The worldwide spread of antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal clones is cause for concern. In South A... more The worldwide spread of antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal clones is cause for concern. In South Africa, penicillin-resistant pneumococci are mostly associated with serogroups 6 and 19, therefore, we have analyzed the clonal relationships between resistant isolates of these two serogroups. DNA fingerprinting of penicillin-binding protein genes and arbitrarily-primed PCR, have identified two penicillin-resistant pneumococcal clones of serotype 19A and serotype 6B, and a third multi-resistant serotype 19A clone, of which all three clones are predominant within South Africa's penicillin-resistant pneumococcal population. These clones are represented by strains isolated from hospitals that are widely separated in South Africa. Further studies are required to establish whether these clones have expanded in the rest of Africa or spread to other continents.
Correlates of self-rated health among a randomly selected sample of 1863 Australian-born women 45... more Correlates of self-rated health among a randomly selected sample of 1863 Australian-born women 45–55 years of age were examined in two logistic regression analyses: one comparing a self-rated health of worse than one's peers with a self-rated health the same as one's peers; and, one comparing a self-rated health of better than one's peers with a self-rated health the same as one's peers. The final model for worse health was largely a reflection of the physical experience of ill health while that for better health was a more complex construct including not only the absence of illness but also markers of sociodemographic advantage and self-image. The two models had only three variables in common. Notably, the relationship between the outcome measures and one common variable, body mass index, differed markedly.It is suggested that previous analyses of self-rated health have had their power to adequately describe correlates and determinants of health status constrained. By assuming that the various self-rated health states are part of a continuum and employing statistical methods consistent with that assumption, previous studies have been unable to demonstrate the discontinuity among such states. In particular, it is suggested that self-rated health is at least in part a reflection of social role and as there is no basis for assuming that such roles form a continuum as the use of correlation-based analyses imply, then such analyses are inappropriate.
The pneumococcus is now the most important bacterial pathogen causing pneumonia, meningitis, and ... more The pneumococcus is now the most important bacterial pathogen causing pneumonia, meningitis, and otitis media. Traditional approaches to the diagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae as the etrologic agent causing these diseases include colony morphology, microscopy, optochin sensitivity, bile solubility, and inmunologic reaction with type-specific antisera(1) The rationale for developing a molecular approach to diagnosis mcludes the very low yield of pneumococci isolated from blood culture in presumed pneumococcal pneumonia, and the need for a rapid diagnostic test that defines susceptibility to antbiotrcs, partxularly in the setting of meningitis.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2003
Objective To describe numbers of opposite-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual beh... more Objective To describe numbers of opposite-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours, and recent heterosexual experiences among a representative sample of Australian adults.MethodsComputer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16–59 years from all States and Territories. The response rate was 73.1% (69.4% among men and 77.6% among women).Results: Men reported more sexual partners than women over their lifetime, in the past five years and in the past year. 15.1% of men and 8.5% of women reported multiple sexual partners in the past year. Reporting multiple opposite-sex partners was significantly associated with being younger, identifying as bisexual, living in major cities, having a lower income, having a blue-collar occupation, and not being married. All but a handful of respondents' most recent heterosexual encounters involved vaginal intercourse and condoms were used in one-fifth of these sexual encounters. Anal intercourse was very uncommon during respondents' most recent heterosexual encounters.Conclusion Patterns of heterosexual experience in Australia are similar to those found in studies of representative samples in other countries.Implications: There may be a need for interventions targeted at people with multiple sexual partners to promote safer sexual behaviour and to reduce the likelihood of transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2003
The Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR), a survey of 19,307 people aged 16–59 yea... more The Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR), a survey of 19,307 people aged 16–59 years which had a broad focus across many aspects of sexual and reproductive health. Our primary goal in presenting these data is to describe the overall prevalence of key outcomes and the ways in which they are patterned with respect to a range of sociodemographic factors. The socio-demographic factors used include age, gender, language spoken at home, highest level of education completed, region of residence, household income and occupational category. Where appropriate we also include stated sexual identity. Our choice of these factors reflects the fact that they are major elements in the structure of the Australian population and Australian society. For the purpose of reporting the initial results, we have grouped these outcomes into 18 papers. They are bracketed by an introductory methods paper which provides a detailed account of the design and execution of the study, and a concluding paper reflecting on the key themes emerging from the findings, the strengths and limitations of our approach and recommendations for future research.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2003
Objectives: The Australian Study of Health and Relationships reports on sexual behaviours in a re... more Objectives: The Australian Study of Health and Relationships reports on sexual behaviours in a representative sample of Australian adults.Method Between May 2000 and June 2001, computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16 to 59 years (response rate 73.1%). Respondents were asked whether in the past year they had for a period of at least one month experienced a range of sexual difficulties.Results: The most common sexual difficulty was lack of interest in having sex (24.9% men, 54.8% women). Women were more likely than men to report being unable to come to orgasm (28.6% vs. 6.3%), not finding sex pleasurable (27.3% vs. 5.6%), physical pain during intercourse (20.3% vs. 2.4%) or worrying during sex about their body looking unattractive (35.9% vs. 14.2%). Men were more likely to report coming to orgasm too quickly (23.8% vs. 11.7%). Men (16.0%) and women (17.0%) were equally likely to have felt anxious about their ability to perform sexually. Erectile difficulties and lack of interest in sex were higher among the over-40s. Anxiety about performance was highest among men under 20. Experience of sexual difficulties correlated with self-reported ill health.Conclusion The assumption that everyone should be interested in sex, should want to have it and should enjoy having it is a socially normative prescription and not a description of the actual state of affairs. Women reported less interest in sex, less pleasure and more pain than men.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Statistics, 2003
Objective: To describe the methods and process of the Australian Study of Health and Relationship... more Objective: To describe the methods and process of the Australian Study of Health and Relationships.Methods: A computer-assisted telephone interview was developed and applied to a stratified sample of the Australian population. After initially weighting to reflect the study design, the sample was further weighted to reflect the location, age and sex distribution of the 2001 Census.Results: Interviews were completed with 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16–59 years from all states and Territories. The overall response rate was 73.1% (69.4% among men and 77.6% among women). After accounting for the survey design and weighting to the 2001 Census, the sample appears broadly representative of the Australian population.Conclusion: The combination of methods and design in the Australian Study of Health and Relationships, coupled with the high response rate, strongly suggests that the results of the study are robust and broadly representative of the Australian population.
The worldwide spread of antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal clones is cause for concern. In South A... more The worldwide spread of antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal clones is cause for concern. In South Africa, penicillin-resistant pneumococci are mostly associated with serogroups 6 and 19, therefore, we have analyzed the clonal relationships between resistant isolates of these two serogroups. DNA fingerprinting of penicillin-binding protein genes and arbitrarily-primed PCR, have identified two penicillin-resistant pneumococcal clones of serotype 19A and serotype 6B, and a third multi-resistant serotype 19A clone, of which all three clones are predominant within South Africa's penicillin-resistant pneumococcal population. These clones are represented by strains isolated from hospitals that are widely separated in South Africa. Further studies are required to establish whether these clones have expanded in the rest of Africa or spread to other continents.
Correlates of self-rated health among a randomly selected sample of 1863 Australian-born women 45... more Correlates of self-rated health among a randomly selected sample of 1863 Australian-born women 45–55 years of age were examined in two logistic regression analyses: one comparing a self-rated health of worse than one's peers with a self-rated health the same as one's peers; and, one comparing a self-rated health of better than one's peers with a self-rated health the same as one's peers. The final model for worse health was largely a reflection of the physical experience of ill health while that for better health was a more complex construct including not only the absence of illness but also markers of sociodemographic advantage and self-image. The two models had only three variables in common. Notably, the relationship between the outcome measures and one common variable, body mass index, differed markedly.It is suggested that previous analyses of self-rated health have had their power to adequately describe correlates and determinants of health status constrained. By assuming that the various self-rated health states are part of a continuum and employing statistical methods consistent with that assumption, previous studies have been unable to demonstrate the discontinuity among such states. In particular, it is suggested that self-rated health is at least in part a reflection of social role and as there is no basis for assuming that such roles form a continuum as the use of correlation-based analyses imply, then such analyses are inappropriate.
The pneumococcus is now the most important bacterial pathogen causing pneumonia, meningitis, and ... more The pneumococcus is now the most important bacterial pathogen causing pneumonia, meningitis, and otitis media. Traditional approaches to the diagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae as the etrologic agent causing these diseases include colony morphology, microscopy, optochin sensitivity, bile solubility, and inmunologic reaction with type-specific antisera(1) The rationale for developing a molecular approach to diagnosis mcludes the very low yield of pneumococci isolated from blood culture in presumed pneumococcal pneumonia, and the need for a rapid diagnostic test that defines susceptibility to antbiotrcs, partxularly in the setting of meningitis.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2003
Objective To describe numbers of opposite-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual beh... more Objective To describe numbers of opposite-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours, and recent heterosexual experiences among a representative sample of Australian adults.MethodsComputer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16–59 years from all States and Territories. The response rate was 73.1% (69.4% among men and 77.6% among women).Results: Men reported more sexual partners than women over their lifetime, in the past five years and in the past year. 15.1% of men and 8.5% of women reported multiple sexual partners in the past year. Reporting multiple opposite-sex partners was significantly associated with being younger, identifying as bisexual, living in major cities, having a lower income, having a blue-collar occupation, and not being married. All but a handful of respondents' most recent heterosexual encounters involved vaginal intercourse and condoms were used in one-fifth of these sexual encounters. Anal intercourse was very uncommon during respondents' most recent heterosexual encounters.Conclusion Patterns of heterosexual experience in Australia are similar to those found in studies of representative samples in other countries.Implications: There may be a need for interventions targeted at people with multiple sexual partners to promote safer sexual behaviour and to reduce the likelihood of transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2003
The Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR), a survey of 19,307 people aged 16–59 yea... more The Australian Study of Health and Relationships (ASHR), a survey of 19,307 people aged 16–59 years which had a broad focus across many aspects of sexual and reproductive health. Our primary goal in presenting these data is to describe the overall prevalence of key outcomes and the ways in which they are patterned with respect to a range of sociodemographic factors. The socio-demographic factors used include age, gender, language spoken at home, highest level of education completed, region of residence, household income and occupational category. Where appropriate we also include stated sexual identity. Our choice of these factors reflects the fact that they are major elements in the structure of the Australian population and Australian society. For the purpose of reporting the initial results, we have grouped these outcomes into 18 papers. They are bracketed by an introductory methods paper which provides a detailed account of the design and execution of the study, and a concluding paper reflecting on the key themes emerging from the findings, the strengths and limitations of our approach and recommendations for future research.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2003
Objectives: The Australian Study of Health and Relationships reports on sexual behaviours in a re... more Objectives: The Australian Study of Health and Relationships reports on sexual behaviours in a representative sample of Australian adults.Method Between May 2000 and June 2001, computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16 to 59 years (response rate 73.1%). Respondents were asked whether in the past year they had for a period of at least one month experienced a range of sexual difficulties.Results: The most common sexual difficulty was lack of interest in having sex (24.9% men, 54.8% women). Women were more likely than men to report being unable to come to orgasm (28.6% vs. 6.3%), not finding sex pleasurable (27.3% vs. 5.6%), physical pain during intercourse (20.3% vs. 2.4%) or worrying during sex about their body looking unattractive (35.9% vs. 14.2%). Men were more likely to report coming to orgasm too quickly (23.8% vs. 11.7%). Men (16.0%) and women (17.0%) were equally likely to have felt anxious about their ability to perform sexually. Erectile difficulties and lack of interest in sex were higher among the over-40s. Anxiety about performance was highest among men under 20. Experience of sexual difficulties correlated with self-reported ill health.Conclusion The assumption that everyone should be interested in sex, should want to have it and should enjoy having it is a socially normative prescription and not a description of the actual state of affairs. Women reported less interest in sex, less pleasure and more pain than men.
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Statistics, 2003
Objective: To describe the methods and process of the Australian Study of Health and Relationship... more Objective: To describe the methods and process of the Australian Study of Health and Relationships.Methods: A computer-assisted telephone interview was developed and applied to a stratified sample of the Australian population. After initially weighting to reflect the study design, the sample was further weighted to reflect the location, age and sex distribution of the 2001 Census.Results: Interviews were completed with 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16–59 years from all states and Territories. The overall response rate was 73.1% (69.4% among men and 77.6% among women). After accounting for the survey design and weighting to the 2001 Census, the sample appears broadly representative of the Australian population.Conclusion: The combination of methods and design in the Australian Study of Health and Relationships, coupled with the high response rate, strongly suggests that the results of the study are robust and broadly representative of the Australian population.
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Papers by Anthony Smith