BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:We previously demonstrated that fruit and vegetable consumption, was associated with less weight gain over 6 years in young women for all body mass index (BMI) categories. This study evaluated the relationship between diet quality and 6-year weight change, in Australian women initially in the healthy weight range (≥18.5 BMI <25 kg/m2) at baseline. SUBJECTS/METHODS:A total of 4083 young women (27-31 years) in the healthy weight range (≥18.5 BMI <25 kg/m2) enroled in the Australian Longitudinal study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were analysed. Diet quality was measured by the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) and the Fruit and Vegetable Index (FAVI) using dietary data derived from a validated food frequency questionnaire. Weight change was calculated as the difference between baseline and 6-year follow-up weight (kg). Multiple linear regression models were used to analyse the association between baseline ARFS and FAVI and 6-year weight change. RESULTS:At baseline, mean diet quality was low for both indices [ARFS (maximum 72) = 29.9 and FAVI (maximum 333) = 94.2] and women gained 3.7 kg of weight during 6 years of follow-up. Regression modelling revealed that every one point increase over 6 years in either the ARFS or FAVI score was associated with statistically significantly less weight gain over 6 years, although the amount was small (33 and 12 g, respectively). CONCLUSIONS:Higher diet quality predicts lower prospective weight gain in young women however, further research is needed over a longer follow-up period and in diverse population groups.

Depression is a mood disorder which currently affects 350 million individuals worldwide. Recently, research has suggested a protective role of diet for depression. The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern has been highlighted in several systematic reviews as a promising candidate for reducing depressive symptoms. It has been speculated that this could be due to the high polyphenol content of foods commonly found in the diet. Therefore, the aim of this review was to assess the effects of polyphenols found in a Mediterranean diet on the symptoms of depression. A systematic literature review was conducted of original research which assessed the role of polyphenols on the symptoms of depression in humans. The following databases were searched: PROQUEST, SCOPUS (Elsevier), MEDLINE (EBSCO), CINAHL, and EMBase, up to 18 February, 2019. The inclusion criteria consisted of both observational and experimental research in adults aged 18-80 y that assessed depression scores in relation to polyphenol intake. A total of 37 studies out of 12,084 met the full inclusion criteria. Of these, 17 were experimental studies and 20 were observational studies. Several different polyphenols were assessed including those from tea, coffee, citrus, nuts, soy, grapes, legumes, and spices. Twenty-nine of the studies found a statistically significant effect of polyphenols for depression. This review has found both an association between polyphenol consumption and depression risk, as well as evidence suggesting polyphenols can effectively alleviate depressive symptoms. The review uncovered gaps in the literature regarding the role of polyphenols for depressive symptoms in both young adults and men. This review was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019125747.

© 2020, The Author(s). Both the Osteopathic Research Innovation Network (ORION) and the Osteopathy Research Connect-New Zealand (ORC-NZ) are practice-based research networks (PBRNs) recently established in Australia and New Zealand. This paper highlights the profile of the osteopaths participating in each PBRN in order to encourage and facilitate further related research in osteopathy. All registered osteopaths in Australia and New Zealand were invited to participate in the ORION and ORC-NZ PBRNs, respectively. This paper presents practice and sociodemographic characteristics of the osteopaths that elected to join the PBRN in their country. A total of 253 registered osteopaths in New Zealand (48.7%) agreed to join ORC-NZ while 992 registered osteopaths in Australia (44.5%) joined ORION. Membership of both PBRNs reflect national geographical spread, and diverse personal and practice characteristics. Combined membership of both PBRNs represents 45.3% of all registered osteopaths in Australasia and 7.7% of the global osteopathic profession. The PBRNs, independently and in combination, hold much potential to advance the evidence-base and capacity of osteopathy research. Both ORION and ORC-NZ PBRNs are powerful, innovative resources available to other interested parties to help conduct further osteopathy research in Australia and New Zealand.

Background:The diagnosis of primary headaches assists health care providers in their decision-making regarding patient treatment, co-management and further evaluation. Chiropractors are popular health care providers for those with primary headaches. The aim of this study is to examine the clinical management factors associated with chiropractors who report the use of primary headache diagnostic criteria. Methods:A cross-sectional survey was distributed between August and November 2016 to a random sample of Australian chiropractors who are members of a practice-based research network (n = 1050) who had reported 'often' providing treatment for patients with headache disorders to report on practitioner approaches to headache diagnosis, management, outcome measures and multidisciplinary collaboration. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to assess the factors that are associated with chiropractors who report using International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) primary headache diagnostic criteria. Results:With a response rate of 36% (n = 381), the majority of chiropractor's report utilising ICHD primary headache diagnostic criteria (84.6%). The factors associated with chiropractors who use ICHD primary headache diagnostic criteria resulting from the regression analysis include a belief that the use of ICHD primary headache criteria influences the management of patients with primary headaches (OR = 7.86; 95%CI: 3.15, 19.60); the use of soft tissue therapies to the neck/shoulders for tension headache management (OR = 4.33; 95%CI: 1.67, 11.19); a belief that primary headache diagnostic criteria are distinct for the diagnosis of primary headaches (OR = 3.64; 95%CI: 1.58, 8.39); the use of headache diaries (OR = 3.52; 95%CI: 1.41, 8.77); the use of ICHD criteria improves decision-making regarding primary headache patient referral/co-management (OR = 2.35; 95%CI: 1.01, 5.47); referral to investigate a headache red-flag (OR = 2.67; 95%CI: 1.02, 6.96) and no...

OBJECTIVE:To compare perinatal and maternal outcomes for Australian women with uncomplicated pregnancies according to planned place of birth, that is, in hospital labour wards, birth centres or at home. DESIGN:A population-based retrospective design, linking and analysing routinely collected electronic data. Analysis comprised χ2 tests and binary logistic regression for categorical data, yielding adjusted ORs. Continuous data were analysed using analysis of variance. SETTING:All eight Australian states and territories. PARTICIPANTS:Women with uncomplicated pregnancies who gave birth between 2000 and 2012 to a singleton baby in cephalic presentation at between 37 and 41 completed weeks' gestation. Of the 1 251 420 births, 1 171 703 (93.6%) were planned in hospital labour wards, 71 505 (5.7%) in birth centres and 8212 (0.7%) at home. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Mode of birth, normal labour and birth, interventions and procedures during labour and birth, maternal complications, admission to special care/high dependency or intensive care units (mother or infant) and perinatal mortality (intrapartum stillbirth and neonatal death). RESULTS:Compared with planned hospital births, the odds of normal labour and birth were over twice as high in planned birth centre births (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.72; 99% CI 2.63 to 2.81) and nearly six times as high in planned home births (AOR 5.91; 99% CI 5.15 to 6.78). There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of intrapartum stillbirths, early or late neonatal deaths between the three planned places of birth. CONCLUSIONS:This is the first Australia-wide study to examine outcomes by planned place of birth. For healthy women in Australia having an uncomplicated pregnancy, planned births in birth centres or at home are associated with positive maternal outcomes although the number of homebirths was small overall. There were no significant differences in the perinatal mortality rate, although the absolute numbers of deaths w...

Conventional treatments for cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort, while numerous and diverse, have drawbacks including side effects, interference with women's reproductive function and, importantly, failure to address symptoms. Many women turn to herbal medicine to treat a myriad of menstrual symptoms. Clinical evidence supports the efficacy of Vitex agnus-castus but other medicinal herbs typically used by Western herbalists for treating menstrual symptoms are unsupported by clinical trials. This raises concerns around the efficacy and safety of these herbs. Women's treatment options need to be extended and individualised, where current conventional strategies fail, requiring appropriate clinical trials of potentially useful herbal medicines.

BACKGROUND:The aim of this study was to determine the impact of physical activity on depression symptom severity in women 45 years and older with a chronic illness diagnosis, and explore relations between physical activity and psychological and health-related characteristics predicting depression symptoms. METHODS:1932 women diagnosed with one of five chronic illnesses: asthma, depression, diabetes, osteoarthritis, or osteoporosis participated in a sub-study of the 45 and Up Study-a cross-sectional study of people aged 45 years and older. The survey included items measuring demographics, depression symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), health-related hardiness, sleep quality, and health behaviours, such as physical activity. RESULTS:A multiple regression model explained 43% of the variance in depression symptoms (R2 = 0.43, F (18) = 61.72, p < .001); intensity of physical activity was a significant predictor of depression symptoms (p < .001), and HRQoL was found to explain the most variance (B = -10.00) in depression symptoms. Mediation analysis confirmed that HRQoL partially mediated the relation between physical activity and depression symptoms; however, the effect was very small. LIMITATIONS:Cross-sectional data and self-report measures limit the implications of the findings. CONCLUSION:Women with chronic illness engaging in more vigorous physical activity had less severe depression symptoms. Findings suggest that improving HRQoL is critical to the prevention and management of depression symptoms in women with chronic illness. Psychological and health-related factors that influence HRQoL, such as sleep quality and health-related hardiness, are important clinical considerations for health practitioners.

© The Author(s) 2019. Objective: To test the association between sleeping problems and multiple epidemiological factors among women over 50 with a chronic condition. Method: The Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) was employed to measure sleep problems among 1,925 participants with chronic conditions who also responded to questions about health service use, self-care and demographics. Results: About 43% of women reported sleeping problems. Women were more likely to have a sleeping problem if they reported some difficulties with available income, odds ratio (OR) = 1.61; 95% confidence interval (CI): [1.27, 2.04]; p <.005, or were struggling with available income (OR = 2.84; 95% CI: [2.04, 3.96]; p <.005). Women were less likely to have sleeping problems if they were highly physically active (OR =.63; 95% CI: [0.51, 0.79]; p <.005). Discussion: Medical professionals should be aware of the significant risk of sleeping problems among mid-age and older women with chronic health conditions, particularly those who have financial concerns, are sedentary, or are not highly physically active.

Background and objectives: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use has been associated with preventive health behaviors. However, the role of CAM use in patients' health behaviors remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the extent to which patients report that CAM use motivates them to make changes to their health behaviors. Materials and Methods: This secondary analysis of 2012 National Health Interview Survey data involved 10,201 CAM users living in the United States who identified up to three CAM therapies most important to their health. Analyses assessed the extent to which participants reported that their CAM use motivated positive health behavior changes, specifically: eating healthier, eating more organic foods, cutting back/stopping drinking alcohol, cutting back/quitting smoking cigarettes, and/or exercising more regularly. Results: Overall, 45.4% of CAM users reported being motivated by CAM to make positive health behavior changes, including exercising more regularly (34.9%), eating healthier (31.4%), eating more organic foods (17.2%), reducing/stopping smoking (16.6% of smokers), or reducing/stopping drinking alcohol (8.7% of drinkers). Individual CAM therapies motivated positive health behavior changes in 22% (massage) to 81% (special diets) of users. People were more likely to report being motivated to change health behaviors if they were: aged 18-64 compared to those aged over 65 years; of female gender; not in a relationship; of Hispanic or Black ethnicity, compared to White; reporting at least college education, compared to people with less than high school education; without health insurance. Conclusions: A sizeable proportion of respondents were motivated by their CAM use to undertake health behavior changes. CAM practices and practitioners could help improve patients' health behavior and have potentially significant implications for public health and preventive medicine initiatives; this warrants further research attention.

OBJECTIVES:To provide a contemporary description of complementary medicine (CM) product use in Australia. DESIGN:Cross-sectional survey. SETTING:Online. PARTICIPANTS:A nationally representative sample (n=2019) of the Australian adult population. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES:Primary outcomes measures included the use and type of CM products used, and source of recommendation. Secondary measures included disclosure of CM product use to health practitioners, concomitant use of pharmaceuticals and predictors of use. RESULTS:Prevalence of CM product use was 50.3%, with the most frequently used being vitamin and mineral supplements (VMSs; 47.8%) and homoeopathic medicines the least used (6.8%). A majority of respondents using CM products were also using pharmaceutical products, and small but significant associations were found between the use of CM products and pharmaceuticals (p<0.05). Small statistically significant associations were found between use of vitamin products and disclosure of use to general practitioners (GPs; Cramer's V=0.13, p=0.004) and hospital doctors (Cramer's V=0.11, p=0.04), and between use of herbal medicines and disclosure to both GPs (Cramer's V=0.11, p=0.02) and hospital doctors (Cramer's V=0.12, p=0.03). Women, those with higher education and those with no private health insurance were more likely to use CM products (p<0.05), while those without chronic conditions were less likely to use CM products (p<0.05) (χ2(29)=174.70, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS:The number of Australians using CM products has remained relatively stable and substantial for nearly two decades. The majority of CM use relates to VMSs. Given the number of Australians using both CM products and pharmaceutical medicines, it is important to evaluate the potential clinical implications of such practices to ensure safe, effective and coordinated health policy and patient care.

AIMS:To provide a critical analysis of peer-reviewed literature reporting research from practice-based research networks (PBRNs) relating to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). METHODS:A comprehensive literature search of peer-reviewed literature reporting PBRN research focusing upon CAM was conducted in PubMed, Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL from their inceptions to June 2017. PBRN registry and websites of relevant PBRNs were also searched for further information. With regards to the nested PBRN studies included in our review, no study design restrictions were imposed and both empirical research and relevant methodologically-focused manuscripts were included. Methodological quality was evaluated via a number of established tools. RESULTS:A total of 51 articles reporting upon CAM research in PBRNs including six articles outlining CAM-focused PBRN establishment were included in the review. The findings of the literature were categorised as either: health services research (including work examining characteristics of patients and practices, doctor-patient communication, and CAM prevalence); effectiveness/safety research; or feasibility research. While 19 studies from non-CAM focused PBRNs tended to report on CAM prevalence and doctor-patient communication about CAM use, 26 articles from CAM-focused PBRNs reported on the characteristics of CAM users, practice patterns, and effectiveness/safety of CAM practice. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:PBRNs - both CAM-focused and non-CAM focused - have provided a useful platform for research investigations around a number of core CAM-related issues. Given the increasing popularity of CAM use in healthcare and the identified benefits of practice-relevant research, further in-depth CAM research nested within PBRN designs is warranted.

BACKGROUND:Increased intestinal permeability (IP) involves the loss of integrity between the cells of the small intestine. IP has been suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis and exacerbation of many chronic diseases. Many potential risk factors for IP are proposed in contemporary literature. The purpose of this review is to identify the most significant risk factors for IP. METHODS:A systematic search of literature published up until September 2018 in the PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Scopus databases was conducted. RESULTS:A total of 47 articles met the inclusion criteria. Elevated levels of proinflammatory markers, dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, anthropometric measurements resembling obesity, advanced disease severity, comorbidity and the consumption of a Western-style diet were identified as the strongest risk factors for altered intestinal integrity. The risk of IP increases when coupled with a multiple disease state or combined with other environmental risk factors. Furthermore, many of the identified risk factors such as anthropometric measurements and biomarkers were external from intestinal health and rather resembled a metabolic-like condition. CONCLUSIONS:This review identified a number of potential risk factors for IP, ranging from biomarkers to anthropometric measurements, demographics, dietary intake and chronic diseases. These risk factors warrant the attention of clinicians and other healthcare providers to aid the identification of potential patients at risk of altered IP. Further research needs to examine whether the identified risk factors are homogeneous with the diagnosis of IP or whether the disease state influences the association.

OBJECTIVE:Examine the generational differences in complementary medicine (CM) utilisation between young women from the X and Millennial generations. DESIGN:Secondary analysis of two cross-sectional surveys from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). SETTING:Australia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Differences between young Generation X women (surveyed 1996; aged 18-23 years), and Millennial women (surveyed 2014; aged 19-24 years) regarding consultations with CM practitioners, sociodemographic characteristics, and health. Predictors for CM consultations were analysed via logistic regression analyses. RESULTS:Of the 14,247 Generation X women, 19.4% reported consulting CM, compared to 26.8% of the 11,344 Millennial women. CM consultations was predicted in both cohorts by higher age, education beyond primary school, non-urban (vs. urban) residence, and frequent back pain or headaches. Obesity and regular smoking predicted non-use in both. Significant cohort differences were found in physical activity levels (moderate/high levels associated with increased CM consultations in Millennial, but not Generation X women), and health status (Generation X women reporting fair-poor health were more likely to consult CM practitioners, while Millennial women reporting good health were less likely to do so, compared to women with very good/excellent health). CONCLUSIONS:The increase in CM utilization among young Australian women from Generation X compared to the Millennial generation could indicate different health consumer patterns for future middle-aged and older adult Australian women. Further increases in CM usage may be observed as current young women age into characteristics traditionally linked with higher CM use such as worsening health status and increased disposable income.

OBJECTIVES:To explore the characteristics of the Australian osteopathy workforce who participate in the management of older patients with musculoskeletal complaints. DESIGN:Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey of osteopaths. SETTING:The Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION), an Australian practice-based research network. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The demographic, practice and treatment characteristics of osteopaths who identify as 'always'or 'often' treating patients aged 65 years or over. RESULTS:Over half (58%) of total participants (n = 992) indicated often treating older people and this was associated with referral patterns with other health professionals and a non-urban practice location. Osteopaths providing care to older people were more likely to discuss diet/nutrition and medications, and provide pain counselling. Osteopaths who treated older adults were more likely to treat shoulder musculoskeletal disorders, degenerative spine disorders, chronic or persistent pain, and tendinopathies. CONCLUSIONS:A substantial proportion of Australian osteopaths treat older adults frequently. The potential value and impact of osteopathy in managing the health needs of an ageing population warrants close examination from both researchers and policy makers.

BACKGROUND:Approximately one in four adults do not meet the World Health Organisation physical activity recommendations. While health promotion (i.e., physical activity) is common within chiropractic settings, little is known about chiropractors discussing this public health issue with their patients. The aim of our study is to examine the prevalence and characteristics of Australian chiropractors who frequently discuss patient physical activity. METHODS:A national cross-sectional survey of chiropractors focusing upon practitioner characteristics, practice settings and clinical management characteristics. Regression analyses were conducted on 1924 survey respondents to identify factors associated with practitioners who frequently discuss physical activity with patients. RESULTS:Eighty-five percent of Australian chiropractors reported 'often' discussing physical activity as part of their patient management. The strongest factors associated with chiropractors who frequently discuss physical activity obtained from the multivariate analysis include: often discussing occupational health and safety (odds ratio [OR] = 6.10; 95%CI: 3.88, 9.59), often discussing diet/nutrition (OR = 4.56; 95%CI: 3.12, 6.66), often discussing smoking/drugs/alcohol (OR = 4.41; 95%CI: 2.06, 9.40), often use of specific exercise therapy/rehabilitation/injury taping (OR = 3.76; 95%CI: 2.62, 5.39) and often caring for athletes or sports people (OR = 2.18; 95%CI: 1.56, 3.06) within their practice setting. CONCLUSION:Discussing physical activity is a frequent feature of patient management among most chiropractors in Australia. The association between these practitioners and discussion of other costly public health burdens could suggest chiropractors have a valuable role to play in chronic disease prevention. Given the growing need for practitioner-led promotion of patient physical activity further research examination of the role and contribution of chiropractors in promoting this important publi...

Background: Clinical deterioration and adverse events in hospitals is an increasing cause for concern. Rapid response systems have been widely implemented to identify deteriorating patients. Aim: We aimed to examine the literature highlighting major historical trends leading to the widespread adoption of rapid response systems, focussing on Australian issues and identifying future focus areas. Method: Integrative literature review including published and grey literature. Results: Seventy-eight sources including journal articles and Australian government matierlas resulted. Pertinent themes were the increasing acuity and aging of the population, importance of hospital cultures, the emerging role of the consumer, and proliferation, evolution and standardisation of rapid response systems. Discussion: Translating evidence to usual care practice is challenging and strongly driven by local factors and political imperatives. Conclusion: Rapid response systems are complex interventions requiring consideration of contextual factors at all levels. Appropriate resources, a skilled workforce and positive workplace cultures are needed for these systems to reach their full potential.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Yoga and meditation are predominantly utilised by healthy well-educated young women, but little is known about utilisation by older chronically ill women. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of yoga and meditation use among middle-to-higher aged Australian women with chronic conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS:This is a sub-study of the 45 and Up Study including 1925 Australian women aged 53-95 years diagnosed with chronic conditions (asthma, depression, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis). Information on yoga and meditation use frequencies (categories: 'no yoga', 'at least once daily', 'at least once weekly', and 'at least once monthly'), self-perceived effectiveness and communication with health care providers were assessed via self-report. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify independent predictors of yoga and meditation use, using SPSS 24.0. RESULTS:Overall 6.8% and 10.7% of women reported the use of yoga and meditation respectively. Meditation was rarely practiced supervised (11.7%), compared to significant higher rates in yoga (53.2%). Predictors for yoga and meditation use were marital status (married/in relationship > not married/in relationship), higher health related hardiness, and higher education, whereas obesity, and diabetes decreased likelihood of use. While the majority found yoga and meditation helpful for their condition, the use was rarely monitored by or discussed with health care practitioners. CONCLUSION:This study finds that yoga and meditation are used by middle-to-higher aged Australian women with chronic illnesses. The lack of communication with health care providers is concerning and might hinder coordinated and effective health care around chronic illness. Further research is necessary to help understand possible concurrent health care use and thereby help inform safe, effective and coordinate health seeking amongst those with chronic illness.

BACKGROUND:The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies have been reported for the management of arthritis. However, little is known about CAM use among adults with self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis. OBJECTIVES:To determine (1) the prevalence and type of CAM use, (2) the difference in characteristics between CAM users and non-CAM users, and (3) the factors related to CAM use, among U.S. adults with self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis. DESIGN:Secondary analysis of the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. SETTING:The NHIS is a cross-sectional survey that gathers health-related data on the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. POPULATION: PARTICIPANTS:The NHIS 2012 uses a complex, multistage sampling design and oversamples minorities to achieve population representation; it included 34 525 adults, with 7179 adults having arthritis. METHODS:Data were analyzed using Stata 15.1 survey syntax. The potential factors related to CAM use included sociodemographics and health-related characteristics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS:CAM modalities were categorized into six groups: natural products, manipulative therapies, mind-body therapies, special diets, movement therapies, and other practitioner-based CAM modalities. RESULTS:Of the adults with arthritis, 2428 (weighted estimate of 36.2% of U.S. adult population) had used CAM within the last year. Adults with arthritis reported greater use of CAM than those without, particularly the use of natural products, manipulative therapies and other practitioner-based CAM modalities. Factors associated with higher CAM use included being female, residing in regions other than the U.S. South, having a college degree or higher, reporting very good/excellent self-rated health status, and having current symptoms of joint stiffness/pain. CONCLUSION:As more than one-third of U.S. adults with arthritis seek CAM therapies, open and nonjudgmental conversations between conventional medicine providers, CAM...

OBJECTIVES:To describe and contrast the prevalence and trends of sick leave in patients with pain or stress disorders referred to inpatient care that integrates conventional and complementary therapies, that is, integrative care (IC). METHODS:County council and social insurance data were used to retrospectively observe cross-sectional sick leave prevalence at four time points: 1 year before the first registered inpatient visit with the target diagnosis, after referral at index, and at 1 and 2 years after index. To contrast the IC findings, observations of patients with similar background characteristics referred to conventional care (CC) were used. RESULTS:The sick leave prevalence of IC pain patients and IC stress patients increased from the preceding year to peak at index, where after it decreased back toward preindex levels over 2 years. Overall sick leave prevalence was higher in IC than in CC, where analogous but lower prevalence trends of sick leave changes were observed. CONCLUSIONS:Observed sick leave prevalences, which were higher in IC than in CC, gradually decreased over time following IC or CC referral. While natural recovery or other reasons for change of sick leave cannot be excluded, future prospective and randomized clinical trials are recommended.

Massage therapy is widely recognized as offering many health benefits, with a growing number of studies finding it has value in stress management, pain reduction, and overcoming physical limitations. However, there are few studies of massage therapists practices and perceptions in New Zealand and internationally. This paper reports the findings from the first national survey examining the characteristics, perceptions, and experiences of New Zealand-based massage therapists on a range of aspects related to their role and practices.This study sought to ascertain the characteristics, experiences, and perceptions of massage therapists in New Zealand, particularly in the aspects of: integration of health care; attitudes and practices related to research; and evidence and attitudes to registration.Massage practice in New Zealand (nationwide survey).Members of Massage New Zealand (a massage practitioners association).Massage practitioners were surveyed online, using a 65-part questionnaire, on a range of characteristics of their practices and their attitudes to research, integration, and registration. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.Four hundred massage therapists (MTs) were invited to participate and 115 responded, providing a response rate of 29%. MTs valued research (95%) and perceived that it had an impact for their practices (88%). Significant correlations were found for research value and: mean case-load (p = .009) and level of academic qualification (p = .004). The majority of MTs (79%) supported integration with conventional practitioners, and 83% referred clients to general practitioners, with 75% receiving referrals from general practitioners. Ninety-three percent of MTs supported registration, with 67% of those supporting statutory registration.Massage practitioners perceive that they make a significant contribution to health care, but area of practice, such as research, and referral and integration int...

To examine the longitudinal change in Australian women's prevalence of cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort and the association between their symptoms and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).Data on endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), irregular periods, heavy periods, and severe period pain were collected over a 7-year period from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, for women aged 28 to 33 years in 2006, and at 3-year follow-ups. Changes in symptoms and patterns of CAM practitioner and therapy/product use associated with these symptoms were analyzed using longitudinal regression modeling.Over the 7-year period, prevalence rates of PMS and heavy periods increased, while prevalence rates of endometriosis, irregular periods, and severe period pain remained stable. The most common use of CAM longitudinally associated with the perimenstrual symptoms was use of vitamins/minerals, yoga/meditation, massage therapy, herbal medicine, and aromatherapy. Excluding consultation with a naturopath/herbalist, over the 7-year survey women's use of all other CAM practitioners increased as did their use of vitamin/minerals, yoga/meditation, and Chinese medicines, while aromatherapy use declined.Only the prevalence of PMS and heavy periods increased with aging in this sample of women. While overall use of CAM practitioner and self-prescribed products/therapies increased over time, CAM was chosen by women mainly to treat endometriosis and PMS. The extent to which this use reflects treatment efficacy is uncertain.

BACKGROUND:Headache management is common within chiropractic clinical settings; however, little is yet known about how this provider group manage headache sufferers. The aim of this study is to report on the prevalence of headache patients found within routine chiropractic practice and to assess how chiropractors approach key aspects of headache management applicable to primary care settings. METHODS:A 31-item cross-sectional survey was distributed to a national sample of chiropractors (n = 1050) to report on practitioner approach to headache diagnosis, interdisciplinary collaboration, treatment and outcome assessment of headache patients who present with recurrent headache disorders. RESULTS:The survey attracted a response rate of 36% (n = 381). One in five new patients present to chiropractors with a chief complaint of headache. The majority of chiropractors provide headache diagnosis for common primary (84.6%) and secondary (90.4%) headaches using formal headache classification criteria. Interdisciplinary referral for headache management was most often with CAM providers followed by GPs. Advice on headache triggers, stress management, spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapies and prescriptive neck exercises were the most common therapeutic approaches to headache management. CONCLUSION:Headache patients make up a substantial proportion of chiropractic caseload. The majority of chiropractors managing headache engage in headache diagnosis and interdisciplinary patient management. More research information is needed to understand the headache types and level of headache chronicity and disability common to chiropractic patient populations to further assess the healthcare needs of this patient population.

AimThis study examines GP perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of complementary medicine (CM), and to understand contextual factors that influence these perceptions, attitudes and knowledge. BACKGROUND:CM use is increasing, and its influence on primary care becoming increasingly significant. Although general practitioners (GPs) often have central primary care gate-keeper roles within health systems, few studies have looked specifically at GPs' perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of CM. METHODS:A questionnaire was mailed to all 1486 GPs registered as practicing in non-metropolitan areas of New South Wales. The survey included one free-text qualitative question, where respondents were invited to highlight issues associated with CM in their own words. Free-text responses were analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis.FindingsIn total, 585 GPs responded to the survey (adjusted response rate 40.1%), with 152 (26.0%) filling in the free-text question. Central themes which emerged were risk as a primary concern; opposition to, resistance to and the inappropriateness of complementary therapies; struggles with complexity and ambivalent tolerance. CONCLUSION:GPs in Australia have a wide variety of perceptions toward CM. A minority of GPs have absolute views on CM, with most GPs having numerous caveats and qualifications of individual CM. Efficacy is only one aspect of CM critically evaluated by GPs when gauging support for individual therapies - risk, alignment with medical principles and an openness to exploring new avenues of treatment where others have failed, all appear to be equally important considerations when GPs form their views around CM.

The sustainability of many global interventions, in the absence of adequate local financial and human resources to sustain them in the long term, is questioned. In response, there has been a shift in focus among global health actors towards the strengthening of local health systems via global service learning to effectively, efficiently and sustainably deliver healthcare and build capacity. There has been considerable research examining the benefits of global service learning experiences for students, but limited research has been conducted to determine the impact that health sciences global service learning experiences are having on the host country health systems.An integrative review of the literature was conducted to examine the linkages between global service-learning and health systems strengthening. A comprehensive search of international literature from 2005 to 2017 in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Scopus and Web of Science databases was conducted. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published in English language. Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: a dominant service-LEARNING typology, a unidirectional pattern from high-income to low and middle-income countries, and the preeminence of the nursing discipline in global service learning. There was limited evidence on sustainability and health systems strengthening.The healthcare workforce of the future is willing to meet the challenges facing health systems across the globe. Global service-learning has yet to be examined in the context of health systems strengthening and particularly within a context of reciprocity. The onus is on higher education institutions in high-income countries to develop and deliver evidence-based global service-learning that is beneficial and engaging for students while most effectively meeting the need of the global community.

AIMS:To investigate hypertension awareness, prevalence and treatment in nurses. BACKGROUND:Nurses are the largest health workforce group, currently facing an ageing demographic and the risk of chronic disease such as hypertension. Little is known about hypertension in nurses despite the potential impact on work productivity. METHODS:A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to nurses and midwives via the professional association and nursing directors. Questions were taken from published longitudinal health studies for blood pressure, hypertension and key sociodemographic and health factors. RESULTS:The participants' (n = 5,041) mean age was 47.99 (SD 11.46) years. The majority knew their blood pressure, more so if they were female, of higher body mass index and aged 45-64 years, but less so if they were smokers. Hypertension prevalence increased with age, peaking at the oldest ages and the majority were treated (anti-hypertensive medication), less so if aged <55 years. Many nurses treated for hypertension had poor blood pressure control, were most often aged 45-54 years and were smokers. CONCLUSIONS:Hypertension prevalence is less in nurses than in the general population, however, once diagnosed treatment is not optimized. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT:The potential impact of hypertension on older nurses' work productivity justifies work-based support for risk reduction behaviours.

BACKGROUND:The aim of this study was to understand the current and future challenges for the Australian medical oncologist workforce. METHODS:Utilising an on-line self-administered questionnaire, this cross-sectional study collected data from members of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia on workforce-related issues. Participants consisted of medical oncology specialist advanced trainees, early-career oncologists (ECOs), and medical oncology consultants. FINDINGS:Of the 633 members, 354 completed the questionnaire, representing a 55.9% response rate. Based on Medical Oncology Group of Australia membership, the number of medical oncologists has increased since the previous workforce study in 2009, with an uncertainty among junior medical oncologists regarding their future career prospects. The majority of participants worked in capital cities and metropolitan areas within the three most populous Australian states. Almost half (45%) of ECOs and consultants are undertaking or have completed a higher degree. A large number of advanced trainees (93%) and half of ECOs in this study were concerned about their future career prospects. For these participants, most were satisfied with the supervision they received (60% trainees and 69% ECOs) but only half of these participants (47% trainees and 52% ECOs) received any mentoring in their current or previous role. Compared to trainees and ECOs, consultants reported spending significantly more hours on administration per week; trainees 5.3 hours, ECOs 5.8 hours, consultants 7.5 hours (P < .031) and see a significantly greater number of patients per week; trainees 34 patients, ECOs 34 patients and consultants 49 patients (P < .001). INTERPRETATION:Workforce challenges were unique across different career stages in oncology; trainees, ECOs and consultants. Work intensity, mentorship and career prospects were amongst the emergent issues highlighted in this study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:This qualitative study examined the appropriateness and acceptability of 14-week modified tai chi and yoga programmes in an Australian residential aged care (RAC) setting by exploring experiences and perspectives of frail older residents and staff participants. BACKGROUND:Older persons in RAC have limited opportunities for physical activity. Tai chi and yoga are mindfulness-based exercise interventions that have been used to promote physical and psychological health of older adults in community settings. While research on tai chi and yoga interventions in community settings is promising, there is limited research regarding the interventions' appropriateness and acceptability for frail older residents in residential care settings in Australia. DESIGN:Descriptive and qualitative component of a mixed-methods study. METHODS:All residents who participated in the modified yoga and tai chi interventions and staff who supported them were invited. A total of 19 individuals comprising 16 residents and three staff members participated in three focus group interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically using a qualitative descriptive approach. RESULTS:Nine themes that reflected the uniqueness of the programmes' mind-body approach are presented: (a) novel, new and exciting; (b) smoothness, rhythm and flow; (c) slow and mindful; (d) gentle but rewarding; (e) moving whole body; (f) perceived benefits; (g) worthwhile; (h) feeling alive; and (i) calming and relaxing. CONCLUSIONS:The modified programmes of tai chi and yoga was acceptable, appropriate, enjoyable and helpful. Both tai chi and yoga appear to provide appropriate physical exercise and opportunities for older persons to enhance their quality of life through interaction of physical, emotional and intellectual wellness domains. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE:The 14-week modified programmes of tai chi and yoga could be applied to frail older RAC population to promo...

A viable and sustainable medical oncology profession is integral for meeting the increasing demand for quality cancer care. The aim of this study was to explore the workforce-related experiences, perceptions and career expectations of early-career medical oncologists in Australia.A mixed-methods design, including a survey (n  =  170) and nested qualitative semistructured interviews (n  =  14) with early-career medical oncologists. Recruitment was through the Medical Oncology Group of Australia. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed and for the survey results, logistic regression modeling was conducted.Early-career medical oncologists experienced uncertainty regarding their future employment opportunities. The competitive job market has made them cautious about securing a preferred job leading to a perceived need to improve their qualifications through higher degree training and research activities. The following themes and trends were identified from the qualitative and quantitative analyses: age, career stage and associated early-career uncertainty; locale, professional competition and training preferences; participation in research and evolving professional expectations; and workload and career development opportunities as linked to career uncertainty.Perceived diminished employment opportunities in the medical oncology profession, and shifting expectations to be "more qualified," have increased uncertainty among junior medical oncologists in terms of their future career prospects. Structural factors relating to adequate funding of medical oncology positions may facilitate or inhibit progressive change in the workforce and its sustainability. Workforce planning and strategies informed by findings from this study will be necessary in ensuring that both the needs of cancer patients and of medical oncologists are met.

Objectives: This study aims to provide an empirical examination of how complementary medicine practice in Australia is actually regulated under the current national registration model.
Methods: Data was obtained from Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Annual Reports for the years 2011/12–2014/15 and supplemented by the Chinese Medical Registration Board of Victoria
(CMRBV) Annual Reports in 2011/12 for Chinese Medicine complaints. The data analysed includes complaint statistics, stage of closure of complaints and the outcome of complaints concerning Chinese medicine, chiropractic and osteopathy under the National Law.
Results: During 2014–2015 the number of complaints per 100 registrants for was highest for the medical board (4.4), while much lower for the chiropractic (1.5), osteopath (0.7) and Chinese medicine (0.5) boards. For
conventional boards, 58% of complaints were closed at the assessment stage, while 57%, 29% and 16% of complaints to the osteopath, Chinese medicine and chiropractic boards respectively were closed at the assessment stage. The decision to suspend or cancel registration of health professionals was 17% from the Chinese medicine board, 14% from the Osteopathy Board, 1.5% from the chiropractor board and 0.6% from the medical board.
Conclusion: It appears that complementary medicine practitioner regulation works at least as well as conventional regulation, and at most complementary medicine boards take a stricter interpretation of misconduct though more research would need to be undertaken to state this definitively. Our findings indicate that the public are using the statutory complaint mechanisms available to them with respect to the three CM groups.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial was undertaken to determine whether 12 weeks of Tai Chi (TC) practice can reduce anxiety in healthy but stressed people. METHOD: Fifty participants were randomized into TC (n=17), exercise (n=17), and wait-list (WL) groups (n=16). Outcome measures used were State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale 14 (PSS14), blood pressure and heart rate variability, visual analogue scale (VAS), and Short Form 36. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed from baseline for both TC and exercise groups for both state (p <0.01) and trait (p <0.01) anxiety, PSS14 (p <0.01), VAS (p <0.01), mental health domain (p <0.01), and vitality domain (p <0.01). Superior outcomes were also observed for TC when compared with WL for state and trait anxiety (p <0.01) and mental health domain (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: TC reduces stress levels in healthy individuals and provides a safer, cost effective, and less physically vigorous alternative to exercise.

OBJECTIVE:To examine anti-microbial prescribing practices associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia from data gathered during an audit of practice and outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) in a previously published study. RESULTS:The patient sample of 169 was 65% male with an average age of 59.7 years, a mean APACHE II score of 20.6, and a median ICU stay of 11 days. While ventilator-associated pneumonia was identified using a specific 4-item checklist in 29 patients, agreement between the checklist and independent physician diagnosis was only 17%. Sputum microbe culture reporting was sparse. Approximately 75% of the sample was administered an antimicrobial (main indications: lung infection [54%] and prophylaxis [11%]). No clinical justification was documented for 20% of prescriptions. Piperacillin/tazobactam was most frequently prescribed (1/3rd of all antimicrobial prescriptions) with about half of those for prophylaxis. Variations in prescribing practices were identified, including apparent gaps in antimicrobial stewardship; particularly in relation to prescribing for prophylaxis and therapy de-escalation. Sputum microbe culture reports for VAP did not appear to contribute to prescribing decisions but physician suspicion of lung infection and empiric therapy rather than ventilator-associated pneumonia criteria and guideline concordance.

Nurses and midwives (nurses) are the principle role models and health educators for the wider population. This study sought to identify the health-related behaviors of the nursing workforce of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, compared to contemporary recommendations for healthy living and to the Australian general population, matched by gender and age. An electronic cross-sectional survey delivered in 2014⁻2015 recruited 5041 nurses through the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association and professional networks. Validated health behavior measures were collected and compared to Australian National Health Survey data. Compared with younger nurses, older nurses reported greater adherence to fruit and vegetable guideline recommendations, but were more likely to be overweight or obese. Younger nurses (25⁻34 years) had the highest risk of harmful drinking. Compared with the Australian general population, slightly higher percentages of nurses met dietary recommendations and slightly fewer were obese, had central adiposity or smoked. Nurses had lower physical activity levels and higher levels of risky drinking across most gender and age groups. Many nurses have lifestyle health behaviors that place them at high risk for developing non-communicable diseases, sometimes at higher risk than the Australian population to whom they deliver health education. Health promotion strategies for nurses are urgently required.

BACKGROUND:The comparative safety of different birth settings is widely debated. Comparing research across high-income countries is complex, given differences in maternity service provision, data discrepancies, and varying research techniques and quality. Studies of births planned at home or in birth centres have reported both better and poorer outcomes than planned hospital births. Previous systematic reviews have focused on outcomes from either birth centres or home births, with inconsistent attention to quality appraisal. Few have attempted to synthesise findings. OBJECTIVE:To compare maternal and perinatal outcomes from different places of birth via a systematic review of high-quality research, and meta-analysis of appropriate data (Prospero registration CRD42016042291). DESIGN:Reviewers searched CINAHL, Embase, Maternity and Infant Care, Medline and PsycINFO databases to identify studies comparing selected outcomes by place of birth among women with low-risk pregnancies in high-income countries. They critically appraised identified studies using an instrument specific to birth place research and then combined outcome data via meta-analysis, using RevMan software. FINDINGS:Twenty-eight articles met inclusion criteria, yielding comparative data on perinatal mortality, mode of birth, maternal morbidity and/or NICU admissions. Meta-analysis indicated that women planning hospital births had statistically significantly lower odds of normal vaginal birth than in other planned settings. Women experienced severe perineal trauma or haemorrhage at a lower rate in planned home births than in obstetric units. There were no statistically significant differences in infant mortality by planned place of birth, although most studies had limited statistical power to detect differences for rare outcomes. Differences in location, context, quality and design of identified studies render results subject to variation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:High-quality evidence ...

To explore the prevalence with which Australian Western herbalists treat menstrual problems and their related treatment, experiences, perceptions, and interreferral practices with other health practitioners. Members of the Practitioner Research and Collaboration Initiative practice-based research network identifying as Western Herbalists (WHs) completed a specifically developed, online questionnaire. Western Herbalists regularly treat menstrual problems, perceiving high, though differential, levels of effectiveness. For menstrual problems, WHs predominantly prescribe individualised formulas including core herbs, such as Vitex agnus-castus, and problem-specific herbs. Estimated clients' weekly cost (median = $25.00) and treatment duration (median = 4-6 months) covering this Western herbal medicine treatment appears relatively low. Urban-based women are more likely than those rurally based to have used conventional treatment for their menstrual problems before consulting WHs (p = .001). Only 19% of WHs indicated direct contact by conventional medical practitioners regarding treatment of clients' menstrual problems despite 42% indicating clients' conventional practitioners recommended consultation with WH. Western herbal medicine may be a substantially prevalent, cost-effective treatment option amongst women with menstrual problems. A detailed examination of the behaviour of women with menstrual problems who seek and use Western herbal medicine warrants attention to ensure this healthcare option is safe, effective, and appropriately co-ordinated within women's wider healthcare use.

Complementary medicine (CM) use has been found to influence the uptake of conventional cancer treatment. This study examines associations between CM use and cancer screening rates.Women aged 62 to 67 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were surveyed regarding their use of cancer screening initiatives. Associations between cancer screening behavior and visits to CM practitioners were analyzed.Of the 9151 women, 9049 (98.9%) completed questions about cancer screening. A total of 65.1% of women had received a clinical skin examination, 54.3% colorectal cancer screening, 56.2% Pap test (within past 2 years), 83.3% mammogram (within past 2 years), 55.8% clinical breast examination, and 55.8% had conducted breast self-examination. Women who had consulted a massage therapist were more likely to undergo clinical skin examination ( P = .002), clinical breast examination ( P = .018), and mammogram ( P = .001). Women who had consulted a chiropractor were more likely to undergo a clinical skin examination ( P = .001), colorectal cancer screening ( P = .020), and mammogram ( P = .011). Women who had consulted an acupuncturist were more likely to undergo colorectal cancer screening ( P = .019), and those who consulted with an osteopath were more liable to have a Pap test ( P = .049).Women who visit CM practitioners are more likely to participate in cancer screening initiatives. Research is required to understand the current and potential role that CM practitioners (can) have as public health advocates, recommending preventative health measures such as cancer screening. Such an examination will help ensure optimal screening utilization and effective, timely care for all cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: This research aims to investigate the health service use-including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)-and self-care by women aged 62 to 67 with sleeping problems. METHOD: In total, 9,110 participants (99.6%) responded to questions about sleeping problems, health service utilization and self-care (e.g., herbal medicines and vitamins), demographics, and chronic illnesses. RESULTS: In all, 48.2% ( n = 4,394) women indicated that they had a sleeping problem. Women with sleeping problems consulted a general practitioner (GP) more frequently (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.36, 2.17]; p < .005) and were more likely to be using herbal medicines (OR = 1.24; 95% CI = [1.13, 1.36]; p < .005) than women without sleeping problems. DISCUSSION: Health professionals, particularly GPs, may need to actively inquire with older patients in their care with sleeping problems about the use of herbal medicines, to ensure their sleeping problems are being directly and effectively treated, particularly in light of increased risks associated with sleeping problems for this age cohort.

Objectives: Little is known about women’s use of health services affected by headache or migraine during pregnancy. This paper directly addresses the research gap reporting on the healthcare utilization among Australian pregnant women experiencing headache or migraine.

Design and setting: In this retrospective observational study, data on 1,835 Australian pregnant women were obtained from the nationally-representative Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Information on quality of life and health seeking behaviors regarding conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine providers was identified among these participants. Factors associated with healthcare use were analyzed using regression analyses.

Results: A total of 16% of the pregnant women surveyed experienced headache or migraine, and over 20% sought help from more than two types of healthcare practitioners for their headache or migraine. General practitioners (37.8%) were the most commonly consulted providers of pregnant women for their headache or migraine. Women with headache or migraine during pregnancy had worse health-related quality of life than those without. Education level and private health insurance status of pregnant women are the predictors of the use of healthcare practitioners for their management of headache or migraine (both p<0.05).

Conclusions: Headache or migraine during pregnancy significantly impacts upon pregnant women’s quality of life. The use of multiple healthcare practitioners, including conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, highlights the need for further research investigating health services utilization of pregnant women with headache or migraine in different severity and frequency to help inform effective and safe treatment.

BACKGROUND:Modifications to lifestyle risk factors for stroke may help prevent stroke events. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarise the evidence of acupuncture interventions for those people with lifestyle risk factors for stroke, including alcohol-dependence, smoking-dependence, hypertension, and obesity. METHODS:MEDLINE, CINAHL/EBSCO, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Database were searched from January 1996 to December 2016. Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with empirical research findings were included. PRISMA guidelines were followed and risk of bias was assessed via the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias assessment tool. The systematic review reported in this paper has been registered on the PROSPERO (#CRD42017060490). RESULTS:A total of 59 RCTs (5,650 participants) examining the use of acupuncture in treating lifestyle risk factors for stroke met the inclusion criteria. The seven RCTs focusing on alcohol-dependence showed substantial heterogeneity regarding intervention details. No evidence from meta-analysis has been found regarding post-intervention or long-term effect on blood pressure control for acupuncture compared to sham intervention. Relative to sham acupuncture, individuals receiving auricular acupressure for smoking-dependence reported lower numbers of consumed cigarettes per day (two RCTs, mean difference (MD) = -2.75 cigarettes/day; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -5.33, -0.17; p = 0.04). Compared to sham acupuncture those receiving acupuncture for obesity reported lower waist circumference (five RCTs, MD = -2.79 cm; 95% CI: -4.13, -1.46; p<0.001). Overall, only few trials were considered of low risk of bias for smoking-dependence and obesity, and as such none of the significant effects in favour of acupuncture interventions were robust against potential selection, performance, and detection bias. CONCLUSIONS:This review found no convincing evidence for effects of acupuncture interventions for improving lifestyle risk factors for s...

In order to describe the prevalence and characteristics of complementary medicine (CM) practice and product use by Australians, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey with Australian adults aged 18 and over. Rates of consultation with CM practitioners, and use of CM products and practices were assessed. The sample (n = 2,019) was broadly representative of the Australian population. Prevalence of any CM use was 63.1%, with 36% consulting a CM practitioner and 52.8% using any CM product or practice. Bodywork therapists were the most commonly consulted CM practitioners (massage therapists 20.7%, chiropractors 12.6%, yoga teachers 8.9%) and homeopaths were the least commonly consulted (3.4%). Almost half of respondents (47.8%) used vitamin/mineral supplements, while relaxation techniques/meditation were the most common practice (15.8%). CM users were more likely to be female, have a chronic disease diagnosis, no private health insurance, a higher education level, and not be looking for work. Prevalence of CM use in Australia has remained consistently high, demonstrating that CM is an established part of contemporary health management practices within the general population. It is critical that health policy makers and health care providers acknowledge CM in their attempts to ensure optimal public health and patient outcomes.

Background and purpose
This study examines the relationship between the use of complementary medicine (CM) interventions or consultations with CM practitioners and women's choice of contraceptive method.

Materials and methods
A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey of Australian Women aged 34–39 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) was conducted. Associations between use of CM and contraception were analysed using Chi-squared tests and multivariate logistic regression.

Results
Based on the responses from the included women (n = 7299), women who consulted a naturopath/herbalist were less likely to use implant contraceptives (OR 0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33; 0.95). Those consulting a chiropractor (OR 1.54; 95%CI 1.05; 2.25) or an osteopath (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.32; 3.54) were more likely to use natural contraception.

Conclusion
There may be a link between women's choice of contraceptive method and their use of CM, in particular, with CM practitioner consultations.

BACKGROUND:Limited information is available regarding the profile and clinical practice characteristics of the osteopathy workforce in Australia. This paper reports such information by analysing data from a nationally-representative sample of Australian osteopaths. METHODS:Data was obtained from a workforce survey of Australian osteopathy, investigating the characteristics of the practitioner, their practice, clinical management features and perceptions regarding research. The survey questionnaire was distributed to all registered osteopaths across Australia in 2016 as part of the Osteopathy Research and Innovation Network (ORION) project. RESULTS:A total of 992 Australian osteopaths participated in this study representing a response rate of 49.1%. The average age of the participants was 38.0 years with 58.1% being female and the majority holding a Bachelor or higher degree qualification related to the osteopathy professional. Approximately 80.0% of the osteopaths were practicing in an urban area, with most osteopaths working in multi-practitioner locations, having referral relationships with a range of health care practitioners, managing patients a number of musculoskeletal disorders, and providing multi-model treatment options. CONCLUSIONS:A total of 3.9 million patients were estimated to consult with osteopaths every year and an average of approximate 3.0 million hours were spent delivering osteopathy services per year. Further research is required to provide rich, in-depth examination regarding a range of osteopathy workforce issues which will help ensure safe, effective patient care to all receiving and providing treatments as part of the broader Australian health system.

This study aims to describe the Australian complementary medicine (CM) workforce, including practice and professional characteristics.National cross-sectional survey.Australia.Any individual who self-identified as a practitioner qualified in any one of 14 CM professions and working in any state or territory of Australia was eligible to participate in the survey.A 19-item online survey was developed following a review of existing CM workforce data and in alignment with other CM workforce survey projects in progress at the time. The survey items were presented under three main constructs: demographic characteristics, professional characteristics, and practice characteristics.Descriptive statistical analysis, including frequencies and percentages, of multiple choice survey items was used. Open response items were analyzed to determine the mean, standard deviation (SD), minimum, and maximum. The demographic data were evaluated for representativeness based on previously reported CM workforce figures.The survey was completed by 1306 CM practitioners and was found to be nationally representative compared with the most recent registrant data from the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. Participants primarily practiced in the most populous Australian states and worked in at least one urban clinical location. Most participants held an Advanced Diploma qualification or lower, obtained their qualification ten more years ago, and practiced in a clinical environment alongside at least one other practitioner from another health profession. Participants reported diverse clinical practice specialties and occupational roles. Per week, participants worked an average of 3.7 days and treated 23.6 clients.The results from this survey of practitioners from most complementary professions in Australia provide new insights into the national complementary medicine workforce. Further exploration of the CM workforce is warranted to inform all who provide patient care and develop health poli...

Objectives
A range of health-care professionals including chiropractors provide treatment for sports-related health problems. This study reports analyses from the first national workforce survey to determine practitioner and practice-related factors associated with the frequent treatment of athletes or sports people by Australian chiropractors.

Design and setting
A 21-item questionnaire collecting information pertaining to practitioner and practice-related characteristics was distributed to all Australian registered chiropractors, as part of the Australian Chiropractic Research Network (ACORN) project and attracted a response rate of 43% (n = 2,005). Statistical analyses compared the frequency of treating athletes or sports people against a wide range of relevant practitioner and practice characteristics.

Results
Of the respondents, 49.5% (n = 936) reported frequently treating athletes or sports people, and these chiropractors were more likely to be male as well as report more patient care hours and patient visits per week than those chiropractors who did not frequently treat athletes or sports people. Chiropractors who frequently treat athletes or sports people were also more likely to perform multi-modal management, have multi-disciplinary practitioner relations, use diagnostic equipment and discuss nutrition and medication use as part of their patient care than those chiropractors who did not frequently treat athletes or sports people.

Conclusions
Nearly half of participating Australian chiropractors treat athletes or sports people frequently. The current and potential role of chiropractors in sports medicine appears significant. Further research is needed to examine the role, practices and outcomes of such chiropractic care helping to, provide treatment and policy development in this area of clinical management.

Emerging evidence has shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a positive effect on arthritis. This research provides the first critical, systematic examination of TCM practitioners' perceptions of TCM use for people with arthritis.An online survey was distributed to all TCM professionals including acupuncturists and Chinese herbal medicine practitioners registered with the Practitioner Research and Collaborate Initiative (PRACI) practitioner database. The survey questions focus on practitioner characteristics, practice characteristics and clinical management approaches regarding arthritis care.The survey attracted a response rate of 53% (n=52). The average age of the respondents was 49.9 years, more than half were female, and the majority held a bachelor degree or higher qualification. More than two thirds of TCM practitioners in our study worked with other health professionals, while they had a high level of referral relationships with a wide range of conventional, allied health and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers. Most of the TCM practitioners reported that their patients with arthritis used other treatments alongside TCM and a large number of the TCM practitioners who participated believed that TCM was effective for treating arthritis.The TCM profession represents a substantial component of the healthcare field in Australia, and treating patients with arthritis appears to be an important area of TCM practice, among others. Further detailed research is needed to help ensure effective, safe patient care for those with arthritis who may be utilising TCM alongside a broader range of conventional medicine, allied health, and other CAM treatments.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the use of complementary medicine (CM) is associated with body satisfaction and weight management methods in Australian women.

Methods: Women aged 34–39 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health were surveyed regarding satisfaction with their body weight and shape, and the use of weight management methods. Associations with CM use were analysed using logistic regression modelling.

Results: Women using CM less likely wanted to lose weight; and were more likely to cut down on fats and/or sugars, use low glycaemic diets, diet books and ‘other’ methods (OR: 1.33–2.83) compared to CM non-users. Women using herbal medicine products ‘sometimes’ were more likely to use meal replacements/slimming products (OR: 1.50–1.67) compared to non-users.

Discussion: Australian women using CM are more likely to be satisfied with their body weight and shape, and to use a range of weight management approaches compared to CM non-users.

Background:
Special diets are frequently used by the public but reasons for use and characteristics of users remain unclear.

Aim:
To determine prevalence of the use of special diets, the individual characteristics associated with their use and reasons for use.

Methods:
The secondary analysis used data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a cross-sectional household interview survey of a nationally representative sample of non-hospitalized US adult populations (n = 34,525). The dependent variables in this secondary analysis were the use of a special diet (vegetarian, macrobiotic, Atkins, Pritikin, and Ornish) ever and during the past 12 months. Independent variables included sociodemographic, clinical and behavioral variables. Prevalence of special diet use and reasons for use were analyzed descriptively. Associations between independent and dependent variables were analyzed using Chi-square tests and logistic regression. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results:
Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of using special diets were 7.5% (weighted n = 17.7 million) and 2.9% (weighted n = 6.9 million), respectively. Individuals using special diets in the past 12 months were more likely female (OR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.21–1.74), not married (OR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.63–0.91), college-educated (OR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.25–3.11) and depressed (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.14–1.98). They more likely also used herbal products (OR = 2.35; 95%CI = 1.84–2.99), non-vitamin (OR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.45–2.27) and vitamin supplements (OR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.24–1.99). Diets were mainly used to improve overall health (76.7%) or for general wellness/prevention (70.4%).

Conclusions:
Special diets are mainly used for unspecific health reasons by those who are females, have a college degree or with depression, and commonly used in conjunction with herbs and dietary supplements.

BACKGROUND: The popularity of homeopathy is seemingly at odds with the scientific controversy over its effectiveness. Several studies have reported on effectiveness of clinical homeopathy, but few studies have been conducted on practices and perceptions of homeopaths, and none in New Zealand (NZ). To address this gap, this paper reports findings from the first national survey examining the characteristics, perceptions and experiences of NZ-based homeopaths regarding a wide range of issues relating to their role and practice. There were 176 homeopaths in NZ at the time of this survey, who were members of a voluntary register (The New Zealand Council of Homeopaths), homeopaths are not statutorily registered in NZ. METHODS: A 65 question, online survey was sent to homeopathic practitioners via their professional associations. A total of 176 homeopaths were invited to participate. Of these 176, 57 (32%) responded. RESULTS: The majority of homeopaths were female (93%). Twelve percent were under 45 years and 20% over 55 years. Most (85%) had qualification in homeopathy of diploma or certificate level and most (66%) were engaged in part-time practice. Mean year of experience was 12.6 and mean caseload per month was 25. 90% considered research useful to validate practice, while 88% considered that it impacted on practice, although only 48% had skills to interpret research papers. There was an association between skills to interpret research and its impact on practice (p = 0.038). The majority (87%) were in favour of registration, with a statistically significant association between attitudes to registration and age (p = 0.027), the older homeopaths being more in favour. Most (68%) were in favour of integration with conventional practitioners and many referred to conventional practitioners (mean referrals per annum to GPs = 57 and midwives = 30). Homeopaths assessed their contribution to New Zealand Ministry of Health objectives as significant, with 77% perceiving that th...

BACKGROUND: Despite the expansion of conventional medical treatments for headache, many sufferers of common recurrent headache disorders seek help outside of medical settings. The aim of this paper is to evaluate research studies on the prevalence of patient use of manual therapies for the treatment of headache and the key factors associated with this patient population. METHODS: This critical review of the peer-reviewed literature identified 35 papers reporting findings from new empirical research regarding the prevalence, profiles, motivations, communication and self-reported effectiveness of manual therapy use amongst those with headache disorders. RESULTS: While available data was limited and studies had considerable methodological limitations, the use of manual therapy appears to be the most common non-medical treatment utilized for the management of common recurrent headaches. The most common reason for choosing this type of treatment was seeking pain relief. While a high percentage of these patients likely continue with concurrent medical care, around half may not be disclosing the use of this treatment to their medical doctor. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for more rigorous public health and health services research in order to assess the role, safety, utilization and financial costs associated with manual therapy treatment for headache. Primary healthcare providers should be mindful of the use of this highly popular approach to headache management in order to help facilitate safe, effective and coordinated care.

This study examined factors influencing decision-making on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use for back pain and back pain sufferers' communication about CAM use. A cross-sectional postal survey was conducted in 2011/2012 as a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). The sample contained 1620 women from the 1945-1951 cohort of the ALSWH, aged 60-65 years who were eligible for the sub-study, as they had experienced back pain during 12 months prior to the survey. Of these, 1310 (80.9%) returned completed questionnaires. A significant proportion of women consulted a CAM practitioner (76%, n = 1001) and/or had self-prescribed CAM treatment (75%, n = 985). Of the women who used CAM for their back pain, 20% consulted their general practitioner (GP) prior to using CAM and 34% always informed their GP following CAM use. Forty-three per cent of the women were influenced by their doctors, 39% by friends/colleagues, 36% by family/relatives, 33% by their partner, 30% by a CAM practitioner, 20% by a pharmacist, 16% by a book/magazine, 11% by mass media, 10% by an allied health worker and 6% by the Internet. Our results show that information sources used by women for their decision-making on CAM use differed according to the symptoms. While non-professional information sources (e.g. family/relatives) positively influenced women in their decision to use CAM for a range of back pain-related symptoms (e.g. headaches/migraines), doctors and allied health workers (e.g. nurses) negatively influenced women in their decision to consult a CAM practitioner for a range of back pain-related symptoms (e.g. headaches/migraines, neck pain). Women seek information from a wide range of professional and non-professional sources with regard to their decision-making around CAM use for back pain. Back pain care providers need to ensure effective communication with their back pain patients regarding safe, effective and co-ordinated back pain care option...

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese Medicine has considerable public support in Australia and elsewhere around the world; the literature suggests Chinese medicine (CM) and acupuncture are particularly popular. AIM: To examine factors associated with CM/acupuncture use among young/middle-aged Australian women. METHODS: This research formed part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), a population-based cohort study. Data were obtained from the 'young' (34-39 years; n=8010) and 'middle-aged' (62-67 years; n=9151) ALSWH cohorts, who completed survey 6 (in 2012) and survey 7 (in 2013), respectively. Outcome measures included use of CM and visits to an acupuncturist in the previous 12 months. Predictive factors included demographic characteristics, and measures of health status (diagnosed chronic medical conditions) and health service utilisation. Statistical analyses included bivariate χ(2) tests, two proportions Z-tests and backward stepwise multiple logistic regression modelling. RESULTS: In total, 9.5% and 6.2% of women in the young and middle-aged cohorts, respectively, had consulted an acupuncturist, and 5.7% and 4.0%, respectively, had used CM. Young women with low iron levels and/or endometriosis were more likely to use CM and/or acupuncture. Middle-aged women with low iron levels and/or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) were more likely to use CM, while middle-aged women with arthritis and/or CFS were more likely to use acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: Women with chronic conditions (including arthritis, low iron, CFS and endometriosis) were associated with higher odds of CM/acupuncture use. There is a need for further research to examine the potential benefits of CM/acupuncture for these chronic illnesses.

A critical review of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among people with arthritis was conducted focusing upon prevalence and profile of CAM users as well as their motivation, decision-making, perceived benefits and communication with healthcare providers. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature published from 2008 to 2015 was undertaken via CINAHL, Medline and AMED databases. The initial search identified 4331 articles, of which 49 articles met selection criteria. The review shows a high prevalence of CAM use (often multiple types and concurrent to conventional medical care) among those with arthritis which is not restricted to any particular geographic or social-economic status. A large proportion of arthritis sufferers using CAM consider these medicines to be somewhat or very effective but almost half do not inform their healthcare provider about their CAM use. It is suggested that rheumatologists and others providing health care for patients with arthritis should be cognizant of the high prevalence of CAM use and the challenges associated with possible concurrent use of CAM and conventional medicine among their patients.

AIM: To examine the workforce, workplace, psychosocial and health characteristics of nurses and midwives in relation to their reported use of sickness absence described as 'mental health days'. BACKGROUND: The occupational stress associated with the nursing profession is increasingly recognized and nurse/midwifery absenteeism is a significant global problem. Taking a 'mental health day' as sickness absence is a common phenomenon in Australian health care. No previous studies have empirically explored the characteristics of nurses and midwives using such sickness absence. DESIGN: Online cross-sectional survey. METHODS: Survey comprising validated tools and questions on workplace and health characteristics was distributed to nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Australia, between May 2014 - February 2015. Sample characteristics were reported using descriptive statistics. Factors independently predictive of 'mental health day' reportage were determined using logistic regression. RESULTS: Fifty-four percentage of the n = 5041 nurse and midwife respondents took 'mental health days'. Those affected were significantly more likely to be at younger ages, working shifts with less time sitting at work; to report workplace abuse and plans to leave; having been admitted to hospital in previous 12 months; to be current smokers; to report mental health problems, accomplishing less due to emotional problems and current psychotropic medication use. CONCLUSION: Specific characteristics of nurses and midwives who report taking 'mental health day' sickness absence offer healthcare administrators and managers opportunities for early identification and intervention with workplace measures and support frameworks to promote well-being, health promotion and safety.

This article examines disciplinary proceedings brought against complementary
medicine (CM) practitioners in Australia at tribunal level since the
inception of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. The article looks
at all 32 such cases and identifies trends in the kinds of misconduct
established, and the orders imposed.These findings are compared with earlier
and more sizable studies of tribunal-level outcomes for disciplinary proceedings
against doctors in Australia and New Zealand. While there are some clear
comparisons – such as the gender ratio of respondent practitioners and the
most common type of misconduct, ie sexual misconduct – there were also
notable differences. Specifically, the rate of removal from practice, either by
suspension or cancellation of registration, of CM practitioners was found to be
significantly higher than that reported in earlier studies of cases against
doctors. More research needs to be done to explore the reasons for this
apparent disparity.

We investigated the contribution of antenatal and postnatal care in reducing the risk of neonatal deaths in Bangladesh. The effects of these services were examined using adjusted Cox regression models and secondary data with 7,314 live-born infants. We observed that neonatal mortality was significantly decreased for newborns whose mothers' attended antenatal care services but postnatal care did not show any effect. Health promotion programs offering antenatal care in Bangladesh and other low- and lower-middle-income countries may build awareness about these practices. Further research is required to examine the reasons for the lack of impact of postnatal care on mortality.

© 2017. Currently, there is no definitive diagnosis or list of signs and symptoms for "stress" in either modern biomedicine or Chinese medicine (CM). While modern theories on stress relate to the neurological interaction of a stressor or stimuli on the autonomic nervous system, it is generally regarded as subjective in nature and as such each individual will likely present varying somatic or cognitive signs and symptoms. A questionnaire was therefore developed, based on textual research, that incorporated both general as well as gender specific signs and symptom responses to determine the most common CM patterns associated with individuals who report as feeling stressed. For the 45 females who completed the questionnaire, the mean percentage of symptoms per CM pattern showed that the pattern with the highest average percentage was heart qi deficiency (61.88%) followed by liver blood deficiency (60.23%) and then heart blood deficiency (60.12%). For males (n = 16), heart qi deficiency was also the highest scoring CM pattern with a scoring percentage of 54.81%. In males, however, heart blood deficiency was second with 53.29% followed by liver blood deficiency with 51.10%. Of the general non gender-specific symptoms collected (n = 65 symptoms), the symptom most commonly reported by both men and women was "anxious or racing thoughts", followed by "constant worrying" and "inability to concentrate". The CM diagnostic pattern results may prove useful for clinicians as the change in diagnostic understanding will also modify the treatment principle and subsequent treatment with acupuncture or herbal medicine. Future CM research studies should consider including the questionnaire either as a diagnostic aid or as an outcome measure for acupuncture or herbal medicine studies related to stress.

To investigate the influence of work-related characteristics, health, health behaviours and symptoms on ingestible biologically-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use within the Australian nursing and midwifery workforce.CAM use is widespread worldwide, but there is little research into nurses' and midwives' personal use of ingestible CAM in Australia.An online survey in 2014-15 used validated instruments and items to examine use of ingestible biologically-based CAM (herbs, foods and vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and other supplements), and the health and work-related characteristics of 5041 nurses and midwives recruited through the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association and professional networks.A small proportion of nurses (6.8%) identified as personal CAM users. Most were female, older, worked in foundational roles (frontline Registered and Enrolled Nurses/Midwives) and used one CAM, most commonly a multivitamin, although Vitamin D, Fish Oil, Calcium and Glucosamine±Chondroitin were also common. In comparison to non-users, CAM users were less likely to take sick days or indulge in risky drinking, but more likely to be symptomatic (with stiff joints, bodily/joint pain, severe tiredness, allergies, indigestion/heartburn), diagnosed with osteoarthritis and to adhere to healthy diet recommendations.Findings showed a credible pattern of front line workers with physically demanding workloads that impact their physical health and are linked to frequent symptoms, using CAM treatments and achieving some success in being able to continue working and avoid sickness absence. Further investigation is warranted to protect and maintain the health of the nursing and midwifery workforce.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the personal cancer screening behaviours of nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Australia, and identify factors predictive of cancer screening uptake. BACKGROUND: The nursing workforce may have a higher risk for some cancers and is ageing. In Australia, more than 40% are over 50 years - an age where cancer incidence rises rapidly, but when screening may reduce cancer mortality. Nurses and midwives are important health role models for the population, but their engagement in cancer screening is unknown. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2014-2015. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 'Fit for the Future' study on 5041 working nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Australia and analyses were conducted on subsets of age-eligible respondents. Demographic, geographical and occupational data were analysed in relation to population-based screening for breast, cervical and bowel cancers and opportunistic screening for prostate and skin cancer screening participation, in line with Australian recommendations. RESULTS: Nurses' and midwives' recent screening rates were higher than the Australian general population across relevant age groups. Compared with full-time nurses and midwives, part-time/casual/pool workers were significantly more likely to undertake cervical, breast and bowel screening. Compared with those working office hours, shift workers were significantly less likely to undertake breast and bowel screening, but more likely to undertake skin screening. CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in reported screening prevalence and factors predictive of screening uptake indicate opportunities for targeted strategies to inform and/or promote workforce engagement with screening programmes and protect the health of this ageing workforce.

AIM:
To examine the quality of life of nurses and midwives in New South Wales, Australia and compare values with those of the Australian general population; to determine the influence of workforce, health and work life characteristics on quality of life and its effect on workforce intention to leave.

BACKGROUND:
Few studies have examined nurses' and midwives' quality of life and little is known of its effects on workforce longevity.

DESIGN:
This was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2014-2015.

METHOD:
The "Fit for the Future" electronic survey, delivered to nurses and midwives, examined demographic, work and health-related factors, which were compared with Australian general population normative values for physical and mental components of quality of life (the Short Form-12). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models assessed associations with workforce intention to leave.

RESULT:
Physical and mental component scores, calculated for 4,592 nurses and midwives, revealed significantly higher physical but lower mental component scores than the general population. Physical component scores decreased with increasing age; higher scores were seen in nurses with better health indices and behaviours. Mental well-being scores increased with increasing age; in nurses who reported job satisfaction, no work injury, sleep problems or frequent pain and non-smokers. The odds of intention to leave decreased with increasing mental well-being.

CONCLUSION:
Managers and decision-makers should heed study recommendations to implement health promotion strategies for nurses and midwives, aiming to improve mental health, specifically to promote workforce retention.

BACKGROUND: A wide range of health care options are utilised by pregnant women in Australia. The out-of-pocket costs of maternity care in Australia vary depending on many factors including model of care utilised, health insurance coverage, and women's decision to access health services outside of conventional maternity care provision. METHODS: Women from the 1973-78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) who identified as pregnant or as recently having given birth in 2009 were invited to complete a sub-study questionnaire investigating health service utilisation during their most recent pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 1,835 women agreed to participate in the sub-study. The majority of women (99.8%) consulted with a conventional health care practitioner during pregnancy, 49.4% consulted with a complementary and alternative medicine practitioner at least once during pregnancy and 89.6% of the women used a complementary and alternative medicine product. Women reported an average of AUD$781.10 in out-of-pocket expenses for consultations with conventional health care practitioners, AUD$185.40 in out-of-pocket expenses for consultations with complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and AUD$179.60 in out-of-pocket expenses for complementary and alternative medicine products. From the study data we estimate Australian pregnant women spend over AUD$337 M on out-of-pocket health services. CONCLUSION: While the majority of pregnant women in Australia may obtain health services via the publically-funded health care system and/or private health insurance coverage, our analysis identifies substantial out-of-pocket expenditure for health care by pregnant women - a trend in public spending for maternity care of importance to policy makers, health administrators, and health professionals.

Nausea, vomiting and reflux are common conditions experienced by women during pregnancy. The objective of this project was to examine women's use of health services for these conditions.The study sample was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. A total of 2,445 women who were pregnant or who had recently given birth in 2009 were invited to complete a sub-survey in 2010 about pregnancy and health service utilization. A response rate of 79.2% was obtained.During their pregnancy, 604 (32.9%) respondents experienced nausea, with 255 (42.2%) of these women seeking help from a health care practitioner. A total of 201 women (11%) reported repeated vomiting, and 637 women (34.7%) reported reflux, of which 78.6% and 59.2% sought help respectively. There were no significant differences in the mental and physical health measures between women with nausea, vomiting and/or reflux who sought help and women who did not. Having private health insurance with obstetric cover was associated with seeking help for reflux; this was the only demographic measure significantly associated with seeking help for any condition.Research is required to understand why many women do not seek professional help for common gastrointestinal conditions during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between health status and health service utilization (including conventional and complementary and alternative medicine [CAM]) accessed by women experiencing urinary incontinence (UI). Although a high number of younger women report symptoms of UI, such as leaking urine, only a small proportion seek help for these symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health is a large nationally representative study that investigates the health and well-being of women. The 2 most recent surveys (2006 and 2009) of the young cohort (women aged 28-33 and 31-36 respectively) were analyzed. RESULTS: The presence of UI was 8.5% in 2006 (n = 859) and 23.3% in 2009 (n = 1878), whereas the percentage of women who sought help for their UI was 18.6% (n = 160) and 2.2% (n = 182) respectively. Women with UI had poorer health compared with women without UI (P < .005), and women who sought help for their symptoms had poorer physical functioning than women who did not (P < .005). Women who sought help were greater users of conventional and CAM health services (P < .005), including a general practitioner, specialist, hospital doctor, physiotherapist, and naturopath. CONCLUSION: UI is relatively common in younger women. However, many do not seek help. Of the women who do seek care, a large number visit CAM professionals as well as conventional medical professionals, despite a lack of research evaluating the efficacy of CAM treatment. Research is needed to explore CAM practitioner approaches to the treatment of UI and to evaluate the efficacy of these treatments.

Background: This review aims to summarize the evidence of Tai Chi and qigong interventions for the primary prevention of stroke, including the effects on populations with major stroke risk factors.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on January 16, 2017 using the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases. Randomized controlled trials examining the efficacy of Tai Chi or qigong for stroke prevention and stroke risk factors were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Results: Twenty-one trials with n=1604 patients with hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, overweight or obesity, or metabolic syndrome were included. No trials were found that examined the effects of Tai Chi/qigong on stroke incidence. Meta-analyses revealed significant, but not robust, benefits of Tai Chi/qigong over no interventions for hypertension (systolic blood pressure: -15.55mm Hg (95% CI: -21.16; -9.95); diastolic blood pressure: -10.66mm Hg (95% CI: -14.90, -6.43); the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index (-2.86%; 95% CI: -5.35, -0.38) and fasting blood glucose (-9.6mg/dL; 95% CI: -17.28, -1.91), and for the body mass index compared with exercise controls (-1.65kg/m2; 95% CI: -3.11, -0.20). Risk of bias was unclear or high for the majority of trials and domains, and heterogeneity between trials was high. Only 6 trials adequately reported safety. No recommendation for the use of Tai Chi/qigong for the prevention of stroke can be given.

Conclusion: Although Tai Chi and qigong show some potential more robust studies are required to provide conclusive evidence on the efficacy and safety of Tai Chi and qigong for reducing major stroke risk factors.

Background: The vast majority of stroke burden is attributable to its modifiable risk factors. This paper aimed to systematically summarise the evidence of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) interventions on stroke modifiable risk factors for stroke prevention.

Methods: A literature search was conducted via the MEDLINE, CINAHL/EBSCO, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Database from 1996 to 2016. Randomised controlled trials or cross-over studies were included. Risk of bias was assessed according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Results: A total of 46 trials (6895 participants) were identified regarding the use of CHM interventions in the management of stroke risk factors, including 12 trials for hypertension, 10 trials for diabetes, eight trials for hyperlipidemia, seven trials for impaired glucose tolerance, three trials for obesity, and six trials for combined risk factors. Amongst the included trials with diverse study design, an intervention of CHM as a supplement to biomedicine and/or a lifestyle intervention was found to be more effective in lowering blood pressure, decreasing blood glucose level, helping impaired glucose tolerance reverse to normal, and/or reducing body weight compared to CHM monotherapy. While no trial reported deaths amongst the CHM groups, some papers do report moderate adverse effects associated with CHM use. However, the findings of such beneficial effects of CHM should be interpreted with caution due to the heterogeneous set of complex CHM studied, the various control interventions employed, the use of different participants’ inclusion criteria, and low methodological quality across the published studies. The risk of bias of trials identified was largely unclear in the domains of selection bias and detection bias across the included studies.

Conclusion: This study showed substantial evidence of varied CHM interventions improving the stroke modifiable risk factors. More rigorous research examining the use of CHM products for sole or multiple ma...

Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for all adults, with older adults considered a high-risk group for targeted intervention. As such it is important for factors affecting vaccine uptake in this group to be examined. Complementary medicine (CM) use has been suggested as a possible factor associated with lower vaccination uptake. To determine if associations exist between influenza and pneumococcal vaccine uptake in older Australian women and the use of CM, data from women aged 62–67 years surveyed as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were analyzed in 2013 regarding their health and health care utilization. Associations between the uptake of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations and the use of CM were analyzed in 2016 using chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression modelling. Of the 9151 women, 65.6% and 17.7% reported that they had influenza and pneumococcal vaccination within the past 3 years respectively. Regression analyses show that women who consulted naturopaths/herbalists (OR = 0.64) and other CM practitioners (OR = 0.64) were less likely to have vaccination (influenza only), as were women who used yoga (OR = 0.77–0.80) and herbal medicines (OR = 0.78–0.83) (influenza and pneumococcal). Conversely, women using vitamin supplements were more likely to receive either vaccination (OR = 1.17–1.24) than those not using vitamin supplements. The interface between CM use and influenza and pneumococcal vaccination uptake in older women appears complex, multi-factorial and often highly individualized and there is a need for further research to provide a rich examination of the decision-making and motivations of stakeholders around this important public health topic.

BACKGROUND: This paper reports the profile of the Australian chiropractic workforce and characteristics of chiropractic care from a large nationally-representative sample of practitioners. METHODS: A 21-item questionnaire examining practitioner, practice and clinical management characteristics was distributed to all registered chiropractors (n = 4,684) in Australia in 2015 via both online and hard copy mail out. RESULTS: The survey attracted a response rate of 43% (n = 2,005), and the sample is largely representative of the national chiropractic workforce on a number of key indicators. The average age of the chiropractors was 42.1 years, nearly two-thirds are male, and the vast majority hold a bachelor degree or higher qualification. Australian chiropractors are focused upon treating people across a wide age range who mainly present with musculoskeletal conditions. Australian chiropractors have referral relationships with a range of conventional, allied health and complementary medicine (CAM) providers. CONCLUSION: The chiropractic profession represents a substantial component of the contemporary Australian health care system with chiropractors managing an estimated 21.3 million patient visits per year. While the Australian chiropractic workforce is well educated, research engagement and research capacity remains sub-optimal and there is much room for further capacity building to help chiropractic reach full potential as a key integrated profession within an evidence-based health care system. Further rich, in-depth research is warranted to improve our understanding of the role of chiropractic within the Australian health care system.

Objectives
The Australian Chiropractic Research Network (ACORN) practice-based research network (PBRN) cohort was established to provide sustainable infrastructure necessary to address lack of rigorous investigation and to bridge the research–practice gap focused on chiropractic care for future years. This paper presents the profile of chiropractors recruited to the ACORN PBRN, a nationally representative sample of chiropractors working in Australia.

Design
Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a cohort study of chiropractors in Australia.

Setting
All registered chiropractors in Australia were invited to participate in the ACORN study and those who completed a practitioner questionnaire and consent form were included in the PBRN cohort.

Participants
A total of 1680 chiropractors (36%) were recruited to the cohort database. The average age of the PBRN participants is 41.9 years and 63% are male. The vast majority of the PBRN participants hold a university degree.

Results
General practitioners were identified as the most popular referral source for chiropractic care and low back pain and neck pain were the most common conditions ‘often’ treated by the PBRN chiropractors. The chiropractors in this PBRN cohort rated high velocity, low amplitude adjustment/manipulation/mobilisation as the most commonly used technique/method and soft tissue therapy as the most frequently employed musculoskeletal intervention in their patient management.

Conclusions
The ACORN PBRN cohort constitutes the largest coverage of any single healthcare profession via a national voluntary PBRN providing a sustainable resource for future follow-up. The ACORN cohort provides opportunities for further nested substudies related to chiropractic care, chiropractors, their patients and a vast range of broader healthcare issues with a view to helping build a diverse but coordinated research programme and further research capacity building around Australian chiropractic.

BACKGROUND: Preconception is acknowledged globally as an important part of ensuring health for the next generation and is underpinned by principles of health promotion and preventive medicine. There is a demand for more holistic, preventive health care within preconception health services. Many women are also using complementary medicine during their reproductive years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This paper presents a longitudinal analysis of women's consultations with a complementary medicine practitioner while attempting to become pregnant, and the characteristics of women who choose to consult a complementary medicine practitioner during the preconception period. The cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses conducted in this study utilise data from the 1973 through 1978 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (n = 13,224). Multivariate logistic regression models and generalized estimating equation models, with and without time lag, were used. RESULTS: Women who identified as attempting to conceive were more likely to consult with an acupuncturist (adjusted odds ratio, 1.46) or a naturopath/herbalist (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30). Women who consulted with an acupuncturist were likely to be consulting with a specialist doctor (odds ratio, 3.73) and/or have previous fertility issues (odds ratio, 2.30). Women who consulted with a naturopath were more likely to report experiencing premenstrual tension (odds ratio, 2.30) but less likely to have had a previous miscarriage (odds ratio, 0.18). CONCLUSIONS: Policymakers and other health professionals need to be aware that health professionals who are largely unregulated and structurally isolated from conventional health care may be actively contributing to women's reproductive and physical health during the preconception period.

BACKGROUND: The Practitioner Research and Collaboration Initiative (PRACI) is an innovative, multi-modality practice-based research network (PBRN) that represents fourteen complementary medicine (CM) professions across Australia. It is the largest known PBRN for complementary healthcare in the world and was launched in 2015. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the progress of the PRACI project, including a description of the characteristics of PRACI members in order to facilitate further sub-studies through the PRACI PBRN. METHODS: A CM workforce survey was distributed electronically to CM practitioners across fourteen disciplines, throughout Australia. Practitioners electing to become a member of PRACI were registered on the PBRN database. The database was interrogated and the data analysed to described sociodemographic characteristics, practice characteristics, professional qualification and practice interest of PRACI members. RESULTS: Foundational members of PRACI were found to be predominately female (76.2%) and middle-aged (82.5%). Members were primarily located in urban settings (82.5%) across the Eastern seaboard of Australia (82.5%), with few working remotely. The main modalities represented include massage therapists (58.5%), naturopaths (26.4%) and nutritionists (14.4%). The primary area of clinical interest for PRACI members were general health and well-being (75.4%), musculoskeletal complaints (72%) and pain management (62.6%). CONCLUSIONS: PRACI provides an important infrastructure for complementary healthcare research in Australia and its success relies on CM practitioners being involved in the research being conducted through the PBRN. The aim of this database is to ensure that the research conducted through PRACI is rigorous, robust, clinically relevant and reflects the diversity of clinical practice amongst CM practitioners in Australia.

STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a national survey. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, patterns, and predictors of chiropractic utilization in the US general population. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Chiropractic is one of the largest manual therapy professions in the US and internationally. Very few details have been reported about the use of chiropractic care in the US in recent years. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (n = 34,525) were analyzed to examine the lifetime and 12-month prevalence and utilization patterns of chiropractic use, profile of chiropractic users and health-related predictors of chiropractic consultations. RESULTS: Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of chiropractic use were 24.0% and 8.4%, respectively. There is a growing trend of chiropractic use amongst US adults from 2002 to 2012. Back pain (63.0%) and neck pain (30.2%) were the most prevalent health problems for chiropractic consultations and the majority of users reported chiropractic helping a great deal with their health problem and improving overall health or well-being. A substantial number of chiropractic users had received prescription (23.0%) and/or over-the-counter medications (35.0%) for the same health problem for which chiropractic was sought and 63.8% reported chiropractic care combined with medical treatment as helpful. Both adults older than 30 years (compared to younger adults), and those diagnosed with spinal pain (compared to those without spinal pain) were more likely to have consulted a chiropractor in the past 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of US adults utilized chiropractic services over the past 12 months and reported associated positive outcomes for overall well-being and/or specific health problems for which concurrent conventional care was common. Studies on the current patient integration of chiropractic and conventional health services are warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3.

There is growing acupuncture use amongst people with osteoarthritis, and acupuncture has been shown to have a positive effect on osteoarthritis. The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of Australian women who consult acupuncturists for osteoarthritis treatment in order to help inform patients, practitioners and policy makers about the range of health care options accessed by older women with osteoarthritis.The research reported here involved participants from a sub-study of the Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study in Australia. The data of 403 Australian women aged 45 and over with osteoarthritis were analysed. Chi-squared tests and stepwise multiple logistic regression modelling were used to determine the characteristics of women who used acupuncture for the treatment of their osteoarthritis.Analysis revealed that 7.7% of women reported using acupuncture in the previous 12 months for their osteoarthritis. Acupuncture use is positively associated with women experiencing longer duration of time since initial diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OR = 1.04), undertaking more exercise (OR = 5.41), living in a rural area (OR = 3.62), having consulted a psychologist (OR = 12.21), and having consulted another complementary and alternative medicine practitioner (OR = 4.18).Our study reveals considerable acupuncture use amongst women with osteoarthritis. There is a need for health care practitioners to be mindful of acupuncture use among their patients presenting with osteoarthritis. Further research is needed to examine the potential benefits of acupuncture for osteoarthritis and to help inform efficient and safe use of this treatment alongside conventional care.

Objectives
To examine the relationship between yoga/meditation practice and health behavior in Australian women.

Methods
Women aged 19–25 years, 31–36 years, and 62–67 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were surveyed regarding smoking, alcohol or drug use, physical activity and dietary behavior; and whether they practiced yoga/meditation on a regular basis. Associations of health behaviors with yoga/meditation practice were analyzed using multiple logistic regression modelling.

Results
11,344, 8200, and 9151 women aged 19–25 years, 31–36 years, and 62–67 years, respectively, were included of which 29.0%, 21.7%, and 20.7%, respectively, practiced yoga/meditation. Women practicing yoga/meditation were significantly more likely to be physically active (OR = 1.50–2.79) and to follow a vegetarian (OR = 1.67–3.22) or vegan (OR = 2.26–3.68) diet, but also to use marijuana (OR = 1.28–1.89) and illicit drugs (OR = 1.23–1.98).

Conclusions
Yoga/meditation practice was associated with physical activity, and vegetarian/vegan diet. While health professionals should keep the potential vulnerability of yoga/meditation practitioners to drug use in mind, the positive associations of yoga/meditation with a variety of positive health behaviors warrant its consideration in preventive medicine and healthcare.

Yoga exercises have been associated with joint problems recently, indicating that yoga practice might be potentially dangerous for joint health. This study aimed to analyse whether regular yoga practice is associated with the frequency of joint problems in upper middle-aged Australian women. Women aged 62-67 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were questioned in 2013 whether they experienced regular joint pain or problems in the past 12 months and whether they regularly practiced yoga. Associations of joint problems with yoga practice were analysed using Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression modelling. Of 9151 women, 29.8% reported regular problems with stiff or painful joints, and 15.2, 11.9, 18.1 and 15.9% reported regular problems with shoulders, hips, knees and feet, respectively, in the past 12 months. Yoga was practiced sometimes by 10.1% and often by 8.4% of women. Practicing yoga was not associated with upper or lower limb joint problems. No association between yoga practice and joint problems has been identified. Further studies are warranted for conclusive judgement of benefits and safety of yoga in relation to joint problems.

Objectives
To analyse whether yoga use is associated with body (dis)satisfaction and weight control methods in Australian women.

Research Methods & Procedures
Women aged 34-39 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) were surveyed regarding body satisfaction, weight control behaviours, and yoga practice. Associations of body satisfaction and weight control methods with yoga practice were analysed using chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression modelling.

Results
Of the 8009 women, 49% were overweight or obese. Sixty-five percent of women with normal BMI and approximately 95% of women with overweight/obesity wanted to lose weight. At least one in four women with normal BMI was dissatisfied with body weight and shape, as were more than two in three women with overweight/obesity. The most common weight control methods included exercising (82.7%), cutting down meal sizes (76.8%), and cutting down sugars or fats (71.9%). Yoga was practiced frequently by 688 (8.6%) and occasionally by 1176 (14.7%) women. Yoga users with normal BMI were less likely dissatisfied with body weight and shape. All yoga users more likely exercised, followed a low glycaemic diet or diet books; and women with obesity occasionally using yoga also more likely used fasting or smoking to lose weight.

Conclusion
Yoga users with normal BMI appear to be more satisfied with their body weight and shape than non-yoga users. While women with normal BMI or overweight tend to rely on healthy weight control methods, women with obesity occasional using yoga may more likely utilise unhealthy weight control methods.

Background: While the clinical role of manual therapies in migraine management is unclear, the use of chiropractors for this condition is considerable. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of chiropractors who frequently manage patients with migraine.

Methods: A national cross-sectional survey of chiropractors collected information on practitioner characteristics, clinical management characteristics and practice settings. A secondary analysis was conducted on 1869 respondents who reported on their migraine caseload to determine the predictors associated with the frequent management of patients with migraine.

Results: A large proportion of chiropractors report having a high migraine caseload (HMC) (n = 990; 53.0%). The strongest factors predicting a chiropractor having a HMC include the frequent treatment of patients with axial neck pain (OR = 2.89; 95%CI: 1.18, 7.07), thoracic pain referred/radicular) (OR = 2.52; 95%CI: 1.58, 3.21) and non-musculoskeletal disorders (OR = 3.06; 95%CI: 2.13, 4.39).

Conclusions: Several practice-setting and clinical management characteristics are associated with chiropractors managing a HMC. These findings raise key questions about the therapeutic approach to chiropractic migraine management that deserves further examination. There is a need for more primary research to assess the approach to headache and migraine management provided by chiropractors and to understand the prevalence, burden and comorbidities associated with migraine found within chiropractic patient populations. This information is vital in helping to inform safe, effective and coordinated care for migraine sufferers within the wider health system.

In this article we explore the use of health services and self-prescribed treatments amongst 8,088 young Australian women with severe tiredness. Data were obtained from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The prevalence of severe tiredness was 49.2%. The frequency of visits to healthcare practitioners was greater among women who sought help for their severe tiredness, compared with women who did not seek help for their severe tiredness or who did not report severe tiredness. Given the impact of this health problem on Australian women, we call for further research on the optimal treatment for severe tiredness.

Background
The use of massage therapy is common, especially in patients with musculoskeletal pain. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, utilization, socio-demographic and health-related predictors of massage practitioner consultations in the US population.

Methods
Cross-sectional data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey for adults (n = 34,525).

Results
Prevalence of massage practitioner utilization were 12.8% (lifetime) and 6.8% (last 12 months). Compared to non-users, those who used massage in the last year were more likely: female, at least high school educated, annual income ≥ US$ 15,000, diagnosed with spinal pain or arthritis, report moderate physical activity level as compared to low level, and consume alcohol as compared to being abstinent. Massage was mainly used for general wellness or disease prevention (56.3%), but also for specific, typically musculoskeletal, health problems (41.9%) for which 85.2% reported massage helped to some or a great deal. Most (59.1%) did not disclose massage use to their health care provider, despite 69.4% reporting massage therapy combined with medical treatment would be helpful.

Conclusions
Approximately 7% (15.4 million) of US adults used massage therapy in the past year, mainly for general disease prevention, wellness or musculoskeletal pain. The majority of respondents reported positive outcomes of massage on specific health problems and overall well-being. Massage utilization was rarely covered by health insurance. Despite the majority of massage users considered massage therapy combined with medical care helpful, most did not disclose massage therapy use to their health care provider.

Background: Health information technology (HIT) is utilized by people with different chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. However, there has been no comparison of HIT use between persons without a chronic condition, with one chronic condition, and multiple (≥2) chronic conditions (MCCs).

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the difference in HIT use between persons without a chronic condition, with one chronic condition, and with MCCs, to describe the characteristics of HIT use among those with chronic conditions and to identify the predictors of HIT use of the persons with one chronic condition and MCCs.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted in spring 2017 using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2012 Family Core and Sample Adult Core datasets that yielded 34,525 respondents aged 18 years and older. Measures included overall HIT use (ie, any use of the following five HIT on the Internet: seeking health information, ordering prescription, making appointment, emailing health provider, and using health chat groups), as well as sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. Sociodemographic and health characteristics were compared between HIT users and nonusers among those who reported having at least one chronic condition using chi-square tests. Independent predictors of HIT use were identified using multiple logistic regression analyses for those with one chronic condition, with MCCs, and without a chronic condition. Analyses were weighted and performed at significance level of .005.

Results: In 2012, adults with one health chronic condition (raw count 4147/8551, weighted percentage 48.54%) was significantly higher than among those with MCCs (3816/9637, 39.55%) and those with none of chronic condition (7254/16,337, 44.40%, P<.001). Seeking health information was the most prevalent HIT use. Chi-square tests revealed that among adults with chronic conditions, those who used HIT were significantly different from ...

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is used for treating cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort. This critical review examines women's reported CAM use, its perceived effectiveness and information relating to women's attitudes, behaviours, motivations and patterns of CAM use in its treatment MATERIAL AND METHODS: An extensive search of the main medical databases EBSCO, CINAHL, Medline, AMED and SCOPUS, as well as additional hand searches, was conducted. Papers included were confined to those that had been peer-reviewed, written in English and containing original research into CAM use for cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort amongst adult women RESULTS: CAM, particularly herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and massage, is widely used for a range of cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort symptoms. A large number of CAM modalities are adopted, often simultaneously and with little professional oversight. Women's assessment of efficacy of different CAM modalities is positive, though the majority of users are self-prescribing apparently without professional guidance. Although the uptake of CAM for cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort is wide-spread, little empirical data is available regarding which women are using CAM, their motivations for doing so and importantly the sources via which women receive information about CAM CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the extensive use of (often self-prescribed) CAM in a number of countries to alleviate the widespread symptoms of cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort. An understanding of all health care utilisation by women with perimenstrual pain and discomfort is vital to help ensure safe, effective and coordinated health care that can lead to optimal patient outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Back, neck and/or pelvic pain are common symptoms experienced by pregnant women. Although pregnant women are known to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) frequently, no research to date has provided in-depth examination of healthcare practitioner utilisation of pregnant women who experience back, neck and/or pelvic pain.A sub-study of 1835 pregnant women from the nationally representative Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Demographics, health status and healthcare utilisation measures were analysed for symptoms of back, neck and/or pelvic pain during pregnancy, using regression models.During their pregnancy, 39.5% women experienced back pain, 12.4% experienced neck pain and 16.3% women experienced pelvic pain. Pregnant women were more likely to consult a massage therapist for their back pain (32.3%) and neck pain (39.9%), and another alternative practitioner (27.3%) or obstetrician (22.1%) for pelvic pain, while some women did not seek treatment (<30%). Women who sought help for each symptom reported significantly worse levels of mental and physical health across most SF-36 domains (P<.05). Women without health insurance, or pregnancy-related healthcare insurance were less likely to seek treatment.Pregnant women experiencing back, neck and/or pelvic pain frequently consult CAM practitioners, particularly if they have healthcare insurance. There is a need for all healthcare practitioners providing maternity care to enquire about possible back, neck and pelvic pain amongst women in their care and be cognisant of possible corresponding CAM use for such symptoms.

BACKGROUND:
The benefits of exercise and weight reduction for overweight or obese people with coronary heart disease and/or diabetes mellitus are well recognised. The Healthy Eating and Exercise Lifestyle Program demonstrated these outcomes at 4 months, but longer-term outcomes are not yet reported.
AIM:
To determine whether positive weight, body mass index, waist and exercise duration outcomes were sustained in the long term (12 months) and to identify the independent predictors of these outcomes at 4 and 12 months.
METHODS:
Longitudinal design, combining data of all Healthy Eating and Exercise Lifestyle Program participants (intervention and wait-list control, n = 134). Participants had a body mass index between 27 and 39 kg/m(2) and had completed cardiac rehabilitation and/or diabetes education programmes. Healthy Eating and Exercise Lifestyle Program intervention included an active phase of two 1-hour group-based supervised structured exercise sessions every week for 4 months and four 90-minute group information and support sessions. The maintenance phase included one 90-minute group-based booster information session and three 15-minute goal-focused telephone follow-up calls over 8 months.
RESULTS:
Participants had statistically significant reductions from baseline in weight, body mass index and waist circumference and improvements in exercise duration and capacity at 4 and 12 months. Time, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms and male gender were independent predictors for body mass index, waist and/or exercise duration (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION:
The Healthy Eating and Exercise Lifestyle Program was an effective programme to achieve and sustain weight loss and increase exercise participation over 1 year.

Issue addressed: The present study investigated the association between diet quality, measured using the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS), and 6-year risk of becoming overweight or obese in mid-age women from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH).Methods: Women (n = 1107) aged 47.6-55.8 years who were a healthy weight (body mass index (BMI) between ≤18.5 and <25.0 kg m-2) at baseline and who reported valid total energy intakes were included in the study. BMI was calculated from self-reported data in 2001 and 2007. ARFS scores were calculated from data collected using the Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies Version 2. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between ARFS score as a continuous variable and risk of becoming overweight or obese.Results: The 6-year incidence of overweight and obesity was 18.5% and 1.1%, respectively. The mean (± s.d.) ARFS (maximum possible 74) among those who remained within the healthy weight range and those who became overweight or obese at follow-up was 35.3 ± 8.1 and 34.3 ± 8.8, respectively. There was no relationship between baseline ARFS and risk of becoming overweight or obese over 6 years. Women who were smokers were more likely to become overweight or obese (odds ratio 1.5; 95% confidence interval 1.11-2.09; P = 0.008).Conclusions: Poor diet quality was common among mid-age women of a healthy weight in the ALSWH. Higher diet quality was not associated with the risk of overweight or obesity 6 six years, yet smoking status was.So what?: Better diet quality alone will not achieve maintenance of a healthy weight, but should be encouraged to improve other health outcomes.

© 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke in self-report and hospital data in two cohorts of women; measure sensitivity and agreement between data sources; and compare between cohorts. Methods: Women born between 1946-1951 and 1921-1926 who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH); were New South Wales residents; and admitted to hospital (2004-2008) were included in the present study. The prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stroke was estimated using self-report (case1 at latest survey, case2 across multiple surveys) and hospital records. Agreement (kappa) and sensitivity (%) were calculated. Logistic regression measured the association between patient characteristics and agreement. Results: Hypertension had the highest prevalence and estimates were higher for older women: 32.5% case1, 45.4% case2, 12.8% in hospital data (1946-1951 cohort); 57.8% case1, 73.2% case2, 38.2% in hospital data (1921-1926 cohort). Agreement was substantial for diabetes: κ=0.75 case1, κ=0.70 case2 (1946-1951 cohort); κ=0.77 case1, κ=0.80 case2 (1921-1926 cohort), and lower for other conditions. The 1946-1951 cohort had 2.08 times the odds of agreement for hypertension (95% CI 1.56 to 2.78; P<0.0001), and 6.25 times the odds of agreement for heart disease (95% CI 4.35 to 10.0; P<0.0001), compared with the 1921-1926 cohort. Conclusion: Substantial agreement was found for diabetes, indicating accuracy of ascertainment using self-report or hospital data. Self-report data appears to be less accurate for heart disease and stroke. Hypertension was underestimated in hospital data. These findings have implications for epidemiological studies relying on self-report or administrative data.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the NSW Heart Failure (HF) Snapshot was to obtain a representative cross-sectional view of patients with acute HF and their management in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory hospitals.DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective audit of consecutive patients admitted to 24 participating hospitals in NSW and the ACT with a diagnosis of acute HF was conducted from 8 July 2013 to 8 August 2013.RESULTS: A total of 811 participants were recruited (mean age, 77 ± 13 years; 58% were men; 42% had a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%). The median Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 3, with ischaemic heart disease (56%), renal disease (55%), diabetes (38%) and chronic lung disease (32%) the most frequent comorbidities; 71% of patients were assessed as frail. Intercurrent infection (22%), non-adherence to prescribed medication (5%) or to dietary or fluid restrictions (16%), and atrial fibrillation/flutter (15%) were the most commonly identified precipitants of HF. Initial treatment included intravenous diuretics (81%), oxygen therapy (87%), and bimodal positive airways pressure or continuous positive airways pressure ventilation (17%). During the index admission, 6% of patients died. The median length of stay in hospital was 6 days, but ranged between 3 and 12 days at different hospitals. Just over half the patients (59%) were referred to a multidisciplinary HF service. Discharge medications included angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (59%), β-blockers (66%) and loop diuretics (88%).CONCLUSIONS: Patients admitted to hospital with acute HF in NSW and the ACT were generally elderly and frail, with multiple comorbidities. Evidence-based therapies were underused, and there was substantial interhospital variation in the length of stay. We anticipate that the results of the HF Snapshot will inform the development of strategies for improving the uptake of evidence-based therapies, and hence outcomes, for HF...

The primary aim of the NSW Heart Failure (HF) Snapshot was to obtain a representative cross-sectional view of patients with acute HF and their management in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory hospitals.A prospective audit of consecutive patients admitted to 24 participating hospitals in NSW and the ACT with a diagnosis of acute HF was conducted from 8 July 2013 to 8 August 2013.A total of 811 participants were recruited (mean age, 77 ± 13 years; 58% were men; 42% had a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%). The median Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 3, with ischaemic heart disease (56%), renal disease (55%), diabetes (38%) and chronic lung disease (32%) the most frequent comorbidities; 71% of patients were assessed as frail. Intercurrent infection (22%), non-adherence to prescribed medication (5%) or to dietary or fluid restrictions (16%), and atrial fibrillation/flutter (15%) were the most commonly identified precipitants of HF. Initial treatment included intravenous diuretics (81%), oxygen therapy (87%), and bimodal positive airways pressure or continuous positive airways pressure ventilation (17%). During the index admission, 6% of patients died. The median length of stay in hospital was 6 days, but ranged between 3 and 12 days at different hospitals. Just over half the patients (59%) were referred to a multidisciplinary HF service. Discharge medications included angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (59%), β-blockers (66%) and loop diuretics (88%).Patients admitted to hospital with acute HF in NSW and the ACT were generally elderly and frail, with multiple comorbidities. Evidence-based therapies were underused, and there was substantial interhospital variation in the length of stay. We anticipate that the results of the HF Snapshot will inform the development of strategies for improving the uptake of evidence-based therapies, and hence outcomes, for HF patients.

Globally, mechanical valves are predominant as replacements for adolescents and younger adults with rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Mechanical valve implantation necessitates lifelong antithrombotic management (warfarin) and associated lifestyle modification, with event-free survival largely dependent on international normalised therapeutic ratios (INRs) remaining within the target therapeutic range. There is limited information on factors that may influence warfarin adherence among younger people or those in resource-limited settings. This study sought to identify predictors of warfarin adherence after valve replacement surgery for RHD in Fiji (n=127).A cross-sectional study design was used.The sample had a mean age of 31.23 years (SD 13.34) and a mean time-since-surgery of 3.72 years (SD 3.95). Just over half were women (n=71, 56%) and almost two-thirds were indigenous (I-taukei, n=78, 61%). Most had an isolated valve procedure (n=94, 74%) and at the time of survey, they were in New York Heart Association Class I (n=97, 76%). A quarter (n=33, 26%) reported poor adherence with anticoagulation therapy and 13.38% (n=17) reported complete warfarin cessation. While younger age was significantly associated with non-adherence to warfarin therapy (p=0.008), the independent predictors of people who discontinue warfarin completely were those not understanding why warfarin was needed (OR=9.97, p=0.006); a history of forgetting to take warfarin (OR=8.64, p=0.0013) and travel time to heart clinic >1 hour (OR=5.80, p=0.039).While medication adherence is complex and multifactorial, the consequences of warfarin non-adherence are potentially catastrophic. These results provide an important first step towards the development of country-specific and disease-specific strategies to improve warfarin adherence.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association of sociodemographic, antenatal and delivery care factors with the essential newborn care (ENC) practices of neonates born at home in Bangladesh. STUDY DESIGN: This study analyzed data of a cross-sectional survey-the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2011. METHODS: This analysis considered 3190 most recent live-born infants who were delivered at home within three years of the survey. Logistic regression models were used to identify the factors affecting the implementation of six ENC practices, namely using disinfected instruments to cut the umbilical cord, avoidance of application of any substances to the umbilical cord stump, immediate drying and wrapping of newborns, delayed bathing of newborns, and immediate initiation of breastfeeding. RESULTS: Factors affecting ENC practices in Bangladesh are low parental education, low utilization of antenatal care services, the absence of skilled birth attendants, smaller size at birth, higher birth order and mother's age at birth. Regional factors also seem to considerably affect ENC practices. CONCLUSION: There is ample scope to improve the coverage of ENC practices in Bangladesh. Health promotion programmes that target parents with low education and older mothers may help to build awareness of ENC practices. This investigation provides insight into the key determinants of ENC practices, which require consideration when scaling up ENC practices in low-income and lower middle-income countries.

To assess the impact of essential newborn care (ENC) practices on the mortality of neonates delivered at home in Bangladesh.This study used cross-sectional data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Adjusted logistic regression model was used to examine the effect of ENC practices on neonatal mortality based on 3190 live-born infants.Delayed bathing (72 h after delivery) significantly contributed to reducing neonatal mortality. A significant but counterintuitive relation was observed between the dry cord care and neonatal deaths.Neonatal mortality may be reduced through emphasizing delayed bathing. Specific guidelines on the cleanliness of the fabric used to dry and wrap newborns, as well as emphasizing the use of clean delivery kits and initiation of immediate and exclusive breastfeeding, may improve neonatal outcomes. Further, the ENC guidelines in Bangladesh should include the application of topical antiseptics to the cord stump.Journal of Perinatology advance online publication, 3 December 2015; doi:10.1038/jp.2015.181.

Reducing neonatal mortality rates in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) requires
postnatal interventions to be delivered through an appropriately prepared and supported
workforce. This review examines health workforce interventions that deliver integrated packages
of postnatal care to improve neonatal outcomes in LMICs. We conducted a structured search
of peer-reviewed articles published during 2003-2014 that investigated the delivery of postnatal
interventions by formal and lay health workers. We selected 13 studies and analyzed them using a
narrative synthesis methodology. This review observed a wide divergence among studies regarding
the outcomes as well as the approaches and duration of workforce training and staff supervision.
Except 4, all studies observed a significant reduction in neonatal mortality. On the other hand,
teams of lay health workers appear to be more effective in improving neonatal outcomes. Further
improvement in the performance of health care providers may require emphasis on workforce
interventions such as competency assessment, the acquisition of appropriate skills, and supervisory
guidelines. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity and limited number of studies do not allow us to
arrive at definitive conclusions, and we recommend the need for the harmonization of future
studies, with uniformity of outcome measures and cost analyses.

The objective of this study was to determine if prior visits to a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner were associated with CAM use during pregnancy. The study sample comprised the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women were surveyed prior to pregnancy in 2006, and then again in 2010 if they were pregnant or had recently given birth, and asked a range of questions relating to demographic variables, health status and use of CAM. A multivariable analysis identified significant covariates associated with visits to specific CAM practitioner modalities during pregnancy. Of the 447 women who consulted a CAM practitioner prior to pregnancy, 62.4% (n = 279) continued this use during pregnancy. Prior use of massage therapy, acupuncture, herbalist/naturopath or chiropractor was related to use of the same service during pregnancy. Higher income and working full-time were associated with the continued use of massage, while continued visits to a chiropractor were associated with having depressive symptoms, a urinary tract infection and living in a rural community. Prior use of CAM was highly related to continuing use during pregnancy. Further research is required to elucidate the benefits women attain from a CAM-model of care that they do not get from their conventional maternity care providers alone.

The aim of this study was to analyse women's attitudes towards the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products during pregnancy. The study sample was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health or ALSWH. A response rate of 79.2% (n = 1,835) was attained. Women who use herbal medicines (34.5%, n = 588) view CAM as a preventative measure, are looking for something holistic and are concerned about evidence of clinical efficacy when considering the use of these products during pregnancy. Women who use aromatherapy (17.4%, n = 319) and homoeopathy (13.3%, n = 244) want more personal control over their body and are concerned more about their own personal experience of the efficacy of CAM than clinical evidence of efficacy. As CAM use in pregnancy appears to be increasingly commonplace, insights into women's attitudes towards CAM are valuable for maternity healthcare providers.

The use of complementary medicine (CM) is common during pregnancy with visits to osteopathic practitioners growing in recent years. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of women who consult osteopathic practitioners during pregnancy.The study sample was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). The women answered questions about consultations with osteopathic practitioners, pregnancy-related health concerns and attitudes to CM use.A total response rate of 79.2% (1835) was obtained. Of these, 104 women (6.1%) consulted with an osteopath during pregnancy for a pregnancy-related health condition. Women were more likely to consult an osteopath if they suffered from back pain, sadness, weight management issues, or had a history of retained placenta.Women are visiting osteopaths for help with common pregnancy health complaints, highlighting the need for research to evaluate the safety, clinical and cost effectiveness of osteopathy in pregnancy.

Sleeping problems and fatigue in pregnancy are often accepted as a normal part of pregnancy; however, these conditions can be linked to serious consequences for both the mother and child. Despite established links between sleeping disturbance and a wide range of pregnancy complications, little is known about the health-care utilisation of women experiencing sleeping problems and fatigue. This study addresses the existing gap in the literature by examining cross-sectional data to identify health service utilisation patterns of pregnant women experiencing sleeping problems and/or tiredness or fatigue.In 2010, a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health was conducted as a cross-sectional survey of 2445 women who had recently given birth. Associations between reported symptoms of sleeplessness and/or tiredness or fatigue and health service utilisation were determined using logistic regression analysis.During their pregnancy, 15.2 % of women experienced sleeping problems while 35.4 % experienced tiredness or fatigue. Women most commonly consulted with an obstetrician (n = 96) or a general practitioner (GP) (n = 74) for their tiredness or fatigue rather than a midwife (n = 56). A substantial number of women sought help from a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner for sleeping problems (33 %) or tiredness/fatigue (28 %).Sleeping problems and/or tiredness or fatigue is reported by a reasonable percentage of pregnant women, and women obtain assistance from conventional and CAM practitioners for their symptoms, but not all seek help. Given the serious implications of untreated sleep- and fatigue-related symptoms for mother and baby, this area of research deserves and requires more attention.

This study aims to determine associations between consultations with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners/use of self-prescribed CAM and menopause-related symptoms.Data were obtained from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Generalized estimating equations were used to conduct longitudinal data analyses, which were restricted to women born in 1946-1951 who were surveyed in 2007 (survey 5; n = 10,638) and 2010 (survey 6; n = 10,011).Women with menopause-related symptoms were more likely to use self-prescribed CAM but were not more likely to consult a CAM practitioner. Overall, CAM use was lower among women who had undergone hysterectomy or women who had undergone oophorectomy, compared with naturally postmenopausal women, and decreased with increasing age of postmenopausal women. Weak associations between CAM use and hot flashes were observed. Women experiencing hot flashes were more likely to consult a massage therapist (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00-1.20) and/or use self-prescribed herbal medicines (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.23) than women not experiencing hot flashes.Consultations with CAM practitioners and use of self-prescribed CAM among naturally or surgically postmenopausal women are associated with menopause-related symptoms. Our study findings should prompt healthcare providers, in particular family medicine practitioners, to be cognizant of clinical evidence for CAM typically used for the management of common menopause-related symptoms in their aim to provide safe, effective, and coordinated care for women.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and incidence of hypertension in women, and describe their self-care and health-seeking behaviours. This research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a study comprising a nationally representative sample of Australian women in three age groups. The focus of this research is 14 099 women born in 1946-1951, who have been surveyed six times (1996-2010). Student t-tests were used to compare women who did or did not have hypertension by their health-care utilization. Longitudinal analyses were conducted using a Poisson generalized estimating equation model. The incidence of hypertension among this cohort during 1996 to 2010 ranged from 400 to 597 participants per survey, resulting in an increase in prevalence of hypertension from 20.9% in 1996 to 41.3% in 2010. For all survey periods, women with hypertension had a significantly higher average number of visits to doctors and allied health practitioners compared with women without hypertension (P<0.005). The use of complementary medicine (practitioners and self-prescribed treatments) by women with hypertension was significantly lower compared to women without hypertension (P<0.005). Over time, conventional health-care utilization was higher for women with hypertension compared with women without hypertension (adjusted RR=1.18; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.22; P<0.0001). Our findings show that women with hypertension are using a range of conventional and complementary and alternative medicine: with hypertensive women using more conventional medicine and less complementary and alternative medicine than non-hypertensive women. As such, health-care providers should communicate with their patients regarding their use of complementary and alternative medicine in their efforts to provide safe, effective and coordinate care.Journal of Human Hypertension advance online publication, 28 April 2016; doi:10.1038/jhh.2016.20.

BACKGROUND:

Back pain is a common, disabling and costly disorder for which patients often consult with a wide range of health practitioners. Unfortunately, no research to date has directly examined the association between the severity of back pain and back pain sufferers' choice of whom and in what order to consult different health practitioners.

METHODS:

This is a sub-study of the large nationally representative Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). The mid-age cohort women (born 1946-51, n = 13,715) of the ALSWH were recruited from the Australian national Medicare database in 1996. These women have been surveyed six time, with survey 6 being conducted in 2010 (n = 10,011). Mid-age women (n = 1851) who in 2010 had sought help from a health care practitioner for their back pain were mailed a self-report questionnaire targeting their previous 12 months of health services utilisation, health status and their levels of back pain intensity.

RESULTS:

A total of 1620 women were deemed eligible and 1310 (80.9 %) returned completed questionnaires. Mid-age women with back pain visited various conventional, allied health and CAM practitioners for care: 75.6 % consulted a CAM practitioner; 58.4 % consulted a medical doctor; and 54.2 % consulted an allied health practitioner. Women with the most severe back pain sought conventional care from a general practitioner, and those who consulted a general practitioner first had more severe back pain than those who consulted another practitioner first. Following the general practitioner visit, the women with more severe back pain were more likely to be referred to a conventional specialist, and those with less severe back pain were more likely to be referred to a physiotherapist.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings suggest that women with more severe back pain are likely to visit a conventional practitioner first, whereas women with less severe back pain are likely to explore a range of treatment options including CA...

Little research has been conducted regarding the comprehensive health service utilisation in constipation care. This study investigates the comprehensive health service utilisation amongst Australian women with constipation.This study draws upon data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. A total of 8074 young women were asked about their frequency of constipation, measures of quality of life, and use of a range of health services and self-prescribed treatments via two postal surveys conducted in 2006 and 2009, respectively.The prevalence of constipation was 18.5% amongst women in 2009. Constipated women had poorer quality of health than women without constipation. Women who sought help for constipation were more likely to visit multiple groups of conventional and complementary health practitioners compared to women who did not experience constipation (p<0.005). However, women were less likely to visit a specialist for the management of constipation over time (2006 to 2009). There was an increase in the proportion of women with constipation who self-prescribed vitamins/minerals over time (p<0.001).Although only 4.5% of women sought help for their constipation, given the increasing use of multiple health services across time, more studies are required regarding the optimal treatment in constipation care.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), particularly herbal and alternative medicine supplements, for preconception care and fertility management is becoming increasingly common.To determine the factors associated with the use of CAMs by women for preconception care.412 women who had visited an antenatal 'first visit' clinic situated at a Brisbane obstetric hospital or had visited a private ultrasound clinic in the same city for the purposes of a routinely indicated ultrasound scan in the first trimester were recruited into the study. Data were collected via a cross-sectional questionnaire.Complementary and alternative medicines (not including multivitamins) were used during preconception by 8.3% of women attending for obstetric care. Approximately half (55.8%) of women taking herbal and alternative medicines ceased these medications on discovery of their pregnancy, though fewer (17.4%) ceased taking multivitamin supplements. Baseline characteristics (age, education and income) are not significantly different between CAM users and those who did not take CAMs preconception. The results of statistical analyses showed that only visiting a practitioner to check for health (OR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.33, 3.00) and trying to lose weight prior to pregnancy (OR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.36) were the key predictors for women using CAM during preconception.Women do consume CAMs to enhance preconception care to a certain extent, though CAM users remain in the minority. CAM users also tend to cease use once pregnant.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if associations exist between a range of unsaturated fatty acid intakes and mental health outcomes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data analysis of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) Young Cohort Survey 3 that included the validated seventy-four-item Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies FFQ, validated mental health scales and self-report questions on depression and anxiety. SETTING: Australia, 2003. SUBJECTS: A nationally representative sample of young Australian women (25-30 years) from ALSWH. The 7635 women with plausible energy intakes (>4·5 but <20·0 MJ/d) were included in the analyses. RESULTS: Adjusted logistic regression analyses found statistically significant associations between higher intakes of α-linolenic acid and decreased likelihood of depressive symptoms indicated by the ten-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10; OR=0·77; 95% CI 0·60, 0·99; P=0·040) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) mental health subscale (OR=0·73 95% CI 0·56, 0·96; P=0·024). Furthermore, higher intakes of n-6 fatty acids (OR=0·96, 95% CI 0·93, 0·99; P=0·019) and linoleic acid (OR=0·96, 95% CI 0·93, 0·99; P=0·020) were associated with decreased likelihood of self-reported diagnosed anxiety and higher intakes of n-9 fatty acids (OR=1·02, 95% CI 1·00, 1·04; P=0·041) and oleic acid (OR=1·02, 95% CI 1·00, 1·05; P=0·046) were associated with increased likelihood of self-reported diagnosed anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Increased intakes of α-linolenic acid were associated with a reduced likelihood of depressive symptoms, increased intakes of n-6 fatty acids and linoleic acid were associated with a reduced likelihood of self-reported anxiety, and increased intakes of n-9 fatty acids and oleic acid were associated with an increased likelihood of anxiety. Additional studies are needed to further elucidate associations between unsaturated fatty acids and depression and anxiety.

Background: Carers of patients with advanced cancer havespecific health and psychosocial needs, often not addressed.GPs may be able to meet these needs.Research question: Can GPs consultations guided by a self-completed checklist reduce the number and intensity ofunmet carer needs.Methods: Prospective randomised controlled trial. Interven-tion was a self-reported checklist completed by the carer fol-lowed by a carer-GP consultation, at baseline and at 3 monthsand a GP-Toolkit to assist GPs to provide relevant interven-tions to address carer-identified needs. We also identified howneeds change over time in all carers, and what needs wereexpressed over time in intervention carers

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Background: Dyspepsia is becoming a common health problem for which an individual seeks medical help. The approach to the management of dyspepsia is complex with high treatment costs and possible adverse effects. Methods: A prospective pilot study was designed to assess the effectiveness of the fruit juice of Ash Gourd (Benincasa hispida) on twenty dyspeptic subjects, who were followed up for 45 days. Measures of retrosternal pain, post-prandial fullness, bloating, sour belching, nausea, vomiting and changes in bowel habits were taken at three times periods (baseline, 30 days and 45 days). Results: Statistically significant improvements were seen in several parameters, including pain (p <. 0.001), retrosternal burning (p <. 0.001), nausea (p <. 0.001), belching (p <. 0.001) and bowel habits (p <. 0.05), which are considered as the classical symptoms of dyspepsia. Bloating, though not a common symptom also improved (p <. 0.001) over time. Conclusion: The trial drug is an effective remedy for uninvestigated dyspepsia. Randomised controlled trials are further needed to confirm the pharmaco-dynamics of the trial drug for anti-ulcer, acid suppression, H2 receptor antagonistic, anti-cholinergic properties.

Objectives: With disagreements on diagnostic criteria
for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) hampering
efforts to monitor incidence and implement
preventative strategies, the study objectives were to
develop a checklist for clinical surveillance of VAP, and
conduct an audit in Australian/New Zealand intensive
care units (ICUs) using the checklist.
Setting: Online survey software was used for checklist
development. The prospective audit using the checklist
was conducted in 10 ICUs in Australia and New Zealand.
Participants: Checklist development was conducted
with members of a bi-national professional society for
critical care physicians using a modified Delphi
technique and survey. A 30-day audit of adult patients
mechanically ventilated for >72 h.
Primary and secondary outcome measures:
Presence of items on the screening checklist; physician
diagnosis of VAP, clinical characteristics, investigations,
treatments and patient outcome.
Results: AVAP checklist was developed with five items:
decreasing gas exchange, sputum changes, chest X-ray
infiltrates, inflammatory response, microbial growth.
Of the 169 participants, 17% (n=29) demonstrated
characteristics of VAP using the checklist. A similar
proportion had an independent physician diagnosis
(n=30), but in a different patient subset (only 17% of
cases were identified by both methods). The VAP rate
per 1000 mechanical ventilator days for the checklist
and clinician diagnosis was 25.9 and 26.7, respectively.
The item ‘inflammatory response’ was most associated
with the first episode of physician-diagnosed VAP.
Conclusions: VAP rates using the checklist and
physician diagnosis were similar to ranges reported
internationally and in Australia. Of note, different
patients were identified with VAP by the checklist and
physicians. While the checklist items may assist in
identifying patients at risk of developing VAP, and
demonstrates synergy with the recently developed
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, dec...

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Women use various labour pain management techniques during birth. The objective of this study is to investigate women's use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological labour pain management techniques in relation to birth outcomes. Methods: a sub-survey of a nationally representative sample of pregnant women (. n=1835) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Results: our analysis identified women's use of water for labour pain management as decreasing the likelihood of their baby being admitted to special care nursery (OR=0.42, p<0.004) whereas the use of epidural increased this likelihood (OR=3.38, p<0.001) as well as for instrumental childbirth (OR=7.27, p<0.001). Epidural and pethidine use decreased women's likelihood of continuing breast-feeding (ORs=0.68 and 0.59, respectively, both p<0.01) whereas the use of breathing techniques and massage for pain control increased the likelihood of women continuing breast-feeding (ORs=1.72 and 1.62, respectively, both p<0.01). Conclusions: our study illustrates associations between the use of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological labour pain management techniques and selected birth outcomes while controlling for confounding variables. There remain significant gaps in the evidence base for the use of non-pharmacological labour pain control methods and our findings provide a platform with which to develop a broad clinical research programme around this topic.

Despite high rates of women's use of intrapartum pain management techniques, little is known about the factors that influence such use. ... Examine the determinants associated with women's use of labour pain management. ... Cross-sectional survey of a substudy of women from the 'young' cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH). ... Women aged 3135 years who identified as being pregnant or recently given birth in the 2009 ALSWH survey (n = 2445) were recruited for the substudy. The substudy survey was completed by 1835 women (RR = 79.2%).

Chiropractic is a popular health care choice in Australia and yet major gaps in our empirical understanding of this area of practice remain. Furthermore, while some research excellence exists, a largely uncoordinated approach to research activity and development has in effect led to silos of interest and a lack of strategic 'big-picture' planning essential to producing a sustainable research culture and capacity for the profession. This commentary identifies the significance of a number of key features - including a national, coordinated focus, and a rich engagement with the practitioner and patient base amongst others - arguably important to the future development of research and research capacity within Australian chiropractic. The design features and phases of the Australian Chiropractic Research Network (ACORN) project are also outlined. ACORN is one contemporary initiative specifically developed to address chiropractic's research and research capacity building needs and help grow a broad evidence-base to inform safe, effective patient care.

Complementary and alternative medicine is used by a substantial number of pregnant women and maternity care providers are often faced with the task of ensuring women are using safe and effective treatments while respecting a woman's right to autonomous decision-making. In the era of evidence-based medicine maternity health professionals are expected to draw upon the best available evidence when making clinical decisions and providing health advice. This review will outline the current trends in research evidence associated with the outcomes of complementary and alternative medicine use amongst pregnant and birthing women as well as highlight some potential directions for future development in this important yet largely unknown topic in contemporary maternity care.

To examine the association between self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine use and menopause-related symptoms, stratified by menopausal status.Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of 10,011 menopausal women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, conducted in 2010. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to identify if the use of selected self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine was significantly associated with a range of menopause-related symptoms.Vitamins/minerals were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=1.20) and/or stiff/painful joints (adjusted OR=1.16). Yoga/meditation was more likely to be used by women with hysterectomy (adjusted OR=1.76) or natural menopausal women (adjusted OR=1.38) experiencing anxiety. Herbal medicines were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=1.22), tiredness (adjusted OR=1.20), and/or stiff/painful joints (adjusted OR=1.17), and by women with oophorectomy experiencing tiredness (adjusted OR=1.45). Aromatherapy oils were more likely to be used by natural menopausal women experiencing night sweats (adjusted OR=1.25) and by women with hysterectomy experiencing anxiety (adjusted OR=2.02). Chinese medicines were more likely to be used by women with oophorectomy experiencing stiff/painful joints (adjusted OR=4.06) and/or palpitations (adjusted OR=3.06).Our study will help improve the patient-provider communication regarding complementary and alternative medicine use for menopause, and we conclude that menopausal status should be taken into account by providers for menopause care. The women's experience and motivations of such use warrant further research.

People are increasingly compelled to take responsibility for their health and illness trajectories. The existing literature on what may be termed self-care points to the ways that public health initiatives have instigated the transfer of governance onto the individual through campaigns promoting physical activity and diet among other things.

Complementary and alternative medicine is increasingly popular in Australia and particularly among women. While existing research provides some understanding of women's engagement with complementary and alternative medicine and biomedicine, there has been comparatively little examination of the day-to-day character of their experiences. In this study, we utilise solicited diaries with women aged 60 -65 years drawn from the 1946-1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health to capture the temporal dimension of their therapeutic engagement. Focusing on 30 active complementary and alternative medicine users, we explore womens experiences of managing their health, illness and well-being over a 1-month period.

BACKGROUND: Back pain is an increasingly prevalent health concern amongst Australian women for which a wide range of treatment options are available, offered by biomedical, allied health and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers. Although there is an emerging literature on patterns of provider utilisation, less is known about the reasons why women with back pain select their chosen practitioner. In this paper we explore the influences on back pain sufferers' decision-making about treatment seeking with practitioners for their most recent episode of back pain. METHODS: Drawing on 50 semi-structured interviews with women aged 60-65 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) who have chronic back pain, we focus on the factors which influence their choice of practitioner. Analysis followed a framework approach to qualitative content analysis, augmented by NVivo 9 qualitative data analysis software. Key themes were identified and tested for rigour through inter-rater reliability and constant comparison. RESULTS: The women identified four predominant influences on their choice of practitioner for back pain: familiarity with treatment or experiences with individual practitioners; recommendations from social networks; geographical proximity of practitioners; and, qualifications and credentials of practitioners. The therapeutic approach or evidence-base of the practices being utilised was not reported by the women as central to their back pain treatment decision making. CONCLUSIONS: Choice of practitioner appears to be unrelated to the therapeutic approaches, treatment practices or the scientific basis of therapeutic practices. Moreover, anecdotal lay reports of effectiveness and the 'treatment experience' may be more influential than formal qualifications in guiding women's choice of practitioner for their back pain. Further work is needed on the interpersonal, collective and subjective underpinnings of practitioner choice, pa...

Back pain is a significant health service issue in Australia and internationally. Back pain sufferers can draw upon a range of health care providers including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners. Women are higher users of health services than men and tend to use CAM frequently for musculoskeletal conditions. However, there remain important gaps in our understanding of womens consultation patterns with CAM practitioners for back pain. The objective of this study is to examine the prevalence of use and characteristics of women who use CAM practitioners for back pain. The method used was a survey of a nationally representative sample of women aged 6065 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens Health. Women consulted a massage therapist (44.1 %, n?=?578) and a chiropractor (37.3 %, n?=?488) more than other CAM practitioners for their back pain. Consultations with a chiropractor for back pain were lower for women who consulted a General Practitioner (GP) (OR, 0.56; 95 % CI 0.41, 0.76) or a physiotherapist (OR, 0.53; 95 % CI 0.39, 0.72) than for those who did not consult a GP or a physiotherapist. CAM practitioner consultations for back pain were greater for women who visited a pharmacist (OR, 1.99; 95 % CI 1.23, 3.32) than for women who did not visit a pharmacist. There is substantial use of CAM practitioners alongside conventional practitioners amongst women for back pain, and there is a need to provide detailed examination of the communication between patients and their providers as well as across the diverse range of health professionals involved in back pain care.

Yoga is an increasingly accepted complementary treatment modality for referral in Australian general practice, yet this practitioner group has largely escaped research attention in Australia. Complementary medicine use is highest in rural and regional areas, where a number of primary health care challenges are also more pronounced. Despite the significant role of complementary therapists in rural and regional Australia, and the increasing acceptance of yoga therapy in general practice, there has been little exploration of the interface between yoga therapists and conventional primary health care practitioners in this area. A 27-item questionnaire was sent to all 1486 general practitioners (GPs) currently practising in rural and regional Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales, Australia. Completed questionnaires were returned by 585 GPs, with 49 returned as 'no longer at this address' (response rate 40.7%). One-in-eight GPs (12.1%) advised their patients of specific yoga therapies and protocols, and 7.2% advised specific meditation techniques. Three-quarters of GPs (76.6%) referred to a yoga therapist at least a few times per year, with 12.5% of GPs referring at least once per week. GPs being in a remote location (OR = 10.95; CI: 1.55, 77.31), being female (OR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.94), GPs graduating from an Australian medical school (OR = 4.52; 95% CI: 2.61, 7.80), perceiving lack of other treatment options (OR = 3.29; 95% CI: 1.61, 6.74), GPs reporting good or very good knowledge of yoga therapies (OR = 18.2; 95% CI: 9.19, 36.19), and GPs using CAM for their own personal health (OR = 4.53; 95% CI: 2.60, 7.87) were all independently predictive of increased referral to yoga therapists amongst the rural GPs in this study. There is a significant interface between yoga therapists in Australian rural and regional general practice. There is generally high support for yoga therapies among Australian GPs, with low levels of opposition to the incorporation of...

BACKGROUND: Naturopathy forms an increasingly significant part of the Australian healthcare setting, with high utilisation of naturopaths by the Australian public and a large therapeutic footprint in rural and regional Australia. However, despite these circumstances, there has been little exploration of the interface between naturopathy providers and conventional primary health care practitioners in rural and regional Australia. The study reported here examined the referral practices and factors that underlie referral to naturopaths amongst a sample of rural and regional Australian general practitioners (GPs). METHODS: A 27-item questionnaire was sent to all 1,486 GPs currently practising in rural and regional Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales, Australia. RESULTS: A total of 585 GPs responded to the questionnaire, with 49 questionnaires returned as "no longer at this address" (response rate: 40.7%). One-quarter of GPs (25.8%) referred to a naturopath at least a few times per year while nearly half (48.8%) stated that they would not refer to a naturopath under any circumstances. GPs were more likely to refer to a naturopath if the GP: was not initially from a rural area (OR=1.78; 95% CI: 0.95, 3.33); believes in the efficacy of naturopathy (OR=5.62; 95% CI: 2.42, 11.36); has seen positive results from naturopathy previously (OR=2.61; 95% CI: 1.35, 5.05); perceives a lack of other treatment options for their patient (OR=5.25; 95% CI: 2.42; 11.36); uses peer-reviewed literature as their major source of CAM information (OR=3.03; 95% CI: 1.65, 5.55); uses CAM practitioners as a major source of CAM information (OR=6.09; 95% CI: 2.91, 12.72); and does not have an existing relationship with any CAM provider (OR=3.03; 95% CI: 1.53, 6.25). CONCLUSIONS: There is little interaction (both via referrals as well as the development of professional relationships) between the naturopathic and GP communities in rural and regional Australia, with significant levels of...

Background: Population-based epidemiological studies can contribute to the spectrum of research evidence regarding the potential role of the arts in improving health and well-being among older people. To date, these studies are uncommon. The aim of the current study was to investigate health-related factors associated with participation in creative hobbies in women aged in their eighties living in Australia. Method: Descriptive and regression analyses were performed on data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health 2008 postal survey of women born 1921–1926 (n = 5470). Results: Creative hobbies were undertaken by 52.7% of the sample and positively associated with physical health (IADL), health-related quality of life (general health, social functioning) and other social and demographic indicators. Conclusion: The relationship between participation in creative hobbies and health in older women is likely to be complex and influenced by many factors including individual physical capacity and independence as well as access to art-making activities.

Falls amongst older people is a global public health concern. Whilst falling is not a typical feature of ageing,
older people are more likely to fall. Fall injuries amongst older people are a leading cause of death and disability. Many
older people do not do regular exercise so that they lose muscle tone, strength, and flexibility which affect balance and predispose
them to falls. The management of falls in residential care settings is a major concern with strategies for prevention
and monitoring a focus in this setting. Yoga and tai chi have shown potential to improve balance and prevent falls in older
adults. They also have potential to improve pain and quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility
of conducting a three-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) with frail older people in a residential care setting to test
the hypothesis that a 14-week modified tai chi or yoga programme is more effective than usual care activity in improving
balance function, quality of life, pain experience and in reducing number of falls. There were no statistically significant
differences between the three groups in the occurrence of falls. Yoga demonstrated a slight decrease in fall incidence; quality
of life improved for the tai chi group. Only the yoga group experienced a reduction in average pain scores though not
statistically significant. The findings of the study suggest it is possible to safely implement modified yoga and tai chi in a
residential care setting and evaluate this using RCT design. They show positive changes to balance, pain and quality of life
and a high level of interest through attendance amongst the older participants. The results support offering tai chi and yoga
to older people who are frail and dependent with physical and cognitive limitations.

Acute decompensated heart failure is a common cause of hospitalisation. This is a period of vulnerability both in altered pathophysiology and also the potential for iatrogenesis due to therapeutic interventions. Renal dysfunction is often associatedwith heart failure and portends adverse outcomes. Identifying heart failure patients at risk of renal dysfunction is important in preventing progression to chronic kidney disease or worsening renal function, informing adjustment to medication management and potentially preventing adverse events. However, there is no working or consensus definition in international heart failure management guidelines for worsening renal function. In addition, there appears to be no concordance or adaptation of chronic kidney disease guidelines by heart failure guideline development groups for the monitoring of chronic kidney disease in heart failure. Our aim is to encourage the debate for an agreed definition given the prognostic impact of worsening renal function in heart failure. Wepresent the case for the uptake of the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria for acute kidney injurywith some minor alterations. This has the potential to inform study design and meta-analysis thereby building the knowledgebase for guideline development. Definition consensus supports data element, clinical registry and electronic algorithm innovation as instruments for quality improvement and clinical research for better patient outcomes. In addition, we recommend all community managed heart failure patients have their baseline renal function classified and routinely monitored in accordance with established renal guidelines to help identify those at increased risk for worsening renal function or progression to chronic kidney disease.

Stress is a major problem in today's fast-paced society and can lead to serious psychosomatic complications. The ancient Chinese mind-body exercise of Tai Chi may provide an alternative and self-sustaining option to pharmaceutical medication for stressed individuals to improve their coping mechanisms. The protocol of this study is designed to evaluate whether Tai Chi practice is equivalent to standard exercise and whether the Tai Chi group is superior to a wait-list control group in improving stress coping levels. This study is a 6-week, three-arm, parallel, randomized, clinical trial designed to evaluate Tai Chi practice against standard exercise and a Tai Chi group against a nonactive control group over a period of 6 weeks with a 6-week follow-up. A total of 72 healthy adult participants (aged 18-60 years) who are either Tai Chi naïve or have not practiced Tai Chi in the past 12 months will be randomized into a Tai Chi group (n = 24), an exercise group (n = 24) or a wait-list group (n = 24). The primary outcome measure will be the State Trait Anxiety Inventory with secondary outcome measures being the Perceived Stress Scale 14, heart rate variability, blood pressure, Short Form 36 and a visual analog scale. The protocol is reported using the appropriate Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) items.

Objective To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people in Fiji (n=128) undergoing heart valve replacement (VR) surgery for rheumatic heart disease (RHD), conducted by Open Heart International.

Methods Patients who had undergone surgery from 1991 to 2009 (n=72) and patients undergoing surgery for the years 2010–2012 (n=56) were surveyed prospectively, preoperatively and/or postoperatively (the mean follow-up time 5.9 years) using the standard recall Short-Form 36, V.2 (SF-36v2) HRQoL Survey.

Results The sample had a mean age of 26.7 years and 56% (n=72) were women. Preoperative HRQoL is impaired but by early postoperative (1 year) there is significant improvement across all domains (p<0.05) apart from mental health (p=0.081). At mid-term (2 years), HRQoL remained substantially improved from preoperative measurement with mental health now significantly better (p=0.028). However, compared with the early follow-up outcomes, at mid-term physical function (p=0.001), role–physical (p=0.002) and role–emotional (p=0.042) domains significantly declined. By late follow-up (>2 years), all HRQoL domains, except for mental health, were significantly better than preoperative (p=0.066 ). Predictors of less improved HRQoL included having an isolated mitral valve replacement (MVR) (for six of eight health domains, p<0.05), older age (three domains; role–physical, vitality and bodily pain, p<0.05) and male gender (in the role–emotional domain, p<0.05).

Conclusions This first investigation of the HRQoL of people in a developing country after VR surgery for RHD found significant improvement from surgery with this improvement generally sustained. The lack of improvement in mental health requires further exploration as does the influence of an isolated MVR, age and gender.

Background: The outcomes for women who give birth in hospital compared with at home are the subject of
ongoing debate. We aimed to determine whether a retrospective linked data study using routinely collected data
was a viable means to compare perinatal and maternal outcomes and interventions in labour by planned place of
birth at the onset of labour in one Australian state.
Methods: A population-based cohort study was undertaken using routinely collected linked data from the New
South Wales Perinatal Data Collection, Admitted Patient Data Collection, Register of Congenital Conditions, Registry
of Birth Deaths and Marriages and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Eight years of data provided a sample size of
258,161 full-term women and their infants. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of neonatal mortality
and morbidity as used in the Birthplace in England study.
Results: Women who planned to give birth in a birth centre or at home were significantly more likely to have a
normal labour and birth compared with women in the labour ward group. There were no statistically significant
differences in stillbirth and early neonatal deaths between the three groups, although we had insufficient statistical
power to test reliably for these differences.
Conclusion: This study provides information to assist the development and evaluation of different places of birth
across Australia. It is feasible to examine perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth using routinely
collected linked data, although very large data sets will be required to measure rare outcomes associated with
place of birth in a low risk population, especially in countries like Australia where homebirth rates are low.

Purpose: Contemporary maternity care often means women are
able to choose a number of settings for their birth including
hospitals, birth centers, and community settings. There is also
evidence that many women utilised complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM) during pregnancy and birth. The purpose
of this study is to examine the association between
women’s choice of birth setting and their use of CAM during
labor and birth.
Methods: Longitudinal data from a sub-study of women
(n = 2445) from the nationally-representative Australian Longitudinal
Study of Women’s Health (ALSWH) was analyzed for
relationships between women’s birth setting (hospital, birth
center, or community) and their demographics, attitudes towards
maternity care (including CAM), and use of CAM during
pregnancy and birth.
Results: The characteristics associated with women’s choice of
birth setting include some demographic features such as employment
status, health care subsidy, and level of education.
Women’s birth setting choice was also linked to a preference for
CAM practitioner by women birthing in birth centers and
community settings. In contrast, women birthing in hospitals
held more positive views towards obstetric care. There was a
higher use of CAM during pregnancy by women birthing in birth
centers and community but this was not consistent across all
CAMs investigated. Naturopaths, herbal medicines, homeopathy
and flower essences were more commonly used by women
birthing in community compared with those in a birth center.
There was also a higher rate of CAM use for intrapartum pain
management for women birthing outside of a hospital setting,
although women attending a birth center were more likely than
those birthing in community to use pharmacological pain management
techniques.
Conclusion: There are characteristic differences between women
birthing in different birth settings which seems to be
influenced as much by preference for maternity care and interest
in CAM use as it is by...

This article presents the first critical review of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among menopausal women (a term here used to include premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women) by focusing on the prevalence of CAM use and CAM users' characteristics, motivation, decision-making, and communication with healthcare providers.

Objective: there is evidence of high use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by pregnant women. Despite debate and controversy regarding CAM use in pregnancy there has been little research focus upon the impacts of CAM use on birth outcomes. This paper reports findings outlining the incidence of adverse birth outcomes among women accessing CAM during pregnancy.

Design: a survey based cohort sub study from the nationally representative Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) was undertaken in 2010.

Participants.: women (aged 31-36 years) who identified in 2009 as pregnant or recently given birth (n=2445) from the younger cohort (n=8012) of ALSWH were recruited for the study.

Measurements and findings: participants' responses were analysed to examine the relationship between use of CAM and adverse birth outcomes from their most recent pregnancy. Of the respondents (n=1835; 79.2%), there were variations in birth outcomes for the women who used different CAM. Notably, the outcome which was most commonly associated with CAM use was emotional distress. This was found to occur more commonly in women who practised meditation/yoga at home, used flower essences, or consulted with a chiropractor. In contrast, women who consulted with a chiropractor or consumed herbal teas were less likely to report a premature birth, whilst participation in yoga classes was associated with an increased incidence of post parturn/intrapartum haemorrhage.

Key conclusions: the results emphasise the necessity for further research evaluating the safety and effectiveness of CAM for pregnant women, with a particular focus on birth outcomes. Implications for practice: health professionals providing care need to be aware of the potential birth outcomes associated with CAM use during pregnancy to enable the provision of accurate information to women in their care, and to assist in safely supporting women accessing CAM to assist with pregnancy, labour and birth.

Objective: To ascertain the attitudes, perceptions and characteristics of women who used varying forms of botanical medicine (herbal extracts and tinctures, herbal teas, aromatherapy oils) during pregnancy, birth and lactation. Methods: Longitudinal data from a sub-study of women (n = 2445) from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH) was analysed for the characteristics of women who used only one form of botanical medicine (herbal extracts and tinctures, herbal teas or aromatherapy oils), Fisher's exact tests were used to compare categorical variables due to the small cell numbers of the individual categories. A modified Bonferroni correction was used to compensate for multiple testing. All analyses were performed using Stata 11.1 and statistical significance was set at p = 0.05. Results: Women who held private health insurance were more likely to consult with an acupuncturist or naturopath for pregnancy-related health conditions and use herbal extracts and tinctures rather than herbal teas or aromatherapy oils. Women who used herbal extracts and tinctures also reported higher rates of epidural use and were more likely to initiate breastfeeding than those using aromatherapy oils. Women who used herbal teas were more likely to discuss their expectations of their birth with a general practitioner than a midwife and use birthing pools, baths or showers as intrapartum pain management. Women who used herbal teas were also more likely to initiate breastfeeding than those choosing aromatherapy, and moreover, continue breastfeeding for more than 6 months. Women who showed a preference for breathing techniques as intrapartum pain management were more likely to use aromatherapy rather than herbal extracts, tinctures or teas during pregnancy. Conclusions: Our analysis is a preliminary insight into an as yet unassessed aspect of maternity care. More in-depth investigation of the characteristics of women who choose to use herbal medicines, teas and aromat...

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd Objectives Outline the protocol to be used in the establishment of the Practitioner and Researcher Collaboration Initiative (PRACI) – an innovative national practice-based research network (PBRN) for complementary medicine (CM) professions in Australia. Design and methods A multiphase research design will be employed. Phase 1 will involve geographical mapping of CM practitioner workforce population and location across Australia. Phase 2 involves initial practitioner member recruitment encompassing a preliminary workforce survey to allow population of key information for the PRACI database. Phase 3 will employ a comprehensive practitioner member survey which examines the nature and characteristics of contemporary CM practice. Results PRACI will be a multi-modality PBRN which encompasses 14 CM professions: acupuncturists, aromatherapists, Ayurveda practitioners, Bowen therapists, Chinese herbalists, homoeopaths, kinesiologists, massage therapists, musculoskeletal therapists, myotherapists, naturopaths, nutritionists (non-dietetic), reflexologists, Western herbalists, and yoga teachers. Once established, researchers will be able to utilise the PRACI network and infrastructure to undertake CM research which is embedded in, responsive to, and informed by clinical practice. An Expression of Interest (EOI) process by which potential new research through PRACI is vetted based upon feedback by researchers, community representatives and practitioner members. The PRACI network will enable a broad range of research designs including experimental, observational and qualitative research. As such, research conducted through PRACI will be able to examine important research questions and advance new knowledge about contemporary CM practice. Conclusions PRACI is a practice-based research network which has the potential to offer the CM professions a legacy of clinically relevant research which is embedded in the realities of practice and which can provide a plat...

Objectives To provide the first critical review of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use amongst symptomatic menopausal women, drawing upon work examining the perspectives of both TCM users and TCM practitioners. Methods A search was conducted in three English-language databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and AMED) and three Chinese-language databases (CNKI, VIP and CBM Disc) for 2002-2013 international peer-reviewed articles reporting empirical findings of TCM use in menopause. Results A total of 25 journal articles reporting 22 studies were identified as meeting the review inclusion criteria. Chinese herbal medicine appears to be the most common therapy amongst symptomatic menopausal women, and vasomotor symptoms and emotional changes are the most frequent symptoms for which TCM is sought. However, evidence regarding the prevalence of TCM use and users' profile in menopause is limited. Existing studies are of varied methodological quality, often reporting low response rate, extensive recall bias and a lack of syndrome differentiation. Conclusions This review provides insights for practitioners and health policy-makers regarding TCM care to symptomatic menopausal women. More nationally representative studies are required to rigorously examine TCM use for the management of menopausal symptoms. Syndrome differentiation of menopausal women is an area which also warrants further attention.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate survey data from a national cross-sectional sample of 1427 urban and nonurban Australian women focusing on the relationship between the use of specific complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) pra

Aim of the study To analyse the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), allied health and biomedicine for back pain amongst Australian women aged 6065. Methodology Self-completion postal survey in 2011/2012 of 1310 women who reported seeking help for back pain from the mid-age cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Questions asked about their use of, and attitudes towards, CAM, allied health and biomedicine for the treatment of back pain. Results Intensity of back pain was greater for those who consulted biomedical and allied health practitioners. Women reported seeking help from biomedical and allied health practitioners more quickly after onset of pain than CAM practitioners but the longer their pain persisted the more likely they were to consult CAM practitioners. Use of CAM reflected less perceived benefit of biomedicine and allied health. The perceived differences in approach of CAM practitioners (e.g. more time in consultation, more equal relationship, more holistic approach) may be influential in their use and perceived benefit. Ease of access/availability may also influence use of CAM in particular. Some communication limitations were reported regarding discussing the use of other practitioner groups with biomedical and CAM practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Back pain impacts on a significant proportion of the Australian population over the life course and has high prevalence rates among women, particularly in older age. Back pain care is characterised by multiple practitioner and self-prescribed treatment options, and the out-of-pocket costs associated with consultations and self-prescribed treatments have not been examined to date. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the extent of health care practitioner consultations and self-prescribed treatment for back pain care among Australian women, and to assess the self-reported costs associated with such usage. METHODS: Survey of 1,310 women (response rate 80.9%) who reported seeking help for back pain from the '1946-51 cohort' of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women were asked about their use of health care practitioners and self-prescribed treatments for back pain and the costs associated with such usage. RESULTS: In the past year 76.4% consulted a complementary and alternative practitioner, 56% an allied health practitioner and 59.2% a GP/medical specialist. Overall, women consulted with, on average, 3.0 (SD = 2.0) different health care practitioners, and had, on average, 12.2 (SD = 9.7) discrete health care practitioner consultations for back pain. Average self-reported out-of-pocket expenditure on practitioners and self-prescribed treatments for back pain care per annum was AU$873.10. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple provider usage for various but distinct purposes (i.e. pain/mobility versus anxiety/stress) points to the need for further research into patient motivations and experiences of back pain care in order to improve and enhance access to and continuity of care. Our results suggest that the cost of back pain care represents a significant burden, and may ultimately limit women's access to multiple providers. We extrapolate that for Australian working-age women, total out-of-pocket expenditure on back pain care per annum is in excess of AU$1.4 billion,...

This article explores why women in rural and remote areas of Australia use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at higher rates than their counterparts in urban areas. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 60 women 60-65 years of age, currently living in rural Australia, we explore the possibility that CAM use in rural areas may be embedded in processes of spatialised identity-building and the health-creating practices of mobile, ex-urban, individuals who drive this process. We problematise previous explanations which suggest CAM use in rural areas is principally derived from a lack of biomedical service provision and enhanced community ties showing instead how and why identity and mobility are useful additional variables for understanding CAM use in rural areas.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use has been researched widely; however, studies with older adults and Australian populations are limited. The profile of Australian women CAM users has been mapped using the 1996 data from the ALSWH (Adams et al., 2003).

This study aimed to examine the factors associated with Chinese medicine use amongst a sample of 10,287 Australian women aged 5661 years. Data was obtained from a cross-sectional postal questionnaire conducted in 2007, this being the fifth survey of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. This representative sample of 10,287 women was randomly selected from the Health Insurance Commission (Medicare) database. The outcome measure was the use of Chinese medicine in the previous 12 months. The predictive factors included demographics, health status measures and health service utilization measures. Statistical analyses included univariate chi-square and ANOVA tests and backward stepwise multiple logistic regression modelling. The use of Chinese medicine amongst women aged 5661 years appears to be strongly influenced by their country of birth, consultation with a range of CAM practitioners, and the use of some self-prescribed CAM. Interestingly, severe tiredness was the only symptom or diagnosis that predicted Chinese medicine use. Given the substantial prevalence of Chinese medicine use and the finding that the use of Chinese medicine is heavily integrated alongside the use of many other CAM and conventional treatments, it is imperative for the safety of patients that health professionals (across complementary and conventional healthcare) fully recognise the possible Chinese medicine use amongst their practice populations. In order to help inform relevant practice and policy development it is also important that future research further examining women's decision-making, motivations and evaluations regarding Chinese medicine use considers such issues within the context of broader CAM and conventional health care utilization.

The proliferation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and women's high level of engagement with these practices, has presented sociology with a range of questions regarding gender, embodiment and identity work in the context of contemporary medical pluralism. The current study, drawing on 60 qualitative interviews with women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), examines how a group of Australian women negotiate CAM and biomedicine in a range of health and illness contexts. Selected from the mid-aged cohort of this national study, here we explore their accounts of engagement with CAM and biomedicine, unpacking their logics underpinning, and rhetorical practices surrounding, their therapeutic engagement. The results provide significant insight into: the importa nce of ideas about nature, holism and strengthening; perceptions of the harshness and softness of medicines for women's bodies; and, the relative importance of scientific proof vis-a-vis individual subjectivities. Ultimately, their accounts illustrate gendered and embodied strategies of strategic integration, and importantly, border crossing. We conclude that while women's engagement with CAM and biomedicine may be indeed be gendered in character, we suggest a rethinking of gender-based resistance (to biomedicine) or gender-alignment (to CAM) arguments; the notion of women as designers would more adequately capture the landscapes of contemporary medical pluralism.

Objectives: To ascertain the extent of and trends in the use of acupuncture in Australian general practice and the characteristics of patients receiving publicly subsidised acupuncture services from general practitioners (GPs). Design: Secondary analysis of national patient Medicare data for claims by all non-specialist medical practitioners for Medicare Benefits Schedule items for an attendance where acupuncture was performed by a medical practitioner from 1995 to 2011. Main outcome measures: Use of acupuncture by GPs, patients sex and age and the socioeconomic disadvantage index of GPs practice. Results: There has been a 47.7% decline in the number of acupuncture claims by GPs per 100 000 population in the period from 1995 to 2011. Acupuncture claims were made by 3.4% of GPs in 2011. Women were almost twice as likely to receive acupuncture from a GP as men, and patients in urban areas were more than twice as likely to receive acupuncture from a GP as patients in rural areas. Acupuncture claims were highest in areas that were socioeconomically advantaged. Conclusions: Claims for reimbursement for acupuncture by GPs have declined significantly in Australian general practice even though the use of acupuncture by the Australian public has increased. This may be due to increased use of referrals or use of non-medical practitioners, barriers to acupuncture practice in general practice or non-specificf actors affecting reimbursement for non-vocationally registered GPs.

Introduction: Homeopathy has attracted considerable recent attention from the Australian conventional medical community. However, despite such increased attention there has been little exploration of the interface between homeopathy and Australian conventional medical practice. This article addresses this research gap by exploring homeopathic practice and referral by rural and regional Australian general practitioners (GPs).

Background Acupuncture services form a significant part of the Australian healthcare setting, with national registration of acupuncture practitioners, public subsidies for acupuncture services and high use of acupuncture by the Australian public. Despite

Background: Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs) play an important part in rural and regional Australian healthcare. A survey was conducted to investigate referral practices between Chinese medicine (CM) and conventional primary health care practitioners in this region. Methods: A 27-item questionnaire was sent to all 1486 general practitioners (GPs) currently practising in rural and regional Divisions of General Practice in New South Wales, Australia. This survey explored GP opinions, perceptions and practices in relation to complementary and alternative medicine or Chinese medicine specifically. Results: A total of 585 GPs completed the questionnaire. Forty-nine were returned as 'no longer at this address', resulting in an adjusted response rate of 40.7%. One in ten GPs (9.9%) had referred their patients to CMPs at least a few times over the past 12 months, one in five GPs (17.4%) could not locate a CMP to refer to in their local area, and over one-third of GPs (37.7%) stated they would not refer to a CMP under any circumstances. GPs that had graduated from an Australian medical college (OR = 3.71; CI: 1.22, 11.23), GPs observing positive responses previously in patients using CM (OR = 2.53; 95% CI: 1.12, 8.58), GPs perceiving a lack of other options for patients (OR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.12, 8.58), GPs reporting satisfactory or higher levels of CM knowledge (OR = 15.62; 95% CI: 5.47, 44.56), and GPs interested in increasing their complementary and alternative medicine knowledge (OR = 3.28; 95% CI: 1.17, 9.21) referred to CMPs more frequently than did other groups of GPs amongst the rural GPs included in this study. Conclusion: There has been little interaction between CMPs and Australian rural and regional GPs.

Objectives: Massage therapists are an important part of the health care setting in rural and regional Australia and are the largest complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) profession based on both practitioner numbers and use. The purpose of this st

Chiropractic and osteopathy form a significant part of the healthcare setting in rural and regional Australia, with national registration of practitioners, public subsidies for services and high utilisation by the Australian public. However, despite their significant role in rural and regional Australia, there has been little exploration of the interface between chiropractic and osteopathy and conventional primary health care practitioners in this area. The study aim was to examine the referral practices and factors that underlie referral to chiropractors and osteopaths by rural and regional Australian general practitioners (GPs), by drawing on a sample of GPs in rural and regional New South Wales.

This study investigates the relationship between diet quality and weight gain in young women. Young women (.. = 4, 287, with 1,356 women identified as plausible subsample aged 27.6 } 1.5 years at baseline) sampled from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womenfs Health study completed food frequency questionnaires in 2003, which were used to evaluate diet quality using three indices: Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS), Australian Diet Quality Index (Aus-DQI), and Fruit and Vegetable Index (FAVI). Weight was self-reported in 2003 and 2009. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the association between tertiles of each diet quality index and weight change from 2003 to 2009.The ARFS and FAVI were significant predictors of 6-year weight change in this group of young women, while Aus-DQI did not predict weight change (.. > 0.05). In the fully adjustedmodel, those who were in the top tertile of the ARFS significantly gained lower weight gain compared with the lower tertile for the plausible TEI sub-sample (.. = .1.6kg (95% CI: .2.67 to .0.56), .. = 0.003). In the fully adjustment model, young women were classified in the highest FAVI tertile and gained significantly less weight than those in the lowest tertile for the plausible TEI (.. = .1.6kg (95% CI: .2.4 to .0.3) .. = 0.01). In conclusion, overall diet quality measured by the ARFS and the frequency and variety of fruit and vegetable consumption may predict long-term weight gain in young women.Therefore, health promotion programs encouraging frequent consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are warranted.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between diet quality score, as measured by the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) and six-year weight gain in middle-aged Australian women.

Background: Psychosocial factors are considered as risk factors for some chronic diseases. A paucity of research exists surrounding the role of perceived stress in arthritis onset. Purpose: Perceived stress as a risk factor for arthritis development was

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is accompanied by an increased frequency of pre-morbid anxiety. Anxiety disorders are associated with increased brain activity of catecholamines, especially noradrenaline. It has been hypothesized that noradrenergic dysregulation may be a major factor in the causation of AN.

The fourth age, as the last stage of life, represents a final challenge to find personal meaning in the face of changing capacities, illness and disability. Participation in valued activities is important for sustaining interest in life and has been associated with enhanced health and well-being. Art and craft activities are a popular form of participation amongst women in late life with growing international interest in the potential for these types of activities to maintain health and well-being and address problems of social isolation. Drawing on open text comments from 114 women enrolled in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health and in-depth interviews with 23 women all aged in their eighties, this paper explores the nature of older women's participation in art and craft activities and conceptualises links between participation in these activities and health and well-being in late life. Participation in art and craft activities is complex and dynamic, comprising cognitive and physical processes infused with emotion and occurs in the context of social relationships, physical spaces, physical ailments and beliefs about the value of the activities. By participating in art and craft activities, older women find purpose in their lives, contributing to their subjective well-being whilst helping and being appreciated by others. They develop a self view as enabled and as such take on new art and craft challenges, continue to learn and develop as art and craft makers and remain open to new possibilities.

The usefulness of chiropractic for treatment of low back pain is a contentious issue. Chiropractors advocate holism and general well-being as a key principle on which they base their clinical practice, yet the quality of life, lifestyle, health and economic impacts of chiropractic intervention for back pain in adults have rarely been investigated. This article provides an overview of chiropractic principles and practices, together with the results of a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications between 2000 and 2010 retrieved from MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. This review sought to determine the benefits of chiropractic treatment and care to well-being, and to what extent chiropractic treatment and care improve quality of life. Of 1,165 articles, 12 articles were retained, representing six studies (four randomised controlled trial, two observational) of varying quality. There was a high degree of inconsistency and lack of standardisation in measurement instruments and outcome measures. Three studies reported reduced use of other/extra treatments as a positive outcome; two studies reported a positive effect of chiropractic intervention on pain, and two studies reported a positive effect on disability. The six studies reviewed concentrated on the impact of chiropractic care on physical health and disability, rather than the wider holistic view which was the focus of this study. It is difficult, therefore, to defend any conclusion about the impact of chiropractic intervention on the quality of life, lifestyle, health and economic impact on chiropractic patients presenting with back pain.

Animal studies have shown that zinc intake has protective effects against type 2 diabetes, but few studies have been conducted to examine this relationship in humans. The aim of this study is to investigate if dietary zinc is associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in a longitudinal study of mid-age Australian women.

Background: There is no Australian data on the characteristics of women who consult with midwives. Aim: To determine the profile of women who consult midwives in Australia. Methods: This cross-sectional research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens Health (ALSWH). Participants were the younger (3136 years) cohort of the ALSWH who completed a survey in 2009, and indicated that they were currently pregnant (n = 801). The main outcome measure was consultation with a midwife.

Background: Pregnant women have been identi?ed as high users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). However, no research to date has provided a detailed analysis of the prevalence and determinants of CAM consumption amongst pregnant women. Aim: To examine the prevalence and determinants of CAM use by pregnant women, utilising a national representative sample. Methods: The study sample was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens Health. This paper is based on a sub-study of 1,835 pregnant women, administered in 2010. The women answered questions about CAM use, demographics, pregnancy-related health concerns and health service utilisation. Results: Complementary and alternative medicine use was found to be high with 48.1% (n = 623) of pregnant women consulting a CAM practitioner and 52.0% (n = 842) of women using CAM products (excluding vitamins and minerals) during pregnancy. CAM practitioner visits were more likely for selected pregnancy-related health concerns, namely back pain or back ache, neck pain and labour preparation. Women were less likely to consult a CAM practitioner if they suffered with headaches/migraines. Employment was also found to be predictive of pregnant womens visits to a CAM practitioner. Signi?cant health history and demographic predictors of CAM product use were tiredness and fatigue, embarking on preparation for labour and having a university education. Conclusion: Most pregnant women are utilising CAM products and/or services as part of their maternity care and obstetricians, general practitioners and midwives need to enquire with women in their care about possible CAM use to help promote safe, effective coordinated maternity care.

Despite growing interest and controversy regarding the value of doulas in contemporary maternity care, little is known about the profile of women who choose to involve a doula in their care team. This preliminary analysis indicates that women's attitudes towards maternity care may influence their use of a doula more so than demographic factors. Further research examining these

This study provides an examination of women's perceptions of care provided by student doulas undertaking a formal qualification in doula support services. Feedback forms completed by women attended by student doulas undertaking a formal qualification in doula support services were analyzed. The women (N = 160) consistently rated the student doulas' contribution to their experience of birth favorably. Qualitative analysis revealed that women value the presence of their student doulas highly with reference to the student doulas' demeanor, support provided to family, interface with other health professionals, and learned skills. Within the Australian context, this study suggests that the support provided by student doulas that have completed a formal training course is held in positive regard by the women receiving their care.

Depression is a common mental disorder and a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. In Australia, depression is reportedly the leading cause of morbidity for young women. In addition to conventional treatments, there is also some evidence that there is common use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among people with depressive symptoms. However, there has been little research focus upon broad health care and practitioner use (including consumption of both conventional and CAM practitioners as well as self-prescribed care) among young adults with depression. This article aims specifically to address this knowledge gap by providing the first longitudinal analysis of the use of health service among women with self-reported depression. Methods: Data from a longitudinal cohort study (Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health) conducted over a 3-year period on 7,164 young Australian women were analyzed. Information on health status, health service use, and self-prescribed treatments was obtained from two questionnaires mailed to study participants in 2003 and 2006.

Objectives: While several cross-sectional studies have examined psychological correlates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and cancer, few prospective longitudinal investigations have been reported. This study examined whether CAM use moderated distress and quality of life (HRQoL) from pre- to post-cancer.

To analyse use of conventional and complementary and alternative (CAM) practitioners and self-prescribed CAM amongst mid-age Australian women with back pain.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased significantly in Australia over the past decade. Back pain represents a common context for CAM use, with increasing utilisation of a wide range of therapies provided within and outside conventional medical facilities. We examine the relationship between back pain and use of CAM and conventional medicine in a national cohort of mid-aged Australian women.

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine sex differences in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among older adults. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data from two cohort studies of community-dwelling women (n=5399) and men (n=3188) aged 82-87 and 77-91 years, respectively. The main outcome measure was self-report of consultations with an alternative health practitioner.

The existing knowledge base on the use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with allergies is built upon findings of cross-sectional surveys and there is a lack of longitudinal data. There is also a lack of studies that examine both the use of conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine among allergy patients. This paper reports the findings of the first ever longitudinal study of the use of conventional providers, practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine, and self-prescribed modalities amongst women with allergies, hayfever and sinusitis from a large nationally representative sample. Analysis focused upon data from 7538 women from the younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health collected between 1996 and 2006. Chi-square tests were employed to compare the groups across consultations and self-prescribed treatments and one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the groups across health status. A modified Bonferroni test was used to correct for multiple comparisons. The study identified that women who sought help for their allergic disorder were more likely to consult a range of practitioners and self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine than women who either did not seek help or did not have allergic disorders. The analysis shows that many women with allergic disorders use complementary and alternative medicine alongside or as a complement to conventional healthcare services. The frequent use of a range of conventional providers and practitioner-based and self-prescribed complementary and alternative medicine amongst women with allergic disorders warrants further investigation.

Objectives: There has been a dramatic increase in the use of complementary medicines over recent decades. Glucosamine is one of the most commonly used complementary medicines in Western societies. An understanding of glucosamine consumption is of significance for public health and future health promotion. This paper, drawing upon the largest dataset to date with regards to glucosamine use (n = 266,844), examines the use and users of glucosamine amongst a sample of older Australians.

Background: Caste, political and religious violence impact considerably on the wellbeing of communities and individuals in India, where violence represents a significant problem. Given the lack of existing work on the experiences of Indian men, particularly those in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, this study aimed to provide baseline data on the Indian men's experiences of caste, political and religious violence in order to identify and examine the predictors of this violence.

Background: Violence is a major problem in India with family, domestic and honour-related violence having significant impacts on the wellbeing of Indian families and communities. There has been little attention paid to men's experiences, particularly in the Indian State's of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The objective of this study was to provide baseline data on Indian men's experiences of violence and the key predictors such as age, income, education and religion. A cross-sectional survey of men from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Data were obtained from a non-probability purposive sample of 1000 adult men over a two-month period in late 2009. The respondents were selected from public spaces in 10 cities or towns within these two provinces.

Objective: To determine the relative importance of psychosocial factors in arthritis diagnosis in an ageing cohort of Australian women. Methods: This study focused on 10,509 women from the 1946â1951 cohort who responded to questions on arthritis in the fifth mailed population-based survey of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health conducted in 2007.

Aim: To investigate whether higher intakes of unprocessed red meat, chicken and fish are associated with higher intakes of vegetables in middle-aged, non-vegetarian Australian women.

Aim: To explore how changed participation in painting pictures or playing a musical instrument is related to change in physical and mental health in older women.

Objective: To determine quantitatively if a unique rehabilitation program using traditional Thai massage, herbal treatments and physical therapies could improve activities of daily living, mood and sleep patterns, and pain intensity of stroke patients over time.

Background: There is little known about women's concurrent use of conventional and complementary health care during pregnancy, particularly consultation patterns with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This study examines health service utilisation among pregnant women including consultations with obstetricians, midwives, general practitioners (GPs) and CAM practitioners.

To assess the impact of the systematic use of the Palliative Care Needs Assessment Guidelines and Needs Assessment Tool: Progressive Disease - Cancer (NAT: PD-C) on clinical assessment, response and service utilisation.

Background: Research has identified women in rural and remote areas as higher users of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners than their urban counterparts. However, we currently know little about what influences womens CAM consumptio

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine is increasingly prevalent in contemporary Western societies. The objective of this study was to explore trends and patterns in complementary and alternative medicine practitioner consultations and the use of complementary and alternative medicine consumption before, during, and after pregnancy and between pregnancies. Methods: Analysis focused on data from 13,961 women from the younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womenâs Health collected between 1996 and 2006. Chi-square tests were employed for the cross-sectional analysis of categorical variables and t tests for continuous variables. Generalized estimating equations were used to conduct multivariate longitudinal analysis.

Background: Evidence indicates that people who reside in non-urban areas have a higher use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) than people who reside in urban areas. However, there is sparse research on the reasons for such differences. This paper investigates the reasons for geographical differences in CAM use by comparing CAM users from four geographical areas (major cities, inner regional, outer region, rural/remote) across a range of health status, healthcare satisfaction, neighbourhood and community factors. A cross-sectional survey of 1,427 participants from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) conducted in 2009.

Integrative medicine (IM) research in China has largely focused on clinical and experimental research , which is critical to determining the efficacy of treatments and enhancing the standing of IM. Nevertheless, there is also a need to extend research activities to include methods and research perspectives from public health , which will provide a greater understanding of clinical practice and assist government and professional organizations to shape policies and directives in IM. In this article we outline the public health research methods we have used in relation to our program of research on complementary and alternative medicine use and area of residence geography, to highlight the usefulness of these methods in IM.

Background. There is evidence of asthma patients using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This article reports the findings of the first ever longitudinal study of CAM use among women with asthma from a large nationally representative sample.

To examine the use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy using data from a longitudinal cohort study. The research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health which was designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well-being of women over a 20-year period. The younger cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health who had completed four surveys in 1996, 2000, 2003 and 2006.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to chart the patterns and determine the factors associated with acupuncture consultations among a large cohort of mid-aged women in Australia over a 6-year period. Design: A longitudinal analysis of questionnaires completed in 2001, 2004, and 2007 as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Statistical analyses included Generalized Estimating Equations. Subjects: Mid-aged women (n = 11,200) were randomly selected from the Australian Medicare database, with oversampling of women from rural and remote areas. Outcome measure: The outcome measure was consultation with an acupuncturist in the 12 months prior to each survey.

Objective: To determine the characteristics of yoga and meditation users and non-users amongst young and mid-aged Australian women. Design and setting: The research was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens Health (ALSWH) which

Objective: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is high in rural health and an agenda for research in the geography of CAM has been outlined. Unfortunately, no studies to date have mapped the geographic distribution of CAM practitioners in rural areas. For the first time we investigate CAM practitioner distributions across a large district/region in rural Australia.

The present study aimed at assessing the association between leisure-time physical activity
at 15 and 19 years of age, and adult leisure-time physical activity at 23 years of age. In
1982, all 5914 hospital births occurring in Pelotas, whose family lived in the urban area,
were identified and these subjects have been followed. In 1997 (15 years) and 2001 (19
years) a sample of the cohort was traced, whereas in 2004-5 we attempted to follow all
cohort members. Physical activity was measured at all these visits. Among 1076 individuals
evaluated in 1997, 928 subjects provided data on leisure-time physical activity in 2001 and
2004-5. At the mean age of 23 years, 37.3% of the individuals were considered as physically
active at leisure-time (reported at least 150 minutes per week of physical activity). Even
after controlling for confounding by demographic and socioeconomic factors, the
prevalence ratio to be active at 23 years was 4.49 (CI95%: 1.79, 11.21) and 2.49 (CI95%: 1.41,
4.40) among men and women, respectively, who were considered as active at 15 and 19
years in comparison to those who were not active at both visits. Active adolescents are
more likely to be active in early adulthood.

To identify risk factors associated with changes in BMI and sum of skinfold thickness (SSF) in a cohort of preschool children in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. This one year follow-up study, using multi-stage cluster sampling, was conducted from 2005 - 2006 with 526 children aged 4 - 5 years in preschools in urban HCMC. Information on neighborhood, preschool and home environments, socio-economic status, the child and parental characteristics were collected using interview-administered questionnaires. Dietary intake and physical activity were measured using modified, validated questionnaires. Weight, height, and triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thickness were measured.

A systematic review of recent peer-reviewed literature exploring womenâs use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in pregnancy, birth and postnatal care.

Aim. This paper presents an integrative literature review examining the attitudes and referral practices of midwives and other maternity care professionals with regard to complementary and alternative treatment and its use by pregnant women. Background.

Objectives: While the introduction of biomedicine within the Sri Lankan healthcare system has resulted in reduced reliance on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) over the last century in Sri Lanka, treatment modalities such as Ayur

The aim of the study was to identify the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners among current and previous cancer patients in a total population. A secondary analysis of data from the Nord-Tr circle divide ndelag Health Study (

Objective: The present study evaluates the reliability and validity of an FFQ designed for use with adolescents in urban Vietnam.

Objective. To identify factors associated with overweight/obesity among adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Methods . In 2004, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using multi-stage cluster sampling. Weight and height of 2 678 students from 31 junior high schools in Ho Chi Minh City were measured. Dietary intake and physical activity were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire and a physical activity questionnaire.

Background This study aimed to develop an innovation to assist general practitioners (GPs) in Australia to proactively address the needs of caregivers of people with cancer.

This study explored the association between dietary habits and overweight and obesity in adolescents from Xiâan City, China. A cross-sectional sample of 1804 adolescents was recruited in 2004 from 30 junior high schools in six districts of Xiâan City, northwest China.

Background: Caring for a person with progressive cancer creates challenges for caregivers. However the needs of caregivers are often not assessed or recognised by health care providers. Research is also lacking in this area, with little knowledge relating to effective strategies to address the specific needs of caregivers. This paper outlines a study protocol aimed at developing and evaluating the effectiveness of a general practice-based intervention to better meet the needs of caregivers of patients with advanced cancer.

Objectives: As populations age, there will be a need for more volunteers in social welfare, and consequently a need to better understand potential effects of volunteering for older people. Whilst there is a body of international literature exploring health benefits of volunteering in later life, there are currently no longitudinal studies of Australian populations. Internationally, there is a lack of studies focusing on older women, who comprise the majority of the ageing population. The aim of this article was to explore the relationship between volunteering and psychosocial and health factors for a cohort of older Australian women over time.

Aim: To identify factors associated with dentist consultation by older Australian women.

BACKGROUND: Palliative care should be provided according to the individual needs of the patient, caregiver and family, so that the type and level of care provided, as well as the setting in which it is delivered, are dependent on the complexity and severity of individual needs, rather than prognosis or diagnosis [1]. This paper presents a study designed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of an intervention to assist in the allocation of palliative care resources according to need, within the context of a population of people with advanced cancer. METHODS/DESIGN: People with advanced cancer and their caregivers completed bi-monthly telephone interviews over a period of up to 18 months to assess unmet needs, anxiety and depression, quality of life, satisfaction with care and service utilisation. The intervention, introduced after at least two baseline phone interviews, involved a) training medical, nursing and allied health professionals at each recruitment site on the use of the Palliative Care Needs Assessment Guidelines and the Needs Assessment Tool: Progressive Disease - Cancer (NAT: PD-C); b) health professionals completing the NAT: PD-C with participating patients approximately monthly for the rest of the study period. Changes in outcomes will be compared pre-and post-intervention. DISCUSSION: The study will determine whether the routine, systematic and regular use of the Guidelines and NAT: PD-C in a range of clinical settings is a feasible and effective strategy for facilitating the timely provision of needs based care. TRIALS REGISTRATION: ISRCTN21699701.

Background: Palliative care should be provided according to the individual needs of the patient, caregiver and family, so that the type and level of care provided, as well as the setting in which it is delivered, are dependent on the complexity and severity of individual needs, rather than prognosis or diagnosis [1]. This paper presents a study designed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of an intervention to assist in the allocation of palliative care resources according to need, within the context of a population of people with advanced cancer.

Background: Needs assessment is a valuable approach for determining the way health and social services allocate resources to people with cancer and their caregivers. Aim: To assess the reliability, validity and acceptability of a Needs Assessment Tool (NAT) in a palliative care clinical setting.

Objective: to determine the factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among older Australian women over time. Methods: a longitudinal analysis of postal questionnaires completed in 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2005 as part of the A

Back problems and back pain are amongst the most prevalent conditions afflicting Australians and carry high direct and indirect costs for the health care systems of all developed countries. A major gap in the research literature on this topic is the longitudinal analysis of health seeking behaviour for people with back pain. All studies to date have been cross-sectional and it is important that the use of different providers (both conventional and complementary and alternative medicine, CAM) is examined over time. This study analysed data from a longitudinal study conducted over a 3-year period on 8,910 young Australian women. Information on health service use, self-prescribed treatments, and health status was obtained from two questionnaires mailed to study participants in 2003 and 2006. We found that there is little difference in the consultation practises or use of self-prescribed CAM between women who recently sought help for back pain and women who had longer-term back pain; the only difference being that women with longer-term back pain consulted more with chiropractors. We conclude that women who seek help for their back pain are frequent visitors to a range of conventional and CAM practitioners and are also high users of self-prescribed CAM treatments. The frequent use of a range of conventional providers and practitioner-based and self-prescribed CAM amongst women with back pain warrants further investigation.

The deployment of decision support aids, electronic referral tools or other novel processes to improve diagnostic or therapeutic performance may also disrupt the flow of the consultation in general practice. Therefore 'innovations' or interventions that may result in changes to the structure of the consultation need to be tested in controlled conditions if they are not to harm patient care in practice. We describe a method for conducting 'Phase 1' studies of such interventions illustrated by a consultation from one of four studies using actor-patient consultations. The recording of actor-patient consultations is technically challenging. There are some limitations in using volunteers whose skills may be unknown. However, the method allows lay and professional observation about the performance of doctors using new tools which may help to refine the innovations or offer insights into how and why some clinical scenarios impact on the doctor-patient consultation. This method is not a substitute for adequately powered clinical trials; however, it offers a practical approach to developing a complex intervention for subsequent formal evaluation.

Background: The use of complementary and alternative medicine has attracted much attention and debate in recent years. The objective of this critical review is to examine the evidence base on use of complementary products and therapies during pregnancy. It examines an important but neglected issue in maternity care. Methods: A database search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, and Maternity and Infant Care. A total of 24 papers published between 1999 and 2008 met the selection criteria and were included in the review. Results: Findings of these 24 papers were extracted and reported under four themes: "user prevalence and profile,""motivation and condition of use,""perception and self-reported evaluation," and "referral and information sources." Conclusions: This review highlights four research gaps in the literature, a lack of: large representative samples; in-depth understanding of user experiences and risk perceptions; research comparing consumption patterns across cultures and over time; and work exploring the nature of the therapeutic encounter with complementary practitioners in this area of women's health care.

Objective: To examine the clinical practices and perceptions of herbalists providing patient care concurrently with conventional medical practice. Method: A postal survey was sent to all full members of the National Herbalists Association of Australia (N

Occupational violence is increasingly recognized as a problem in general practice, and has been suggested as adversely affecting general practitioners (GPs) provision of services to patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of ex

Background: The aim was to explore the prevalence of visitors to CAM practitioners in a total population with reference to sex, self-rated health status and socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: The paper reports findings from the Nord-Trondelag He

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Objective: To describe the patterns of prescription and dispensing of herbal medicines employed by Western herbal practitioners in Australia. Design: A national postal survey sent to all full members of the National Herbalist Association of Australia (NH

Background Although an increase in the use of acupuncture in recent years has been identified, there are few studies that focus attention upon the characteristics of acupuncture users. This survey aimed at providing a first step towards addressing this significant research gap. Methods This study was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womenâs Health, and examined the characteristics of acupuncture users among middle aged Australian women between 50 and 55 years old. Data were collected on demographic measures, health status and health service use.

Background: Although an increase in the use of acupuncture in recent years has been identified, there are few studies that focus attention upon the characteristics of acupuncture users. This survey aimed at providing a first step towards addressing this significant research gap. Methods: This study was conducted as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, and examined the characteristics of acupuncture users among middle aged Australian women between 50 and 55 years old. Data were collected on demographic measures, health status and health service use. Results: The paper reports on 11 202 middle aged women, surveyed in 2001. We estimate that 4.5% of middle aged women consult an acupuncturist. Women who consult an acupuncturist are less likely to be married or living in a de facto relationship, are more likely to have had a major personal illness in the previous year, to have suffered from a variety of symptoms or have significantly lower scores (ie poorer health) on all eight dimensions of the SF-36 health-related quality of life scale. Women who use acupuncture are also higher users of 'conventional' health services. Conclusion: While the development of a research base and clinical applications for acupuncture are ongoing, health professionals should be aware that acupuncture is currently being used by large numbers of middle aged women. In addition, given the relatively higher prevalence of acupuncture use reported in our study, it is important that further research explores acupuncture use in more detail and the relationship between women's health issues and their use and experience of acupuncture.

Objective. To compare the profiles of people visiting only a general practitioner ( GP), those visiting only a practitioner of complementary and alternative medicine ( CAM), and those visiting both ( GP& CAM). Design. A comparative total population healt

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of chiropractic and osteopathy use and the profile of chiropractor/osteopath users among middle-aged Australian women. Methods: This article reports on research conducted as part of the Australi

Objective: To assess the magnitude of overweight and obesity and its associated sociodemographic factors in adolescents attending junior high schools in Xi'an, Shanxi province. Methods: A total of 1804 adolescent s attending junior high schools in Xi'an (age: 11-17 years) were enrolled randomly from 30 schools in 6 districts in Xi'an. Overweight and obesity was categorized with body mass index (BMI) cutoffs from Working Group of Obesity in China (WGOC). Underweight was defined by BMI-Z ≤-2 s. Sociodemographic information was collected from the parents of the survey participants using self-administered, structured and precoded questionnaires. Results: Overall 17.4% of adolescents were overweight or obese (overweight 11.2%; obesity 6.2%), but there was a marked gender difference in the prevalence with 20.2% of boys versus 14.4% of the girls being overweight or obese. The prevalence of underweight was 2.7%. In a multivariate model, age, residence, household wealth, and parents' BMI were significantly associated with overweight and obesity (P < 0.05). After having been adjusted for age and gender, the odds ratio of an adolescent being overweight and obese was 2.7 (95% CI: 1.8-4.0) folds higher in urban areas than in rural areas, and was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.04-2.5) folds higher for adolescents from rich families than those from poor families. An adolescent with one or both parents overweight was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.3-2.5) more likely to be overweight themselves compared to those with normal weight parents. Conclusions: Overweight and obesity is a major public health problem in adolescents in Xi'an. Overweight and obesity is more prevalent in younger boys from richer families living in urban districts and those whose parents were either overweight or obese.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to provide a recommended list of performance indicators from routinely collected data that measure most aspects of the patient journey through the emergency department (ED). METHODS: Data from a large tertiary ED were used to investigate the proposed performance indicators, which fell into 7 categories: background information, time from arrival to triage, time from triage to treatment, length of stay, readmission rate, left without being seen, and deaths in the ED. MAIN RESULTS: Category 1 patients were triaged, treated, and discharged rapidly. For category 2 patients, the times from arrival to triage increased but times from triage to treatment were relatively stable. Patients in categories 3 and 4 were not triaged rapidly and both the arrival to triage and triage to treatment processes were unstable and deteriorating. The average time to treatment for patients treated outside recommended times was unstable and increasing for categories 2, 3, and 4. The number of patients who left without being seen was stable except for 2 periods, and the readmission rate was stable except for 1 period of increase. CONCLUSION: The performance indicators use only routinely collected data and clearly identify the areas in which this ED performed poorly. © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is now a significant practice issue for those delivering cancer care with a range of CAM being utilized by a significant number of patients with cancer. While various studies have explored the prevalence of CA

The aim of this research was to assess the prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative therapy (CAT) use among cancer patients in Australia. A total of 1492 cancer patients attending nine major public cancer treatment centers in New South

Objective: To establish the prevalence and characteristics of occupational violence in Australian urban general practice, and examine practitioner correlates of violence. Design, setting and participants: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey mailed to al

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has become increasingly popular amongst healthcare consumers worldwide. As such, CAM is now an important public health issue with serious implications for healthcare organization and delivery. While previous studies have provided a profile of CAM users, there remains very limited analysis of CAM consumption over time. The purpose of this paper is to describe the changing use of CAM practitioners over time by 11,454 mid-age women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Over the study period (19961998), 10% of women adopted the use of CAM and 9% relinquished CAM. The predominant factor found to be predictive of CAM adoption was changes in health status. Specifically, those women experiencing more illness over time are more likely to adopt CAM than those experiencing no change or better health. CAM relinquishment was associated with use of non-prescription medications, where women were more likely to relinquish CAM if they never used non-prescription medications or if they stopped taking non-prescription medications. This paper constitutes an exploratory investigation into CAM use over time. As such, there is need for further research to provide in-depth examination of the adoption and relinquishment of CAM use over a longer time period.

This paper outlines an exploratory study charting the circumstances of use and patient perspectives regarding the acupuncture service offered in an antenatal clinic at an Australian public hospital. Study participants were recruited from women attending the antenatal clinic. Upon completion of their course of acupuncture treatment, 52 women were given a questionnaire, of which 37 (71%) were completed and returned. Of the 37 women who attended the acupuncture clinic, 18 (49%) had previously used at least one form of complementary medicine/therapy. The most common reason for treatment was physiological symptoms including back pain, symphysis pubis dysfunction and sciatica. All 37 women stated that the acupuncture improved their well-being and this finding was statistically significant (P<0.001). These findings are offered as a means of identifying potential issues for future investigation in this under-researched area. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective: To develop a diagnostic algorithm (decision tree) to improve the ability to identify or predict medically important spider bites (funnel-web and redback spiders) from information about the circumstances and initial clinical effects of spider bites. Methods: A dataset of definite spider bites with expert identification of all spiders was used from a previous Australia-wide prospective study. Spider bites were categorized as: big black spider (BBS), redback spider (RED) and other spider (OTH). Big black spider included funnel-web spiders (most medically significant), but also other spiders of similar appearance. Fifteen predictor variables were based on univariate analysis from previous studies and clinical experience. They included information about the circumstances and early clinical effects of bites. The data were analyzed using CART® (Classification and Regression Trees), a 'decision tree' algorithm used to create a tree-like structure to describe a data set. Results: Of 789 spider bites there were 49 (6.2%) bites by BBS, 68 (8.6%) bites by RED and 672 (85.2%) bites by OTH. A decision tree was developed that included six predictor variables (fang marks/bleeding; state/territory; local diaphoresis; month; time of day; and proximal or distal bite region). The decision tree accurately classified 47 out of the 49 (96%) BBS, and no funnel-web spiders were incorrectly classified (100% sensitivity). Two hundred and forty-four of 789 were classified as OTH and included no BBS. Conclusions: A decision tree based on a small amount of information about the circumstances and early clinical effects of spider bites safely predicted all funnel-web spider bites. Application of this algorithm would allow the early institution of appropriate treatment for funnel-web spider bites and the immediate discharge of 31% as other spider bites (reassurance only).

Background The accuracy of sphygmomanometers used in Australian general practice is unknown but potentially important. Method We measured the accuracy of sphygmomanometers in general practice in the Hunter region of New South Wales using a gold standard. Practices were recruited by an advertisement in the division newsletter. Results Sixty practices (35%) volunteered. A total of 404 instruments were checked. Over 95% of sphygmomanometers were within 4 mmHg of gold standard sphygmomanometer across the clinical pressure range. Mercury sphygmomanometers were more accurate than aneroid (p<0.01). There was no significant association between accuracy and age, calibration, or visual inspection of the instruments. DISCUSSION This study demonstrated a high accuracy rate of the sphygmomanometers checked, especially those sphygmomanometers that were mercury.

Very large datasets typically consists of millions of records, with many variables. Such datasets are stored and maintained by organizations because of the perceived potential information they contain. However, the problem with very large datasets is that traditional methods of data mining are not capable of retrieving this information because the software may be overwhelmed by the memory or computing requirements. In this article we outline a method that can analyze very large datasets. The method initially performs a data reduction step through the use of a summary table, which is then used as a reference dataset that is recursively partitioned to grow a decision tree.

In this paper we identify the need for further research exploring the relationship between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and womens health. We offer our personal thoughts on the direction such future research might take outlining a num

Objectives: To compare the characteristics of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) users and non-users among Australian women. Design: Cross-sectional postal questionnaire conducted during 1996, forming the baseline survey of the Australian Longi

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the general population has grown considerably in recent years. However, little is known about the prevalence of CAM use amongst women with cancer. Our research provides the first step in addressi

Background - Recent estimates of child and adolescent obesity are between 20% and 23%, with this rate continuing to increase. Effective prevention and treatment requires an understanding of the factors involved, including the role of dietary intake. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are the most practical and economic method for assessing dietary intakes in large epidemiologic studies. There is currently no widely accepted FFQ for school-aged children in Australia and this gap has been acknowledged as an important area for future research. Objective - To develop and pre-test a FFQ for assessing the dietary intakes of children and adolescents aged between 9 and 16 years in the Hunter Region, NSW. Design - Focus groups were held with 61 school-aged students. Pre-testing was undertaken in another sample of 44 school-aged children and included a qualitative survey. Outcomes - The focus group results were used to refine the food list. Subsequent pre-testing identified difficulties encountered by the children during completion of the FFQ and some small changes were made to the food list, the formatting and language of the FFQ. Conclusion - The FFQ takes between 15 and 30 minutes to complete and is a feasible method for assessing the dietary intakes of Australian youth.

Background - Foods high in antioxidants are considered to play a major role in defending the body against oxidative stress during exercise. Objective - To investigate the effects of short-term restriction of high-antioxidant foods on oxidative stress markers and antioxidant defences during acute exercise. Design - Antioxidant rich foods were restricted in 17 athletes exercised to exhaustion and blood antioxidant and oxidative stress markers were examined. Participants followed habitual diets high in antioxidants prior to an initial exercise test and then followed a two-week restricted-antioxidant (R-AO) diet before a second exercise test. During both exercise tests blood samples were taken pre-exercise, post sub-maximal exercise, post exhaustion and with one hour recovery. Outcomes - The R-AO diet reduced antioxidant intake 3-fold when compared to habitual-antioxidant (H-AO) intakes. F2-isoprostanes (oxidative stress marker) was significantly increased following sub-maximal exercise (38%), exhaustive exercise (45%) and one hour recovery (31%) on the R-AO diet compared to the H-AO diet. F2-isoprostanes during exercise when following the H-AO diet remained relative unchanged from rest. Total antioxidant capacity and circulating anti-oxidants were not significantly affected by the R-AO diet, but tended to be lower. Exercise performance was not affected by the R-AO diet. Conclusions - Trained athletes may require higher intakes of exogenous antioxidants to defend against increased oxidative stress during exercise, which can be met through a diet rich in high antioxidant foods.

Casemix-based funding was introduced into the Victorian health system without an assessment of the annual variation in inpatient activity. Before undertaking such a funding reform, it would be appropriate to determine the level of annual variation in inpatient activity for individual hospitals that could be attributable to chance or random variation. If the annual random variation is not accounted for, then casemix-based funding may actually lead to inefficiencies. For this study, hospital inpatient activity and funding data for 120 acute public hospitals from New South Wales for the years 1988-89 to 1992-93 were used to estimate the standard deviation of the annual random variation in activity and gross operating payment. Through linear regression, estimates of the standard deviation of random variation about the underlying trend were obtained for each hospital. The results showed that, depending on the size of the hospital, total diagnosis related group cost weights have a standard deviation in the range of 2 to 16 per cent of total activity, whilst gross operating payment has an equivalent standard deviation that ranges from 1 to 10 per cent annually. The magnitude of the variation would suggest that funding of hospitals should either be based on average activity over several years or based on bands of activity in order to reduce the potential random variation in funding levels.

For the majority of studies on hospital readmission rates, a readmission is deemed to have occurred if a patient was admitted within 28 days of the previous discharge date. This time period, however, has rarely been justified clinically or statistically and certainly not in Australia. In examining the patterns of readmissions to NSW public acute hospitals, this study provides statistical support for the use of a 28 day interval for total readmissions. The same finding applies to the four admission categories of medical, surgical, paediatrics, and obstetrics and gynaecology.

Australian hospitals are becoming increasingly familiar with the 'new' tools for continuous quality improvement. In particular, many are becoming increasingly competent in establishing and supporting quality improvement teams for process evaluation and improvement. The main problems with such teams now seems to arise in relation to the analysis and interpretation of data on the process. This paper provides an example of the types of analyses and interpretations required of today's quality improvement practitioner in health care.

Day-only admissions have increased substantially over the last decade. With the increase in numbers, it is necessary to consider the quality of care of the patients undergoing a day-only admission. The readmission rate can be used as one such guide to quality of care. For several large Sydney hospitals, the percentage of patients readmitted was consistent across all lengths of stay (approximately 9%). When considering those type of admissions that are more suited to day surgery units, the readmission rate was 4.4%. This is suggestive of conservative selection criteria for day surgery unit patients.

The rapid increase in the number of day only admissions during the last decade has led to an increased awareness of this type of hospital admission. Health planners are now interested in which procedures are causing the increase in the day only activity and how best to accommodate it in the future. To address these issues, routinely collected hospital data were used to analyse trends in day only admissions and to extrapolate future demand via regression models. The results suggest that day only admissions will constitute 45% of all admissions to NSW acute hospitals by the year 2001. Detailed review of patient caseloads suggest that 13.5% of all patients will be potentially treatable through day surgery units, as opposed to general wards, by 2001. Assuming 80% of these potential patients actually do get treated in day surgery units, then the workload generated could be accommodated within 30 day surgery facilities.

Objective: To describe the perceptions held by members of the National Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA) regarding the levels of intraprofessional support available to them upon entering clinical practice. Design: A national postal survey sent to all full members of the NHAA. Setting Nationwide herbal clinics of NHAA practitioners in Australia. Main outcome measures: Rating scales of perceptions of support (1=very supportive, 2=somewhat supportive, 3=a little supportive, 4=not supportive) provided by the respondents in regard to their educational institution, professional association (NHAA) and other practitioners, reported as frequencies and means. Results: Herbalists appear to receive most support from informal interprofessional relationships with other practitioners (mean=2.13) and some support from their professional association (mean=2.35). The majority of herbalists do not perceive their training institution (mean=3.18) as being very supportive. Conclusion: The survey results show a significant degree of consistency in attitudes across Australia by members of the NHAA towards perceptions of available postgraduate support. The survey data indicates that support available to herbalists when entering clinical practice is on an informal, practitioner to practitioner basis, as opposed to the result of any formal structures. This research highlights how herbalists perceive formal support structures available to them as postgraduates as insufficient.

The following sections are included:

Introduction
The Challenges and Opportunities for Capacity and Growth in the PH/HSR of TCIM
Addressing the Capacity, Mentorship and Leadership Challenge in TCIM
TCIM Research Capacity and Leadership Programs: History and Contemporary Initiatives
Leadership Program Outputs and Successes to Date
Concluding Discussion
References

The following sections are included:

Introduction

The Challenges and Opportunities for Capacity and Growth in the PH/HSR of TCIM

Addressing the Capacity, Mentorship and Leadership Challenge in TCIM

TCIM Research Capacity and Leadership Programs: History and Contemporary Initiatives

Leadership Program Outputs and Successes to Date

Concluding Discussion

References

Recent research has revealled that complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) is particularly popular amongst rural populations, with a growing body of literature supporting this interpretation

In this book, Diet Quality: An Evidence-Based Approach, Volume 2 all of the major facets of diet quality in relation to health outcomes are covered.

Australian Women are integrating primary health care and complementary and alternative medicine to alleviate a range of symptoms and conditions. This chapter introduces the use of CAM for women's health in general and more particularly, explores the integration of CAM alongside mainstream primary health care

In this chapter we argue that the mainstream work and commentary around integrative health care and education has often lacked a critical social science perspective

The use of complementary and alternative medicine has attracted much attention and debate in recent years. The objective of this critical review is to examine the evidence base on use of complementary products and therapies during pregnancy. It examines an important but neglected issue in maternity care. Methods: A database search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED, and Maternity and Infant Care. A total of 24 papers published between 1999 and 2008 met the selection criteria and were included in the review. Results: Findings of these 24 papers were extracted and reported under four themes: "user prevalence and profile," "motivation and condition of use," "perception and self-reported evaluation," and "referral and information sources." Conclusions: This review highlights four research gaps in the literature, a lack of: large representative samples; in-depth understanding of user experiences and risk perceptions; research comparing consumption patterns across cultures and over time; and work exploring the nature of the therapeutic encounter with complementary practitioners in this area of women's health care.

Developing capacity to undertake health research effectively is an integral component of national and global health research systems (Lansang and Dennis, 2004) and is essential to producing a sound evidence base for decision making in policy and practice (Cooke, 2005). Moreover, research capacity building (RCB) - nurturing and producing sustainable increased capacity for future research endeavours - is important fOr all health research fields and TCIM is no exception (Andrews, 2006; Adams, 2007). There is currently a great opportunity to embrace RCB in relation to TCIM in order to help develop an evidence base and a stronger and more robust research culture among scholars and practitioners alike.

Background
Rooted in Indian philosophical, spiritual, and health practice yoga has become a popular avenue to promote physical and mental wellbeing. Traditionally yoga not only consists of physical exercises, but incorporates advice for an ethical and healthy lifestyle. This study aimed to examine the relationship between yoga/meditation practice and health behavior in three age cohorts of Australian women.
Methods
Women aged 19–25 years, 31–36 years, and 62–67 years from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Womens Health (ALSWH) were surveyed regarding smoking, alcohol or drug use, physical activity and dietary behavior; and whether they practiced yoga/meditation on a regular basis. Associations of those health behaviors with yoga/meditation practice were analyzed using multiple logistic regression
modelling.
Results
11344, 8200, and 9151 women aged 19–25 years, 31–36 years, and 62–67 years, respectively, were included in the analysis of which 29.0%, 21.7%, and 20.7%, respectively, practiced yoga/meditation. Women practicing yoga/meditation were less likely to smoke regularly (OR = 0.41–0.47), and more likely to be physically active (OR = 1.50–2.79) and to follow a vegetarian (OR = 1.72–3.22) or vegan (OR = 2.26–3.68) diet. Women practicing yoga/meditation were also more likely to use marijuana (OR = 1.28–1.89) and illicit drugs (OR = 1.23–1.98).
Conclusions
Yoga/meditation practice was associated with a higher likelihood of non-smoking, regular physical activity, and vegetarian/vegan diet. While health professionals need to keep the potential vulnerability of yoga/meditation practitioners to drug use in mind, the positive associations of yoga/meditation with a variety of positive health behaviors warrant its consideration in preventive medicine and healthcare.