by the the Victorian Asthma Mortality Survey was analysed. The ABS estimate of the total number of asthma deaths in Victoria was 47 per cent higher than the estimate of the Victorian Asthma Mortality Survey. In subjects under 50 years of age the two estimates were within 10 per cent. The difference between the estimates increased with age at death for persons over 50 years old and was equivalent for males and females. If the assessment by the Victorian Asthma Mortality Survey of the number of deaths due to asthma is accepted as accurate, then the ABS estimate of asthma deaths was reliable for those under 50 years of age. In those who died at an older age, the ABS significantly overestimated the number of deaths due to asthma in Victoria.
The benefits of exercise in postmenopausal women
Authors: Caplan Gideon A. , Ward John A. , Lord Stephen R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Physical exercise is commonly promoted as a panacea. However many of the claimed benefits, in particular any positive effects on bone density, have not been scientifically proved. We assessed the effects of a twice‐weekly aerobic weight‐bearing exercise program on bone density in postmenopausal women. We tested bone density at the spine and hip in 19 exercisers with a mean age of 66.4 years (SEM ±1.2) before and after a two‐year exercise program, and in 11 controls, mean age 65.4 years (SEM ± 1.5). We also assessed risk factors for cardiovascular disease and tested wellbeing and cognitive function. The mean percentage change in lumbar bone mineral density was −0.8 in exercisers and −3.8 in controls (difference 3.0 per cent; 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 0.3 to 5.7 per cent; P = 0.031). The mean percentage change in trochanteric bone mineral concentration was + 9.6 in exercisers and −4.4 in controls (difference 14.0 per cent; CI 4.6 to 23.5; P = 0.0049). The exercisers also had significantly higher wellbeing and diastolic blood pressure. This study adds strong evidence that twice‐weekly weight‐bearing aerobic exercise has a protective effect on bone density in postmenopausal women as well as being associated with other measurable benefits.
Information‐seeking behaviour and sources of health information: associations with risk factor status in an analysis of three Queensland electorates
Authors: Kassulke Desley , Stenner‐Day Karen , Coory Michael , Ring Ian
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Making a special effort to gain health information has been associated with healthy behaviour. This paper identifies the information‐seeking dimension and the sources of information people use and examines whether there is an association between these and individual health status. In November 1989 a randomly selected sample of 2134 adults in the electorates of Maryborough, Toowoomba and Port Curtis (Gladstone) completed a self‐administered questionnaire which aimed to measure health‐related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Factor analysis identified clusters of items representing different dimensions of risky health behaviour as well as different perceived barriers to seeking preventive health care. Multiple regression analysis was then used to determine sociodemographic, attitudinal and behavioural variables related to a tendency not to seek health information and to be at risk for preventable diseases The findings have implications for the development of future health promotion programs in provincial Australian cities. Both age and sex were significant in predicting where people obtain information on health. Women were more likely than men to seek health information and their sources of information reflected this proactive attitude to health. While there was no significant difference between the perceived health status of males and females, reported behavioural risk factors were much more prevalent in males. Most respondents had consulted a general practitioner in the previous twelve months and stated that they would change their behaviour on the advice of a medical practitioner. However, few nominated medical practitioners as their main source of health information.
Health and housing—seasonality in New Zealand mortality
Authors: Isaacs Nigel , Donn Michael
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The common belief that New Zealand's climate is mild appears to be supported by the statistics of deaths directly attributable to cold. However an initial analysis of seasonality of mortality using the modified Edwards method suggests New Zealand has a greater seasonality of mortality than the more extreme climates of the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Japan or Sweden. Examination of New Zealand monthly mortality from 1976 to 1986 suggests this is driven by the seasonality of mortality of those aged 65 and over. Three surveys of temperatures within New Zealand homes have suggested that few are fully maintained in the 18°C to 24°C comfort range. Mean temperatures close to or below 16°C were found in two of these surveys. Further research is suggested to examine the links between health and housing thermal performance. This research should combine both health and building science knowledge and techniques.
Short fat questionnaire: a self‐administered measure of fat‐intake behaviour
Authors: Dobson Annette J. , Blijlevens Rosan , Alexander Hilary M. , Croce Nicola , Heller Richard F. , Higginbotham Nick , Pike Gaynor , Plotnikoff Ronald , Russell Anne , Walker Rhonda
Published: August 2010

Abstract: A brief questionnaire has been developed to measure behaviour related to dietary fat intake. It is self‐administered and self‐coded. Mean completion time is about three minutes. Criterion validity was assessed by comparison with a well‐established food frequency questionnaire using 124 adults from Newcastle and Sydney. The correlations with the questionnaire scores were: r = 0.55 for total fat as a percentage of total energy, r = 0.67 for saturated fat as a percentage of total energy, and r = 0.44 for polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio. Reproducibility was assessed by re‐use by 25 subjects after seven to nine months (r = 0.85). When used in a community survey of over 300 randomly chosen people in the Hunter Region, the mean scores for men and for women and among different age groups were significantly different. The questionnaire was strongly associated with other scales measuring attitudes, behaviour and knowledge related to low‐fat diets. The questionnaire appears suitable for rapid self‐assessment by subjects, and as it directs their attention to aspects of their diet which might need improvement, it could be used for health education. It might also be used for epidemiological studies to rank subjects broadly according to their fat‐intake behaviour.
The integrity of the vaccine cold chain in the Hunter area of New South Wales
Authors: Miles Thaïs A.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Two surveys investigated the integrity of the cold chain from the State Vaccine Centre in Sydney to immunisation centres in the Hunter Area. The first examined the extent to which temperatures of vaccines in transit during November 1991 exceeded 10°C. Temperatures had exceeded 10°C for unknown periods. The cumulative effect of such cold‐chain impairment and reported inadequacies in vaccine maintenance and handling by the State Vaccine Centre cannot be estimated. The second survey examined the effectiveness of refrigerators used to store vaccines by Hunter area councils and community health centres and a random sample of general practices in the Hunter. Only 29 per cent of council and community health refrigerators and 22 per cent of general practice refrigerators were effective. While the second survey described the storage environment of particular vaccines for a very short period on one day only, maintenance of such conditions could compromise the integrity of stored vaccines.
Vitamin supplementation and nutritional status in homeless men
Authors: Darnton‐Hill Ian , Sriskandarajah Nadarajah , Stewart Peter M. , Craig Greg , Truswell A. Stewart
Published: August 2010

Abstract:Homeless men and women are both physically and socially disadvantaged. Their nutritional status is also often compromised. In this sample of 107 homeless men in Sydney, about half reported taking vitamin supplements (with varying duration and regularity), usually a regimen consisting of thiamin, vitamin C, folic acid and a multivitamin–B–complex capsule. In this cross‐sectional study, little effect could be seen on clinical health between those reporting taking vitamin supplementation and those not doing so. However, biochemical measurements showed significant differences. The numbers of men classified as deficient were higher by about 20 per cent for those reporting not taking vitamins. The mean biochemical levels were significantly better for the supplemented group for thiamin, as assessed by TPP per cent effect (P= 0.04), vitamin B6, as assessed by P5′P per cent effect (P= 0.002), vitamin C (P< 0.001) and blood folate (P< 0.02). Consequently, on the basis of mean biochemical levels of vitamin status, the supplemented group were better off and it is reasonable to presume that in the long term this would be reflected in improved clinical status.
Community worry about heart disease: a needs survey in the Coalfields and Newcastle areas of the Hunter region
Authors: Higginbotham Nick , Heading Gaynor , Pont Jennifer , Plotnikoff Ronald , Dobson Annette J. , Smith Elizabeth , Metcalfe Andrew , Valenti Lisa , Croce Nicola
Published: August 2010

Abstract: A needs survey was administered by mail in the Coalfields area of the Hunter region (a lower socioeconomic area around Cessnock) and in a higher socioeconomic area of Newcastle. The purpose was to assist planning for Coalfields Healthy Heartbeat—a community‐action heart disease prevention program. Response rates from random samples of residents were 435/897 (49 per cent) for the Coalfields and 565/875 (65 per cent) for Newcastle. In both study areas heart attack was ranked eleventh from a list of 17 potential community worries, well below drugs, crime, road safety, the environment, cancer and ‘loss of health’. Coalfields respondents were more worried about all issues on the list than were the residents in Newcastle and were less likely to have heard about recent health promotion campaigns. Coalfields respondents felt that heart disease prevention was the responsibility of the individual, the family, and the medical profession, in that order, and much less the responsibility of local community groups. Results suggest that health promotion strategies incorporating values, language and symbols that are meaningful to distinct subgroups may be more successful than disease‐specific programs aimed at the general population.
Food habits in Aborigines and persons of European descent of southeastern Australia
Authors: Guest Charles S. , O'Dea Kerin
Published: August 2010

Abstract: As part of a study of risk factors for glucose intolerance and heart disease in Australian Aborigines and persons of European descent, we elicited the prevalence of food habits that may be associated with high fat and high salt intakes. Interview data were gathered from population‐based samples in country towns and visitors to an Aboriginal health service in a state capital city, all in southeastern Australia. Among persons aged 13 years and over, the frequency of eating takeaway food as a meal was categorised as monthly or less, weekly, more than once per week, and daily or more often. The prevalence of eating such meals was higher among city Aborigines than those living in the country town; the prevalence was lowest among the country‐town Europeans (χ2 = 184, 6 df, P < 0.001). The prevalence of adding salt during cooking and food consumption was higher among Aborigines compared with Europeans. Among country‐town Aboriginal males aged 35 or under, 25 of 40 (63 per cent) added salt to cooked food ‘most of the time’, compared with 66 of 185 (36 per cent) Europeans (χ2 = 9.8, P = 0.002). Among Aboriginal females, 47 of 64 (64 per cent) were in the highest category of salt use, compared with 35 of 190 (18 per cent) of Europeans (χ2 = 66.3, P < 0.001). About one‐third of country‐town Aboriginal males used dripping to fry food, but in the other ethnicity, gender and location groups, vegetable oil was the most frequent choice. The main differences in food habits were associated with ethnicity, rather than location. It remains critical that approaches to dietary modification be specific to ethnic groups.
Young women and sexually transmitted diseases: the issues for public health
Authors: Wyn Johanna
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This paper reports on a recent research project which explored the social meaning of heterosexual relationships for young women aged 16 to 18. Drawing on intensive interviews with 95 young women from a diverse range of backgrounds, the study provided evidence that young women remain relatively ignorant about all aspects of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), that the provision of health services to young women is far from adequate and that public health measures have failed to address the issue of the social and political context in which young women operate. Furthermore, there is evidence that the public health campaign to reduce infection with the human immunodeficiency virus has had a counter productive effect on the prevention of STDs. There are three key dimensions to the prevention of STDs through public health measures: ensuring that young women have adequate knowledge to prevent STDs; provision of adequate health services for young women and fostering a social and political milieu which will support women's control over their sexuality.
Environmental factors and child pedestrian injuries
Authors: Roberts Ian , Norton Robyn , Dunn Roger , Hassall Ian , Lee‐Joe Trevor
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The aim of this study was to provide information on modifiable environmental factors at sites of child pedestrian injuries which would be useful for the design of preventive strategies. A total of 103 child pedestrian injuries was identified over a one‐year surveillance period. Of these, 71 per cent occurred on public roads, 24 per cent occurred in residential driveways and 4 per cent occurred in car parks. For roadway injury sites, the median traffic flow was 635 vehicles per hour and the median speed was 49.0 kph. For 31 (42 per cent) roadway injury sites the median vehicle speed was in excess of the posted speed limit. The majority of roadway injuries occurred on residential streets. For driveway injuries there was no separation of the driveway from the children's play area in 75 per cent. Changes to the urban traffic environment which reduce traffic flows and vehicle speeds have the potential to prevent child pedestrian injuries. Controlled epidemiologic studies which examine the magnitude of the risks associated with modifiable environmental factors are required.
A survey of sunscreen use and sun‐protection practices in Darwin
Authors: Whiteman David C. , Frost Christine A. , Whiteman Catherine A. , Green Adèle C.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: A study was conducted to determine the prevalence and determinants of sun‐protection practices in a sample of the non‐Aboriginal population at the outdoor weekend markets in subequatorial Darwin, Northern Territory, at a time of intense sun exposure, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. from August to October 1992. All non‐Aboriginal market‐attenders who were seated within defined areas adjacent to food stalls were eligible to participate. Of 106 eligible market attenders, 105 (99 per cent) agreed to participate. Overall, fewer than 20 per cent of persons in this setting of extreme sun exposure were wearing sunscreen and less than one‐third were wearing a hat. Only 44 per cent of people with a past history of skin cancer sitting in the midday sun had applied sunscreen and 61 per cent were wearing a hat; however, this was significantly more than those not reporting skin cancer (P < 0.002). The longer people had lived in the Northern Territory (compared with visitors and short‐term residents) the less likely they were to have applied sunscreen in preparation for the midday sun (trend X2 = 3.99, P = 0.046). No association was demonstrated between the use of sunscreen and age or sex of the respondent. These results suggest that the sun‐protection practices of visitors to the Northern Territory are less than optimal, and that among the longer‐term residents of the Northern Territory who are at greatest risk of developing skin cancer, precautions against sun exposure could be greatly improved.
Mental and physical health status in a community sample of New Zealand Vietnam War veterans
Authors: Vincent Carol , Chamberlain Kerry , Long Nigel
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The data presented in this paper were obtained by a survey involving 573 New Zealand Vietnam veterans. It represents the first comprehensive report on the mental and physical health of a community sample of these ex‐service personnel. Although most of these veterans were reasonably healthy for their age, a small proportion was substantially worse off than their Vietnam veteran peers, reporting relatively low levels of psychological wellbeing, relatively high levels of psychological distress and post‐traumatic stress disorder, a greater number and severity of physical health symptoms, lower self‐rated health status, and making more frequent contacts with health care providers.
Jabs in the dark: injecting equipment found in prisons, and the risks of viral transmission
Authors: Seamark Richard , Gaughwin Matt
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Injecting drug users in prisons may reuse and share contaminated injecting equipment, increasing their risk of infection with blood‐borne viruses. We examined 58 syringes found in three metropolitan Adelaide prisons during a one‐year period: 95 per cent were one millilitre volume; blood was visible in 24 per cent; 58 per cent indicated repeated use; 33 per cent were wrapped in plastic; and 26 per cent had detachable needles, allowing more blood to be trapped in the dead space between the syringe barrel and needle than with the fixed‐needle variety. The nature and condition of some of these syringes suggested they might transmit contaminated blood. The ineffectiveness of present approaches to keeping injecting equipment out of prisons demands a more enlightened approach to harm minimisation. With doubts cast on the efficacy of bleach, education should be supported by practical means to reduce transmission of viruses. Provision of sterile injecting equipment is a possible option.
Why openness with health inspectors pays
Authors: Rickwood Debra , Braithwaite John
Published: August 2010

Abstract: The effect of the quality of information obtained by Standards Monitoring Teams on the compliance of 410 Australian nursing homes with Commonwealth regulatory standards is explored. We Find that information matters. Lack of openness is a hallmark of a poor quality facility, openness of a high quality facility. Secondly, open flow of information becomes a resource that does enable the regulatory process to improve the quality of care. From an industry perspective, therefore, openness pays because it 1. works against being marked off by an inspection team as a problem facility that is covering up; and 2. allows the facility to improve the quality of the service it delivers to the consumer.
Birth events, birth experiences and social differences in postnatal depression
Authors: Astbury Jill , Brown Stephanie , Lumley Judith , Small Rhonda
Published: August 2010

Abstract: A postal survey of all women who gave birth in Victoria in one week in 1989 was used to assess the contribution of birth events, satisfaction with care and social differences to depression after birth. The questionnaire was mailed to women eight to nine months after birth. The survey response was 71.4 per cent (790/1107) with underrepresentation of young women, single women and women of non‐English‐speaking background. Assessment of depression was made using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, with a score of 13 or more indicating probable clinical depression. The point prevalence of depression was 15.4 percent (95 per cent confidence interval 12.8 to 18.0). In the final logistic model two factors were associated with lower odds of depression: nonmetropolitan residence and maternal age over 34. Factors associated with increased odds of depression in the model were having a first child over the age of 34, assisted delivery (caesarean, forceps, vacuum extraction), bottle feeding, dissatisfaction with antenatal care, having unwanted people present at the birth and lacking confidence to look after the baby at the time of leaving hospital. When those factors were taken into account, being unmarried, being born overseas of non‐English‐speaking background, being dissatisfied with care in labour and after birth, and not having an active say in decision making, all of which were significantly associated with depression in univariate analyses, did not make any additional contribution to the model.
Obstetrical outcomes of Aboriginal pregnancies at a major urban hospital
Authors: Najman Jake M. , Williams Gail M. , Bor William , Andersen Margaret J. , Morrison John
Published: August 2010

Abstract: While a number of previous papers have documented the poor general health of Australia's Aboriginal population, relatively few have considered the health of Aborigines living in Australia's urban centres. In this latter instance, Aborigines have access to conventional medical services and they live in a physical environment that does not differ greatly from that experienced by the lower‐class white population. Of course, racial, familial and economic differences may continue to influence differentially the perceived accessibility of services to Aborigines and their non‐Aboriginal neighbours. This paper compares the pregnancy outcomes of Aboriginal women and non‐Aboriginal women living in a major urban centre in Australia. The data indicate that urban Aboriginal women have adverse pregnancy outcomes at one and a half to two times the rate experienced by the non‐Aboriginal population. Much of the difference can be attributed to lifestyle variations in the groups being compared.
Apparent dietary intake in remote Aboriginal communities
Authors: Lee Amanda J. , O'Dea Kerin , Mathews John D.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Apparent per capita food and nutrient intake in six remote Australian Aboriginal communities using the ‘store‐turnover’ method is described. The method is based on the analysis of community‐store food invoices. The face validity of the method supports the notion that, under the unique circumstances of remote Aboriginal communities, the turnover of foodstuffs from the community store is a useful measure of apparent dietary intake for the community as a whole. In all Aboriginal communities studied, the apparent intake of energy, sugars and fat was excessive, while the apparent intake of dietary fibre and several nutrients, including folic acid, was low. White sugar, flour, bread and meat provided in excess of 50 per cent of the apparent total energy intake. Of the apparent high fat intake, fatty meats contributed nearly 40 per cent in northern coastal communities and over 60 per cent in central desert communities. Sixty per cent of the apparent high intake of sugars was derived from sugar per se in both regions. Compared with national Australian apparent consumption data, intakes of sugar, white flour and sweetened carbonated beverages were much higher in Aboriginal communities, and intakes of wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetables were much lower. Results of the store‐turnover method have important implications for community‐based nutrition intervention programs.
Seven‐year follow‐up of a smoking‐prevention program for children
Authors: Shean Ruth E. , de Klerk Nicholas H. , Armstrong Bruce K. , Walker Noni R.
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Smoking‐prevention programs, run by both teachers, and teachers and peers, have been introduced into school curricula in many parts of the world. This paper describes a long‐term follow‐up of a randomised controlled trial of a smoking education program for children conducted in Western Australia. Seven years after the first survey of 2 366 Year 7 students in 1981, 68 per cent of initial participants were traced through public records; 53 per cent of these responded to a new survey concerning smoking. Previous follow‐up after one and two years had shown that both teacher‐led and peer‐led programs continued to reduce the taking up of smoking by girls to about the same degree, whereas in boys, the teacher‐led program appeared to be effective after one year but neither program was effective after two years. In nonsmoking girls, both the intervention programs maintained their effects at the seven‐year follow‐up, with an almost 50 per cent reduction in smoking prevalence in the intervention group. Nonsmoking girls appeared to respond to cigarette advertisements. Mothers seemed to influence nonsmokers of both sexes and brothers seemed to influence smokers of both sexes. The seven‐year follow‐up confirmed the results seen at two years for boys, that the effects of the education program had dissipated. However, this study suggests that the smoking‐prevention program had a lasting effect on preventing girls from taking up smoking.
Adults with acquired hearing loss: identification and referral patterns of community health workers
Authors: Reed Vicki A. , Hogan Anthony , Munnerley Glenn M. , Lee Kerrie
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Community health workers in one health region of New South Wales were surveyed about their criteria and referral patterns to identify and assist adults with acquired hearing losses. Reported or observed communication problems were the most commonly used criteria for identifying hearing loss, suggesting that a failure model was being utilised. Given that the literature has previously demonstrated reluctance on the part of individuals with acquired hearing loss to report their hearing difficulties, the implications of these results are discussed. Clients suspected of having acquired hearing losses were usually referred to their doctors for further investigation and treatment. Other hearing help services were not systematically utilised. Alternative strategies for identifying and managing acquired hearing loss at the community level are needed. (Aust J Public Health
Impact of a promotion program for hepatitis B immunisation
Authors: Salmond Clare E. , Soljak Michael A. , Bandaranayake Don R. , Stehr‐Green Paul
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This study compared levels of hepatitis B immunisation in a group of 524 infants in Northland, New Zealand, with levels in the remainder of the country. The Northland sample had specific encouragement from an immunisation coordinator and had been followed from birth. Levels throughout the rest of the country were estimated from four samples totalling 317 infants whose parents were interviewed when the child was at least two years old. The cross‐sectional nationwide sample had fewer children ‘fully immunised’ by two years of age (minimum estimate 61.8 per cent, maximum estimate 69.7 per cent) than the cohort of children (not lost to follow‐up) who were encouraged to have the immunisations in Northland (77.5 per cent) (Z = 4.73, P < 0.001 for comparison with the minimum nationwide estimate; Z = 2.45, P = 0.014 for comparison with the maximum estimate). Of the Northland cohort, 13.5 per cent were lost to follow‐up before the scheduled completion of the hepatitis B vaccinations. Assuming that every child lost to follow‐up was not fully immunised, the efforts of the immunisation promotion program operated by a nurse coordinator increased the percentage of children fully immunised by between about 7.8 per cent and 15.7 per cent. A promotion program for hepatitis B immunisation, operated by an immunisation coordinator, is an effective tool for increasing immunisation coverage.
Sex, alcohol and violence: a community collaborative action against striptease shows
Authors: Boffa John , George Chris , Tsey Komla
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Between September 1988 and February 1989, Anyinginyi Congress, an Aboriginal community‐controlled health organisation, facilitated a collaborative community action against striptease shows in public bars in Tennant Creek. This action resulted in changes to the guidelines of the Northern Territory Liquor Act to regulate striptease shows in public bars and began other processes of addressing alcohol related problems in the community. The composition and strategies of both the pro‐ and anti‐striptease lobbies are analysed within the context of changing power relationships between Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal people, as epitomised in the growth and consolidation of Aboriginal community‐controlled organisations in Tennant Creek. The role of the media in shaping the course and direction of the debates as well as the response of the Northern Territory government as the final arbiter in the striptease conflict are scrutinised. The use of sex to sell alcohol is a legitimate public health concern and community action for healthier public policy is an important strategy in creating supporting environments for health.
Illnesses that Australians most feared in 1986 and 1993
Authors: Borland Ron , Donaghue Ngaire , Hill David
Published: August 2010

Abstract: This study identified illnesses Australians most feared getting, and determined whether there had been any changes between 1986 and 1993. An open‐ended question about illnesses was embedded in an omnibus face‐to‐face survey of representative samples of Australians (1986, n = 1213; 1993, n = 1268). Cancer was by far the most feared illness, with over 60 per cent of first mentions and around 80 per cent of first or second mentions. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and heart disease were the only other illnesses mentioned by more than 10 per cent of the sample as the first or second most feared illness. There were no differences across time in first mentions of these illnesses, but cancer had more mentions overall in 1993. Concern about cancer may have increased over the seven years. Mentions of dementia and blindness also increased across the two surveys.
Weight‐loss strategies and beliefs in high and low socioeconomic areas of Melbourne
Authors: Paxton Susan J. , Sculthorpe Anne , Gibbons Kay
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Overweight is a serious health risk and is prevalent in Australia. This study explored sex, socioeconomic status and age differences in body mass index, the perceived effectiveness of weight‐loss strategies and the frequency of their use, and awareness of the risks of obesity in a random sample of adult men (n = 457) and women (n = 537) from higher and lower socioeconomic areas. According to self‐reports, 37 per cent of the sample were overweight or obese. More men than women, and more older than younger respondents, were overweight. There were no sex differences in the frequency of obesity. There were significantly more obese individuals in the lower than in the higher socioeconomic area. Women more frequently put themselves in a higher weight category while men more frequently put themselves in a lower weight category. Fifty‐eight per cent of respondents reported the desire to lose weight and 24 per cent of the sample were trying to lose weight on the survey day; 46.9 per cent had attempted to lose weight in the previous 12 months, and these were more likely to be female, younger and obese or overweight. Only minor differences according to sex or socioeconomic status were found in beliefs about the effectiveness of different weight‐loss strategies. However, older respondents were less likely to have exercised recently as a means of weight reduction. There was good recognition of diseases made worse by being overweight, although the health risk of male fat distribution patterns was not widely known.