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S Chapman

Publications and source records attributed to S Chapman.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Paid celebrity endorsement in health promotion: a case study from Australia.

In late 1998, Australian cricketer Shane Warne was allegedly paid A$200 000 ( pound78 060, US$123 000) by a pharmaceutical company to publicize his attempt to stop smoking. Warne failed to stop, and his continuing smoking remained newsworthy more than a year later. The arrangement caused considerable media controversy about the ethics of payment for charitable or socially worthy actions. This paper explores the community's reaction to payment for modelling a healthy behaviour, discussing the values that Warne transgressed and whether these mattered, given that the campaign caused an unprecedented rise in the use of nicotine replacement therapy.

Advertising↗
PubMed2001

Trends in antibiotic prescribing and associated indications in primary care from 1993 to 1997.

BACKGROUND: Recent concerns that evidence on the appropriate use of antibiotics is not having an impact on prescribing trends are based on UK prescribing data relating to 1980-1991. The aim of this paper is to determine trends in antibiotic prescribing from 1993 to 1997 and link antibiotic prescriptions to diagnostic categories. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of antibiotic prescriptions linked to diagnostic codes was carried out using the West Midlands General Practice Research Database. RESULTS: The prescribing rate for antibiotics fell from 963 prescriptions/1,000 patients in 1993 to 807 prescriptions/1,000 patients in 1997 (p < 0.001). The proportion of antibiotic prescribing for respiratory conditions fell from 65 per cent in 1993 to 59 per cent in 1997 (p < 0.001). The main decreases in antibiotic prescribing are accounted for by non-specific lower respiratory tract infections (-22 prescriptions/1,000 patients), non-specific upper respiratory tract infections (-21/1,000 patients) and throat infections (-20/1,000 patients). There was increased prescribing for non-respiratory miscellaneous conditions (+6 prescriptions/1,000 patients). CONCLUSIONS: Overall antibiotic prescribing declined by 16 per cent between 1993 and 1997, primarily for respiratory conditions. These results of the current study are in marked contrast to an earlier review, which found an increase of 46 per cent between 1980 and 1991 in England. The level of antibiotic prescribing for conditions which may not be bacterial in origin is still high and there is scope for further reductions in antibiotic prescribing. This study highlights the need for regular epidemiological data to inform the debate on antibiotic prescribing.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2001

John's $12 tonic: press coverage of the government's selling of a private health insurance rebate.

OBJECTIVE: To document representations of the 1998 introduction of a 30% rebate on private health insurance in the three most-read daily Sydney newspapers. METHODS: Thematic frame analysis of 131 newspaper articles. RESULTS: The rebate was opposed through two frames: that it was ineffective and unfair, and that it was politically motivated. Four supportive frames were more complex: the rebate was justified by claims that public health care was collapsing, that responsible citizens should pay for their own health care, and that individuals would benefit financially. There was also a focus on the political battle in the Senate. The newspaper with the readership least likely to benefit from the rebate supported it most strongly. CONCLUSIONS: Framing was strongly episodic (two dimensional, decontextualised and case-study based), limiting political accountability, and the anti-rebate case was presented less memorably. Community action around the issue was not encouraged, individual responsibility was emphasised and universal health care was not promoted as fair or necessary. Different readerships received different messages about the rebate. IMPLICATIONS: There is an urgent need to promote the value of the public health care system and make the future of Medicare compelling for news editors and the public.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2001

Focus group composition: a comparison between natural and constructed groups.

OBJECTIVE: To provide insight into the effects of focus group composition. METHOD: In an early phase of an ongoing study of parental reception to messages about childhood immunisation, we conducted four focus groups; two with participants who had never met before (constructed groups) and two with participants who were part of a pre-established first-time mothers' group (natural groups). RESULTS: Marked differences were noted in the group dynamics, depth of interaction and diversity between groups. Discussions with constructed groups were animated, enthusiastic, expressed more divergent views and articulated greater complexities of the topic. Discussions with natural groups were generally flatter and less enthusiastic, displaying a higher level of apparent conformity to conventional wisdom. The need to protect other participants from potentially disturbing information about vaccination was expressed across groups but acted to censor natural groups, where participants knew more of each others' sensitivities. IMPLICATIONS: Insight into the factors contributing to such differences may enhance understanding of the contexts in which constructed groups are more appropriate. The processes of social censorship may be of primary interest to the researcher. However, where it is paramount to elicit a range of opinions about a potentially controversial topic, we suggest that natural groups in the delicate stage of norming be avoided. The peculiarities of each individual research circumstance are best explored in pilot studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

99mTc-HMPAO leucocyte scintigraphy fails to detect Crohn's disease in the proximal gastrointestinal tract.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of (99m)Tc-HMPAO (hexamethyl propylene amine oxime) leucocyte scintigraphy as a non-invasive screening test for inflammatory bowel disease. PATIENTS: 10 children with suspected Crohn's disease, in whom routine investigation using barium contrast radiology, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy, and mucosal biopsies had identified severe gastroduodenal and/or jejunal involvement. DESIGN: (99m)Tc-HMPAO leucocyte scintigraphic studies performed in each of these cases were assessed by a radiologist who was blinded to the disease distribution. RESULTS: In nine cases there was no scintigraphic evidence of inflammation in the proximal gastrointestinal tract. The 10th child had both gastroduodenal and jejunal involvement, but scintigraphy only revealed faint jejunal positivity. CONCLUSIONS: (99m)Tc-HMPAO leucocyte scintigraphy should not be depended upon as a screening test for Crohn's disease. False negative results are likely in cases with Crohn's disease confined to the proximal gastrointestinal tract.

Barium Sulfate↗
PubMed2001

Tobacco industry efforts at discrediting scientific knowledge of environmental tobacco smoke: a review of internal industry documents.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Using tobacco industry internal documents to investigate the use of tobacco industry consulting scientists to discredit scientific knowledge of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). DESIGN: Basic and advanced searches were performed on the Philip Morris, Tobacco Institute, R J Reynolds, Brown and Williamson, Lorillard, and the Council for Tobacco Research document web sites, with a concentration on the years 1985-1995. Guildford depository files located on the Canadian Council on Tobacco Control website were also searched. The documents were found in searches undertaken between 1 March and 30 June 2000. MAIN RESULTS: The industry built up networks of scientists sympathetic to its position that ETS is an insignificant health risk. Industry lawyers had a large role in determining what science would be pursued. The industry funded independent organisations to produce research that appeared separate from the industry and would boost its credibility. Industry organised symposiums were used to publish non-peer reviewed research. Unfavourable research conducted or proposed by industry scientists was prevented from becoming public. CONCLUSIONS: Industry documents illustrate a deliberate strategy to use scientific consultants to discredit the science on ETS.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2001

Congenital middle fossa arachnoid cysts may cause global brain ischaemia: a study with 99Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime single photon emission computerised tomography scans.

Three children with middle fossa arachnoid cysts, presenting with non-specific symptoms and otherwise well, were investigated before and after surgery with magnetic resonance and 99Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime single photon emission computerised tomography scans, to assess the effect of the cysts on cerebral blood flow. All patients had evidence of a reduction in cerebral blood flow at presentation, even in the hemisphere contralateral to the middle fossa cyst, implied by perfusion defects seen centrally in the deep white matter of both cerebral hemispheres. After successful surgical excision of the cyst, the perfusion defects disappeared. This was associated with general improvement of pre-existing non-specific symptoms. These findings indicate that middle fossa arachnoid cysts may cause global impairment of brain function by interfering with its blood supply. This does not support the generally held view that such cysts are benign in nature when 'asymptomatic'.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Tobacco control advocacy in Australia: reflections on 30 years of progress.

Australia has one of the world's most successful records on tobacco control. The role of public health advocacy in securing public and political support for tobacco control legislation and policy and program support is widely acknowledged and enshrined in World Health Organization policy documents yet is seldom the subject of analysis in the public health policy research literature. Australian public health advocates tend to not work in settings where evaluation and systematic planning are valued. However, their day-to-day strategies reveal considerable method and grounding in framing theory. The nature of media advocacy is explored, with differences between the conceptualization of routine "programmatic" public health interventions and the modus operandi of media advocacy highlighted. Two case studies on securing smoke-free indoor air and banning all tobacco advertising are used to illustrate advocacy strategies that have been used in Australia. Finally, the argument that advocacy should emanate from communities and be driven by them is considered.

Advertising↗
PubMed2001

The news on health care funding: a study of reporting in the Australian print media for 1996.

OBJECTIVES: To review the coverage of health care funding and resourcing issues in the quality printed media in Australia. METHODS: Content analysis of all articles in six major print publications with detailed commentary on four major issues. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred and fifty articles were published over 12 months, most in the front three pages. Coverage of many issues was prompted by an event, such as an election, government budget or policy announcement. Although issues were rarely personalized, the use of an individual authoritative spokesperson was, with some individuals becoming well recognised as experts. In general, these experts represented vested interest or lobby groups. The media discussion rarely dealt with the system as a whole, and generally approached a topic or issue in isolation from its inter-relationships with other issues. CONCLUSION: Health care funding stories are newsworthy but more for their political interest than as reflection of a social debate about values. Media reports rarely deal with the complexity of health policy issues, or challenge the assumptions and positions put forward.

Australia↗
PubMed2001

An interlaboratory study of a candidate reference method for platelet counting.

A multinational interlaboratory task force explored the important variables of platelet reference counting and developed a candidate flow cytometric reference method based on the RBC/platelet ratio. A multicenter comparison was performed to determine whether the method met the necessary criteria and was precise enough to be recommended as a new reference method. Each laboratory analyzed serial dilutions of normal specimens, stabilized material, and at least 60 patient specimens with a range of platelet counts from 1 to 400 x 10(3)/microL (1-400 x 10(9)/L). Pooled analysis of the serial dilutions showed that RBC-platelet and RBC-RBC coincidence events became negligible at sufficiently high dilutions (i.e., > 1:1,000). All laboratories demonstrated excellent intra-assay and acceptable interlaboratory precision. Two antibodies (CD61 and CD41) were used for identifying platelets and individually gave acceptable results, but in a minority of samples, staining differences were observed. The optimum method thus uses a double-labeling procedure with a final dilution factor of 1:1,000. The study demonstrated that this method meets the criteria for a reference platelet count.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed2001

Spinal anatomy and the use of epidurals.

Epidurals can be used to provide analgesia or anaesthesia. Nurses should be aware of the main contraindications to epidurals and of the complications that may arise.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗