Health Promotion Journal of Australia最新文献

{"title":"Geographical Disparities in Faecal Immunochemical Test-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening Participation and Positivity Rates: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","authors":"Melkalem Mamuye Azanaw,&nbsp;Erin L. Symonds,&nbsp;Geraldine Laven-Law,&nbsp;Wudneh Simegn Belay,&nbsp;Syme Aftab,&nbsp;Muktar B. Ahmed,&nbsp;Molla M. Wassie","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70168","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70168","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>People in rural and remote areas often participate less actively in colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention practices, including faecal immunochemical testing (FIT). However, the evidence on this is limited.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarise geographical disparities in participation and positivity of FIT-based CRC screening.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Six databases were searched for articles published until June 2024. We included studies reporting FIT-based CRC screening among average-risk individuals aged 40–74, examining geographical disparities using location-based or geospatial methods. Two reviewers independently screened, assessed bias, and extracted data. Random-effects models estimated pooled participation, positivity rates, and odds ratios for geographical effects.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Of 8532 articles, 35 were included in the review, with 21 used for meta-analysis. The overall FIT participation rate was 49.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.6, 59.2). In Europe, individuals in rural areas had higher participation rates compared to urban areas (pooled odds ratio [POR]: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.42), while in Australia, remote areas exhibited lower odds of participation than metropolitan areas (POR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.65, 0.87). The overall FIT positivity rate was 8.70% (95% CI: 6.50, 11.70), with no significant difference between rural and urban areas (<i>p</i> = 0.24).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A notable disparity in the FIT-based CRC screening participation rate was observed using the geographical definition of rurality and remoteness. Further research is needed to identify the sociocultural, healthcare access, and policy factors driving these differences and develop targeted strategies to improve screening and address barriers for underserved populations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12950327/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147327305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping the Healthiness of Community Food Environments and Their Association With the Socioeconomic Index for Areas (SEIFA) in the South Coast of NSW","authors":"Alemayehu Digssie Gebremariam,&nbsp;Katherine Kent,&nbsp;Chris Brennan-Horley,&nbsp;Suzanne Pickles,&nbsp;Karen Charlton","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70166","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70166","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Issue Addressed</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The community food environment may influence consumers' dietary behaviours, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. There is a paucity of evidence on the distribution of food outlets and their association with socioeconomic position in regional Australia. This study mapped the healthiness of food environments in the South Coast of NSW and examined associations with socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A cross-sectional study using registered food outlet data, supplemented by Google Maps search, was conducted. The Food Environment Score (FES) was used to assign a three-category healthiness score to food outlets, then categorised into a binary variable (unhealthy and healthy/less healthy). Multiple logistic regression was used to identify associations between food outlet types, administrative cluster, and the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD; Quintiles 1–5), using quintile 3 as the reference.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Of the 2321 identified food outlets, nearly half (<i>n</i> = 1040; 44.8%) were categorised as unhealthy, while only a small proportion (<i>n</i> = 345; 14.9%) were categorised as healthy. Advantaged areas (IRSAD quintile 5 and 4) had 40% less (AOR 0.60 [0.5, 0.8]) and 42% less (AOR 0.58 [0.4, 0.8]) unhealthy food outlets than IRSAD quintile 3 areas, respectively, after adjusting for the administrative cluster. No difference was found between the disadvantaged areas (IRSAD quintiles 1 and 2) and IRSAD quintile 3.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In the South Coast of NSW, unhealthy food outlets dominated the community food environment, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged and middle-income areas. This study extends the existing evidence in the selected states and metropolitan areas to regional Australia.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> So What?</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Targeted interventions, including public policy and public health initiatives, are needed to increase access to healthy food outlets and restrict unhealthy options, particularly in middle and disadvantaged socioeconomic communities.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12930234/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147277439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extending Melanoma Awareness Assessment to at-Risk Populations","authors":"Kenny T. Ta,&nbsp;Andrew B. Fay,&nbsp;Chandler W. Rundle","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70165","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70165","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146221636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Policy to Action: Co-Designing Research With Local Government to Advance Urban Greening","authors":"Carmel Williams,&nbsp;Yonatal Tefera,&nbsp;Veronica Soebarto,&nbsp;John Kandulu,&nbsp;Melanie Lowe,&nbsp;Jacinta Humphrey,&nbsp;Thami Croeser,&nbsp;Lara Daddow,&nbsp;Ben Willsmore","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70164","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70164","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Issue Addressed</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Urban greenspaces are widely recognised for their benefits to public health, the environment and climate resilience and are supported by strong policy commitments across federal, state and local governments. However, Australian cities continue to experience net greenspace loss, reflecting a gap between policy commitments and implementation. A key contributor to this gap is the systematic undervaluation of greenspace and urban trees within local government decision-making, particularly where their health, environmental and social benefits are not adequately reflected in economic assessments. This study aimed to develop a locally relevant economic framework and tools to support local governments' efforts to operationalise their urban greening policy goals.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A co-design methodology was applied over an 18-month period with the City of Salisbury and the City of Unley local governments in Adelaide, Australia. The process included co-design workshops and other stakeholder engagement activities, to co-develop economic scenarios, iteratively refine an economic modelling framework and collaboratively develop a prototype decision-support tool and associated communication resources.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The co-design process enabled shared problem framing, led to the development of locally relevant economic scenarios, and refined model assumptions to reflect operational realities of the councils. Outputs included: (1) an economic modelling framework to quantify costs and benefits of urban trees; (2) a prototype Urban Greening Decision-Making Tool and (3) tailored communication resources (including fact sheets, infographics and a policy brief).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This case study demonstrates that bridging the policy–implementation gap requires more than producing evidence; it requires researchers to work in genuine, trust-based partnership with practitioners. This involves approaching collaboration with humility and flexibility, listening to partners' priorities and co-creating research and outputs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12910417/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146207995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using Social Network Analysis to Visualise Place-Based Partnerships for Systems Change in Regional Australia","authors":"Stephanie L. Godrich,&nbsp;Isabelle Chiera,&nbsp;Melissa Stoneham,&nbsp;Jess Doe,&nbsp;Amanda Devine,&nbsp;Emily Humphreys","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70150","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70150","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Issue Addressed</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Social network analysis (SNA) is a novel approach to investigating food security systems change in regional and remote communities. With short-term, siloed food security solutions often proving ineffective, this study used SNA to visualise how organisations across a vast area in Western Australia (WA) were working in partnership to support systems change and identify where these partnerships could be strengthened.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>One hundred and one food security initiative leaders, representing 148 initiatives, participated in semi-structured interviews. The number and type of regional partnerships were measured, and region-based partnership network typologies determined.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Most regions’ partnership networks were ‘Scattered fragments’ models, indicating immature and disconnected partnership networks. The Goldfields region represented a ‘Hub-and-spoke’ network, while the Kimberley partnership network was transitioning from ‘Hub and Spoke’ to a more robust ‘Multi-hub’ model. The application of a theoretical framework based on SNA yielded practical insights into the functional nature of these remote networks and increased policymakers', practitioners' and researchers’ understanding of how they could be leveraged to improve food security, with practical implications for rural public health outcomes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Recommendations to strengthen partnership networks included supporting unconnected organisations in each region to connect into their partnership network (if desired). Undertaking targeted partner ‘knitting’ by identifying potential network weavers and connecting partners is recommended. Supporting each region's network to transition across network stages is critical to ensure robust, sustained collaboration, and optimise health outcomes for all community members.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> So What?</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study uncovered which organisations were most influential in information dissemination in rural, regional, and remote Australia and has identified less mature regions which require more equitable investment and resource allocation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12902625/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146182768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alcohol Use, Demographics and Mental Health of Women Using a Digital Peer Support Program","authors":"Laura D. Robinson,&nbsp;Isabella Ingram,&nbsp;Tayla J. Degan,&nbsp;Katinka van de Ven,&nbsp;Nicole K. Lee","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70161","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70161","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Risky alcohol use is rising among some groups of women. This trend is concerning given their vulnerability to alcohol-related harm arising from biological and socio-cultural factors. Stigma, caregiving responsibilities, and limited childcare often reduce access to traditional treatment. Concurrently, population-wide increases in psychological distress are driving demand for support services. Digital interventions for alcohol use like the Daybreak app may offer accessible, anonymous early intervention, helping to overcome barriers and meet unmet needs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Data were analysed from 41 052 women who registered for the Daybreak app between 2019 and 2024. Participants completed demographic questions, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–Consumption (AUDIT-C), and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) online.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>AUDIT-C scores differed significantly by age, with the highest scores among women aged 35–54 years and the lowest among those aged 75 and over. Overall, 97.7% of participants scored above the recommended cut-off for high-risk drinking, with rates remaining stable over time. Additionally, 96.6% met the threshold for potential alcohol dependence. Based on K10 scores, 57.8% of participants reported high or very high psychological distress.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>By reaching women with high-risk drinking and psychological distress, the Daybreak app may offer accessible support outside traditional services. Daybreak's growing use, especially among younger women, indicates that continued investment and broader promotion of digital interventions may be warranted.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146167325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the Economic Impact of Learn-to-Swim Programmes: A Cost–Benefit Analysis of the First Lap Voucher Programme in Australia","authors":"Siyuan Wang,&nbsp;Rona Macniven,&nbsp;Amy Peden,&nbsp;Blake Angell","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70162","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70162","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Issue Addressed</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Swimming is an essential life skill for Australian children. Access to swimming lessons helps develop competence in the water. However, participation in swimming lessons among preschool-aged children has declined in recent years, particularly following the pandemic. The New South Wales Government introduced the First Lap programme to encourage preschoolers' access to swimming lessons by providing AUS$100 vouchers during the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 financial years. The programme aimed to increase participation in early swimming education and raise parental awareness of its importance for water safety. We assessed its economic impact from a policy perspective.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We surveyed registered First Lap providers and participating families to estimate programme benefits. Costs were sourced from the state government, with outcomes reported using standard cost-benefit metrics. Subgroup analyses by Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas quantiles examined variations in programme impact across community groups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 100 providers and 14 126 parents/carers completed the surveys. Our findings suggest direct benefits of AUS$39.3 million against costs of AUS$28 million, yielding AUS$1.40 per dollar invested. Including indirect benefits increased total returns to AUS$62.3 million, or AUS$2.23 per dollar. Benefits consistently exceeded costs in both financial periods, with returns between AUS$1.38 and AUS$2.11 in 2021–2022 and AUS$1.43 to AUS$2.38 in 2022–2023. Subgroup analysis showed direct returns from AUS$1.40 to AUS$1.43 and AUS$2.22 to AUS$2.25 across socio-economic groups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We found strong economic support for the programme, with significant benefits across socio-economic groups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> So What?</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings suggest that the First Lap programme, providing swimming vouchers to preschoolers, is a cost-effective initiative to help families access lessons and promote children's safety and health.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12895295/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146167292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advocacy in Public Health Curricula: Exploring Gaps and Identifying Strategies for Strengthening Teaching Public Health Advocacy","authors":"Alexandra J. Bhatti,&nbsp;Dannielle Post,&nbsp;Nathan Dawes,&nbsp;Sophia Lin,&nbsp;Katherine L. Francis,&nbsp;Josephine Y. Chau,&nbsp;Janaki Amin","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70160","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70160","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Issue Addressed&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Despite the critical role of advocacy in health promotion and public health practice, there is limited inclusion of this competency in public health curricula. This may leave graduates underprepared for advocacy work and contribute to a workforce ill-equipped to engage in advocacy efforts. This research explores reasons for the limited inclusion of advocacy education within Australian tertiary public health curricula and examines educators' perspectives on public health advocacy.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Methods&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;This study used a semi-structured exploratory approach. Fourteen individuals participated in two focus groups. The participants were attendees of a national public health educators teaching and learning forum. Data analysis involved reflexive thematic analysis.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Results&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;The majority of participants were female (91%) and employed at universities in various academic roles across diverse fields of public health. Two primary themes were identified: perceptions of public health advocacy and teaching public health advocacy. Participants attributed the inconsistent inclusion of advocacy curricula to ambiguities in definition, conceptualisation, scope and interpretation and emphasised the need for explicit integration of advocacy within curricula. They reported lacking self-efficacy and discipline-specific knowledge in teaching this material and expressed uncertainty regarding effective pedagogical approaches for teaching advocacy. Participants proposed a comprehensive framework for advocacy practice could facilitate its understanding and instruction.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; Conclusion&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Findings highlight the need for consensus on public health advocacy core competencies and a structured framework to guide its definition and instruction. Additionally, there is a need for professional development, evidence of effective advocacy pedagogy, and the explicit integration of advocacy within public health curricula.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 &lt;/section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;section&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;h3&gt; So What?&lt;/h3&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;p&gt;Addressing these challenges is crucial for developing a public health workforce capable of skilled advocacy in order to effectively influence policy and improve population health outcomes. This study demonstrates the imperative to strengthen both the conceptual understanding of public health advocacy and the provision of advocacy training within tertiary public health education.&lt;/p&gt;\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12886589/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146150994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of a Pilot Healthy Lunch Education Program Delivered for Children in Grade Four Attending a School Located in an Area Facing Disadvantage in Greater Melbourne","authors":"Estée V. Driscoll,&nbsp;Jacinda Gorring,&nbsp;Gozde Aydin,&nbsp;Janandani Nanayakkara,&nbsp;Claire Margerison,&nbsp;Kristy A. Bolton,&nbsp;Carley Grimes,&nbsp;Alison O. Booth","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70148","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70148","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Issue Addressed</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Australian primary school-aged children (4–12 years) consume approximately 40% of daily energy from energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and fewer than 3% meet the Australian dietary recommendations for daily fruit and vegetable intake. The aim of the study was to explore the effectiveness of a 4-week food and nutrition education program on children's food-related knowledge, behaviours, and self-efficacy (confidence) to pack a healthy lunch.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The program delivered weekly 1-h interactive sessions over four weeks to Grade 4 students in a Melbourne primary school. Online surveys measured students' knowledge, confidence, and behaviour pre- and post-intervention. Change in mean knowledge was assessed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The changes for behaviour and confidence were analysed using the McNemar 2-related sample tests.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Sixty students completed the pre- and post-surveys. The mean total knowledge score increased from 3.5 (±0.195) pre-intervention to 4.7 (±0.182) post-intervention (<i>p</i> = 0.001). Children's confidence to make healthy food swaps significantly increased from pre- to post-intervention (27%, 45%, <i>p</i> = 0.035). There was no change in foods brought to school pre- to post-intervention.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A short pilot education program increased children's food and nutrition-related knowledge and confidence to make healthy food swaps. A program of longer duration may be beneficial to observe additional improvements in knowledge and behaviour change.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> So What?</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Exposure to nutrition education can improve knowledge and confidence. Incorporating this program in the school curriculum would ensure that food and nutrition education is offered to all Australian primary school children.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146133226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Formative Research to Inform an Australian Innovative Mass-Reach National Skin Cancer Prevention Campaign","authors":"Blythe J. O'Hara,&nbsp;Melody Chew,&nbsp;James Kite,&nbsp;Charles Coulton,&nbsp;Kathryn E. Hull,&nbsp;Rob Tolan,&nbsp;Laura Ryan,&nbsp;Eliza Bush,&nbsp;Tanya Buchanan,&nbsp;Adrian E. Bauman","doi":"10.1002/hpja.70158","DOIUrl":"10.1002/hpja.70158","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Issue Addressed</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>With high skin cancer rates, Australia faces challenges in encouraging young people to think differently about their sun protection behaviours, particularly in an evolving media environment not fit for traditional TV led public health campaigns. Informed by theory and formative research, this paper describes new approaches in the development of an innovative mass reach influencer-led campaign to address this.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The formative research comprised a literature review of published and grey literature, qualitative exploratory fieldwork and quantitative online survey, and qualitative concept testing, focusing on the target audience as well as fashion, media and beauty influencers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The research led to a new behaviour change model that underpinned a novel campaign strategy. It also influenced choices to: target identified segments of young people whose attitudes and behaviours are most risky; predominantly use third party voices (influencers, media and fashion brands) to deliver campaign messages with an explicit focus on challenging pro tanning social norms and the non-health consequences of sun exposure.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This campaign reflects new modes of mass-reach public health campaigns using extensive formative research. Such formative evaluation approaches need to be disseminated to inform future campaigns for the post linear TV generations. The evaluation of this campaign will further elucidate its usefulness as an approach.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> So What?</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Formative research that includes evidence reviews and multiple rounds of qualitative and quantitative research is needed for modern campaigns. Mass media engagement through third party strategies is an innovative approach to public health campaigns aimed at young people and has potential for other public health issues.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":47379,"journal":{"name":"Health Promotion Journal of Australia","volume":"37 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146133264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}