Health Promotion Journal of Australia最新文献

Background

Australia's National Preventive Health Strategy (NPHS) explicitly highlights the important role of primary care in screening for and supporting behaviour change to help reach preventive health goals. Given osteopaths' position as primary care providers in Australia, their role in fulfilling the NPHS warrants consideration. In response, this study aims to investigate osteopaths' perceptions regarding their role in preventive health and their practice behaviours regarding the key priority areas outlined in the NPHS.

Methods

This online cross-sectional 63-item survey was completed by registered osteopaths practising in Australia. Data were descriptively analysed. Participants rated each determinant on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from ‘no role at all’ (1) to ‘a very significant role’ (7). Participants rated each determinant on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from ‘no role at all’ (1) to ‘a very significant role’ (7).

Results

Participants (n = 220) identified all levels of preventive health as highly relevant for osteopathic practice, with the greatest relevance attributed to secondary prevention (Mean [M]: 6.2; Standard deviation [SD]: 1.2) and the lowest to quaternary prevention (M: 5.7; SD 1.6). When considering the seven priority preventive health topics outlined in the NPHS, participants reported most frequently screening for physical activity (M: 4.7; SD: 0.6) and least for immunisation status (M: 2.1; SD: 1.0). Participants rated patients explicitly asking them about changing their behaviour as having the greatest influence on their decision-making regarding discussing ‘healthy eating’ (M: 4.5; SD: 0.8), ‘physical activity’ (M: 4.4; SD: 0.9), ‘mental health’ (M: 4.4; SD: 0.9) and ‘immunisation’ (M: 3.8; SD: 1.3) with their patients. Participants reported being likely to undertake a range of actions in response to identifying patient need.

Conclusions

This study suggests osteopaths play a role in preventive health that may be broader than previously assumed yet is still not inclusive of the full range of behaviours required of health professionals if the Australian government is to fulfil the goals and objectives outlined in the NPHS.

So What?

Government initiatives to implement the NPHS must ensure they are leveraging health professionals to their fullest potential.

Introduction

School resilience focused programs have been identified as a possible method of improving health behaviours; however, few trials have been conducted to determine the effect of such comprehensive programs on adolescent physical activity and healthy eating practices. The aim of this trial was to determine the effect of a school-based resilience intervention on student physical activity levels and fruit and vegetable consumption.

Methods

A three-year exploratory cluster-randomised controlled trial of students in Australian secondary schools was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a pragmatic universal intervention targeting a range of student resilience protective factors grouped according to the Health Promoting Schools framework, in improving student physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. Data regarding physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and resilience protective factors was collected.

Findings

No significant differences were found at follow-up between intervention and control students for any health risk physical activity: mean difference (MD) −40.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) −94.3,13.0, p = 0.14; fruit serves: MD 0.01, 95% CI −0.20, 0.22, p = 0.95; vegetable serves: MD −0.07, 95% CI −0.24, 0.11, p = 0.44; or resilience protective factor outcomes (individual: MD −0.01, 95% CI −0.07, 0.06, p = 0.87; environmental: MD −0.02, 95% CI −0.09, 0.06, p = 0.67).

Conclusions

This resilience intervention was not effective in improving the physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, or resilience protective factors of students.

So What?

Further research is warranted to determine the specific resilience protective factors that may be most effective for these outcomes, given the significant policy and practice potential this approach has.

Trial Rregistration: ACTRN12611000606987

Issue Addressed

Health risk behaviours including unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, sedentary behaviour, inadequate sleep, tobacco use and alcohol and illicit drug use are prevalent among university students. Universities are pivotal settings for health promotion; however, existing policy/strategy addressing health risk behaviours is uncertain. This scoping review aimed to identify and synthesise current policies/strategies targeting student health behaviours across Australian universities.

Methods

A systematic search of websites and policy libraries of 39 Australian universities was conducted in January 2025. Policies/strategies were included if they were current, included students within their target group, and addressed at least one health risk behaviour. Data was extracted about policy characteristics and intervention functions and policy categories evaluated using the Behaviour Change Wheel.

Results

Fifty-four policies/strategies from 30 universities met the inclusion criteria. Many universities had a policy/strategy focused on smoking (74.4%), alcohol (64.1%) and drug use (43.6%), whereas few addressed physical inactivity (7.7%) or unhealthy diet (2.6%). No university policy/strategy addressed sedentary behaviour or sleep. The most common intervention function and policy category was environmental restructuring and environmental/social planning.

Conclusions

This review highlights a fragmented policy landscape, with significant gaps in addressing health risk behaviours within policy or strategy at Australian universities. These findings provide guidance for future institutional policy/strategy development and to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration in embedding student wellbeing within institutional frameworks.

So What?

These findings emphasise the need for national-level guidance to embed systemic approaches to health promotion within the university setting. This is essential to improve student wellbeing, foster academic excellence, address health inequity and advance community health outcomes.

Introduction

Food retail outlets represent a setting where a healthy diet can be promoted. Community public health practitioners need user-friendly tools to collect real-time data, engage with local food retailers, and customise health-enabling initiatives in supermarkets. We aimed to examine the distribution and variation of Store Scout App (SS-App) scores to demonstrate the influence of health-enabling changes within the participant supermarkets.

Methods

Data were collected from 10 supermarkets (5 implementation, 5 control) using the SS-App. The SS-App is a decision-support tool that evaluates health-promoting store practices and provides real-time feedback to retailers. Data were collected through a series of dichotomous (yes/no) questions related to the App's 4Ps of marketing: Promotion, Price, Product, and Placement. The Reach for the Stars programme included promotional and informational materials based on the health star rating of healthier products. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the effects of time group (implementation vs. control) and their interaction on overall mean SS-App scores within the study arm.

Results

SS-App scores improved from pre- to post-implementation (p < 0.01). A larger increase in SS-App scores was observed in the implementation group (M = 8.7, SD = 3.7) compared to the control group (M = 1.4, SD = 6.1), (t (8) = −2.28, p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The SS-App was key in implementing the programme by ensuring stores aligned with its goals and objectives, supporting and enhancing retailer participation and sustained engagement.

Background

Advertising and marketing by the alcohol industry serve to normalise alcohol use, with exposure to alcohol advertising linked to earlier and riskier drinking among young people. Advertising that portrays alcohol use in and around waterways is of particular concern, with one in five fatal drownings being associated with alcohol.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the types of alcohol advertising that young people were exposed to, and to determine whether exposure to alcohol advertising was related to their alcohol use in aquatic environments.

Methods

We surveyed 102 young people aged 18 to 25 years attending a free event at a coastal location in Perth, Western Australia. Questions addressed demographics; participation in aquatic activities; alcohol use around water; recall of alcohol advertising; and social media engagement.

Results

Most participants recalled seeing alcohol advertisements often (n = 71, 69.6%) and had engaged with alcohol brands or products on social media, including viewing alcohol company-sponsored events (n = 66, 64.7%) and liking alcohol brand posts (n = 48, 47.1%). Sixty participants (58.5%) had consumed alcohol before or while participating in an aquatic activity in the past year. This behaviour was more common among those who reported higher engagement with alcohol brands on social media and a higher frequency of alcohol advertising recall.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the role of alcohol industry marketing in normalising alcohol use among young people. Our findings reinforce the need for advocacy and comprehensive marketing restrictions to counteract alcohol industry practices and reduce the risks associated with pervasive alcohol advertising within aquatic environments.

Objective

Transport is a major determinant of population and planetary health, causing significant and ongoing harm. The scale and pace of policy action to create a healthy, low-carbon transport system is inadequate. Using a commercial determinants of health framework may offer a useful approach to understand the lack of action to reduce this harm.

Methods

We examined the diaries of the Aotearoa New Zealand ministers of transport for 5 years to look at the interest groups they met with. Interest groups (IGs) were classified firstly into commercial, non-commercial or iwi/hapū (the Crown's Indigenous treaty partners) and, secondly, by the focus of the group.

Findings

Over the 5-year period, there were five ministers and associate ministers who encountered 974 transport-related IGs during 880 meetings. Most of these IGs (74%) were commercial (18% business associations and 56% firms). Health and safety organisations represented 3.6% of total encounters (health alone was 0.7%). The most common IG focus was air travel.

Conclusions and Implications for Health Promotion

Commercial IGs were heterogeneous, but they had opportunities to influence ministers of transport at three times the rate of non-commercial IGs. Efforts are needed to understand the absence of health IGs in these meetings and to increase the involvement of health in transport policy. Measures to increase transparency around corporate political activity are needed.

Issue Addressed

The use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs is linked to improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This study sought to understand the strengths within Aunty Roma's falls prevention program that have facilitated successful implementation, continued engagement and improved health outcomes. This study is the first to explore perspectives surrounding an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander falls prevention program that has demonstrated long-term success in a hospital environment.

Methods

Indigenous methodologies were used to inform a qualitative descriptive research design and gather Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives through a yarning circle and individual yarns. An Aboriginal Reference Group was established to provide community control over the research process and ensure prioritisation of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and cultural values. Thematic analysis was used to produce key themes.

Results

Yarning was conducted with two healthcare workers and nine group members involved in Aunty Roma's. Themes emerging from the data included community ownership, staff commitment, cultural safety, flexibility, social connection and relationships and improved health access and outcomes.

Conclusions

This research demonstrates that through strong partnerships with staff and the community, and commitment to long-term implementation, hospital-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander falls prevention programs can be culturally safe and successful in the long term.

So What?

These findings will benefit the community involved through documentation of factors contributing to success, driving continual improvement of the program. The findings may also inform implementation of similar programs in the future.

Issue Addressed

School-based relationships and sexuality education (RSE) offers broad social, emotional and physical health benefits. However, many teachers feel unprepared to deliver comprehensive, contemporary RSE. To address this, the Curtin RSE Project supported schools in implementing whole-school RSE using a Health Promoting Schools framework, through a supported case study intervention.

Methods

A multiple, embedded case study design was employed to evaluate implementation in participating case study schools. Of the four schools recruited, data were collected from one primary and one secondary school. This paper reports on student surveys (Grades 6 and 7–12) and focus group discussions and interviews with teachers, parents and students (Grades 9–12). Descriptive statistics were generated for the surveys and reflexive thematic analysis conducted for qualitative data.

Results

Students found RSE relevant, though some reported discomfort during sessions. The breadth of RSE topics in the primary school increased post-intervention. Four themes were reflexively identified to understand RSE implementation: RSE is systematically not prioritised; Approaches to age-appropriate education; Schools are appropriate environments; and A whole-school approach for success.

Conclusions

Support from school leadership was essential for proper implementation of whole-school RSE, supported by passionate and well-supported school staff. Whole-school approaches ensured consistent messages within the school and home environment.

So What?

There is a pressing need to embed RSE in pre-service teacher education and to provide coordinated, ongoing professional learning for in-service teachers. Provision of technical support for schools facilitates implementation. These strategies will ensure delivery of contemporary, high-quality RSE and support sustainable whole-school implementation.