Regional variation in cardiovascular mortality in Australia 2009-2012: the impact of remoteness and socioeconomic status.

Objective: To assess the extent to which socioeconomic status (SES) contributes to geographic disparity in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Methods: An ecological study assessed the association between remoteness and CVD mortality rates, and the mediating effect of SES on this relationship, using Australia-wide data from 2009 to 2012.

Results: Socioeconomic status explained approximately one-quarter of the increased CVD mortality rates for females in inner and outer regional areas, and more than half of the increased CVD mortality rates in inner regional and remote/very remote areas for males, compared to major cities.

Quantifying the role of modifiable risk factors in the differences in cardiovascular disease mortality rates between metropolitan and rural populations in Australia: a macrosimulation modelling study.

Objectives: The study aimed (1) to quantify differences in modifiable risk factors between urban and rural populations, and (2) to determine the number of rural cardiovascular disease (CVD) and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) deaths that could be averted or delayed if risk factor levels in rural areas were equivalent to metropolitan areas.

Setting: National population estimates, risk factor prevalence, CVD and IHD deaths data were analysed by rurality using a macrosimulation Preventable Risk Integrated Model for chronic disease risk. Uncertainty analysis was conducted using a Monte Carlo simulation of 10 000 iterations to calculate 95% credible intervals (CIs).

Comparison between measured and perceived weight status in a nationally representative sample of Australian adults.

Background: Many individuals may not accurately perceive whether their weight status poses a health risk. This paper aimed to determine how accurately Australians perceived their weight status compared to objective measurements, and to determine what factors were associated with underestimating weight status.

Methods: Participants were 7947 non-pregnant adults from the 2011 to 2012 Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, with complete data for self-reported and measured weight status.

A systematic review of published interventions for primary and secondary prevention of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in rural populations of Australia.

Background: Rural Australians are known to experience a higher burden of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) than their metropolitan counterparts and the reasons for this appear to be highly complex and not well understood. It is not clear what interventions and prevention efforts have occurred specifically in rural Australia in terms of IHD. A summary of this evidence could have implications for future action and research in improving the health of rural communities.

Characterising the extent of misreporting of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes using the Australian Health Survey.

Background: Measuring and monitoring the true prevalence of risk factors for chronic conditions is essential for evidence-based policy and health service planning. Understanding the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Australia relies heavily on self-report measures from surveys, such as the triennial National Health Survey. However, international evidence suggests that self-reported data may substantially underestimate actual risk factor prevalence.

Measuring underreporting and under-ascertainment in infectious disease datasets: a comparison of methods.

Background: Efficient and reliable surveillance and notification systems are vital for monitoring public health and disease outbreaks. However, most surveillance and notification systems are affected by a degree of underestimation (UE) and therefore uncertainty surrounds the 'true' incidence of disease affecting morbidity and mortality rates. Surveillance systems fail to capture cases at two distinct levels of the surveillance pyramid: from the community since not all cases seek healthcare (under-ascertainment), and at the healthcare-level, representing a failure to adequately report symptomatic cases that have sought medical advice (underreporting).

A novel integration effort to reduce the risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancy among women attending urban STD clinics.

Alcohol-exposed pregnancy (AEP) is a significant public health problem in the United States. Sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics serve female clients with a high prevalence of heavy alcohol consumption coupled with ineffective contraceptive use. Project CHOICES (Changing High-Risk AlcOhol Use and Increasing Contraception Effectiveness) is an evidence-based, brief intervention to lower risk of AEP by targeting alcohol and contraceptive behaviors through motivational interviewing and individualized feedback.