Feasibility of population screening tests to establish a healthy ageing trajectory.

Objectives: There are no agreed comprehensive tests for age-related changes to physical, emotional, mental and social functioning. Research into declining function focuses on those 75 years and older and little is known about age-related changes in younger people. The aims of this project were (1) to ascertain a comprehensive test battery that could underpin community-based health screening programmes for people aged 40-75 years and pilot both (2) community-based recruitment and (3) the utility, acceptability, response burden and logistics.

Changes in Physical Activity Behaviour and Health Risk Factors Following a Randomised Controlled Pilot Workplace Exercise Intervention.

Background: Declining physical activity (PA) and associated health risk factors are well established. Workplace strategies to increase PA may be beneficial to ameliorate extensive sedentary behavior. This study assessed the effectiveness of two PA interventions in workplace settings.

Adherence, Compliance, and Health Risk Factor Changes following Short-Term Physical Activity Interventions.

Background: Low physical activity (PA) levels are associated with poor health risk factor profiles. Intervention strategies to increase PA and quantify the rate and magnitude of change in risk factors are important.

Methods: Interventions were conducted over 40 days to increase PA in 736 insufficiently active (<150 min/wk PA) participants using either a pedometer or instructor-led group protocol.

A comparison of two short-term intensive physical activity interventions: methodological considerations.

Background: Increases in chronic illness due to sedentary lifestyles and poor metabolic fitness have led to numerous intervention strategies to promote physical activity (PA). This paper describes the methodological strategies of two short-term PA interventions. Outcome measures reported are PA adherence and compliance rates during the intervention and at 3, 6 and 12-month follow-up.

Automated external defibrillators in the Australian fitness industry.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs in many thousands of Australians each year. Scientific evidence shows an increased survival rate for individuals who receive electrical defibrillation in the first few minutes after SCA. In the last decade automated (rhythm-detecting) external defibrillators (AEDs) have become available that are portable and affordable.