It draws on the experiences of groups who have already undertaken successful smokefree car promotional and advocacy activities.

In the Tool Kit you will find information, templates, a project plan and evaluation to assist you and your communities to promote the smokefree cars message with your local community within your region.

To download the toolkit from the ASPIRE2025 website, go to:  http://aspire2025.org.nz/smokefree-cars-tool-kit/

Original Health Navigator NZ material is produced and updated by a team of medical writers and subject experts.

The Health Navigator NZ website is a non-profit community initiative combining the efforts of a wide range of partner and supporter organisations overseen by the Health Navigator Charitable Trust.

To find out more about the campaign, go to:  http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/young_women/bringyourbrave/index.htm

The objectives of this study were to explore barriers to immunisation in a Pacific island community from the perspectives of community members and health professionals and to conduct a pilot programme whereby immunisation catch-up clinics were held in a Samoan church in western Sydney. 

Interviews were conducted with 12 Pacific island community members and 7 health professionals connected with the Pacific island community in 2013. A partnership with a local Samoan church was established to provide an accessible venue for immunisation catch-up clinics. 

Among the community members there were high levels of belief in the importance of immunisation and a positive view regarding the protection offered by immunisation. A key barrier reported by community members was being busy and therefore having limited time to get children immunised. The important role of the church within the community was emphasised in the interviews, and as a result, two immunisation catch-up clinics were held in a Samoan church in western Sydney. The age range of attendees was 7–33 years. A total of 31 measles, mumps and rubella doses and 19 meningococcal C doses were given during the two clinics. 

The authors conclude that the outcomes of the interviews and the subsequent clinics highlighted the potential of churches as a venue for providing public health interventions such as catch-up immunisation.

This article can be read in free full text at: http://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/277/461  

Scott N et al. Responding to a measles outbreak in a Pacific Island community in Western Sydney: community interviews led to church-based immunization clinics.Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 2015, 6(2). 

To find out more about this event, being held at the Dunedin Centre, go to: http://wired.ivvy.com/event/PHA15/

The article is available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.5694/mja14.01437

Russell, M., Anstey, M. & Wells, S. (2015). Hospitals should be exemplars of healthy workplaces. Medical Journal of Australia, 202(8), 424-426

Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria: one randomized controlled trial, two time series analyses, three controlled before and after studies, five uncontrolled before and after studies, two retrospective observational studies, and two prospective observational studies. Studies were heterogeneous in quality; thus, meta-analysis was not feasible.

Thirteen studies examined prehospital delay, with ten studies reporting a significant reduction in delay times, with a varied magnitude of effect. Eight studies examined thrombolysis rates, with only three studies reporting a statistically significant increase in thrombolysis administration. Five studies examined ambulance usage, and four reported a statistically significant increase in ambulance transports following the intervention. Three studies examining ED presentations reported significantly increased ED presentations following intervention.

Public educational interventions varied widely on type, duration, and content, with description of intervention development largely absent from studies, limiting the potential replication of successful interventions.

The authors conclude that positive intervention effects were reported in the majority of studies; however, methodological weaknesses evident in a number of studies limited the generalisability of the observed effects. Reporting of specific intervention design was suboptimal and impeded the identification of key intervention components for reducing patient delay. They go on to say that studies incorporating a rigorous study design are required to strengthen the evidence for public interventions to reduce patient delay in stroke. 

This is an open access article and can be read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PROM.S54087

Mellon, L., et al. (2015). Stroke warning campaigns: Delivering better patient outcomes? A systematic review. Patient Related Outcome Measures, 6, 61-73.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says the 2015 rheumatic fever awareness raising campaign gets underway from today.

“Rheumatic fever is a serious disease which starts with a sore throat and can lead to lifelong heart problems,” says Dr Coleman.

“The Government is investing more than $65 million over six years to combat New Zealand’s rheumatic fever rates.

“More cases of rheumatic fever are now being identified and treated as a result of families having a better understanding of the disease. The latest figures show a 14 per cent decrease in first episode rheumatic fever hospitalisations since 2012.

“More than 16,600 children most at risk of developing rheumatic fever have had their sore throat checked at a drop-in clinic in the past year. This is in addition to the children being assessed and treated through the school-based programme which operates in over 200 North Island schools.”

The 2015 rheumatic fever awareness raising national campaign starts today with television and online advertising, followed by targeted regional radio advertising next week.

Other campaign components include animated banners on digital screen networks in targeted stores and venues throughout parts of the North Island, as well as a letterbox drop in targeted regions.

More information about the campaign can be found at: www.rheumaticfever.health.govt.nz.

The National Stroke Foundation of Australia has run 12 public awareness campaigns since 2004. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of campaigns on calls to ambulance for stroke across Australia in exposed regions.

A MAMAgram – is that like a Strip-a-gram? Radio adverts playing on The Hits and Coast around Waikato at the moment pose that interesting question. The answer? Well….no.

A Waikato promotion campaign was launched this week using Facebook and radio to encourage daughters to speak to their mothers about breast screening mammogram checks – and gives them the chance to win prizes.

It centres around a Facebook page My MAMAgram (www.Facebook.com/mymamagram) aimed at Waikato women who are not yet enrolled in the national breast screening programme or who have not had a mammogram in the past two years.

A mammogram is a simple, free digital x-ray of both breasts to look for any early signs of breast cancer. All women who are eligible for public health services and between 45 and 69 years old can get a free mammogram every two years.

“We have taken a fresh approach to this campaign to reach out to these women and their daughters so they see breast screening in a different light,” said Waikato DHB screening services manager Clare Coles.

That approach involves a good-humoured radio adverts playing on The Coast and The Hits (click on the play button under the featured photo), plus social media postings, a selfie competition and a prize-winning random draw for all eligible Waikato women who have a mammogram between 20 April and 20 June.

She said the rates for mammograms in the Hamilton area were lower than for other parts of the Waikato, and Maori and Pasifika women also have lower rates. “We have two screening sites available at Anglesea Women’s Clinic and Waiora Waikato hospital campus for women who live or work in the Hamilton area.

“All they need to do is ring 0800 270 200 to enrol or book an appointment.”

BreastScreen Midland provides breast screening to eligible women living in the Waikato, Lakes and Bay of Plenty district health board areas.  Rural areas are well served by mobile screening units on scheduled visits. To find out where you can go for a mammogram, anywhere it New Zealand, visitwww.nsu.govt.nz/breastscreen-aotearoa/where-have-mammogram

Many women put off having a mammogram because they fear the results or have heard that it hurts. In some cases they feel awkward about exposing their breasts to someone they don’t know.

“Through this campaign we can reassure them what really happens in a mammogram and that their privacy is very much respected. Our staff are wonderful and the process is all over in 10 minutes. You can bring someone along with you – perhaps a friend or a daughter – if that makes it easier.”

For some women it can be sore for a moment, but for many it is just a little bit uncomfortable, that’s all.

“Knowing you are clear of breast cancer is peace of mind for a woman and her family. If something is picked up, it can be dealt early on with a much better rate of successful treatment,” Clare Coles explained.

Of every 1000 women aged 50 to 69 in the national breast screening programme, about 950 will get a clear result, two thirds immediately and the rest after some further assessment.

To read the full story on the Health Research Council's website, go to:  http://www.hrc.govt.nz/news-and-publications/news-media#drawing-on-matāuranga-māori-to-promote-health-and-well-being

The Healthy Families section on the Ministry of Health website describes the programme and its implementation.

"Findings include (i) the intersections of ethnicity and demographic variables such as age and gender highlight the different ways in which people interact, interpret and participate in adapted interventions; (ii) the representational elements of ethnicity such as ancestry or religion are more complexly lived than they are defined in adapted interventions and (iii) the contextual experiences surrounding ethnicity considerations shape the receptivity, durability and continuity of adapted interventions". The authors discuss the implications of these findings.

Now available in free full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dau105 

Liu, J.J., et al. (2016). Adapting health promotion interventions for ethnic minority groups: A qualitative study. Health Promotion International, 31(2), 325-334.

In the latest issue (attached below): 

• Ireland shows the way with plain packaging tobacco law
• Challenge to NZ after 10 years of global tobacco control
• ASH: Plain packaging update
• 'A wake-up call': Smoking to kill 1.8 million Australians, or two-thirds of smokers
• Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 – will you be smokefree in 10 years?
• Huge backing for smokefree cars
• Local push for smokefree cars
• John Oliver gives PMI a lesson in marketing
• Quitting smoking improves mental health
• Bylaw considered in Palmerston North, your submission needed
• New videos shed light on health promotion in New Zealand
• Seminars, conferences and training opportunities
• Health Improvement & Innovation Resource Centre resources
• Recent research
• Smokefree shorts
• Quotable quotes

It is available to view at: http://www.sfc.org.nz/tcu/TCU264.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAbcTT-qRLo&feature=youtu.be

To download or order hard copies of Ministry of Health resources, go to the HealthEd website: https://www.healthed.govt.nz

To view the website, go to:  http://www.vizhealth.org/

To read more about this project, go to:  http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2015/01/visualizing-health--a-new-website.html

New research reveals only 1 in 2 people (55%) would visit their doctor if they had heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more.

A national ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaign is launched today (26 January 2015) urging people to visit their doctor if they have heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more, as this can be a sign of oesophageal or stomach cancer.

The campaign launch coincides with results of a new survey commissioned by Public Health England, which reveals only 1 in 2 people (55%) would visit their doctor if they had heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more.

Early diagnosis of oesophageal or stomach cancer (also known as oesophago-gastric cancers) is crucial and means treatment is more likely to be successful. Around 67% of people diagnosed with oesophago-gastric cancers at the earliest stage survive for at least 5 years. This figure drops to around 3% for those diagnosed at a late stage.

According to the survey findings, 59% of respondents did not know that heartburn could be a sign of cancer with just 15% saying they were certain that it is a symptom.

Another symptom highlighted by the campaign is that of difficulty swallowing food. Here the survey found that 70% did not know food sticking in the throat could be a sign of cancer, and just 13% of those surveyed said they were sure it is a symptom.

Latest figures released by Public Health England reveal that around 12,900 people in England are diagnosed with oesophago-gastric cancers each year, with approximately 10,200 people dying from these diseases annually. This equates to 28 people dying from either oesophageal or stomach cancer every day.

Oesophago-gastric cancers are the fourth and fifth most common cause of cancer death in men and women respectively.

It has been estimated that around 950 lives could be saved in England each year if our survival rates for oesophago-gastric cancers matched the best in Europe.

The UK, with the Netherlands, has the joint highest incidence rate of oesophageal cancer in males in the European Union and the highest incidence rate of oesophageal cancer in females in the European Union. This may be due to smoking, low consumption of fruit and vegetables over time, rising obesity levels and consuming alcohol on a regular basis.

Of those diagnosed with oesophago-gastric cancers, more than 9 out of 10 people are over the age of 50, making this the target age group for the campaign.

Baroness Gail Rebuck, Chair of Penguin Random House UK, lost her husband Philip Gould to oesophageal cancer 3 years ago:

I understand from personal experience the devastating impact that oesophageal cancer can have. I lost my husband Philip Gould to this cancer in 2011 when he was just 61. I personally want to raise awareness of the symptoms and how important it is to go to the doctor if you have them. What we see from the statistics is the earlier the cancer is caught, the better the chances of survival.

Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England, explains the importance of this awareness activity:

People may be reluctant to visit their doctor about persistent heartburn, thinking that it’s something they just have to live with. But heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more could be a sign of cancer. The earlier cancer is diagnosed, the higher the chance of survival. If we’re to improve early diagnosis rates, we need to encourage people with symptoms to go to their doctor, which is what this latest Be Clear on Cancer campaign aims to do.

Sean Duffy, National Clinical Director for Cancer at NHS England, said:

Early diagnosis of cancer is absolutely critical to improving survival. Part of this is helping people understand what symptoms to look out for, which is why campaigns like this are so important. Patients with possible early signs and symptoms should visit their GP so where necessary they can be referred for tests, and treatment can start quickly. Early diagnosis is a key focus for us and will form part of the NHS’s new 5 year strategy for cancer, currently being developed by an independent taskforce.

Professor Michael Griffin, Professor of Surgery, Northern Oesophago-gastric Unit, said:

Around 10,200 people in England die from either oesophageal or stomach cancer each year. Earlier diagnosis makes curative treatment possible and could potentially save hundreds of lives. Cancer campaigns like this, which encourage people to speak to their doctor if they have heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more, are vital. You won’t be wasting your doctor’s time. You will either get reassurance that it isn’t cancer, or if it is, you will have a better chance of successful treatment.

The 4-week campaign will see adverts running nationally throughout England on TV, radio and in the press with events taking place at a number of shopping centres across the country. For further information about the signs and symptoms of oesophageal and stomach cancers, please visit nhs.uk/ogcancer.

To view the videos, go to:  http://www.bopdhb.govt.nz/health-advice/immunise-on-time-every-time/#sthash.nxPxtpHm.dpbs

"Five themes emerged: access to healthcare information, peer support and networking, risk and benefits of social network site use in care delivery, overcoming technological barriers, and social network site interventions". 

This review is available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000113

Francomano, J. & Harpin, S. (2015). Utilizing social networking sites to promote adolescents’ health: A pragmatic review of the literature. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 33(1), 10-20.

Four leading professional population health organisations in Australasia are jointly organising and sponsoring this public health event. 

For further information about this event, go to:  http://www.populationhealthcongress.org.au/

In this cost effectiveness analysis, the authors find that Tips saved about 179,099 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) "...  and prevented 17,109 premature deaths in the U.S. With the campaign cost of roughly $48 million, Tips spent approximately $480 per quitter, $2,819 per premature death averted, $393 per LY saved, and $268 per QALY gained". They conclude that Tips was highly cost-effective.

This article is available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.10.011

Xu, X., et al. (2015). A cost-effectiveness analysis of the first federally funded antismoking campaign. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 48(3), 318–325

To evaluate the campaign's impact, data were analysed for various metrics covering public awareness of symptoms and process measures, through to diagnosis, staging, treatment and 1-year survival (available for regional pilot only).

Compared with the same time in the previous year, there were significant increases in metrics including: public awareness of persistent cough as a lung cancer symptom; urgent GP referrals for suspected lung cancer; and lung cancers diagnosed. Most encouragingly, there was a 3.1 percentage point increase (P<0.001) in proportion of non-small cell lung cancer diagnosed at stage I and a 2.3 percentage point increase (P<0.001) in resections for patients seen during the national campaign, with no evidence these proportions changed during the control period (P=0.404, 0.425).

The authors note that, to their knowledge, the data are the first to suggest a shift in stage distribution following an awareness campaign for lung cancer. It is possible a sustained increase in resections may lead to improved long-term survival.

This is an open access article and is available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2014.596

Ironmonger, L., et al. (2015). An evaluation of the impact of large-scale interventions to raise public awareness of a lung cancer symptom. British Journal of Cancer, 112, 207–216.

"At each wave, between 26% and 31% of the sample reported having read HWL package inserts at least once in the prior month. Smokers who read them were more likely to be younger, female, have higher income, intend to quit, have recently tried to quit, and thought more frequently about health risks because of warning labels. Smokers who read the inserts a few times or more in the past month were more likely to make a quit attempt at the subsequent wave compared to smokers who did not read the inserts".

The authors discuss the implications of these findings.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu246 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Thrasher, J.F., et al. (2015). The use of cigarette package inserts to supplement pictorial health warnings: An evaluation of the Canadian policy. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(7):870-875

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga say a collection of short films will help raise awareness about rheumatic fever.

“Rheumatic fever is a serious disease which starts with a sore throat and can lead to lifelong heart, joint, skin and nerve problems,” says Dr Coleman.

“The Government has set a target of reducing the rates of rheumatic fever by two-thirds by 2017. To achieve this we have invested more than $65 million over six years to fight the disease.

“This collection of short films made by students is a good example of the excellent work going on across the country.”

Auckland’s James Cook High School, Mt Roskill Grammar, Kelston Boys High School, Tamaki College and two community youth groups have each made a short film, all are available via YouTube.

The project is a partnership between the Ministry of Health’s Rheumatic Fever Prevention Programme and the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs.

“As well as boosting young people’s knowledge on the risks and symptoms of rheumatic fever, the project also showcases the creative talent of budding young filmmakers with students able to gain NCEA credits for completing their films,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga.

“This project is a good example of the Ministries of Health and Pacific Island Affairs working together to improve outcomes for at-risk Pacific and Māori young people.”

Southern District Health Board is launching a project named “mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei (for us and those after us)” This smokefree leadership poster series features  a number of Southern District Health Board and WellSouth Primary Health Network staff, with each poster accompanied by personal anecdotes.

The purpose of this poster series is to promote smokefree leadership within healthcare settings, by personalising a commitment to smokefree in primary and secondary care.  This has been achieved through stories shared that provide a focus and resource for ongoing smokefree activities as we progress towards New Zealand being smokefree by 2025.

Healthcare professionals from across the southern district (including professionals from primary care, paediatrics, mental health, surgical and respiratory disciplines) share why smokefree is important to them and their support for Southern DHB’s commitment to the national 2025 goal.  The exhibition aims to  create a smokefree culture that extends beyond the current national Health Target (Better Help for Smokers to Quit).

Smoking continues to be a major public health problem in New Zealand causing the deaths of approximately 5,000 New Zealanders every year.  The 2014 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health highlights that the list of illnesses caused by smoking has grown and now includes diabetes, colorectal cancer and liver cancer and for the first time, women are as likely as men to die from many of the diseases caused by smoking.  These include lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart disease.  Cigarette smoking makes people less healthy, reduces quality of life and is a major determinant of health inequalities.

“The 2013 census data from Statistics New Zealand show that smoking prevalence is 15% (down from 23% in 2006) which is very encouraging.  The majority of people who smoke want to stop and appreciate help from their healthcare workers.

“The smokefree leadership poster series aims to raise the awareness of smokefree in a healthcare environment and create a culture of smokefree led by these champions and the many other smokefree champions we have in the primary and secondary healthcare setting,” said Southern DHB Smokefree Co-ordinator, Debby Newton.

For more information about quitting smoking go to the Public Health South website about smokefree here

Posters will be launched on:

Monday 8th December                                                                   Tuesday 9th December

Southland Hospital (outside the cafe)                                     Dunedin Hospital (by enquiries desk)

5.30 pm                                                                                                5.30 pm

Following the launch the posters will be distributed to all Otago and Southland hospitals and General Practices.

Available to download and read in free full text at: http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/review-tobacco-control-services

SHORE & Whariki Research Centre (2014). Review of tobacco control services. Wellington: Ministry of Health

The authors report on health and health care use; health care costs and access; timeliness of care; care coordination and safety; doctor-patient relationship; health promotion; end-of-life planning; and management of chronic conditions and caregiving.

The article is available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0947

Osborn, R., et al. (2014). International survey of older adults investigates access, coordination, and patient-centered care. Health Affiars, 33(12), 2247-2255

This is one of two reviews on communication interventions for childhood vaccination. The companion review focuses on face-to-face interventions for informing or educating parents.

"The review found two studies. The first study took place in India. Here, families, teachers, children and village leaders were encouraged to attend information meetings where they were given information about childhood vaccination and could ask questions. Posters and leaflets were also distributed in the community. The second study was from Pakistan. Here, people who were considered to be trusted in the community were invited to meetings where they discussed the current rates of vaccine coverage in their community and the costs and benefits of childhood vaccination. They were also asked to develop local action plans, to share the information they had been given and continue the discussions with households in their communities".

The authors conclude that there is "... limited evidence that interventions aimed at communities to inform and educate about early childhood vaccination may improve attitudes towards vaccination and probably increase vaccination uptake under some circumstances. However, some of these interventions may be resource intensive when implemented on a large scale and further rigorous evaluations are needed. These interventions may achieve most benefit when targeted to areas or groups that have low childhood vaccination rates.’"

This article is available to dowwnload and read in free full text at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010232.pub2/full

Saeterdal I., Lewin S., Austvoll-Dahlgren A., Glenton C., Munabi-Babigumira S. (2014). Interventions aimed at communities to inform and/or educate about early childhood vaccination. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11, CD010232.

The Fono, which provides healthcare and community services across four Auckland locations, has launched a new service, Pacific Maternal and Infant Nutrition, to combat the markedly higher prevalence of obesity compared to the total population.

A large proportion of Pacific peoples' health disparity is due to their high chronic disease burden, particularly for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Almost 1 in 3 adults in New Zealand were found to be obese in the 2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey (Ministry of Health). 68% of Pacific adults were found to be obese with 27% of Pacific children already faced with obesity.

To read the full media release on Scoop, go to: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1411/S00055/the-fono-spreads-healthy-babies-healthy-families-message.htm

Participants were 32 people with at least one LTC (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, asthma and coronary heart disease) and 10 practitioners. Consultations between patients with LTCs and health-care practitioners were audio-recorded. Semi-structured interviews were completed with patients and practitioners, using stimulated recall. Patients were re-interviewed 3 months later. 

Behaviour change talk in consultations was rare and, when it occurred, was characterised by deflection and diffidence on the part of practitioners. Patient motivation tended to be unaddressed. While practitioners positioned behaviour change work as outside their remit, patients felt uncertain about, yet responsible for, this work. Practitioners raised concerns that this work could damage other aspects of care, particularly the patient–practitioner relationship.

The autors conclude that behaviour change work is often deflected or deferred by practitioners in consultations, who nevertheless vocalise support for its importance in interviews. 

This is an open access article and can be downloaded and read in free full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.12304

Hunter, C., Chew-Graham, C. A., Langer, S., Drinkwater, J., Stenhoff, A., Guthrie, E. A. and Salmon, P. (2014). ‘I wouldn't push that further because I don't want to lose her’: A multiperspective qualitative study of behaviour change for long-term conditions in primary care. Health Expectations, 7 November [Epub before print].

Around 5100 smokers signed up to www.stoptobernz.co.nz and organisers say many more, prompted by the campaign, will have chosen to go it alone unofficially.

Stoptober campaign manager, Stephanie Erick says the month has been hugely successful with strong support from health professionals and smokers have embraced the idea of doing it together.

To read the full media release from Stoptober, go to: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1410/S00180/inaugural-stoptober-delivers-smoke-free-life-for-thousands.htm

Many people do not realise that thrombosis - a blood clot - causes most of the world’s top three cardiovascular killers: heart attack, stroke and venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Lakes DHB VTE Prevention Nurse Lesley Everest recognised World Thrombosis Day (Monday 13 October) with a stand in Rotorua Hospital’s atrium to educate patients and visitors and raise awareness of this under recognised and largely avoidable condition. The aim of World Thrombosis Day is to make individuals aware of VTE and how it can be prevented and treated.

Lesley Everest says a significant amount of work has been done at Lakes DHB over the last few years and Lakes DHB’s VTE programme is leading the way with the assessment and management of VTE at Rotorua Hospital.

“I am really happy to have the chance to educate the public about this and remind staff why we are so driven with this programme. In the last two years at Lakes we have halved our VTE event rates by increasing awareness in our staff and patients and by completing risk assessments at time of admission along with the help of our allied health teams in getting patients safely out of bed and mobilised early,” Lesley says.

In hospitals, the key to prevention of VTE is assessing patients’ risk, monitoring them and administering prophylactic medicine treatments to those patients with elevated risk. Fortunately there are many very effective therapies to prevent and treat VTE, Lesley says.

Blood clotting or coagulation is a natural function that prevents excessive bleeding when blood vessel walls are injured. However, sometimes clotting occurs in the absence of injury due to a variety of reasons, such as impaired blood flow or pooling of blood, damage to the interior wall of a blood vessel and excessive activation of blood clotting factors.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) starts with the formation of an abnormal blood clot in a deep vein of the leg (though infrequently a vein in other parts of the body), a condition called deep vein thrombosis. If all or part of the clot breaks free and subsequently enters the arteries of the lungs—it is now called a pulmonary embolism (PE)—a medical emergency ensues and unless the person receives immediate medical attention, the results can be deadly. Nearly 25 per cent of PEs are fatal and the lethality of subsequent PEs is higher than the initial episode. A person is at heightened risk even months following the initial event.

Sometimes a VTE seemingly occurs at random and no one is totally immune from them regardless of age or health condition. There are, however, groups for whom risk is higher than the population generally. An estimated two thirds to three quarters of cases occur in hospital or shortly upon discharge. In fact, pulmonary embolism is the third most common cause of death in hospital and the leading cause of preventable death there.

Apart from the immobilisation caused by a hospital stay, certain surgeries such as hip or knee replacement increase the VTE odds further. Prolonged immobilization from travel can also lead to VTE and cancer and cancer therapies also heighten risk.

Less common risk factors are pregnancy (though uncommon, VTE is the leading cause of maternal death); the use of estrogen-containing medicines (especially if coupled with cigarette smoking) and obesity. 
As with many diseases, age also plays a significant role. While the chances of VTE are 2.3 per 1,000 in people aged 18 to 65, the risk soars to 13.8 per 1,000 in people over age 65.

With VTE, genetics also contributes to the risk pool. People with a family history of the disorder are at heightened risk as are people with uncommon protein deficiencies and other inherited traits.

While the majority of VTEs are hospital related, many occur in people who have not been hospitalised and it is important that everyone – both the public and health care professionals - be aware of the warning signs.

For those who have been immobilised, such as undertaking a long journey, knowing what to look out for could be a matter of life and death. If one experiences pain and swelling in a leg, if it is discoloured, especially after a long period of immobilisation, it is essential to check with a health care professional. The sooner treatment starts, the better the odds of recovery. 

Click here for more information see:www.worldthrombosisday.org

Hauraki health promoter Carrie Taipari (Ngati Maru, Ngati Mahuta, Ngati Makirangi) has been named this year’s winner of the Public Health Association’s Tu Rangatira mo te Ora Award for her leadership in being a role model for the rangatahi and whānau in her rohe.

The award is given each year to an individual, whānau, hapu or iwi group who has made a significant contribution to Māori hauora. Past recipients have included the Associate Health Minister Hon Tariana Turia.

In nominating Ms Taipari Sue Milburn said she has given unstintingly of her skill and personal resources and is passionate about tikanga, and whānau health and development.

Carrie works as a health promoter in sexual health, nutrition and physical activity with a focus on rangatahi. She has implemented taonga takaro (traditional Māori games) into the curriculum of both primary and secondary schools in Hauraki, and has achieved NCEA accreditation for the high school units.

In 2013 one local high school asked her to work alongside a group of rangatahi. “She developed a year-long programme, based on waka ama and tikanga that also gave the students life skills, self-esteem and successes as well as NCEA credits for their efforts,” Ms Milburn said.

Carries says she is amazed, humbled and honoured to receive this award. “I do things quietly and never expected to be honoured in this way. I'm thankful to all the whānau and rangatahi, and to all those I've had the privilege of working alongside. They're
what this award is all about.”

Carrie explains her passion for tikanga by quoting Dr Erima Henare who said that first and foremost we have to embrace what makes us who we are, go back into ourselves, back to our culture in order to be able to look out.

“I have been doing just that for the last three years,” Carrie says “Since I returned to my ūkaipō in Hauraki I have learnt about myself, developing connections with my iwi and my community. I now know more than I ever did before what it means to be Māori, and what intrinsic value embracing tikanga and te ao Māori has for our rangatahi and whānau.

“Through the mahi and the approach taken I have seen what a difference it makes in helping our people make meaningful change to reach a fuller state of ora. Successful health promotion for Māori, incorporates, respects and embraces tikanga and te ao Māori, otherwise it’s just not authentic and it doesn’t work.”

She says hauora is an area that is not isolated and contained by itself, but that it is connected intricately to every facet of life. “If I do my mahi passionately and zone in on hauora and potentiating ora, the rewards for our whānau are far-reaching. Being passionate about my mahi, about hauora, builds confidence, increases capabilities and aspirations, and builds experiences that reach out and affect so many aspects of the lives of rangatahi and those of their whānau and communities.”

She says that if she had just one message for rangatahi it would be that ora gains are life gains and legacies are left by those who seek to gain and give all they can. “Seek ora, so that you may live your legacy. Always remember first and foremost – “He Māori
koe – ko tō ngākau ki ngā taonga o ō tïpuna hei tikitiki mō tō māhunga.”

Cross-sectional school-based surveys of students aged 13–17 years residing in urban centers were conducted prior to GHWL introduction and 6 months, 2 years, and 5 years post-GHWL introduction. Based on the results of their analysis, the authors conclude that "when novel, GHWL on cigarette packs increase cognitive processing among adolescents. However, this effect diminishes after 5 years, suggesting more regular message refreshment is needed".

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu184 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Whte, V., et al. (2014). Graphic health warnings on cigarette packs: How long before the effects on adolescents wear out? Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 19 September [Epub before print]

APJPH publishes original articles on public health related issues, including implications for practical applications to professional education and services for public health and primary health care that are of concern and relevance to the Asia-Pacific region.

"There were 2034 invitees in the telephone intervention practices, 1852 in the face-to-face intervention practices and 5227 in the comparison practices". Based on the results of the study, the authors conclude that "personally delivered health promotion improved uptake of bowel cancer screening in areas of low socio-economic status and high ethnic diversity. The intervention by telephone appears to be the most effective method".

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2014.363 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Shankleman, J., et al. (2014). Evaluation of a service intervention to improve awareness and uptake of bowel cancer screening in ethnically-diverse areas. British Journal of Cancer, 111, 1440-1447.

In August 2013, the authors searched Facebook and three top Internet search engines using smoking cessation keywords to identify relevant Facebook apps. Resultant apps were screened for eligibility (smoking cessation-related, English language, and functioning). Eligible apps were reviewed by 2 independent coders using a standardized coding scheme. Coding included content features (interactive, informational, and social) and adherence to an established 20-item index (possible score 0-40) derived from the US Public Health Service’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence.

Twenty-two apps were screened for eligibility. Of these, 12 underwent full coding. Only 9 apps were available on Facebook. Facebook apps fell into three broad categories: public pledge to quit (n=3), quit-date–based calculator/tracker (n=4), or a multicomponent quit smoking program (n=2). All apps incorporated interactive, informational, and social features except for two quit-date–based calculator/trackers apps (lacked informational component). All apps allowed app-related posting within Facebook (ie, on self/other Facebook profile), and four had a within-app “community” feature to enable app users to communicate with each other. Adherence index summary scores among Facebook apps were low overall (mean 15.1, SD 7.8, range 7-30), with multicomponent apps scoring the highest.

The authors conclude that there are few smoking cessation apps available within Facebook. Among those available, adherence to cessation treatment guidelines was low. Smoking cessation interventions provided via the Facebook platform are a unique and as yet untapped treatment strategy that can harness existing social support and social networks for quitting. Research is needed to examine whether apps that adhere to clinical practice guidelines for tobacco dependence treatment are more effective in promoting cessation than those that do not.

This is an open access article and is available to read in full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3491

Jacobs, M.A., et al. (2014). Facebook apps for smoking cessation: A review of content and adherence to evidence-based guidelines. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(9), e205.

You can now access HealthEd anywhere, anytime as the site has been made responsive, meaning you can view it across various mobile devices, eg, Smartphones, tablets, iPads.

To ensure HealthEd is accessible to all New Zealanders, the site is now providing a range of resources in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) for the Deaf community. These resources are a pilot to test the uptake for further evaluation.

For further detail ablout these changes, go to:  https://www.healthed.govt.nz/article/refreshed-healthed-website

To read the full media release from the National Influenza Strategy Group, go to the NZ Doctor website: http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/un-doctored/2014/august-2014/29/influenza-immunisation-campaign-wins-top-marketing-award.aspx

This focus group was made up of 14 participants who all had Type 2 diabetes, with a number of the group having had the disease for over 20 years. All of the participants were of South Asian ethnicity and either in their later working years or their retirement.

The most common themes in this group included the lack of information appropriate to the Indian diet and exercise, the cultural barriers faced regarding accepting and managing their diabetes and the types of support received and services available in their area.

One participant described, “Even saying ‘Eat less carbohydrates’ means absolutely nothing to an 80 year old Indian woman. What are carbohydrates? Why not tell her to just eat half her roti instead?’”

Another member added, “The medical system here has no understanding of Indian culture at all. The advice they give just doesn’t work for us. It’s about acknowledging that we eat rice and japarti. Just being told ‘don’t’ doesn’t help. We need to be told what we can eat or how we can observe our traditions and culture in a healthy way.”

Indian cooking is also done collectively. “One downside of that is it feels like it’s too much trouble to cook something separate for yourself so you end up thinking ‘oh well, I’ll just have a little…,’” added another partipant.

Nutritional advice that has been specifically referenced in Indian culture would be very helpful. “We need to have advice about how to manage diabetes even though our culture eats rice. Something similar to the Ministry’s plate portions and other nutritional advice – how do you translate that into an Indian context?” asked one of the participants.

There were also cultural barriers including encouraging diabetics to exercise. Many Indians feel embarrassed to go to a gym or swimming pool. “Indian people are never going to go - we wear saris. There should be an exercise programme especially for Indian people.”

The change in culture from Indian to New Zealand is also a challenge. “Back home a lot of us came from farms so our exercise was a lot more regular. Here we just tend to stay in our homes. We don’t walk and our jobs aren’t active,” added another participant.

Other cultural barriers faced included the influence of family. “You can tell people anything they need to know but they will go home and do nothing if it means conflicting with their family. It is very much a collective decision, not an individual one. You need to reach the whole family.”

Another participant agreed, “Family plays a huge role in the life of the South Asian. It is a huge influence that can be both positive and negative.”

Some of the group also mentioned that because so many people have got diabetes it is almost normalised in their culture and viewed as inevitable. It becomes a barrier to prevention when people they think there is nothing they can do. It’s hard to even get them to try.

Some logistical barriers they faced were the availability of support services in their area. Diabetes NZ is based in Mt Eden and one of the participants said, “Indian people are not comfortable going there. It’s intimidating for us. If there was something more local or it was in Hindu or Punjabi, that would be better.”

Gaining access to services like the diabetes clinic was also a challenge depending on your health status. “Why is it that you have to wait until things get really bad before you can access the useful support?” asked one participant. “If we could get that earlier that would help prevent things better.”

One of the health workers who helped host the group, a nurse that worked in Greenlane, said, “I am the only Indian nurse available who speaks Hindi. Auckland DHB provides ethnic programmes but they need to be offered in other areas where there are high Indian populations. It should be standardised.”

Another participant added that they needed more help than just from their GP. “Just giving us medication and a prescription doesn’t help – they are not diabetes specialists. Plus there isn’t enough time to talk to them.”

Another participant added, “There are asthma nurses that see patients regularly on a one-to-one basis but there is nothing like that for diabetes.”

“When people are diagnosed with a chronic disease, their next appointment after the GP should be with a specialist for their condition. Chronic conditions need separate monitoring rather than just with the GP.”

One of the participants was himself a doctor and he admitted that he previously had poor notions of what a good diet was. “When I attended the programme run by a Diabetes Educator and Nutritionist who is also Indian, it made much more sense.”

Other cultural issues also come into play. “In our culture we put it on the doctor – we treat our doctors and priests like gods and put everything on them. But this is our diabetes! We need to take control.”

There is also a perception that insulin is very bad. “If you are on insulin, it is seen that your diabetes in deteriorating and you will die. There is also an anxiety about hypos – people fear dying in their sleep.”

Another participant added “People think once you are on insulin it becomes addictive and you are hooked like with morphine.”

The session was concluded with a discussion about some of the volunteer workers who give their time and support to the community for free. There are a number of very willing volunteers who just need some additional support. It was suggested this is something that could be utilised, supported and recognised much more actively.

Key recommendations based on this focus group include:

• Providing support services and education for patients and their families in Hindi or Punjabi
• Nutritional advice that has been specifically referenced in Indian culture for both health professionals and diabetics, especially with regard to their food
• Support to identify and implement ways to engage in physical activity that are appropriate to their culture in terms of dress code, environment, location, collective vs individual in nature etc.
• Support to change the misinterpretation of insulin
• Approaches to health information and advice that incorporate the entire family and address the perceived inevitability (and therefore apathy) towards diabetes

Nineteen studies were included and the authors found "... some evidence that text messaging, accessing immunization campaign websites, using patient-held web-based portals and computerized reminders increase immunization coverage rates. Insufficient evidence is available on the use of social networks, email communication and smartphone applications".

The authors conclude that further rigorous research is needed.

To read the full abstract for this paper, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: https://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/vaccines/article/34313/?nocache=2112940536 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Odone, A., et al. (2015). Effectiveness of interventions that apply new media to improve vaccine uptake and vaccine coverage. Human Vaccines, 11(1). 

In this study, data collection was completed using a two-part online survey. In the first part, health care providers identified their use of different technologies for receiving information and provided input on the message components most important in a public health message. In the second part, health care providers participated in an exercise in which they shortened three public health emergency messages, ranging from 2024-2828 characters per message, to meet the 160-character limitation for text delivery. Results were analyzed to determine associations between provider types, age ranges, gender, access to various media (text, email, fax, social media, etc.), and smart phone ownership.

The following components were most frequently selected as essential for a public health message: Topic, Recommendation, Geographic Location, Signs & Symptoms, Population Affected, and Link to Additional Information. There was no statistically significant association between message component selection and provider type, age ranges, or gender. In the message conversion exercise, the authors found a statistically significant association between providers who reported receiving information by SMS and/or smart phone ownership and including a link to additional information in the converted message, ranging from 61% to over 72% on a per message analysis.

The authors note that a substantive recommendation derived from this study is that public health agencies include a link to additional website information when sending messages in SMS format. They go on to say that SMS could be a useful public health tool for communicating with health care providers but further investigation of how to effectively use SMS and other mobile technologies is needed to inform public health decisions regarding adoption of messaging systems utilizing these newer technologies.

This is an open access article and is available to download and read in full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-7-514

Revere, D., et al. (2014). How 2 txt: An exploration of crafting public health messages in SMS. BMC Research Notes, 7:514.

The latest edition of the Tobacco Control Update has just been published by the Smokefree Coalition. The issue includes:

This discussion paper was commissioned by the Health Promotion Forum under its Occasional Paper series.

The paper is available to read in full text at:  http://www.hauora.co.nz/assets/files/Occasional%20Papers/Matapoto%20pea%20Lotopoto%20%20-%20awaiting%20clarifications%20from%20Sione.pdf

Tu'itahi, S. (2014). Matapoto pea Lotopoto: Exploring intelligence and wisdom from a Tongan perspective for enhancing Pacific leadership in health, education and other sectors. Auckland: Health Promotion Forum.

This discussion paper was commissioned by the Health Promotion Forum under its Occasional Paper series.

The paper is available to read in full text at:  http://www.hauora.co.nz/assets/files/Occasional%20Papers/Developing%20a%20competent%20global%20health%20promotion%20workforce%20-%20pedagogy%20and%20practice%20-%20July%2014.pdf

Hall, C. (2014). Developing a competent global health promotion workforce: Pedagogy and practice. Auckland: Health Promotion Forum.

While there may be differences between parliamentary and central and local government consultation processes, this guide provides general advice that applies to many submission opportunities. In particular, the guide is designed to help you work with communities to identify their concerns and responses on a particular issue and prepare and deliver their own written and oral submissions.

To access the full text of this resource, go to: http://www.rph.org.nz/content/998812a2-37c9-4a30-a3f5-997f971eaece.cmr

The public will have seen the first batch of MidCentral District Health Board cars sporting brightly coloured health promotion messages that will be seen throughout its district in increasing numbers over coming months.

Health messages have been developed for use on the cars and these are around high priority areas, such as smoking cessation, alcohol awareness, hand hygiene, heart checks, healthy lifestyles, safe drinking, cervical screening and breast screening.

Some of the messages are in question form like: “Washed your hands lately?’ or ‘Unwell and need advice or help?” Answers are usually provided on who to contact eg 0800 numbers.

Other vehicles have health statements, like: ‘With kids, sore throats matter’ (promoting awareness of rheumatic fever), to ‘Family violence – it’s okay to ask for help’.

CEO Murray Georgel says MidCentral District Health Board makes no apology in promoting health messages in this way. Some of the health statements may seem blunt/direct, but the cars which travel all over the MDHB region carry many of the same messages seen on national and local advertising on television, radio and print media. This is just another way of getting our health messages out to the public. The car messages last longer than the other methods of advertising, and are out and about in our community we want to target.

Mr Georgel said: “We have a large fleet of pool vehicles, and which one a staff member takes out to see a client is really a matter of which car is available through the booking service, rather than one specific to the service the staff member belongs, or is providing a service for.

The authors analysed monthly cross-sectional surveys to investigate the effects of tobacco control television advertisements with positive and negative emotional content on adult smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption. Participants were 60 000 adults aged 18 years or over living in England and interviewed in the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey from 2004 to 2010.

The report presents information for each country related to their NCD mortality, risk factors and national systems capacity to prevent and control NCDs. The profiles include the number, rates and causes of deaths from NCDs and trends in NCD mortality since 2000; the prevalence of selected risk factors; and information describing current national responses to prevention and control of NCDs.

The full report as well as NCD profiles by country are available to download and read in full text at: http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd-profiles-2014/en/

World Health Organization (2014). Noncommunicable Diseases: Country Profiles 2014. Geneva: World Health Organization.

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice publishes in a wide range of population health topics including research to practice; emergency preparedness; bioterrorism; infectious disease surveillance; environmental health; community health assessment, chronic disease prevention and health promotion, and academic-practice linkages. 

It is also a tool for clinical leaders, managers and commissioners to develop services which use the knowledge and skills of healthcare practitioners to deliver the best health outcomes for the populations they serve.

This is the first release of the Framework, which has been developed with practitioners and leaders.

To view the Framework and associated resources, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/framework-for-personalised-care-and-population-health

Click here to download the toolkit

See other HHNZ guidance resources at: http://www.handhygiene.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=115

The authors identified 74 randomised trials of smoking cessation with follow-up of at least six months, where at least one arm tested a print-based self-help intervention. Based on the results of their analysis, they conclude that "standard, print-based self-help materials increase quit rates compared to no intervention, but the effect is likely to be small". They found no evidence of an additional benefit when they were used alongside other interventions such as advice from a healthcare professional. They do note that "materials that are tailored for individual smokers are more effective than non-tailored materials, although the absolute size of effect is still small".

This review is available to download and read in free full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001118.pub3

Hartmann-Boyce J, Lancaster T, Stead LF. Print-based self-help interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 6, CD001118.

The cost of living is not getting any cheaper in New Zealand. When tobacco addiction is added into the mix, the challenge to pay bills and keep food on the table is that much harder.

Quitting smoking saves money and for so many Tairawhiti families, staying ahead of the bills and keeping food on the table is a real challenge. For the 15% of New Zealanders that smoke the pressure can be even greater.

“For an average 10-a-day smoker, you’re looking at over $50 a week, $250 a month or $3000 a year going on smoking. This is a lot of money and it quickly starts to add up” Aporina Chapman, Tairawhiti District Health’s (TDH) tobacco control health promotion advisor explains.

“That’s equivalent to a block of cheese and two litres of milk, or public transport costs covered, each day – an extra tank of gas each week, your monthly phone and power bills combined or a trip to Australia and back for a family of four each year,” Ms Chapman adds.

May 31 is World Smokefree Day and TDH is encouraging smokers to make the most of the occasion and quit for good. The focus for this year’s World Smokefree Day is about quitting now and whānau taking control by supporting and encouraging each other to make it happen.

Services like Quitline provide a free service to quit smoking offering a quit pack and support over the phone, online and by text. There is also an increasing range of medical products and nicotine therapies available, from as little as $5 per product for an 8-week supply.

“World Smokefree Day is the perfect opportunity to quit. Trade in the cigarettes for a full tank of gas – literally and figuratively. Or pick up another loaf of bread, some milk and some cheese instead of that cigarette packet,” TDH’s chief executive Jim Green urges. “It’s about whānau and being there for future generations. Take up the challenge and take a step towards a smokefree Aotearoa and quit smoking on 31 May, World Smokefree Day.”

To read the full article on p.3 of the magazine, go to: http://www.northlanddhb.org.nz/Portals/0/Communications/Publications/NDHB_18908_PreScribe_April-May_2014_FINAL.pdf#page=3

The Smokefree May Quit Smoking Road Show coaches took to the road yesterday with the first stop in Cameron St Mall, Whangarei.

Hospital Smokefree facilitator Jan Marshall says the day was very successful with 82 smokers given brief advice and 31 of those signing with the Ngati Hine Aukati Kaipaipa team.

The Quit Road Show will be travelling to seven towns, finishing in Kaitaia - the day before World Smokefree Day (May 31). The Road Show is a combined effort of the Patu Puauahi group, made up of Aukati Kaipaipa, smoking cessation and Smokefree providers from throughout Te Tai Tokerau, aimed at getting more smokers to make quit attempts and setting them up with the right support.

To read the full news story on Voxy, go to: http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/smokefree-road-show-tours-northland/5/189191

All 4,500 staff across Southern DHB will be given a helping hand to keep patients even safer this week, with efforts and activities underway to help them implement the five steps of hand hygiene as part of a World Health Organisation (WHO) global hand hygiene campaign, kicking off May 5.

Special displays reminding staff that it “takes just five moments to change the world” will be put up around the DHB, and Infection Prevention and Control staff will be on hand to inform staff and patients about the importance of hand hygiene, which is vital to supporting good health, reducing the spread of infection and ultimately saving lives.

To read the full media release on Scoop, go to: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1405/S00009/dhb-staff-given-extra-helping-hand-to-keep-patients-safe.htm

Four out of ten people who took part in the Stroke Foundation’s annual blood pressure awareness campaign say they are taking action to control their blood pressure as a result. That is the startling finding of a follow up survey of participants who had their blood pressure tested in the October 2013 event.

“Normally it’s quite difficult for most health promotion campaigns to produce behaviour change,” said Stroke Foundation Health Promotion Manager Julia Rout on publishing the campaign evaluation report. “Improvements in people’s understanding or knowledge are common, but getting people to take action to improve their health is the Holy Grail of health promotion. Even if we can’t be certain everyone is really making changes this survey certainly shows that the messages about blood pressure and stroke are getting through to a high proportion of participants in our campaign.”

Nearly 20,000 shoppers had their blood pressure tested on 5 October 2013 at 168 different sites, mostly New World or PAK’nSAVE supermarkets. The tests were carried out by St John volunteers, assisted by Rotary. Wellington Free Ambulance volunteers also took part in the Wellington region for the first time.

A random sample of 367 shoppers who had their blood pressure tested were contacted nine weeks later and quizzed about the campaign. They were asked “Are you taking any action as a result of your blood pressure reading, or the information you received?” Forty per cent said they were.

The number of people who could recall their last blood pressure reading, or at least whether it was high or low, also increased for the third year in succession, rising from just 13 per cent in 2011 to 28 per cent in 2013.

“It’s really encouraging to see that the campaign is making an impact,” continued Julia Rout. “The aim is to encourage people to check their blood pressure regularly, know what their reading is, and understand the relationship between high blood pressure and stroke. More than 8 out of 10 participants said they understood that high blood pressure was a major risk factor for stroke. Even if we are cautious about what people say about their behaviour, taken together with the findings on recall of last test it still shows just how worthwhile this activity is.”

Invitations are being sent to all Foodstuffs supermarkets this week to participate in the 2014 campaign scheduled for Saturday 4 October.

Notes:

The Stroke Foundation of New Zealand, in partnership with St John, Wellington Free Ambulance, Rotary NZ and Foodstuffs, held its fifth national blood pressure awareness campaign on Saturday 5 October, 2013.

A full list of the results from each of the 168 venues is attached.

The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness amongst shoppers at Foodstuffs supermarkets (New World and PAK’nSAVE), and the general public visiting non-supermarket sites, about blood pressure, its relationship to stroke, and the importance of having regular blood pressure checks. Information packs and free blood pressure checks were offered to all participants between 10am and 2pm on the day. Data was collected to help inform the Stroke Foundation’s future activities.

Key results
• 40% of respondents in a follow-up survey indicated they were taking action as a result of their blood pressure reading or due to information received on campaign day.
• Over 80% of respondents in the same follow-up survey were able to identify ways to reduce their risk of stroke.
• More people had some idea of what their last blood pressure reading was when compared to previous years (28% recall in 2013 vs 20% in 2012 and 13% in 2011)
• 168 blood pressure testing sites participated on campaign day
• At least 20,000 shoppers visited the test sites
• The proportion of participants with blood pressure falling in the ‘normal’ and ‘raised’ ranges was similar to previous years.
• 13% of participants that took part on campaign were referred to a GP due to high readings
• 20% of participants indicated they were on blood pressure medication

Blood pressure readings
• Raised readings were those with 140 mm Hg systolic and/or 90 mm Hg diastolic; 8,102 participants (47%) had raised blood pressure readings, similar to 2012 (46.9%).
• 691 participants (4%) fell into the severe hypertension range (180 systolic and/or 100 diastolic).
• The average reading was 134/82, exactly the same as 2012.The highest systolic reading recorded was 231/133; the highest diastolic reading was 218/180.

Referrals to a GP or nurse
• 2,268 participants (13%) were referred to a GP or nurse as a result of a high blood pressure reading (to ensure proper medical assessment of apparently high readings).

Recall of information on campaign day
• 28% of participants indicated they could either recall or had some knowledge (e.g. high, normal, approximate) of what their last blood pressure reading was. This compares to 20% in 2012 and just 13% in 2011.
• Recall of when a participant’s blood pressure was last measured was similar to previous years (between 63 – 66% could say how long ago they last had a test).
• Over 80% of participants had a strong awareness of blood pressure being the major risk factor for stroke.

Gender
• 59.5% of participants were female; 39.5% were male
Ages
• 32% were aged between 20-49
• 66% were aged 50 and above

Ethnicity
• European 77.8%
• Maori 9.0%
• Pacifica 3.9%
• Asian 4.2%
• Indian 2.9%
• Other 1.8%

A full evaluation report on the 2013 campaign can be downloaded from http://www.stroke.org.nz/stroke-blood-pressure-campaign

The relationship between health and education forms the basis of the World Health Organization's (WHO’s) Health Promoting Schools (HPS) framework, an approach to promoting health in schools that addresses the whole school environment.

This review aimed to assess whether the HPS framework can improve students’ health and well-being and their performance at school. The review focused on a wide range of health promotion topics, including physical activity, nutrition, substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and drugs), bullying, violence, mental health, sexual health, hand-washing, cycle-helmet use, sun protection, eating disorders, and oral health.

Overall, the review found some evidence to suggest the HPS approach can produce improvements in certain areas of health, but there was not enough data to draw conclusions about its effectiveness for others. The authors concluded that more studies are needed to find out if this approach can improve other aspects of health and how students perform at school.

To read the full abstract, and for access to a free full text version of the article, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008958.pub2

Assesses the relative cost-effectiveness of various non-television advertising media (including radio and online media) in encouraging 25–39 year-old male smokers to respond to a cessation-related call to action. It was found that, contrary to the current assumption that the use of a consistent message across multiple media is the most cost-effective way of reaching target audiences, the online-only campaign phase was substantially more cost-effective than the other phases.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1753-6405.12175/abstract or contact your DHB library, local or organisational library for assistance.

Clayforth, C., et al. (2014). A cost-effectiveness analysis of online, radio and print tobacco control advertisements targeting 25–39 year-old males. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health,  38: 270–274

• Changes in socioeconomic factors linked to mental health
• Advanced prostate cancer under-treated in NZ
• Non-attendance at rheumatology clinics
• Healthy neighbourhoods enhance youth health
• Pain reduction strategies in rheumatic fever management
• Healthy, sustainable food: who can afford it?
• Institutional racism within NZ health policy making
• Health promotion activities do make a difference
• Living on climate-changed country
• Māori experiences of aphasia therapy.

To subscribe to the Māori Health Review, go to: http://www.researchreview.co.nz/

Among individual respondents, each additional campaign exposure per week increased the likelihood of later reporting using help. This corresponded to a 5% increase in the use of help for those with average exposure relative to those with no exposure. Cross-sectional associations between individual campaign exposure and intentions to use help were consistent with these lagged findings. However, there was no evidence of population-level campaign effects on use of help.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2814%2900041-5/abstract or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Gibson, L. A., et al. (2014). Evaluation of a mass media campaign promoting using help to quit smoking. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46 (5), 487-495.

Five types of special events were identified: health fairs, parties, cultural events, special days, and plays. Many focused on breast cancer only, or in combination with other cancers. For cancer screening as an outcome of the events, mammography screening rates ranged from 4.8% to 88%, Pap testing was 3.9%, and clinical breast exams ranged from 9.1% to 100%. For colorectal screening, FOBT ranged from 29.4% to 76%, and sigmoidoscopy was 100% at one event. Outcome measures included intentions to get screened, scheduled appointments, uptake of clinical exams, and participation in cancer screening.

The authors conclude that some special events can lead to increases in cancer screening, especially if they provide onsite screening services. However, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that special events are effective in increasing cancer screening.

This is an open access article and is available to read in free full text at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/274/abstract

Escoffery, C., et al. (2014). A systematic review of special events to promote breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening in the United States. BMC Public Health, 14, 274.

Katie Lou Holland will be one of two international speakers at Massey’s Smokefree Summits, a series of events in March to be held at each of the university’s three campuses. She will be joined by Helen Casstles, a smokefree health advisor from the UK’s National Health Service.

The Smokefree Summits represent the final stage of Massey’s ‘It’s my Life’ campaign, which asked New Zealanders aged between 12 and 24 to create a poster, video or app that inspires young people to support a smokefree New Zealand by 2025. 

To read the full story and for information on the Smokefree Summits, go to:  http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=6ADE274E-F2E5-EF44-0613-D6935A487D4B

Health Minister Tony Ryall today announced the Registration of Interest process has opened for ‘Healthy Families NZ’ - the first step in the rollout of the government’s new healthy eating and anti-obesity initiative.

“Healthy Families NZ is a complete reform of the way we address the underlying causes of poor health, including obesity, smoking and excessive drinking,” says Mr Ryall.

“Too often resources have been spread thinly across the country. This is about building a dedicated health promotion effort in a specific and discrete number of high-risk communities.

“Ten communities have been selected to be part of this major new initiative, with an expected reach of around 900,000 New Zealanders.

“The key element of Healthy Families NZ will be a government-funded locally-based lead provider responsible for bringing together a partnership of key organisations in the community, and a dedicated health promotion workforce. Funding details will be announced in the Budget.

“These health promoters will work across schools, early childhood education centres, workplaces, and sports clubs, supporting New Zealanders to make healthy living choices. They will also work with other key organisations to implement initiatives supporting healthy living. 

“We’re now looking for registrations of interest from organisations who can act as lead providers for the local rollouts of this new initiative,” says Mr Ryall.

The communities are: East Cape; Far North District; Invercargill City; Lower Hutt City; Rotorua District; Whanganui District; Manukau Ward; Manurewa-Papakura Ward; Spreydon-Heathcote Ward; and Waitakere Ward.

“The Healthy Families approach is supported by a growing body of evidence, including Healthy Together Victoria, Colac in Australia, and EPODE in France. As a result of the Colac trial, children aged between four and 12 now weigh one kg less, have smaller waistlines, and a lower BMI compared to children in nearby towns,” says Mr Ryall.

“Encouraging individuals and their families to live healthy, active lives – by making good food choices, being physical active, sustaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking and moderating alcohol consumption - is part of the government’s approach to reducing the prevalence and consequences of chronic disease in New Zealand,” says Mr Ryall.

For more information on Healthy Families NZ and the Registration of Interest process go to - www.health.govt.nz/healthyfamilies

For a video on the Registration of Interest process go to - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJvomrIuFLs

Prospective lead providers can register their interest through the Government’s Electronic Tendering Service (GETS) - www.gets.govt.nz

Ten studies were included, involving a total of 113,988 participants (ranging from n=10 to n=107,907). Interventions included commercial online health social network websites (n=2), research health social network websites (n=3), and multi-component interventions delivered in part via pre-existing popular online social network websites (Facebook n=4 and Twitter n=1).

Nine of the 10 included studies reported significant improvements in some aspect of health behaviour change or outcomes related to behavior change. Effect sizes for behaviour change ranged widely, but in general were small in magnitude and statistically non-significant. Engagement and fidelity were relatively low, with most studies achieving 5-15% fidelity.

The authors conclude that, to date, there is very modest evidence that interventions incorporating online social networks may be effective; however, this field of research is in its infancy. Further research is needed to determine how to maximise retention and engagement, whether behaviour change can be sustained in the longer term, and to determine how to exploit online social networks to achieve mass dissemination. Specific recommendations for future research are provided.

This is an open access article and can be read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/jmir.2952

Maher CA, Lewis LK, Ferrar K, Marshall S, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Vandelanotte C. (2014). Are health behavior change interventions that use online social networks effective? A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(2), e40.

This area may include the disciplines of oncology, haematology, paediatrics, surgery, community and rural health, research, education, management and health promotion and palliative care. 

The briefing focuses on policy issues linked to food environments and diet, with learnings from other areas such as tobacco and alcohol control.

International Obesity Taskforce. (2014). The prevention of obesity and NCDs: Challenges and opportunities for governments. London: International Association for the Study of Obesity.

To read the full text of the briefing, go to: http://www.iaso.org/site_media/uploads/iaso_preventingobesitybriefing.pdf

Based on the results of their analysis, they conclude that "... approximately 1 in 8 never-smoking youth worldwide was found to be susceptible to smoking. A comprehensive approach involving parental and peer education, smoke-free policies, ban on tobacco advertising and promotions, and antismoking education in schools should be developed ... to protect never-smoking youth from being susceptible to smoking and transforming into future regular smokers".

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.07.036 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Veeranki, S.P., et al. (2014). Worldwide never-smoking youth susceptibility to smoking. Journal of Adolescent Health, 54(2), 144-150. 

The authors project the effect of five hypothetical prevention policies on future US diabetes rates through 2030: 1) no diabetes prevention strategy; 2) a “high-risk” strategy, wherein adults with both impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance receive structured lifestyle intervention; 3) a “moderate-risk” strategy, wherein only adults with impaired fasting glucose are offered structured lifestyle intervention; 4) a “population-wide” strategy, in which the entire population is exposed to broad risk reduction policies; and 5) a “combined” strategy, involving both the moderate-risk and population-wide strategies.

They report the results and note that, although implementation of appropriate diabetes prevention strategies may slow the rate of increase of the prevalence of diabetes among US adults through 2030, the US diabetes prevalence rate is likely to increase dramatically over the next 20 years. 

This is an open access article and is available to read in free full text at:  http://www.pophealthmetrics.com/content/11/1/18

Gregg, E.W., et al. (2013). Modeling the impact of prevention policies on future diabetes prevalence in the United States: 2010–2030. Population Health Metrics, 11:18

The Committe makes a range of recommendations, including recommendations on health issues.

The report is available to read in full text at:  http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/documents/reports/50DBSCH_SCR6050_1/inquiry-into-the-determinants-of-wellbeing-for-tamariki

The paper was commissioned by the Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand under its Occasional Paper series. The paper was prepared by John Davies, Professor of International Health Promotion, University of Brighton, England.

The paper is available to download and read in full text at:  http://www.hauora.co.nz/publications.html

Davies, J.K. (2013). Health promotion: A unique discipline? Auckland: Health Promotion Forum of New Zealand.

Tony Ryall, Jo Goodhew media release, 20 November, 2013

The government is investing an extra $1.6 million into getting the healthy eating message out to Waitemata and Central Auckland’s hardest-to-reach new mums and their families.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says local community health groups and Waitemata and Auckland District Health Boards are working together to encourage families, who are not well linked into health services, to access antenatal, postnatal and infant healthcare.

“One of the ways they will be achieving this is by texting them. Pregnant women and young mothers who have registered for the free service will receive text messages encouraging them to take up healthy and safe lifestyle choices during their pregnancy and postnatal period.

“This will be similar to successful text messaging used for smoking cessation which can double quit rates and has been implemented as a Ministry of Health funded national service,” says Mr Ryall.

Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew says that being overweight during pregnancy and childbirth not only leads to significant problems for mums, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, but also has significant adverse health outcomes for the child.

“There will be group education programmes at places like marae and churches on topics such as breastfeeding support, shopping on a budget, healthy cooking methods and fun ways to exercise.

“Evidence also suggests the elders of a family or community can have significant influence on the dietary and lifestyle choices made by younger mums – and that they don’t always do so correctly. So radio adverts will run on radio stations to make sure they understand the benefits of healthy eating and exercise for mums and babies,” says Mrs Goodhew.

Mr Ryall says the $1.6 million over two years is just one in a series of investments in Healthy Families that the government is making to help Kiwi families give their children a healthy start.

“Recent international research and advice from the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Professor Sir Peter Gluckman suggests that preconditions for overweight and obesity are set very early.

“This is why the government is focussing on improving women’s health during their pregnancy and their postnatal period by promoting healthy eating and physical activity for mums, and good nutrition for infants and toddlers,” says Mr Ryall.

Funding for the health promotion programme is from within the Ministry of Health’s existing budget. The $1.6 million announced is initially over two years and the project will be fully evaluated for potential further roll out.