Factors influencing the willingness of community service organisation staff to provide smoking cessation support: a qualitative study.

Objective: This study aimed to explore factors influencing community service organisation (CSO) staff members' willingness to provide tobacco cessation support to clients experiencing disadvantage.

Methods: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 staff members from seven services in the alcohol and other drugs, homelessness, and mental health sectors in Western Australia.

Results: The primary barriers to providing cessation support were believing that addressing smoking was not a priority relative to other issues, being a current smoker, and the lack of a formal tobacco cessation program within the organisation.

Anti-smoking advertisements are perceived differently by smokers and individuals with health or advertising knowledge.

Objective: Several studies have examined the characteristics of anti-smoking advertisements that are associated with quitting behaviour. Some studies use researchers or graduate students to code advertisement characteristics, while others recruit smokers or members of the general public. The aim of this study was to assist future campaign development by assessing whether anti-smoking advertisement characteristics are coded differently by smokers and 'experts' (individuals with knowledge of health promotion, public health or advertising).

Factors associated with intentions to use e-cigarettes among Australian young adult non-smokers.

Introduction And Aims: A growing body of evidence suggests e-cigarette use increases the risk of conventional cigarette use. Assessing the factors associated with intentions to use e-cigarettes can inform programs designed to minimise uptake, potentially assisting in preventing a new population of smokers. This study developed and tested a model assessing the importance of various factors that may be associated with intentions to use e-cigarettes among young adults who have never used e-cigarettes or tobacco cigarettes.

Awareness of cancer risk factors and protective factors among Australian adults.

Issue Addressed: Up to one-third of incident cancers in Australia are attributable to modifiable factors. Understanding the general public's awareness of cancer risk and protective factors is important for identifying knowledge gaps and informing the development of effective and targeted health promotion strategies.

Methods: In a telephonic survey of 355 Western Australian adults aged 18-54 years (48% male), with a sample skewed towards low-socio-economic status areas, respondents rated the effect on cancer risk of 11 established cancer risk factors and seven established cancer protective factors.

Association of the LiveLighter mass media campaign with consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages: Cohort study.

Issue Addressed: Evaluation of the behavioural impact of Western Australia's LiveLighter healthy weight and lifestyle campaign focussed on decreasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) using graphic imagery, as well as monitoring unintended consequences.

Methods: A cohort design with pre-campaign telephone survey of Western Australian adults aged 25-49 (Time 1 May/Jun 2013: N = 1504) undertaken and repeated following the campaign (Time 2 Aug/Sep 2013: N = 822).

Results: Post-campaign awareness was 67% with respondents in low socio-economic areas most likely to report viewing the campaign frequently.

Potential sources of cessation support for high smoking prevalence groups: a qualitative study.

Objective This study aimed to: i) explore potential sources of cessation support as nominated by disadvantaged smokers; and ii) identify factors influencing decisions to use these sources. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 84 smokers accessing community service organisations from the alcohol and other drugs, homeless, and mental health sectors. Transcripts were coded and thematically analysed.

Perceptions of the harm, addictiveness, and smoking cessation effectiveness of e-cigarettes among Australian young adults.

An extensive body of evidence indicates that e-cigarette use is highest among young adults, prompting concerns about the potential renormalization of smoking behaviors in a population segment that is particularly vulnerable to tobacco smoking initiation. Increasing levels of e-cigarette use among young adults are likely a reflection of favorable beliefs about the benefits and risks associated with use, but research assessing perceptions of e-cigarettes in this population segment is limited. The aim of the present study was to assess young adults' perceptions of (i) the absolute and relative harm associated with e-cigarette use and (ii) the efficacy of these devices for smoking cessation.

Attitudinal and behavioural responses to increasing tobacco control regulation among high smoking prevalence groups: A qualitative study.

Introduction And Aims: Despite substantial reductions in smoking prevalence in many countries, rates remain high among people who are experiencing disadvantage. This study aimed to explore attitudinal and behavioural responses to population-wide tobacco control policies among Australian smokers experiencing disadvantage.

Design And Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 84 smokers attending community service organisations in the mental health, homelessness, and alcohol and other drug sectors.

E-cigarette product preferences among Australian young adult e-cigarette users.

Objective: To assess preferences for e-cigarettes containing nicotine and flavourings among Australian young adult e-cigarette users.

Methods: An online survey was administered to 1,116 young adults (18-25 years), 104 of whom had used an e-cigarette in the last 30 days and were the focus of this study. Among users, 53% also smoked tobacco cigarettes, 27% were non-smokers and 20% had never smoked.

Differences in use of electronic nicotine delivery systems by smoking status and demographic characteristics among Australian young adults.

Issue Addressed: Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) continue to grow in popularity, particularly among young adults. Understanding by whom various ENDS are being used and why within this population segment can assist the development of appropriate interventions targeting those most vulnerable to use and inform policy decisions in this area. Accordingly, this study assessed the demographic characteristics associated with ENDS use among Australian young adults, and reasons for current e-cigarette use.

The effect of chronic disease warning statements on alcohol-related health beliefs and consumption intentions among at-risk drinkers.

Informing drinkers of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption via warning statements located on alcohol products can increase their capacity to make healthier choices. This study assessed whether exposing at-risk drinkers to warning statements relating to specific chronic diseases increases the extent to which alcohol is believed to be a risk factor for those diseases and influences consumption intentions. Australians drinking at levels associated with long-term risk of harm (n = 364; 72% male) completed an online survey assessing their drinking habits, beliefs in the link between alcohol and various diseases and drinking intentions.

Assessing Audience Members' Ability to Identify the Media Source of a Health Campaign Disseminated via Different Media.

An important criterion for health campaign media selection is the ability to achieve campaign awareness among target audiences. However, existing campaign exposure metrics cannot be applied across both traditional and digital media, which complicates decision making. The present study assessed the validity of using self-report as a measure of the extent to which different types of media achieve campaign awareness to assist in determining appropriate media budget allocations.

Comparing the Cost-Effectiveness of Campaigns Delivered Various Combinations of Television and Online Media.

Background: Reflecting the increasing prevalence of online media, many mass media health campaigns are now delivered using both television (TV) and online media formats. The aim of this study was to evaluate a smoking cessation mass media campaign according to the cost-effectiveness of the various combinations of TV and online media formats to inform future media buying decisions.

Methods: A quasi-experimental interrupted time series approach was employed.

: Evaluation of a Community Education Campaign to Increase Awareness of Cancer Signs and Symptoms in People in Regional Western Australians.

Introduction: Cancer outcomes for people living in rural and remote areas are worse than for those living in urban areas. Although access to and quality of cancer treatment are important determinants of outcomes, delayed presentation has been observed in rural patients.

Methods: Formative research with people from rural Western Australia (WA) led to the Find Cancer Early campaign.

The Improving Rural Cancer Outcomes Trial: a cluster-randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention to reduce time to diagnosis in rural cancer patients in Western Australia.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.

Physical activity and screen-based recreation: Prevalences and trends over time among adolescents and barriers to recommended engagement.

Adolescence is a critical time for disengagement from physical activity making young people a priority group for interventions. To determine whether existing initiatives are working in this population segment and help inform future programs, the present study sought to (i) examine prevalences and trends in physical activity and screen-based recreation among Australian adolescents and (ii) identify the barriers to adolescents meeting recommended guidelines. Two cross-sectional representative samples of Western Australian secondary school students aged 12 to 17years were surveyed in 2009-2010 (n=1505) and 2012-2013 (n=1406).

The Improving Rural Cancer Outcomes Trial: a cluster-randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention to reduce time to diagnosis in rural cancer patients in Western Australia.

Background: Rural Australians have poorer survival for most common cancers, due partially to later diagnosis. Internationally, several initiatives to improve cancer outcomes have focused on earlier presentation to healthcare and timely diagnosis. We aimed to measure the effect of community-based symptom awareness and general practice-based educational interventions on the time to diagnosis in rural patients presenting with breast, prostate, colorectal or lung cancer in Western Australia.

Self-reported shift work, recall bias, and belief about disease causation in a case-control study of breast cancer.

Background: Recall bias is a potential source of misclassification in case-control studies. Studies have shown that the association between exposure and disease can differ according to participants' beliefs or knowledge about the effect of that exposure on disease. We investigated the association between belief about breast cancer causation and self-reported shift work exposure in a case-control study.

Precision in Setting Cancer Prevention Priorities: Synthesis of Data, Literature, and Expert Opinion.

Cancer will continue to be a leading cause of ill health and death unless we can capitalize on the potential for 30-40% of these cancers to be prevented. In this light, cancer prevention represents an enormous opportunity for public health, potentially saving much of the pain, anguish, and cost associated with treating cancer. However, there is a challenge for governments, and the wider community, in prioritizing cancer prevention activities, especially given increasing financial constraints.

Drinkers' identification with varying alcohol consumption prototypes.

Introduction And Aims: Efforts to reduce excessive alcohol consumption need to take into account drinkers' perceptions of their risk of alcohol-related harm. The aim of the present study was to profile adult Australian drinkers according to their self-identification with various drinker prototypes to determine the extent to which these prototypes are associated with perceived and actual risk of alcohol-related harm.

Design And Methods: A large web panel provider disseminated an online survey to a national sample of 2168 drinkers aged 18+ years who consumed alcohol at least twice per month.