A content analysis of the aims, strategies, and effects of food and nonalcoholic drink advertising based on advertising industry case studies.

Background: Placing limitations on advertising of food and nonalcoholic drinks to children is an effective strategy in addressing childhood obesity. The industry maintains that further restrictions are unnecessary.

Aims: To ascertain whether the advertising campaigns were successful according to the industry evaluations and more specifically the effects of marketing on children.

Treatment fidelity in the Camden Weight Loss (CAMWEL) intervention assessed from recordings of advisor-participant consultations.

Background: Variations in the delivery of content and process can alter the effectiveness of complex interventions. This study examined the fidelity of a weight loss intervention (Camden Weight Loss) from recorded consultations by assessing advisors' delivery of content, use of motivational interviewing approach and therapeutic alliance.

Methods: A process evaluation was conducted of advisor-participant consultations in a 12-month randomised controlled trial of an intervention for adult volunteers with a body mass index categorised as overweight or obese.

Investigating the importance of the local food environment for fruit and vegetable intake in older men and women in 20 UK towns: a cross-sectional analysis of two national cohorts using novel methods.

Background: Local neighbourhood environments can influence dietary behavior. There is limited evidence focused on older people who are likely to have greater dependence on local areas and may suffer functional limitations that amplify any neighbourhood impact.

Methods: Using multi-level ordinal regression analysis we investigated the association between multiple dimensions of neighbourhood food environments (captured by fine-detail, foot-based environmental audits and secondary data) and self-reported frequency of fruit and vegetable intake.

Optimising measurement of health-related characteristics of the built environment: Comparing data collected by foot-based street audits, virtual street audits and routine secondary data sources.

The role of the neighbourhood environment in influencing health behaviours continues to be an important topic in public health research and policy. Foot-based street audits, virtual street audits and secondary data sources are widespread data collection methods used to objectively measure the built environment in environment-health association studies. We compared these three methods using data collected in a nationally representative epidemiological study in 17 British towns to inform future development of research tools.

A Qualitative Study of Participant Engagement With a Weight Loss Intervention.

Background: Overweight and obesity are major public health problems and an increasing global challenge. In lieu of wider policy changes to tackle the obesogenic environment in which we presently reside, improving the design of individual-level weight loss interventions is important.

Aim: To identify which aspects of the Camden Weight Loss randomized controlled trial weight loss intervention participants engaged with, with the aim of improving the design of future studies and maximizing retention.

A qualitative geographical information systems approach to explore how older people over 70 years interact with and define their neighbourhood environment.

A growing body of literature explores the relationship between the built environment and health, and the methodological challenges of understanding these complex interactions across the lifecourse. The impact of the neighbourhood environment on health and behaviour amongst older adults has received less attention, despite this age group being potentially more vulnerable to barriers in their surrounding social and physical environment. A qualitative geographical information systems (QGIS) approach was taken to facilitate the understanding of how older people over 70 in 5 UK towns interact with their local neighbourhood.

Patient preferences and performance bias in a weight loss trial with a usual care arm.

Objectives: This qualitative study examines performance bias, i.e. unintended differences between groups, in the context of a weight loss trial in which a novel patient counseling program was compared to usual care in general practice.

A pragmatic randomised controlled trial in primary care of the Camden Weight Loss (CAMWEL) programme.

Objectives: To evaluate effectiveness of a structured one-to-one behaviour change programme on weight loss in obese and overweight individuals.

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 23 general practices in Camden, London.

Economic evaluations of adult weight management interventions: a systematic literature review focusing on methods used for determining health impacts.

Background: One of the challenges when undertaking economic evaluations of weight management interventions is to adequately assess future health impacts. Clinical trials commonly measure impacts using surrogate outcomes, such as reductions in body mass index, and investigators need to decide how these can best be used to predict future health effects. Since obesity is associated with an increased risk of numerous chronic diseases occurring at different future time points, modelling is needed for predictions.

The views of genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic users on unlinked anonymous testing for HIV: evidence from a pilot study of clinics in two English cities.

A study was undertaken of the views of users of two genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England on unlinked anonymous testing (UAT) for HIV. The UAT programme measures the prevalence of HIV in the population, including undiagnosed prevalence, by testing residual blood (from samples taken for clinical purposes) which is anonymised and irreversibly unlinked from the source. 424 clinic users completed an anonymous questionnaire about their knowledge of, and attitudes towards, UAT.

'Talking of Sex': developing and piloting a sexual health communication tool for use in primary care.

Objective: To develop and pilot a communication aid aimed at increasing the frequency with which sexual health issues are raised proactively with young people in primary care.

Methods: Group interviews among primary health care professionals to guide development of the tool, simulated consultations to pre-test it, and a pilot study to assess effectiveness.

Results: We developed an electronic consultation aid: Talking of Sex and piloted it in eight general practices across the UK.

Weight-management interventions in primary care: a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Background: There is a paucity of randomised controlled trials of weight management in primary care.

Aim: To ascertain the feasibility of a full trial of a nurse-led weight-management programme in general practice.

Design Of Study: Factorial randomised control trial.

Recent heterosexual partnerships and patterns of condom use: a weighted analysis.

Background: In epidemiologic studies of sexual partnerships, characteristics are often collected in part through detailed questions concerning recent partnerships. These data present challenges for analysis. First, although research interest generally lies in all partnerships in a certain time period, participants may be asked to provide detailed information only concerning their most recent, up to a fixed number.

Self-reported never-drinkers in England 1994-2003: characteristics and trends in adults aged 18-54 years.

Aims: This paper describes prevalences, time-trends and characteristics of self-reported never-drinkers, during the period 1994-2003, focussing particularly on white adults aged 18-54.

Methods: Data on 122,809 adults (18 + ) were obtained from the Health Survey for England (HSfE). Logistic regressions were used to estimate time trends in self-reported never-drinking, and associations between never-drinking and living alone, and educational qualification.

Ethnic variations in sexual activity and contraceptive use: national cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: Our objective was to compare data on contraceptive use in relation to reported sexual activity in women from different minority ethnic groups.

Design: We analyzed the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles 2000.

Subjects: Women aged 16-44 years, numbering 6932 and residing in Britain, participated in this study.

Learning about sex: results from Natsal 2000.

To date, the focus of sex education research has tended to be on the effect of education on behavioral outcomes. There is little data on the felt needs of young people, how well they are met, and how provision might be improved. Here we report on main source of information about sexual matters, adequacy of knowledge, further needs, and preferred source of additional information, using data from a probability sample survey of people aged 16 to 44 years in Britain (Natsal 2000).

Epidemiological correlates of asymptomatic gonorrhea.

Objectives: To assess correlates of asymptomatic gonorrhea among patients attending Genitourinary Medicine Clinics participating in the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme (GRASP) in England for 2001-2003.

Study Design: GRASP is a sentinel surveillance program that monitors antimicrobial resistance to Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Data collection occurs annually in June to August each year.

Changes in the circumstances of young mothers in Britain: 1990 to 2000.

Objectives: To assess changes between 1990 and 2000 in the circumstances of women who became mothers before the age of 18.

Design: Two cross sectional probability sample surveys of the general population carried out in 1989-1991 (Natsal 1990) and 1999-2001 (Natsal 2000).

Setting: British households.

Ethnic variations in sexual behaviour in Great Britain and risk of sexually transmitted infections: a probability survey.

Background: Ethnic variations in the rate of diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been reported in many developed countries. We used data from the second British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal 2000) to investigate the frequency of high-risk sexual behaviours and adverse sexual health outcomes in five ethnic groups in Great Britain.

Methods: We did a stratified probability sample survey of 11161 men and women aged 16-44 years, resident in Great Britain, using computer-assisted interviews.