Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Development And Validation Of An Australian Database For Estimating The Seafood Content Of Canned Products, Elizabeth Neale, Yasmine Probst, Marijka Batterham, Linda C. Tapsell

L. C. Tapsell

Canned fish products are of increasing popularity in Australia; however current Australian nutrient databases do not include data on the percentage fish in these products. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a database of the percentage fish and seafood contained in common canned fish and seafood products, for use in clinical trials. Six major supermarkets in the Illawarra region, NSW were audited for canned seafood products, and a database of re-ported percentage fish and seafood was developed. Mean + SD of each type of product was then determined. To vali-date the database, a representative sample of …

Updating The Dietadvice Website With New Australian Food Composition Data, Yasmine Probst, Holley-Anne Jones, Shannon Lin, S. Burden, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell

L. C. Tapsell

DietAdvice is an Australian self-administered dietary assessment website initially developed in 2003- 2005. The website allows patients to enter their dietary information and dieticians to remotely access and interpret the data. DietAdvice is presently being updated with new Australian food composition data. This study aims to describe the update process for moving from 1995 to 2006 food composition data. The database for the website was developed using grouped food data from the NUTTAB 1995 database. All food groups were cross-matched with the food from the NUTTAB 2006 database using the food ID codes. Rules were applied to determine the suitability …

Do Australian Primary School Environments Affect Children's Playground Physical Activity Levels?, Anne-Maree Parrish, Donald Iverson, Kenneth Russell, Heather Yeatman

Don C. Iverson

No abstract provided.

Is Sleep Duration Associated With Obesity In Older Australian Adults?, Christopher A. Magee, Peter Caputi, Don C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between sleep duration and obesity in older Australian adults. Method: Self-reported health data were collected through the 45 and Up Study. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to test the relationship between sleep duration and body mass index, controlling for a range of demographic and health-related variables. Results: The sample included 45,325 Australian adults aged 55 to 95 years. The regression models demonstrated that short and long sleep were associated with obesity in 55- to 64-year-olds but not in those aged 65 years and above. Discussion: The present results suggest that the relationships between sleep …

Occupational Factors And Sick Leave In Australian Employees, Christopher Magee, Natalie Stefanic, Peter Caputi, Don Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Objectives: To investigate occupational factors associated with sick leave over a 4-year period in Australian employees. Methods: Longitudinal data (self-report) from 2861 Australian full-time employees (69.4% male) were used. Occupational factors and relevant covariates were assessed at baseline with sick leave assessed yearly over a 4-year period. The data were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models. Results: Job strain and longer commuting time were associated with long sick leave, whereas long work hours were inversely associated with long sick leave. Conclusions: These results provide further evidence that certain aspects of work are associated with sick leave, whereas other work aspects …

An Investigation Of The Dimensionality Of The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index In Australian Adults, Christopher Magee, Peter Caputi, Donald Iverson, Xu-Feng Huang

Don C. Iverson

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is widely used to assess subjective sleep quality in clinical and non-clinical settings. Although the PSQI is routinely scored to provide a single sleep quality factor, two recent studies suggest that multiple factor scoring methods could be more appropriate. As a consequence, the present study investigated for the dimensionality and factor structure of the PSQI in 364 Australian adults aged 18 to 59 years. The results demonstrate that two factor and three factor scoring models were favored statistically over the single factor model. These results add to recent findings and suggest that scoring the …

Sleep Duration And Obesity In Middle-Aged Australian Adults, Christopher A. Magee, Donald C. Iverson, Peter Caputi

Don C. Iverson

The present study examined the association between sleep duration and obesity in 40,834 middle-aged Australian adults. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test the relationship between sleep duration and obesity while controlling for important demographic and health covariates; separate models were tested for males and females. Short sleep (i.e., <7 h a night) was found to be independently associated with obesity in males and females. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report an association between short sleep and obesity in Australian adults. Although more research is required, interventions targeting short sleep could aid obesity treatment and prevention.

Do Australian Adolescent Female Fake Tan (Sunless Tan) Users Practice Better Sun-Protection Behaviors Than Non-Users?, Melinda Williams, Sandra Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Objective: To determine differences in sun-protection behaviours, and incidence of sunburn, between Australian adolescent female fake tan users and non-users. Design: Cross sectional survey. Method: 398 adolescent females aged 12 to 18 years participated in a survey at public venues, schools, and online. The main outcome measures were self-reported fake tan usage in the past 12 months, frequency of sunburns and habitual sun-protection behaviours. Setting: Surveys were completed in New South Wales, Australia. Results: The prevalence of self-reported use of fake tanning products in the past 12 months among Australian adolescent females was 34.5%. Female fake tan users were significantly …

Australian Women's Awareness Of Breast Cancer Symptoms And Responses To Potential Symptoms, Sandra Jones, Parri Gregory, Caroline Nehill, Lance Barrie, Karen Luxford, A. Nelson, Helen Zorbas, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Poor awareness of breast cancer symptoms has been associated with patient delay in seeking help; thus reduced survival, more aggressive treatment, and fewer treatment choices. The aim of this study was to develop a representative picture of Australian women’s knowledge of symptoms, experienced potential symptoms, and behavioral responses. A general population sample of approximately 3,000 women aged 30–69 completed a telephone survey; results were compared to previous surveys conducted in 1996 and 2003. The most commonly cited potential symptom of breast cancer was a lump in the breast, identified by 86% of respondents (an increase from 75% in 2003). Other …

Disease Awareness Advertisements In Australian Magazines: An Analysis Of Content And Compliance, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

In Australia, Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of prescription medicine is prohibited; however pharmaceutical companies can communicate directly with consumers via Disease Awareness Advertising (DAA). DAA can contain information about a disease including treatment information, but cannot mention the name of a particular product or brand. DAA is currently regulated by the industry body Medicines Australia (MA). In the current study, content analysis methodology was used to determine the extent and nature of DAA in popular Australian women’s magazines which were monitored for 12 months. Findings relating to the use of visual appeals in the imagery and rational appeals in …

'Just Don't Eat Chicken': The Challenge Of Engaging Australian Adults In Appropriate Preventive Behaviours For Bird Flu, Sandra Jones, Donald Iverson, Louise Waters

Don C. Iverson

Leading medical experts have cautioned about the risk of inappropriate behavioural responses as a result of fear of avian influenza (bird flu) even before a pandemic emerges, and have emphasised the need for appropriate risk communication strategies. There is a paucity of in-depth qualitative research into the general public's understanding of, and reactions to, such potential health crises. Four focus groups were conducted in April 2006 and a further eight focus groups in July 2006, to examine people's knowledge, beliefs and behaviours in relation to avian influenza, with the primary aim being to inform the development of future communication strategies. …

Australian Adolescents' Compliance With Sun Protection Behaviours During Summer: The Importance Of The School Context, Melinda Williams, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Adolescents exhibit significantly lower sun protection behaviours than adults in Australia. While many studies have assessed the sun protection behaviours of adolescents during summer, few studies have explored the differences in sun protection behaviours of adolescents across key contexts relevant to adolescents during summer—notably school time, weekends and school holidays. Greater understanding of differences in behaviours across these contexts provides more detailed explanations of the nature of adolescent ultraviolet exposure and thereby facilitates improved targeting of interventions for this segment whose behaviour is considered hard to change. In this study, we explore the differences in self-reported, habitual, sun protection behaviours …

Australian Women's Perceptions Of Breast Cancer Risk Factors And The Risk Of Developing Breast Cancer, Sandra C. Jones, Christopher A. Magee, Lance R. Barrie, Donald C. Iverson, Parri Gregory, Emma L. Hanks, Anne E. Nelson, Caroline L. Nehill, Helen M. Zorbas

Don C. Iverson

Background Numerous studies have shown that the majority of women overestimate both their own risk and the populations’ risk of developing breast cancer. A number of factors have been found to correlate with perceived risk. Methods This paper reports on a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of approximately 3,000 Australian women aged 30 to 69 years, conducted in 2007, and compares the findings with those of a similar survey conducted in 2003. Results There was a clear tendency for respondents to overestimate the proportion of women who will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Approximately half the respondents …

Content Analysis Of Disease Awareness Advertisements In Popular Australian Women's Magazines, Danika V. Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Objective: To examine the nature of disease awareness advertising (DAA). Design: Therapeutic advertisements in six popular Australian women’s magazines were monitored between April 2006 and March 2007. A subset of advertisements was included in the study based on criteria derived from a definition of DAA. Unique advertisements were analysed by four independent coders. Main outcome measures: Types of advertisements and their sponsors, the types of disease information present, and the persuasive techniques utilised. Results: Of 711 advertisements identified, 60 met the inclusion criteria for DAA, and 30 of these were unique. Over one-third of the advertisements were classified as “unbranded …

Australian Mental Health Consumers' Contributions To The Evaluation And Improvement Of Recoveryoriented Service Provision, Sarah L. Marshall, Lindsay G. Oades, Trevor P. Crowe

Trevor Crowe

No abstract provided.

Australian Adolescents' Compliance With Sun Protection Behaviours During Summer: The Importance Of The School Context, Melinda Williams, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald Iverson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Adolescents exhibit significantly lower sun protection behaviours than adults in Australia. While many studies have assessed the sun protection behaviours of adolescents during summer, few studies have explored the differences in sun protection behaviours of adolescents across key contexts relevant to adolescents during summer—notably school time, weekends and school holidays. Greater understanding of differences in behaviours across these contexts provides more detailed explanations of the nature of adolescent ultraviolet exposure and thereby facilitates improved targeting of interventions for this segment whose behaviour is considered hard to change. In this study, we explore the differences in self-reported, habitual, sun protection behaviours …

A Hangover And A One-Night Stand: Alcohol And Risky Sexual Behaviour Among Female Students At An Australian University, Heidi Gilchrist, Kylie Smith, Christopher A. Magee, Sandra Jones

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is a growing body of research in Australia exploring the alcohol consumption behaviours of young people and the attendant health and social risks associated with excessive use of alcohol (Chikritzhs et al. 2003; Mancina-Pena & Tyson 2007). A number of studies from countries such as the United States and New Zealand indicate that university students tend to drink at riskier levels than the broader population (see for example Wechsler et al. 1994; Kypri, Stephenson & Langley 2005; Wechsler & Nelson 2008). Data from Australia are limited, although the few studies that have been conducted suggest that Australian university students …

The Impact Of Complex Survey Design On Prevalence Estimates Of Intakes Of Food Groups In The Australian National Children's Nutrition And Physical Activity Survey, Sandy Burden, Yasmine Probst, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Poor Food And Nutrient Intake Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Rural Australian Children, Josephine D. Gwynn, Victoria M. Flood, Catherine A. D'Este, John R. Attia, Nicole Turner, Janine Cochrane, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, John H. Wiggers

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe the food and nutrient intake of a population of rural Australian children particularly Indigenous children. Participants were aged 10 to 12 years, and living in areas of relative socio-economic disadvantage on the north coast of New South Wales. METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study 215 children with a mean age of 11.30 (SD 0.04) years (including 82 Indigenous children and 93 boys) completed three 24-hour food recalls (including 1 weekend day), over an average of two weeks in the Australian summer of late 2005. RESULTS: A high proportion of children consumed …

Why (Not) Alcohol Energy Drinks? A Qualitative Study With Australian University Students, Sandra C. Jones, Lance R. Barrie, Nina J. Berry

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims. Alcohol energy drinks (AEDs) are a recent entry to the ready-to-drink market, but there is an absence of research into the reasons young people consume these products and their consumption-related experiences.The aim of the current study was to investigate university students’ perceptions of, and experiences with, pre-mixed AEDs.

Design and Methods. Four focus groups with undergraduate university students in a large regional city in New South Wales; with transcripts coded for key themes.

Results.Participants reported a number of benefits of AED consumption,many of which were similar to other ready-to-drinks, such as taste and image. However, the primary …

What Influences Australian Women To Not Drink During Pregnancy?, Sandra C. Jones, Joanne Telenta

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is a strong social norm against consuming alcohol during pregnancy. However, many women do not realise they are pregnant until the sixth week and are not provided with information about the risks of consuming alcohol until they visit a health professional in the second trimester. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 midwives and 12 pregnant women from two regions inNSWin 2008–09 to explore attitudes towards alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and the factors that may encourage or inhibit women from following the recommendation to abstain from drinking while pregnant. Both groups noted the social issues around pregnant women consuming alcohol …

Predicting Dropout In The First 3 Months Of 12-Step Residential Drug And Alcohol Treatment In An Australian Sample, Frank P. Deane, David J. Wootton, Ching-I Hsu, Peter J. Kelly

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Premature termination from treatment is a major factor associated with poorer drug and alcohol treatment outcomes. The present study investigated client-related baseline predictors of dropout at 3 months from a faith-based 12-step residential drug treatment program. Method: Data were collected over a period of 14 months from eight residential drug and alcohol treatment programs run by The Australian Salvation Army. The final sample consisted of 618 participants, including 524 men (84.8%) and 94 women (15.2%). Predictor variables of interest were age, gender, primary drug of concern, criminal involvement, psychological distress, drug cravings, self-efficacy to abstain, spirituality, forgiveness of self …

Translation Of Tobacco Policy Into Practice In Disadvantaged And Marginalized Subpopulations: A Study Of Challenges And Opportunities In Remote Australian Indigenous Communities, Jan A. Robertson, Katherine M. Conigrave, Rowena Ivers, Kim Usher, Alan R. Clough

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: In Australia generally, smoking prevalence more than halved after 1980 and recently commenced to decline among Australia's disadvantaged Indigenous peoples. However, in some remote Indigenous Australian communities in the Northern Territory (NT), extremely high rates of up to 83% have not changed over the past 25 years. The World Health Organisation has called for public health and political leadership to address a global tobacco epidemic. For Indigenous Australians, unprecedented policies aim to overcome disadvantage and close the 'health gap' with reducing tobacco use the top priority. This study identifies challenges and opportunities to implementing these important new tobacco initiatives …

Short And Long Sleep Duration Are Associated With Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease In Australian Adults, Christopher A. Magee, Len Kritharides, John Attia, Patrick Mcelduff, Emily Banks

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A growing number of studies from a range of different countries have observed an association between sleep duration and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this paper was to examine the associations between sleep duration and prevalent cardiovascular disease in a large sample of Australian adults, and identify the sociodemographic and health-related factors moderating these associations. Participants included 218 155 Australian adults aged 45 years and over. The results indicated that 6 h versus 7 h sleep was associated with increased odds of heart disease [odds ratio (OR) = 1.11 (1.06–1.17)], diabetes [OR = 1.15 (1.09–1.22)], stroke [OR = 1.25 (1.14–1.38)] …

Poor Knowledge And Practices Related To Iodine Nutrition During Pregnancy And Lactation In Australian Women: Pre-And Post-Iodine Fortification, Karen Charlton, Heather Yeatman, Catherine Lucas, Samantha Axford, Luke Gemming, Fiona Houweling, Alison Goodfellow, Gary Ma

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A before-after review was undertaken to assess whether knowledge and practices related to iodine nutrition, supplementation and fortification has improved in Australian women since the introduction of mandatory iodine fortification in 2009. Surveys of pregnant (n = 139) and non-pregnant (n = 75) women in 2007-2008 are compared with surveys of pregnant (n = 147) and lactating women (n = 60) one to two years post-fortification in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia. A self-administered questionnaire was completed and dietary intake of iodine was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. A generally poor knowledge about the role …

Front Of Pack Daily Intake Labelling On Australian Packaged Foods: Introduction And Use 2007-2009, P Williams, R Duncan, K De Agnoli, A Hull, A Owers, T Wang

Peter Williams

This study aimed to measure the extent of use of front-of-pack daily intake (DI) labelling across food categories in Australian supermarkets, and assess the level of compliance with the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) guidelines. Surveys of six supermarkets in the Illawarra region of New South Wales were conducted twice a year in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The number of products with DI labelling increased from 58 in February 2007 to 1939 in August 2009 and appears to be growing strongly. The greatest number of products with the labelling are in the biscuits and crackers, cooking sauces, breakfast cereals, …

Misreporting Of Energy Intake In The 2007 Australian Children's Survey: Identification, Characteristics And Impact Of Misreporters, Anna Rangan, Victoria M. Flood, Tim Gill

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Misreporting of energy intake (EI) is a common problem in national surveys. The aim of this study was to identify misreporters using a variety of criteria, examine the impact of misreporting on the association between EI and weight status, and to define the characteristics of misreporters in the 2007 Australian Children‟s Survey. Data from the 2007 Australian Children‟s Survey which included 4800 children aged 2–16 years were used to examine the extent of misreporting based on EI, physical activity level (PAL), age, gender, height and weight status. Three options for identifying misreporters using the Goldberg cut-offs were explored as was …

The Reliability And Validity Of A Short Ffq Among Australian Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander And Non-Indigenous Rural Children, J Gwynn, Victoria M. Flood, Catherine A. D'Este, John R. Attia, Nicole Turner, Janine Cochrane, John Wiggers

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To determine the reproducibility and validity of a short FFQ (SFFQ) for Australian rural children aged 10 to 12 years, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Design: In this cross-sectional study participants completed the SFFQ on two occasions and three 24 h recalls. Concurrent validity was established by comparing results of the first SFFQ against food recalls; reproducibility was established by comparing the two SFFQ. Setting: The north coast of New South Wales in the Australian summer of late 2005. Subjects: Two hundred and forty-one children (ninety-two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and 100 boys) completed two …

Development And Validation Of An Australian Database For Estimating The Seafood Content Of Canned Products, Elizabeth Neale, Yasmine Probst, Marijka Batterham, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Canned fish products are of increasing popularity in Australia; however current Australian nutrient databases do not include data on the percentage fish in these products. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a database of the percentage fish and seafood contained in common canned fish and seafood products, for use in clinical trials. Six major supermarkets in the Illawarra region, NSW were audited for canned seafood products, and a database of re-ported percentage fish and seafood was developed. Mean + SD of each type of product was then determined. To vali-date the database, a representative sample of …

Dementia, Stigma And Intentions To Help-Seek: A Pilot Study Of Australian Adults 40 To 65 Years, Lyn Phillipson, C Magee, Sandra C. Jones, S Reis, E Skladzien

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Stigma (prejudice or negative stereotypes associated with personal attributes such the presence of ill health or disease) is an important concept as it has the potential to adversely impact on social exclusion, help seeking behaviours and the utilisation of health and social services. Whilst limited international research suggests that there may be stigma associated with dementia, this paper presents results from the first comprehensive study to explore stigma towards dementia in Australia. Results from an online survey of Australian adults (45-60 years) outline the nature and presence of negative attitudes or stereotypes towards dementia and people living with dementia, and …