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Biomedical subjects

N Owen

Publications and source records attributed to N Owen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Who comes to a workplace health risk assessment?

Workplace health promotion initiatives have proliferated, but there are difficulties in recruiting employees of lower socioeconomic status and at higher risk of disease. A survey of health behaviors and attitudes was administered in 20 worksites and the opportunity to attend a health risk assessment promoted. Those more likely to attend were women, those of higher occupational prestige, and those from a non-English-speaking background. After adjustment for these variables, the only health behavior associated with attendance was smoking status. Perceived risk of lung cancer was significant, even after adjustment for smoking status. Stage of readiness to change health behaviors was associated with attendance, with those in the preparation stage being more likely to attend than those in the precontemplation stage. However, this association was statistically significant only for fruit and vegetable consumption. There was no relation between attendance and support for health promotion, perceived general health, or other perceived risk of disease. These findings suggest that additional risk communication strategies and environmental support are required to involve those with less prestigious occupations.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence and presentation of dizziness in a general practice community sample of working age people.

BACKGROUND: Dizziness is known to be a common, handicapping condition in the elderly, and a strong association between dizziness and anxiety disorders has been observed in hospital samples. However, little is known about the prevalence of dizziness among people of working age in the community and its implications for psychosocial functioning and general practice consultation and treatment. AIM: To determine the prevalence of dizziness, giddiness, vertigo, and unsteadiness, and associations with disability and handicap, symptoms of panic and agoraphobia, and general practice consultation and treatment. METHOD: Postal questionnaires were completed by 2064 people aged 18-64 years randomly sampled from the patient lists of four London practices. Validated survey items were used to assess symptoms, panic and agoraphobia, levels of occupational disability and handicap, and general practice consultation and treatment. RESULTS: More than one in five responders (n = 480) had experienced dizziness during the past month; nearly half of these (n = 225) reported some degree of handicap and 30% had been dizzy for more than five years. Almost half (n = 221) of those with dizziness also reported anxiety and/or avoidance behaviour. Multiple physical and psychological symptoms were associated with higher levels of handicap. Only one in four of the 225 dizzy responders reporting some degree of handicap had received any form of treatment. CONCLUSION: Dizziness is a common, chronic, and often untreated symptom in people aged 18-65 years, associated with extensive handicap and psychological morbidity.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

HIV infection among male prisoners in South Australia, 1989 to 1994.

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in male prisoners in South Australia from July 1989 to June 1994 was ascertained from a repeated cross-sectional study. We also compared the criminological and demographic characteristics and histories of drug use of 39 HIV-infected prisoners and a randomly selected sample of 86 uninfected prisoners admitted at the same time. The numbers of HIV-infected prisoners in prison in any month ranged from 4 to 12. Prevalence among the total prison population ranged from 0.4 per cent to 1.4 per cent, and among the subpopulation of injecting drug users from 1.25 per cent to 4.36 per cent. Many HIV-infected prisoners continued after their diagnosis to have lifestyles that resulted in imprisonment. Infected prisoners were significantly older, had spent longer in prison and were more likely to be users of heroin (OR = 13.1) and methadone (OR = 25.4) than controls. Infection with HIV among South Australian prisoners has been continuous since at least the mid-1980s. The recidivism among many of the infected prisoners contributes to the variation in prevalence but also raises concerns about their management. Greater effort to minimise the recidivism of the HIV-infected prisoners could reduce the prevalence of HIV in the prison population.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Relating physical activity to health status, social connections and community facilities.

An important public health goal is to increase the population's participation in regular, moderate physical activity. Descriptive epidemiological studies that focus only on associations between physical activity and demographic and psychological factors are not sufficient to inform exercise promotion strategies, and a broader view of health is required. This study investigates the additional factors of health status, social connections and satisfaction with local area facilities by analysing data from a 1987 community health survey of 1765 residents of Adelaide. Factors associated with low activity were age group, education, general health (women), reduced mobility, number of social connections (men) and degree of satisfaction with recreation facilities. Including social and structural factors is valuable for research into interventions, policy and theory relating to physical activity as it brings theoretical perspectives and links to other areas of public health and social research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Delayed compensatory cigarette consumption after a workplace smoking ban.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of workplace smoking bans on cigarette consumption among continuing smokers over a two-year period. DESIGN: Two cross-sectional surveys and a longitudinal sample of smokers questioned about their smoking behaviour six months and two years after implementation of a workplace smoking ban. SUBJECTS: Workers in 46 government offices in Australia. The cross-sectional survey six months after the ban included 3388 workers, whereas the survey two years after the ban included 3982 workers. The longitudinal cohort study included 107 workers who were identified as current smokers in both surveys. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Smokers were asked to report usual daily cigarette consumption on both workdays and leisure days one month before implementation of the ban, and six months, and two years afterwards. RESULTS: From six months to two years after the ban, the cross-sectional data showed an increase in cigarette consumption of 1.3 cigarettes per day. The longitudinal sample of smokers reported an increase in workday cigarette consumption of 1.7 cigarettes per day. A previous study of workers in the same worksites found a reduction in consumption of 5.2 cigarettes per day from before the ban to six months after. Over a two-year period we estimate that the net effect of the workplace smoking ban was to reduce cigarette consumption by about 3.5 cigarettes per day. CONCLUSIONS: Reductions in cigarette consumption among smokers frequently seen after implementation of a worksite smoking ban may diminish over time. This effect is more likely to occur when the initial response to a smoking ban is a large reduction in cigarette consumption.

Australia↗
PubMed1997

Composite cardiovascular risk outcomes of a work-site intervention trial.

OBJECTIVES: Two composite outcome measures were used to assess the efficacy of work-site risk factor interventions: the Framingham multiple logistic function and a standardized composite equation that was an unweighted combination of risk factors. METHODS: Twenty-eight work sites in Sydney, Australia, were randomly assigned to health risk assessment, risk factor education, behavioral counseling, or behavioral counseling plus incentives. RESULTS: Over 12 months, scores on the multiple logistic function increased for the behavioral counseling plus incentives condition relative to the other conditions. Standardized scores decreased for behavioral counseling relative to the incentive condition and the average of all other conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral counseling produces larger changes in the life-style behaviors contributing to coronary heart disease risk than other commonly used interventions.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1997

Leaving work to smoke.

Work-place smoking bans have not only reduced work-day cigarette consumption but also been associated with going outside to smoke during working hours. We examined the extent of "exiled smoking", estimated how much work-day cigarette consumption can be attributed to it, and examined proximal predictors of both these two variables. Some 794 smokers from 42 medium-sized work-places were surveyed as the baseline for an intervention study. A self-completed questionnaire assessed smoking behaviour on work and non-working days, leaving work to smoke, and beliefs and opinions about smoking and smoking bans. Multiple regressions were used to examine predictors of leaving work to smoke, and of the amount smoked when doing so. Smokers reported consuming an average of 5.4 cigarettes during work breaks, 3.5 of which were associated with deliberately seeking opportunities to smoke; 39% reported leaving work to smoke one or more times per day during non-break periods. Indices of addiction were significant predictors of both leaving work to smoke and of cigarette consumption while doing so. Leaving work to smoke is in part an activity of addicted smokers, presumably to maintain blood nicotine levels. There is the potential to further reduce rates of cigarette consumption associated with work-place smoking bans if this "exiled smoking" can be reduced. This may be easier to achieve in light smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Relationship between a 14-day recall measure of leisure-time physical activity and a submaximal test of physical work capacity in a population sample of Australian adults.

This paper reports on the validity of a 14-day recall measure of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in a sample of Australian adults (N = 986). Submaximal cycle ergometry was used to assess physical work capacity per kilogram of body mass (pwc75/kg). The self-report energy expenditure estimates were used to categorize respondents as vigorously active, moderately active, and low active/sedentary. Multiple regression analyses showed that pwc75/kg increased significantly across energy expenditure categories for adults aged less than 40 years; that the vigorous and moderate activity categories had greater mean pwc75/kg values than the low/sedentary category for 40 to 59-year-olds; and, that there were no differences in pwc75/kg between activity categories for those aged 60 years or older.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

A member of the MAP kinase phosphatase gene family in mouse containing a complex trinucleotide repeat in the coding region.

We have identified a novel mouse gene encoding a protein that shows high homology to the dual-specificity tyrosine/threonine phosphatase family of proteins. The gene encodes a 5 kb transcript which is expressed predominantly in brain and lung and contains a translated complex trinucleotide repeat within the coding region. Using interspecific mouse backcross analysis, the gene has been localised to distal mouse chromosome 7. In human, homologous sequences are located in the syntenic region on distal chromosome 11p as well as to chromosome 10q11.2 and 10q22. The presence of a CG-rich trinucleotide repeat in the coding region provides a target for mutation which might result in loss of function or altered properties of this phosphatase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Retest reliability of recall measures of leisure-time physical activity in Australian adults.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that short-term recall measures of physical activity participation have acceptable repeatability, but in most cases employed convenience samples and did not use optimal statistics. In this Australian study repeatability was assessed on participants recall of activity over two different time periods and over the same time period. METHODS: Two 14-day recall measures of physical activity participation were administered in two studies to randomly selected population samples of adults in Adelaide, South Australia. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), 80% and 95% limits of agreement and the kappa statistic were calculated. RESULTS: For a continuous measure of energy expenditure the ICC was 0.86 using recall of the same 2-week period (N = 115), and was 0.58 for activity recalled over different 2-week period (N = 116). For categorized energy expenditure (inactive, low, Moderate and Vigorous categories), kappa was 0.76 for recall of the same period and was 0.36 for different recall periods. Similar results were observed for continuous and categorical forms of a measure of physical activity that recorded frequency of participation in vigorous and moderate activities and walking. The 80% limits of agreement were markedly smaller than 95% limits of agreement, but were still large. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the variation in repeatability coefficients between recall of the same 2-week time period and activity recalled over different 2-week periods was due to actual variation in physical activity participation over different time periods, and not to poor recall or to poor measurement characteristics. The recall measures appear to have good repeatability for most respondents, but repeatability is poor for a substantial minority of the population.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Smoking behaviours and beliefs of older Australians.

Reviews of the effects of smoking on health have concluded that older smokers can experience considerable health benefits from giving up smoking. In a representative population survey of people aged 15 years and over in South Australia, the percentage of people aged 60 years and over who were smokers was 13.5 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval 10.9 to 16.2 per cent). Compared with smokers aged under 60 years (n = 727), older smokers (n = 88) were significantly more likely: to be less convinced of the effects of smoking on health; to perceive that they were not personally at risk from their smoking in the future; to believe that smoking had not affected their own health so far; and to believe there was a daily level of cigarette consumption that was safe. Strategies to encourage older people to consider more objectively how smoking impairs daily living, including personal disclosure of smoking-related damage through lung-function testing, deserve further research.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Educational and environmental interventions for cardiovascular health promotion in socially disadvantaged primary schools.

School-based cardiovascular risk-reduction programs have the potential to influence lifelong habits intrinsic to good health. Following earlier Australian Body owner's Manual (BOM) intervention trials, we examined the effects of two interventions on physiological indicators of risk of cardiovascular disease and on health knowledge: the BOM; and the BOM plus healthy life style programs for teachers and school-canteen interventions (BOM+) over two school years in socially disadvantaged primary schools. Each school was allocated to either a control condition or to one of two intervention conditions. In contrast to the findings of the earlier South Australian trials, there were no statistically-significant changes in aerobic fitness, body fatness or HDL cholesterol; there were significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and triglyceride concentration for those in the BOM+ schools. There were significant increases in health and nutrition knowledge for the BOM+ schools, and in health knowledge for the BOM schools.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1996

Gene deletions in spinal muscular atrophy.

Two candidate genes (NAIP and SMN) have recently been reported for childhood onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Although affected subjects show deletions of these genes, these deletions can lead to either a very mild or a severe phenotype. We have analysed a large number of clinically well defined patients, carriers, and normal controls to assess the frequency and extent of deletions encompassing both of these genes. A genotype analysis indicates that more extensive deletions are seen in the severe form of SMA than in the milder forms. In addition, 1 center dot 9% of phenotypically normal carriers are deleted for the NAIP gene; no carriers were deleted for the SMN gene. Our data suggest that deletions in both of these genes, using the currently available assays, are associated with both a severe and very mild phenotype.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5↗
PubMed1996

Trends in prevalence and acceptance of workplace smoking bans among indoor workers in South Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the reported prevalence and acceptance of bans on smoking in the workplaces of a representative sample of adults in South Australia between 1989 and 1994. DESIGN: Independent cross-sectional representative population surveys. SETTING: South Australian population. PARTICIPANTS: Adults who indicated they were employed mainly indoors, for the years 1989 (875 respondents), 1991 (1472), 1992 (1288) and 1994 (1273). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage reporting total bans on smoking at work; percentage reporting compliance with bans all or nearly all the time; percentage reporting preference for total bans at work. RESULTS: The percentage of indoor workers subject to a total ban on smoking at work increased from 32% in 1989 to 62% in 1994 and preference for a total ban increased during the same period from 26% to 52%. Reported compliance with restrictions and bans was very high. In 1994, 16% of workers still had no restrictions on smoking at work, but only 3% preferred this arrangement. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that smoking bans are now the norm for indoor workers and that further gains in promoting and supporting workplace bans will be made by directing efforts at smaller workplaces, where unrestricted smoking is most prevalent.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Need to smoke in the context of workplace smoking bans.

BACKGROUND: Workplace smoking bans are now widespread in a number of countries and are generally well accepted by smokers. Little is known about smokers who do not cope well with smoking bans. METHOD: A survey of 669 smokers was conducted 2 years after the introduction of a workplace smoking ban. Variables associated with four different levels of need to smoke were examined. RESULTS: Nine percent reported experiencing a strong need to smoke at work, 26% a mild need, 45% occasional need, and 19% reported no need. Stronger need was related to (P < 0.01): an index of addiction (higher daily smoking rates and fewer minutes to first cigarette of the day), violating smoking bans, going outside to smoke more, reducing consumption less since the bans, being less approving of the ban, and seeing it as inconvenient, seeing smoking as having less disadvantages (cons) and more advantages (pros), being less ready to quit, lower in confidence of quitting, and having less intention to quit. All of the above effects persisted after controlling for addiction, and the index of addiction only had independent relationships with going outside to smoke, reducing consumption less since the bans, higher pros of smoking and lower self-efficacy (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: There is a small subgroup of smokers who have not adapted well to workplace smoking bans, as well as the much larger subset who report less difficulty. While nicotine addiction plays a role in perceived need to smoke, a number of potentially changeable cognitive characteristics were independently related to need. Workplace smoking policies and programs could take such characteristics into account in addressing the problems these smokers face.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Low-rate smokers.

BACKGROUND: Some smokers maintain a low daily smoking rate and do not appear to be addicted to nicotine (tobacco "chippers"). In a context of increasing social and environmental constraints on cigarette smoking, it is of interest to determine the population prevalence and the characteristics of low-rate smoking behavior. METHODS: A representative population survey was used to determine the prevalence and the correlates of low-rate smoking (five or less cigarettes a day). A range of sociodemographic, contextual, cognitive, and smoking-behavior variables was examined. RESULTS: Of 697 smokers age 20 years and over who had smoked for more than 2 years, 8.2% smoked five or less cigarettes a day; their average age was 39 years, and half were under 35 years of age; 88% had been smoking for 6 or more years; 86% were in the contemplation or preparation stages of readiness to quit. The significant independent predictors of being a low-rate smoker, compared to smoking at a higher daily rate, were perceiving quitting as not very difficult, smoking the first cigarette of the day more than 30 min after walking, buying packets of 30 or less cigarettes, and having not been advised by a doctor to quit. CONCLUSIONS: There were few differences between low-rate and other smokers on the range of variables that we were able to assess in a population survey. Since there is no safe level of cigarette smoking, medical advice to quit and public-education campaigns could target low-rate smokers specifically. Such initiatives could make significant contributions to reducing overall smoking prevalence.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Preventive care in general practice in Australia: a public health perspective.

There is considerable potential in Australia for implementing effective preventive care strategies in the general practice setting, especially in the context of Australia's new health goals and targets towards the year 2000. There is a clear need for the clinical paradigm, which focuses on developing efficacious, intensive, practitioner-delivered lifestyle change interventions, to be integrated within a broader public health approach. However, while there has been considerable growth in the breath and variety of health promotion research and activity being carried out in general practice in Australia, the evidence supportive of the efficacy and effectiveness of physician-based interventions (except in the case of smoking cessation) has been less than compelling, and a number of problems still remain. These include: health promotion still remains a minor component of the great majority of consultations; there are many potential interventions which are possible, but little evidence that they will be used appropriately; there is little evidence that patients who are most in need are receiving appropriate services; there is generally a poor linkage between research and practice; and there are real doubts about the ability of the system to sustain preventive care in general practice.

Australia↗