BackgroundPopulation trends in PSA screening and prostate cancer incidence do not perfectly corre... more BackgroundPopulation trends in PSA screening and prostate cancer incidence do not perfectly correspond. We aimed to better understand relationships between trends in PSA screening, prostate cancer incidence and mortality in Australia.MethodsDescription of age standardised time trends in PSA tests, prostate biopsies, cancer incidence and mortality within Australia for the age groups: 45-74, 75-84, and 85+ years.ResultsPSA testing increased from its introduction in 1989 to a peak in 2008. It then declined in men aged 45-84 years. Prostate biopsies and cancer incidence declined from 1995 to 2000, in parallel with decrease in trans-urethral resections of prostate (TURP). After 2000, changes in biopsies and cancer incidence paralleled PSA screening in men 45-84 years, while in men ≥85 years, biopsies stabilised and incidence declined. More recently a reduction in TURP correlated with increased Dutasteride and Tamsulosin usage. Prostate cancer mortality in men aged 45-74 years remained lo...
ObjectivesTo quantify the risk of overdiagnosis associated with prostate cancer screening in Aust... more ObjectivesTo quantify the risk of overdiagnosis associated with prostate cancer screening in Australia using a novel lifetime risk approach.DesignModelling and validation of the lifetime risk method using publicly available population data.SettingOpportunistic screening for prostate cancer in the Australian population.ParticipantsAustralian male population (1982–2012).InterventionsProstate-specific antigen testing for prostate cancer screening.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary: lifetime risk of overdiagnosis in 2012 (excess lifetime cancer risk adjusted for changing competing mortality); Secondary: lifetime risk of prostate cancer diagnosis (unadjusted and adjusted for competing mortality); Excess lifetime risk of prostate cancer diagnosis (for all years subsequent to 1982).ResultsThe lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer increased from 6.1% in 1982 (1 in 17) to 19.6% in 2012 (1 in 5). Using 2012 competing mortality rates, the lifetime risk in 1982 was 11...
Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals, Apr 1, 2018
Childhood obesity is rising in prevalence in Australia. This study aimed to evaluate the impact o... more Childhood obesity is rising in prevalence in Australia. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the "Have Fun-Be Healthy" (HFBH) intervention, delivered in the Playgroup setting, to generate short term changes in dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours of children under 5 years and self-efficacy of parents and primary carers. This intervention consisted of eight structured cooking and physical play sessions delivered over a period of 8 weeks by trained facilitators. Pre- and post-intervention data collection was performed using survey questionnaires administered to parents and carers of children under 5 years from low socioeconomic backgrounds recruited through convenience sampling. A total of 640 pre-intervention surveys and 312 post-intervention surveys were returned. The matched response rate was 45.5%. There was an improvement in mean intake of healthy foods and mean physical activity with a decrease in mean intake of unhealthy food and mean screen time ...
Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 2018
We performed a systematic review to identify, critically appraise and synthesise the existing lit... more We performed a systematic review to identify, critically appraise and synthesise the existing literature on the association between SEP and multimorbidity occurrence. We searched Medline and Embase from inception to December 2014. Where possible we performed meta-analysis to obtain summary odds ratios (ORs), exploring heterogeneity between studies through sub-group analysis. We identified 24 cross-sectional studies that largely reported on education, deprivation or income in relation to multimorbidity occurrence. Differences in analysis methods allowed pooling of results for education only. Low versus high education level was associated with a 64% increased odds of multimorbidity (summary OR: 1.64, 95% CI 1.41 to 1.91), with substantial heterogeneity between studies partly explained by method of multimorbidity ascertainment. Increasing deprivation was consistently associated with increasing risk of multimorbidity, whereas the evidence on income was mixed. Few studies reported on int...
The evidence for an association between depression and anxiety and increased hypertension risk is... more The evidence for an association between depression and anxiety and increased hypertension risk is inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the association between each of depression and anxiety and incident hypertension. We included women born between 1946 and 1951 from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, surveyed triennially from 1998 to 2013, without a history of hypertension at baseline. We defined depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale shortened version 10 and anxiety using self-reported doctor-diagnosis. We related depression and anxiety to incident hypertension, using generalized estimating equations, adjusting for time-varying covariates. Among 9182 women, 2738 developed hypertension during 15-year follow-up. Depression was associated with a 30% increased odds of hypertension [age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-1.43]. This attenuated and was no longer significant in fully adjusted analyses (...
Abstract Introduction /Aim: Skin cancer is a major public health issue in Queensland with 21,000 ... more Abstract Introduction /Aim: Skin cancer is a major public health issue in Queensland with 21,000 new cases diagnosed each year and up to 99% of cases being attributable to sun exposure. Intermittent, episodic exposures to high Ultra violet radiation levels such as those which occur during outdoor sporting activities further increase the risk of melanoma which is the most common cancer in the 15-24 years age group in Queensland. However, skin cancer is largely preventable through the practice of relatively simple and cost effective sun safety measures. This program aimed to create a more sun safe university campus through the implementation of a comprehensive health promotion approach. Methods: A comprehensive health promotion program based on the five action areas of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion was planned and implemented at Griffith University’s(GU) Gold Coast Campus. This program specifically targeted students that regularly participated in outdoor sporting activities ...
Lack of positive attitudes towards health promotion in health professionals is identified as a ma... more Lack of positive attitudes towards health promotion in health professionals is identified as a major barrier in delivering effective health promotion to patients and wider community.As future physicians, medical students should be regularly screened for their attitudes and constantly guided on cultivating positive attitudes on health promotion as well as healthy behaviors from the early years of their training within the undergraduate medical curriculum. This review describes the multiple and diverse predictors which influence these attitudes and how they could be addressed effectively within medical training in order to generate better attitudes in medical students.Longitudinal follow up studies investigating the effectiveness of evidence based teaching and learning strategies which would further enhance their health promoting attitudes and behaviors are recommended.
BackgroundPopulation trends in PSA screening and prostate cancer incidence do not perfectly corre... more BackgroundPopulation trends in PSA screening and prostate cancer incidence do not perfectly correspond. We aimed to better understand relationships between trends in PSA screening, prostate cancer incidence and mortality in Australia.MethodsDescription of age standardised time trends in PSA tests, prostate biopsies, cancer incidence and mortality within Australia for the age groups: 45-74, 75-84, and 85+ years.ResultsPSA testing increased from its introduction in 1989 to a peak in 2008. It then declined in men aged 45-84 years. Prostate biopsies and cancer incidence declined from 1995 to 2000, in parallel with decrease in trans-urethral resections of prostate (TURP). After 2000, changes in biopsies and cancer incidence paralleled PSA screening in men 45-84 years, while in men ≥85 years, biopsies stabilised and incidence declined. More recently a reduction in TURP correlated with increased Dutasteride and Tamsulosin usage. Prostate cancer mortality in men aged 45-74 years remained lo...
ObjectivesTo quantify the risk of overdiagnosis associated with prostate cancer screening in Aust... more ObjectivesTo quantify the risk of overdiagnosis associated with prostate cancer screening in Australia using a novel lifetime risk approach.DesignModelling and validation of the lifetime risk method using publicly available population data.SettingOpportunistic screening for prostate cancer in the Australian population.ParticipantsAustralian male population (1982–2012).InterventionsProstate-specific antigen testing for prostate cancer screening.Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary: lifetime risk of overdiagnosis in 2012 (excess lifetime cancer risk adjusted for changing competing mortality); Secondary: lifetime risk of prostate cancer diagnosis (unadjusted and adjusted for competing mortality); Excess lifetime risk of prostate cancer diagnosis (for all years subsequent to 1982).ResultsThe lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer increased from 6.1% in 1982 (1 in 17) to 19.6% in 2012 (1 in 5). Using 2012 competing mortality rates, the lifetime risk in 1982 was 11...
Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals, Apr 1, 2018
Childhood obesity is rising in prevalence in Australia. This study aimed to evaluate the impact o... more Childhood obesity is rising in prevalence in Australia. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the "Have Fun-Be Healthy" (HFBH) intervention, delivered in the Playgroup setting, to generate short term changes in dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours of children under 5 years and self-efficacy of parents and primary carers. This intervention consisted of eight structured cooking and physical play sessions delivered over a period of 8 weeks by trained facilitators. Pre- and post-intervention data collection was performed using survey questionnaires administered to parents and carers of children under 5 years from low socioeconomic backgrounds recruited through convenience sampling. A total of 640 pre-intervention surveys and 312 post-intervention surveys were returned. The matched response rate was 45.5%. There was an improvement in mean intake of healthy foods and mean physical activity with a decrease in mean intake of unhealthy food and mean screen time ...
Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 2018
We performed a systematic review to identify, critically appraise and synthesise the existing lit... more We performed a systematic review to identify, critically appraise and synthesise the existing literature on the association between SEP and multimorbidity occurrence. We searched Medline and Embase from inception to December 2014. Where possible we performed meta-analysis to obtain summary odds ratios (ORs), exploring heterogeneity between studies through sub-group analysis. We identified 24 cross-sectional studies that largely reported on education, deprivation or income in relation to multimorbidity occurrence. Differences in analysis methods allowed pooling of results for education only. Low versus high education level was associated with a 64% increased odds of multimorbidity (summary OR: 1.64, 95% CI 1.41 to 1.91), with substantial heterogeneity between studies partly explained by method of multimorbidity ascertainment. Increasing deprivation was consistently associated with increasing risk of multimorbidity, whereas the evidence on income was mixed. Few studies reported on int...
The evidence for an association between depression and anxiety and increased hypertension risk is... more The evidence for an association between depression and anxiety and increased hypertension risk is inconsistent. We aimed to investigate the association between each of depression and anxiety and incident hypertension. We included women born between 1946 and 1951 from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, surveyed triennially from 1998 to 2013, without a history of hypertension at baseline. We defined depression using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale shortened version 10 and anxiety using self-reported doctor-diagnosis. We related depression and anxiety to incident hypertension, using generalized estimating equations, adjusting for time-varying covariates. Among 9182 women, 2738 developed hypertension during 15-year follow-up. Depression was associated with a 30% increased odds of hypertension [age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-1.43]. This attenuated and was no longer significant in fully adjusted analyses (...
Abstract Introduction /Aim: Skin cancer is a major public health issue in Queensland with 21,000 ... more Abstract Introduction /Aim: Skin cancer is a major public health issue in Queensland with 21,000 new cases diagnosed each year and up to 99% of cases being attributable to sun exposure. Intermittent, episodic exposures to high Ultra violet radiation levels such as those which occur during outdoor sporting activities further increase the risk of melanoma which is the most common cancer in the 15-24 years age group in Queensland. However, skin cancer is largely preventable through the practice of relatively simple and cost effective sun safety measures. This program aimed to create a more sun safe university campus through the implementation of a comprehensive health promotion approach. Methods: A comprehensive health promotion program based on the five action areas of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion was planned and implemented at Griffith University’s(GU) Gold Coast Campus. This program specifically targeted students that regularly participated in outdoor sporting activities ...
Lack of positive attitudes towards health promotion in health professionals is identified as a ma... more Lack of positive attitudes towards health promotion in health professionals is identified as a major barrier in delivering effective health promotion to patients and wider community.As future physicians, medical students should be regularly screened for their attitudes and constantly guided on cultivating positive attitudes on health promotion as well as healthy behaviors from the early years of their training within the undergraduate medical curriculum. This review describes the multiple and diverse predictors which influence these attitudes and how they could be addressed effectively within medical training in order to generate better attitudes in medical students.Longitudinal follow up studies investigating the effectiveness of evidence based teaching and learning strategies which would further enhance their health promoting attitudes and behaviors are recommended.
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