To compare attitudes and knowledge of beach safety in Australia of beachgoers, rural inland residents and international tourists.
This analysis is part of the 2007 baseline survey for the Science of ...the Surf project and involved interviews of 367 people on beaches in New South Wales (NSW), 62 rural residents of a moderate‐sized inland town and 73 international tourists visiting Sydney beaches. Participants were asked about various aspects of beach safety and shown photographs of beaches and asked to indicate where they would swim and to identify the location of any rip currents. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictors of swimming choice.
Most beachgoers were aware that swimming between flags indicating a patrolled section of beach was the safe swimming option, but a significant proportion chose not to swim there. Rural residents were more likely than the other two groups to make safe choices about where to swim in the presence of flags. The odds of international tourists making a safe swimming choice in the vicinity of a rip current were three times lower than usual beachgoers and rural inland residents.
Improving beach safety will require more refined strategies for specific target groups rather than a series of one‐size‐fits‐all approaches.
► Our previous research showed that Beachgoers could not identify a rip current. ► This is in spite of the fact that most erroneously believed they could identify a rip. ► Beachgoer recognition of ...rip currents improved with exposure to an education campaign. ► A simple, targeted beach campaign improved swimming choices and rip awareness.
The objective of this research was to evaluate a campaign to improve beachgoer recognition of calm-looking rip currents, known to contribute to surf drowning. Posters, postcards, and brochures conveying the message “Don’t get sucked in by the rip” were distributed in an intervention area. Beachgoers were interviewed in this and a similar control area one year before and immediately after the intervention (respective response rates: 69.9% and 82.3%), Consenting respondents were sent follow-up questionnaires after approximately 6 months and 55% responded. In the intervention area, 28.8% of post-intervention, and 57.2% of follow-up respondents, had seen our campaign. At post-intervention, intervention respondents demonstrated improvement (relative to baseline) in intentions to swim away from a calm-looking rip, ability and confidence in identifying a rip, intention never to swim at unpatrolled beaches, and responses to being caught in a rip, compared to the control respondents. Similar improvements were observed post-intervention for respondents in the intervention area who had seen our campaign (relative to those who had not), and at 6 month follow-up for intervention respondents (relative to control respondents). The relatively brief print-based campaign was effective in warning beachgoers about calm-looking rips.
To examine: alcohol and fast food sponsorship of junior community sporting clubs; the association between sponsorship and club characteristics; and parent and club representative attitudes toward ...sponsorship.
A cross‐sectional telephone survey of representatives from junior community football clubs across New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, and parents/carers of junior club members. Participants were from junior teams with Level 3 accreditation in the ‘Good Sports’ program.
A total of 79 club representatives and 297 parents completed the survey. Half of participating clubs (49%) were sponsored by the alcohol industry and one‐quarter (27%) were sponsored by the fast food industry. In multivariate analyses, the odds of alcohol sponsorship among rugby league clubs was 7.4 (95%CI: 1.8–31.0, p=<0.006) that of AFL clubs, and clubs located in regional areas were more likely than those in major cities to receive fast food industry sponsorship (OR= 9.1; 95%CI: 1.0–84.0, p=0.05). The majority (78–81%) of club representatives and parents were supportive of restrictions to prohibit certain alcohol sponsorship practices, but a minority (42%) were supportive of restrictions to prohibit certain fast food sponsorship practices.
Large proportions of community sports clubs with junior members are sponsored by the alcohol industry and the fast food industry. There is greater acceptability for prohibiting sponsorship from the alcohol industry than the fast food industry.
Health promotion efforts should focus on reducing alcohol industry and fast food industry sponsorship of junior sports clubs.
This pilot study aimed to test the potential effectiveness and acceptability of an intervention to support the implementation of 16 recommended policies and practices to improve the health promotion ...environment of junior sporting clubs. Reported child exposure to health promoting practices at clubs was also assessed.
A cluster randomised trial was conducted with eight football leagues. Fourty-one junior football clubs belonging to four leagues in the intervention group received support (e.g. physical resources, recognition and rewards, systems and prompts) to implement 16 policies and practices that targeted child exposure to alcohol, tobacco, healthy food and beverages, and participation in physical activity. Thirty-eight clubs belonging to the four control group leagues did not receive the implementation intervention. Study outcomes were assessed via telephone interviews with nominated club representatives and parents of junior players. Between group differences in the mean number of policies and practices implemented at the club level at follow-up were examined using a multiple linear regression model.
While the intervention was found to be acceptable, there was no significant difference between the mean number of practices and policies reported to be implemented by intervention and control clubs at post-intervention (Estimate - 0.05; 95% CI -0.91, 0.80; p = 0.90). There was also no significant difference in the proportion of children reported to be exposed to: alcohol (OR 1.16; 95% CI 0.41, 3.28; p = 0.78); tobacco (OR 0.97; CI 0.45, 2.10; p = 0.94); healthy food purchases (OR 0.49; CI 0.11, 2.27; p = 0.35); healthy drink purchases (OR 1.48; CI 0.72, 3.05; p = 0.27); or participation in physical activity (OR 0.76; CI 0.14, 4.08; p = 0.74).
Support strategies that better address barriers to the implementation of health promotion interventions in junior sports clubs are required.
Retrospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12617001044314 ).
Risky alcohol consumption is responsible for a variety of chronic and acute harms. Individuals involved in organised sport have been identified as one population group who consume risky amounts of ...alcohol both at the elite and the non-elite level. 'Good Sports', an alcohol management intervention focused on the community sports setting has been successful in addressing risky alcohol use and alcohol-related harm amongst players and sports fans. Sustaining such implementation effects is a common challenge across a variety of community settings. The primary aim of this trial was to assess the effectiveness of a web-based program in sustaining the implementation of best-practice alcohol management practices by community football clubs, relative to usual program care (i.e. control clubs).
Non-elite, community football clubs in the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria, that were participating in an alcohol management program (Good Sports) were recruited for the study. Consenting clubs were randomised into intervention (N = 92) or control (N = 96) groups. A web-based sustainability intervention was delivered to intervention clubs over three consecutive Australian winter sports seasons (April-September 2015-2017). The intervention was designed to support continued (sustained) implementation of alcohol management practices at clubs consistent with the program. Control group clubs received usual support from the national Good Sports Program. Primary outcome data was collected through observational audits of club venues and grounds.
A total of 92 intervention clubs (574 members) and 96 control clubs (612 members) were included in the final analysis. At follow-up, sustained implementation of alcohol management practices was high in both groups and there was no significant difference between intervention or control clubs at follow-up for both the proportion of clubs implementing 10 or more practices (OR 0.53, 95%CI 0.04-7.2; p = 0.63) or for the mean number of practices being implemented (mean difference 0.10, 95%CI -0.23-0.42; p = 0.55). There were also no significant differences between groups on measures of alcohol consumption by club members.
The findings suggest that sustained implementation of alcohol management practices was high, and similar, between clubs receiving web-based implementation support or usual program support.
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12614000746639. Prospectively registered 14/7/2014.
To determine the current level of knowledge of first aid for a burn injury and sources of this knowledge among the general population of New South Wales.
People aged 16 years or older were ...interviewed as part of the 2007 NSW Population Health Survey, a continuous telephone survey of NSW residents.
Weighted proportion of the population with optimal first aid knowledge for burns.
In total, 7320 respondents were asked questions related to burn injuries and first aid. Of the surveyed population, 82% reported that they would cool a burn with water, and 9% reported that they would cool the burn for the recommended 20 minutes. Few respondents reported that they would remove the patient's clothing and keep the injured person warm. The most common sources of first aid information were a first aid book (42%) and the internet (33%). Speaking a language other than English at home, and being over 65 years of age were associated with a lack of first aid knowledge.
A minority of people living in NSW know the optimal time for cooling a burn injury and other appropriate first aid steps for burns. This study demonstrates a gap in the public's knowledge, especially among non-English speaking people and older people, and highlights the need for a clear, consistent first aid message.
To: (i) describe the prevalence of policies and practices promoting healthy eating implemented by sports clubs with junior teams; (ii) examine differences in such practices across geographic and ...operational characteristics of clubs; and (iii) describe the attitudes of club representatives and parents regarding the acceptability of sports clubs implementing policies and practices to promote healthy eating.
Cross-sectional telephone surveys of junior community football club management representatives and parents/carers of junior players were conducted in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, Australia in 2016.
Seventy-nine of the 89 club representatives approached to participate completed the telephone survey. All clubs (100%; 95% CI 96.2-100.0) reported recommending fruit or water be provided to players after games or at half-time, 24% (95% CI 14.4-33.7) reported promoting healthy food options through prominent positioning at point of sale and only 8% (95% CI 1.6-13.6) of clubs had a written healthy eating policy. There were no significant differences between the mean number of healthy eating policies and practices implemented by club socio-economic or geographic characteristics. Club representatives and parents/carers were supportive of clubs promoting healthy eating for junior players.
While there is strong support within sporting clubs with junior teams for policies and practices to promote healthy eating, their implementation is highly variable. SO WHAT?: A considerable opportunity remains for health promotion policy and practice improvement in clubs with junior teams, particularly regarding policies related to nutrition.
The beach is popular but potentially dangerous Australia has more than 30,000 km of coastline and 10,685 beaches.1 Beaches are a key attraction for both domestic and international tourists with ...approximately 80 million visits each year.2 The coast, particularly the beach, is an integral part of the Australian lifestyle and tourism economy, but is sadly also a source of many preventable deaths and injuries.3 Drowning is a major public health problem with substantial personal, societal and economic costs. In 2003-04 alone, a further 11,316 were rescued by Australian lifesavers, emphasising both an enormous use of resources and that the risk of drowning may be higher than the number of deaths indicate.2 In the state of New South Wales (NSW), the total lifetime cost of drowning incidents occurring in 1998-1999 was estimated as A$ 72 million, representing an average cost of A$ 376,000 per injured person.8 The economic value of the prevention work of Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) was recently estimated at A$ 1 .4 billion for 2003-04, including A$ 831.7 million in prevented drownings, A$ 568.3 million in prevented permanent incapacitation and A$ 0.5 million in prevented first aid treatment.9 Rip currents are one of the greatest dangers for coastal drowning Rip currents are one of the greatest physical dangers to visitors on Australian beaches.
To assess compliance with current standards of playgrounds where children have sustained a fall-related arm fracture.
Between October 2000 and December 2002, a consecutive prospective series of 402 ...children aged under 13 years who fell from playground equipment and sustained an arm fracture was identified by emergency department staff in five Victorian hospitals. Trained field testers measured playground equipment height, surface type and depth, and surface impact attenuation factors to determine compliance with safety standards.
Playground compliance with current Australian safety standards.
Ninety-eight percent of playgrounds had a recommended type of surface material. The mean surface depth was 11.1 cm (SD, 5.0 cm) and the mean equipment height was 2.04 m (SD, 0.43 m). Although over 85% of playgrounds complied with recommended maximum equipment height and surface impact attenuation characteristics, only 4.7% complied with recommended surface depth.
Playgrounds where children have sustained an arm fracture generally comply with all important safety recommendations except surface depth. Playground fall-related arm fracture requires specific countermeasures for prevention, distinct from head injury prevention guidelines.
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