Media influences on attitudes and perceptions toward the body among adult men and women

The current study investigated media influences on men's and women's body perception. Participants were 60 men and 60 women. Men overestimated their chest, waist, and thighs and underestimated their hips. Women overestimated the size of all body parts. Men's and women's perception of their body was not predicted by media exposure or attitudes to the media. Both men's and women's ideal body was different from their current bodies. Attitudes and exposure to the media predicted men's (but not women's) perceptions of the ideal body held by the media, as well as both men's and women's ideal chest and waist. These findings suggest that the media has an impact on the ideal body size of both men and women.

Chaos theory and assessment of forest stakeholder attitudes towards Australian forest policy

The Regional Forest Agreement process has dominated Australian forest policy for the past decade. The RFA process set in place a mechanism by which benchmark conservation values were established for forest  ecosystems, whilst addressing the needs of the timber industry. The outcomes of a number of RFA's have been fraught with controversy. Key stakeholder groups have shown disagreement with processes and  outcomes of methods employed by government both in establishing conservation reserves and areas allocated to timber harvesting. This research uses non-linear techniques to examine the dynamical behavior in stakeholder responses and to identify patterns of behavior that may lead to prediction of stakeholder responses. The method developed in this research provides a bridge between social sciences and Chaos theory.¹

Attitudes of Australian information system managers against online attackers

Examines the attitudes of Australian IS/IT managers to the concept of cyber-vigilantism. Also, it explores the policies and procedures which have been set in place by various organisations to cope with concerted attacks on their systems. It finds that although a majority of managers do approve of the concept of “striking back”, only a minority are prepared for this eventuality. There appears to be complacency about the threats posed by organised, offensive attackers.

Demographic differences in usage and attitudes to milk

Declining milk consumption is a potential public health problem because milk provides nutrients that are not abundant in other foods. Identification of the factors that may influence milk consumption may lead to development of interventions to promote more healthful behaviours.

Attitudes and beliefs about food appear to be strong predictors of dietary behaviour. The objective of this study was to survey a random sample of consumers in regard to their milk consumption and attitudes and beliefs about milk. Two telephone surveys were conducted one year apart. The questionnaire included attitude items that reflected the main themes of consumers' interest in milk.

The respondents' attitudes were complex and were related to demographics and milk consumption. In general, people's concerns about milk related to what was important in their lives; what threatened them physically and emotionally. Women held more positive attitudes, but they were concerned about the fat content of milk. Men were less aware of milk's nutritional benefits and, as a result, were less appreciative of its value.

The findings from this investigation provide an opportunity to develop appropriate public health initiatives to promote the consumption of high calcium foods and to address the barriers to drinking milk. Nutrition communications in collaboration with other health agencies and the milk industry could support these initiatives.

Knowledge, attitudes and experience associated with testing for prostate cancer: a comparison between male doctors and men in the community

Background: Debate about testing for prostate cancer using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examination (DRE) continues. The evidence of benefit from screening for prostate cancer using PSA tests is inconclusive, and it is unclear how PSA can be used most effectively in the detection of prostate cancer. Given the lack of consensus, it is important that consumers understand the issues in a way that will permit them to decide whether or not to have a test and, if symptomatic, how their condition is managed.

Aims: To compare prostate cancer knowledge, attitudes and testing experiences reported by male doctors and men in the community, despite the lack of evidence of a benefit.

Methods : The primary method for ascertaining the attitudes of male doctors (MD) was a telephone survey, with some doctors electing to complete a written survey. Each MD was selected, at random, from a register of male practitioners aged ≥ 49 years of age. A total of 266 MD participated in the survey. The community sample (CS) was accessed using a telephone survey. Five hundred male Victorian residents aged ≥ 49 years of age participated in the study.

Results:
Knowledge − Overall, 55% of the CS indicated ­correctly that prostate disease is sometimes cancer, compared to 83% of MD.

Attitudes − Fifty-five per cent of MD believed men should be tested for prostate disease at least every 2 years, compared to 68% of men in the CS.

Testing experience − Forty-five per cent of MD had been tested for prostate cancer in the past, and 92% of those tests were reported as negative. In the CS, 56% had been tested for prostate cancer in the past, and 78% of the results were reported as negative. The ­significant independent predictors of having had a prostate test among MD were: (i) age (≥ 60 years; odds ratio (OR): 1.59; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.30−1.88) and (ii) positive attitudes towards regular testing for prostate cancer (OR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.98−2.56). The significant independent predictors for the CS were: (i) age (≥ 60 years; OR: 1.65; 95% CI: 1.40−1.89), (ii) being married (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.00−1.60), (iii) knowledge that prostate disease was sometimes cancer (OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.26−1.66) and (iv) positive attitudes towards regular testing for prostate cancer (OR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.90−2.34).

Conclusions: The results highlight that testing for prostate cancer is widespread in the community and in the medical profession. Further research should be undertaken to identify how to help men make fully informed decisions about prostate cancer testing.

Developing better public policy to motivate responsible environmental behavior - an examination of managers' attitudes and perceptions towards controlling introduced species

This paper examines the application of public policy, including social marketing, to programs designed to control an environmentally harmful introduced species in Australia. Managers involved in dealing with the issue identify a range of factors that contribute to the lack of success of existing control programs. The results suggest that there needs to be a broad-based integrated program that incorporates changes in stakeholders' attitudes as well as governmental resources and support for implementation of relevant initiatives.

Knowledge and attitudes of ED staff before and after implementation of the emergency nurse practitioner role

Introduction
The Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) role was implemented in the Emergency Department (ED) at The Northern Hospital (TNH) in April 2004. Implementation of the ENP role occurred as part of a Department of Human Services funded project to establish the ENP model as an effective and sustainable model of care delivery in Victorian EDs.

Aim
The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes and knowledge of ED medical and nursing staff prior to, and following, implementation of the ENP role.

Methods
The design was a pre-test/post-test design and the Northern Emergency Nurse Practitioner Staff Survey was used for data collection. A total of 104 ED staff completed the pre-test survey and the post-test survey was completed by 79 ED staff.

Results
The attitudes and knowledge of ED medical and nursing staff changed significantly during implementation of the ENP role. Pre-test data indicated that staff were generally supportive of the role but had a poor understanding of the requirements for endorsement and how the role would function in clinical practice. Post-test data showed significant increases in support for the ENP role, a greater understanding of the requirements to become an ENP and increased understanding of the logistics and functions of an ENP.

Conclusion
The implementation of the Nurse Practitioner role within the emergency department of The Northern Hospital, Victoria Australia has been a positive experience for both medical and nursing staff.

Sexual sites, seminal attitudes : sexualities, masculinities, and culture in South Asia

This book situates current research into the sexual cultures of South Asia within a cross-cultural perspective. The book argues that in societies undergoing rapid social and cultural change, the construction of sexuality and the discourses that gather around it have a fundamental connection with an entire range of processes - social, cultural, economic, political and global - with which people must engage. The contributors have studied sexuality as a site around which social and cultural ideas may be expressed.

Approaches to the development and maintenance of professional values, ethics and attitudes in accounting education programs

IES 4, Professional Values, Ethics and Attitudes prescribes the professional values, ethics and attitudes professional accountants should acquire during the education program leading to membership of an IFAC member body.
The purpose of this paper is to support the development of IEPS 4.1, Approaches to Developing and Maintaining Professional Values, Ethics and Attitudes. This will assist and support IFAC member bodies to discharge effectively their responsibilities to ensure that candidates for membership of an IFAC member body are equipped with the appropriate professional values, ethics and attitudes to function as professional accountants.
The IAESB believes that this paper, and the findings of the independent research team, will be of interest and benefit to IFAC member bodies, accounting educators, and others seeking to implement ethics education programs for professional accountants.

Pride and prejudice : facilitating change in the attitudes of students toward gay men and lesbians

Issue addressed: As one of the most significant sites of homophobia is the school, a six week school based program designed to help students explore their attitudes to gays and lesbians was developed called 'Pride and Prejudice'. This paper reports on the initial data from the evaluation of this program. Methods: In order to evaluate the usefulness of the program, a group of year 10 students at a state secondary school participated in the Pride and Prejudice program. Students' attitudes to gay men and lesbians and their social connectedness, self esteem, attitudes to race and beliefs about gender roles were measured before and after their participation. Results: Attitudes held by students toward gay men and lesbians were significantly more positive after the program. The level of attendance during the program significantly predicted the change in attitudes toward gay men but not to lesbians. Conclusion: School based programs delivered to individual classes in which students are given the opportunity to explore their attitudes toward lesbians and gay men may be a useful part of a strategy to reduce homophobia. So what?: Health promoting schools now have a tool available for enabling students to reflect on their attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. It is hoped that school wide implementation of such a program will eventually lead to a reduction in the discrimination same sex attracted youth often experience.