Incomplete pregnancy and risk of ovarian cancer: results from two Australian case-control studies and systematic review.

Although full-term pregnancies reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, it has not been conclusively established whether incomplete pregnancies also influence risk. We investigated the relationship between a history of incomplete pregnancy and incident epithelial ovarian cancer among over 4,500 women who participated in two large Australian population-based case-control studies in 1990-1993 and 2002-2005. They provided responses to detailed questions about their reproductive histories and other personal factors. Summary odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) derived for each study using the same covariates were aggregated. We found no significant associations between the number of incomplete pregnancies and ovarian cancer, for parous (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.08) or nulliparous (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.48) women, nor for the number of spontaneous or induced abortions and ovarian cancer for parous women (OR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.82, 1.09; OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.36) or nulliparous women (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 0.6, 2.4; OR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.47, 1.38), respectively. A systematic review of 37 previous studies of the topic confirmed our findings that a history of incomplete pregnancy does not influence a woman's risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Rear seat safer: seating position, restraint use and injuries in children in traffic crashes in Victoria, Australia.

Car crashes are a major cause of death and serious injury to children but most analyses of risk are based on US data. The Australian context is different in at least three ways: (1) the proportion of passenger-side airbags, a potential risk to children in front seats, is much lower; (2) unlike in the US, Australian airbags are designed to work with restrained passengers; (3) restraint use for children 0-12 years is high (>90%). Official data drawn from Victorian crash records (n=30,631) were used to calculate relative risks of death or serious injury for children (0-3 years, 4-7 years; 8-12 years) traveling in passenger cars during 1993-1998 and 1999-2004. Over 90% were reportedly wearing a restraint, and 20% were traveling in the front seat. For children under 4 years traveling in the front seat, the relative risk of death was twice as great as when traveling in the rear, and that of serious injury was 60% greater. The relative risk of death whilst traveling in the front seat was almost four times greater for children aged under 1 year. We suggest that serious consideration should be given to mandating rear seating for children, particularly those aged 4 and under.

Self-reported motivations to change and self-efficacy levels for a group of recidivist drink drivers.

The present study reports on a group of 132 recidivist offenders' stages of change and self-efficacy levels for changing and controlling both their drinking and drink driving behaviours. The majority of the sample reported being motivated to change their drink driving, but not their drinking behaviours. The sample also indicated high self-efficacy levels for the two behaviours, although a notable finding was that participants reported higher levels of control over their drinking rather than drink driving behaviours. Examination of the self-reported frequency of drink driving revealed that both motivations and self-efficacy levels were predictors of past offences and future intentions to drink and drive. The findings have direct implications for the management of repeat offenders, such as the inclusion of rehabilitation and alcohol treatment programs in sentencing outcomes for individuals who appear resistant to change.

Longitudinal study of melanocytic nevi in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Although melanocytic nevi are the strongest known risk factors for melanoma, their etiology is not well understood. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to assess the roles of constitutional pigmentary factors and sun exposure in the development of new nevi in adolescents. METHODS: A cohort of 111 school children, aged 12 and 13 years at baseline, were followed up for 5 years. Whole-body counts of nevi of all sizes and detailed sun exposure histories were updated each year. Analyses of full-body nevus counts and of nevus counts on the face and neck region and on the shoulder and back region were undertaken by means of log-linear regression, allowing for repeated measures. RESULTS: Mean whole-body nevus counts were 130.1 (SD = 69.9) in 1990 and 215.5 (SD = 127.1) in 1994. Shoulder and back counts were consistently higher than face and neck counts. Subjects with heavy shoulder freckling had increased nevus counts on all sites investigated, with a means ratio for whole-body counts of 1.11 (95% CI, 1.03-1.19), compared with those with no freckling. Those who spent all of their school lunch times in the midday sun had a means ratio of 1.62 (95% CI, 1.15-2.29) compared with those who spent very little time in the sun during the lunch period. Summer holiday sun exposure was not significantly associated with development of nevi in this adolescent cohort. CONCLUSION: The degree of freckling, especially on the shoulders, and habitual midday sun exposure, rather than holiday sun exposure, are significant determinants of melanocytic nevi in Queensland adolescents.