Informing health promotion in rural men's sheds by examination of participant health status, concerns, interests, knowledge and behaviours.

Issue addressed Despite the growth of Australian men's sheds, the body of evidence regarding the health status of members, their health concerns, interests, help- or health-seeking behaviour and their preferred format for receiving health information is limited. Methods The study involved a cross-sectional study design with data collected from 11 rural South Australian (SA) men's sheds. The survey collected information across 5 domains: demographics; health history, status, concerns and interests; health knowledge; help-seeking behaviours and health information format preferences.

Men's Sheds function and philosophy: towards a framework for future research and men's health promotion.

Issue Addressed: The Men's Shed movement supports a range of men's health promotion initiatives. This paper examines whether a Men's Shed typology could inform future research and enable more efficient and targeted health promotion activities through Men's Sheds.

Methods: The International Men's Shed Survey consisted of a cross-sectional exploration of sheds, their members, and health and social activities.

Who uses complementary and alternative therapies in regional South Australia? Evidence from the Whyalla Intergenerational Study of Health.

Objective: o assess the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and service use for people with a chronic disease in rural and regional Australia, where reported prevalence of CAM use is higher.

Methods: ata were from the Whyalla Intergenerational Study of Health, a population representative cross sectional study of 1146 people recruited in 2008-2009. Self-reported chronic disease diagnosis and health service use including CAM use were collected.

Abdominal adiposity and obstructive airway disease: testing insulin resistance and sleep disordered breathing mechanisms.

Background: This study examined associations of abdominal adiposity with lung function, asthma symptoms and current doctor-diagnosed asthma and mediation by insulin resistance (IR) and sleep disordered breathing (SDB).

Methods: A random sample of 2500 households was drawn from the community of Whyalla, South Australia (The Whyalla Intergenerational Study of Health, WISH February 2008 - July 2009). Seven-hundred twenty-two randomly selected adults (≥18 years) completed clinical protocols (32.

An oral health literacy intervention for Indigenous adults in a rural setting in Australia.

Background: Indigenous Australians suffer substantially poorer oral health than their non-Indigenous counterparts and new approaches are needed to address these disparities. Previous work in Port Augusta, South Australia, a regional town with a large Indigenous community, revealed associations between low oral health literacy scores and self-reported oral health outcomes. This study aims to determine if implementation of a functional, context-specific oral health literacy intervention improves oral health literacy-related outcomes measured by use of dental services, and assessment of oral health knowledge, oral health self-care and oral health- related self-efficacy.

Reducing disease burden and health inequalities arising from chronic disease among Indigenous children: an early childhood caries intervention.

Background: This study seeks to determine if implementing a culturally-appropriate early childhood caries (ECC) intervention reduces dental disease burden and oral health inequalities among Indigenous children living in South Australia, Australia.

Methods/design: This paper describes the study protocol for a randomised controlled trial conducted among Indigenous children living in South Australia with an anticipated sample of 400. The ECC intervention consists of four components: (1) provision of dental care; (2) fluoride varnish application to the teeth of children; (3) motivational interviewing and (4) anticipatory guidance.

Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Risk Assessment and Prophylaxis: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of the Facilitators and Barriers to Healthcare Worker Compliance with Clinical Practice Guidelines in the Acute Care Setting.

Background: Even though guidelines for venous thromboembolism risk assessment and prophylaxis are available, patients with identifiable risk factors admitted to acute hospitals are not receiving appropriate prophylaxis. The incidence of venous thromboembolism in hospitalized patients is higher than that of people living in the community who have similar demographics. Knowledge of barriers to healthcare professional compliance with clinical practice guidelines and facilitators to improve compliance will aid appropriate use of venous thromboembolism clinical practice guidelines.

Colorectal cancer screening in rural and remote areas: analysis of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program data for South Australia.

Introduction: In Australia, colorectal cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and cause of death from malignant diseases, and its incidence is rising. The aim of this article was to present an analysis of National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) data for rural and remote South Australia (SA), in order to identify geographical areas and population groups that may benefit from targeted approaches to increase participation rates in colorectal cancer screening.

Methods: De-identified data from the NBCSP (February 2007 to July 2008) were provided by Medicare Australia.

Clinical outcomes of a collaborative, home-based postdischarge warfarin management service.

Background: Warfarin remains a high-risk drug for adverse events, especially following discharge from the hospital. New approaches are needed to minimize the potential for adverse outcomes during this period.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of a collaborative, home-based postdischarge warfarin management service adapted from the Australian Home Medicines Review (HMR) program.

Equity of colorectal cancer screening: cross-sectional analysis of National Bowel Cancer Screening Program data for South Australia.

Objective: The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) is a population-based screening program based on a mailed screening invitation and immunochemical faecal occult blood test. Initial published evidence from the NBCSP concurs with international evidence on similar colorectal cancer screening programs about the unequal participation by different population sub-groups. The aim of the paper is to present an analysis of the equity of the NBCSP for South Australia, using the concept of horizontal equity, in order to identify geographical areas and population groups which may benefit from targeted approaches to increase participation rates in colorectal cancer screening.

How equitable are colorectal cancer screening programs which include FOBTs? A review of qualitative and quantitative studies.

Objective: To review published literature on the equity of participation in colorectal cancer screening amongst different population subgroups, in addition to identifying factors identified as barriers and facilitators to equitable screening. Studies were included in the review if they included FOBT as at least one of the screening tests.

Method: Relevant published articles were identified through systematic electronic searches of selected databases and the examination of the bibliographies of retrieved articles.

Health benefits of a 4-month group-based diet and lifestyle modification program for individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Background: Individualised highly prescriptive lifestyle programs for obesity management tend to be limited by resource constraints and difficulty with uptake.

Aim: To evaluate the health benefits of a minimally prescriptive group-based lifestyle intervention in participants with the metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: 153 obese adults with MetS were randomised to intervention (INT) or control (CON) for 16 weeks.

Individual preferences for diet and exercise programmes: changes over a lifestyle intervention and their link with outcomes.

Objective: To investigate the influence of a trial lifestyle intervention on participants' preferences for a range of exercise and diet programmes and whether these differ between successful and unsuccessful participants.

Design: Hypothetical scenarios that describe attributes of diet and exercise programmes were developed using an experimental design. Participants completed an online questionnaire at baseline, 16 weeks and 12 months where they chose their most preferred of three programmes in each of sixteen scenarios.

Prevalence and interrelationships between cardio-metabolic risk factors in abdominally obese individuals.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and identify relationships between clustering and severity of cardio-metabolic risk factors in abdominally obese adults.

Methods: Cardio-metabolic risk factors were assessed in a sample of 300 abdominally obese volunteers (233 females, 67 males, mean age 43.7 years) who were not being treated for diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidemia.

Self-management for obesity and cardio-metabolic fitness: description and evaluation of the lifestyle modification program of a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Sustainable lifestyle modification strategies are needed to address obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. Intensive, individualised programs have been successful, but are limited by time and resources. We have formulated a group-based lifestyle education program based upon national diet and physical activity (PA) recommendations to manage obesity and cardio-metabolic risk factors.

Self-management support and training for patients with chronic and complex conditions improves health-related behaviour and health outcomes.

The Sharing Health Care SA chronic disease self-management (CDSM) project in rural South Australia was designed to assist patients with chronic and complex conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis) to learn how to participate more effectively in the management of their condition and to improve their self-management skills. Participants with chronic and complex conditions were recruited into the Sharing Health Care SA program and offered a range of education and support options (including a 6-week peer-led chronic disease self-management program) as part of the Enhanced Primary Care care planning process. Patient self-reported data were collected at baseline and subsequent 6-month intervals using the Partners in Health (PIH) scale to assess self-management skill and ability for 175 patients across four data collection points.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a university health sciences experience program for regional Year 10 students.

Objective: The main aim of this pilot program was to raise secondary students' awareness of university studies and careers in the health sciences through a three-day program. Further aims of the program were to increase the participants' knowledge of health issues through group activities, and provide an opportunity to interact with university staff and health professionals.

Design: The participants were surveyed at the conclusion of the program using an online questionnaire (30 items) consisting of both open and closed questions.

Construction and evaluation of a web-based interactive prescribing curriculum for senior medical students.

Aims: To develop and evaluate for the National Prescribing Service (NPS) a web-based interactive prescribing curriculum for Australian senior medical students based on the World Health Organization's Guide to Good Prescribing.

Methods: Teachers of prescribing from all Australian medical schools in 2000 wrote 12 case-based modules which were converted to on-line format. Objective evidence was provided for selecting first-line medicines from available alternatives by comparing efficacy, safety, convenience and cost.

Developing high-specificity anti-hypertensive alerts by therapeutic state analysis of electronic prescribing records.

Objective: This paper presents a model for analysis of chronic disease prescribing action over time in terms of transitions in status of therapy as indicated in electronic prescribing records. The quality of alerts derived from these therapeutic state transitions is assessed in the context of antihypertensive prescribing.

Design: A set of alert criteria is developed based on analysis of state-transition in past antihypertensive prescribing of a rural Australian General Practice.

Integrated support for Aboriginal tertiary students in health-related courses: the Pika Wiya Learning Centre.

The barriers to Indigenous people entering tertiary education, succeeding, and gaining employment in the health professions are broad and systemic. While efforts have been made to address these barriers, the number of Indigenous health professionals remains extremely low across Australia. The Pika Wiya Learning Centre in South Australia provides a range of practical, social, cultural, and emotional supports for tertiary students to increase the number of Indigenous health professionals, especially registered nurses, in the region.

Planning and implementing the first stage of an oral health program for the Pika Wiya Health Service Incorporated Aboriginal community in Port Augusta, South Australia.

The oral health of the Indigenous community in South Australia's mid-north has been a concern for some years. There has been a history of under-utilisation of available dental services by the local community. This is in part due to the services not meeting their cultural and holistic health care needs.

Accuracy and clinical usefulness of the near-patient testing CoaguChek S international normalised ratio monitor in rural medical practice.

Objective: To compare the accuracy and clinical usefulness of the near-patient testing CoaguChek S INR monitor in rural medical practice. DESIGN, SETTING AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: General practices were identified through Australian university departments of rural health. Study investigators trained general practitioners and/or practice nurses in the use of the CoaguChek S INR monitor.

Is client-centred care planning for chronic disease sustainable? Experience from rural South Australia.

This qualitative evaluation of a chronic disease self-management project in rural South Australia considers the sustainability of client-centred care planning under current organisational and funding arrangements. The study involved consultation with a range of five stakeholder types over two stages (40 in the beginning stage and 39 in the middle stage) about their satisfaction with the care planning and self-management approach used in the project. All stakeholder types valued the client-centred approach because they perceived that clients were better able to accept and deal with the long-term management of their condition.

Enhanced primary care. A rural perspective.

Background: The Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) program is designed to promote better management of and improved health outcomes for people with chronic illness. Specific Medicare item numbers provide government funding to encourage general practitioners to take up health assessments, care plans and case conferences.

Aim: We investigated elements of the EPC program from a rural general practice perspective.