Browsing by Author "Kent, Lillian"
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Item A Community-based Lifestyle Education Program Addressing Non-communicable Diseases in Low-literacy Areas of the South Pacific: A Pilot Control Cohort Study(2020-08-05) Rankin, Paul; Vasutoga, Kesaia; Morton, Darren; Reierson, Pia; Kent, LillianLifestyle interventions can effectively reduce chronic disease risk factors. This study examined the effectiveness of an established lifestyle intervention contextualized for low-literacy communities in Fiji. Ninety-six adults from four villages, with waist circumference (WC) indicative of risk of chronic disease, were randomly selected to an intervention or control group. Process evaluation indicated one intervention and one control village fulfilled the study protocol. There were no differences between intervention and control for body mass index BMI (P = 0.696), WC (P = 0.662), total cholesterol (TC) (P = 0.386), and TC:high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (P = 0.485). The intervention village achieved greater reductions than the control village at 30 and 90 days for systolic blood pressure (30 days: −11.1% vs. −2.5%, P = 0.006; 90 days: −14.5% vs. −6.7%, P = 0.019); pulse rate (30 days: −7.0% vs. −1.1%, P = 0.866; 90 days: −7.1% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.027), and HDL (30 days: −13.9% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.206; 90 days: −18.9% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.001); at 90 days only for diastolic blood pressure (−14.4% vs. −0.2%, P = 0.010); at 30 days only for low-density lipoprotein (−11.6% vs. 8.0%, P = 0.009); and fasting plasma glucose (−10.2% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.032). However, for triglycerides, the control achieved greater reductions than the intervention village at 30 days (35.4% vs. −12.3%, P = 0.008; marginal at 90 days 16.4% vs. −23.5%, P = 0.054). This study provides preliminary evidence of the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the intervention to lower several risk factors for chronic disease over 30 days in rural settings in Fiji and supports consideration of larger studies.
Item A Community-Based Lifestyle Intervention Targeting Type II Diabetes Risk Factors in an Australian Aboriginal Population: A Feasibility Study(2016-08-08) Mitchell, Brett G.; Kent, Lillian; Morton, Darren; Rankin, PaulObjectives: To examine the responsiveness of an Aboriginal cohort to a community-based lifestyle intervention targeting risk factors for type II diabetes.
Methods: A Pre-test/post-test cohort study conducted in two rural Australian locations: Port Augusta, South Australia and Drouin, Victoria. The cohort consisted of 25 individuals of Aboriginal descent (mean age = 44.4 ± 12.3 yrs, age range = 25-70 yrs, 7 males/18 females). The intervention used was the Complete Health Improvement Program, involving 11 group sessions conducted over a one-month period, which promoted a low-fat plant-based diet and physical activity. The main outcomes measured were changes in body weight, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipid profile and blood pressure (BP).
Results: Over the 4 week intervention mean body weight decreased by 3.1 kg (95% CI 2.26 to 4.06), a 3.5% reduction from baseline (p 5.5 mmol/L at baseline showed a 23.6% reduction in mean FPG (7.82 mmol/L to 5.97 mmol/L, p=0.005) and a 4.12% reduction in body weight (98.85 kg to 94.78 kg, p
Conclusion: This feasibility study showed that a lifestyle intervention promoting a low-fat eating pattern combined with physical activity reduced risk factors associated with type II diabetes in a rural Aboriginal cohort when conducted in their usual living environment.
Implications: There is potential for committee-based lifestyle interventions to improve the health risk profile of Aboriginal participants.
Item A Multimodal Intervention for Improving the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being of College Students(2020-03-01) Przybylko, Geraldine; Renfrew, Melanie; Beamish, Peter; Kent, Lillian; Herman, Wendi; Craig, Bevan; Hinze, Jason; Morton, DarrenThis study examined the effectiveness of a 10-week multimodal intervention for improving the mental health and emotional well-being of college students when included as a mandatory component of the students’ course of study. A total of 67 students (20.9 ± 5.4 years, 30 male/37 female) participated in the intervention that introduced a variety of evidence-based strategies for improving mental health and emotional well-being from the Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology literature. Significant reductions were recorded in symptoms of depression (−28%, P < .05), anxiety (−31%, P < .05), and stress (−28%, P < .01), whereas significant improvements were observed in mental health (18%, P < .01), vitality (14%, P < .01) and overall life satisfaction (8%, P < .05). Effect sizes were larger than those reported by studies that have examined the individual effectiveness of the strategies incorporated into the intervention, suggesting a compounding effect. Stratified analyses indicated that participants with the lowest measures of mental health and emotional well-being at baseline experienced the greatest benefits. The findings of the study suggest that meaningful improvements in the mental health and emotional well-being of college students can be achieved, and potentially magnified, by utilizing a multidisciplinary approach involving evidence-based strategies from Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology.
Item A Positive Association Between Cryptosporidiosis Notifications and Ambient Temperature, Victoria, Australia, 2001-2009(2015-12-01) Higgins, Nasra; McPherson, Michelle; Kent, LillianIncreased temperatures provide optimal conditions for pathogen survival, virulence and replication as well as increased opportunities for human-pathogen interaction. This paper examined the relationship between notifications of cryptosporidiosis and temperature in metropolitan and rural areas of Victoria, Australia between 2001-2009. A negative binomial regression model was used to analyse monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall and the monthly count of cryptosporidiosis notifications. In the metropolitan area, a 1°C increase in monthly average minimum temperature of the current month was associated with a 22% increase in cryptosporidiosis notifications (IRR 1.22; 95% CI 1.13 – 1.31). In the rural area, a 1°C increase in monthly average minimum temperature, lagged by 3 months, was associated with a 9% decrease in cryptosporidiosis notifications (IRR 0.91; 95% CI 0.86 – 0.97). Rainfall was not associated with notifications in either area. These relationships should be considered when planning public health response to ecological risks as well as when developing policies involving climate change. Rising ambient temperature may be an early warning signal for intensifying prevention efforts, including appropriate education for pool users about cryptosporidiosis infection and management, which might become more important as temperatures are projected to increase as a result of climate change.
Item Breakfast Size is Related to Body Mass Index for Men, but not Women(2010-04-01) Worsley, Anthony; Kent, LillianThe objective of this study was to examine the effect of self-reported breakfast size, daily eating, and other health habits on body mass index (BMI). We hypothesized that a consumption of a substantial breakfast compared with skipping or small breakfasts would be associated with lower BMI. Three independent, cross-sectional, screening surveys were conducted by Sydney Adventist Hospital in 1976, 1986, and 2005 in the surrounding community. The archived survey forms of 384 men and 338 women in 1976, 244 men and 229 women in 1986, and 270 men and 62 women in 2005 were randomly selected. Body mass index was determined from height and weight measured by hospital staff. The reported amount consumed at breakfast was one of several eating habits that predicted BMI for men but not women. It explained 5% to 6% of the variance in male BMI in all 3 years examined. As the reported breakfast amount increased, men's BMI decreased. Lifestyle confounders including vegetarianism and physical activity did not affect this relationship. However, the consumption of breakfast was significantly positively associated with consumption of cereals, bread, fruit, and spreads, while coffee consumption was significantly associated with smaller breakfasts or breakfast skipping. The consumption of relatively large breakfasts may influence BMI in men, and its promotion may help reduce the prevalence of obesity in Australia and elsewhere.
Item Does the Prescriptive Lifestyle of Seventh-day Adventists Provide Immunity from the Secular Effects of Changes in BMI?(2009-04-01) Worsley, Anthony; Kent, LillianObjective: To examine the effect of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) membership on ‘immunity’ to the secular effects of changes in BMI.
Design: Three independent, cross-sectional, screening surveys conducted by Sydney Adventist Hospital in 1976, 1986 and 1988 and a survey conducted among residents of Melbourne in 2006.
Subjects: Two hundred and fifty-two SDA and 464 non-SDA in 1976; 166 SDA and 291 non-SDA in 1986; 120 SDA and 300-non SDA in 1988; and 251 SDA and 294 non-SDA in 2006.
Measurements: Height and weight measured by hospital staff in 1976, 1986 and 1988; self-reported by respondents in 2006.
Results: The mean BMI of non-SDA men increased between 1986 and 2006 (P
Conclusion: The ‘prudent’ dietary and lifestyle prescriptions of SDA men appear to have ‘immunised’ them to the secular effects of changes that occurred among non-SDA men’s BMI. The dietary and lifestyle trends of SDA women did not reflect the increase in their BMI observed in 2006.
Item Don't Forget the Brain: Lifestyle Medicine in the Century of Neurodegeneration(2017-07-01) Kent, Lillian; Morton, Darren; Thompson, BruceNeurology is often not discussed in lifestyle medicine circles, but it might be an area that will propel the cause of lifestyle medicine in the future. This is especially relevant in increasingly common neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, which have no known disease modifying therapy but lifestyle factors are implicated in causation.
Item Factors Predicting Alcohol Consumption in Adolescents Attending a Faith-Based School System in Australia: A Multigroup Structural Equation Analysis(2019-08-21) Price, Kevin; Rankin, Paul; Butler, Terry; Gane, Barry; Beamish, Peter; Kent, Lillian; Morey, Peter; Morton, Darren; Craig, BevanStructural equation modeling was used to explore the direct and indirect association of childhood experiences, attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions on the alcohol consumption of adolescents attending faith-based Seventh-day Adventist schools in Australia. Data were collected on 1,266 adolescents and the structural model developed explained 48% of the variance for alcohol consumption. Intentions had the highest degree of association with Alcohol Consumption Status (ACS) (b.0.52). Attitudes were more strongly associated to ACS (btotal . 0.36) than subjective norms (btotal . 0.17). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were associated with every variable in the model and had a combined direct and indirect association with ACS of btotal . 0.14.
Multigroup analysis found significant pathway differences in the model for gender and age with regards to the association of intentions, attitudes, ACEs, and Childhood Family Dynamics with alcohol consumption status. The study fills a gap in the alcohol literature by presenting a model describing the complex network of factors that predict alcohol consumption in a low-ACS population. The outcomes of the study highlight the importance of early intervention for children and their families to delay or minimize alcohol consumption in adolescents.
Item Factors Predicting the Mental Health of Adolescents Attending a Faith-based Australian School System: A Multi-group Structural Equation Analysis(2020-07-03) Price, Kevin; Rankin, Paul; Butler, Terry; Bogacs, Paul; Gane, Barry; Beamish, Peter; Kent, Lillian; Morey, Peter; Morton, Darren; Craig, BevanBackground: Adolescents attending Seventh-day Adventist schools (Adventist) in Australia tend to experience good health and exhibit better health behaviors than national norms, however few studies have investigated factors predicting their mental health.
Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the complex network of factors that predict the mental health status (MHS) of adolescents attending Adventist schools in Australia.
Methods: A survey instrument was used to collect data from 1527 secondary school students attending Adventist schools across Australia. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine concomitantly the direct and indirect effects of childhood experiences, present attitudes and selected health behaviors on MHS.
Results: Childhood family dynamics had the strongest association with MHS (βtotal = 0.33) followed by a sense of meaning and purpose (βtotal = 0.27), perceived social misfit status (βtotal = –0.19), and school academic performance (βtotal = 0.18). Multi-group analysis found significant pathway differences in the model for gender with regards to the association of meaning and purpose, physical activity and sleep quantity with MHS.
Conclusions: The outcomes of the study highlight the importance of early positive childhood family dynamics and the discovery of meaning and purpose during adolescence to promote positive mental health among adolescents.
Item Gender Differences in Effectiveness of the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP)(2015-01-01) Diehl, Hans A.; Gobble, John; Rankin, Paul; Morton, Darren; Kent, LillianObjective: To determine the differential effect of gender on outcomes of the Complete Health Improvement Program, a chronic disease lifestyle intervention program.
Design: Thirty-day cohort study.
Setting: One hundred thirty-six venues around North America, 2006 to 2009.
Participants: A total of 5,046 participants (33.5% men, aged 57.9 ± 13.0 years; 66.5% women, aged 57.0 ± 12.9 years).
Intervention: Diet, exercise, and stress management.
Main Outcome Measures: Body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, lipids, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG).
Analysis: The researchers used t test and McNemar chi-square test of proportions, at P < .05.
Results: Reductions were significantly greater for women for high-density lipoprotein (9.1% vs 7.6%) but greater for men for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (16.3% vs 11.5%), total cholesterol (TC) (13.2% vs 10.1%), triglycerides (11.4% vs 5.6%), FPG (8.2% vs 5.3%), body mass index (3.5% vs 3%), diastolic blood pressure (5.5% vs 5.1%), and TC/high-density lipoprotein (6.3% vs 1.4%) but not different for systolic blood pressure (6% vs 5%). The greatest reductions were in participants with the highest baseline TC, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and FPG classifications.
Conclusions and Implications: The Complete Health Improvement Program effectively reduced chronic disease risk factors among both genders, but particularly men, with the largest reductions occurring in individuals at greatest risk. Physiological or behavioral factor explanations, including differences in adiposity and hormones, dietary intake, commitment and social support, are explored. Researchers should consider addressing gender differences in food preferences and eliciting commitment and differential support modes in the development of lifestyle interventions such as the Complete Health Improvement Program.
Item Gender Differences in Effectiveness of the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) Lifestyle Intervention: An Australasian Study(2014-12-05) Diehl, Hans; Chang, Esther; Mitchell, Brett G.; Rankin, Paul; Morton, Darren; Kent, LillianIssue addressed: Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) is a lifestyle modification program that promotes healthy diet, physical activity and stress management techniques. Among US CHIP participants, differences in gender responsiveness to improvements in chronic disease risk factors were demonstrated. This study examined gender differences in outcomes to the CHIP intervention in Australasia.
Methods: Changes in body weight, blood pressure (BP), blood lipid profile and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were assessed in 925 participants (34.3% men, mean age = 56.0 ± 12.5 years; 65.7% women, mean age = 54.4 ± 13.5 years) 30 days after program commencement.
Results: Significant reductions (P < 0.001) in all biometrics measured were found for men and women but were greater among men for total (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides (TG), FPG, body mass index (BMI) and TC/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) ratio. Participants with highest baseline classifications of BMI, systolic BP, blood lipids and FPG showed greatest reductions in 30 days.
Conclusions: CHIP more effectively reduced chronic disease risk factors among men than women. All participants, but particularly men, entering the program with the greatest risk achieved the largest reductions. Possible physiological or behavioural factors include food preferences, making commitments and differential support modes.
So what?: Developers of lifestyle intervention programs should consider gender differences in physiological and behavioural factors when planning interventions. In particular, developers should manage expectations of people entering lifestyle interventions to increase awareness that men tend to respond better than women. In addition, this is a call for further research to identify the underlying mechanisms responsible for the disproportionate responsiveness of males.
Item HDL Subfraction Changes with a Low-fat, Plant-based Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP)(2018-09-01) Ward, Ewan; Rankin, Paul; Morton, Darren; Watts, Greg; Grant, Ross; Kent, LillianBackground and Objectives: Low HDL concentrations are considered an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Interventions promoting a low-fat, plant-based eating pattern appear to reduce CVD risk while paradoxically also reducing HDL concentrations. Recent studies show HDL to comprise a range of subfractions, but the role these play in ameliorating the risk of CVD is unclear. The purpose of this study was to characterise changes in HDL subfractions in participants where HDL decreased following the CHIP intervention which promotes a low-fat, plant-based diet, with physical activity. Methods and Study Design: Individuals (n=22; mean age=55.4±16.3 years; 45.5% men, 54.5% women) participating in a CHIP intervention were assessed at baseline and 30 days for changes in BMI, blood pressure, lipid profile, (including large-, intermediate- and small-HDL subfractions) and fasting glucose. Results: HDL significantly decreased (10.6%, pConclusions: This paper discusses specific changes in HDL subfractions when overall-HDL decreases as a response to low fat, whole-food, plant-based eating and exercise. Additional research is required to elucidate the reasons through which behavioural therapies remodel the HDL particle and how this impacts the functional properties of HDL and CVD risk.
Item Lifestyle as Medicine - Past Precepts for Present Problems(2016-04-01) Hurlow, Trevor; Egger, Garry; Kent, Lillian; Mitchell, Brett G.; Morton, DarrenLifestyle principles have been advocated for the promotion of health and prevention of disease since antiquity. More than 2000 years ago, Hippocrates asserted, ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’.
Predating Hippocrates, Levitical health laws mandated lifestyle practices such as hand washing after touching dead bodies or diseased animals, and avoiding pathogenic substances such as blood and mould. The consumption of animal fat was also forbidden, which is intriguing given that chronic disease was not the major health threat at the time.
Notwithstanding the developments in pharmacological and surgical technologies that have profoundly enhanced healthcare, the authors propose that the historical practice of ‘lifestyle as medicine’ will become increasingly re-emphasised in future healthcare for mitigating and/or managing contemporary concerns relating to chronic and infectious diseases.
Item 'Live More': Study Protocol for a Community-Based Lifestyle Education Program Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases in Low-Literacy Areas of the South Pacific(2015-12-09) Morton, Darren; Reierson, Pia; Kent, LillianBackground Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have reached epidemic proportions in Pacific Island countries. Unhealthy lifestyle is one of the major risk factors and lifestyle interventions have been shown to be efficacious for primary, secondary and early tertiary prevention. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding effective community-based lifestyle interventions in the Pacific Islands. The Complete Health Improvement Program for high-income countries was contextualised for rural communities with relatively low-literacy rates in low-income countries using the REFLECT delivery approach. This study will assess the effect of this ‘Live More’ program to reduce participant’s NCD risk factors and improve lifestyle behaviours associated with health and wellbeing, in low-literacy communities in countries of the South Pacific.
Methods/Design This study is a 6-month cluster-randomised controlled trial of 288 adults (equal proportions of men and women aged 18 years and over) with waist circumference of ≥92cm for men and ≥80cm for women in four rural villages in each of Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Participants will permanently reside in their village and be able to prepare their own meals. Two villages will be randomised to the ‘Live More’ intervention (n=24) or to control receiving only country specific Ministry of Health literature (n=24). Intervention participants will meet three times a week in the first month, then once a week for the next two months and once a month for the last three months. Themes covered include: NCDs and their causes; and the benefits of positive lifestyle choices, positive psychology, stress management, forgiveness and self-worth, and how these influence long-term health habits. Outcome assessments at baseline, 30-days, 3-months and 6-months include body mass index, waist circumference, blood lipids, blood pressure and blood glucose. Secondary outcomes include changes in medication and substance use, diet, physical activity, emotional health and supportive relationships, collected by lifestyle questionnaire at the same time points.
Discussion This is the first lifestyle intervention using the Reflect approach to target NCDs. The findings from the study will be used to guide broader delivery of a lifestyle intervention to improve health and wellbeing across the South Pacific.
Item Long-Term Effectiveness of the Community-Based Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) Lifestyle Intervention: A Cohort Study(2013-11-20) Diehl, Hans A.; Hanna, Althea; Rankin, Paul; Hurlow, Trevor; Morton, Darren; Kent, LillianObjective: To examine the long-term (three or more years) effectiveness of the volunteer-delivered CHIP intervention.
Design: Cohort study
Setting: Hawera, New Zealand
Participants: Of the total cohort of 284 individuals who self-selected to complete the CHIP lifestyle intervention between 2007 and 2009, 106 (37% of the original cohort, mean age = 64.9±7.4 years, range 42-87 years; 35% males, 65% female) returned in 2012 for a complimentary follow-up health assessment (mean follow-up duration = 49.2+10.4 months).
Intervention: 30-day lifestyle modification program (diet, physical activity, substance use and stress management) delivered by volunteers in a community setting.
Main outcome measures: Changes in body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides (TG).
Results: After approximately 4 years, participants with elevated biometrics at program entry maintained significantly lowered BMI (-3.2%; 34.8±5.4 versus 33.7±5.3 kg/m2, p=0.02), DBP (-9.4%; 89.1±4.1 versus 80.8±12.6 mmHg, p=0.005), TC (-5.5%; 6.1±0.7 versus 5.8±1.0 mmol/L, p=0.04) and TG (-27.5%; 2.4±0.8 versus 1.7±0.7 mmol/L, p=0.002). SBP, HDL, LDL and FPG were not significantly different from baseline. Participants with elevated baseline biometrics who reported being compliant to the lifestyle principles promoted in the intervention (N=71, 67% of follow-up participants) recorded further reductions in BMI (-4.2%; 34.8±4.5 versus 33.4±4.8 kg/m2, p=0.02), DBP (-13.3%; 88.3±3.2 versus 77.1±12.1 mmHg, p=0.005) and FPG (-10.4%; 7.0±1.5 versus 6.3±1.3 mmol/L, p=0.02).
Conclusions: Individuals who returned for follow-up assessment and entered the CHIP lifestyle intervention with elevated risk factors were able to maintain improvements in most biometrics for more than three years. The results suggest that the community-based CHIP lifestyle intervention can be effective in the longer-term, even when delivered by volunteers.
Item Optimizing the Intensity of Lifestyle Medicine Interventions: Similar Outcomes for Half the Sessions(2017-05-01) Diehl, Hans A.; Gobble, John; Parker, Karina; Mitchell, Brett G.; Rankin, Paul; Kent, Lillian; Morton, DarrenLifestyle medicine interventions are typically intensive by design. This study explored the optimal “dosage” of a well-known lifestyle medicine intervention—the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP). A total of 2383 individuals (mean age = 61.0 ± 9.2 years; 34% males) participated in either an 8-session (N = 448) or 16-session (N = 1935) version of the CHIP intervention conducted over 4 weeks in community settings throughout North America. Both the 8- and 16-session groups experienced significant improvements in all the chronic disease risk factors measured. There was no difference between the changes experienced by the 8- and 16-session groups in lipid profile, fasting plasma glucose, or systolic blood pressure. The 8-session group experienced a significantly greater reduction in body mass (0.3 percentage points or 0.8 lbs, P < .01), but the 16-session group recorded a significantly greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure (2.8 percentage points or 2.2 mm Hg, P < .01). There was no clear difference between the outcomes achieved in 4 weeks by the 8- and 16-session versions of the CHIP lifestyle medicine intervention. This study suggests that the short-term outcomes achieved by a 16-session CHIP intervention can be achieved in half the number of sessions, which has implications from a resourcing and cost-effectiveness perspective.
Item Protocol for a Study Investigating the Influence of Graded Levels of Human Support on Adherence and Outcomes of an Online, Multimodal Lifestyle Intervention to Improve Mental Health(2018-09-01) Craig, Bevan; Przybylko, Geraldine; Hinze, Jason; Beamish, Peter; Kent, Lillian; Morton, Darren; Renfrew, MelanieIntroduction: Mental health is in global jeopardy and devising effective preventative and curative solutions are vital. Lifestyle interventions have been shown to be efficacious for improving mental health; however, in a progressively digital culture, face-to-face (F2F) interventions are being replaced by online and mobile options.1 While online delivery can overcome ‘hurdles’ of inaccessibility and may also be more ‘scalable’, it poses unique challenges, as decreasing levels of human support can affect adherence to lifestyle interventions and associated outcomes.2,3,4 Research is needed to better understand the importance of human support in online interventions and the type and dosage of human support required to optimise adherence and outcomes.5
Aim: To determine the influence of graded levels of human support on the adherence to and outcomes of an online, multimodal lifestyle intervention targeting mental health.
Methods: The online intervention will be administered to a total of 360 participants who will be randomised into three equal groups: standard (S) which includes automated emails and helpdesk support; standard plus personalised SMS support (S+pSMS); and, standard plus a weekly online group discussion via videoconferencing (S+OGD). Measures of mental health, including the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), the ‘mental health’ and ‘vitality’ sub-scales from the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the ‘Flourishing’ scale, will be taken at baseline, ten weeks and twenty weeks. Outcome measures will be compared across each ‘arm’ and stratified analysis will be utilised to explore the influence of demographic variables. Adherence will be explored through mixed methods.
Outcomes: The proposed study will provide a better understanding of the influence of human support on the adherence to, and outcomes of, online lifestyle interventions, which will inform best practice for the design of online interventions
Item Religious Affiliation Influences on the Health Status and Behaviours of Students Attending Seventh-Day Adventist Schools in Australia(2018-06-01) Price, Kevin; Rankin, Paul; Butler, Terry; Gane, Barry; Kent, Lillian; Morton, Darren; Craig, BevanStudents attending Seventh-day Adventist (Adventist) schools in Australia have been shown to have better health status and behaviours compared to secular norms, yet these schools cater for a high percentage of non-Adventist students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of religious affiliation (Adventist/non-Adventist) on the health status and behaviours of students attending Adventist secondary schools in Australia. The sample included 1734 students who responded to a health and lifestyle survey that captured demographic details, self-reported height and weight, self-reported health status, mental health and select health behaviours. Students who identified themselves as Adventist reported significantly better health behaviours than the non-Adventist students in several behavioural domains, especially among the male students. However, this did not translate to a difference in health status. Further research is needed to understand the causal mechanisms responsible for the potential health advantage of Adventist students, which may include family or church religious influences.
Item Salmonellosis Outbreak Linked to the Consumption of Fried Ice-Cream(2011-12-01) Patel, M; Gregory, J; Kent, LillianOn 8 April 2011, the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Unit (CDPCU) of the Victorian Department of Health was advised that three adolescents from the same family had been admitted to a metropolitan hospital for treatment of dehydration secondary to diarrhoea. Other symptoms included fever and vomiting. Initial enquires suggested that the adolescents may have become infected after eating fried eggs for breakfast at their aunt’s home over three consecutive days, or dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Six days later two more notifications of salmonellosis were received by CDPCU; both cases had eaten at the same Chinese restaurant. Also on this day, the Department was notified that Salmonella spp. was isolated from two of the original adolescent’s faecal specimens.
An investigation was initiated to characterise the outbreak, identify the source and possible cause of the infection and to prevent ongoing transmission of the infection.
Item The Adventist "Health Message" Unpacked(2017-03-01) Kent, LillianSince its organization as a denomination in the mid-19th century, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church has been advocating the counsel of the church’s primary health reformer, Ellen White, which emphasizes the role of lifestyle in promoting health, happiness and enhanced spirituality1. In 1905, Ellen White consolidated her counsel into this graphic statement: “Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, use of water, trust in divine power – these are the true remedies”2. Consequently, it is not surprising that research on the health of SDA since the 1950’s has shown that they appear to enjoy low rates of chronic diseases and lower total mortality, despite living in areas where chronic diseases are prevalent3. Science is only now validating the significance of this 19th century counsel and its importance for physical and mental health as chronic disease rates escalate in the 21st century. Let’s examine the importance of each of these elements in light of current scientific knowledge.