The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a referral and ... more The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a referral and outcall programme from a telephone-based information and support service, for men newly diagnosed with colorectal or prostate cancer. A block randomized controlled trial was performed involving 100 newly diagnosed colorectal and prostate cancer patients. Patients were referred to the Cancer Information Support Service (CISS) through clinicians at diagnosis. Clinicians were randomized into one of three conditions. Active referral 1 : specialist referral with four CISS outcalls: (1) ≤ 1 week of diagnosis; (2) at 6 weeks; (3) 3 months; and (4) 6 months post diagnosis. Active referral 2 : specialist referral with one CISS outcall ≤ 1 week of diagnosis. Passive referral : specialist recommended patient contacts CISS, but contact at the patient's initiative. Patients completed research questionnaires at study entry (before CISS contact), then 4 and 7 months post diagnosis. Overall, 96% of participants reported a positive experience with the referral process; 87% reported they were not concerned about receiving the calls; and 84% indicated the timing of the calls was helpful. In conclusion, the referral and outcall programme was achievable and acceptable for men newly diagnosed with colorectal or prostate cancer. A telephone-based programme for men diagnosed with cancerLIVINGSTON et al.
... Deborah Baker, Health Survey Branch, Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Chris M... more ... Deborah Baker, Health Survey Branch, Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Chris Moon and Tania Karjaluoto, Alcohol ... Robyn Davies and Janet Papps, The Cancer Council Tasmania Lindi Woodcock and Jenny Madden, Community Solutions, Queensland Ron ...
Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue, Jan 27, 2015
Each year, a large number of individuals in Australia are deferred from donating blood. A deferra... more Each year, a large number of individuals in Australia are deferred from donating blood. A deferral may have a negative impact on donor satisfaction and subsequent word-of-mouth communication. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (the Blood Service) is, therefore, investigating options for managing service interactions with deferred donors to maintain positive relationships. While public research institutes in Australia have established independent research donor registries, other countries provide programmes allowing deferred donors to donate blood for research via blood collection agencies. This study examined attitudes towards donating blood for research use in a sample of permanently deferred Australian donors. Donors permanently deferred because of a risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (n=449) completed a postal survey that examined attitudes towards research donation. The majority of participants were interested in donating blood for research (96%), and joining a regist...
... Deborah Baker, Health Survey Branch, Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Chris M... more ... Deborah Baker, Health Survey Branch, Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Chris Moon and Tania Karjaluoto, Alcohol ... Robyn Davies and Janet Papps, The Cancer Council Tasmania Lindi Woodcock and Jenny Madden, Community Solutions, Queensland Ron ...
IDENTIFYING SEGMENTS OF LAPSED FREQUENT DONORS FOR MARKETING INTERVENTIONS Jane Hayman1, Carley N... more IDENTIFYING SEGMENTS OF LAPSED FREQUENT DONORS FOR MARKETING INTERVENTIONS Jane Hayman1, Carley N Gemelli1, Dan Waller1, Nicola Johnson1, Geoff Smith1, Everard Hunder2, Amanda Thijsen1, Angela King1 1 Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service 2 National Marketing, Australian Red Cross Blood Service Introduction This study represents the first step in a program of research that aims to identify and describe groups of lapsed whole blood donors. Analysis of donor responses to previous campaigns targeting lapsed donors by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Blood Service) showed a differential return rate based on number of previous donations and length of time lapsed. This highlights the need to target reactivation campaigns at particular segments of the lapsed donor panel. Methods Frequent whole blood donors who have lapsed were identified as a priority for reactivation by the Blood Service. Blood Service data were collated for all whole blood donors who made th...
USING APPLIED BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCH SKILLS TO SUPPORT POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROS... more USING APPLIED BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCH SKILLS TO SUPPORT POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICE DONOR AND COMMUNITY RESEARCH PROGRAM Daniel Waller, Geoff Smith, Jane Hayman, Nicola Johnson, Carley N Gemelli, Amanda Thijsen, Angela King, Kathleen Chell Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service Introduction Improvements in data availability and a growing focus on individualised services and marketing mean that in-house behavioural research skills are an increasingly important requirement in the blood donation sector. The capacity to conduct in-house research reduces outsourcing costs and allows blood collection agencies to drive academic and policy research agendas. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Blood Service) Donor and Community Research program employs behavioural and social science theory and methods to describe, explain, predict and influence blood donation behaviour. A strong grounding in research design and statistical analysis allow...
PREVENTION OF AND RESPONSE TO DONOR VASOVAGAL EVENTS: DONOR AND STAFF PERSPECTIVES Daniel Waller1... more PREVENTION OF AND RESPONSE TO DONOR VASOVAGAL EVENTS: DONOR AND STAFF PERSPECTIVES Daniel Waller1, Barbara Bell2, Amanda Thijsen1, Angela King1, Geoff Smith1, Jane Hayman1, Carley N Gemelli1, Nicola Johnson1 1 Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service 2 Medical, Transplantation and Quality Services, Australian Red Cross Blood Service Introduction Donor vasovagal events are an unavoidable aspect of blood collection centre operations. Preventing and managing vasovagal events is critical as they impact donor safety, donor retention, in-centre operations, and running costs. Service responses to these events are also of great importance. Whilst much of the blood donation literature has discussed the prediction and prevention of vasovagal symptoms, there has been less work that examines how donors and staff respond to vasovagal events or how staff responses may impact on donor retention and/or satisfaction. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Blood Service) has emba...
The aim of the study was to investigate the management of women with benign breast problems. A co... more The aim of the study was to investigate the management of women with benign breast problems. A consecutive sample of women (n = 194) was assessed who presented to public or private sector providers. The main reasons for referral were breast lumps (62%); 56% of women who attended the public sector did not receive any recommendation compared to 40% who attended the private sector and clinical/general practitioner reviews were recommended to more women in the private sector (54%). Reasons for the discrepancy between public and private patients require further investigation.
In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote hea... more In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote healthy environments by encouraging clubs to develop health-related policies. However, the extent to which these sponsorship contracts reach their stated aims is of concern. This study aimed to quantify levels of policy development and practice in sports clubs for each of five key health areas, namely smoke-free facilities, sun protection, healthy catering, responsible serving of alcohol and sports injury prevention. Representatives from 932 Victorian sports clubs were contacted by telephone with 640 clubs (69%) participating in the survey. Results suggested that the establishment of written policies on the key health areas by sports clubs varied widely by affiliated sport and health area: 70% of all clubs with bar facilities had written policies on responsible serving of alcohol, ranging from 58% of tennis clubs to 100% of diving and surfing clubs. In contrast, approximately one-third of sports clubs had a smoke-free policy, with 36% of tennis, 28% of country football and 28% of men's cricket clubs having policy. Moreover, 34% of clubs overall had established sun protection policy, whereas clubs competing outside during summer months, [diving (86%) and life-saving (81%)] were most likely to have a written sun protection policy. Injury prevention policies were established in 30% of sports clubs, and were most common among football (56%), diving (43%) and life-saving (41%). This study suggests that policy development for health promotion can be achieved in sports clubs when it is well supported by health agencies and consideration is given to the appropriateness of the specific behaviours to be encouraged for a given sport. Communication between associations and clubs needs to be monitored by health agencies to ensure support and resources for policy development to reach the club level.
Background. This study compared the sun exposure and sun protection behaviours of adolescent stud... more Background. This study compared the sun exposure and sun protection behaviours of adolescent students between 1993 and 1999. Methods. Schools from all Australian states and the two territories participated in each of the 1993, 1996, and 1999 surveys and a sample of students from years 7 to 12 were surveyed. In each of the states and territories a random sample of schools was selected within each education sector (government, Catholic, independent). The questionnaire was a self-completed booklet with questions about sunburn history during the previous summer, tan preferences, skin-type, and usual reported behaviour. Data from a total of 78,032 students were available for analysis.
Purpose. To examine the influence of tan preference and skin type on sun protection behaviors of ... more Purpose. To examine the influence of tan preference and skin type on sun protection behaviors of Australian adolescents. among randomly selected students aged 12--17. Schools were randomly selected from each education sector in each state. The self-administered questionnaire contained questions about tan preferences, skin type and usual SunSmart behavior (use of sunscreen, hats and covering clothing).
Background. This study compared the sun exposure and sun protection behaviours of adolescent stud... more Background. This study compared the sun exposure and sun protection behaviours of adolescent students between 1993 and 1999. Methods. Schools from all Australian states and the two territories participated in each of the 1993, 1996, and 1999 surveys and a sample of students from years 7 to 12 were surveyed. In each of the states and territories a random sample of schools was selected within each education sector (government, Catholic, independent). The questionnaire was a self-completed booklet with questions about sunburn history during the previous summer, tan preferences, skin-type, and usual reported behaviour. Data from a total of 78,032 students were available for analysis.
Objective To examine whether socio-economic status (SES) was associated with changes in smoking p... more Objective To examine whether socio-economic status (SES) was associated with changes in smoking prevalence among Australian adolescents during three phases of tobacco-control activity between 1987 and 2005. Methods Triennial cross-sectional national studies of representative random samples of secondary students aged 12–17 years have been conducted since 1987. Numbers range from 19,203 in 1987 to 29,853 in 1996. Self-report anonymous surveys assessed cigarette use in the past month, week (current), and on at least three of the previous seven days (committed). Students’ residential postcode was collected and the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) associated with each postcode determined SES quartiles. Results Between 1987 and 2005, smoking prevalence decreased in all SES groups. Tobacco-control activity level was associated with changes in smoking prevalence and whether changes were consistent across SES groups. In a period of low tobacco-control funding (1992–1996) and activity, smoking prevalence increased among 12- to 15-year-olds, the increase being greatest among low SES students. In a period of high tobacco-control activity (1997–2005) smoking decreased and reductions were generally consistent across SES groups. Conclusions Well-funded, population-based tobacco-control programs can be effective in reducing smoking among students from all SES groups.
In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote hea... more In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote healthy environments by encouraging clubs to develop health-related policies. However, the extent to which these sponsorship contracts reach their stated aims is of concern. This study aimed to quantify levels of policy development and practice in sports clubs for each of five key health areas, namely smoke-free facilities, sun protection, healthy catering, responsible serving of alcohol and sports injury prevention. Representatives from 932 Victorian sports clubs were contacted by telephone with 640 clubs (69%) participating in the survey. Results suggested that the establishment of written policies on the key health areas by sports clubs varied widely by affiliated sport and health area: 70% of all clubs with bar facilities had written policies on responsible serving of alcohol, ranging from 58% of tennis clubs to 100% of diving and surfing clubs. In contrast, approximately one-third of sports clubs had a smoke-free policy, with 36% of tennis, 28% of country football and 28% of men's cricket clubs having policy. Moreover, 34% of clubs overall had established sun protection policy, whereas clubs competing outside during summer months, [diving (86%) and life-saving (81%)] were most likely to have a written sun protection policy. Injury prevention policies were established in 30% of sports clubs, and were most common among football (56%), diving (43%) and life-saving (41%). This study suggests that policy development for health promotion can be achieved in sports clubs when it is well supported by health agencies and consideration is given to the appropriateness of the specific behaviours to be encouraged for a given sport. Communication between associations and clubs needs to be monitored by health agencies to ensure support and resources for policy development to reach the club level.
In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote hea... more In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote healthy environments by encouraging clubs to develop health-related policies. However, the extent to which these sponsorship contracts reach their stated aims is of concern. This study aimed to quantify levels of policy development and practice in sports clubs for each of five key health areas, namely smoke-free facilities, sun protection, healthy catering, responsible serving of alcohol and sports injury prevention. Representatives from 932 Victorian sports clubs were contacted by telephone with 640 clubs (69%) participating in the survey. Results suggested that the establishment of written policies on the key health areas by sports clubs varied widely by affiliated sport and health area: 70% of all clubs with bar facilities had written policies on responsible serving of alcohol, ranging from 58% of tennis clubs to 100% of diving and surfing clubs. In contrast, approximately one-third of sports clubs had a smoke-free policy, with 36% of tennis, 28% of country football and 28% of men's cricket clubs having policy. Moreover, 34% of clubs overall had established sun protection policy, whereas clubs competing outside during summer months, [diving (86%) and life-saving (81%)] were most likely to have a written sun protection policy. Injury prevention policies were established in 30% of sports clubs, and were most common among football (56%), diving (43%) and life-saving (41%). This study suggests that policy development for health promotion can be achieved in sports clubs when it is well supported by health agencies and consideration is given to the appropriateness of the specific behaviours to be encouraged for a given sport. Communication between associations and clubs needs to be monitored by health agencies to ensure support and resources for policy development to reach the club level.
Research suggests that the presence of a total ban on smoking in the home is associated with a re... more Research suggests that the presence of a total ban on smoking in the home is associated with a reduced likelihood of tobacco experimentation among adolescents. While the influence of parental smoking on this association is examined in this work, no study has examined the influence of friends' smoking behavior. In this study, we use data from a statewide survey of students (n = 4125) from the Australian State of Victoria to examine the association between home smoking bans and stage of smoking uptake after controlling for parental smoking and smoking among friends. Logistic regression revealed that students residing in homes with a total ban on smoking were least likely to be susceptible to smoking or to have experimented with smoking. While there was an interaction between parental smoking status and home bans on smoking uptake stage, indicating that the effect of home bans was strongest when neither parent smoked, there was no interaction between home bans and friends' smoking. The results suggest that home smoking bans reduce the likelihood of an adolescent trying tobacco regardless of their friends' smoking behavior. By adopting strong home smoking bans, parents can reduce some of the influence friends' smoking can have on the smoking behavior of their adolescent.
The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a referral and ... more The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a referral and outcall programme from a telephone-based information and support service, for men newly diagnosed with colorectal or prostate cancer. A block randomized controlled trial was performed involving 100 newly diagnosed colorectal and prostate cancer patients. Patients were referred to the Cancer Information Support Service (CISS) through clinicians at diagnosis. Clinicians were randomized into one of three conditions. Active referral 1 : specialist referral with four CISS outcalls: (1) ≤ 1 week of diagnosis; (2) at 6 weeks; (3) 3 months; and (4) 6 months post diagnosis. Active referral 2 : specialist referral with one CISS outcall ≤ 1 week of diagnosis. Passive referral : specialist recommended patient contacts CISS, but contact at the patient's initiative. Patients completed research questionnaires at study entry (before CISS contact), then 4 and 7 months post diagnosis. Overall, 96% of participants reported a positive experience with the referral process; 87% reported they were not concerned about receiving the calls; and 84% indicated the timing of the calls was helpful. In conclusion, the referral and outcall programme was achievable and acceptable for men newly diagnosed with colorectal or prostate cancer. A telephone-based programme for men diagnosed with cancerLIVINGSTON et al.
... Deborah Baker, Health Survey Branch, Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Chris M... more ... Deborah Baker, Health Survey Branch, Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Chris Moon and Tania Karjaluoto, Alcohol ... Robyn Davies and Janet Papps, The Cancer Council Tasmania Lindi Woodcock and Jenny Madden, Community Solutions, Queensland Ron ...
Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue, Jan 27, 2015
Each year, a large number of individuals in Australia are deferred from donating blood. A deferra... more Each year, a large number of individuals in Australia are deferred from donating blood. A deferral may have a negative impact on donor satisfaction and subsequent word-of-mouth communication. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (the Blood Service) is, therefore, investigating options for managing service interactions with deferred donors to maintain positive relationships. While public research institutes in Australia have established independent research donor registries, other countries provide programmes allowing deferred donors to donate blood for research via blood collection agencies. This study examined attitudes towards donating blood for research use in a sample of permanently deferred Australian donors. Donors permanently deferred because of a risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (n=449) completed a postal survey that examined attitudes towards research donation. The majority of participants were interested in donating blood for research (96%), and joining a regist...
... Deborah Baker, Health Survey Branch, Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Chris M... more ... Deborah Baker, Health Survey Branch, Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health Chris Moon and Tania Karjaluoto, Alcohol ... Robyn Davies and Janet Papps, The Cancer Council Tasmania Lindi Woodcock and Jenny Madden, Community Solutions, Queensland Ron ...
IDENTIFYING SEGMENTS OF LAPSED FREQUENT DONORS FOR MARKETING INTERVENTIONS Jane Hayman1, Carley N... more IDENTIFYING SEGMENTS OF LAPSED FREQUENT DONORS FOR MARKETING INTERVENTIONS Jane Hayman1, Carley N Gemelli1, Dan Waller1, Nicola Johnson1, Geoff Smith1, Everard Hunder2, Amanda Thijsen1, Angela King1 1 Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service 2 National Marketing, Australian Red Cross Blood Service Introduction This study represents the first step in a program of research that aims to identify and describe groups of lapsed whole blood donors. Analysis of donor responses to previous campaigns targeting lapsed donors by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Blood Service) showed a differential return rate based on number of previous donations and length of time lapsed. This highlights the need to target reactivation campaigns at particular segments of the lapsed donor panel. Methods Frequent whole blood donors who have lapsed were identified as a priority for reactivation by the Blood Service. Blood Service data were collated for all whole blood donors who made th...
USING APPLIED BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCH SKILLS TO SUPPORT POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROS... more USING APPLIED BEHAVIOURAL RESEARCH SKILLS TO SUPPORT POLICY AND PRACTICE: THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICE DONOR AND COMMUNITY RESEARCH PROGRAM Daniel Waller, Geoff Smith, Jane Hayman, Nicola Johnson, Carley N Gemelli, Amanda Thijsen, Angela King, Kathleen Chell Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service Introduction Improvements in data availability and a growing focus on individualised services and marketing mean that in-house behavioural research skills are an increasingly important requirement in the blood donation sector. The capacity to conduct in-house research reduces outsourcing costs and allows blood collection agencies to drive academic and policy research agendas. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Blood Service) Donor and Community Research program employs behavioural and social science theory and methods to describe, explain, predict and influence blood donation behaviour. A strong grounding in research design and statistical analysis allow...
PREVENTION OF AND RESPONSE TO DONOR VASOVAGAL EVENTS: DONOR AND STAFF PERSPECTIVES Daniel Waller1... more PREVENTION OF AND RESPONSE TO DONOR VASOVAGAL EVENTS: DONOR AND STAFF PERSPECTIVES Daniel Waller1, Barbara Bell2, Amanda Thijsen1, Angela King1, Geoff Smith1, Jane Hayman1, Carley N Gemelli1, Nicola Johnson1 1 Research and Development, Australian Red Cross Blood Service 2 Medical, Transplantation and Quality Services, Australian Red Cross Blood Service Introduction Donor vasovagal events are an unavoidable aspect of blood collection centre operations. Preventing and managing vasovagal events is critical as they impact donor safety, donor retention, in-centre operations, and running costs. Service responses to these events are also of great importance. Whilst much of the blood donation literature has discussed the prediction and prevention of vasovagal symptoms, there has been less work that examines how donors and staff respond to vasovagal events or how staff responses may impact on donor retention and/or satisfaction. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Blood Service) has emba...
The aim of the study was to investigate the management of women with benign breast problems. A co... more The aim of the study was to investigate the management of women with benign breast problems. A consecutive sample of women (n = 194) was assessed who presented to public or private sector providers. The main reasons for referral were breast lumps (62%); 56% of women who attended the public sector did not receive any recommendation compared to 40% who attended the private sector and clinical/general practitioner reviews were recommended to more women in the private sector (54%). Reasons for the discrepancy between public and private patients require further investigation.
In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote hea... more In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote healthy environments by encouraging clubs to develop health-related policies. However, the extent to which these sponsorship contracts reach their stated aims is of concern. This study aimed to quantify levels of policy development and practice in sports clubs for each of five key health areas, namely smoke-free facilities, sun protection, healthy catering, responsible serving of alcohol and sports injury prevention. Representatives from 932 Victorian sports clubs were contacted by telephone with 640 clubs (69%) participating in the survey. Results suggested that the establishment of written policies on the key health areas by sports clubs varied widely by affiliated sport and health area: 70% of all clubs with bar facilities had written policies on responsible serving of alcohol, ranging from 58% of tennis clubs to 100% of diving and surfing clubs. In contrast, approximately one-third of sports clubs had a smoke-free policy, with 36% of tennis, 28% of country football and 28% of men's cricket clubs having policy. Moreover, 34% of clubs overall had established sun protection policy, whereas clubs competing outside during summer months, [diving (86%) and life-saving (81%)] were most likely to have a written sun protection policy. Injury prevention policies were established in 30% of sports clubs, and were most common among football (56%), diving (43%) and life-saving (41%). This study suggests that policy development for health promotion can be achieved in sports clubs when it is well supported by health agencies and consideration is given to the appropriateness of the specific behaviours to be encouraged for a given sport. Communication between associations and clubs needs to be monitored by health agencies to ensure support and resources for policy development to reach the club level.
Background. This study compared the sun exposure and sun protection behaviours of adolescent stud... more Background. This study compared the sun exposure and sun protection behaviours of adolescent students between 1993 and 1999. Methods. Schools from all Australian states and the two territories participated in each of the 1993, 1996, and 1999 surveys and a sample of students from years 7 to 12 were surveyed. In each of the states and territories a random sample of schools was selected within each education sector (government, Catholic, independent). The questionnaire was a self-completed booklet with questions about sunburn history during the previous summer, tan preferences, skin-type, and usual reported behaviour. Data from a total of 78,032 students were available for analysis.
Purpose. To examine the influence of tan preference and skin type on sun protection behaviors of ... more Purpose. To examine the influence of tan preference and skin type on sun protection behaviors of Australian adolescents. among randomly selected students aged 12--17. Schools were randomly selected from each education sector in each state. The self-administered questionnaire contained questions about tan preferences, skin type and usual SunSmart behavior (use of sunscreen, hats and covering clothing).
Background. This study compared the sun exposure and sun protection behaviours of adolescent stud... more Background. This study compared the sun exposure and sun protection behaviours of adolescent students between 1993 and 1999. Methods. Schools from all Australian states and the two territories participated in each of the 1993, 1996, and 1999 surveys and a sample of students from years 7 to 12 were surveyed. In each of the states and territories a random sample of schools was selected within each education sector (government, Catholic, independent). The questionnaire was a self-completed booklet with questions about sunburn history during the previous summer, tan preferences, skin-type, and usual reported behaviour. Data from a total of 78,032 students were available for analysis.
Objective To examine whether socio-economic status (SES) was associated with changes in smoking p... more Objective To examine whether socio-economic status (SES) was associated with changes in smoking prevalence among Australian adolescents during three phases of tobacco-control activity between 1987 and 2005. Methods Triennial cross-sectional national studies of representative random samples of secondary students aged 12–17 years have been conducted since 1987. Numbers range from 19,203 in 1987 to 29,853 in 1996. Self-report anonymous surveys assessed cigarette use in the past month, week (current), and on at least three of the previous seven days (committed). Students’ residential postcode was collected and the Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage (IRSD) associated with each postcode determined SES quartiles. Results Between 1987 and 2005, smoking prevalence decreased in all SES groups. Tobacco-control activity level was associated with changes in smoking prevalence and whether changes were consistent across SES groups. In a period of low tobacco-control funding (1992–1996) and activity, smoking prevalence increased among 12- to 15-year-olds, the increase being greatest among low SES students. In a period of high tobacco-control activity (1997–2005) smoking decreased and reductions were generally consistent across SES groups. Conclusions Well-funded, population-based tobacco-control programs can be effective in reducing smoking among students from all SES groups.
In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote hea... more In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote healthy environments by encouraging clubs to develop health-related policies. However, the extent to which these sponsorship contracts reach their stated aims is of concern. This study aimed to quantify levels of policy development and practice in sports clubs for each of five key health areas, namely smoke-free facilities, sun protection, healthy catering, responsible serving of alcohol and sports injury prevention. Representatives from 932 Victorian sports clubs were contacted by telephone with 640 clubs (69%) participating in the survey. Results suggested that the establishment of written policies on the key health areas by sports clubs varied widely by affiliated sport and health area: 70% of all clubs with bar facilities had written policies on responsible serving of alcohol, ranging from 58% of tennis clubs to 100% of diving and surfing clubs. In contrast, approximately one-third of sports clubs had a smoke-free policy, with 36% of tennis, 28% of country football and 28% of men's cricket clubs having policy. Moreover, 34% of clubs overall had established sun protection policy, whereas clubs competing outside during summer months, [diving (86%) and life-saving (81%)] were most likely to have a written sun protection policy. Injury prevention policies were established in 30% of sports clubs, and were most common among football (56%), diving (43%) and life-saving (41%). This study suggests that policy development for health promotion can be achieved in sports clubs when it is well supported by health agencies and consideration is given to the appropriateness of the specific behaviours to be encouraged for a given sport. Communication between associations and clubs needs to be monitored by health agencies to ensure support and resources for policy development to reach the club level.
In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote hea... more In recent years, some health agencies offered sponsorship to sporting associations to promote healthy environments by encouraging clubs to develop health-related policies. However, the extent to which these sponsorship contracts reach their stated aims is of concern. This study aimed to quantify levels of policy development and practice in sports clubs for each of five key health areas, namely smoke-free facilities, sun protection, healthy catering, responsible serving of alcohol and sports injury prevention. Representatives from 932 Victorian sports clubs were contacted by telephone with 640 clubs (69%) participating in the survey. Results suggested that the establishment of written policies on the key health areas by sports clubs varied widely by affiliated sport and health area: 70% of all clubs with bar facilities had written policies on responsible serving of alcohol, ranging from 58% of tennis clubs to 100% of diving and surfing clubs. In contrast, approximately one-third of sports clubs had a smoke-free policy, with 36% of tennis, 28% of country football and 28% of men's cricket clubs having policy. Moreover, 34% of clubs overall had established sun protection policy, whereas clubs competing outside during summer months, [diving (86%) and life-saving (81%)] were most likely to have a written sun protection policy. Injury prevention policies were established in 30% of sports clubs, and were most common among football (56%), diving (43%) and life-saving (41%). This study suggests that policy development for health promotion can be achieved in sports clubs when it is well supported by health agencies and consideration is given to the appropriateness of the specific behaviours to be encouraged for a given sport. Communication between associations and clubs needs to be monitored by health agencies to ensure support and resources for policy development to reach the club level.
Research suggests that the presence of a total ban on smoking in the home is associated with a re... more Research suggests that the presence of a total ban on smoking in the home is associated with a reduced likelihood of tobacco experimentation among adolescents. While the influence of parental smoking on this association is examined in this work, no study has examined the influence of friends' smoking behavior. In this study, we use data from a statewide survey of students (n = 4125) from the Australian State of Victoria to examine the association between home smoking bans and stage of smoking uptake after controlling for parental smoking and smoking among friends. Logistic regression revealed that students residing in homes with a total ban on smoking were least likely to be susceptible to smoking or to have experimented with smoking. While there was an interaction between parental smoking status and home bans on smoking uptake stage, indicating that the effect of home bans was strongest when neither parent smoked, there was no interaction between home bans and friends' smoking. The results suggest that home smoking bans reduce the likelihood of an adolescent trying tobacco regardless of their friends' smoking behavior. By adopting strong home smoking bans, parents can reduce some of the influence friends' smoking can have on the smoking behavior of their adolescent.
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