Papers by Catherine Bennett
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Background: Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors are the leading contributors ... more Background: Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors are the leading contributors to morbidity and mortality globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. To date, there has been no synthesis of the literature on the relative prevalence of NCD risk factors in Ethiopia. Methodology: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of primary studies reporting on the prevalence of NCD risk factors in Ethiopia published in English from 2012 to July 2020. Pre-tested NCD search terms were applied to Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Global Health. Three reviewers screened and appraised the quality of the identified papers. Data extraction was conducted using a pilot tested proforma. Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 16 and pooled prevalence estimated with associated 95% confidence intervals. Clinically heterogeneous studies that did not fulfil the eligibility criteria for meta-analysis were narratively synthesised. I2 was used to...
BMC Public Health, 2022
Background Understanding the impact of the burden of COVID-19 is key to successfully navigating t... more Background Understanding the impact of the burden of COVID-19 is key to successfully navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a larger investigation on COVID-19 mortality impact, this study aims to estimate the Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) in 17 countries and territories across the world (Australia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cyprus, France, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Peru, Norway, England & Wales, Scotland, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United States [USA]). Methods Age- and sex-specific COVID-19 death numbers from primary national sources were collected by an international research consortium. The study period was established based on the availability of data from the inception of the pandemic to the end of August 2020. The PYLL for each country were computed using 80 years as the maximum life expectancy. Results As of August 2020, 442,677 (range: 18–185,083) deaths attributed to COVID-19 were recorded in 17 countries which translated to 4,210,654 (range: 112–...
Medical Journal of Australia, 1993
To ascertain the incidence, severity, risk factors, and outcomes of injuries in children and adol... more To ascertain the incidence, severity, risk factors, and outcomes of injuries in children and adolescents playing Australian Rules football. A prospective cohort study of football injuries in children and adolescents playing community football. We studied a stratified random sample of 54 teams and clinics (18 under-15 teams, 18 under-10 teams and 18 Vickick clinics for children under 10 years) from the Melbourne metropolitan area. Football exposure, injuries and associated risk factors were recorded for 1253 players during the 1992 football season. Vickick, a modified form of the game, had the lowest rates of injury for all levels of injury severity, with an overall rate of 3.49 injuries per 1000 player-hours. The rate in the under-10 age group was 2.4 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-3.8) than that in Vickick, and the under-15 rate was 1.2 times (95% CI, 0.9-1.6) that of the under-10s. The under-15 age group had significantly more injuries that led to use of health services than the under-10 and Vickick groups, with rates of 3.93 (95% CI, 2.9-4.9), 0.64 (95% CI, 0.2-1.4), and 0.33 (95% CI, 0.1-0.8) injuries per 1000 players-hours respectively. Injuries were largely to soft tissues (sprains 26%, haematomas 25%) and to the lower limb (43%). Very few serious injuries occurred (19 fractures and three injuries with loss of consciousness); nearly all of these were in the under-15s. Rule modifications in under-10 teams and clinics were associated with an injury rate of 5.8 injuries per 1000 player-hours (95% CI, 4.4-7.3) compared with 7.5 injuries per 1000 player-hours (95% CI, 5.2-9.8) when no modification was used. Alterations to the ruck contest, decreased contact, field size and player numbers were significantly associated with lower injury rates, while body size was not. Of the 30% of injuries resulting in a health service consultation, the most common health provider was a medical practitioner. Very few required expensive investigation or treatment. Injury rates were low in children under age 10, but higher in adolescents. Most injuries were minor, and did not result in a health professional consultation. Rule modifications were associated with substantially lower injury rates at the under-10 level, and should be promoted as a safe way to learn football skills.
BMC Family Practice, 2015
Background: Mastitis is an acute, debilitating condition that occurs in approximately 20 % of bre... more Background: Mastitis is an acute, debilitating condition that occurs in approximately 20 % of breastfeeding women who experience a red, painful breast with fever. This paper describes the factors correlated with mastitis and investigates the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in women who participated in the CASTLE (Candida and Staphylococcus Transmission: Longitudinal Evaluation) study. The CASTLE study was a prospective cohort study which recruited nulliparous women in late pregnancy in two maternity hospitals in Melbourne, Australia in 2009-2011. Methods: Women completed questionnaires at recruitment and six time-points in the first eight weeks postpartum. Postpartum questionnaires asked about incidences of mastitis, nipple damage, milk supply, expressing practices and breastfeeding problems. Nasal and nipple swabs were collected from mothers and babies, as well as breast milk samples. All samples were cultured for S. aureus. "Time at risk" of mastitis was defined as days between birth and first occurrence of mastitis (for women who developed mastitis) and days between birth and the last study time-point (for women who did not develop mastitis). Risk factors for incidence of mastitis occurring during the time at risk (Incident Rate Ratios [IRR]) were investigated using a discrete version of the multivariable proportional hazards regression model. Results: Twenty percent (70/346) of participants developed mastitis. Women had an increased risk of developing mastitis if they reported nipple damage (IRR 2.17, 95 % CI 1.21, 3.91), over-supply of breast milk (IRR 2.60, 95 % CI 1.58, 4.29), nipple shield use (IRR 2.93, 95 % CI 1.72, 5.01) or expressing several times a day (IRR 1.64, 95 % CI 1.01, 2.68). The presence of S. aureus on the nipple (IRR 1.72, 95 % CI 1.04, 2.85) or in milk (IRR 1.78, 95 % CI 1.08, 2.92) also increased the risk of developing mastitis. Conclusions: Nipple damage, over-supply of breast milk, use of nipple shields and the presence of S. aureus on the nipple or in breast milk increased the mastitis risk in our prospective cohort study sample. Reducing nipple damage may help reduce maternal breast infections.
The Commonwealth introduced the Public Health Education and Research Program (PHERP) initiative t... more The Commonwealth introduced the Public Health Education and Research Program (PHERP) initiative to support capacity building within the public health workforce, primarily through investment in Master of Public Health programs. Following the 2005 review of PHERP, a national 'Quality Agenda' was proposed to establish minimum standards in public health competencies of graduates; and Master of Public Health (MPH) graduates in particular. This 'agenda' has triggered renewed discussion on public health workforce needs, public health graduate competencies, and the capacity of the tertiary education sector to deliver these. The Australian Network of Academic Public Health Institutions (ANAPHI) has worked with the Department of Health and Ageing on the 'Quality Agenda'. In 2008, ANAPHI convened a working group to further open up discussion among academic institutions on the public health education context to the Quality Agenda. The group held a lunchtime workshop at the 2008 Population Health Congress in Brisbane, as one of a themed pair of sessions entitled 'Public Health Professionals - Shaping our Future'. A further aim of the workshop was to identify key themes to shape the next ANAPHI Teaching and Learning Forum (September 23rd to 24th 2008, Canberra, www.anaphi.org.au).
52 Chapter 4 Preventative health and workforce development Catherine Bennett, Kate Hale,Kathleen ... more 52 Chapter 4 Preventative health and workforce development Catherine Bennett, Kate Hale,Kathleen Lilley, Bernie Marshall 4.1 Background In Australia ... reported that they do not have time to address risk factors within consultations and usual care routines (Amoroso, Harris, & ...
Injury Prevention, 1997
Objectives-To examine the extent of international differences in children's exposure to traffic a... more Objectives-To examine the extent of international differences in children's exposure to traffic as pedestrians or bicyclists. Design-Children's travel patterns were surveyed using a parent-child adminis- tered questionnaire. Children were sampled via primary schools, using a probability cluster sampling design. Setting-Six cities in five countries: Melbourne and Perth (Australia), Montreal (Canada), Auckland (New Zealand), Umea (Sweden), and Baltimore (USA). Subjects-Children aged 6 and 9 years. Main outcome measures-Modes oftravel on the school-home journey, total daily time spent waLking, and the average daily number of roads crossed. Main findings-Responses were obtained from the parents of 13 423 children. There are distinct patterns of children's travel in the six cities studied. Children's travel in the three Australasian cities, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland, is characterised by high car use, low levels of bicycling, and a steep decline in walking with increasing car ownership. In these cities, over a third of the children sampled spent less than five minutes walking per day. In Montreal, walking and public transport were the most common modes of travel. In Umea, walking and bicycling predominated, with very low use of motorised transport. In comparison with children in the Austra- lasian and North American cities, children in Umea spend more time walking, with 87% of children walking for more than five minutes per day. Conclusions-There are large interna- tional differences in the extent to which children walk and cycle. These findings would suggest that differences in 'exposure to risk' may be an important con- tributor to international differences in pedestrian injury rates. There are also substantial differences in pedestrian ex- posure to risk by levels of car ownershipdifferences that may explain socioeco- nomic differentials in pedestrian injury rates.
Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1999
Objective-Examination of the relation between respiratory symptoms and time since arrival in Aust... more Objective-Examination of the relation between respiratory symptoms and time since arrival in Australia in immigrant teenagers living in Melbourne. Design-Two stage, stratified, cross sectional survey. Setting-High schools (n = 51). Subjects-9794 people aged 13-19 years. Main outcome measures-Prevalence of wheeze during a 12 month period, region of birth, duration of residence in Australia. Results-The estimated population 12 month period prevalence of wheeze was 18.9% (95% confidence interval (CI), 18.0 to 19.9). In subjects born outside Australia, residence for five to nine years in Australia was associated with a 2.1-fold (CI, 1.1 to 4.0) increase in the odds of self reported wheeze; after 10-14 years, this risk increased 3.4-fold (CI, 1.8 to 6.7). There was no diVerence in severity of wheeze, measured by reported frequency of attacks, between Australian born and non-Australian born subjects. Conclusions-The notion of a continued secular increase in the prevalence of wheezing is not supported. There is a time dose eVect on the prevalence of symptoms in subjects born outside Australia and now living in Melbourne, which is independent of age and country of birth.
Public Health Research & Practice
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Sexual health, Jan 25, 2017
Background: Syndromic management of sexually transmissible infections is commonly used in resourc... more Background: Syndromic management of sexually transmissible infections is commonly used in resource-poor settings for the management of common STIs; abnormal vaginal discharge (AVD) flowcharts are used to identify and treat cervical infection including Neisseria gonorrhoea and Chlamydia trachomatis. A systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to measure the diagnostic test performance of AVD flowcharts, including both World Health Organization (WHO)- and locally-adapted AVD flowcharts. Methods: A systematic search of multiple electronic databases was conducted to locate eligible studies published between 1991 and 2014. Flowcharts were categorised into one of 14 types based on: 1) use of WHO guidelines or locally-adapted versions; 2) use of risk assessment, clinical examination or both; and 3) symptomatic entry. Summary diagnostic performance measures calculated included summary sensitivity, summary specificity and diagnostic odds ratio. Results: Thirty-six studies, including...
Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Jun 16, 2017
Few studies have simultaneously addressed the importance of age of onset and persistence of eczem... more Few studies have simultaneously addressed the importance of age of onset and persistence of eczema for the subsequent development of asthma and hay fever, particularly into early adulthood. A high risk birth cohort was recruited comprising 620 infants, who were then followed up frequently until two years of age, annually from age 3 to 7, then at 12 and 18 years, to document any episodes of eczema, current asthma and hay fever. The generalised estimation equation technique was used to examine asthma and hay fever outcomes at 6 (n=325), 12 (n=248) and 18 (n=240) years, when there was consistency of associations across the follow-ups. Very early-onset persistent (onset <6 months, still present from 2 to 5 years) eczema was related to current asthma (adjusted OR=3.2 [95%CI=1.7-6.1]), as was very early onset remitting eczema (onset <6 months but not present from 2-5 years, OR=2.7, 95%CI=1.0-7.2) and early onset persistent eczema (onset from 6-24 months, OR=2.3, 95%CI=1.2-4.7). Late...
Isswsh 2004 Proceedings of the 2004 International Society For the Study of Women S Sexual Health Conference, 2004
Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2007
Studies that address sensitive topics, such as female sexual difficulty and dysfunction, often ac... more Studies that address sensitive topics, such as female sexual difficulty and dysfunction, often achieve poor response rates that can bias results. Factors that affect response rates to studies in this area are not well characterized. To model the response rate in studies investigating the prevalence of female sexual difficulty and dysfunction. Methods. Databases were searched for English-language, prevalence studies using the search terms: sexual difficulties/dysfunction, woman/women/female, prevalence, and cross-sectional. Studies that did not report response rates or were clinic-based were excluded. A multiple linear regression model was constructed. Published response rates. A total of 1,380 publications were identified, and 54 of these met our inclusion criteria. Our model explained 58% of the variance in response rates of studies investigating the prevalence of difficulty with desire, arousal, orgasm, or sexual pain (R(2) = 0.581, P = 0.027). This model was based on study design variables, study year, location, and the reported prevalence of each type of sexual difficulty. More recent studies (beta = -1.05, P = 0.037) and studies that only included women over 50 years of age (beta = -31.11, P = 0.007) had lower response rates. The use of face-to-face interviews was associated with a higher response rate (beta = 20.51, P = 0.036). Studies that did not include questions regarding desire difficulties achieved higher response rates than those that did include questions on desire difficulty (beta = 23.70, P = 0.034). Response rates in prevalence studies addressing female sexual difficulty and dysfunction are frequently low and have decreased by an average of just over 1% per anum since the late 60s. Participation may improve by conducting interviews in person. Studies that investigate a broad range of ages may be less representative of older women, due to a poorer response in older age groups. Lower response rates in studies that investigate desire difficulty suggest that sexual desire is a particularly sensitive topic.
Isstdr 2009 Proceedings of the 18th International Society For Sexually Transmitted Disease Research 2009, 2009
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Papers by Catherine Bennett