A population survey of the penetrance of contact lens wear in Australia : rationale, methodology and results

Purpose: A population based, cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted to estimate the total penetrance of contact lens wear in Australia. Methods: A total of 42,749 households around Australia were randomly selected from the national electronic telephone directory based on postcode distribution. Before contact was attempted, letters of introduction were sent. The number of individuals and contact lens wearers in each household was ascertained and lens wearers were interviewed to determine details of lens type and mode of wear using a structured questionnaire. Results: Of households contacted, 59.2% (19,171/32,405) agreed to participate. Response rates were only marginally higher amongst households that first received a letter of introduction. In these households, 35,914 individuals were identified, of which, 1,798 were contact lens wearers. The penetrance of contact lens wear during the study period was 5.01% (95% CI: 4.78-5.24). Soft hydrogel lenses had the largest penetrance in the community, (66.7% of all wearers), however, their market share decreased significantly over the study period with increased uptake of newly introduced lens types. Conclusions: The penetrance of contact lens wear concurs with market estimates and equates to approximately 680,000 contact lens wearers aged between 15 and 64 years in Australia. The low response rate obtained in this study highlights the difficulty in contemporary use of telephone survey methodology

Public use and perceptions of emergency departments: A population survey

Objectives To inform demand management strategies aimed at reducing congestion in EDs by: (i) identifying public use of EDs, decision-making and reasons; and (ii) measuring acceptance of alternative care models. Methods A cross-sectional telephone survey of a random sample of Queensland population aged 18 years or older residing in a dwelling unit in Queensland that could be contacted on a land-based telephone service was conducted. One person per household was selected according to a predetermined algorithm to ensure sex and regional balance were interviewed. The main outcome measures were: ED use, attitudes towards ED staff and services, and alternative models of care. Results The final sample included a total of 1256 respondents (response rate = 40.3%). Twenty-one per cent attended EDs in the preceding 12 months. The decision to attend was made by patients (51%), health and medical professionals (31%), and others (18%). The main reasons included perceived severity of the illness (47%), unavailability of alternative services (26%) and better care (11%). Most respondents agreed with more flexible care models of service delivery including incentives for general practitioners (90%), private health insurance coverage for ED use (89%), and enhanced roles for paramedics and nurses. Conclusions Main reason for attending ED is perceived severity of illness, followed by lack of alternative care. The majority of both consumers and the public are in favour of more flexible care models. However, further research is necessary to detail those alternatives and to test and validate their effectiveness.

Preliminary results from follow-up of a large-scale population survey of antibodies to gliadin, reticulin and endomysium

Coeliac disease is often under-diagnosed, particularly in cases which are atypical or asymptomatic.

Awareness and knowledge of autism and autism interventions: A general population survey.

Recent figures show that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects at least 1 in 88 of the population, yet for years, international public awareness of ASD was limited. Over the past 5-10 years intense efforts have been made to raise autism awareness in the general population in countries such as UK and US. In this paper we report data from a large-scale general population survey (n=1204) in which we assessed autism awareness, knowledge about autism, and perceptions about autism interventions in Northern Ireland. We found high levels of autism awareness, in fact over 80% of the sample were aware of ASD and over 60% of these respondents knew someone with ASD in their own family, circle of friends or work colleagues. Generally, knowledge of strengths and challenges faced by individuals with ASD was relatively accurate. However, perceptions of interventions and service provider responsibilities were vague and uncertain. Results show that local and international autism awareness campaigns have largely been successful and that the focus should shift towards disseminating accurate information regarding intervention and service provider responsibilities.

Creating an Inclusive Society… How Close are We in Relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder? A General Population Survey

BackgroundChildren with autism spectrum disorder are increasingly educated in mainstream classrooms in the United Kingdom (Wilkinson & Twist, Autism and Educational Assessment: UK Policy and Practice. NFER, Slough, 2010), and some employers are now specifically seeking out staff on the autism spectrum. Does that mean that we are living in an inclusive society' [United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Creating an Inclusive Society: Practical Strategies to Promote Social Integration 2008], in the sense that inequalities are reduced and full economic, social and cultural participation is advanced for individuals with autism?

MethodsA general population survey was conducted to assess how close we, as a society, are to an inclusive society for individuals with autism in Northern Ireland. Public attitudes were examined to (i) visibility and social interaction, (ii) aetiology, needs and interventions, and (iii) rights and resources.

ResultsA stratified, representative sample of 1204 adults took part in the survey; of these, 989 were aware of autism and their attitudes and behavioural projections reflected a mix of acceptance and denunciation. The level of confusion with regard to interventions reflected the general uncertainty within UK policy regarding meeting the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum (International Journal of Disability, Development and Education 61, 134, 2014a).

ConclusionTherefore, it seems that inclusion is working to an extent, but more clarity is needed with regard to adequate education, intervention and support for individuals with autism.

Parent-reported health status of overweight and obese Australian primary school children: a cross-sectional population survey

Introduction: Childhood overweight/obesity is associated with poor physical and psychosocial health in clinical samples. However, there is little information on the health status of overweight and obese children in the community, who now represent a large proportion of the child population. We examined parent-reported child health and well-being and parent concern about child weight by body mass index (BMI) category in a population sample of primary school children.

Design: A stratified two-stage random cluster sample of 24 primary schools representative of the state of Victoria, Australia.

Measures: BMI (weight/height2) transformed to normalised Z-scores using the 1990 UK Growth Reference; the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ), a 13-scale 50-item parent-completed measure of health and well-being; parent self-reported height and weight; parent concern about child's weight.

Results: Data were available for 2863 children aged 5-13 y (50.5% male), of whom 17% were overweight and 5.7% obese. Using logistic regression analyses with 'normal weight' as the referent category, obese boys were at greater risk of poor health (ie <15th centile) on seven of the 12 CHQ scales: Physical Functioning (odds ratio (OR) 2.8), Bodily Pain (OR 1.8), General Health (OR 3.5), Mental Health (OR 2.8), Self Esteem (OR 1.8), Parent Impact¾Emotional (OR 1.7) and Parent Impact¾Time (OR 1.9). Obese girls were at greater risk of poor health on only two scales: General Health (OR 2.1) and Self Esteem (OR 1.8). Forty-two percent of parents with obese children and 81% with overweight children did not report concern about their child's weight. Parents were more likely to report concern if the child was obese (OR 21.3), overweight (OR 3.5) or underweight (OR 5.4) than normal weight (P<0.05). Concern was not related to child gender, parental BMI or parental education after controlling for child BMI. Perceived health and well-being of overweight/obese children varied little by weight category of the reporting parent (overweight vs non-overweight).

Conclusions: Parents were more likely to report poorer health and well-being for overweight and obese children (particularly obese boys). Parental concern about their child's weight was strongly associated with their child's actual BMI. Despite this, most parents of overweight and obese children did not report poor health or well-being, and a high proportion did not report concern. This has implications for the early identification of such children and the success of prevention and intervention efforts.