Introduction
The way individuals engage with preventive health information has changed in response to an increasingly online society. Successful health promotion strategies and policies require deeper understanding of how individuals use preventive health information in the digital age.
Methods
Focus groups (in-person n=4, online n=2) explored individuals’ perceptions and experiences of preventive health information in Australia.
Results
Twenty-seven individuals participated. Findings highlight the double-edged sword of information access in the digital age, and indicate participants attempt to critically source and evaluate preventive health information. Trust and credibility of information: Participants were selective about information sources they considered legitimate (healthcare professionals, government departments, medical institutions, reputable NGOs). Online sources were common, with social media playing a prominent role in access and traditional media reported to have reduced influence compared to the past. Engagement with AI for was limited and purpose-specific (e.g., generating diet plans), with most participants unclear on the preventive health utility of AI. Informal advice from personal contacts with relevant qualifications or lived experience was trusted. Challenges with misinformation: Participants discussed how misinformation increasingly creates challenges navigating preventive health information, and attempts to verify information based on commercial interests, research evidence, peer experiences, individual relevance, and information consistency. Navigating specific preventive health topics: While participants trusted qualified health professionals regardless of discipline, those with topic-specialised qualifications (e.g., dietician for healthy eating, psychologist for mental health) and/or practical implementation advice (e.g., personal trainer for exercise) were considered particularly helpful. Information from GPs was viewed as limited due to lack of time/specialisation to provide detailed instructive advice.
Conclusion
Effective implementation of preventive health policies and initiatives may rely on improving digital health literacy and access to services of healthcare professions with expertise in preventive health cornerstones such as nutrition, exercise and mental health.

Intro: Young people are becoming more involved with climate-based action and pro-environmental behaviours. This presents an opportunity to leverage these concerns about sustainability (i.e., climate change, the environment and social justice) to encourage behaviours that can prevent cancer while simultaneously helping the environment. However, little is understood about the effectiveness of this values-based approach towards young people.

Our study aimed to review the literature related to the effectiveness of sustainability-motivated messaging for cancer prevention among adolescents and young adults.

Methods: We conducted a rapid systematic review of four databases (Ovid Medline, Ovid PsychINFO, Ovid Embase and Web of Science) identifying 576 original articles, with 11 meeting criteria for inclusion. Articles were limited to participants aged 13 –25 years.

Results: Of the eligible articles, there were three qualitative studies, four cross-sectional studies, three experimental studies, and one feasibility study. Most (five) studies focused on food systems, including promotion of wholefood unprocessed diets, high in fish and vegetables, and low in red meat. All three experimental studies reported significant improvements to healthy dietary behaviours and attitudes through classroom-based lessons about food systems (two studies) or the injustice of targeted industry marketing practices (one study). Two studies focusing on smoking behaviours found messages about climate and social justice were motivating, and a study of several behaviours suggested that those who already held strong climate change values were more likely to engage in positive dietary and physical activity behaviours that simultaneously aided the environment. The feasibility and qualitative studies found themes of knowledge, individual empowerment and awareness of behavioural impact all motivated environmental and health-related behaviours in this population group.

Conclusion: The field of values-based messaging leveraging benevolence, climate change and environmental values may be effective for cancer-prevention and climate co-benefits; however, this is still an emerging field, and further research is required.

Introduction: As Preventive health (PH) relies heavily on self-directed behaviours, it is important to understand how the Australian public use health information, particularly given the trends toward self-accessed health information. This includes understanding the drives for PH behaviours in the community, and the role individual’s perceive different information sources and content may have on their behaviours. In response, this study aimed to explore the experiences of the general population in accessing and using publicly available information about priority PH behaviours, as outlined in the National Preventive Health Strategy (NPHS) with a particular focus on the factors that may influence PH behaviour change now and in the future.
Methods: Six focus groups were conducted in-person (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart) and online (x 2) with the general population (n=27). Discussions were recorded and transcribed for analysis using descriptive thematic categorization.
Results: Four themes related to the PH information that participants needed to facilitate behaviour change were identified: (1) Making informed choices including common PH practices already used and their motivations behind their health behaviour decisions; (2) Facilitating behaviour change through support systems encompassing factors that influence behaviour changes and the role of professional guidance in their behaviour change; and (3) Effective delivery of PH information which describes their views on the characteristics of impactful health messages and their criteria for sharing PH information with others.
Conclusion: The general population in Australia are motivated to engage with PH behaviour change for a variety of reasons and they perceive a mix of information sources as have a varied role in their PH information landscape. With current plans to implement the NPHS underway, the study provides insights and perspectives from the community that may help ensure the efforts from the government and the public health community are implemented to best effect.

Effective, upstream health equity policy requires addressing the distribution of structural advantages that benefit a privileged minority. While public health research has traditionally focused on measuring disadvantage and downstream health outcomes, it is important to foreground critical consideration of how power and privilege shape the creation of public policy and in turn, how public policy contributes to perpetuating inequities.
Existing measurement and monitoring activities overwhelmingly emphasise disadvantage rather than advantage, and those concerned with the latter tend to use solely economic indicators, often neglecting other aspects of privilege such as social and cultural resources.
Through a three-round Delphi survey, we developed a more comprehensive, multidimensional set of indicators for measuring socioeconomic advantage. The resulting indicators span both relatively common economic indicators (income, wealth, disposable income) and less common non-economic indicators. Among these non-economic “connections and signalling" indicators, attendance at elite schools, attendance at exclusive events, and membership on prestigious boards emerged as the most important markers of privilege.
These findings demonstrate agreement on the need to measure socioeconomic advantage using both economic and sociopolitical indicators. By monitoring these indicators systematically, we can better understand the distribution of socioeconomic advantage within society and evaluate how privilege functions and perpetuates itself through policy. This knowledge is essential for developing evidence-based policies that promote health and social equity rather than reinforcing existing power structures.

In Pakistan, the 2018 National Nutrition Survey reported that 40% of children under five years old were stunted. This study assessed the effectiveness of nutritional supplementation in reducing stunting among children under five years old in two rural districts in Sindh, Pakistan. This was a mixed-method quasi-experimental study comprising intervention and control populations, with 3397 and 3277 children under five years old participating in the baseline and end-line surveys, respectively. The study areas were similar in terms of demographic and economic circumstances.
In the intervention group, pregnant and lactating women (first six months post-partum) received wheat soy blend, children 6–23 months old received Wawamum (lipid-based supplement), and
children 24–59 months old received micronutrient powders, all through lady health workers. This was underpinned by nutrition behaviour change communication for appropriate complementary
feeding practices and hygiene promotion targeted at primary caregivers. The control group received no intervention. The impact was assessed using the difference-in-difference analysis with kernel
propensity score matching to adjust the differences among the control and intervention populations.
The overall DID analysis indicated that the intervention did not significantly reduce the prevalence of stunting (under 5 years) [DID = −5.1, p = 0.079]. The adjusted DID indicated a significant decrease
of 13% [DID = −13.0, p = 0.001] in the number of stunted children 24–59 months of age at the endline survey. A significant reduction in underweight among children 24–59 months old was also
observed (DID = −9.4%, p = 0.014). In conclusion, this evidence further establishes that nutrient uptake through an intervention for a short duration cannot effectively reduce stunting. It requires
continuous nutritional supplementation for mothers during the pregnancy and an initial six months of lactation and then nutritional supplementation for children 6–59 months of age underpinned by
effective behaviour change communication targeting mothers and other caregivers for improving complementary feeding practices and hygiene promotion.

Problem:
Australia’s adult respiratory vaccination coverage is sub-optimal, with our COVID-19 and influenza vaccination rates lagging comparable countries. Vaccine-preventable pneumonia and influenza is a leading cause of potentially preventable hospitalisations for Australian adults. Further, COVID-19 remains a leading cause of death. Heightened vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and disinformation following the pandemic has compounded existing challenges in adult vaccination. Governments must make new decisions to boost adult rates.

What you did:
We administered a survey to over 3,300 Australians exploring barriers to vaccination, information needs, and support for policy measures. Survey findings informed development of five recommendations for the Australian Government to improve adult vaccination rates: 1. implement adult vaccination targets (supported by 83% of respondents); 2. recognise Australians living with a lung disease as a vaccination priority population (most respondents living with a lung disease were very worried about contracting respiratory infection); 3. invest in co-designed community vaccination awareness and education (86% support increased government investment); 4. support primary care to better meet vaccination information and service needs (most wanted vaccination information and administration from a GP); and 5. make clinically recommended vaccinations free (out-of-pocket cost was a top barrier).

Results:
We launched an advocacy report containing top-line survey findings at Parliament House. The event promoted our recommendations and communicated the benefits of preventing respiratory infection through increased vaccination. Politicians, bureaucrats, clinicians and consumers were in attendance and stakeholders shared the report on social media. The survey findings support our ongoing submissions to consultations on immunisation (government and Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee), media opportunities, and meetings with decision-makers.

Lessons:
Lung Foundation Australia's key strength is amplifying the voice of consumers with lived experience of vaccine-preventable disease throughout our advocacy activities. We will continue to promote our message that vaccination against respiratory infection is vital to protect the lung health of Australians living with, and without, lung disease.

Problem:
There are over 30 types of lung conditions affecting one in three Australians, causing significant health and economic burden, much of which is preventable. Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are two of the leading causes of premature mortality in Australia. Even before the pandemic, lung conditions cost the Australian healthcare system more than $8 billion per year, almost double the costs of diabetes and chronic kidney disease combined. Over $2 billion of annual health spending on select lung conditions has been attributed to avoidable risk factors like tobacco use, occupational hazards, and air pollution, suggesting total avoidable spending on lung conditions exceeds this. Increasing awareness and investment in preventing lung conditions presents an important opportunity.

What you did:
Despite the high cost, burden and preventable nature of lung conditions, this is typically not known or recognised by politicians. To address this, we used population health data to advocate for policy changes and government investment in lung disease prevention. By cataloguing national and state-based data, we created tailored lung health profiles for Queensland politicians ahead of the 2024 election. These profiles, adaptable for various electorates, were shared to encourage election commitments and raise lung health awareness.

Lessons:
Our effective use of population health data has highlighted the burden of lung disease and the importance of prevention to political audiences. Localised health profiles have been particularly effective in engaging politicians previously uninterested in lung health, as they clearly show risks and impacts on their constituents. However, the profiles' effectiveness is limited by available data. Having access to localised data is a powerful tool for advocating for change, especially when engaging politicians who are representing the needs and interests of their constituents. Similar efforts are underway for the 2025 Federal election.

Despite their resilience and community strengths, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders experience high levels of health inequity; 2018 data identifies a burden of disease that is 2.3 times that of non-Indigenous Australians.

The North Eastern Public Health Unit’s (NEPHU) Engagement team, including our Koorie Engagement Officer, partnered with 3KND (Kool ‘n’Deadly), a Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander radio station to facilitate fortnightly segments called ‘The Health Yarn’ over one year.

The initiative aimed to improve access to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander specific health information through:
- identifying conditions that are relevant to community, increasing awareness of those conditions and their risk factors
- providing community with greater exposure to local health and other services
- empowering community to use that information to make informed health choices

To ensure prioritisation of self-determination and genuine partnership, health topics were identified by Community. Evidence-based public health information was presented to listeners by peak organisations or local subject matter experts in an informal yarning format.

Aboriginal and Torres Islander speakers, or professionals with experience in Aboriginal health were engaged wherever possible (12 segments). Public health experts without Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health specialisation (three segments) were supported by NEPHU’s Koorie Engagement Officer and 3KnD’s host to ensure content and delivery was culturally appropriate.

This program involves delivery through a collective impact model, where NEPHU provides the backbone support between 3KND and partnering organisations.

Outcomes and impact:
- 15 segments have been delivered, including segments with Diabetes Victoria, Heart Foundation, Stroke Foundation, Eating Disorders Victoria and Alcohol and Drug Foundation.
- Evaluation includes quantitative and qualitative information - e.g. direct feedback from community members regarding the value and impact of the ‘Health Yarn’ program.
- Partner organisations have provided feedback regarding the benefits of participating in the program, including an increase in referrals to a Community Health Organisation’s Aboriginal Health team, with referrers mentioning hearing about the service on 3KND.
- Reach: 3KND attracts an average audience of 335,000 listeners per year. NEPHU’s social media data demonstrates an upwards trend in reach and impressions across the program implementation period.

The Food in Remote Communities project is strengths-based research, that measures food security structural risk factors inside the home (i.e. focusing on supports for safe and adequate food preparation, storage and cooking facilities), measures and audits external environmental factors (i.e. remote store food retail pricing, access and affordability) and seeks tenants’ advice on culturally appropriate kitchens. This benchmark study assesses the state of household kitchen functionality in 19 remote Aboriginal communities across inland WA. This presentation will focus on the kitchen audit results and the yarning, telling a story about what how remote families currently store and prepare food in their homes, and what they would like a "future kitchen" to look like, given the opportunity to co-design it.

INTRODUCTION: With diet-related disease increasing across the globe, ‘healthy eating’ narratives have proliferated. Western science practitioners emphasise optimal nutrient intake. Public health calls for educating people about this science to make ‘better’ food choices. Planetary health voices argue for food choices that consider the health of planet as well as people. Agrifood businesses tout the scaling of productivity using technology and innovation to compete in global markets while small-scale farmers talk of livelihoods through place-considered production and shortened supply chains. The commercial food industry, and those marketing its products, advocate for individual choice. Media, whether social or traditional, appeals to human fears, aspirations and democratising access to interpretations of evidence. Social scientists stress the role of hope, taste, pleasure, convenience, comfort, body image, isolation, power and identity. And governments promulgate economic and political arguments in ideological pursuit of the public good. By the time people purchase, prepare, consume and dispose of foods, ‘healthy eating’ has become a cacophony. Anyone who has eaten a Tim Tam has experienced that noise. Over and under nutrition have emerged as terms to describe the human consequences of traversing this landscape. The main storyline being a biological one, with policies advocating education about optimal food choices and facilitating access to these considered the path to health improvement. METHODS: Using a multi-modal creative practice inquiry, my research investigates ‘healthy eating’ through the stories of lived experience. By gathering stories from across the Australian population – professional and personal – the lived interrelationships with ‘healthy eating’ narratives emerge. RESULTS: In exploring these stories, the current policy focus on educating people using rationalist science generated evidence appears simplistic, even counter-productive. CONCLUSION: If ‘healthy eating’ narratives are to genuinely benefit the health of people and planet, insights and lessons from the stories of lived experience are an essential policy ingredient.

Background:
Oral cancer is a significant public health issue in Victoria with betel nut use as an emerging risk factor. This practice is prevalent among many migrant communities, particularly those from South Asia and the Pacific Islands, who may face barriers to accessing and understanding relevant health information due to cultural and linguistic differences. While betel nut's link to oral cancer is well-established, awareness around this fact within these communities remains limited. This study aimed to address this gap by reproducing the existing NSW Health "Betel Nut and Oral Cancer" resource for the Victorian population.

Methods:
A collaborative approach was employed involving thirty-minute interviews with individuals from CALD communities who were familiar with betel nut use. Participants provided feedback on the existing resource and offered suggestions for improvement. Interview transcripts were analysed in Nvivo 14.

Results:
A total of twelve participants were interviewed who highlighted the need for clearer explanations of terms, detailed information on harmful health consequences, and emphasis on cessation support. Specific recommendations included:
1. Expanding information on betel nut products and their associated risks.
2. Including impactful visuals depicting the consequences of betel nut use and oral cancer symptoms.
3. Providing clearer guidance on accessing Public free dental care and support services.
4. Developing additional further resources on broader oral cancer risk factors and prevention

Conclusion:
This study highlights the importance of culturally appropriate health communication in promoting oral cancer prevention specifically among CALD communities. By adapting existing resources and employing a collaborative approach that centers the voices of community members, health promotion materials can be tailored to meet specific cultural and linguistic needs. This, in turn, can empower individuals with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their health, potentially leading to behavior change, decreased betel nut use and improved oral health outcomes.