Awareness of cancer among adolescents: A study of nine focus groups in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Issue Addressed: One third of cancers are potentially preventable by modifying key risk factors that arise during adolescence. To help inform prevention efforts, we investigated adolescents' understanding of cancer risk factors, symptoms and signs and barriers to help-seeking.

Methods: Nine focus groups were conducted with purposefully sampled, binary-gendered friendship groups of 12 to 17-year-olds.

Could We See the End of Tobacco Being Sold in Bars and Pubs in New Zealand?

Background: Disallowing the sale of tobacco wherever alcohol is consumed is one policy option to help achieve Smokefree 2025. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of selling tobacco in New Zealand (NZ) on-license premises and explore attitudes toward the sale of tobacco.

Methods: A sample of managers of on-license premises were asked by telephone about the importance of tobacco to their business, advantages and disadvantages of selling tobacco, and the impact of not being able to sell tobacco in the future.

National Sporting Organisation policies: A health promotion opportunity?

Issue Addressed: The objective was to identify whether National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) have policy documentation on healthy behaviours (smokefree, sun-protection, healthy food/beverages and alcohol) and, for organisations with such documentation, whether this was in-line with current scientific evidence of past best practice in cancer prevention.

Methods: This cross-sectional policy analysis study was performed September to December 2018 in Aotearoa/New Zealand. A content analysis was undertaken using NSO policy documents matched against a framework of key indicators for best practice within health behaviours of interest.

Is the tobacco 'footfall' argument justified for tobacco purchases in New Zealand convenience stores?

Introduction: New Zealand's Smokefree 2025 goal aims to greatly decrease the availability of tobacco. One option is to cease the sale of tobacco from convenience stores. However, tobacco companies and retail trade associations oppose this move and have argued that customers who purchase tobacco drive footfall and spend more than non-tobacco customers.