Evaluating the effectiveness of an Australian obesity mass-media campaign: how did the 'Measure-Up' campaign measure up in New South Wales?

In 2008, the Australian Government launched a mass-media campaign 'Measure-Up' to reduce lifestyle-related chronic disease risk. Innovative campaign messages linked waist circumference and chronic disease risk. Communication channels for the campaign included television, press, radio and outdoor advertising and local community activities. This analysis examines the impact of the campaign in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cross-sectional telephone surveys (n = 1006 adults pre- and post-campaign) covered self-reported diet and physical activity, campaign awareness, knowledge about waist circumference, personal relevance of the message, perceived confidence to make lifestyle changes and waist-measuring behaviours. The campaign achieved high unprompted (38%) and prompted (89%) awareness. From pre- to post-campaign, knowledge and personal relevance of the link between waist circumference and chronic disease and waist measuring behaviour increased, although there were no significant changes in reported fruit and vegetable intake nor in physical activity. Knowledge of the correct waist measurement threshold for chronic disease risk increased over 5-fold, adjusted for demographic characteristics. 'Measure-Up' was successful at communicating the new campaign messages. Continued long-term investment in campaigns such as 'Measure-Up', supplemented with community-based health promotion, may contribute to population risk factor understanding and behaviour change to reduce chronic disease.

Age at first intercourse in an Australian national sample of technical college students.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to broaden the current body of knowledge regarding the sexual behaviour of young Australians by examining the age and correlates of age of first intercourse in a national sample of Technical and Further Education apprentices. METHOD: In 1995, students at randomly selected technical colleges in Australia were surveyed on HIV-related issues. Questionnaires were administered to a stratified cluster sample of automotive, hairdressing and commercial cookery apprentices. Respondents were asked the age at which they first had heterosexual vaginal or anal intercourse. RESULTS: Of 4,055 respondents aged 15-24 years, 3,848 answered the question; 3,195 (83%) had had intercourse. Males and females did not differ significantly. Median age at first intercourse was 16 (range 12-23). In multivariate analysis, older age at first intercourse was associated with: greater age at interview; higher school education; church attendance; and State of residence. The model, however, accounted for only 14% of the variance in age at first intercourse. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: In this sample, those apprentices who completed secondary school became sexually active later on average than those who left before the end of Year 10. For sex education to occur before sexual initiation, it needs to be offered in primary schools and the first year of high school (aged 11-13 years). Further, as technical college students are likely to initiate sex earlier than their age mates still at school, colleges may be in a position to take responsibility for the continuing sexual education of this group, especially for those students entering college at 15 or 16 years of age.

Neuropsychological function in asymptomatic HIV-1 infection: methodological issues.

There have been conflicting reports as to whether significant neuropsychological deterioration occurs in asymptomatic HIV-1 infection. Comparisons among studies have been hindered by substantial variations in sample size, statistical methods, definitions of neuropsychological abnormality, and attention to potential confounding factors. In this study, the neuropsychological performance of 44 subjects with asymptomatic HIV-1 infection and 41 seronegative (SN) controls was compared using analysis of variance models. Rates of abnormality were also determined using commonly employed impairment criteria. The seropositive (SP) subjects performed comparably to SN controls once differences in full scale IQ were taken into account. Rates of abnormality for HIV-1 SP subjects were estimated at 10%, 17.5%, and 67.5% by three different criteria, and were not significantly different from the rates of the control group. The findings indicated that both premorbid characteristics, and the validity and biases of definitions of impairment should be examined and incorporated into the interpretation of study findings.