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Aims and objectives: The current study aimed to qualitatively explore men's help‐seeking behaviours by analysing male callers' talk on an Australian health helpline. Analysis focused on identifying the ways in which men positioned themselves as help‐seekers and the extent to which help‐seeking behaviours deviated or conformed to the narrative commonly reported on in men's health literature which, generally speaking, positions men as reluctant help‐seekers and health service users. Methods: The present study utilised naturally occurring instances of men's help‐seeking during 196 calls to the helpline, Healthdirect Australia. Thematic analysis was used to explore recurrent themes in help‐seeking interactions. Findings: The analysis yielded three broad themes, which were formulated as caller archetypes. These themes included the 'reluctant caller', the 'unwell patient' and the 'concerned carer', as well as a number of associated sub‐themes within these broad categories. Conclusions: The findings demonstrated that male callers sought help in a variety of different ways, rather than prescribing to a homogenous pattern of help‐seeking. However, it was acknowledged that some data did align with help‐seeking behaviour which indicated men's reluctance to engage with their own health. So what?: The present study contributes to men's health promotion by identifying the various social devices used by men to facilitate help‐seeking. The findings highlight the changing and flexible landscape of contemporary masculinity and its impact on health engagement. Recognising the versatility in men's health behaviour is important for ensuring that men have positive experiences during healthcare encounters which, in turn, may facilitate future health service uptake and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue addressed: Consumption of energy drinks is a public health concern, particularly in adolescents and young adults. This study explored energy drink consumers' reactions to an energy drink‐specific warning label (risk of cardiac effects) and a more general sugary drink warning label (risk of obesity). Methods: An online experimental study randomly allocated Australian energy drink consumers aged 18‐39 years (N = 435) to view one of two label conditions (cardiac effects or obesity). Participants were assessed on: intention to reduce energy drink consumption, perceived health threat, perceived label effectiveness and policy support for energy drink warning labels. Results: Mean intentions to reduce consumption scores were similar across the two label conditions (Mobesity = 2.5, Mcardiac = 2.6) overall; and were higher for the cardiac label (compared to obesity label) for some subgroups: females (Mobesity = 2.3, Mcardiac = 2.8; p =.037), older (25‐39 years; Mobesity = 2.4, Mcardiac = 2.8; p =.016); and higher education level (Mobesity = 1.9, Mcardiac = 2.7; p =.004). While perceived health threat measures were higher for obesity than cardiac effects, perceived label effectiveness measures of 'believable' and 'relevant to me' were higher for the cardiac label than the obesity label (believable: 71.0% vs 56.1%; relevant: 42.5% vs 29.4%). Participants who viewed the cardiac label were more likely to support policy than those shown the obesity label (OR = 1.6, 95%CI [1.1, 2.3], p =.02). Conclusions: Health effect warnings labels were perceived by energy drink consumers to be impactful and are supported. Labels with energy drink‐specific health effects may offer additional benefit. So what?: Policy makers can feel confident that warning labels on energy drinks will confer public health benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue addressed: This study used the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change (TTM) to describe reparticipation in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening according to social cognitive and background variables. Methods: A random sample of men and women aged 50-74 years living in South Australia completed a questionnaire measuring TTM stage and attitudes toward screening using a faecal occult blood test (FOBT). Participants were categorised according to four stages of readiness to rescreen: action, maintenance, relapse and inconsistent. Multivariate techniques were used to determine predictors of lower readiness stages compared with maintenance. Results: Of the 849 study participants, 29.9% were either non-adherent or had no intentions to maintain adherence (inconsistent and relapse). Compared with maintenance rescreeners, relapse participants reported less: social influences to screen (RR=0.86, p<0.001); satisfaction with prior screening (RR=0.87, p=0.03), self-efficacy (RR=0.96, p=0.01); and screening benefits (RR=0.84, p<0.001). Relapse participants were also more likely to not have private health insurance (RR=1.33, p=0.04) and be unaware of the need to repeat screening (RR=1.41, p=0.02). Inconsistent screeners were less likely to have planned when they will next rescreen (RR= 0.84, p=0.04) and reported greater barriers to rescreening (RR=1.05, p=0.05). Action participants were younger (RR= 0.98, p=<0.001), reported less social influences to screen (RR=0.94, p<0.001) and were less likely to have known someone who has had CRC (RR=0.82, p=0.01). Conclusions: Social cognitive, demographic and background variables significantly differentiated screening maintenance from lower readiness stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue addressed: Consumption of energy drinks is a public health concern, particularly in adolescents and young adults. This study explored energy drink consumers' reactions to an energy drink‐specific warning label (risk of cardiac effects) and a more general sugary drink warning label (risk of obesity). Methods: An online experimental study randomly allocated Australian energy drink consumers aged 18‐39 years (N = 435) to view one of two label conditions (cardiac effects or obesity). Participants were assessed on: intention to reduce energy drink consumption, perceived health threat, perceived label effectiveness and policy support for energy drink warning labels. Results: Mean intentions to reduce consumption scores were similar across the two label conditions (Mobesity = 2.5, Mcardiac = 2.6) overall; and were higher for the cardiac label (compared to obesity label) for some subgroups: females (Mobesity = 2.3, Mcardiac = 2.8; p =.037), older (25‐39 years; Mobesity = 2.4, Mcardiac = 2.8; p =.016); and higher education level (Mobesity = 1.9, Mcardiac = 2.7; p =.004). While perceived health threat measures were higher for obesity than cardiac effects, perceived label effectiveness measures of 'believable' and 'relevant to me' were higher for the cardiac label than the obesity label (believable: 71.0% vs 56.1%; relevant: 42.5% vs 29.4%). Participants who viewed the cardiac label were more likely to support policy than those shown the obesity label (OR = 1.6, 95%CI [1.1, 2.3], p =.02). Conclusions: Health effect warnings labels were perceived by energy drink consumers to be impactful and are supported. Labels with energy drink‐specific health effects may offer additional benefit. So what?: Policy makers can feel confident that warning labels on energy drinks will confer public health benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: This study used the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change (TTM) to describe reparticipation in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening according to social cognitive and background variables.Methods: A random sample of men and women aged 50-74 years living in South Australia completed a questionnaire measuring TTM stage and attitudes toward screening using a faecal occult blood test (FOBT). Participants were categorised according to four stages of readiness to rescreen: action, maintenance, relapse and inconsistent. Multivariate techniques were used to determine predictors of lower readiness stages compared with maintenance.Results: Of the 849 study participants, 29.9% were either non-adherent or had no intentions to maintain adherence (inconsistent and relapse). Compared with maintenance rescreeners, relapse participants reported less: social influences to screen (RR=0.86, p<0.001); satisfaction with prior screening (RR=0.87, p=0.03), self-efficacy (RR=0.96, p=0.01); and screening benefits (RR=0.84, p<0.001). Relapse participants were also more likely to not have private health insurance (RR=1.33, p=0.04) and be unaware of the need to repeat screening (RR=1.41, p=0.02). Inconsistent screeners were less likely to have planned when they will next rescreen (RR= 0.84, p=0.04) and reported greater barriers to rescreening (RR=1.05, p=0.05). Action participants were younger (RR= 0.98, p=<0.001), reported less social influences to screen (RR=0.94, p<0.001) and were less likely to have known someone who has had CRC (RR=0.82, p=0.01).Conclusions: Social cognitive, demographic and background variables significantly differentiated screening maintenance from lower readiness stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the distribution of a population in southern urban Adelaide in terms of readiness to screen for colorectal cancer (CRC) by Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) or colonoscopy according to the stages in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behaviour change and to compare the stages according to demographic variables.Methods: A random sample of 664 South Australians aged 50 to 74 were surveyed in June 2006. Chi-squared analyses were performed to determine if statistically significant differences on demographic variables existed between participants at different stages of readiness to screen.Results: The precontemplation and contemplation stages when combined equated to more than half of the total respondents. Several significant differences were identified between the stages. Those in both the precontemplation and contemplation stages were older than those in the remaining stages and also had a significantly higher proportion of women when compared to the action stage. In the precontemplation stage there were significantly more respondents for whom English was a second language, and low levels of private health insurance, whereas the contemplation stage had the highest proportion of Australian-born respondents. Interestingly, levels of private health insurance were also low among those who intended to screen with colonoscopy.Conclusions and Implications: The majority of the population were not found to have progressed beyond contemplation. Certain demographic characteristics varied significantly between people at different stages of readiness to screen for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the distribution of a population in southern urban Adelaide in terms of readiness to screen for colorectal cancer (CRC) by Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) or colonoscopy according to the stages in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behaviour change and to compare the stages according to demographic variables. Methods: A random sample of 664 South Australians aged 50 to 74 were surveyed in June 2006. Chi-squared analyses were performed to determine if statistically significant differences on demographic variables existed between participants at different stages of readiness to screen. Results: The precontemplation and contemplation stages when combined equated to more than half of the total respondents. Several significant differences were identified between the stages. Those in both the precontemplation and contemplation stages were older than those in the remaining stages and also had a significantly higher proportion of women when compared to the action stage. In the precontemplation stage there were significantly more respondents for whom English was a second language, and low levels of private health insurance, whereas the contemplation stage had the highest proportion of Australian-born respondents. Interestingly, levels of private health insurance were also low among those who intended to screen with colonoscopy. Conclusions and implications: The majority of the population were not found to have progressed beyond contemplation. Certain demographic characteristics varied significantly between people at different stages of readiness to screen for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]