Background: Loneliness and social isolation among older adults represent significant public health challenges with documented impacts on physical and cognitive health, healthcare utilisation, and successful ageing in place. This study explored older Australians' perspectives on community and societal factors influencing social connection using the social ecological model as a theoretical framework to inform multi-level public health interventions.
Methods: Focus groups were conducted across four diverse localities in New South Wales, Australia, representing both well-connected and disconnected communities in metropolitan and regional settings. Fifteen participants aged 60+ shared insights into factors affecting their ability to connect socially. Directed content analysis was employed to identify themes within the social ecological framework relevant to public health approaches
Findings: Built environment features significantly influenced social connection opportunities, with urban features like cul-de-sacs facilitating neighbourhood interaction. Local businesses and community spaces emerged as critical public health assets enabling both passive and interactive forms of social connection. Digital technology presented both opportunities and barriers to connection, highlighting the need for digital inclusion strategies. Transport accessibility was identified as a key social determinant of connection, particularly in metropolitan areas. Intergenerational disconnection emerged as a growing public health concern requiring targeted interventions. Our analysis demonstrated how community-level factors interact with individual characteristics like personality and retirement, creating pathways for public health action that leverage existing social mechanisms.
Conclusions: Addressing loneliness and social isolation requires comprehensive population-level strategies which build upon individual-focused interventions. Public health policies in urban planning, economic development, and transportation should incorporate social connection as a core outcome. These findings provide an evidence base for preventive public health approaches that strengthen social connectedness among older adults, potentially reducing healthcare burden while supporting healthier ageing in place.

This presentation explores a recent international support and training mission in Kenya led in collaboration with the British Army, focusing on strengthening the capacity of the Kenyan military, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and local government actors in disaster risk reduction (DRR), public health, climate resilience, and risk communication. Conducted in a region marked by socio-political instability, environmental pressures, and ongoing development challenges, the mission aimed to build sustainable, locally driven strategies for reducing vulnerability to disasters and climate-related health impacts.
Drawing on frameworks from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the training provided practical and context-specific tools for early warning systems, preparedness planning, and coordinated response mechanisms. A significant component of the mission involved promoting inter-agency collaboration and fostering a shared understanding of risk communication as a critical bridge between technical knowledge and community action.
The presentation will reflect on the role of international partnerships in peacebuilding and resilience strengthening, highlighting how targeted capacity-building efforts can serve as soft power tools to enhance trust, transparency, and cooperation among institutions. Lessons learned from the mission underscore the importance of culturally sensitive, participatory approaches that prioritise local knowledge and ownership.
Ultimately, this session contributes to the broader discourse on the intersection of peace, conflict, and international health institutions by demonstrating how health-focused training can act as a unifying force in fragile contexts. It also invites dialogue on how military-civilian cooperation can support long-term goals in global health, environmental sustainability, and disaster preparedness.

Background: The community food environment influences access to healthy and affordable foods and is considered a risk factor for diet-related health outcomes. However, evidence linking food environments to diet-related health outcomes is limited and inconsistent, particularly in the regional Australian context.

Objective: To examine the association between community food environment metrics and diet-related health outcomes in the South Coast of NSW.

Methods: An ecological analysis was conducted using secondary data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Population Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU), and community food environment mapping in the South Coast of NSW. Metrics such as the ratio of unhealthy to healthy/less healthy food outlets, the Modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI)-the proportion of healthy food outlets among all available outlets, and the Relative Healthy Food Availability (RHFA)-the proportion of supermarkets and greengrocers relative to fast-food outlet were calculated at both SA2 and PHA levels. Age-standardised prevalence of diet-related health outcomes (e.g., diabetes, kidney diseases, stroke, overweight, obesity) and self-rated health were obtained from the 2021 ABS census at the SA2 level and the PHIDU Social Health Atlas (Torrens University) at the PHA level. Due to the non-normal distribution of metrics of community food environments, Spearman’s correlation was used to examine associations.

Results: At the SA2 level, a higher ratio of unhealthy to healthy/less healthy food outlets was positively associated with diabetes (ρ=0.48, P-value=0.001), kidney diseases (ρ=0.42, P-value=0.006), and stroke (ρ=0.32, P-value=0.042). Diabetes prevalence was negatively correlated with RHFA (ρ=-0.38, p-value=0.012). At the PHA level, the prevalence of overweight (not obese) was negatively associated with mRFEI (ρ=-0.46, p-value=0.013) and RHFA (ρ=-0.51, p-value=0.005).

Conclusion: Community food environment metrics are significantly associated with key diet-related health outcomes in regional NSW. These findings support the need for further large-scale research using robust designs to guide food policy and public health interventions.

Background: Increasing density and shifting towards apartment living are key strategies to improve urban sustainability and address housing shortages in Australia; yet there are widespread concerns about the quality and amenity of contemporary apartments. To ensure a base level of design quality and support resident wellbeing, some state-level apartment design policies include minimum standards for private indoor and outdoor space; however, the development industry can exhibit resistance due to concerns about increased costs. This study examined associations between minimum space standards and residents’ mental wellbeing.
Method: Residents (n=1141) in apartment complexes (n=85, built 2006-2016) from Sydney and Perth completed a survey on apartment living and wellbeing. Internal and private outdoor space (m2) was sourced from building strata plans. Apartments were classified as meeting (or not meeting) minimum standards drawn from the NSW and WA apartment design policies (i.e., SEPP65 Apartment Design Guide and R-Codes Vol 2, respectively). Linear regression models examined associations between space standards and residents’ mental wellbeing (measured with SWEMWBS), controlling for sociodemographic variables and clustering.
Results: Most participants lived in one- or two-bedroom apartments, and the majority met the minimum space standards for the apartment type. However, participants living in apartments that fell short of the space standards had lower mental wellbeing scores (-1.97 points) compared with residents in apartments meeting the requirements (p<0.001). The effect size was greater when the sample was limited to residents in one-bedroom apartments (i.e., -2.57 points, p=0.008).
Conclusion: Apartment size requirements are an important policy mechanism to protect the mental wellbeing of residents, however they do not apply in all Australian states. Results provide policymakers with evidence to advocate for the inclusion of minimum space requirements in apartment design policies or protect against the removal or attenuation of space standards in future policy reviews.

Stable and adequate housing is essential for mental and physical well-being. However, housing insecurity is a growing global issue, particularly affecting migrants. This review synthesizes the available evidence on the determinants and health impacts among culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) populations living in high-income countries. A scoping review was conducted of literature published in English, focusing on migrants from CaLD backgrounds living in high-income countries. The review followed the framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley and PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Once data were extracted and categorized, a bibliometric analysis was performed to examine core research and author networks. The review included 58 studies; the highest proportions were from the USA (n=14, 24.14%) and Canada (n=9, 15.52%). The review found that housing insecurity among migrants from CaLD backgrounds was shaped by a range of micro-level, meso-level, and macro-level factors, increasing migrants’ vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. Four themes were identified: housing insecurity is linked to (1) negative mental health outcomes, (2) negative physical health outcomes, (3) social and developmental challenges, (4) health-related barriers and increased health risks. The bibliometric analysis illustrated fragmented research networks while the keyword analysis highlighted thematic clusters on housing, migration, and mental health. Addressing housing insecurity requires a multi-level approach that integrates mental and physical health support, minimises barriers to healthcare access, improves housing policies, expands research, and ensures safe, sustainable living environments for all. By focusing on migrant experiences and strengthening health and housing systems, decision-makers can help reduce significant inequalities among migrants, particularly those from CaLD backgrounds.

Background: Cancer often requires patients to make swift, informed, treatment decisions. Despite their engagement with healthcare providers and digital resources, cancer patients over 50 often experience high levels of unmet information needs during these critical times. However, there is a lack of evidence-based information on their supportive-care information needs.
Objective: To examine cancer patients’ (aged 50 +) information and health literacy needs and their motivations for using social media (i.e Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram) during decision-making.
Methods: A systematic literature review, following the PRISMA guidelines, was conducted using electronic databases (Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed/MEDLINE) and grey literature. All original articles published from January 2002 to October 2023 were extracted and analysed within COVIDENCE and NVIVO14 for themes following narrative and tabular analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment scale.
Results: Of 761 articles identified, six were included. Patients’ health literacy was determined to be moderate to low. At decision-making points, cancer patients over 50 needed personalised, supportive and disease-related information. They preferred holistically tailored information and were satisfied with how their doctors met their needs. Complimentary therapies and dietary recommendations were well received by patients of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Australian backgrounds. Patients over 50 accessed social media throughout their cancer. Although useful for obtaining support and information, social media raised patients’ concern around misinformation.
Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of meeting the information needs of cancer patients over 50 and incorporating a holistic approach to information delivery. Social media sites targeting consumers can be useful tools for healthcare institutions to supply accurate, user-friendly information.

Trial Registration:
PROSPERO registration number - CRD42022358710
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100589

Consumer shifts to sustainable diets are crucial for transitioning to environmentally sustainable food systems. Sustainability labels on packaged foods can facilitate these shifts. However, concerns exist about unsubstantiated sustainability claims. This study compared the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) of products with and without sustainability claims.

Data from 22,145 products collected from five supermarkets in Sydney, Australia, were analysed. These data included the presence of sustainability-related claims (e.g., ‘natural’, ‘carbon neutral’, ‘sustainable’ or ‘planet friendly’). Cradle-to-retail GHGe (kg CO2eq/kg) for each product were calculated. The median (and interquartile range [IQR]) GHGe for products with at least one sustainability claim (‘labelled products’) and products with no claims (‘unlabelled products’) were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test. Analyses were conducted overall and within food categories. A sensitivity analysis was performed excluding ‘vegan’ claims (23% of all claims) to assess their influence on overall results.

A total of 8,313 products (38%) displayed at least one sustainability claim. The median GHGe were lower for labelled products compared to unlabelled (2.0 [IQR 1.1, 5.5] vs. 2.8 [IQR 1.3, 8.0] kg CO2eq/kg, p<0.001). For most food categories, labelled products had marginally yet significantly lower median GHGe than unlabelled products, with the exception of confectionery and meat. When ‘vegan’ claims were excluded, labelled products had slightly higher GHGe compared to unlabelled products, but the difference was not significant (2.9 [IQR 1.4, 8.0] vs. 2.8 [IQR 1.3, 8.0] kg CO2eq/kg).

Food products displaying sustainability claims generally had lower GHGe than their unlabelled counterparts. However, this was not the case for two GHGe-intensive categories, confectionery and meat. Differences in emissions were modest, with uncertain practical significance. Stronger regulation, including mandatory and consistent labels based on quantifiable criteria, is needed to ensure claims are meaningful, comparable, and capable of supporting consumers to make sustainable food choices.

Unhealthy food marketing has been shown to influence adolescents’ food preferences and behaviors. Healthy-eating campaigns can target and personalize online messages to specific adolescent profiles to optimize the message impact, but little evidence exists regarding what defines these profiles. We aimed to identify clusters of adolescents using behavioral, socioeconomic, social and psychographic characteristics related to food consumption and online time, which can be used to profile adolescents for targeted health promotion.
A cross-sectional study design with a quantitative survey was used to gather self-reported data from 131 Australian adolescents (aged 14-17). Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify clusters of adolescents. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted to determine the relationship between class membership, socioeconomic position and gender.
We identified 3 clusters of adolescents that could be used to segment adolescents for food-related health promotion: ‘Fast-food-enthusiast’ (33%) who consumed fast-food at least once or more a week, regularly consumed soft drinks, were not concerned about health when purchasing food and reported being influenced by peers; ‘Middle-roaders’ (46%) who comparatively exhibited fewer extreme characteristics; ‘Active-adolescents’ (21%), who were health conscious, highly active, preferred natural foods and rarely consumed fast-foods. No association was found between socioeconomic position or gender and class membership.

Background: The independent effects of temperature on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) have been well established. However, a more accurate measure of heat stress exposure that an individual experiences is wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which encompasses humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. We aimed to study how WBGT influences the risk of OHCA in Singapore, a tropical city-state.

Methods: We included all nationally-reported OHCA cases from 1 Jan 2018 to 31 December 2021. Using negative binomial regression models adjusted for long-term trend, seasonality and day-of-the week effects, we estimated the WBGT effects on OHCA risk within the Distributed Lag Non-Linear Model framework.

Results: There were 12,786 cases. The majority were male (63%) and 65 years of age and above (67%). Compared to January, the risk of OHCA was 84% higher in November (RR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.001 to 3.40) and 102% higher in December (RR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.03 to 3.95). Compared to Sundays, Wednesdays were associated with a 7% lower risk of OHCA (RR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.86 to 0.999). A 1 ⁰C increase in WBGT above 27 ⁰C sustained over 4 days was associated with 22% higher OHCA risk (RR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.33). A 2 ⁰C increase in WBGT sustained over 4 days was associated with a 67% increase in risk of OHCA (RR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.28 to 2.16). We did not observe any significant WBGT effects below 27 ⁰C. There were no observable differences in the association between OHCA and WBGT by history of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes or hyperlipidemia.

Conclusion: Higher WBGT was an important driver of OHCA risk in the tropics and may be used as an indicator for health services resource augmentation during anticipated periods of hot weather.

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of mental health (MH) issues among children and young people (CYP) has increased considerably. Existing studies mainly explored CYP’s MH needs and help-seeking behaviours. However, there is a paucity of qualitative research that applies a phenomenological approach to examine consumers', parents', and carers’ perspectives on MH crisis interventions.
Aims: To examine the perspectives of CYP and their parents/carers regarding MH crisis interventions they received via the Safeguards Team Program (STP).
Methods: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was chosen as the methodological approach. Between July 2024 and April 2025, three interviews with CYPs with lived experience of MH issues and 16 interviews with parents/carers with lived experience of caring for CYPs with MH issues were conducted. Data collection continued until saturation was reached, ensuring a thorough understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. Interviews were transcribed, de-identified, and coded using NVivo. Thematic analysis was applied to identify and examine the recurring patterns. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research were followed.
Results: Our analysis generated three themes and 11 sub-themes. The thematic analysis highlighted that, through the lens of participants, most felt comfortable discussing MH issues with the STP clinicians and reported receiving practical assistance to address MH challenges, including medications and psychological/behavioral strategies. Many reported that the support/interventions they received at home, school, and the centers during their engagement with STP were helpful. They were also satisfied with the service interventions’ frequency and overall duration. Most CYP felt better/active, less aggressive, tired, and anxious. They reported improved school attendance and engagement and attributed this to the STP interventions. Few participants expressed concerns about its suitability for addressing complex MH needs and its short duration.
Conclusions: The lens of CYPs who received crisis MH interventions, and their parents/carers demonstrates an overall positive experience and the effectiveness of the STP.

Nutrition labelling can support healthful purchases and encourage favourable reformulation. To inform the WHO Guidelines on nutrition labelling policies, a review was commissioned to synthesise evidence on the effects nutrition labelling on diet-related outcomes. We conducted a systematic review of the evidence on the effectiveness of food labelling to inform policy recommendations. Label types included front-of-pack labelling (FOPL), nutrient declarations, and nutrient and health claims. Eleven academic databases were searched from inception to July 2022. Retrieved articles were appraised using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias 2 tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. GRADE was used to assess the certainty of evidence. Meta-analyses and vote counting of direction of effect were performed. Overall, 221 articles were included on FOPL and 170 articles on other labels. FOPL likely improved consumer understanding of the nutritional quality/content of foods, and the healthfulness of food choices and purchases (all moderate certainty of evidence). Interpretive FOPL had a greater effect on these outcomes compared to non-interpretive systems (moderate certainty). There was inconsistency in the best performing interpretive FOPL system. Nutrient declarations likely improved consumer understanding of the nutritional quality/content of foods (moderate certainty). Nutrient and health claims likely increased perceptions of food healthfulness, and increased choice and purchases of labelled foods (all moderate certainty), irrespective of nutritional quality. FOPL is an important policy tool for promoting healthy diets. Labels that included a summary indicator performed favourably compared to other systems, and those that incorporated traffic light colour-coding or a nutritional warning were also associated with improved outcomes. Nutrient declarations likely support understanding of the healthfulness of foods and improve food choices. Nutrition and health claims, and endorsement logos appear to bestow a ‘health halo’ on labelled foods. Disqualifying conditions, based on the overall nutritional quality, should be established for eligibility to carry a claim or logo.