Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Australian Consumer Perceptions Of Regionally Grown Fruits And Vegetables: Importance, Enablers, And Barriers, Stephanie Godrich, Katherine Kent, Sandra Murray, Stuart Auckland, Johnny Lo, Lauren Blekkenhorst, Beth Penrose, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Fresh fruits and vegetables are a cornerstone of a balanced diet; their consumption has health, environmental, ethical, and economic implications. This pilot study aimed to: (i) measure fruit and vegetable consumption; (ii) understand consumer perceptions of the perceived importance of regionally grown fresh fruit and vegetables (RGFFV); and (iii) identify the barriers and enablers of access and consumption of RGFFV. The study took place in Tasmania (TAS) and South Western Australia (SWA). A 54-item survey included questions relating to purchasing and consumption patterns; barriers and enablers related to access and consumption of RGFFV; and sociodemographic information. Survey data were analyzed …

Effects Of Ambient Coarse, Fine, And Ultrafine Particles And Their Biological Constituents On Systemic Biomarkers: A Controlled Human Exposure Study, Ling Liu, Bruce Urch, Raymond Poon, Mieczyslaw Szyszkowicz, Mary Speck, Diane R. Gold, Amanda J. Wheeler, James A. Scott, Jeffrey R. Brook, Peter S. Thorne, Frances S. Silverman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Ambient coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles have been associated with mortality and morbidity. Few studies have compared how various particle size fractions affect systemic biomarkers. Objectives: We examined changes of blood and urinary biomarkers following exposures to three particle sizes. Methods: Fifty healthy nonsmoking volunteers, mean age of 28 years, were exposed to coarse (2.5–10 μm; mean, 213 μg/m3) and fine (0.15–2.5 μm; mean, 238 μg/m3) concentrated ambient particles (CAPs), and filtered ambient and/or medical air. Twenty-five participants were exposed to ultrafine CAP (< 0.3 μm; mean, 136 μg/m3) and filtered medical air. Exposures lasted 130 min, separated by ≥ 2 weeks. Blood/urine samples were collected preexposure and 1 hr and 21 hr postexposure to determine blood interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (inflammation), endothelin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; vascular mediators), and malondialdehyde (lipid peroxidation); as well as urinary VEGF, 8-hydroxy-deoxy-guanosine (DNA oxidation), and malondialdehyde. Mixed-model regressions assessed pre- and postexposure differences. results: One hour postexposure, for every 100-μg/m3 increase, coarse CAP was associated with increased blood VEGF (2.41 pg/mL; 95% CI: 0.41, 4.40) in models adjusted for O3, fine CAP with increased urinary malondialdehyde in single- (0.31 nmol/mg creatinine; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.60) and two-pollutant models, and ultrafine CAP with increased urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in single- (0.69 ng/mg creatinine; 95% CI: 0.09, 1.29) and two-pollutant models, lasting < 21 hr. Endotoxin was significantly associated with biomarker changes similar to those found with CAPs. conclusions: Ambient particles with various sizes/constituents may influence systemic biomarkers differently. Endotoxin in ambient particles may contribute to vascular mediator changes and oxidative stress.

Online Healthy Lifestyle Support In The Perinatal Period: What Do Women Want And Do They Use It?, Lydia A. Hearn, Margaret R. Miller, Anna Fletcher

Research outputs 2013

Unhealthy weight gain and retention during pregnancy and postpartum is detrimental to mother and child. Although various barriers limit the capacity for perinatal health care providers (PHCPs) to offer healthy lifestyle counselling, they could guide women to appropriate online resources. This paper presents a project designed to provide online information to promote healthy lifestyles in the perinatal period. Focus groups or interviews were held with 116 perinatal women and 76 PHCPs to determine what online information perinatal women and PHCPs want, in what form, and how best it should be presented. The results indicated that women wanted smartphone applications (apps) …

The Ecology Of Medical Care In Beijing, Shuang Shao, Feifei Zhao, Jing Wang, Lei Feng, Xiaoqin Lu, Juan Du, Yuxiang Yan, Chao Wang, Yinghong Fu, Jingjing Wu, Xinwei Yu, Kaykeng Khoo, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2013

Background: We presented the pattern of health care consumption, and the utilization of available resources by describing the ecology of medical care in Beijing on a monthly basis and by describing the socio-demographic characteristics associated with receipt care in different settings. Methods: A cohort of 6,592 adults, 15 years of age and older were sampled to estimate the number of urbanresident adults per 1,000 who visited a medical facility at least once in a month, by the method of three-stage stratified and cluster random sampling. Separate logistic regression analyses assessed the association between those receiving care in different types of …

Drug Education In Victorian Schools (Devs): The Study Protocol For A Harm Reduction Focused School Drug Education Trial, Richard Midford, Helen Cahill, David Foxcroft, Leanne Lester, Lynne Venning, Robyn Ramsden, Michelle Pose

Research outputs 2012

Background: This study seeks to extend earlier Australian school drug education research by developing and measuring the effectiveness of a comprehensive, evidence-based, harm reduction focused school drug education program for junior secondary students aged 13 to 15 years. The intervention draws on the recent literature as to the common elements in effective school curriculum. It seeks to incorporate the social influence of parents through home activities. It also emphasises the use of appropriate pedagogy in the delivery of classroom lessons. Methods/Design. A cluster randomised school drug education trial will be conducted with 1746 junior high school students in 21 Victorian …

Adjusting For Under-Identification Of Aboriginal And/Or Torres Strait Islander Births In Time Series Produced From Birth Records: Using Record Linkage Of Survey Data And Administrative Data Sources, D Lawrence, D Christensen, F Mitrou, Glenn Draper, G Davis, S Mckeown, Daniel Mcaullay, G Pearson, S R Zubrick

Research outputs 2012

Background: Statistical time series derived from administrative data sets form key indicators in measuring progress in addressing disadvantage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in Australia. However, inconsistencies in the reporting of Indigenous status can cause difficulties in producing reliable indicators. External data sources, such as survey data, provide a means of assessing the consistency of administrative data and may be used to adjust statistics based on administrative data sources. Methods. We used record linkage between a large-scale survey (the Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey), and two administrative data sources (the Western Australia (WA) Register of Births and …

Professional Experience Programme Report: Women's Health Promotion, An International Perspective, Lynne Hunt

Research outputs pre 2011

Between August 1988 and January 1989 I visited niQe countries in the Western Pacific, North America and Europe to survey women's health promotion from the perspective of the women's health movement. The experience was facilitated by study leave (Professional Experience Programme) from the Western Australian College of Advanced Education (now Edith Cowan University).

The main purpose of the study was to exchange ideas with selected academics and experts in women's health. The information acquired will be applied in courses in women's health offered by Edith Cowan University and in the ongoing development of a series of videotape productions on women's …