Differences in the health, mental health and health-promoting behaviours of rural versus urban cancer survivors in Australia.

Purpose: People affected by cancer who live in rural Australia experience inferior survival compared to their urban counterparts. This study determines whether self-reported physical and mental health, as well as health-promoting behaviours, also differ between rural and urban Australian adults with a history of cancer.

Methods: Weighted, representative population data were collected via the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System between 1 January 2010 and 1 June 2015.

Cardiotoxicity and cardiovascular disease risk assessment for patients receiving breast cancer treatment.

Background: Cardiotoxicity from anticancer therapy affects heart function and structure. Cardiotoxicity can also lead to accelerated development of chronic diseases, especially in the presence of risk factors.

Methods: This study aimed to develop and pilot a combined cardiovascular disease and cardiotoxicity risk assessment questionnaire to quantify the potential extent of risk factors in breast cancer patients prior to treatment.

Heart failure following blood cancer therapy in pediatric and adult populations.

Aim: The link between chemotherapy treatment and cardiotoxicity is well established, particularly for adults with blood cancers. However, it is less clear for children. This analysis aimed to compare the trajectory and mortality of children and adults who received chemotherapy for blood cancers and were subsequently hospitalized for heart failure.

Neighbourhood Environmental Attributes Associated with Walking in South Australian Adults: Differences between Urban and Rural Areas.

Although the health benefits of walking are well established, participation is lower in rural areas compared to urban areas. Most studies on walkability and walking have been conducted in urban areas, thus little is known about the relevance of walkability to rural areas. A computer-assisted telephone survey of 2402 adults (aged ≥18 years) was conducted to determine walking behaviour and perceptions of neighbourhood walkability.

Public attitudes to government intervention to regulate food advertising, especially to children.

The World Health Organization has called on governments to implement recommendations on the marketing of foods and beverages to children. This study describes high public support for government intervention in marketing of unhealthy food to children and suggests more effort is needed to harness public opinion to influence policy development.

Characteristics of patients with haematological and breast cancer (1996-2009) who died of heart failure-related causes after cancer therapy.

Aims: To describe the characteristics and time to death of patients with breast or haematological cancer who died of heart failure (HF) after cancer therapy. Patients with an index admission for HF who died of HF-related causes (IAHF) and those with no index admission for HF who died of HF-related causes (NIAHF) were compared.

Methods And Results: We performed a linked data analysis of cancer registry, death registry, and hospital administration records ( = 15 987).

Self-Reported Physical Activity Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in Australian Adults with Type 2 Diabetes, with and Without Peripheral Neuropathy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to survey the level of self-reported physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes, with and without peripheral neuropathy.

Methods: A sample of South Australian adults (n=481) 33 to 88 years of age who had type 2 diabetes, including 55 people with peripheral neuropathy, completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Levels of self-reported physical activity were compared between those with and without peripheral neuropathy.

There is No Association Between the Omega-3 Index and Depressive Symptoms in Patients With Heart Disease Who Are Low Fish Consumers.

Background: Long chain Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3PUFAs) may improve cardiovascular health and depression. This study investigated the relationships between erythrocyte membrane LCn3PUFA status, depression and angina symptoms in patients with heart disease.

Methods: We recruited 91 patients (65 males and 26 females, mean age 59.

Walking for recreation and transport by geographic remoteness in South Australian adults.

Objective: To determine differences in walking for recreation and transport between Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) categories, in South Australian adults.

Design: Cross-sectional self-reported data from adult telephone survey respondents between April and May in 2012 and 2013.

Setting: Population of South Australia.

Cardiac Rehabilitation: Unraveling the Complexity of Referral and Current Models of Delivery.

Background: Evidence-based guidelines recommend strategies for reducing risk factors for secondary prevention of acute coronary syndromes, yet referral to and completion of programs to deliver this advice are poor.

Purpose: In this article we describe the complexity of factors that influence referral and delivery of evidence-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs through an Australian context and provide direction for solutions for clinicians and policy makers to consider. The Ecological Approach is used as a framework to synthesize evidence.

Associations of awareness of physical activity recommendations for health and self-reported physical activity behaviours among adult South Australians.

Objectives: Despite widespread media campaigns to encourage physical activity (PA), participation is poor among Australian adults. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of and relationships between awareness of PA recommendations and PA participation.

Design: Cross-sectional study of n=2402 South Australian adults (aged≥18 years) via a computer-assisted telephone interview.

Facilitating or getting in the way? The effect of clinicians' knowledge, values and beliefs on referral and participation.

Background: Despite the compelling evidence of the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on risk factor modification, quality of life and mortality reduction, a significant proportion of eligible patients are not referred or do not participate. Factors influencing CR referral and participation are complex and are likely patient, referral system and clinician-related. Little is known about clinician-related factors, which include attitudes, values and beliefs towards CR, or how these factors affect patient referral and attendance.

Development and feasibility testing of an education program to improve knowledge and self-care among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients with heart failure.

Introduction: There is a 70% higher age-adjusted incidence of heart failure (HF) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, three times more hospitalisations and twice as many deaths as among non-Aboriginal people. There is a need to develop holistic yet individualised approaches in accord with the values of Aboriginal community health care to support patient education and self-care.The aim of this study was to re-design an existing HF educational resource (Fluid Watchers-Pacific Rim) to be culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, working in collaboration with the local community, and to conduct feasibility testing.

Past and projected trends of body mass index and weight status in South Australia: 2003 to 2019.

Objective: Functional data analysis (FDA) is a forecasting approach that, to date, has not been applied to obesity, and that may provide more accurate forecasting analysis to manage uncertainty in public health. This paper uses FDA to provide projections of Body Mass Index (BMI), overweight and obesity in an Australian population through to 2019.

Methods: Data from the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System (January 2003 to December 2012, n=51,618 adults) were collected via telephone interview survey.

Differences in chronic conditions and lifestyle behaviour between people with a history of cancer and matched controls.

Objective: To determine whether people with a history of cancer have a higher prevalence of chronic conditions or different lifestyle behaviour compared with controls.

Design, Setting And Participants: Cross-sectional, self-reported data from a telephone survey conducted between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2012 of adult residents of South Australia who self-reported a previous cancer diagnosis (cases) and randomly selected age- and sex-matched residents with no cancer diagnosis (controls).

Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported medically diagnosed cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes and osteoporosis; lifestyle behaviour (smoking, physical activity and diet); body mass index (BMI); psychological distress and self-reported health.

Measuring physical inactivity: do current measures provide an accurate view of "sedentary" video game time?

Background: Measures of screen time are often used to assess sedentary behaviour. Participation in activity-based video games (exergames) can contribute to estimates of screen time, as current practices of measuring it do not consider the growing evidence that playing exergames can provide light to moderate levels of physical activity. This study aimed to determine what proportion of time spent playing video games was actually spent playing exergames.

Dairy foods and dairy protein consumption is inversely related to markers of adiposity in obese men and women.

A number of intervention studies have reported that the prevalence of obesity may be in part inversely related to dairy food consumption while others report no association. We sought to examine relationships between energy, protein and calcium consumption from dairy foods (milk, yoghurt, cheese, dairy spreads, ice-cream) and adiposity including body mass index (BMI), waist (WC) and hip circumference (HC), and direct measures of body composition using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (% body fat and abdominal fat) in an opportunistic sample of 720 overweight/obese Australian men and women. Mean (SD) age, weight and BMI of the population were 51 ± 10 year, 94 ± 18 kg and 32.

Chronic resveratrol consumption improves brachial flow-mediated dilatation in healthy obese adults.

Background: We have previously demonstrated acute dose-dependent increases of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery after resveratrol consumption in mildly hypertensive, overweight/obese adults. Resveratrol supplementation has also been shown to increase cerebral blood flow acutely, without affecting cognition.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of chronic resveratrol supplementation on both FMD and cognitive performance.

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound to assess cerebrovascular reactivity: reliability, reproducibility and effect of posture.

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) allows measurement of blood flow velocities in the intracranial vessels, and can be used to assess cerebral vasodilator responses to a hypercapnic stimulus. The reliability of this technique has not been established, nor is there agreement about whether the technique should be performed in sitting or lying postures. We tested the intra- and inter-rater reliability of measures of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in 10 healthy adults, in sitting and lying postures.

Chronic consumption of a wild green oat extract (Neuravena) improves brachial flow-mediated dilatation and cerebrovascular responsiveness in older adults.

Background: Heart health benefits have been attributed to regular consumption of oats. Preclinical evidence suggests that a wild green oat extract (WGOE) may improve vasodilator function, but this is yet to be evaluated in humans.

Objective: To determine whether regular daily consumption of WGOE can influence vasodilator function in systemic and cerebral arteries.

Chronic effects of a wild green oat extract supplementation on cognitive performance in older adults: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

Background And Aim: Preliminary evaluation of a wild green oat extract (WGOE) (Neuravena(®) ELFA(®)955, Frutarom, Switzerland) revealed an acute cognitive benefit of supplementation. This study investigated whether regular daily WGOE supplementation would result in sustained cognitive improvements.

Method: A 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial of WGOE supplementation (1500 mg/day) versus placebo was undertaken in 37 healthy adults aged 67 ± 0.

Acute effects of an Avena sativa herb extract on responses to the Stroop Color-Word test.

Background And Aims: Extracts from oat (Avena sativa) herb may benefit cognitive performance. This study investigated whether Neuravena(®), an oat herb extract, could acutely improve responses to the Stroop Color-Word test, a measure of attention and concentration and the ability to maintain task focus.

Subjects And Methods: Elderly volunteers with below-average cognitive performance consumed single doses (0, 1600, and 2400 mg) of oat herb extract at weekly intervals in a double-blind, randomized, crossover comparison.

Definition of ambulatory blood pressure targets for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in relation to clinic blood pressure: prospective cohort study.

Background: Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure thresholds have been defined for the diagnosis of mild hypertension but not for its treatment or for other blood pressure thresholds used in the diagnosis of moderate to severe hypertension. We aimed to derive age and sex related ambulatory blood pressure equivalents to clinic blood pressure thresholds for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

Methods: We collated 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure data, recorded with validated devices, from 11 centres across six Australian states (n=8575).

Impact of cocoa flavanol consumption on blood pressure responsiveness to exercise.

Impaired endothelial vasodilatation may contribute to the exaggerated blood pressure (BP) responses to exercise in individuals who are overweight/obese. The present study investigated whether consumption of cocoa flavanols, which improve endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), can modify BP responsiveness to exercise. Twenty-one volunteers (eight females and thirteen males, 54.