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The purpose of this study is to determine the current knowledge, behavior and attitude toward STI prevention among out-of-school youth in the Philippines. Anonymous self-administered questionnaires were distributed separately to 28 out-of-school youth (15 male, 12 female, one unspecified). The mean age of the subjects was 18.0 ± 3.0 years, with an overall age range of 15 to 24 years. The female respondents were younger than the male respondents on average. The out-of-school youth obtained information on STIs mainly from the media, and had fewer information sources than in-school students. Although the out-of-school youth had insufficient knowledge of STIs compared to the students, they were fairly knowledgeable about cervical cancer. They were also more sexually active than the students. The out-of-school youth consulted their parents on STI prevention, but received insufficient knowledge on STI prevention from just this source. It was concluded that out-of-school youth could constitute a high risk demographic for STIs, and health education may be essential to help them protect themselves from STIs.

Despite two decades of prevention activities and education, rates of hepatitis C infection remain high among people who inject drugs. In this article we draw on the findings of an extensive review of the content of print hepatitis C prevention materials circulating in Australia, examining these data in light of Petraglia’s (2009) theory of “authenticity” in social marketing. We identify three main areas in which resources could be redesigned: closer attention to language and terminology, a critical engagement with common concepts of the individual, and more acknowledgement of the role of social and structural factors in shaping injecting practice. To achieve a stronger sense of authenticity, and in turn become more equitable and efficient, future resources could address these issues using insights from social marketing literature.

Throughout Australia, there is considerable concern about the prevalence of child sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is experienced by over 3,500 Australian children each year, causing long-term psychological, health and social problems to children, their families and communities, and significant economic costs to society as a whole. In many countries, the provision of school-based programs has been a core strategy in efforts to prevent child sexual abuse. However, little is known about the range of programs in use in Australia, the numbers of children who have received programs, and the contents and methods used in program delivery. This presentation reports on a detailed National survey of child sexual abuse prevention programs currently used in Australian primary schools. An online survey was conducted over a six-month period from November 2011 to April 2012 yielding detailed data from 38 programs. The presentation will provide an overview of: the scope and reach of programs; program content, teaching strategies and resources; barriers and facilitators to program adoption by schools; and program evaluation strategies.

To address the high prevalence and costs associated with low back pain, U.S. Navy physical therapists currently provide back injury prevention education to requesting commands in the form of the Healthy Back Program. Although the content of the Healthy Back Program has face validity, no explicit evaluation of its effectiveness has been conducted. Because of the need to develop effective health interventions, a formal study is needed. The primary purposes of the present study are to: (a) present findings examining the immediate effect of the Healthy Back Program in changing knowledge about back injury prevention, and (b) provide a baseline assessment of back problems among incoming recruits. Correlates of back pain also are examined to suggest factors that may be amenable to intervention. Intervention recruits (n=1,772) received the Healthy Back Program brief, which is a slide presentation that focuses largely on information about back injury and prevention techniques. Immediately following the presentation, intervention subjects completed a short questionnaire assessing their history of back problems, demographic and health information, back knowledge, and nutrition knowledge. Control subjects (n=1,658) completed identical questionnaires but received no presentation. Intervention recruits had a significantly higher back knowledge score (67% correct) than controls (50% correct); nutrition knowledge differences were minimal (52% vs. 53% correct). About 41% of all recruits had ever experienced a back problem, 27% reported at least one back problem within the past year, and 11% reported back pain during recruit training. Liftlng, sports participation, and bending were reported as the leading causes of previous back problems. Although better self-reported health and fitness measures were associated with fewer low back problems, other correlates of back pain reported elsewhere (e.g., smoking, overweight) were not found.