Development of a model of help-seeking for dementia diagnosis by the person experiencing changes and family supporters.

Objectives: This paper aimed to develop a model to describe help-seeking for dementia diagnosis. The practical model is intended to guide public health interventions to increase help-seeking.

Method: The model was developed by our multidisciplinary team based on qualitative semi-structured interviews in English ( = 33) and Chinese ( = 8) with older people, people with dementia and carers.

Forward with Dementia: process evaluation of an Australian campaign to improve post-diagnostic support.

Background: Forward with Dementia is a co-designed campaign to improve communication of dementia diagnosis and post-diagnostic support.

Methods: Webinars, a website, social and traditional media, and promotions through project partners were used to disseminate campaign messages to health and social care professionals (primary audience) and people with dementia and carers (secondary audience). The campaign ran between October 2021 and June 2022, with 3-months follow-up.

Exploring the usability, user experience and usefulness of a supportive website for people with dementia and carers.

Purpose: This study explores the usability, usefulness and user experience of the Forward with Dementia website for people with dementia and family carers, and identifies strategies to improve web design for this population.

Methods: The website was iteratively user-tested by 12 participants (five people with dementia, seven carers) using the Zoom platform. Data collection involved observations, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires.

Rethinking respite in Australia: A naturalistic effect study of a multicomponent community program to promote respite knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of carers of people with dementia.

'Rethink Respite' was a prospective, naturalistic cohort study conducted in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven (NSW, Australia) to improve knowledge, attitudes and uptake of respite strategies in carers of people with dementia. A convenience sample of n = 70 carers were recruited in 2014-15 to establish a baseline for knowledge, attitudes and use of respite for a cohort of carers in the region. Carer perceived need for respite, burden and self-efficacy were also assessed.

Disease awareness advertising - women's intentions following exposure.

Background: In Australia, where direct to consumer advertising of prescription medicines is prohibited, pharmaceutical companies can sponsor disease awareness advertising targeting consumers. This study examined the impact of disease awareness advertising exposure on older women's reported behavioural intentions.

Method: Women were approached in a shopping centre and randomly assigned mock advertisements for two health conditions.

Content analysis of disease awareness advertisements in popular Australian women's magazines.

Objective: To examine the nature of disease awareness advertising (DAA).

Design: Therapeutic advertisements in six popular Australian women's magazines were monitored between April 2006 and March 2007. A subset of advertisements was included in the study based on criteria derived from a definition of DAA.

Australian consumer responses to DTCA and other pharmaceutical company sponsored advertisements.

Objective: This study aimed to elicit and compare the responses of Australian consumers towards New Zealand (NZ) direct-to-consumer-advertisements (DTCA) for prescription medicines and matched pharmaceutical company-sponsored advertisements from Australia.

Methods: A survey questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of residents in a metropolitan area in NSW. Potential participants were randomised to receive one of four different advertisements: two for weight loss and two for Alzheimer's disease.

High levels of confusion for cholesterol awareness campaigns.

Earlier this year, two industry-sponsored advertising campaigns for cholesterol awareness that target the general public were launched in Australia. These campaigns aimed to alert the public to the risks associated with having high cholesterol and encouraged cholesterol testing for wider groups than those specified by the National Heart Foundation. General practitioners should be aware of the potential for the two campaigns to confuse the general public as to who should be tested, and where.

How effective is the revised regulatory code for alcohol advertising in Australia?

Introduction And Aims: Australia, like several other countries, has a self-regulatory approach to advertising. However, in recent years the effectiveness of the regulatory system has been questioned, and there have been increasing public calls for an overhaul of the system. Following a formal review in 2003, the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy proposed a revised Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC), which came into operation in 2004.

Newspaper coverage of drug policy: an analysis of pre-election reporting of the Greens' drug policy in Australia.

Introduction And Aims: With the headline 'Ecstasy Over The Counter' in a popular daily newspaper, the debate on drug policy officially entered the arena of the 2003 New South Wales (Australia) State Election. The debate resurfaced in the lead-up to the 2004 Australian Federal Election. This paper analyses the pre-election coverage of drug policy issues in four Australian newspapers.