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Issue

Vol 128 No 1427: 18 December 2015

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Issue Summary

SUMMARY

A cost effectiveness analysis of community water fluoridation in New Zealand

Caroline Fyfe, Barry Borman, Guy Scott, Stuart Birks

The study found that community water fluoridation (CWF) remains cost effective despite an overall reduction in the average number of decayed teeth in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. CWF was more cost effective in larger communities compared to smaller communities when using national data on the effectiveness of CWF in preventing dental decay. Communities with a higher risk of dental decay, for example, those with a high level of economic deprivation or those with a higher proportion of Mori ethnicity, would find CWF more cost effective than communities where the risk of dental decay was low. The study updates the last economic analysis of community water fluoridation, published by Wright et al in 2001.

SUMMARY

Targets and actions for non-communicable disease prevention and control in New Zealand

Chris Bullen, Robert Beaglehole, Mike Daube AO, Gerry Devlin, Sally Hughes, Boyd Swinburn

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) mainly heart disease, stroke, diabetes and chronic lung diseases are the leading causes of death and health inequalities in men and women in New Zealand and globally. A large proportion of the death and disability caused by NCDs is potentially avoidable if a handful of proven prevention and treatment strategies were put in place. Some of these strategies, like tobacco control, actually save money. We adapted NCD global targets for New Zealand in the light of local progress, priorities and feasibility to propose a set of national targets that also line up with the World Health Organizations global targets. With each target we have suggested a set of actions to achieve the target. We recommend urgent commitment to practical actions that make the most of opportunities to prevent and control NCDs and reduce inequalities in New Zealand.

SUMMARY

Retinal detachments in southern New Zealand: do poorer patients have poorer outcomes?

Daniel S Allbon, Neil Avery, Andrew Gray, Harry Bradshaw

Retinal detachments are a serious vision threatening condition and can be divided into macula on and macula off subtypes, with macula off detachments producing a significantly worse off visual outcome. This study looks at the association between socioeconomic status and evaluates the difference in macula on and off detachments presenting to Dunedins Eye Department over a two year period. Our study observed that more retinal detachments occur in the low and medium deprivation groups, however noted a trend that in the most deprived group these patients presented significantly later and more commonly with macula off detachments and overall had a worse visual outcome.

SUMMARY

The effect of alcohol price on dependent drinkers’ alcohol consumption

Carolyn Falkner, Grant Christie, Lifeng Zhou, Julian King

115 people dependent on alcohol (needing alcohol every day to avoid withdrawal symptoms) completed a questionnaire about their drinking. The results showed that they drank on average 24 standard drinks a day (equivalent to 3 bottles of wine) and spent a median of $25 NZD per day on alcohol. Most of these drinkers, in particular the heaviest drinkers, bought very inexpensive alcohol and would be impacted financially if a minimum price per standard drink was introduced. They would no longer be able to switch to a cheaper product if they were short of money and this may result in them having to reduce their drinking. The most common strategies used in the past by this group if they had no money were to not buy other essentials, borrow alcohol or go without alcohol.

SUMMARY

Health-related quality of life of Taranaki children with Type 1 Diabetes

Sarah A Mills, Paul L Hofman, Yannan Jiang, Yvonne C Anderson

Children and adolescents with chronic health conditions are more likely to have a poorer quality of life. We studied the quality of life of those children and adolescents in Taranaki who had type 1 diabetes, and compared them with the quality of life of their siblings, using a quality of life questionnaire. We were surprised to find that the quality of life between the children with diabetes and their siblings were similar, but this needs to be explored further with a larger cohort of New Zealand children and adolescents.

ALL ARTICLES
SUMMARY

Missing in action: an antimicrobial resistance strategy for New Zealand

Deborah Williamson, Michael Baker, Nigel French, Mark Thomas

Cystic adventitial disease of the external iliac artery: a rare cause of claudication

S Al Shaqsi, S Lesche, I Thomson

Robin Mackenzie Norris

Harvey White

Incidence of malignant mesothelioma in New Zealand and Australia: a global snapshot

Matthew J Soeberg, Nico van Zandwijk

Comparative effectiveness of treatments for Helicobacter pylori

A cost effectiveness analysis of community water fluoridation in New Zealand

Caroline Fyfe, Barry Borman, Guy Scott, Stuart Birks

Targets and actions for non-communicable disease prevention and control in New Zealand

Chris Bullen, Robert Beaglehole, Mike Daube AO, Gerry Devlin, Sally Hughes, Boyd Swinburn

Retinal detachments in southern New Zealand: do poorer patients have poorer outcomes?

Daniel S Allbon, Neil Avery, Andrew Gray, Harry Bradshaw

The effect of alcohol price on dependent drinkers’ alcohol consumption

Carolyn Falkner, Grant Christie, Lifeng Zhou, Julian King

Care, compassion and charity: do they have a place in modern medicine?

Ron Paterson

Proceedings of the 232nd Scientific Meeting of the Otago Medical School Research Society

Why we need to know more about the impact of price rises on dependent drinkers

Tim Stockwell

Health-related quality of life of Taranaki children with Type 1 Diabetes

Sarah A Mills, Paul L Hofman, Yannan Jiang, Yvonne C Anderson

Pituitrin in labour

David Anthony Waite

Peter Moodie, Geoff Robinson, Rob Griffiths

SUMMARY

A cost effectiveness analysis of community water fluoridation in New Zealand

Caroline Fyfe, Barry Borman, Guy Scott, Stuart Birks

The study found that community water fluoridation (CWF) remains cost effective despite an overall reduction in the average number of decayed teeth in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. CWF was more cost effective in larger communities compared to smaller communities when using national data on the effectiveness of CWF in preventing dental decay. Communities with a higher risk of dental decay, for example, those with a high level of economic deprivation or those with a higher proportion of Mori ethnicity, would find CWF more cost effective than communities where the risk of dental decay was low. The study updates the last economic analysis of community water fluoridation, published by Wright et al in 2001.

SUMMARY

Targets and actions for non-communicable disease prevention and control in New Zealand

Chris Bullen, Robert Beaglehole, Mike Daube AO, Gerry Devlin, Sally Hughes, Boyd Swinburn

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) mainly heart disease, stroke, diabetes and chronic lung diseases are the leading causes of death and health inequalities in men and women in New Zealand and globally. A large proportion of the death and disability caused by NCDs is potentially avoidable if a handful of proven prevention and treatment strategies were put in place. Some of these strategies, like tobacco control, actually save money. We adapted NCD global targets for New Zealand in the light of local progress, priorities and feasibility to propose a set of national targets that also line up with the World Health Organizations global targets. With each target we have suggested a set of actions to achieve the target. We recommend urgent commitment to practical actions that make the most of opportunities to prevent and control NCDs and reduce inequalities in New Zealand.

SUMMARY

Retinal detachments in southern New Zealand: do poorer patients have poorer outcomes?

Daniel S Allbon, Neil Avery, Andrew Gray, Harry Bradshaw

Retinal detachments are a serious vision threatening condition and can be divided into macula on and macula off subtypes, with macula off detachments producing a significantly worse off visual outcome. This study looks at the association between socioeconomic status and evaluates the difference in macula on and off detachments presenting to Dunedins Eye Department over a two year period. Our study observed that more retinal detachments occur in the low and medium deprivation groups, however noted a trend that in the most deprived group these patients presented significantly later and more commonly with macula off detachments and overall had a worse visual outcome.

SUMMARY

The effect of alcohol price on dependent drinkers’ alcohol consumption

Carolyn Falkner, Grant Christie, Lifeng Zhou, Julian King

115 people dependent on alcohol (needing alcohol every day to avoid withdrawal symptoms) completed a questionnaire about their drinking. The results showed that they drank on average 24 standard drinks a day (equivalent to 3 bottles of wine) and spent a median of $25 NZD per day on alcohol. Most of these drinkers, in particular the heaviest drinkers, bought very inexpensive alcohol and would be impacted financially if a minimum price per standard drink was introduced. They would no longer be able to switch to a cheaper product if they were short of money and this may result in them having to reduce their drinking. The most common strategies used in the past by this group if they had no money were to not buy other essentials, borrow alcohol or go without alcohol.

SUMMARY

Health-related quality of life of Taranaki children with Type 1 Diabetes

Sarah A Mills, Paul L Hofman, Yannan Jiang, Yvonne C Anderson

Children and adolescents with chronic health conditions are more likely to have a poorer quality of life. We studied the quality of life of those children and adolescents in Taranaki who had type 1 diabetes, and compared them with the quality of life of their siblings, using a quality of life questionnaire. We were surprised to find that the quality of life between the children with diabetes and their siblings were similar, but this needs to be explored further with a larger cohort of New Zealand children and adolescents.

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