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 Health behaviours and Lifestyle of Pacific Youth Project Dr PH Phongsavan, Dr Ben Smith, Professor Adrian Bauman, Dr Jack Chen, Dr Chris Rissel, Dr Roberto Forero Between 2000-2002 the ACHP provided technical and training support to facilitate the implementation of health surveys among in-school and out-of-school youth in the Kingdom of Tonga, Vanuatu and Federated States of Micronesia. This work was undertaken in collaboration with UNICEF Pacific, the Western Pacific Regional Office of WHO and government and non-government agencies in each country. The surveys measured risk behaviours (e.g. smoking, alcohol, illicit drug use, physical activity, diet, sexual behaviours), mental well being (e.g. loneliness, confidence, depression), social support (e.g. communication with significant others, bullying, perceptions of the school environment) and community participation. A primary objective of the project was to work with in-country organisations and young people in the implementation of the surveys in order to build capacity for needs assessments in the future. Publications: UNICEF Pacific and Australian Centre for Health Promotion (2002). The State of Health Behaviour and Lifestyle of Pacific Youth – Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia report. Fiji: UNICEF Pacific. UNICEF Pacific and Australian Centre for Health Promotion (2001). The State of Health Behaviour and Lifestyle of Pacific Youth – Tonga report. Fiji: UNICEF Pacific. UNICEF Pacific and Australian Centre for Health Promotion (2001). The State of Health Behaviour and Lifestyle of Pacific Youth – Vanuatu report Fiji: UNICEF Pacific.
Evaluation of the NSW sun protection campaigns Publications: Smith, B., Ferguson, C., McKenzie, J., Bauman, A. and Vita, P. (2002) The impacts from repeated mass-media campaigns to promote sun protection in Australia. Health Promotion International, 17, 51-59. Smith, B., Bauman, A. (2000) Evaluation of the Seymour sun protection campaign in NSW, 1997 – 2000. Sydney: NSW Cancer Council.
Methodological review of Australian health promotion research 1992-2002 Publications: Forero, R., Chen, J., Rissel, C. and Bauman, A. (2002). New statistical methods: their role in health promotion research and evaluation practice - part II. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 13(3): 242-246.
Evaluation of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Outreach Project in Far North Queensland A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to assess project reach, treatment provided, individual hearing outcomes, access to secondary intervention, improvements in service delivery in designated communities, community awareness of and support for the Project, educational gains among children, and sustainable linkages across District and Zonal programs. The training provided, satisfaction with training, the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the project, cost benefit and sustainability were also assessed. Publication
Review of the evidence concerning strategies to promote physical activity in primary health care Publications: Smith, B.J. (2004) Promotion of physical activity in primary health care: update of the evidence on interventions. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 7: Supplement, 67-73. Smith, B.J., Eakin, E.G., and Bauman, A.E. (2003) Physical activity is important, but can it be promoted in general practice? Medical Journal of Australia, 179, 70-71. Smith, B.J., Merom, D., Harris, P. and Bauman, A.E (2002) Do primary care interventions to promote physical activity work? A systematic review of the literature. Melbourne: National Institute of Clinical Studies. Harris, P., Smith, B.J (2003) Beliefs, attitudes and practices among GPs in relation to the promotion of physical activity in general practice – a qualitative study. Melbourne: National Institute of Clinical Studies.
Development of brief assessments of physical activity for use in routine primary health care Dr Ben Smith, Professor Adrian Bauman Since 2002 researchers in the ACHP have been engaged in the evaluation of brief physical activity assessments which could be used by family doctors and others to determine the need to address physical activity as part of preventive care. In a pilot study conduced with GPs in the Hawkesbury area of NSW a two question physical activity assessment was found to have good reliability and moderate validity. This was subsequently integrated into the medical software programs used by most GPs in Australia. In 2004 further funding was obtained from the Australian Department of Health and Ageing to undertake a larger evaluation comparing the two-question with a three-question assessment. This study involved 28 GPs in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Publications: Marshall, A.L., Smith B.J., Bauman, A.E., Kaur, S. Reliability and validity of a brief physical activity assessment for use by family physicians. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2005; 39: 294-297.
STEPS survey of non-communicable disease risk factors in Nauru Dr PH Phongsavan, Dr Ben Smith Two members of the ACHP were contracted by the Western Pacific Regional Office of WHO to provide technical and training support to assist the implementation of a population wide survey of non-communicable disease risk factors in the Republic of Nauru. This was conducted in 2004 and involved extensive collaboration with staff in the Nauru Ministry of Health to equip them in all aspects of implementing this study. Approximately half of the adult population of the country was included in the survey with measures collected of smoking, alcohol use, nutrition, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol.
Strengthening health promotion in New South Wales: a map of the work and implications for workforce planning and development Ms Marilyn Wise, Ms Jennifer Alcock The ACHP was commissioned to conduct the first stage of a process to enable NSW Health to ensure that the designated health promotion workforce in NSW has the capacity to implement the strategies necessary to achieve the goals outlined in the NSW Health plan, Healthy People 2005. The project included a review of the literature on health promotion workforce development, a mapping of the current work and capacity of the designated health promotion workforce, and an analysis of the competencies required by Healthy People 2005. These latter were then compared and recommendations for the future were outlined. Publication
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