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Issue

Vol 124 No 1338: 08 July 2011

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Issue Summary

SUMMARY

Comorbidity among patients with colon cancer in New Zealand

Diana Sarfati, Lavinia Tan, Tony Blakely, Neil Pearce

This study aimed to investigate how common comorbidity was in a cohort of patients with bowel cancer in NZ; to identify factors associated with high levels of comorbidity in this group and to assess the extent to which comorbidity affects outcomes from bowel cancer. We used data from the NZ Cancer Registry to identify those with cancer and from hospitalisations to identify comorbid conditions. We found that nearly a third of bowel cancer patients had a least one comorbid condition. Comorbidity increased with increasing age as expected, and was more common among Maori and Pacific people, and those living in more deprived areas of NZ. We also found that comorbidity had a strongly negative effect on survival, and increased length of hospital stay.

SUMMARY

An investigation into the health benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for people living with a range of chronic physical illnesses in New Zealand

Jillian Simpson, Tim Mapel

Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction is a programme developed in the US by neurobiologist Jon-Kabat Zinn, originally to help people with difficult to manage health problems. It is taught as 8 weekly classes and a full day retreat in which people to learn more about stress and how best to manage this. It involves various exercises to develop mindfulness (living in the moment without judgement) including a lying down relaxation/meditation, meditation sitting in a chair and simple stretching exercises. This research, one of the first studies in New Zealand, aimed to find out how effective this approach is for New Zealanders. The study demonstrated that MBSR helps people not only cope with their chronic health problems but also improves their wellbeing.

SUMMARY

What do specialists and GPs think about the introduction of colorectal cancer screening? A qualitative study

Gillian M Abel, Lee Thompson

GPs and specialists, whilst supportive of screening, are not convinced that there is the capacity in New Zealand to introduce a colorectal screening programme. A shortage of colonoscopists in New Zealand means that there is already a long waiting-list for people accessing colonoscopies in the public service. GPs are often in the position of advocating screening to patients and they are unconvinced about the value of the test which is likely to be used for screening (faecal occult blood test) feeling that there will be a number of false positives These will then require colonoscopic follow-up which will mean unnecessary anxiety will be engendered amongst their patients.

SUMMARY

Prevalence of victims of torture in the health screening of quota refugees in New Zealand during 2007–2008 and implications for follow-up care

G E Poole, Grant Galpin

New Zealand annually accepts approximately 750 quota refugees from overseas for resettlement in New Zealand. The humanitarian nature of the quota composition consists of those who are determined by the United Nations refugee agency to be in high need of immediate protection, a large proportion of medical and disability cases, and women and children at risk. Quota refugees arrive in six intakes each year and participate in assessment and orientation for the first 6 weeks at the national Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre. This paper describes the findings of screening for refugees with a history of torture during 2007-2008. There were 144 arriving refugees or 19.2% of the total found to have histories of torture during this period. The implications for future research, and follow-up care of people who have survived torture are discussed.

SUMMARY

Comparison of two modes of delivery of an exercise prescription scheme

Louise Foley, Ralph Maddison, Zanta Jones, Paul Brown, Anne Davys

Green Prescription (GRx) is a referral from a health professional for a patient to become more physically active. In Auckland, GRx is delivered either on the telephone or face-to-face. A comparison of the two modes of delivery (telephone vs. face-to-face) was conducted. This evaluation involved staff interviews, patient interviews and analysis of GRx records for the 2007 calendar year. Results indicated that the modes of delivery were similar in terms of costs as well as outcomes. However, the face-to-face mode of delivery was more popular with Maori and Pacific peoples. Providing a choice of GRx mode of delivery allows participants to choose based on their personal and cultural needs.

SUMMARY

A cross-sectional study of opinions related to the tobacco industry and their association with smoking status amongst 14–15 year old teenagers in New Zealand

Judith McCool, Janine Paynter, Robert Scragg

We surveyed 31,459 Year 10 students attitudes towards the tobacco industry in New Zealand to determine if there was an association with smoking behaviour or susceptibility to smoking. We found that students who expressed tolerant attitudes towards the tobacco industry had a higher risk of being smoker or starting to smoke. Given the results of this survey there is clearly a need to reach teenagers at risk of taking up smoking and continuing to smoke with an effective counter-industry campaign.

SUMMARY

Voices of students in competition: Health Science First Year at the University of Otago, Dunedin

Madgerie Jameson, Jeffrey Smith

This article examines the experiences of students enrolled in Health Sciences First Year. Past and present students were interviewed to determine the similarities and differences in their experience. Students perceived the programme as stressful and demanding. The competitive nature of the programme limited students involvement in other university activities. Students learned the benefits of work/life balance.

SUMMARY

The use of the ‘rollie’ in New Zealand: preference for loose tobacco among an ethnically diverse low socioeconomic urban population

Vili Nosa, Marewa Glover, Sandar Min, Robert Scragg, Chris Bullen, Judith McCool, Anette Kira

Smoking parents of students from four South Auckland Intermediate Schools were asked if they smoke roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes and why. Nearly half smoked only factory-made cigarettes. 38% smoked only RYO cigarettes. The most common reasons for smoking RYOs instead of factory-mades was the perceived lower cost of RYOs and that RYOs lasted longer (42%). Increasing the tax on RYOs to make sure they cost the same as factory-made cigarettes should lessen the potential use of RYOs as an alternative to quitting.

ALL ARTICLES
SUMMARY

Once-daily amoxicillin for Group A Streptococcal (GAS) sore throat as the other first-line option: a clarification of the NZ sore throat guidelines

Diana Lennon, Melissa Kerdemelidis, Bruce Arroll, Norman Sharpe

The treatment of functional diseases of the stomach: part 1

Teaching of musculoskeletal medicine in New Zealand

Russell Tregonning, Chris Bossley

Comorbidity among patients with colon cancer in New Zealand

Diana Sarfati, Lavinia Tan, Tony Blakely, Neil Pearce

Off-label treatment—and response

Mike McAlevey, Paul Glue, Chris Gale

Antipyretic therapy for influenza infection—benefit or harm?

Sally Eyers, Sarah Jefferies, Philippa Shirtcliffe, Kyle Perrin, Richard Beasley

An investigation into the health benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for people living with a range of chronic physical illnesses in New Zealand

Jillian Simpson, Tim Mapel

Keep the focus on contaminated poultry to further curtail New Zealand’s campylobacteriosis epidemic

Michael G Baker, Ann Sears, Nick Wilson, Nigel French, Jonathan Marshall, Petra Muellner, Donald Campbell, Peter van der Logt, Rob Lake

What do specialists and GPs think about the introduction of colorectal cancer screening? A qualitative study

Gillian M Abel, Lee Thompson

Prevalence of victims of torture in the health screening of quota refugees in New Zealand during 2007–2008 and implications for follow-up care

G E Poole, Grant Galpin

Medical image. A rare case of brachial artery fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD)

David R Lewis, Timothy Buckenham, YiQian (Estella) Yeo

Herpes rugbiorum: a review on scrum pox and rugby player guidelines

Yassar A S Alamri

Comparison of two modes of delivery of an exercise prescription scheme

Louise Foley, Ralph Maddison, Zanta Jones, Paul Brown, Anne Davys

University of Otago Faculty of Medicine Freemasons Postgraduate Fellowships in Paediatrics and Child Health for 2012

A cross-sectional study of opinions related to the tobacco industry and their association with smoking status amongst 14–15 year old teenagers in New Zealand

Judith McCool, Janine Paynter, Robert Scragg

Smokefree prisons in New Zealand: maximising the health gain

Jeny Gautam, Marewa Glover, Ainara Scott, David Welch

Left main stem stenosis in the unstable patient—forewarned is forearmed

Michael Liang, Damian J Kelly, Gerard Devlin

Constriction “Band-Aid” syndrome causing digital ischaemia

Jonathan Heather, Marcus Bisson

Voices of students in competition: Health Science First Year at the University of Otago, Dunedin

Madgerie Jameson, Jeffrey Smith

The use of the ‘rollie’ in New Zealand: preference for loose tobacco among an ethnically diverse low socioeconomic urban population

Vili Nosa, Marewa Glover, Sandar Min, Robert Scragg, Chris Bullen, Judith McCool, Anette Kira

Inequities in health and the Marmot Symposia: time for a stocktake

Tony Blakely, Don Simmers, Norman Sharpe

Plain packaging for tobacco in New Zealand: local evidence and arguments

Nick Wilson, Janet Hoek, George Thomson, Richard Edwards

Comment on Government response to air pollution articles

Peter Moller

Medically assessing refugees who may have been victims of torture

A Martin F Reeve

SUMMARY

Comorbidity among patients with colon cancer in New Zealand

Diana Sarfati, Lavinia Tan, Tony Blakely, Neil Pearce

This study aimed to investigate how common comorbidity was in a cohort of patients with bowel cancer in NZ; to identify factors associated with high levels of comorbidity in this group and to assess the extent to which comorbidity affects outcomes from bowel cancer. We used data from the NZ Cancer Registry to identify those with cancer and from hospitalisations to identify comorbid conditions. We found that nearly a third of bowel cancer patients had a least one comorbid condition. Comorbidity increased with increasing age as expected, and was more common among Maori and Pacific people, and those living in more deprived areas of NZ. We also found that comorbidity had a strongly negative effect on survival, and increased length of hospital stay.

SUMMARY

An investigation into the health benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for people living with a range of chronic physical illnesses in New Zealand

Jillian Simpson, Tim Mapel

Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction is a programme developed in the US by neurobiologist Jon-Kabat Zinn, originally to help people with difficult to manage health problems. It is taught as 8 weekly classes and a full day retreat in which people to learn more about stress and how best to manage this. It involves various exercises to develop mindfulness (living in the moment without judgement) including a lying down relaxation/meditation, meditation sitting in a chair and simple stretching exercises. This research, one of the first studies in New Zealand, aimed to find out how effective this approach is for New Zealanders. The study demonstrated that MBSR helps people not only cope with their chronic health problems but also improves their wellbeing.

SUMMARY

What do specialists and GPs think about the introduction of colorectal cancer screening? A qualitative study

Gillian M Abel, Lee Thompson

GPs and specialists, whilst supportive of screening, are not convinced that there is the capacity in New Zealand to introduce a colorectal screening programme. A shortage of colonoscopists in New Zealand means that there is already a long waiting-list for people accessing colonoscopies in the public service. GPs are often in the position of advocating screening to patients and they are unconvinced about the value of the test which is likely to be used for screening (faecal occult blood test) feeling that there will be a number of false positives These will then require colonoscopic follow-up which will mean unnecessary anxiety will be engendered amongst their patients.

SUMMARY

Prevalence of victims of torture in the health screening of quota refugees in New Zealand during 2007–2008 and implications for follow-up care

G E Poole, Grant Galpin

New Zealand annually accepts approximately 750 quota refugees from overseas for resettlement in New Zealand. The humanitarian nature of the quota composition consists of those who are determined by the United Nations refugee agency to be in high need of immediate protection, a large proportion of medical and disability cases, and women and children at risk. Quota refugees arrive in six intakes each year and participate in assessment and orientation for the first 6 weeks at the national Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre. This paper describes the findings of screening for refugees with a history of torture during 2007-2008. There were 144 arriving refugees or 19.2% of the total found to have histories of torture during this period. The implications for future research, and follow-up care of people who have survived torture are discussed.

SUMMARY

Comparison of two modes of delivery of an exercise prescription scheme

Louise Foley, Ralph Maddison, Zanta Jones, Paul Brown, Anne Davys

Green Prescription (GRx) is a referral from a health professional for a patient to become more physically active. In Auckland, GRx is delivered either on the telephone or face-to-face. A comparison of the two modes of delivery (telephone vs. face-to-face) was conducted. This evaluation involved staff interviews, patient interviews and analysis of GRx records for the 2007 calendar year. Results indicated that the modes of delivery were similar in terms of costs as well as outcomes. However, the face-to-face mode of delivery was more popular with Maori and Pacific peoples. Providing a choice of GRx mode of delivery allows participants to choose based on their personal and cultural needs.

SUMMARY

A cross-sectional study of opinions related to the tobacco industry and their association with smoking status amongst 14–15 year old teenagers in New Zealand

Judith McCool, Janine Paynter, Robert Scragg

We surveyed 31,459 Year 10 students attitudes towards the tobacco industry in New Zealand to determine if there was an association with smoking behaviour or susceptibility to smoking. We found that students who expressed tolerant attitudes towards the tobacco industry had a higher risk of being smoker or starting to smoke. Given the results of this survey there is clearly a need to reach teenagers at risk of taking up smoking and continuing to smoke with an effective counter-industry campaign.

SUMMARY

Voices of students in competition: Health Science First Year at the University of Otago, Dunedin

Madgerie Jameson, Jeffrey Smith

This article examines the experiences of students enrolled in Health Sciences First Year. Past and present students were interviewed to determine the similarities and differences in their experience. Students perceived the programme as stressful and demanding. The competitive nature of the programme limited students involvement in other university activities. Students learned the benefits of work/life balance.

SUMMARY

The use of the ‘rollie’ in New Zealand: preference for loose tobacco among an ethnically diverse low socioeconomic urban population

Vili Nosa, Marewa Glover, Sandar Min, Robert Scragg, Chris Bullen, Judith McCool, Anette Kira

Smoking parents of students from four South Auckland Intermediate Schools were asked if they smoke roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes and why. Nearly half smoked only factory-made cigarettes. 38% smoked only RYO cigarettes. The most common reasons for smoking RYOs instead of factory-mades was the perceived lower cost of RYOs and that RYOs lasted longer (42%). Increasing the tax on RYOs to make sure they cost the same as factory-made cigarettes should lessen the potential use of RYOs as an alternative to quitting.

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