Does government subsidy for costs of medical and pharmaceutical services result in higher service utilization by older widowed women in Australia?

Background: In Australia, Medicare, the national health insurance system which includes the Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), provides partial coverage for most medical services and pharmaceuticals. For war widows, the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) covers almost the entire cost of their health care. The objective of this study was to test whether war widows have higher usage of medical services and pharmaceuticals.

Self-reported tinnitus and ototoxic exposures among deployed Australian Defence Force personnel.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of chemical and environmental exposures during deployment on tinnitus among Australian Defence Force personnel previously deployed to Bougainville and East Timor. Participants were asked to self-report recent occurrence and severity of "ringing in the ears," and identify any chemical and environmental exposures during their deployment. Self-reported exposure to loud noises, heavy metals, intense smoke, engine exhaust, solvents and degreasing agents, and chemical spills increased the risk of self-assessed moderate or severe tinnitus.

Smoking prevalence, its determinants and short-term health implications in the Australian Defence Force.

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of smoking, identify the effects of deployment on smoking behavior and risk factors for smoking, and determine the short-term health outcomes associated with smoking in Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel. Participants were randomly sampled from ADF members who deployed to the Solomon Islands between 2003 and 2005 and from a nondeployed comparison group. In total, 435 of 995 (44%) eligible individuals completed the study questionnaires.

Metabolic syndrome and serum carotenoids: findings of a cross-sectional study in Queensland, Australia.

Several components of the metabolic syndrome, particularly diabetes and CVD, are known to be oxidative stress-related conditions and there is research to suggest that antioxidant nutrients may play a protective role in these conditions. Carotenoids are compounds derived primarily from plants and several have been shown to be potent antioxidant nutrients. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between metabolic syndrome status and major serum carotenoids in adult Australians.

The Deployment Health Surveillance Program: vision and challenges of health surveillance for Australian military cohorts.

The Australian Government has supported the establishment of a Deployment Health Surveillance Program for the Australian Defence Force. Although some health screening mechanisms already exist for Australian Defence Force personnel, until now health data have been used largely for clinical management at an individual level and have not been aggregated to identify trends in health and risk factors in the shorter or longer term. We identify challenges for and potential benefits of health surveillance in the military context, describe features of the Program and progress to date.

Iron status among Australian adults: findings of a population based study in Queensland, Australia.

Objectives: To describe the concentrations of serum ferritin among Australian adults by age and sex. Further, the relationships of various social, lifestyle and health factors with serum ferritin concentrations were explored.

Design: A total of 1634 adults aged View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome--a review of epidemiologic evidence.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and appears to be widely prevalent in both developed and developing countries. While lifestyle modification is recommended for management of the syndrome, the dietary pattern most beneficial for patients is yet to be ascertained. Original research papers from the Medline database were examined for dietary patterns that may be associated with the syndrome.

Diabetes mellitus and serum carotenoids: findings of a population-based study in Queensland, Australia.

Background: Epidemiologic evidence suggests that serum carotenoids are potent antioxidants and may play a protective role in the development of chronic diseases including cancers, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory diseases. The role of these antioxidants in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus remains unclear.

Objective: This study examined data from a cross-sectional survey to investigate the association between serum carotenoids and type 2 diabetes.

Evaluation of brief dietary questions to estimate vegetable and fruit consumption - using serum carotenoids and red-cell folate.

Objective: To evaluate responses to self-administered brief questions regarding consumption of vegetables and fruit by comparison with blood levels of serum carotenoids and red-cell folate.

Design: A cross-sectional study in which participants reported their usual intake of fruit and vegetables in servings per day, and serum levels of five carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin and lycopene) and red-cell folate were measured. Serum carotenoid levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and red-cell folate by an automated immunoassay system.