Effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of vaporized nicotine products versus nicotine replacement therapy for tobacco smoking cessation in a low-socioeconomic status Australian population: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: In Australia, tobacco smoking rates have declined but inequalities remain with significantly higher smoking prevalence among low-socioeconomic populations. Clinical trial data suggest vaporized nicotine products (VNPs) aid smoking cessation. Most VNP trials have used refillable tank systems, but newer generation (pod) devices now comprise the largest market share yet have limited clinical trial evidence on safety and effectiveness.

Impact of smoking bans and other smoking cessation interventions in prisons, mental health and substance use treatment settings: A systematic review of the evidence.

Issues: We conducted a systematic review to examine whether smoking bans alone are effective in achieving smoking cessation in people released from prison, and patients discharged from mental health or substance use settings.

Approach: We searched health, criminology and social science databases. Detailed search strings were used to combine terms related to smoking bans and cessation interventions in prison, mental health and substance use treatment settings.

Comparing Factors Associated With Intimate Partner Violence Among Rural and Urban Women in Northern Uganda.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health issue with negative effects at individual and societal levels. In northern Uganda, IPV prevalence is high but literature on it is limited. Northern Uganda has a long history of socio-economic and political upheavals, which are recognized risk factors for IPV.

Effect of Cytisine vs Varenicline on Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Cytisine is more effective than placebo and nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation. However, cytisine has not been tested against the most effective smoking cessation medication, varenicline, which is associated with adverse events known to lead to discontinuation of therapy.

Objective: To examine whether standard cytisine treatment (25 days) was at least as effective as standard varenicline treatment (84 days) for smoking cessation.

Plasma apolipoproteins and physical and cognitive health in very old individuals.

Apolipoproteins play a crucial role in lipid metabolism with implications in cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and longevity. We quantified 7 apolipoproteins in plasma in 1067 individuals aged 56-105 using immunoassays and explored relationships with APOE polymorphism ε2/3/4, vascular health, frailty, and cognition. ApoA1, ApoA2, ApoB, ApoC3, ApoE, ApoH, and ApoJ decreased from mid-life, although ApoE and ApoJ had U-shaped trends.

Age-associated differences on structural brain MRI in nondemented individuals from 71 to 103 years.

Successful brain aging in the oldest old (≥90 years) is underexplored. This study examined cross-sectional brain morphological differences from 8th to 11th decades of life in nondemented individuals by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Two hundred seventy-seven nondemented community-dwelling participants (71-103 years) from Sydney Memory and Ageing Study and Sydney Centenarian Study comprised the sample, including a subsample of 160 cognitively high-functioning elders.

Structural MRI Biomarkers of Mild Cognitive Impairment from Young Elders to Centenarians.

Unlabelled: Underpinnings of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) change with increasing age. We hypothesize that MRI signatures of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) would be different at a higher age compared to younger elders.

Methods: 244 participants (71-103 years) from the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study and the Sydney Centenarian Study were categorized as amnestic MCI (aMCI), non-amnestic MCI (naMCI) or cognitively normal (CN).

Process evaluation of a practice nurse-led smoking cessation trial in Australian general practice: views of general practitioners and practice nurses.

Background: Support in primary care can assist smokers to quit successfully, but there are barriers to general practitioners (GPs) providing this support routinely. Practice nurses (PNs) may be able to effectively take on this role.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to perform a process evaluation of a PN-led smoking cessation intervention being tested in a randomized controlled trial in Australian general practice.

Nutrition among men and household food security in an internally displaced persons camp in Kenya.

Objective: To determine the nutritional status of men and the food security status of their households in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Kenya.

Design: A descriptive, cross-sectional study using a questionnaire and biometric measurements was completed in June 2013.

Setting: IDP camp, Rongai, Kenya.

Quit in general practice: a cluster randomized trial of enhanced in-practice support for smoking cessation.

Objectives: To evaluate the uptake and effectiveness of tailored smoking cessation support, provided primarily by the practice nurse (PN), and compare this to other forms of cessation support.

Methods: Three arm cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in 101 general practices in Sydney and Melbourne involving 2390 smokers. The Quit with PN intervention was compared to Quitline referral and a usual care control group.

Smoke-free outdoor areas: supporting local government to introduce tobacco control policies.

Objectives: To ascertain the proportion of councils with smoke-free outdoor areas (SFOA) policies in New South Wales (NSW), Australia and to explore the enablers and barriers to local governments introducing such policies.

Methods: A structured survey of council staff at NSW councils was conducted by telephone in 2011. Participants were asked about the existence of any SFOA policy, and enablers and barriers of the policy.

The contribution of personality to longevity: findings from the Australian Centenarian Study.

Objectives: To examine whether centenarians have a unique set of personality traits, which may in part explain their longevity.

Methods: 79 Australian centenarians completed the NEO Five Factory Inventory (NEO-FFI), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R) to assess different dimensions of their personalities. Centenarians were asked to answer items of the NEO-FFI, CD-RISC and LOT-R based on current views, and were then asked to recall in the presence of an informant (e.

Tobacco smoking: options for helping smokers to quit.

Background: Although great progress has been made on tobacco control, smoking remains one of the most important causes of preventable disease and death in the Australian population. The general practice team has much to offer in helping smokers to quit.

Objective: This article provides practical advice on structuring smoking cessation support in primary care using the 5As (Ask, Assess, Advise, Assist and Arrange follow-up) framework.

Heroin use impairs smoking cessation among Australian prisoners.

Background: Prisoners have extremely high rates of smoking with rates 3-4 times higher than the general community. Many prisoners have used heroin. The aims of this study were to investigate the impact of heroin use on smoking cessation and the social determinants of health among prisoners.

Smoking and other drug characteristics of aboriginal and non-aboriginal prisoners in australia.

Introduction and Aim. Although tobacco and alcohol use have declined substantially in the Australian community, substance use among prisoners remains high. The aim was to compare the smoking, drug, and alcohol characteristics, sociodemographic profile, and general health of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal male prisoners in a smoking cessation intervention.

Morbidity profiles and lifetime health of Australian centenarians.

Aim: To examine the lifetime prevalence and initial onset of diseases among centenarians.

Methods: In this descriptive study, we administered structured questionnaires by interview to 188 centenarians and asked about the presence and timing of 14 common age-related diseases.

Results: The most common conditions were ocular disease (70%), arthritis (58%) and hypertension (40%).

The challenges of reducing tobacco use among prisoners.

Issue: The prevalence of smoking among prisoners is exceptionally high and is often comorbid with alcohol and drug problems, mental illness and other health problems. This review paper summarises the literature and available research related to smoking prevalence and smoking cessation initiatives among prisoners and identifies areas of need for further research and intervention.

Approach: This paper highlights three studies conducted in the New South Wales prison system which attempt to address these high rates of smoking including a feasibility study, a focus group study and a randomised controlled trial.

Cardiovascular risk among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal smoking male prisoners: inequalities compared to the wider community.

Background: Cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) were collected as part of a randomised controlled trial of a multi-component intervention to reduce smoking among male prisoners. Cross-sectional baseline data on CVRF were compared among smoking male prisoners and males of similar age in the general population.

Methods: 425 smoking prisoners were recruited (n = 407 in New South Wales; 18 in Queensland), including 15% of Aboriginal descent (mean age 33 years; median sentence length 3.

Physical, mental, and cognitive function in a convenience sample of centenarians in Australia.

Objectives: To examine the physical, mental, and cognitive function of centenarians.

Design: Descriptive study using a structured questionnaire and convenience sampling.

Setting: Residential care facilities and private dwellings in Australia.

Feasibility and effectiveness of nurse-delivered smoking cessation counselling combined with nicotine replacement in Australian general practice.

Introduction And Aims: Practice nurses (PN) are an alternative workforce for cessation support in primary care, but their role and effectiveness is underdeveloped and underresearched. This study evaluated a model of smoking cessation intervention in Australian general practice based on PNs. Smokers were identified by their general practitioner (GP) and referred to the PN for cessation support over four counselling visits and offered free nicotine patches.

Postgraduate education for doctors in smoking cessation.

Introduction And Aims: Smoking cessation advice from doctors helps improve quit rates but the opportunity to provide this advice is often missed. Postgraduate education is one strategy to improve the amount and quality of cessation support provided. This paper describes a sample of postgraduate education programs for doctors in smoking cessation and suggests future directions to improve reach and quality.

The changing face of the Australian population: growth in centenarians.

At the time of the 2006 Census, there were 3154 centenarians in Australia, 797 men (25%) and 2357 women (75%). This number is expected to increase to 12,000 by 2020. In Australia we are experiencing a demographic transition in which the proportions of people in the oldest age groups are increasing while the proportions in the youngest age groups are decreasing.