Search

Issues Addressed: Tobacco product availability is higher in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, which can further widen tobacco‐related health and disease burden inequities. This study aimed to describe retail availability of tobacco products in South Australia and examine the association between tobacco vendor location, population's socioeconomic status (SES) and tobacco smoking prevalence. Methods: Cross‐sectional 2022 tobacco vendor licence data and 2021–2022 state‐wide population health survey data from the South Australian Department of Health were used. Tobacco vendors were enumerated by Statistical Area 2 (SA2) using geocoding software, with SA2s assigned health survey derived smoking prevalence, SES, remoteness category, area size, and population size. Results: As of 2022, there were 1723 tobacco vendors in South Australia and the overall tobacco smoking prevalence across the state was 11.8%. Regression analyses indicated that tobacco vendor density increased with socioeconomic disadvantage and geographic remoteness, and that smoking prevalence was higher in low SES areas. Vendor density was not related to smoking prevalence. Conclusions: Findings are consistent with existing research indicating greater tobacco availability in socially disadvantaged areas. This supports that tobacco vendor saturation may be directed to areas in a way that promotes tobacco availability for vulnerable populations. Our finding that smoking prevalence was unrelated to tobacco availability contrasts existing literature and should be carefully interpreted. So What?: This is the first study to map tobacco retailers across South Australia, contributing needed evidence on the intersection of tobacco vendor density, social disadvantage, and smoking prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Response to the substantial and long‐term impacts that a cancer diagnosis and treatment has on the growing population of cancer survivors, requires priority‐driven, impactful research. This study aimed to map Australian cancer survivorship research activities to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement and compare activities against identified survivorship research priorities. Methods: An online survey was completed by Australian researchers regarding their cancer survivorship research, and the barriers they identified to conducting such research. Current research activity was compared to recently established Australian survivorship research priorities. Results: Overall, 178 participants completed the online survey. The majority of the research undertaken utilized survey or qualitative designs and focused on breast cancer, adult populations, and those in early survivorship (<5 years post‐treatment). Barriers to conducting survivorship research included funding, collaboration and networking, mentoring, and time constraints. There was moderate alignment with existing research priorities. Investigating models of care and health service delivery were the most frequently researched priorities. Research priorities that were less commonly investigated included patient navigation, patient‐reported outcomes, multimorbidity, fear of cancer recurrence, and economic issues. Conclusion: This study provides the first snapshot of Australian survivorship research activity. Comparison to established priorities demonstrates health services research is receiving attention and highlights areas for potential pursuits, such as rare cancers or multimorbidity. Findings indicate the need for improved funding and infrastructure to support researchers in advancing the survivorship research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study used retrospective linked population data to investigate the impact of early childhood cancer on developmental outcomes.Methods: Children aged <9 years with a recorded malignant neoplasm were identified in the South Australian Cancer Registry. They were then linked to developmental data recorded in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) for the 2009, 2012, and 2015 data collection periods; and assigned five matched controls from the same AEDC year.Results: Between 2000 and 2015, 43 children had a malignant cancer diagnosis and also participated in the AEDC. Compared to controls, childhood cancer survivors exhibited greater developmental vulnerability in their physical health and wellbeing. Between survivors and controls, no significant developmental differences were observed in social, emotional, language and cognitive, and communication and general knowledge domains. Rural or remote location had a significant positive effect on developmental outcomes for childhood cancer survivors relative to controls, suggesting this was a protective factor in terms of physical health and wellbeing, social competence, communication, and general knowledge. Among all children, socioeconomic advantage was linked to better developmental outcomes on all domains except physical health and wellbeing.Conclusion: Following an early cancer diagnosis, children may require targeted care to support their physical health and wellbeing. Geographic variation in developmental outcomes indicates remoteness was a protective factor and requires further investigation. This study highlights the feasibility of using administrative whole-population data to investigate cancer outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated how coping impacts offspring's adaption to parental cancer in terms of post-traumatic growth, resilience, and emotion; and how coping differs between offspring. Methods: Participants (18–34 years; n = 244) completed an online survey. Data were analyzed using generalized linear modeling and multinomial regression. Findings: Higher levels of adaptive coping was associated with higher post-traumatic growth, resiliency, and positive affect; whereas maladaptive coping was associated with lower resiliency and higher negative affect. Females and offspring who did not access support for their parent's cancer reported higher adaptive coping. Offspring bereaved by parental cancer reported higher levels of maladaptive coping. Offspring whose parents' cancer was of shorter duration and those who lived with their ill parent had lower adaptive and maladaptive coping. Conclusions/Implications: Adaptive coping appeared beneficial to offspring. Supportive interventions may benefit from focusing on increasing adaptive coping, particularly among bereaved offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]