Feargus O\u27Connor: Chartist demagogue

Industrialsim in England had nearly reached a stage of maturity by the year 1839; a railroad boom and an extension of laissez-faire policy would soon give it marks of middle age and prosperity. These would come in the late forties and fifties, during the period of the decline of the Chartist movement; but before prosperity brought England a Victorian Compromise and fuller stomachs for her labourers, there could be heard during 1836-40 the loud rumbling of revolution. The modes again stalked about England and the leading question of the day, the platitudes of the Whig Government made the situation even more explosive. Thomas Carlyle, the elegant spokesman of the age, expressed the inadequacy of both the political economists and the members of Parliament. He remarked, such platitudes of the world in which all forses could be well fed and inmmerable working men could die starved: were it not better to end it, to have done with it. Although the dominate groups of this period, the bourgeoisie and the landowners, did not stop battling for long over political and economic spoils, they did for the first time feel acute pressure of another group, the hungry working men. They were not new to the upper classes: a growling populace had been known since the eighteen century when the enclosures began to toss farm labourers, cottagers and some yeomen inot the pot of the unemployed and unwanted. However, in 1839 when Chartism with its political facade became the pressure vehicle for the economic and social grievances of the working men, both the bourgeois and the landed aristocracy soon realised he must be acknowledged or face possible eruption. Although factory legislation, trade unionism, or modification of the Poor Laws cannot be directly attributed to the Chartist Movement, it is certain, however, that Chartism helped to fertilize the soil from which they were to spring. By 1848 the working men, not only in England but also in other parts of Europe, had established himself as a force which had to be recognised by all classes

Children and Technology: Why Technology is Important for our Children

Many people get scared when they hear about how much technology runs the world today. They tend to get frightened when they go to a store and have to use a selfcheckout instead of a cashier. Parents are scared of the dangers of the internet and how it will affect their children, so they tend to try to prevent/limit their children’s usage of the internet and other technologies. However, that may not always be the right move. Technology can not be avoided; it is a part of our everyday lives. With proper guidance and teachings, children can learn how to safely use technology and use it to succeed in many different aspects of life. It can be an irreplaceable tool in their academic studies as well as developing social skills. My thesis discusses its advantages and illustrates why it is so important for children to learn about technology as they grow up

Women's beliefs about breast cancer causation in a breast cancer case-control study

Objective: Our study sought to ascertain women's beliefs about breast cancer risk factors and whether these beliefs differed by demographic factors and personal and family history of breast cancer. Methods: Participants in a case-control study of breast cancer rated the effect of 37 exposures on the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Chi-square tests were undertaken to measure differences in responses between cases and controls for each exposure. Logistic regression was undertaken to ascertain whether demographic factors and personal and family history of breast cancer affected participants' ability to correctly identify known breast cancer risk factors. Results: A total of 2742 participants completed the questionnaire, comprising 1109 cases and 1633 controls. Significant differences (p<0.05) between cases and controls were found for 16 of the 37 exposures. Younger women and university-educated women were more likely to correctly identify known breast cancer risk factors. Women's perceptions about the effect of alcohol consumption on breast cancer risk, particularly regarding red wine, differed from that reported in the literature. Conclusions: Beliefs about risk factors for breast cancer may differ between cases and controls. Public health initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of breast cancer risk factors should consider that women's beliefs may differ by demographic factors and family history of breast cancer

Using a mass media campaign to raise women's awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer: Cross-sectional pre-intervention and post-intervention evaluation surveys

Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of a population-based, statewide public health intervention designed to improve women's awareness and knowledge of the link between alcohol and cancer. Design: Cross-sectional tracking surveys conducted pre-intervention and post-intervention (waves I and III of campaign). Setting: Western Australia. Participants: Cross-sectional samples of Western Australian women aged 25–54 years before the campaign (n=136) and immediately after wave I (n=206) and wave III (n=155) of the campaign. Intervention: The ‘Alcohol and Cancer’ mass media campaign ran from May 2010 to May 2011 and consisted of three waves of paid television advertising with supporting print advertisements. Main outcome measures: Campaign awareness; knowledge of drinking guidelines and the link between alcohol and cancer; intentions towards drinking. Results: Prompted recognition of the campaign increased from 67% following wave I to 81% following wave III (adjusted OR (adj OR)=2.31, 95% CI 1.33 to 4.00, p=0.003). Improvements in women's knowledge that drinking alcohol on a regular basis increases cancer risk were found following wave I (adj OR=2.60, 95% CI 1.57 to 4.30, p<0.001) and wave III (adj OR=4.88, 95% CI 2.55 to 9.36, p<0.001) compared with baseline. Knowledge of the recommended number of standard drinks for low risk in the long term increased between baseline and wave I (adj OR=1.68, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.76, p=0.041), but not baseline and wave III (adj OR=1.42, 95% CI 0.84 to 2.39, p=0.191). Among women who drink alcohol, the proportion expressing intentions to reduce alcohol consumption increased significantly between baseline and wave III (adj OR=2.38, 95% CI 1.11 to 5.12, p=0.026). However, no significant reductions in recent drinking behaviour were found following the campaign.Conclusions: Results indicate a population-based mass media campaign can reach the target audience and raise awareness of links between alcohol and cancer, and knowledge of drinking guidelines. However, a single campaign may be insufficient to measurably curb drinking behaviour in a culture where pro-alcohol social norms and product marketing are pervasive

Prevalence of FOB testing in eastern-Australian general practice patients: what has a national bowel cancer screening program delivered?

Issues addressed: The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) was introduced in Australia in 2006, offering free immunochemical Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) to persons aged 50, 55 or 65. The study aimed to examine the prevalence of selfreported screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) using the FOBT and factors associated with not having an FOBT. Methods: A cross-sectional study of Australian general practice patients aged 50 and over with no personal history of CRC completed a health risk survey while waiting for scheduled appointments between November 2010 and November 2011. Results: A total of 5671 patients from 12 practices were approached to participate. Of the 4707 eligible patients (adults attending for care who understood English and were capable of providing informed consent), 4062 (86%) consented to participate, with 2269 eligible to complete the FOBT items. Approximately half (52%) of participants reported ever having an FOBT. More than one-third (39.7%) of the sample reported having an FOBT in the prior three years. Thosewhorecalled receiving a mailed kit as part of the NBCSP were five times more likely to report being screened. Those less likely to report screening were aged 50-59 years, were female and had been diagnosed with a form of cancer other than CRC. Conclusions: There is justification for the extension of the NBCSP to ensure a majority of the age-appropriate population is screened for CRC