The effect of anxiety on all-cause dementia: A longitudinal analysis from the Hunter Community Study.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety is common, however, the effect of chronicity of anxiety on dementia has not been explored. This study aims to assess the longitudinal relationship between chronic versus resolved versus new onset anxiety, and all-cause dementia risk. METHODS: A total of 2132 participants with mean age 76 years from the Hunter Community Study were recruited. Anxiety was measured using Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Dementia was defined as per International Classification of Disease-10 codes. The Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model was computed to assess dementia risk, while adjusting for the competing risk of death. RESULTS: Chronic anxiety and new onset anxiety at follow-up were associated with all-cause dementia risk (HR 2.80, 95% CI 1.35-5.72 and HR 3.20, 95% CI 1.40-7.45 respectively) with an average time to dementia diagnosis of 10 years (SD = 1.7) whereas resolved anxiety was not. In subgroup analyses, these results were driven particularly by chronic and new anxiety among participants below the age of 70 years (HR 4.58, 95% CI 01.12-18.81 and HR 7.21, 95%CI 1.86-28.02 respectively). Sensitivity analyses imputing missing data and addressing reverse causation gave very similar results. CONCLUSION: Chronic and new anxiety were associated with increased risk of all-cause dementia, and this association was significant in those 70 years and younger. However, the resolved anxiety at follow-up reduced the risk, similar to that of the non-exposed group. These results suggest that timely management of anxiety may be a viable strategy in reducing the risk of dementia.

Association of optimism and social support with health-related quality of life among Australian women cancer survivors - A cohort study.

AIM: Large-scale studies investigating health-related quality of life (HRQL) in cancer survivors are limited. This study aims to investigate HRQL and its relation to optimism and social support among Australian women following a cancer diagnosis. METHODS: Data were from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a large cohort study (n = 14,715; born 1946-51), with 1428 incident cancer cases ascertained 1996-2017 via linkage to the Australian Cancer Database. HRQL was measured using the Short Form-36 (median 1.7 years post-cancer-diagnosis). Multivariable linear regression was performed on each HRQL domain, separately for all cancers combined, major cancer sites, and cancer-free peers. RESULTS: Higher optimism and social support were significantly associated with better HRQL across various domains in women with and without a cancer diagnosis (p < 0.05). Mean HRQL scores across all domains for all cancer sites were significantly higher among optimistic versus not optimistic women with cancer (p < 0.05). Adjusting for sociodemographic and other health conditions, lower optimism was associated with reduced scores across all domains, with greater reductions in mental health (adjusted mean difference (AMD) = -11.54, p < 0.01) followed by general health (AMD = -11.08, p < 0.01). Social support was less consistently related to HRQL scores, and following adjustment was only significantly associated with social functioning (AMD = -7.22, p < 0.01) and mental health (AMD = -6.34, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight a strong connection between optimism, social support, and HRQL among cancer survivors. Providing psychosocial support and addressing behavioral and socioeconomic factors and other health conditions associated with optimism and social support may improve HRQL.

Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Falls With and Without Injuries Among Older Adult Women.

Importance: Falls and fall-related injuries are common among older adults. Older adults are recommended to undertake 150 to 300 minutes of physical activity per week for health benefits; however, the association between meeting the recommended level of physical activity and falls is unclear. Objectives: To examine whether associations exist between leisure-time physical activity and noninjurious and injurious falls in older women. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study used a retrospective analysis of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). ALSWH participants born from 1946 to 1951 who completed follow-up questionnaires in 2016 (aged 65-70 years) and 2019 (aged 68-73 years) were included. Statistical analysis was performed from September 2022 to February 2023. Exposure: Self-reported weekly amounts (0, 1 to <150, 150 to <300, ≥300 minutes) and types of leisure-time physical activity, including brisk walking and moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity, in the 2016 survey. Main outcome and measures: Noninjurious and injurious falls in the previous 12 months reported in the 2019 survey. Associations between leisure-time physical activity and falls were quantified using directed acyclic graph-informed multinomial logistic regression and presented in odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Results: This study included 7139 women (mean [SD] age, 67.7 [1.5] years). Participation in leisure-time physical activity at or above the level recommended by the World Health Organization (150 to <300 min/wk) was associated with reduced odds of noninjurious falls (150 to <300 min/wk: OR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.59-0.92]; ≥300 min/wk: OR, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.54-0.80]) and injurious falls (150 to <300 min/wk: OR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.56-0.88]; ≥300 min/wk: OR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.63-0.93]). Compared with women who reported no leisure-time physical activity, those who reported brisk walking (OR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.70-0.97]), moderate leisure-time physical activity (OR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.70-0.93]), or moderate-vigorous leisure-time physical activity (OR, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.70-0.99]) had reduced odds of noninjurious falls. No statistically significant associations were found between the types of leisure-time physical activity and injurious falls. Conclusions and Relevance: Participation in leisure-time physical activity at the recommended level or above was associated with lower odds of both noninjurious and injurious falls. Brisk walking and both moderate and moderate-vigorous leisure-time physical activity were associated with lower odds of noninjurious falls.

Differences in Falls and Physical Activity in Older Women From Two Generations.

BACKGROUND: Falls and physical inactivity increase with age. However, physical activity, falls and their associations in older people born at different times are unclear. METHODS: Women born 1921-26 and 1946-51 who completed follow-up questionnaires in 1999 (n = 8 403, mean (SD) age: 75 (1) years) and 2019 (n = 7 555; 71 (1) years) in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Self-reported noninjurious and injurious falls in the previous 12 months and weekly amounts and types of physical activity (brisk walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity) were compared between the cohorts using Chi-square tests. Associations between physical activity, and noninjurious and injurious falls were estimated using multinomial logistic regressions informed by a directed acyclic graph. RESULTS: A greater proportion of the later (1946-51) cohort (59%) reached 150-300 minutes of weekly physical activity, as recommended by the World Health Organization, compared to the earlier (1921-26) cohort (43%, p < .001). A greater proportion of the later cohort reported noninjurious falls (14% vs 8%). Both cohorts reported similar proportions of injurious falls (1946-51:15%, 1921-26:14%). In both cohorts, participation in 150-300 minutes of physical activity was associated with lower odds of noninjurious falls (adjusted Odds Ratio, 95% CI: 1921-26: 0.66, 0.52-0.84; 1946-51: 0.78, 0.63-0.97) and injurious falls (1921-26: 0.72, 0.60-0.87; 1946-51: 0.78, 0.64-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Participation in recommended levels of physical activity was associated with reduced falls in both cohorts. However, generational differences were found with more falls and more physical activities in the women born later. Future studies could examine the reasons contributing to the generational differences.

Mental health service use and cost by Australian women in metropolitan and rural areas.

INTRODUCTION: The use and costs of mental health services by rural and remote Australian women are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of the Better Access Scheme (BAS) mental health services across geographical areas. DESIGN: Observational epidemiology cohort study using a nationally representative sample of 14 247 women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health born 1973-1978, linked to the Medical Benefits Schedule dataset for use of BAS services from 2006 to 2015. The number and cost of BAS services were compared across metropolitan and regional/remote areas for women using the mental health services. FINDINGS: 31% of women accessed a BAS mental health service, 12% in rural populations. Overall, 90% of women with estimated high service need had contact with professional services (83% rural vs 92% metropolitan regions). Mean mental health scores were lower for women accessing a BAS service in remote areas compared with metropolitan, inner and outer regional areas (61.9 vs 65.7 vs 64.8 vs 64.2, respectively). Higher proportion of women in remote areas who were smokers, low/risky drinkers and underweight were more likely to seek treatment. Compared with metropolitan areas, women in inner, outer regional and remote areas accessed a lower mean number of services in the first year of diagnosis (6.0 vs 5.0 vs 4.1 vs 4.2, respectively). Actual mean overall annual costs of services in the first year of diagnosis were higher for women in metropolitan areas compared with inner, outer regional or remote areas ($733.56 vs $542.17 vs $444.00 vs $459.85, respectively). DISCUSSION: Women in rural/remote areas not accessing services need to be identified, especially among those with the highest levels of distress. In remote areas, women had greater needs when accessing services, although a substantial proportion of women who sought help through the BAS services lived in metropolitan areas. CONCLUSION: Regardless of lower cost to services in rural/remote areas, geographic and economic barriers may still be major obstacles to accessing services.

Data-driven lifestyle patterns and risk of dementia in older Australian women.

INTRODUCTION: Many lifestyle factors have been associated with dementia, but there is limited evidence of how these group together. The aim of this study was to examine the clustering of lifestyle behaviors and associations with dementia. METHODS: This population-based study included 9947 older Australian women. Latent class analysis was employed to identify distinct lifestyle classes, and Cox proportional hazard regression compared these with incident dementia over 17 years. RESULTS: Three classes were identified: (1) "highly social and non-smokers" (54.9%), (2) "highly social, smokers, and drinkers" (25.1%), and (3) "inactive and low socializers" (20.0%). Women in Class 3 exhibited a higher risk of dementia compared to both Class 1 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08 to 1.30) and Class 2 (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.25). DISCUSSION: A lifestyle pattern characterized by physical inactivity and low social engagement may be particularly detrimental for dementia risk in older women and should be prioritized in preventive strategies. HIGHLIGHTS: Latent class analysis was employed to identify distinct lifestyle clusters. Three lifestyle-related clusters were differentially associated with dementia risk. Inactive and low socializers exhibited the greatest risk of dementia. Targeting physical inactivity and low social engagement in prevention is vital.

Australian general practitioners' perspectives on integrating specialist diabetes care with primary care: qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Improving the coordination and integration of health services is recognised nationally and internationally as a key strategy for improving the quality of diabetes care. The Australian Diabetes Alliance Program (DAP) is an integrated care model implemented in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), New South Wales (NSW), in which endocrinologists and diabetes educators collaborate with primary care teams via case-conferencing, practice performance review, and education sessions. The objective of this study was to report on general practitioners' (GPs) perspectives on DAP and whether the program impacts on their skills, knowledge, and approach in delivering care to adult patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Four primary care practices with high rates of monitoring haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (> 90% of patients annually) and five practices with low rates of monitoring HbA1c levels (< 80% of patients annually) from HNELHD, NSW provided the sampling frame. A total of nine GPs were interviewed. The transcripts from the interviews were reviewed and analysed to identify emergent patterns and themes. RESULTS: Overall, GPs were supportive of DAP. They considered that DAP resulted in significant changes in their knowledge, skills, and approach and improved the quality of diabetes care. Taking a more holistic approach to care, including assessing patients with diabetes for co-morbidities and risk factors that may impact on their future health was also noted. DAP was noted to increase the confidence levels of GPs, which enabled active involvement in the provision of diabetes care rather than referring patients for tertiary specialist care. However, some indicated the program could be time consuming and greater flexibility was needed. CONCLUSIONS: GPs reported DAP to benefit their knowledge, skills and approach for managing diabetes. Future research will need to investigate how to improve the intensity and flexibility of the program based on the workload of GPs to ensure long-term acceptability of the program.

Prevalence of unmet health care need in older adults in 83 countries: measuring progressing towards universal health coverage in the context of global population ageing.

Current measures for monitoring progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) do not adequately account for populations that do not have the same level of access to quality care services and/or financial protection to cover health expenses for when care is accessed. This gap in accounting for unmet health care needs may contribute to underutilization of needed services or widening inequalities. Asking people whether or not their needs for health care have been met, as part of a household survey, is a pragmatic way of capturing this information. This analysis examined responses to self-reported questions about unmet need asked as part of 17 health, social and economic surveys conducted between 2001 and 2019, representing 83 low-, middle- and high-income countries. Noting the large variation in questions and response categories, the results point to low levels (less than 2%) of unmet need reported in adults aged 60+ years in countries like Andorra, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Thailand and Viet Nam to rates of over 50% in Georgia, Haiti, Morocco, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. While unique, these estimates are likely underestimates, and do not begin to address issues of poor quality of care as a barrier or contributing to unmet need in those who were able to access care. Monitoring progress towards UHC will need to incorporate estimates of unmet need if we are to reach universality and reduce health inequalities in older populations.

Validation of Frail Scale and comparison with hospital frailty risk score to predict hospital use in a cohort of older Australian women.

INTRODUCTION: With no standard frailty tool for clinical care, research and policymaking, identifying frail older people is a challenge. AIMS: This study aimed to compare two validated scales, which are the Frail Scale and Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) for their ability in identifying frailty in older Australian women and predicting hospital use. METHODS: This study included older Australian women aged 75-95 years, who had unplanned overnight hospital admission as an index admission between 2001 and 2016. Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were linked with administrative hospital data to calculate HFRS (using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Australia Modification (ICD-10-AM) diagnostic codes) and the Frail Scale (using the ALSWH self-reported survey). RESULTS: The Frail Scale identified a higher proportion of older frail women (30.54%) compared to the HFRS (23.0%). Frail older women, classified by Frail Scale, were at higher risk of long hospital stay (adjusted odds ratio = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.02-1.60), repeated admission (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.03-1.41) and death (AHR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.45-2.01). HFRS was associated with longer hospital stay and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of older women classified as frail by the Frail Scale tool was higher than women classified as frail by HFRS. The Frail Scale and HFRS were not significantly associated with each other. While both tools were associated with the risk of long hospital stay and mortality, only the Frail Scale predicted the risk of repeated admission.

Physical activity and injurious falls in older Australian women: adjusted associations and modification by physical function limitation and frailty in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate associations between leisure-time physical activity (LPA) and injurious falls in older women and explore modification of associations by physical function and frailty. METHODS: Women born during 1946-51 from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, injurious falls (self-reported fall with injury and/or medical attention) and self-reported weekly LPA (duration and type). We undertook cross-sectional and prospective analyses using data from 2016 [n = 8,171, mean (SD) age 68 (1)] and 2019 surveys (n = 7,057). Associations were quantified using directed acyclic graph-informed logistic regression and effect modification examined using product terms. RESULTS: Participation in LPA as recommended by World Health Organization (150-300 min/week) was associated with lower odds of injurious falls in cross-sectional (adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.90) and prospective analyses (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60-0.94). Compared with those who reported no LPA, cross-sectionally, odds of injurious falls were lower in those who reported brisk walking (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.67-0.89) and vigorous LPA (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75-1.00). No significant association was found between different types of LPA and injurious falls prospectively. Only cross-sectionally, physical function limitation and frailty modified the association between LPA and injurious falls, with tendencies for more injurious falls with more activity in those with physical limitation or frailty, and fewer injurious falls with more activity among those without physical function limitation or frailty. CONCLUSION: Participation in recommended levels of LPA was associated with lower odds of injurious falls. Caution is required when promoting general physical activity among people with physical limitation or frailty.

Do health assessments affect time to permanent residential aged care admission for older women with and without dementia?

AIM: To investigate the effect of health assessments on permanent residential aged care admission for older Australian women with and without dementia. METHODS: A total of 1427 older Australian women who had a health assessment between March 2002 and December 2013 were matched with 1427 women who did not have a health assessment in the same period. Linked administrative datasets were used to identify health assessment use, admission to permanent residential aged care, and dementia status. Outcome was time to residential aged care admission from the matched date of health assessment. RESULTS: Women who had health assessments were less likely to be admitted to residential aged care in the short term (100 days), irrespective of dementia status (subdistribution hazard ratio [SDHR] = 0.35, 95% CI = [0.21, 0.59] for women with dementia; SDHR = 0.39, 95% CI = [0.25, 0.61] for women without dementia). However, there were no significant differences at 500- and 1000-days follow-up. At 2000-days follow-up, women who had a health assessment were more likely to be admitted to residential aged care, regardless of dementia status (SDHR = 1.41, 95% CI = [1.12, 1.79] for women with dementia; SDHR = 1.55, 95% CI = [1.32, 1.82] for women without dementia). CONCLUSIONS: Benefits from health assessments may depend on the recency of the assessment, with women less likely to be admitted to residential aged care in the short term after a health assessment. Our results add to a growing body of literature suggesting that health assessments may provide benefits to older people, including those with dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 595-602.

Physical activity and functional disability among older adults in Ghana: The moderating role of multi-morbidity.

Knowledge about how physical activity levels relate to functional disability is essential for health promotion and planning older adults' care or rehabilitation. The risk of living with one or more chronic health conditions increases with increasing age in lower and higher income countries-many of which are associated with physical inactivity. We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the moderating role of multimorbidity on physical activity and its measures on functional disability among older adults in Ghana. Data from WHO's Study on global AGEing and adult health Ghana Wave 2 with a sample of 4,446 people aged 50+ years was used for this study. Functional disability was assessed using the 12-item WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Three categories of physical activity levels were used: vigorous intensity, moderate intensity, and walking. Past month diagnosis by a doctor was used to assess the presence of a chronic condition, and the presence of two or more conditions was used to define multi-morbidity. Logistic regressions with a post hoc interactional tests were used to examine the associations. Overall, physical activity had a significant association with functional disability (OR = 0.25, 95%CI; 0.12, 0.32). A similar relationship was found for vigorous-intensity (OR = 0.19, 95%CI: 0.12, 0.29), moderate-intensity (OR = 0.19, 95%CI: 0.15, 0.25) and walking (OR = 0.41, 95%CI: 0.33, 0.51). Older adults living with one condition and physically active were 47% less likely to experience functional disability compared with the less active counterparts living with at least two chronic conditions. Among the three measures of physical activity, multimorbidity moderated the relationship between walking and functional disability. Future strategies for meeting the health and long-term care needs of older adults, particularly those living with only one chronic condition in Ghana should consider encouraging walking. Policies, financial assistance, family, and community level interventions aimed to promote and sustain physical activity among older adults should be a priority for stakeholders in Ghana.

The future burden of oesophageal and stomach cancers attributable to modifiable behaviours in Australia: a pooled cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We quantified the individual and joint contribution of contemporaneous causal behavioural exposures on the future burden of oesophageal and stomach cancers and their subtypes and assessed whether these burdens differ between population groups in Australia, as such estimates are currently lacking. METHODS: We combined hazard ratios from seven pooled Australian cohorts (N = 367,058) linked to national cancer and death registries with exposure prevalence from the 2017-2018 National Health Survey to estimate Population Attributable Fractions (PAFs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), accounting for competing risk of death. RESULTS: Current and past smoking explain 35.2% (95% CI = 11.7-52.4%), current alcohol consumption exceeding three drinks/day 15.7% (95% CI = 0.9-28.4%), and these exposures jointly 41.4% (95% CI = 19.8-57.3%) of oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas in Australia. Current and past smoking contribute 38.2% (95% CI = 9.4-57.9%), obesity 27.0% (95% CI = 0.6-46.4%), and these exposures jointly 54.4% (95% CI = 25.3-72.1%) of oesophageal adenocarcinomas. Overweight and obesity explain 36.1% (95% CI = 9.1-55.1%), current and past smoking 24.2% (95% CI = 4.2-40.0%), and these exposures jointly 51.2% (95% CI = 26.3-67.8%) of stomach cardia cancers. Several population groups had a significantly higher smoking-attributable oesophageal cancer burden, including men and those consuming excessive alcohol. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is the leading preventable behavioural cause of oesophageal cancers and overweight/obesity of stomach cancers.

A longitudinal analysis of factors associated with age-related cataract among older Australian women: a cohort study of 7851 older Australian women 79-90 years.

BACKGROUND: Age-related cataracts are a significant global health issue due to population ageing. More than 70% of older Australians aged 80 or above have clinically significant age-related cataracts. AIM: The study aimed to identify factors associated with age-related cataracts among older Australian women 79-90 years. METHOD: A 6-year longitudinal analysis of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) was conducted on 7117 women from surveys four to six. The women were asked whether they had been diagnosed or treated for cataracts 3 years before each survey. We used generalised estimating equation (GEE) modelling to identify factors independently associated with age-related cataracts. RESULTS: At baseline (79-84 years), 44.8% lived in metropolitan Australia, 67.9% had good general health, 26.5% had private health insurance, 30.6% had cataracts, 28.8% had undergone cataract surgery, 12.0% had diabetes, 24.9% had skin cancer, 56.2% had hypertension, 24.0% had a history of falls, 63.0% had visited general practitioner (GP) frequently, and 48.8% were driving themselves as their main means of transport. In the final model, poor general health [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.33)], not driving (AOR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.18), having private health insurance (AOR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.23), frequent GP visits (AOR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.25), skin cancer (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.16, 1.37), hypertension (AOR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.21), and fall (AOR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.22) were significantly associated with the age-related cataracts. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic diseases, poor quality of life, driving cessation, and health service use were significantly associated with age-related cataracts in older women.

The 45 and Up Study: an investment in healthy ageing.

Objectives and importance of the study: To identify the value and contribution of the 45 and Up Study toward understanding and advancing healthy ageing. STUDY TYPE: Narrative review Methods: A review of the purpose, process, and output of the 45 and Up Study in relation to the World Health Organization's Healthy Ageing Framework. RESULTS: The Sax Institute's 45 and Up Study (the Study) is Australia's largest longitudinal study of healthy ageing, with participants aged from 45 years to over 100 years followed over time through surveys and linked health and aged care data. The study is a powerful resource for understanding healthy ageing for the Australian population, identifying the factors that enable people to age well, widening inequities as people age, and prospects for healthy ageing for current and subsequent generations. To date, the participants have been followed for more than 15 years, providing information on the foundations of health in mid and later-life, factors affecting work, impacts of retirement, and the importance of housing, care, and aged services in improving the lives of people as they age. Moreover, since the Study cohort covers a wide age range, it is possible to divide the cohort into sequences, allowing comparisons of people in their 80s now (for example) with people who were aged in their 80s five, 10 or 15 years ago. Adding genetic and other biological and clinical data for some participants will further enhance the value of the project as a comprehensive study of healthy ageing. CONCLUSIONS: The Study provides a clear view of factors affecting healthy ageing within population, healthcare, environmental and policy contexts. Over time, the Study will increase in value with the capacity to inform health services, policy, and aged care and to contribute to an ongoing cycle of evaluation and reform to continue to meet the needs of successive generations of people in the later stages of their lives.

Changes in the food and drink consumption patterns of Australian women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: This paper uses data from the seventh fortnightly Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey sent to women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health to investigate the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the food and drink consumption of women born in 1946-51, 1973-78 and 1989-95. METHODS: A survey about changes in fruit, vegetable, discretionary food, takeaway and sugary drink consumption during the pandemic was emailed on 22 July 2020 to 28,709 women in three cohorts of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Thematic qualitative analysis was conducted on comments about changes in consumption, and basic quantitative analysis was included for context. RESULTS: There were significant associations between age and all categories of food and drink consumption. Women wrote of lifestyle changes and choices during lockdowns, comfort and emotional eating, and access to food and drink changing their consumption behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic and interventions had both positive and negative impacts on the food and drink consumption behaviours of Australian women. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: These findings can be used to directly influence practice around healthy food and drink consumption, highlighting enablers, including being at home, and barriers, including mental health, that should be considered.

The Impact of Education and Lifestyle Factors on Disability-Free Life Expectancy From Mid-Life to Older Age: A Multi-Cohort Study.

Objectives: Low education and unhealthy lifestyle factors such as obesity, smoking, and no exercise are modifiable risk factors for disability and premature mortality. We aimed to estimate the individual and joint impact of these factors on disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) and total life expectancy (TLE). Methods: Data (n = 22,304) were from two birth cohorts (1921-26 and 1946-51) of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health and linked National Death Index between 1996 and 2016. Discrete-time multi-state Markov models were used to assess the impact on DFLE and TLE. Results: Compared to the most favourable combination of education and lifestyle factors, the least favourable combination (low education, obesity, current/past smoker, and no exercise) was associated with a loss of 5.0 years TLE, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 3.2-6.8 and 6.4 years DFLE (95%CI: 4.8-7.8) at age 70 in the 1921-26 cohort. Corresponding losses in the 1946-51 cohort almost doubled (TLE: 11.0 years and DFLE: 13.0 years). Conclusion: Individual or co-ocurrance of lifestyle risk factors were associated with a significant loss of DFLE, with a greater loss in low-educated women and those in the 1946-51 cohort.

Early access to a cardio-oncology clinic in an Australian context: a qualitative exploration of patient experiences.

BACKGROUND: Dedicated cardio-oncology services are emerging rapidly around the world in order to provide cardiovascular care (CV) for cancer patients. The perspectives of patients regarding their experience of cardiac surveillance during their cancer journey has not been qualitatively evaluated. METHODS: An interpretative qualitative study. Fifteen, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a diverse range of community dwelling patients who attended a newly established cardio-oncology clinic in a large regional city in Australia. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. RESULTS: Key themes were identified: (1) Access to a cardio-oncology clinic promotes information and understanding, (2) The experience of early CV intervention, (3) Factors promoting integrated care, (4) Balancing cancer treatment and CV symptoms and (5) Managing past and emerging CV risk factors. CONCLUSION: As cardio oncology clinics continue to emerge, this study confirms the benefit of early access to a cardiologist for management of existing or emerging CV risk factors and diseases in the context of cancer treatment. Participants valued the opportunity for regular monitoring and management of CV issues that enabled them to continue cancer treatment. However, we identified gaps in education and support towards making positive lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of CV diseases in cancer patients.

The Impact of Public Health Restrictions in Residential Aged Care on Residents, Families, and Staff During COVID-19: Getting the Balance Right.

Outbreaks of COVID-19 in a small number of aged care facilities in Australia had devastating mortality ratios. Strict infection control measures were implemented with little time to adapt. This study explored the views and experiences of residents, families, and care providers about the preparation for COVID-19 and identified areas for improvement. Twenty-one individual interviews were conducted. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, we found rapid changes to visiting and activities, with physical and emotional impact. Some participants coped using personal resources. Family and residents valued the empathy and quality care provided, despite the overburdened workforce. Good leadership supported implementation of public health advice, but the severity of measures should be proportionate to local risk. Better pandemic planning that includes clear responsibilities, training, and evaluation is important. Consultation with residents, family, and health workers throughout a pandemic will help identify those most at risk of social isolation and physical decline and develop strategies to minimize their impact. The rights and welfare of residents must be respected at all times.