Causal mechanisms of a healthy lifestyle intervention for patients with musculoskeletal pain who are overweight or obese.

Purpose: To assess the causal mechanisms of a healthy lifestyle intervention for patients with chronic low back pain and knee osteoarthritis, who are overweight or obese.

Methods: We conducted causal mediation analyses of aggregated data from two randomized controlled trials (RCTs); which included 160 patients with chronic low back pain, and 120 patients with knee osteoarthritis. The intervention consisted of brief advice and referral to a six-month telephone-based healthy lifestyle coaching service.

Two-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial to assess the sustainability of a school intervention to improve the implementation of a school-based nutrition policy.

Issue Addressed: School-based nutrition policies can have a positive effect on the school food environment. The primary aim of this study was to assess the primary school adherence to a mandatory state-wide healthy canteen policy 12 months after an effective multi-strategic implementation intervention concluded.

Methods: Primary schools were randomised to (a) a 12-14 months multi-strategic intervention or (b) no-intervention (control).

A randomised controlled trial of performance review and facilitated feedback to increase implementation of healthy eating and physical activity-promoting policies and practices in centre-based childcare.

Background: While it is recommended that childcare services implement policies and practices to support obesity prevention, there remains limited evidence to inform policy and practice. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of performance review and facilitated feedback in increasing the implementation of healthy eating and physical activity-promoting policies and practices in childcare services.

Methods: The study was conducted with childcare services in the Hunter New England region of New South Wales, Australia.

A cluster randomised controlled trial of an intervention to increase the implementation of school physical activity policies and guidelines: study protocol for the physically active children in education (PACE) study.

Background: In an attempt to improve children's physical activity levels governments have introduced policies specifying the minimum time schools are to schedule physical activity each week. Despite this, the majority of schools in many jurisdictions fail to implement these policies. This study will assess the effectiveness of a multi-component implementation strategy on increasing the minutes of planned physical activity scheduled by primary school teachers each week.

Comorbid tobacco and other substance use and symptoms of anxiety and depression among hospitalised orthopaedic trauma patients.

Background: No study has examined the prevalence of tobacco, other substance use, and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and rates of comorbidities among the orthopaedic trauma population, despite the impact they have on recovery from surgery. This study aims to 1) describe the rates of symptoms and substance use; 2) compare rates of symptoms and substance use among smokers versus non-smokers; and 3) examine the relationship between symptoms and substance use with smoking status.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of orthopaedic trauma patients was conducted in two Australian public hospitals.

The impact of an alcohol consumption intervention in community sports clubs on safety and participation: an RCT.

Objective: Sports clubs have been identified as settings where high levels of risky alcohol consumption occurs. Settings characterised by such behaviour are likely to negatively impact on levels of safety, participation and amenity.

Design: The study was part of a randomised control trial, designed to help community sports clubs responsibly manage the sale and consumption of alcohol; the primary outcome was reduction in alcohol consumption.

Interventions Targeting Smoking Cessation for Patients With Chronic Pain: An Evidence Synthesis.

Introduction: Smoking is a risk factor for chronic pain conditions. Epidemiological evidence suggests that smoking cessation may be an important treatment target in people with chronic pain. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions in people with chronic pain.

Strategies to improve the implementation of workplace-based policies or practices targeting tobacco, alcohol, diet, physical activity and obesity.

Background: Given the substantial period of time adults spend in their workplaces each day, these provide an opportune setting for interventions addressing modifiable behavioural risk factors for chronic disease. Previous reviews of trials of workplace-based interventions suggest they can be effective in modifying a range of risk factors including diet, physical activity, obesity, risky alcohol use and tobacco use. However, such interventions are often poorly implemented in workplaces, limiting their impact on employee health.

Identifying opportunities to develop the science of implementation for community-based non-communicable disease prevention: A review of implementation trials.

Implementation of interventions in community organisations such as schools, childcare centres, and sporting clubs are recommended to target a range of modifiable risks of non-communicable diseases. Poor implementation, however, is common and has contributed to the failure of non-communicable disease interventions globally. This study aimed to characterise experimental research regarding strategies to improve implementation of chronic disease prevention programs in community settings.

Efficacy of a free-play intervention to increase physical activity during childcare: a randomized controlled trial.

The primary aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a childcare-based intervention in increasing child physical activity by allowing children unrestricted access to outdoor areas for free-play when structured activity is not taking place. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in six childcare services. Intervention services provided children unrestricted access outdoors for active free-play, while control services provided their usual scheduled periods of outdoor play.

A pilot randomized controlled trial examining the impact of a sleep intervention targeting home routines on young children's (3-6 years) physical activity.

Background: Given evidence suggesting that sleep impacts on metabolic processes, interventions targeting sleep may improve child physical activity (PA).

Objectives: To describe the potential effect of an intervention to increase sleep on young children's (3-6 years) moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and total PA. To determine adherence to the intervention, impact on sleep duration as well as feasibility, uptake and acceptability was also assessed.

Effectiveness of a dissemination strategy on the uptake of an online menu planning program: A controlled trial.

Issue Addressed: Online systems offer opportunities to provide effective, ongoing support to childcare services to implement dietary guidelines. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a dissemination strategy on childcare service: (i) adoption; and (ii) use of an online menu planning program designed to increase compliance with dietary guidelines.

Methods: A nonrandomised controlled trial was conducted with long day care services across Australia.

Effectiveness of telephone-based interventions for managing osteoarthritis and spinal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Osteoarthritis and spinal pain are common and burdensome conditions; however, the majority of patients with these conditions do not receive care that is consistent with clinical practice guidelines. Telehealth models of care have the potential to improve care for osteoarthritis and spinal pain patients. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of verbal real-time telehealth interventions, including telephone-based and videoconferencing interventions to reduce pain intensity and disability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip and spinal pain (back or neck pain).

Barriers to implementation of a healthy canteen policy: A survey using the theoretical domains framework.

Issue Addressed: Improving implementation of school healthy canteen policies requires a comprehensive understanding of implementation barriers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess a range of barriers, as reported by canteen managers, using a quantitative survey instrument developed based on a theoretical framework.

Methods: A cross sectional survey of primary school canteen managers from the Hunter New England region of New South Wales was conducted of eligible schools in the study region identified as having an operational canteen.

Economic evaluation of a healthy lifestyle intervention for chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Economic evaluations which estimate cost-effectiveness of potential treatments can guide decisions about real-world healthcare services. We performed an economic evaluation of a healthy lifestyle intervention targeting weight loss, physical activity and diet for patients with chronic low back pain, who are overweight or obese.

Methods: Eligible patients with chronic low back pain (n = 160) were randomized to an intervention or usual care control group.

Promotion of healthy eating in clubs with junior teams in Australia: A cross-sectional study of club representatives and parents.

Issues Addressed: To: (i) describe the prevalence of policies and practices promoting healthy eating implemented by sports clubs with junior teams; (ii) examine differences in such practices across geographic and operational characteristics of clubs; and (iii) describe the attitudes of club representatives and parents regarding the acceptability of sports clubs implementing policies and practices to promote healthy eating.

Methods: Cross-sectional telephone surveys of junior community football club management representatives and parents/carers of junior players were conducted in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, Australia in 2016.

Results: Seventy-nine of the 89 club representatives approached to participate completed the telephone survey.

Eating As Treatment (EAT): A Stepped-Wedge, Randomized Controlled Trial of a Health Behavior Change Intervention Provided by Dietitians to Improve Nutrition in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy (TROG 12.03).

Purpose: Malnutrition in head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment is common and associated with poorer morbidity and mortality outcomes. This trial aimed to improve nutritional status during radiation therapy (RT) using a novel method of training dietitians to deliver psychological techniques to improve nutritional behaviors in patients with HNC.

Methods And Materials: This trial used a stepped-wedge, randomized controlled design to assess the efficacy of the Eating As Treatment (EAT) program.

Musculoskeletal conditions may increase the risk of chronic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Background: Chronic diseases and musculoskeletal conditions have a significant global burden and frequently co-occur. Musculoskeletal conditions may contribute to the development of chronic disease; however, this has not been systematically synthesised. We aimed to investigate whether the most common musculoskeletal conditions, namely neck or back pain or osteoarthritis of the knee or hip, contribute to the development of chronic disease.

Strategies to improve the implementation of policies, practices or programmes in sporting organisations targeting poor diet, physical inactivity, obesity, risky alcohol use or tobacco use: a systematic review.

Objectives: The primary aim for this review is to determine the effectiveness of strategies to improve the implementation of policies, practices or programmes in sporting organisations. The secondary aims are to describe the cost or cost-effectiveness and adverse effects of such strategies and to examine the effects of those implementation strategies on individual's diet, physical activity, obesity, alcohol use or tobacco use.

Methods: We conducted searches of academic databases (eg, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL), trial registers and hand searches of selected journals.

Differential intervention effectiveness of a universal school-based resilience intervention in reducing adolescent substance use within student subgroups: exploratory assessment within a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: Interventions addressing the individual and environmental protective factors of adolescents are suggested to have potential for reducing adolescent substance use. While universally delivered school-based substance use prevention interventions are common, previous studies have suggested variable effectiveness by subgroups of students. An exploratory study was undertaken to examine the differential effectiveness of a universal school-based resilience intervention on adolescent substance use and protective factors according to their sociodemographic and previous substance use.

A practice change intervention to improve antenatal care addressing alcohol consumption by women during pregnancy: research protocol for a randomised stepped-wedge cluster trial.

Background: Despite clinical guideline recommendations, implementation of antenatal care addressing alcohol consumption by pregnant women is limited. Implementation strategies addressing barriers to such care may be effective in increasing care provision. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness, cost and cost-effectiveness of a multi-strategy practice change intervention in increasing antenatal care addressing the consumption of alcohol by pregnant women.