Search

Background and objectives New Zealand (NZ) has high rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) but low rates of early detection. The majority of CRC is diagnosed through general practice, where lengthy diagnostic intervals are common. We investigated factors contributing to diagnostic delay in a cohort of patients newly diagnosed with CRC. Methods Patients were recruited from the Midland region and interviewed about their diagnostic experience using a questionnaire based on a modified Model of Pathways to Treatment framework and SYMPTOM questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the population characteristics. Chi-square analysis and logistic regression were used to analyse factors influencing diagnostic intervals. Results Data from 176 patients were analysed, of which 65 (36.9%) experienced a general practitioner (GP) diagnostic interval of >120 days and 96 (54.5%) experienced a total diagnostic interval (TDI) > 120 days. Patients reporting rectal bleeding were less likely to experience a long TDI (odds ratio [OR] 0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14–0.78) and appraisal/help-seeking interval (OR, 0.19, 95% CI: 0.06–0.59). Patients Conclusion NZ patients with CRC can experience long diagnostic intervals, attributed to patient and health system factors. Young patients, Māori, females, and patients experiencing change of bowel habit may be at particular risk. We need to increase symptom awareness of CRC for patients and GPs. Concentrated efforts are needed to ensure equity for Māori in access to screening, diagnostics, and treatment.

INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus is common in primary care, yet little has been reported of its primary care prevalence or the clinical characteristics of patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). AIM To determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and clinical characteristics of diabetes patients in primary care in the Waikato region. METHODS Primary care data were extracted from the electronic records of 15 general practices for patients aged >20 years with current diabetes mellitus at 20 June 2017. Diabetes mellitus was defined as having a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) of ≥50 mmol/mol (6.7%) or having being dispensed two or more anti-diabetic medications in the previous 12 months. Additional data collected included patients’ ethnicity, age, sex and years since diagnosis. RESULTS The overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 5.7% and was higher for Māori (8.6%), Asian (7.0%) and Pacific peoples (9.1%) than Europeans (5.0%; all P

Aims Diabetes is associated with depression, anxiety and psychosis via complex bidirectional relationships that are affected by factors such as the type of diabetes and socioeconomic status. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of mental health conditions in patients with diabetes in a New Zealand primary care population using proxy medication dispensing data. Methods Primary care data (July 1 2016 – June 30, 2018) was collected from the Patient Management System of 15 different general practices, and was linked via National Health Index number to clinical records at the Waikato District Health Board and the New Zealand Ministry of Health Pharmaceutical database. Results A total of 3978 patients with diabetes were identified from an enrolled patient population of 74,250. Of these, 18.0% of patients with diabetes were dispensed an antidepressant, anxiolytic, or antipsychotic. These medications were prescribed more in New Zealand Europeans (20.9% versus 13.9% in Māori), women, type 2 diabetes, those on insulin, and those with a higher BMI (all P Conclusions Approximately one fifth of patients with diabetes in primary care have mental health disorders. Appropriate management requires concomitant treatment of both the diabetes and the mental health disorder to improve patient outcomes.

Backgrounds This study aims to understand the factors that influence whether patients receive potentially curative treatment for early stage lung cancer. A key question was whether indigenous Māori patients were less likely to receive treatment. Methods Patients included those diagnosed with early stage lung cancer in 2011–2018 and resident in the New Zealand Midland Cancer Network region. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios of having curative surgery/ treatment. The Kaplan Meier method was used to examine the all-cause survival and Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of death. Results In total 419/583 (71.9%) of patients with Stage I and II disease were treated with curative intent - 272 (46.7%) patients had curative surgery. Patients not receiving potentially curative treatment were older, were less likely to have non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), had poorer lung function and were more likely to have an ECOG performance status of 2+. Current smokers were less likely to be treated with surgery and more likely to receive treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Those who were treated with surgery had a 2-year survival of 87.8% (95% CI: 83.8–91.8%) and 5-year survival of 69.6% (95% CI: 63.2–76.0%). Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) has equivalent effect on survival compared to curative surgery (hazard ratio: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.37–1.61). After adjustment we could find no difference in treatment and survival between Māori and non-Māori. Conclusions The majority of patients with stage I and II lung cancer are managed with potentially curative treatment – mainly surgery and increasingly with SABR. The outcomes of those being diagnosed with stage I and II disease and receiving treatment is positive with 70% surviving 5 years.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONMetformin is the initial medication of choice for most patients with type 2 diabetes. Non-adherence results in poorer glycaemic control and increased risk of complications. AIMThe aim of this study was to characterise metformin adherence and association with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODSPrescription and dispensing data were used for this study. Primary care clinical and demographic data were collected from 10 general practices (October 2016–March 2018) and linked to pharmaceutical dispensing information. Metformin adherence was initially measured by calculating the proportion of patients who had optimal medication cover for at least 80% of days (defined as a medication possession ratio (MPR) of ≥0.8), calculated using dispensing data. Prescription adherence was assessed by comparing prescription and dispensing data. The association between non-adherence (MPR

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONLife expectancy in patients with schizophrenia is 15–20 years less than the general population. A dominant cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients is cardiovascular disease. Adverse consequences of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors can be reduced by regular monitoring of metabolic outcomes and intervention if required. AIMTo evaluate the metabolic screening in primary care for patients with schizoaffective disorders managed in primary care. To show the usefulness of combining simple practice audits in evaluating such areas of clinical practice. METHODSAn audit was undertaken in eight general practices in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions of New Zealand. Specifically, the monitoring of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder whose antipsychotic medication was prescribed by primary care doctors was audited. Patient monitoring was compared to the guideline recommendation of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) and the Best Practice Advisory Centre (BPAC). RESULTSIn total, 117 patients were included in the audit and none were fully monitored, as recommended by the RANZCP guidelines. Although two-thirds of patients had been evaluated for glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipids, blood pressure, complete blood count and weight

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy is associated with health complications for both mother and infant, but patient numbers in the Waikato District Health Board region of New Zealand have not been well characterised. This study reviewed the full 2018 cohort of Waikato District Health Board hospital births (n = 4970) to report on GDM prevalence by ethnicity and age. The overall prevalence of GDM was 5.7% and is more likely to affect Asian, Pacific and Māori women as well as those of advanced maternal age.

Background New Zealand has high rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) but poor outcomes. Most patients with CRC are diagnosed following referral from general practice, where a general practitioner (GP) assesses symptoms according to national guidelines. All referred patients are then re-prioritised by the hospital system. The first objective of this study was to identify what proportion of patients referred by general practice to surgical/gastroenterology at Waikato District Health Board (DHB) had a colonoscopy. The second objective was to determine what proportion of these referrals have an underlying CRC and the factors associated with the likelihood of this diagnosis. Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of e-referral data for patients aged 30–70+ who were referred from 75 general practices to general surgery, gastroenterology or direct to colonoscopy at Waikato DHB, 01 January 2015–31 December 2017. Primary and secondary outcome measures included the proportion and characteristics of patients who were having colonoscopy, and of those, who were diagnosed with CRC. Data were analysed using chi square and logistic regression. Results 6718/20648 (32.5%) patients had a colonoscopy and 372 (5.5%) of these were diagnosed with CRC. The probability of having CRC following a colonoscopy increased with age (p value p value p value Conclusions If a GP refers a patient with an HSCan, and the patient receives a colonoscopy, then the likelihood of having CRC is almost 15.0%. This would suggest that these patients should be routinely prioritised without further triage by the hospital. Further research is needed to understand why Māori are less likely to receive a colonoscopy following referral from general practice.

BACKGROUND The psychological status of New Zealanders living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is unknown. This study's purpose is to determine the prevalence of general wellbeing, diabetes-specific distress, and disordered eating, and explore their relationships with glycemic control. METHODS Participants were patients aged 15-24 years with T1D (N = 200) who attended their routine multidisciplinary clinic at the Waikato Regional Diabetes Service. They completed questionnaires including the World Health Organization Well-Being Index, the Problem Areas in Diabetes scales, and the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised. Clinical and demographic information were also collected. RESULTS Median age of participants was 19.3 years and 14% identified as Māori (indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand). Median HbA1c was 73 mmol/mol. One fifth of participants experienced low emotional wellbeing, including 7.5% who experienced likely depression. Diabetes distress was found in 24.1%, and 30.7% experienced disordered eating behaviors. Differences were identified between Māori and non-Māori in measures of diabetes distress and disordered eating, with Māori more likely to score in clinically significant ranges (50% vs. 19.9%; 53.6% vs. 26.7%, p

The aim of this study was to assess adherence to the 2014 Ministry of Health (MoH) screening guidelines for diabetes in pregnancy (DiP) by Māori and non-Māori in the Waikato region.Clinical records were reviewed for women without known diabetes before pregnancy who delivered in hospitals or community birth centres in the Waikato region during June-August 2017. Screening rates for DiP were assessed using HbA1c, glucose challenge and/or glucose tolerance tests.Of a total of 807 women, 94% received some form of screening for DiP; 527 (65.3%) underwent HbA1c screening at20 weeks and 267 (33.1%) underwent testing for gestational diabetes at 24-28 weeks' gestation. However, only 213 (26.4%) received all screening as per the MoH guideline. HbA1c testing was the most common screening performed (83.9% of all pregnancies), and three quarters of women had a glucose load screen at some point during pregnancy. In all measures, screening rates were lower in Māori, with only 17.5% (46 of 263 women) receiving both HbA1c and further glucose load screening in the recommended gestation windows (versus 31.6% (171 of 541) for non-Māori; P0.0005).Adherence to screening guidelines for DiP was poor with a marked ethnic inequity. Further work is needed to investigate the barriers to care that drive these differences.

BackgroundNew Zealand (NZ) has a high incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and low rates of early diagnosis. With screening not yet nationwide, the majority of CRC is diagnosed through general practice. A good patient-general practitioner (GP) relationship can facilitate prompt diagnosis, but when there is a breakdown in this relationship, delays can occur. Delayed diagnosis of CRC in NZ receives a disproportionally high number of complaints directed against GPs, suggesting deficits in the patient-GP connection. We aimed to investigate patient-reported confidence and ratings of their GP following the diagnostic process.MethodsThis study is a mixed methods analysis of responses to a structured questionnaire and free text comments from patients newly diagnosed with CRC in the Midland region of NZ. A total of 195 patients responded to the structured questionnaire, and 113 patients provided additional free text comments. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study population and chi square analysis determined the statistical significance of factors possibly linked to delay. Free text comments were analysed using a thematic framework.ResultsMost participants rated their GP as ‘Very good/Good’ at communication with patients about their health conditions and involving them in decisions about their care, and 6.7% of participants rated their overall level of confidence and trust in their GP as ‘Not at all’. Age, gender, ethnicity and a longer diagnostic interval were associated with lower confidence and trust. Free text comments were grouped in to three themes: 1. GP Interpersonal skills; (communication, listening, taking patient symptoms seriously), 2. Technical competence; (speed of referral, misdiagnoses, lack of physical examination), and 3. Organisation of general practice care; (appointment length, getting an appointment, continuity of care).ConclusionsMāori, females, and younger participants were more likely to report low confidence and trust in their GP. Participants associate a poor diagnostic experience with deficits in the interpersonal and technical skills of their GP, and health system factors within general practice. Short appointment times, access to appointments and poor GP continuity are important components of how patients assess their experience and are particularly important to ensure equal access for Māori patients.

To explore variations in the use of and timeliness of chemotherapy in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer in New Zealand.This study included patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer in New Zealand between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2016. The first chemotherapy regime was identified from Pharmaceutical Collection dataset. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio of having chemotherapy by subgroup after adjustment for other factors.27.8% (6,737/24,217) of colon cancer patients and 43.8% (3,582/8,170) of rectal cancer patients received publicly funded chemotherapy. The uptake and timeliness of chemotherapy has been improving over time. Pacific people were the least likely to receive chemotherapy, followed by Māori and Asian. Younger patients, New Zealand European, patients with metastatic disease and patients in the Southern Cancer Network were more likely to have chemotherapy in less than 10 weeks post-diagnosis. Over half of the advanced colorectal cancer patients who did not receive chemotherapy were aged 80+ years or had a short life expectancy.Although the uptake and timeliness of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer has been improving, Māori, Pacific, Asian and older patients were less likely to receive chemotherapy and less likely to receive chemotherapy in a timely manner. There is a variation in use of chemotherapy by Region with patients in the Southern Cancer region appearing to be the most likely to receive chemotherapy and to receive it within a timely period.

Background Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Aotearoa New Zealand. Māori communities in particular have higher incidence and mortality rates from Lung Cancer. Diagnosis of lung cancer at an early stage can allow for curative treatment. This project aimed to document the barriers to early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in secondary care for Māori communities. Methods This project used a kaupapa Māori approach. Nine community hui (focus groups) and nine primary healthcare provider hui were carried out in five rural localities in the Midland region. Community hui included cancer patients, whānau (families), and other community members. Healthcare provider hui comprised staff members at the local primary healthcare centre, including General Practitioners and nurses. Hui data were thematically analysed. Results Barriers and enablers to early diagnosis of lung cancer were categorised into two broad themes: Specialist services and treatment, and whānau journey. The barriers and enablers that participants experienced in specialist services and treatment related to access to care, engagement with specialists, communication with specialist services and cultural values and respect, whereas barriers and enablers relating to the whānau journey focused on agency and the impact on whānau. Conclusions The study highlighted the need to improve communication within and across healthcare services, the importance of understanding the cultural needs of patients and whānau and a health system strategy that meets these needs. Findings also demonstrated the resilience of Māori and the active efforts of whānau as carers to foster health literacy in future generations.

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in New Zealand is high by international standards. Approximately 1,200 people in New Zealand die from this disease per year. Outcomes in New Zealand following a CRC diagnosis are poor. We aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients diagnosed with CRC across the four regional cancer networks in New Zealand.Patient demographics, tumour characteristics and survival outcomes for all patients diagnosed with CRC between 2006 and 2015 were analysed retrospectively from the National Cancer Registry (NZCR) and National Mortality collection and were linked by National Health Index (NHI) number.A total of 29,221 CRC cases were recorded during the 10-year study period, of which the majority were cancer of the colon (67.9%). In this sample, 42.0% were75 years, 52.1% were male and 88.1% were New Zealand European. After adjustment for factors such as age, gender, ethnicity year of diagnosis, cancer extent, cancer grade, lymph node and cancer site, cancer-related and all-cause survival were not significantly different by cancer network for those aged75 but for patients aged75 years, those living in the Central and Midland Cancer Network had a higher risk of dying of CRC compared to those in the Northern Cancer Network (1.12, 95% CI: 1.03-1.22 and 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02-1.18 respectively). Overall, Māori and Pacific people had worse cancer-specific and all-cause survival than New Zealand European.No regional variations were seen within New Zealand for the characteristics and survival outcomes of patients75 diagnosed with CRC. The risk of dying from CRC increased for those75, which is supportive of the international literature regarding outcomes for the elderly and CRC. We continue to show disparity in outcomes for Māori and Pacific patients diagnosed with CRC in New Zealand.

To determine whether glycaemic control and the prevalence of microvascular complications in Waikato children/youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has changed since 2003.A retrospective review was performed of clinical records of children and youth with T1D who were under the care of the Waikato Paediatric and Young Adult Diabetes Services between March 2016 and March 2017. Comparisons were made to published data from the same service in 2003.Despite a more than two-fold increase in insulin-pump therapy since 2003, glycaemic control was not significantly improved in either children or youth. However, since 2003 there has been a significant reduction in the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (24.6% vs 6.0%; P=0.003) and nephropathy (6.0% vs 25.4%; P=0.002), while symptomatic diabetic neuropathy remains rare. This reduction occurred despite a significant increase in obesity and hypertension, and no significant difference in the rates of dyslipidaemia or smoking.There has been a marked reduction in microvascular complications in Waikato youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes, but the reasons for the reduction are not clear given there has been no significant improvements in glycaemic control.

An acute, placebo-controlled, single-blind, crossover, dose-response, exploratory study was designed to investigate the hypoglycaemic effects of New Zealand pine bark extract (Enzogenol&reg, ). Twenty-five healthy participants categorised into having a monophasic or complex (biphasic or triphasic) glucose curve shape at the control visit consumed a placebo and Enzogenol&reg, (50 and 400 mg) on three separate occasions before an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). In the monophasic group, 50 and 400 mg of Enzogenol&reg, significantly reduced the mean glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC) compared to control 241.3 &plusmn, 20.2 vs. 335.4 &plusmn, 34.0 mmol/L&middot, min, p = 0.034 and 249.3 &plusmn, 25.4 vs. 353.6 &plusmn, 31.5 mmol/L&middot, min, p = 0.012, respectively. The 400 mg dose further reduced the percentage increment of postprandial glucose (%PG) 31.4% &plusmn, 7.9% vs. 47.5% &plusmn, 8.6%, p = 0.010, glucose peak 7.9 &plusmn, 0.3 vs. 8.9 &plusmn, 0.3 mmol/L, p = 0.025 and 2h-OGTT postprandial glucose (2hPG) 6.1 &plusmn, 0.3 vs. 6.7 &plusmn, 0.3 mmol/L, p = 0.027. Glucose iAUC was not significantly different in the complex group, except for reductions in %PG 28.7% &plusmn, 8.2% vs. 43.4% &plusmn, 5.9%, p = 0.012 after 50 mg dose and 27.7% &plusmn, 5.4% vs. 47.3% &plusmn, 7.2%, p = 0.025 after 400 mg dose. The results suggest that Enzogenol&reg, may have hypoglycaemic effects in healthy participants, especially those exhibiting monophasic shapes.

Effective and timely management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) requires early detection. However, screening rates have been shown to be relatively low in New Zealand, despite the introduction of national screening guidelines in 2014 which indicate that all pregnant women should be screened. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the awareness of the New Zealand Ministry of Health Diabetes in Pregnancy screening guidelines by New Zealand midwives.A 24-question online survey based upon the New Zealand screening guidelines was distributed via New Zealand midwifery social media groups to explore the awareness of New Zealand midwives with regard to screening for diabetes in pregnancy. Free text comments were also allowed, these were broadly categorized and reviewed.174 registered midwives in Aotearoa New Zealand completed the survey.All participants responded that they routinely offer glycated haemoglobin screening for detection of undiagnosed pre-gestational diabetes, and 92.9% identified that this should occur prior to 20 weeks gestation (as per the national guidelines). However, less than two thirds of midwives thought that all women should be screened for GDM, with 18.2% indicating they would only do this if immediate risk factors were present. There also appeared to be some confusion over the time period for screening for GDM with 22.9% indicating that this should occur later than the guideline-recommended timepoint of 24-28 weeks gestation. Participants who identified as Māori and community-based midwives were most likely to screen for GDM 'only if risk factors were present'. Participants practicing for more than 6 years, those aged 45-54 years, and midwives identifying as Māori were most likely to screen for GDM after 28 weeks (though these did not reach statistical significance).The New Zealand Diabetes in Pregnancy screening guidelines do not appear to be well implemented in our sample group, particularly with regard to screening for GDM. This needs to be evaluated in a larger group of midwives, as education around the timeliness and importance of screening for all women may be required.A lack of appropriate or timely screening for GDM may mean that women are not being diagnosed or managed appropriately, which in turn may have implications for both mother and child.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONThe prevalence of cancer in the community is likely to be increasing due to an ageing population, implementation of cancer screening programmes and advances in cancer treatment. AIMTo determine the prevalence of primary invasive cancers in a large general practice patient population in New Zealand and to characterise the health-care status of these cancer patients. METHODSData were sourced from the patient management system of a large general practice (n=11,374 patients) in a medium-sized Waikato town and from the New Zealand Cancer Registry dataset to identify patients diagnosed with cancer between January 2009 and December 2018. RESULTSThere were 206 cancer diagnoses in 201 patients; 35 cancers were diagnosed in 1887 Māori patients (1.9%) and 171 in 9487 non-Māori patients (1.8%). The age-standardised prevalence was 3092/100,000 in Māori patients and 1971/100,000 in non-Māori patients. The most prevalent cancers were breast, male genital organ, digestive organ and skin cancers. In May 2019, 81 of 201 (40.8%) patients with cancer were receiving only usual care from their general practitioner, whereas 66 (32.8%) were having their cancer managed in secondary care. Comorbidities were common, including hypertension (38.8%), gastrointestinal disorders (29.9%) and mood disorders (24.4%). DISCUSSIONResults suggest that there may be disparities in cancer prevalence between Māori and non-Māori patients, although this needs to be confirmed in other general practices. Furthermore, primary care appears to be responsible for most of the care in this patient cohort and workloads should be planned accordingly, particularly with the high incidence of comorbidities.

Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at a greater risk of developing respiratory complications and hypoglycaemia than those born to mothers without diabetes. However, there is currently insufficient evidence as to whether these risks are altered by antenatal corticosteroids after 37 weeks gestation. This retrospective study suggests that antenatal corticosteroids probably reduce respiratory admissions to the newborn intensive care unit with a mild increase in neonatal hypoglycaemia in women with GDM who deliver via caesarean section after 37 weeks gestation. Consequently, we recommend a randomised, controlled trial is required to determine the efficacy and safety of antenatal corticosteroids specifically in women with GDM.

Background: The published literature suggests that RNs are more overweight and obese than the general population. This research investigates associations between nutrition literacy, anthropometry measures, and nutritional biomarkers in an undergraduate nursing student population. Method: Year-one nursing students from two tertiary education institutions in New Zealand were invited to participate in an observational, convenience sample study. Data collection from participants ( N = 103) included a nutrition literacy questionnaire, anthropometry measures, and blood lipid, glucose, and HbA1c concentrations. Results: Approximately 51% of participants were either overweight or obese, which is a similar prevalence to the New Zealand demographic-matched population. Mean body mass index was 26.7 ± 6.3 kg/m 2 and body fat was 29% ± 8.3%. The mean literacy score was 56.7% ± 13.2%. The literacy score was inversely associated with anthropometry measures and total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and positively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusions: Nutrition literacy had a statistically significant influence on anthropometry and lipid measures. [ J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(1):43–48.]

Objectives To investigate the hormonal contraceptive practices of female university students aged ⩽25 years, their menstrual bleeding frequency, and interest in contraceptive regimens that reduce menstrual frequency or duration. Study design A 20-item questionnaire was distributed to female students at Griffith University, Gold Coast campus. This included questions relating to: demographics, menstrual bleeding frequency, current contraceptive practices, and interest in future oral contraceptive regimens that reduce menstrual bleeding frequency and duration. Main outcome measures Determination of hormonal contraceptive practices and menstrual bleeding frequency undertaken by the sample population. Results Eight hundred and fifty one participants completed the questionnaire, ∼2/3rds of respondents are currently using a hormonal contraceptive (66% of all respondents), with the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) being most common. Most women (73%) reported monthly menstruation, although 16% indicated that they sometimes missed their monthly period, with bleeding every two months. Of all OCP users, approximately 2/3rds have skipped their monthly period at some time, the most common reasons being for convenience (89%). Approximately 70% of respondents were interested in OCP regimens that reduced frequency or duration of menstruation. Conclusion OCP use is popular amongst Australian university women, with many being interested in the concept of using the OCP to delay menstruation. Given this interest and the availability of hormonal contraceptives that reduce menstrual frequency and duration, assessing the impact of reduced menstrual blood loss on iron stores may be warranted.

Background: Obesity is prevalent in health care workers, but it is unknown whether a lack of nutritional knowledge contributes to this. This study measured the nutrition knowledge of undergraduate nursing students to identify knowledge gaps that could be addressed through nutrition teaching in an updated undergraduate nursing curriculum. Method: Undergraduate nursing students ( N = 197) completed a nutrition knowledge survey with questions on demographics, body composition, nutrition labels, food packaging claims, and healthy food-purchasing choices. Results: Mean overall nutritional knowledge scores were low, but overall scores were higher for students who had received nutrition teaching (60.5% versus 52.5%; F [1, 187] = 7.2, p < 0.001). Improvements in nutrition knowledge were consistent across all ethnic groups, and no effects of age were observed. Conclusion: To sufficiently prepare nurses for their public health role in obesity prevention, more nutrition education is needed in undergraduate nursing education programs, with emphasis on ethnic-specific educational requirements. [ J Nurs Educ. 2015;54(9, Suppl.):S103–S106.]