High levels of PA, particularly moderate-intensity and household/caregiving activities during pregnancy were associated with a lower prevalence of GDM independent of sitting time.

Preserved foods have been found in some studies to be associated with increased cancer risks. The possible relationship between preserved foods and prostate cancer was investigated in a case -control study in southeast China during 2001 -2002 covering 130 histologically confirmed cases and 274 inpatient controls without malignant disease. The total amount of preserved food consumed was positively associated with cancer risk, the adjusted odds ratio being 7.05 (95% CI: 3.12 -15.90) for the highest relative to the lowest quartile of intake. In particular, the consumption of pickled vegetables, fermented soy products, salted fish and preserved meats was associated with a significant increase in prostate cancer risk, all with a significant dose -response relationship.

Soyfood and isoflavone intake was associated with a lower type 2 diabetes risk in Vietnamese adults.

Objectives-To describe the formation of a consultative team to assess the risk of manual handling in the workplace that started in October 1992 within the cleaning services department of a 600 bed hospital, and to evaluate the eVectiveness of its recommendations in reducing the rate and severity (time lost and cost) of workers' compensation injury. Methods-The consultative team identified, assessed, and recommended controls for manual handling and other injury risks. Data on injuries counted before and after implementation of the team's recommendations were obtained for the cleaning services study group, an orderly services comparison group, as well as cleaners from a peer hospital and for the State of Western Australia. Evaluation of the four groups was undertaken 3 years after the end of the study period, to allow maturation of the costs of the claims (adjusted to July 1998 consumer price index) and hours lost from work. Results-Statistical analysis showed that implementation of the recommendations significantly reduced numbers and rates of injury, but not the severity of injury, in the cleaning services study group. There was no diVerence in numbers or severity of injuries for the comparison groups before and after implementation of the recommendations. Conclusions-The recommendation of the consultative team can produce a meaningful and sustained reduction in rates of injury within an at risk population. The results support a consultative approach to reducing workplace injuries from manual handling. The team process has potential for application to occupational groups at risk of exposure to other types of hazards. (Occup Environ Med 2001;58:339-344) Keywords: injury; risk assessment; participatory; ergonomics; teamsThe annual total (direct and indirect) cost of serious injuries to workers in Australia has been estimated at Aus$20 billion.1 Manual handling, defined as any activity requiring the use of force exerted by a person to lift, lower, push, pull, or carry, or to move, hold, or restrain a person, animal, or thing, is the most common mechanism of injury (38%) and accounts for almost half the economic burden (Aus$9.5 billion).2 Although national injury data were not available in 1989, a 600 bed teaching hospital in Western Australia, decided to consider two safety and health imperatives. The first was compliance with State legislation that imposed on employers a proactive duty of care for safety and health in their workplaces; and a requirement that they consult with employee representatives in meeting this obligation. The second was the need to redress a decade of increasing compensation costs for workers. The hospital started recording staV injuries according to a new Australian standard, 3 under which the main events of interest were lost time injuries; defined as new compensable injuries resulting in the loss of a day or more from work. To each lost time injury was attributed the date and the type of injury, and a range of personal and occupational details. The standard encouraged the calcu...

Aims: To document gastroenteritis hospitalisations of the 1995-96 cohort of infants born in Western Australia to mid-2002, and to assess factors associated with their hospitalisations and readmissions. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the State's hospitalisation data, Midwives' Notification of Births data, the Australian Bureau of Statistics mortality data and clinical and demographic information. Results: Aboriginal infants were hospitalised for gastroenteritis eight times more frequently than their nonAboriginal peers, and were readmitted more frequently and sooner for diarrhoeal illnesses than the other group. They also stayed in hospital for twice as long and many Aboriginal patients were hospitalised on numerous occasions. Hospitalisation rates were higher in remote areas and were significantly associated with co-morbidities such as undernutrition, anaemia, co-existing infections, and intestinal carbohydrate intolerance. Conclusions: Gastroenteritis is very prevalent in Australian Aboriginal infants and children and is a major cause of their hospitalisation in Western Australia. It is often associated with undernutrition, anaemia, intestinal parasitic infestations, other infections, intestinal carbohydrate intolerance, and, in some instances, with low birth weight. This is often due to unhygienic living conditions and behaviours and presents major challenges to public health, health promotion, and clinical personnel, particularly paediatric services. Childhood diarrhoeal diseases occur commonly in other indigenous groups but have not received the attention that they deserve.