Margaret Fono, Boe Rambaldini, Vita Christie, Kylie Gwynne
{"title":"Co-designing policy with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: a protocol.","authors":"Margaret Fono, Boe Rambaldini, Vita Christie, Kylie Gwynne","doi":"10.17061/phrp34122404","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp34122404","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives and importance of study: </strong>In the public service context, co-design is novel and ever-expanding. Co-design brings together decision-makers and people impacted by a problem to unpack the problem and design solutions together. Government agencies are increasingly adopting co-design to understand and meet the unique needs of priority populations. While the literature illustrates a progressive uptake of co-design in service delivery, there is little evidence of co-design in policy development. We propose a qualitative study protocol to explore and synthesise the evidence (literary, experiential and theoretical) of co-design in public policy. This can inform a framework to guide policymakers who co-design health policy with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study design is informed by a critical qualitative approach that comprises five successive stages. The study commences with the set-up of a co-design brains trust (CBT), comprising people with lived experience of being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander who have either co-designed with public agencies and/or have health policymaking expertise (stage 1) The brains trust will play a key role in guiding the protocol's methodology, data collection, reporting and co-designing a 'Version 1' framework to guide policymakers in co-designing health policy with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (the framework). Two realist evaluations will explore co-design in health policy settings to understand how co-design works for whom, under what circumstances, and how (stages 2 and 3) The findings of the realist evaluations will guide the CBT in developing the framework (stage 4). A process evaluation of the CBT setup and framework development will assess the degree to which the CBT achieved its intended objectives (stage 5).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The proposed study will produce much-needed evidence to guide policymakers to share decision-making power and privilege the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when co-designing health policy. Learnings from this translational research will be shared via the CBT, academic papers, conference presentations and policy briefings.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cyra Patel, Kaitlyn Vette, Lauren Dalton, Aditi Dey, Alexandra Hendry, Brynley Hull, Peter McIntyre, Kristine Macartney, Frank Beard
{"title":"Assessment of the first 5 years of pharmacist-administered vaccinations in Australia: learnings to inform expansion of services.","authors":"Cyra Patel, Kaitlyn Vette, Lauren Dalton, Aditi Dey, Alexandra Hendry, Brynley Hull, Peter McIntyre, Kristine Macartney, Frank Beard","doi":"10.17061/phrp3432420","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp3432420","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives and importance of the study: </strong>Pharmacist-administered vaccination has expanded in Australia but has not been comprehensively assessed. We aimed to assess the pharmacists' role in vaccination in Australia before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the completeness of data on pharmacist-administered immunisations.</p><p><strong>Study type: </strong>Cross-sectional study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analysed data on pharmacist-administered vaccinations that were reported to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) between 2016 and 2019, categorised by gender, jurisdiction, age group and vaccine type. We conducted a national survey of community pharmacists providing vaccination services during June and July 2020 to understand how pharmacists record and report vaccinations to the AIR. We assessed data completeness by comparing the number of vaccinations reported by surveyed pharmacists to the number recorded on the AIR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>576 780 pharmacist-administered vaccinations were recorded on the AIR between 2016 and 2019, of which 94.7% were influenza vaccines. The proportion of vaccinations given by pharmacists increased each year, from <0.001% in 2016 to 2.7% in 2019. Between 2017 and 2019, rates of pharmacist-administered vaccinations were highest among people aged 60-64 years (2046 per 100 000 people) and those living in regional areas (1074 per 100 000 people). Among 243 survey respondents, 57.8% (126/223) reported vaccinations to the AIR automatically via software, 27.8% (62/223) manually entered data and 13.5% (30/223) used both methods. Of the 87 665 vaccination encounters recorded by 121 respondents, 82.2% (72 045/87 665) were recorded on the AIR. There were more AIR-recorded encounters from those who reported automatically via software (84.8% [49 309/58 134]) than from those who manually entered data (68.3% [12 127/17 746]).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pharmacists have an increasing role in providing vaccination services in Australia, with great potential to improve coverage among adults and populations in regional locations. Measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the uptake of electronic methods of recording and reporting data, which can improve data completeness. Our results provide an assessment of the first 5 years of pharmacist vaccination services in Australia, against which future evaluations of the impacts of policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic can be compared.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Isabella Overmars, Frances Justice, Jessica Kaufman, Jane Tuckerman, Margie Danchin
{"title":"Acceptability of an asymptomatic COVID-19 screening program for schools in Victoria, Australia: a qualitative study with caregivers from priority populations.","authors":"Isabella Overmars, Frances Justice, Jessica Kaufman, Jane Tuckerman, Margie Danchin","doi":"10.17061/phrp34232407","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp34232407","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>An asymptomatic COVID-19 rapid antigen testing (RAT) screening program was implemented in Victorian schools in January 2022, to support keeping schools open throughout the pandemic. This study explored compliance with the program among caregivers from priority populations in Victorian mainstream and specialist schools.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted semi-structured interviews between 7-31 March 2022 with caregivers of school-aged children participating in the RAT program in Victoria. Participants were asked about awareness, acceptability, compliance, frequency, and barriers to testing. Recordings were transcribed and deductively analysed using a framework approach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifty caregivers participated. They expressed confusion about the 'recommended' program, assuming it was mandatory. Caregivers wanted notification from schools of positive cases to increase motivation for compliance. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families were compliant; however, in-language resources were limited. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (Koori) families tested less regularly and received information from their community rather than school. Caregivers of children living with disabilities reported behavioural challenges to testing, resulting in distress or non-compliance, and received non-specific information for their children.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>To increase engagement with future surveillance programs, caregivers need clarity about optionality, conducting tests, reporting results, and timely notification of cases. Requirements unique to each priority population include: accurate in-language information for CALD caregivers, community-led communication for Koori caregivers, tailored information, less testing, and flexibility for caregivers of children living with a disability. Keeping schools open and having tailored strategies to ensure equitable access for priority populations are essential for future pandemic management.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cédric Middel, Miranda Blake, Tara Boelsen-Robinson, Joreintje Mackenbach, Josine Stuber, Carmen Vargas, Tari Forrester-Bowling
{"title":"Co-creation in public health research: an introduction to basic principles.","authors":"Cédric Middel, Miranda Blake, Tara Boelsen-Robinson, Joreintje Mackenbach, Josine Stuber, Carmen Vargas, Tari Forrester-Bowling","doi":"10.17061/phrp3432419","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp3432419","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Co-creation is a participatory design approach that leverages the experiential knowledge of non-academic actors. It is increasingly adopted in public health research to enhance the relevance, acceptability, and impact of interventions. This perspective article provides a practical introduction to co-creation, its application, and benefits and considerations for public health researchers. Based on the authors' experiences with co-creation in public health, four key considerations for co-creation are outlined: 1) the selection of collaborators (those participating in the co-creation process) and their power dynamics and interests; 2) frameworks and guidelines for the co-creation process; 3) capacities needed to successfully apply a co-creation approach, such as emotional intelligence and adaptability; and 4) practical matters, such as resources and ethics approval. These insights serve as a practical introduction for public health researchers considering the application of co-creation in their projects to facilitate more effective and impactful, user-centered research designs and interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paula Mazzocato, Karin Leder, Lucy Deng, Philip Britton
{"title":"Travel-associated illness in children in pre-pandemic Western Sydney, 2018-2020.","authors":"Paula Mazzocato, Karin Leder, Lucy Deng, Philip Britton","doi":"10.17061/phrp3432422","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp3432422","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives and importance of study: </strong>Australian children frequently travel overseas, but little is known about their travel-related morbidity. We aimed to describe the spectrum of illness and injury in returned travellers presenting to the largest paediatric referral centre in NSW, the Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW).</p><p><strong>Study type: </strong>Observational cohort study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In the 18 months immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic (2018-2020), we prospectively collected demographic, travel and clinical data from children with travel-acquired illness or injury identified by active surveillance of CHW Emergency Department attendees and referrals to the infectious diseases service.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We identified 587 returned child travellers with an illness or injury associated with overseas travel. Most were aged younger than 5 (62.8%) and had travelled within the Asia-Pacific region (84.6%). The main reason for travel, where recorded (50.3%), was visiting friends and relatives (VFR)(65.4%). Most travellers (90.1%) had a common childhood infection, illness or injury coincidentally acquired during travel, including respiratory infection (37.5%), acute diarrhoea (15.7%) and nonspecific febrile illness (13.1%). Exotic/nonendemic infections were uncommon (9.9%, including potential rabies exposure) but were associated with much higher admission rates than 'cosmopolitan' (globally distributed) diseases (74.2% vs 21.9%). Most of these occurred in VFR travellers (86.3%); enteric fever, largely acquired in South Asia, predominated (51.7%). One in five admitted patients had a disease for which specific pretravel vaccination is available. Receipt of pretravel vaccines was infrequently recorded.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Returned child travellers in Western Sydney frequently presented with respiratory infections and may be a key population for surveillance of imported respiratory viruses. The burden of exotic disease was small and borne by VFR travellers. Travel-related illness in Western Sydney could be reduced by health education of travellers and targeted pretravel vaccination, especially typhoid vaccination for VFR travellers to South Asia. Universal, systematic screening of emergency department attendees for recent overseas travel would improve surveillance of travel-related illness.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cyra Patel, Kaitlyn Vette, Lauren Dalton, Aditi Dey, Alexandra Hendry, Brynley Hull, Peter McIntyre, Kristine Macartney, Frank Beard
{"title":"Assessment of the first 5 years of pharmacist-administered vaccinations in Australia: learnings to inform expansion of services.","authors":"Cyra Patel, Kaitlyn Vette, Lauren Dalton, Aditi Dey, Alexandra Hendry, Brynley Hull, Peter McIntyre, Kristine Macartney, Frank Beard","doi":"10.17061/phrp3432420","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp3432420","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives and importance of the study: </strong>Pharmacist-administered vaccination has expanded in Australia but has not been comprehensively assessed. We aimed to assess the pharmacists' role in vaccination in Australia before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the completeness of data on pharmacist-administered immunisations.</p><p><strong>Study type: </strong>Cross-sectional study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analysed data on pharmacist-administered vaccinations that were reported to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) between 2016 and 2019, categorised by gender, jurisdiction, age group and vaccine type. We conducted a national survey of community pharmacists providing vaccination services during June and July 2020 to understand how pharmacists record and report vaccinations to the AIR. We assessed data completeness by comparing the number of vaccinations reported by surveyed pharmacists to the number recorded on the AIR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>576 780 pharmacist-administered vaccinations were recorded on the AIR between 2016 and 2019, of which 94.7% were influenza vaccines. The proportion of vaccinations given by pharmacists increased each year, from <0.001% in 2016 to 2.7% in 2019. Between 2017 and 2019, rates of pharmacist-administered vaccinations were highest among people aged 60-64 years (2046 per 100 000 people) and those living in regional areas (1074 per 100 000 people). Among 243 survey respondents, 57.8% (126/223) reported vaccinations to the AIR automatically via software, 27.8% (62/223) manually entered data and 13.5% (30/223) used both methods. Of the 87 665 vaccination encounters recorded by 121 respondents, 82.2% (72 045/87 665) were recorded on the AIR. There were more AIR-recorded encounters from those who reported automatically via software (84.8% [49 309/58 134]) than from those who manually entered data (68.3% [12 127/17 746]).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pharmacists have an increasing role in providing vaccination services in Australia, with great potential to improve coverage among adults and populations in regional locations. Measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the uptake of electronic methods of recording and reporting data, which can improve data completeness. Our results provide an assessment of the first 5 years of pharmacist vaccination services in Australia, against which future evaluations of the impacts of policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic can be compared.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142510141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cameron Sugden, Shamieka Dubois, Philippa Maynard, Nicola Scott, Alexis Le Clerc, Matthew Clarke, Sarah McGill, Tracey O'Brien
{"title":"UV arrows descend from above: lessons from a mass media campaign to improve sun protection behaviours among young adults.","authors":"Cameron Sugden, Shamieka Dubois, Philippa Maynard, Nicola Scott, Alexis Le Clerc, Matthew Clarke, Sarah McGill, Tracey O'Brien","doi":"10.17061/phrp3422416","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp3422416","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>More than 95% of melanomas in Australia are caused by UV radiation from the sun. Young adults are particularly at risk, with 18-24-year-olds spending more time in the sun and protecting their skin less than older adults. A new mass media campaign was delivered in New South Wales, Australia, to motivate this hard-to-reach group to protect their skin from harmful UV radiation. This paper shares learnings from this campaign for public health educators working across diverse fields.</p><p><strong>Program: </strong>Guided by audience research and testing, the campaign combined fear-based and self-efficacy messaging. UV radiation was portrayed as arrows descending from the sky, transforming it into a visible and ever-present threat. High-reach channels such as cinema, outdoor advertising, online videos, audio apps and social media were used to reach the audience.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The campaign was evaluated through an online tracking survey (n = 750, 18-24-year-olds) measuring prompted recognition, message take-out, key diagnostics, and self-reported sun protection intentions and behaviours.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The evaluation found that 57% of survey participants recognised the campaign when prompted. Among those that recognised the campaign, 76% said they had used sun protection when outdoors over the summer campaign period (vs 64% of non-recognisers, p < 0.05), and 45% said they had adopted at least three of the five sun protection behaviours (Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide) 'always' or 'often' (vs. 36% of non-recognisers, p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Lessons learnt: </strong>A mass-media campaign that aimed to elicit emotional (fear) and cognitive (perceived efficacy) responses and which drew upon social and heuristic cues was associated with greater self-reported sun protection among the target audience. Delivering a combination of message strategies simultaneously within a campaign tailored to young adults may be more effective than adopting a more singular focus.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141447300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Margaret Fono, Boe Rambaldini, Vita Christie, Kylie Gwynne
{"title":"Co-designing policy with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: a protocol.","authors":"Margaret Fono, Boe Rambaldini, Vita Christie, Kylie Gwynne","doi":"10.17061/phrp34122404","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp34122404","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives and importance of study: </strong>In the public service context, co-design is novel and ever-expanding. Co-design brings together decision-makers and people impacted by a problem to unpack the problem and design solutions together. Government agencies are increasingly adopting co-design to understand and meet the unique needs of priority populations. While the literature illustrates a progressive uptake of co-design in service delivery, there is little evidence of co-design in policy development. We propose a qualitative study protocol to explore and synthesise the evidence (literary, experiential and theoretical) of co-design in public policy. This can inform a framework to guide policymakers who co-design health policy with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study design is informed by a critical qualitative approach that comprises five successive stages. The study commences with the set-up of a co-design brains trust (CBT), comprising people with lived experience of being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander who have either co-designed with public agencies and/or have health policymaking expertise (stage 1) The brains trust will play a key role in guiding the protocol's methodology, data collection, reporting and co-designing a 'Version 1' framework to guide policymakers in co-designing health policy with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (the framework). Two realist evaluations will explore co-design in health policy settings to understand how co-design works for whom, under what circumstances, and how (stages 2 and 3) The findings of the realist evaluations will guide the CBT in developing the framework (stage 4). A process evaluation of the CBT setup and framework development will assess the degree to which the CBT achieved its intended objectives (stage 5).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The proposed study will produce much-needed evidence to guide policymakers to share decision-making power and privilege the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when co-designing health policy. Learnings from this translational research will be shared via the CBT, academic papers, conference presentations and policy briefings.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140866517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Simon Re Davidson, Emma Robson, Kate M O'Brien, Steven J Kamper, Robin Haskins, Pragya Ajitsaria, David Dewar, Christopher M Williams
{"title":"Individuals with musculoskeletal conditions awaiting orthopaedic surgery consultation: an untapped opportunity for patient health management?","authors":"Simon Re Davidson, Emma Robson, Kate M O'Brien, Steven J Kamper, Robin Haskins, Pragya Ajitsaria, David Dewar, Christopher M Williams","doi":"10.17061/phrp33452312","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp33452312","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To describe the health characteristics, condition-specific measures, chronic disease risk factors, and healthcare and medication use over time of individuals with musculoskeletal conditions awaiting orthopaedic surgical consultation. Study importance: Musculoskeletal conditions are highly prevalent in the general population and often coexist with chronic diseases. However, little is documented about the overall health of this group. This study describes the health of these individuals, with particular emphasis on modifiable risk factors of chronic disease.</p><p><strong>Study type: </strong>A repeated measures longitudinal cohort study of individuals referred for orthopaedic consultation across three time points (2014, 2015 and 2016).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was undertaken in the orthopaedic outpatient service of a public tertiary referral hospital in New South Wales, Australia. Participants were aged 18 years and older and were referred for and awaiting orthopaedic surgical consultation for a musculoskeletal condition (back, neck, hand or wrist pain, or hip or knee osteoarthritis). Measures included patient demographics, condition-specific indicators (e.g. pain, disability, quality of life [QoL]) and chronic disease risk factors (e.g., excess weight, smoking).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of participants was 57.7 years, and 7.3% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Back (43.1%) and knee (35.0%) pain were the most prevalent conditions. At baseline (N = 1052), participants reported moderate pain (mean numerical pain rating scale score of 6.4, standard deviation [SD] 2.4) and QoL (Physical Component Score of 32.7, SD 10.7; Mental Component Score of 46.6, SD 13.3). Chronic disease risk factors were highly prevalent, with 74.6% of participants having three or more. For most measures, there were only small changes over time.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Individuals with musculoskeletal conditions who are awaiting orthopaedic surgical consultation have a complex clinical picture and numerous chronic disease risk factors. Given the modifiable nature of many of these risk factors, identifying and addressing them before or while awaiting consultation may improve the health of these individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138811914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Global health and climate action: achievements and imperatives from COP28.","authors":"Zerina Lokmic-Tomkins, Angie Bone","doi":"10.17061/phrp3422412","DOIUrl":"10.17061/phrp3422412","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>SThe 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change marked a step-change forward in integrating health into the global climate change agenda. For the first time, there was a dedicated 'health' day, US$1 billion (A$1.5 billion) in climate-health financing was announced, and a Declaration on Climate and Health was signed by 148 countries. Australia also launched its National Health and Climate Strategy. A 'global stocktake' assessed progress against the Paris Agreement, emphasising the need to \"transition away\" from fossil fuels in the final COP28 decision. The Loss and Damage Fund to help vulnerable countries cope with climate change was also operationalised. Less promising are a number of loopholes in the COP28 outcomes regarding the continued use of fossil fuels. Loss and Damage Fund pledges represented only 0.2% of the estimated financial assistance needed to support vulnerable countries. Australia remains one of the largest fossil fuel exporters and has yet to elaborate on the implementation and financing for its health and climate strategy. To protect global health, urgent action is needed to phase out fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy, ensuring no communities are left behind. Investment is needed to increase the resilience of communities and health services to address innumerable challenges, including those associated with climate change. COP28 saw an increased presence of public health practitioners, who can play a critical role in understanding the implications of climate change for the communities they serve and embedding responses in their practice. They are well placed to strengthen the evidence base for interventions, monitor progress, and advocate for health-promoting climate policy. COPs form an important part of how we collectively address climate change. The health sector finally has a place at the COP table. The sector now needs to become an enabler of action across sectors, as well as managing the health consequences of climate change on communities and health services. Australia hopes to host COP31 in 2026 with Pacific states, potentially providing a catalyst for strengthened resolve.</p>","PeriodicalId":45898,"journal":{"name":"Public Health Research & Practice","volume":"34 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141421348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}