Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2012
Effectiveness of Australia's Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service®: translational research with population wide impact.
With increasing rates of non-communicable disease, there is a need for implementing population-wide, evidence-based interventions for improving behavioural risk factors. Telephone-based interventions provide one option. This study reports on the evaluation of the Australia's Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service®, to improve lifestyle behaviours, amongst a population-wide sample who completed the 6-month coaching programme. ⋯ These results support the effectiveness of replicating an evidence-based intervention in improving population risk factors for chronic disease.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2012
State background checks for gun purchase and firearm deaths: an exploratory study.
This study examines the relationship between the types of background-information check required by states prior to firearm purchases, and firearm homicide and suicide deaths. ⋯ More extensive background checks prior to gun purchase are mostly associated with reductions in firearm homicide and suicide deaths. Several study limitations are acknowledged, and further research is called for to ascertain causality.
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Preventive medicine · Oct 2012
Comparative StudyDifferences in folic acid use, prenatal care, smoking, and drinking in early pregnancy by occupation.
To describe differences in four high risk periconceptional behaviors (lack of folic acid supplementation, lack of early prenatal care, smoking, and drinking) by maternal occupation. ⋯ We identified several occupational groups with an increased prevalence of high-risk maternal behaviors during pregnancy. Our findings could aid in developing interventions targeted towards women in these occupational groups.