Impact of a population-wide mental health promotion campaign on people with a diagnosed mental illness or recent mental health problem.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of the Act-Belong-Commit mental health promotion campaign on people with a diagnosed mental illness or who had sought professional help for a mental health problem in the previous 12 months. METHOD: In 2013 and 2014, 1,200 adults in Western Australia were interviewed by telephone. The questionnaire measured campaign reach, impact on beliefs about mental health and mental illness and behavioural impact. RESULTS: Campaign impact on changing the way respondents thought about mental health was significantly higher among those with a mental illness or who had sought help (41.4% vs 24.2%; p<0.001), as was doing something for their mental health as a result of their exposure to the campaign (20.5% vs 8.7%; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The campaign appears to empower people with a mental illness or who recently sought help to take steps of their own to enhance their mental health.

Public perceptions of cancer risk factors: a Western Australian study.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: People's perceptions of risk may influence health-related behaviours. The aim of this study was to investigate the perception of cancer risk factors among Western Australian adults in order to inform health promotion policies. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys of 2094 adults were undertaken in 2007/2008 in which respondents were asked whether they thought factors increased or decreased the risk of cancer. Factors included both established and unestablished risk factors for cancer. The distribution of perceptions was compared according to age and sex. RESULTS: The study found high levels of endorsement for some unestablished risk factors (74-91%) and comparatively lower levels of endorsement for many established risk factors (33-80%). The established risk factors of smoking and asbestos received high levels of endorsement (94-98%). CONCLUSION: It appears that the alignment between scientifically established risk factors and the Western Australian public's perception of cancer risk factors could be improved. SO WHAT? Health promotion strategies are needed to improve the public's awareness of cancer risk factors. The high levels of endorsement attributed to unestablished risk factors highlight the need to dispel myths surrounding cancer and to reinforce the key factors in cancer prevention. Ongoing assessment of the alignment between community perceptions of cancer risk and the scientific evidence for cancer risk is important for guiding prioritisation within public health organisations.

Magazine alcohol advertising compliance with the Australian Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code.

The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and content of alcoholic beverage advertisements and sales promotions in magazines popular with adolescents and young people in Australia, and assess the extent to which the ads complied with Australia's self-regulatory Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC). Alcohol advertisements and promotions were identified in a sample of 93 magazines popular with young people. The identified items were coded against 28 measures constructed to assess the content of the items against the five sections of the ABAC. Two thirds of the magazines contained at least one alcohol advertisement or promotion with a total of 142 unique items identified: 80 were brand advertisements and 62 were other types of promotional items (i.e. sales promotions, event sponsorships, cross promotions with other marketers and advertorials). It was found that 52% of items appeared to contravene at least one section of the ABAC. The two major apparent breaches related to section B--the items having a strong appeal to adolescents (34%) and to section C--promoting positive social, sexual and psychological expectancies of consumption (28%). It was also found that promotional items appeared to breach the ABAC as often as did advertisements. It is concluded that the self-regulating system appears not to be working for the alcoholic beverages industry in Australia and that increased government surveillance and regulation should be considered, giving particular emphasis to the inclusion of promotional items other than brand advertising.

Neighborhood environmental factors correlated with walking near home: Using SPACES.

PURPOSE: The physical environment plays an important role in influencing participation in physical activity, although the specific factors that are correlated with different patterns of walking remain to be determined. We examined correlations between physical environmental factors and self-reported walking for recreation and transport near home. METHODS: The local neighborhood environments (defined as a 400-m radius from the respondent's home) of 1678 adults were assessed for their suitability for walking. The environmental data were collected during 2000 using the Systematic Pedestrian and Cycling Environmental Scan (SPACES) instrument together with information from other sources. We used logistic regression modeling to examine the relationship between the attributes of the physical environment and the self-reported walking behavior undertaken near home. RESULTS: Functional features were correlated with both walking for recreation (odds ratio (OR) 1.62; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-2.19) and for transport (OR 1.30; 95% CI: 0.97-1.73). A well-maintained walking surface was the main functional factor associated with walking for recreation (OR 2.04; 95% CI: 1.43-2.91) and for transport (OR 2.13; 95% CI: 1.53-2.96). Destination factors, such as shops and public transport, were significantly correlated with walking for transport (OR 1.80; 95% CI: 1.33-2.44), but not recreation. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that neighborhoods with pedestrian facilities that are attractive and comfortable and where there are local destinations (such as shops and public transport) are associated with walking near home.

Chemical enhancers of cytokine signaling that suppress microfilament turnover and tumor cell growth.

The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family of cytokines regulates cell proliferation, morphogenesis, and specialized cell functions in metazoans. Herein, we screened a compound library for modifiers of TGF-beta signaling in NMuMG epithelial cells using a cell-based assay to measure Smad2/3 nuclear translocation. We identified five enhancers of TGF-beta signaling that share a core structure of diethyl 2-(anilinomethylene)malonate (DAM), and D(50) values of 1 to 4 micromol/L. Taking advantage of the Mgat5 mutant phenotype of accelerated receptor loss to endocytosis, we determined that DAM-1976 restored the sensitivity of Mgat5(-/-) carcinoma cells to both TGF-beta and epidermal growth factor (EGF). In Mgat5 mutant and wild-type carcinoma cells, DAM-1976 enhanced and prolonged TGF-beta- and EGF-dependent Smad2/3 and Erk activation, respectively. DAM-1976 reduced ligand-dependent EGF receptor endocytosis, actin microfilament turnover, and cell spreading, suggesting that the compound attenuates vesicular trafficking. Hyperactivation of intracellular signaling has the potential to suppress tumor cell growth and, in this regard, DAM-1976 represents a new pharmacophore that increases basal activation of Smad2/3 and Erk, inhibits microfilament remodeling, and suppresses carcinoma cell growth.

Developing a framework for assessment of the environmental determinants of walking and cycling.

The focus for interventions and research on physical activity has moved away from vigorous activity to moderate-intensity activities, such as walking. In addition, a social ecological approach to physical activity research and practice is recommended. This approach considers the influence of the environment and policies on physical activity. Although there is limited empirical published evidence related to the features of the physical environment that influence physical activity, urban planning and transport agencies have developed policies and strategies that have the potential to influence whether people walk or cycle in their neighbourhood. This paper presents the development of a framework of the potential environmental influences on walking and cycling based on published evidence and policy literature, interviews with experts and a Delphi study. The framework includes four features: functional, safety, aesthetic and destination; as well as the hypothesised factors that contribute to each of these features of the environment. In addition, the Delphi experts determined the perceived relative importance of these factors. Based on these factors, a data collection tool will be developed and the frameworks will be tested through the collection of environmental information on neighbourhoods, where data on the walking and cycling patterns have been collected previously. Identifying the environmental factors that influence walking and cycling will allow the inclusion of a public health perspective as well as those of urban planning and transport in the design of built environments.

Developing a reliable audit instrument to measure the physical environment for physical activity.

BACKGROUND: The physical environment plays an important role in influencing participation in physical activity, although which factors of the physical environment have the greatest effect on patterns of activity remain to be determined. We describe the development of a comprehensive instrument to measure the physical environmental factors that may influence walking and cycling in local neighborhoods and report on its reliability. METHODS: Following consultation with experts from a variety of fields and a literature search, we developed a Systematic Pedestrian and Cycling Environmental Scan (SPACES) instrument and used it to collect data over a total of 1987 kilometers of roads in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. The audit instrument is available from the first author on request. Additional environmental information was collected using desktop methods and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. We assessed inter- and intra-rater reliability of the instrument among the 16 observers who collected the data. RESULTS: The observers reported that the audit instrument was easy to use. Both inter- and intra-rater reliability of the environmental scan instrument were generally high. CONCLUSIONS: Our instrument provides a reliable, practical, and easy-to-use method for collecting detailed "street-level" data on physical environmental factors that are potential influences on walking in local neighborhoods.