ANZCTR search results

Consuming adequate amounts of vegetables is crucial for children’s growth, development and long-term health. It is associated with longer life expectancy, better mental health, a healthy heart, reduced risk of cancer, obesity and diabetes, improved gut health and stronger immunity. Yet, in 2022, only 3.5% of Australian adolescents met the Australian Dietary Guidelines target for vegetable intake (5.5 daily serves for girls and 6 for boys) . Around 40% consumed one serve or fewer each day, with vegetable consumption lowest in low socioeconomic areas . Clearly, there is an urgent need to improve adolescent vegetable intake. School food services play a significant role in influencing the foods and drinks students are exposed to and consume. This research aims to evaluate the feasibility of the Chef in Schools Plus program as a strategy to increase sales and consumption of vegetables from secondary school canteens. Tailored to individual secondary schools, the program combines previously successful strategies to increase vegetable consumption, including co-design, professional chef support for canteen staff to improve the availability, appearance, taste and price of vegetable dishes, and an associated co-designed promotion program likely focused on environmental sustainability and planetary health. Six secondary schools will be selected from metropolitan (2 pairs, n=4) and regional (1 pair, n=2) areas. One of each pair of schools will be randomly chosen to try the Chef in Schools Plus Program, while the others will continue with their usual lunch options (to compare results). We’ll gather information about school meals for 2 weeks in one term and for 8 weeks in the next term.

In Australia, many cancer survivors live with bothersome vasomotor symptoms (i.e., hot flushes and night sweats) after cancer treatment. These symptoms can affect daily life. Although supportive treatments exist, barriers such as geographical location, limited specialist clinics hinder accessibility. To address this, efficient models of care to improve access to existing healthcare services are necessary. The MySurvivorCare website, an online health tool designed to help cancer survivors manage hot flushes and night sweats after cancer, was developed to address the unmet. Why this study? This study aims to find out whether it is feasible to conduct a large trial of the MySurvivorCare website before it is launched or made publicly available. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are a breast cancer survivor and are experiencing hot flushes/night sweats. Study details Participants in this study will be, by chance, allocated to use either the MySurvivorCare website or be provided with access to menopause information from the Australasian Menopause Society website. The MySurvivorCare website will provide users with a self-help guide and information to provide to your GP regarding how to manage symptoms according to the current best practice guidelines. The Australasian Menopause Society website provides educational resources on menopause, including how best to manage symptoms. Participants will be followed up for 6 months via questionnaires. It is hoped that this study will assess how acceptable and easy to use the MySurvivorCare website is, and whether it shows early signs of helping women manage their symptoms over time.

This is a Phase 1b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose escalation study of TRX-100 tablets evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and food effect of single ascending doses of TRX-100 in healthy volunteers. Participants will be enrolled in two cohorts evaluating two dose levels. Each cohort will use a two period design to assess the effect of food (fed vs fasted conditions) on the PK of TRX-100. A total of up to 16 healthy volunteers are planned to be enrolled across 2 cohorts.

Only 25% of individuals with an eating disorder receive treatment, and this includes gay men, who are one of the most vulnerable populations for experiencing these debilitating disorders. Our eHealth intervention, SEED, was co-designed with clinicians, researchers, and gay men to treat eating disorder symptoms, and is intended to be a freely available resource that fills the gap between non-evidence-based but freely available psychoeducation on the Internet (e.g., self-help articles) and evidence-based but expensive psychotherapy (e.g., a $220 session with a clinical psychologist). Our study examined whether SEED is effective in reducing eating disorder symptoms, and whether providing personalised recommendations as part of the app improves how effective it is.

A multicentre, randomised parallel group, open superiority trial. 900 patients 65 years old or older admitted to the general medicine ward with a primary presentation of dyspnoea will be allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive a) usual care or b) usual care and POCUS of the heart, lungs and proximal lower limb veins, performed within 24 hours of ward admission. The main outcome assessed in length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes include dyspnoea improvement, mortality and major adverse cardiovascular (MACE) measure at day 30 and 1 year

People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, often become pregnant during their reproductive years, but active disease during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications for both mother and baby. This observational study will assess standard of care investigations (eg. routine blood tests, intestinal ultrasound, fetal scans) and combine with research blood tests (placental biomarkers) and placental assessment using advanced histological imaging to better understand how immune activity in pregnant people with IBD is linked to changes in the placenta as well as how it can impact complications in the mother and the baby. The study aims to identify blood based biomarkers that may help identify high risk pregnancies early. We hypothesise that higher levels of inflammation in pregnant people with active IBD are associated with changes in placental function and subsequently lead to maternal and fetal complications.

The aim of the study is to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the MY Self AdvocacY (MYSAY) self-advocacy for system navigation program, a 9-session individualised program delivered over 6 months during the hospital-to-home transition period after acquired brain injury (ABI). The study is for people with newly acquired brain injury and their family member, carer, or a relevant clinician and participants will be recruited through from the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit and Jasmine Unit. The hypotheses are: 1) The MYSAY program will be feasible and acceptable to people with ABI and 2) Individuals receiving MYSAY will show greater improvements in self-advocacy, self-awareness, self-management skills, fewer service obstacles, and lower mood symptoms, relative to those receiving their usual care and rehabilitation. The design of the study is: 1) a randomised controlled trial involving the MYSAY program intervention group and a usual rehabilitation / care group. 2) Assessments will be conducted at baseline (pre-intervention), mid-intervention (3 months post-baseline), and post-intervention assessments (6 months post-baseline). The expected benefits of the research will be development of a novel program that supports individuals’ self-advocacy and system self-navigation skill development early in the brain injury rehabilitation process, to promote greater self-determination in decision-making about their journey through the complex health and disability service systems.

In this RCT study we are investigating if colchicine, an old but safe medication, can help speed up recovery from wet cough flare-ups in children with bronchiectasis. Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory medication which is used in children in Australia for other conditions and has been shown to be safe. Colchicine could likely work through its effects on the neutrophil cells that can cause inflammation. This inflammation in the airways is an important part of the lung disease in bronchiectasis. In adults, inhibition of neutrophils (via other new drugs) has reduced exacerbations and increased time between flare-ups. This study is the first to look at the role of colchicine in the treatment of bronchiectasis flare-ups in either adults or children.

Heart failure is a serious condition, and for some people with advanced disease, heart transplantation offers the best chance of survival. During transplant assessment, body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to assess risk, but BMI does not distinguish between muscle, fat, or fluid, meaning some patients with low muscle mass may not be identified. Low muscle mass is associated with malnutrition, frailty, and poorer recovery after heart transplantation, yet it is not routinely measured in clinical practice. This study will compare simple bedside muscle assessment methods, including ultrasound, anthropometry, and physical assessment, with computed tomography (CT) imaging. CT imaging is routinely performed as part of clinical care and can be used to measure skeletal muscle accurately. The study will also assess whether artificial intelligence–based software can accurately and reliably measure muscle mass from CT scans. In addition, the prevalence of malnutrition, frailty, cachexia, and sarcopenia among patients undergoing heart transplant assessment will be described. A subset of participants will be invited to take part in interviews to explore their experiences of nutrition care and the acceptability of bedside muscle assessment methods.

We will be using a web-based STI testing service as the intervention with traditional in-person STI testing conducted at MSHC acting as the control. The web-based service will allow users to create an account with Test it (also creating a client record at MSHC), complete an automated questionnaire and obtain an electronic pathology form for STI testing. This trial will give us important information about diagnosis and testing rates among MSHC MSM clients with the introduction of Test it. This service will bring improved testing access to all Victoria, including those who participate in the project. Additionally, this research will improve advancement of knowledge around digital sexual health and online STI testing.