Advance personal planning knowledge, attitudes, and participation amongst community-dwelling older people living in regional New South Wales, Australia: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: Advance personal planning (APP) involves planning for future periods of incapacity, including making legal decisions and documents. APP ensures that a person's values and preferences are known and respected. This study aimed to examine knowledge of APP, attitudes and confidence towards APP, and participation in APP activities among older people residing in regional and rural areas.

Job satisfaction and regulation in the aged care sector: staff perspectives.

Background: The quality of care provided in residential aged care facilities is largely dependent on the job satisfaction of employees and the organisational framework and systems that they provide care in. This study aimed to explore aged care staff perceptions of job satisfaction, regulation of the sector and the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2019-early 2020 with staff employed in various roles at residential aged care services in Australia.

Experiences and preferences for advance care planning following a diagnosis of dementia: Findings from a cross-sectional survey of carers.

Background: Future medical and financial planning is important for persons with dementia given the impact of the disease on capacity for decision making.

Aims: To explore from the perspective of carers of persons with dementia: (1) Participation in future medical and financial planning by the person they care for, including when planning was undertaken and the characteristics associated with having an advance care directive completed; (2) The type of healthcare providers who discussed advance care planning following diagnosis; and (3) Preferences for timing of discussions about advance care planning following diagnosis.

Methods: Recruitment and data collection took place between July 2018 and June 2020.

A mixed methods evaluation of Quit for new life, a smoking cessation initiative for women having an Aboriginal baby.

Background: Quit for new life (QFNL) is a smoking cessation initiative developed to support mothers of Aboriginal babies to quit smoking during pregnancy. The state-wide initiative provides support for pregnant women and their households including free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and follow up cessation advice. Services are also supported to implement systems-level changes and integrate QFNL into routine care.

Perceptions of people living with dementia regarding patient-centred aspects of their care and caregiver support.

Objective: This study examined the perceptions of a sample of Australian people living with dementia regarding the person-centred care and support they received from health professionals and family.

Methods: Community-dwelling people living with dementia were invited to complete a cross-sectional survey.

Results: Seventy-one people participated in the study.

Discussions About Lifestyle Risk Factors Following a Cancer Diagnosis: Findings from a Sample of Australian Cancer Outpatients.

Individuals with a previous cancer diagnosis are at risk of cancer recurrence. However, many cancer survivors do not adhere to lifestyle recommendations to reduce cancer risk. Little is known about the extent to which cancer patients are asked about lifestyle risk factors by healthcare providers following diagnosis.

Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of Targeted, Personalized Risk Information to Increase Appropriate Screening by First-Degree Relatives of People With Colorectal Cancer.

. Economic evaluations are less commonly applied to implementation interventions compared to clinical interventions. The efficacy of an implementation strategy to improve adherence to screening guidelines among first-degree relatives of people with colorectal cancer was recently evaluated in a randomized-controlled trial.

Receipt of information about diet by pregnant women: A cross-sectional study.

Problem: Given the influence of diet on infant and maternal health outcomes, adequate knowledge about nutrition during pregnancy is critical.

Aims: To examine among women receiving antenatal care the proportion who: (1) believe information about diet should be provided as part of routine antenatal care; (2) recall receiving advice about diet as part of care including: (a) when information was provided, (b) the healthcare provider who gave information, and (c) the format in which it was provided; and (3) attitudes towards information received.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with women attending a public antenatal clinic in New South Wales, Australia.

Screening for recommended antenatal risk factors: How long does it take?

Background: Detection and management of antenatal risk factors is critical for quality care.

Aims: To determine (1) women's views about when they should be asked about antenatal health factors as recommended in the Australian antenatal guidelines; and (2) the time required to provide recommended care using a clinical scenario.

Methods: In Phase 1, pregnant women attending an outpatient obstetrics clinic at a public hospital were surveyed about preferred screening for antenatal risk factors during visit(s).

Experiences of colorectal cancer patients in the 2-years post-diagnosis and patient factors predicting poor outcome.

Purpose: There are few recent longitudinal studies investigating the quality of life of colorectal cancer patients in the early years following diagnosis. This study aimed to (i) compare the health status of people with colorectal cancer less than 1 year from diagnosis with health status 1 year later and (ii) determine the characteristics associated with a change in overall health status.

Methods: The study was conducted as part of a larger trial.

Can a print-based intervention increase screening for first degree relatives of people with colorectal cancer? A randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To test the effectiveness of a targeted print-based intervention to improve screening adherence in first degree relatives of people with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: People with CRC and their adult first degree relatives were identified through a population-based cancer registry and randomly allocated as a family unit to the intervention or control condition. The control group received general information about CRC screening.

Diet during pregnancy: Women's knowledge of and adherence to food safety guidelines.

Background: As a precaution against acquiring food-borne illnesses, guidelines recommend women avoid some foods during pregnancy.

Aims: To examine among women receiving antenatal care: (i) level of knowledge and self-reported adherence to guidelines about foods that should be avoided during pregnancy; and (ii) associated socio-demographic characteristics.

Methods: Women attending a public outpatient clinic who were: pregnant or had recently given birth; 18 years or older; able to complete an English language survey with minimal assistance; and had at least one prior antenatal appointment for their current pregnancy, were asked to complete a cross-sectional survey.

Women's perceptions of antenatal care: are we following guideline recommended care?

Background: Detection and management of antenatal risk factors is critical for improved maternal and infant outcomes. This study describes the proportion of pregnant women who self-reported being screened for and offered advice to manage antenatal risk factors in line with antenatal care recommendations; and the characteristics associated with rates of screening.

Methods: A survey was undertaken with 223 (64 % of eligible) pregnant women recruited from an outpatient obstetrics clinic at a public hospital.

Assessment of family history of colorectal cancer in primary care: perceptions of first degree relatives of people with colorectal cancer.

Objective: First degree relatives (FDRs) of someone with colorectal cancer (CRC) are at increased risk of the disease. In this study we examine the factors associated with discussing family history of CRC with a health professional.

Methods: People with CRC, recruited through the population-based Victorian Cancer Registry in Australia, were asked to refer FDRs to the study.

Access to care and impacts of cancer on daily life: do they differ for metropolitan versus regional hematological cancer survivors?

Purpose: Little is known about access to care for hematological cancer patients. This study explored patient experiences of barriers to accessing care and associated financial and social impacts of the disease. Metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan experiences were compared.

Estimating effective population size from linkage disequilibrium between unlinked loci: theory and application to fruit fly outbreak populations.

There is a substantial literature on the use of linkage disequilibrium (LD) to estimate effective population size using unlinked loci. The Ne estimates are extremely sensitive to the sampling process, and there is currently no theory to cope with the possible biases. We derive formulae for the analysis of idealised populations mating at random with multi-allelic (microsatellite) loci.