The prevalence of mental health problems have been found to be higher among university students compared to their non-student peers. Nursing students in particular face a range of additional stressors which may impact their undergraduate performance and their careers. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) aims to increase mental health literacy and to reduce stigma and may positively impact on the student population. This paper describes a MHFA randomised controlled trial targeting nursing students at a large Australian university. This study aimed to measure the impact of the MHFA course on mental health literacy, mental health first aid intentions, confidence in helping someone with a mental health problem and stigmatising attitudes including social distance. Participants were first year nursing students (n = 181) randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 92) or control (n = 89) group. Intervention group participants received the standardised MHFA course for nursing students. Online self-report questionnaires were completed at three time intervals: baseline (one week prior to the intervention: T₁) (n = 140), post intervention (T₂) (n = 120), and two months post intervention (T₃) (n = 109). Measures included demographics, mental health knowledge, recognition of depression, confidence in helping, mental health first aid intentions and stigmatising attitudes including social distance. Repeated measures ANOVA was computed to measure if the impact of time (T₁, T₂, T₃) and group (intervention and control) on the outcome variables. There was a significant improvement among intervention compared to control group participants across the three time periods for knowledge scores (p < 0.001), confidence in helping (p < 0.001), mental health first aid intentions (p < 0.001), total personal stigma (p < 0.05), personal dangerous/unpredictable stigma (p < 0.05) and social distance (p < 0.05) scores. MHFA is useful training to embed in university courses and has the potential to enhance mental health literacy and reduce stigmatising attitudes and social distance. While this course has particular salience for nursing and other health science students, there are broader benefits to the general university population that should be considered and opportunities accordingly explored for all students to complete the course. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12614000861651 . Retrospectively registered 11 August 2014.

The natural history of cervical cancer suggests that prevention can be achieved by modification of the host's immune system through a nutrient-mediated program. This study reviews the preventive role of dietary intake on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) induced by human papillomavirus (HPV). Electronic databases were searched using relevant keywords such as, but not limited to, human papillomavirus infection, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, lifestyle factors, nutrients intake, and diet. High consumption of fruit and vegetables appears to be protective against CIN. The findings also highlight the possibility of consuming high levels of specific nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and retaining sufficient level of these elements in the body, especially those with high antioxidants and antiviral properties, to prevent progression of transient and persistent HPV infections to high-grade CIN 2 and 3 (including in situ cervical cancer). The protective effect is not significant for high-risk HPV persistent infections and invasive cervical cancer. Although it appears that intake of specific nutrients, vitamins, and minerals may be good in CIN prevention, there is lack of evidence from controlled trial to confirm this. Health professionals shall focus on implementation of a balanced-diet prevention strategy at an early stage for cervical cancer prevention.

Objectives: To assess associations between maternal depression and breastfeeding practices in mothers in the Maldives. Design: A prospective cohort study. The validated questionnaires contained information on demographics, breastfeeding initiation, breastfeeding duration, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess association between Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score and breastfeeding practices while adjusting for lifestyle determinants. Cox regression was done to measure the association between maternal depression and breastfeeding duration. Settings: Antenatal clinic at Indira Gandhi Memorial and ADK Hospitals in Male’, Maldives. Subjects: A total of 458 mothers from the antennal clinics were interviewed at 36 weeks of gestation and again at 1, 3, and 6 months after birth. Results: Antenatal depression at 36 weeks of gestation was associated with late initiation of breastfeeding (adjusted odds ratio = 3.0, 95% confidence interval = 1.3-6.8). Postnatal depression was associated with shorter duration of exclusive, full, and any breastfeeding (P < .001). Conclusion. Depression is negatively associated with breastfeeding practices. There is a need to manage antenatal postnatal depression in mothers in order to encourage them to initiate breastfeeding earlier and to breastfeed for longer.

Migrant workers may be more likely to be exposed to workplace psychosocial stressors (WPS) which have an affect on physical and mental health. Given the relative lack of research on this topic, the study objectives were to estimate and compare the prevalence of WPS in migrant and Australian workers and investigate associated mental health problems. Three cross-sectional surveys, two with migrant workers and one with Australian workers, were pooled to provide estimates of prevalence. Regressions were conducted to investigate associations between workers and WPS. All WPS, except unfair pay, were associated with higher probability of mental health problems. The association between WPS and mental health did differ between some migrant groups. Compared with Australian-born workers, all other migrant groups tended to have a lower risk of mental health outcomes. Interactions between WPS and migrants showed variable levels in the risk of having a mental health problem, some attenuated and some increased. The study showed that country of birth does play a part in how treatment in the workplace is perceived and responded to. Any interventions to improve workplace conditions for migrant workers need to be aware of the different experiences related to migrant ethnicity.

To explore work-related psychosocial stressors among people of Chinese, Vietnamese and Arabic-speaking backgrounds currently working in Australia. In 2015, a telephone survey of 585 Vietnamese, Chinese and Arabic-speaking workers asked about workplace bullying, ethnic discrimination, job complexity, degree of control, security and fairness of payment along with demographic and employment information. Estimates of job-related psychosocial stressors were derived and regression analyses used to identify significant associations. At least one workplace stressor was reported by 83% of the workers in the study. Education was significantly associated with experiencing any psychosocial stressor and also with the total number of stressors. Workers aged 45 years and older were more likely to be bullied or experience racial discrimination compared with younger workers of any ethnicity. There was a greater likelihood of reporting low control over a job when the interview was conducted in a language other than English and the workers were either Chinese or Arabic. Workers on a fixed-term contract, independent of ethnicity were more likely to report a job with low security. Overall psychosocial job quality decreased with education and was associated with occupation type which interacted with ethnicity and gender. The results suggest that job-related psychosocial stressors are widespread but not uniform across ethnic groups. Further research into what drives differences in work experience for migrant groups would provide information to guide both employers and migrants in ways to reduce workplace psychosocial stressors.

This study identified the determinants of the introduction of prelacteal feeds in the Maldives. A cohort of 458 mothers was recruited from antenatal clinics at two major hospitals in Malé, the Maldives. The mothers were followed up after birth at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The child's birth, the type of infant delivery, the time breastfeeding was initiated, gender of the infants, types of prelacteal feeds, and feeding method were recorded. After birth, 4.1% of infants received infant formula from the hospitals, whereas 10.6% and 7.4% of them received honey and dates, respectively, as prelacteal ritual feeds. Factors associated with introduction of ritual feeds as prelacteal feeds included the infant being a boy (p=0.05; adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-2.98), attitude toward prelacteal feeds (p=0.01; AOR=2.87; 95% CI, 1.48-5.58), and maternal employment (p=0.01; AOR=2.3; 95% CI, 1.4-3.9). Higher maternal age was inversely associated with introduction of ritual feeds as a prelacteal feed (p=0.05; AOR=0.5; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9). Introduction of infant formula as the prelacteal feed was positively associated with birth by cesarean section (p=0.01; AOR=4.6; 95% CI, 1.6-13.3) and inversely associated with maternal mother's feeding method being breastfeeding (p=0.05; AOR=0.15; 95% CI, 0.04-0.6). Prelacteal feeding was associated with cessation of breastfeeding before 6 months (p=0.01; AOR 6.0; 95% CI, 1.64-21.80). Health professionals need to distinguish between religious and cultural practices in order to develop appropriate health education programs to reduce the unnecessary use of early additional feeds. Understanding the barriers related to the initiation of breastfeeding after cesarean section is also important.