Clara Gomez-Donoso , Bridget Kelly , Florentine Martino , Adrian J. Cameron , Ana Paula C. Richter , Gary Sacks , Lana Vanderlee , Christine M. White , David Hammond , Kathryn Backholer
{"title":"Public support for unhealthy food marketing policies in Australia: A cross-sectional analysis of the International Food Policy Study 2022","authors":"Clara Gomez-Donoso , Bridget Kelly , Florentine Martino , Adrian J. Cameron , Ana Paula C. Richter , Gary Sacks , Lana Vanderlee , Christine M. White , David Hammond , Kathryn Backholer","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to explore public opinion towards food marketing policies.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In 2022, a cross-sectional online survey was completed by 3,923 adults in Australia, including 1,152 caregivers of children aged <18 years. Concern about children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing was assessed among caregivers. Public support for seven policy options to restrict unhealthy food marketing in different media and settings (broadcast, online, outdoors, packaging and retail) was quantified. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to examine sociodemographic differences.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Most caregivers (85%) reported some degree of concern about their child’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing. Among all respondents, there was a high level of support or neutrality (>70%) for all policies aimed at restricting unhealthy food marketing. Respondents who were female, older, highly educated, who identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, perceived their monthly income as adequate or had at least one child living in the household reported higher support/neutrality towards several of the assessed policies.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Most Australian adults were supportive or neutral towards policies restricting unhealthy food marketing. The level of support varied depending on the policy’s target group and its setting.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for Public Health</h3><div>Implementing unhealthy food marketing policies in Australia would most likely have broad public support and minimal opposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100231"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143742083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emma Doherty , Sophie Dilworth , John Wiggers , Luke Wolfenden , Angie Wilson , Cathy Leane , Natasha Schranz , Judy Parish , Monique Reardon , Belinda Tully , Jenna Hollis , Justine Daly , Melanie Kingsland
{"title":"Preventive health risks in pregnancy: Cross-sectional prevalence survey in three regions of New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania","authors":"Emma Doherty , Sophie Dilworth , John Wiggers , Luke Wolfenden , Angie Wilson , Cathy Leane , Natasha Schranz , Judy Parish , Monique Reardon , Belinda Tully , Jenna Hollis , Justine Daly , Melanie Kingsland","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To examine the proportion of pregnant people meeting preventive health guideline recommendations in three regions of New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Cross-sectional surveys of pregnant people attending public maternity services were conducted between November 2021 and April 2022. Participants were asked about their preventive health risks during pregnancy, including tobacco smoking, e-cigarette use, alcohol consumption, gestational weight gain, dietary intake and physical activity.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In total, 1064 surveys were completed. Smoking during pregnancy was reported by 10.5% of participants in New South Wales, 7.8% in South Australia and 18.0% in Tasmania. Most participants (95.2%-96.1%) reported that they did not currently consume alcohol. In each region, the majority of participants were currently gaining gestational weight outside recommended ranges (65.0%-70.2%) and not meeting minimum recommendations regarding intake of core food groups (except for fruit) and physical activity (65.2%-75.6%).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study demonstrates a need for greater access to evidence-based interventions to support people reduce their preventive health risks in pregnancy and in turn achieve positive outcomes for themselves and their babies.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for Public Health</h3><div>The findings can inform region-based needs and prioritisation of support for addressing preventive health risks in pregnancy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100226"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143742082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matthew Ryan , Danielle L. Baird , Gilly A. Hendrie
{"title":"Fruit, vegetables and discretionary food intake in Australian adults: Past trends and predicted progress towards population preventive health targets for 2030","authors":"Matthew Ryan , Danielle L. Baird , Gilly A. Hendrie","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100223","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>In Australia, <em>‘improving access to and the consumption of a healthy diet</em>’ is a focus in the National Preventive Health Strategy. The objective of this paper is to describe the past trends and future projections of population intakes against the Strategy’s targets of increasing fruit consumption to 2 servings per day; increasing vegetables to 5 servings; and reducing discretionary foods to <20% of total energy by 2030.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Self-reported intake data were available from an online survey of 275,170 Australian adults collected between 2015 and 2023. Dietary intake was modelled for sex and four age groups and forecasted towards 2030 using gamma-generalised linear models.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>By 2030, fruit intake is predicted to decrease by 9.7%, discretionary food intake predicted to increase by 18.3%, and vegetable intake predicted to remain stable (but well short of national targets). Differences by sex and age group included an increase in fruit predicted for 18-30 year-olds, and a decrease in vegetables for females but an increase for males.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Without significant intervention, it will be difficult to meet Australia’s preventive health dietary targets.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for Public Health</h3><div>Continuous monitoring will be important to inform targeted interventions to improve diet quality and health outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100223"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143613363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emily Banks , Michelle Scollo , Coral Gartner , Becky Freeman , Sinan Brown , Sai Campbell , Amelia Yazidjoglou , the National E-cigarette Monitoring and Evidence Consortium
{"title":"National E-cigarette Monitoring and Evidence Consortium: Supporting informed research, policy and practice in Australia","authors":"Emily Banks , Michelle Scollo , Coral Gartner , Becky Freeman , Sinan Brown , Sai Campbell , Amelia Yazidjoglou , the National E-cigarette Monitoring and Evidence Consortium","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100233","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100233"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carmen Vargas , Kathryn Backholer , Jacqueline Monaghan , Kate Parker , Chanel Relf , Todd Wallace , Julian Fang , Christina Zorbas
{"title":"Comparing regional Australian fruit and vegetable prices according to growing location and retail characteristics","authors":"Carmen Vargas , Kathryn Backholer , Jacqueline Monaghan , Kate Parker , Chanel Relf , Todd Wallace , Julian Fang , Christina Zorbas","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2024.100211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2024.100211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To understand how fruit and vegetable prices in regional Victoria, Australia, vary depending on growing location, retailer type, socioeconomic area and remoteness level.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A feasibility study was conducted to collect and examine fruit and vegetable prices in Loddon Campaspe based on growing location and store characteristics. Statistical analyses were used to test the significance of price differences according to these area-level characteristics.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Fruit and vegetable prices were collected from 65 vendors between February and May 2023. Fruit or vegetable options were typically similar in price when locally grown compared to when grown elsewhere but were often cheapest at large supermarkets. No consistent relationships were found between fruit and vegetable prices and area-level socioeconomic position or remoteness.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>With the exception of fruit and vegetable prices often being cheaper at supermarkets than small retailers, no other consistent relationships were observed in the context of our study.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for Public Health</h3><div>Addressing fruit and vegetable prices and their affordability, including through policies and research that target small retailers, income supports, and localised food systems initiatives are likely to be important leverage points to reduce regional inequities in access to healthy diets in Victoria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100211"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143456749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bridie Osman , Matthew Sunderland , Emma K. Devine , Louise Thornton , Felice Jacka , Maree Teesson
{"title":"Prevalence of noncommunicable diseases and developmental conditions in 5014 Australian adolescents, and their correlations with diet, other lifestyle behaviours and mental health","authors":"Bridie Osman , Matthew Sunderland , Emma K. Devine , Louise Thornton , Felice Jacka , Maree Teesson","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Amongst Australian youth, there is currently a lack of understanding of the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases and developmental conditions and links with modifiable lifestyle behaviours, mental health and other socio-demographics. This paper aims to address this gap.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Australian adolescents (N = 5014, Mage=14.7, SD=0.80) completed a self-report survey assessing noncommunicable diseases/developmental conditions, sex, socio-economic status (SES), lifestyle behaviours and mental health. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to estimate the associations between these variables. The moderating effects of sex and SES were investigated by including interaction terms in each regression model.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>45.6% adolescents reported ≥1 noncommunicable disease/developmental condition. Being female, consuming more sugar-sweetened beverages, ultra-processed foods, or alcohol, participating in more screen time, having depression, anxiety or psychological distress were each associated with higher rates of having at least one disease/condition (<em>p</em><0.01). Sex and SES significantly moderated the associations between some lifestyle behaviours and eight diseases/conditions were examined.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Australian adolescents experience considerable rates of noncommunicable diseases and developmental conditions, highlighting the significance of this public health issue.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for public health</h3><div>Links with lifestyle behaviours and mental health highlight their potential importance in public health to assist with prevention and treatment of these common and emerging noncommunicable diseases and developmental conditions in adolescents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100225"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143771280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ewan Cameron, Song Zhang, Aveni Haynes, Peter W Gething
{"title":"Small-area geographical variation in the prevalence of diabetes amongst Australian youth aged <20 years in 2021.","authors":"Ewan Cameron, Song Zhang, Aveni Haynes, Peter W Gething","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100234","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To characterise small-area geographical variation in the prevalence of diabetes in Australian youth.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A combined statistical reconstruction and small-area estimation algorithm was applied to privacy-modulated data from the 2021 Australian Census. The census instrument and reconstruction accuracy was examined by comparisons against a hospital-based register and community register. Diabetes prevalence maps were created from the small-area estimates.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The median and interquartile range of estimated diabetes prevalence by small-area unit under our geospatial smoothing model were 1.76 [1.49-1.97] cases per 1000 population for those aged 0-14 years and 5.2 [4.4-5.9] cases per 1000 population for those aged 15-19 years old. Concentrations of elevated prevalence were identified in the vicinities of regional towns across South-East Queensland, regional New South Wales and regional Victoria. Across each of Australia's five largest cities a gradient of decreasing youth diabetes prevalence from the outer suburbs to the urban centre was identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Diabetes burden is systematically higher among rural and peri-urban resident youth in Australia compared with their urban counterparts.</p><p><strong>Implications for public health: </strong>Hotspots of prevalence in regional areas deserve attention from public health authorities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":" ","pages":"100234"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143968450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“There’s many a slip between cup and lip” …. As there is between package and sale","authors":"Claire Wilkinson","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100230","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100230"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143642854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jacqueline A. Richmond , Christine Roder , Chris Hair , Amanda J. Wade , Jack Wallace
{"title":"One size does not fit all: healthcare worker perspectives on hepatitis B models of care in a low-prevalence region in Australia","authors":"Jacqueline A. Richmond , Christine Roder , Chris Hair , Amanda J. Wade , Jack Wallace","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Australia is not on track to achieve national hepatitis B elimination care targets. Many low hepatitis B prevalence Australian regions have disproportionately lower care uptake rates than higher-prevalence regions. This study aimed to determine enablers to providing care in a low hepatitis B prevalence region of Australia.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare workers in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, to identify their perspectives on hepatitis B care and service delivery.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Between August and November 2023, 20 participants were interviewed including nine general practitioners, four nurses, three specialists, three interpreters, and one refugee worker. Hepatitis B was understood as a rare, complex condition. The increasing pressure on general practitioners to manage specialist health conditions affected their willingness to manage hepatitis B. Enablers included specialist nurses providing case management and developing systematic links between specialist clinic staff and general practitioners. A localised community of practice would build general practitioner confidence.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Low-prevalence regions have unique hepatitis B care challenges. Disease prevalence needs to be considered when implementing decentralised models of care, with infrequent exposure challenging general practitioner confidence and skill maintenance.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for Public Health</h3><div>The model for community-based hepatitis B care should be guided by prevalence and regional population characteristics and supported by enabling infrastructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100229"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143609319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Gabriela Uribe Guajardo , Corey Moore , Vicki Giannopoulos , Hueiming Liu , Amber Tickle , Pejman Adily , Ferdinand C. Mukumbang , Emma Quinn , Michelle Cunich , Ilan Katz , Andrew Page , Susan Wolfenden , James Gillespie , Paul Haber , Andrew Wilson , Leena Gupta , John Eastwood , Carmen Huckel Schneider
{"title":"The impact of contextual socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of residents on COVID-19 outcomes during public health restrictions in Sydney, Australia","authors":"Maria Gabriela Uribe Guajardo , Corey Moore , Vicki Giannopoulos , Hueiming Liu , Amber Tickle , Pejman Adily , Ferdinand C. Mukumbang , Emma Quinn , Michelle Cunich , Ilan Katz , Andrew Page , Susan Wolfenden , James Gillespie , Paul Haber , Andrew Wilson , Leena Gupta , John Eastwood , Carmen Huckel Schneider","doi":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the impact of contextual socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of residents on COVID-19 outcomes during public health measures.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Aggregated data from the NSW Notifiable Conditions Information Management System linked to Australian Census data, by periods of strict and relaxed measures, were used.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>During strict measures, residents of areas of lower socioeconomic status (SES) had a higher risk of infection, with the lowest areas having greater risk compared with the highest areas ((hazard ratio (HR)) 7.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.24-8.19). The risk of infection was lower for those aged 40 and over and was higher for males (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.27-1.40); those in living in areas with larger household sizes (HR 1.56, 95% CI 36-1.78); and individuals in areas with a large proportion of residents born in South Asia (HR 1.18; 95% CI 1.07-1.29), South East Asia (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.07-1.36) and the Middle East and North Africa (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.47-1.90). During relaxed restrictions, the impact of variables attenuated but remained significant.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Minorities, those residing in lower SES areas and those living in larger households had worse COVID-19 outcomes during strict public health measures.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for Public Health</h3><div>Decision-makers should tailor services to avoid inequities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8620,"journal":{"name":"Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health","volume":"49 2","pages":"Article 100228"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143549503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}