Tag: Health and wellbeing

Count 14 Roadshow urges Edinburgh shoppers to think about their drinking

The Count 14 tour, set to visit 12 locations across Scotland, rolls into Lidl Craigmillar on Sunday to put shoppers’ knowledge of what 14 units means in terms of alcoholic drinks to the test.

With the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines stating men and women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week to reduce the risks of harm, the roadshow will challenge shoppers to estimate how many of their favourite drinks make up the weekly maximum guideline, and staff will be on hand to bring to life how quickly 14 units can add up.

The guidelines also highlight that if people do regularly drink around 14 units per week, it should be spread over three days or more, with some alcohol-free days.

Regularly exceeding the recommended maximum weekly guideline increases the risk of developing a range of health problems, including cancer of the mouth, throat and breast.

The Scottish Government’s Count 14 campaign, backed by NHS Lothian, aims to help people understand how their weekly drinking adds up.

Dr. Frederike Garbe, Consultant in Public Health, NHS Lothian said: “When it comes to drinking alcohol, most of us could do with cutting down.

“Drinking too much has a negative impact on our overall health and greatly increases the chances of developing illnesses, such as some cancers, stroke and heart disease. The Chief Medical Officer’s advice for both men and women is to not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.

“NHS Lothian is pleased to once again support the Count 14 campaign, which encourages people to think about how their weekly drinking adds up.

“While it isn’t always easy to know how many units are in our favourite drink, the Count 14 campaign has lots of information which can really help.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood (above) said: “The alcohol guidelines are based on the clear evidence that as alcohol use increases, so does the risk of a range of health harms.  To keep these risks low it’s recommended that men and women don’t drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis. 

“The 14 unit guideline equates to six pints of medium strength beer, lager or cider; six medium glasses of wine or seven double measures of spirits over the course of a week.

“By increasing understanding of what this means in terms of actual alcoholic drinks, our hope is that adults in Scotland are able to make more informed choices.”

For further information on the guidelines visit count14.scot

A third of women consider HPV a taboo topic

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs is supporting Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to tackle the myths and stigma around the common virus Human papillomavirus, HPV, and get the facts out.

This year, Scotland’s cervical screening programme is moving to test for HPV first, a far more sensitive test that will save lives but also means many more women will be told they have HPV. Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust ran its #SmearForSmear campaign during Cervical Cancer Prevention Week last month (20-26 January) to tackle the misconceptions about the virus.

In the majority of cases, HPV infection goes away without doing the body any harm. However, sometimes it causes cells to change which, if not treated, could develop into cervical cancer. Testing for HPV is a far more accurate test estimated to prevent almost 500 diagnoses of cervical cancer every year in the UK.

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs and the UK’s cervical cancer charity want as many people as possible to understand the importance of cervical screening and to feel informed and comfortable when they get their results.

New research conducted by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has found a third of women consider HPV a taboo topic and would not want anyone to know if they had it.

A quarter haven’t heard of HPV and one in five would feel embarrassed if they were told they had the virus. Calls to the charity’s Helpline about HPV have already risen 50% over the past year. It is expecting this to significantly rise as more women are tested for HPV and is calling on health professionals to be prepared for increases in questions from patients and encouraging open conversation.

Miles Briggs, Lothian MSP, said: “It is concerning that one in three women consider HPV to be a taboo topic and this risks putting women off being screened.

“Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust are doing excellent work to correct the myths around HPV and get the facts straight and encouraging more women to be screened.

“It is better to be safe and screening for the virus shouldn’t be something for women to be embarrassed about.”

Robert Music, Chief Executive, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said: “HPV can be confusing but it is nothing to be ashamed of. 80% of us will get at least one type of HPV in our lives and in most cases the immune system will get rid of the infection without it causing any harm.

“We need to get the facts out about HPV and get rid of harmful myths and stigma around this really common virus.”

Cyber-bullying revealed as children’s greatest online fear

  • More than a quarter of children and young people are worried about cyber-bullying, a survey reveals – topping the list of online fears
  • 89% also think talking to parents would help keep them stay safe online, but parents reported that only 35% had done so in the last 12 months.
  • Survey of more than 4,000 children and young people and 4,000 parents and carers conducted on behalf of O2 and NSPCC ahead of Safer Internet Day 

Being cyber-bullied is children’s greatest fear when they go online, according to a major survey conducted on behalf of O2 and the NSPCC ahead of Safer Internet Day (Tuesday 11 February).

When questioned, more than a quarter of children (27%) said bullying or someone being unkind to them was what worried them the most when using the internet.

The survey of more than 4,000 young people also revealed being contacted by someone they don’t know was the second biggest online concern (16% of respondents).

Speaking to parents or carers is overwhelmingly seen by children (89%) as the thing to do to help them stay safe online, but parents reported only 35% had raised internet safety with them in the past 12 months.

The survey of more than 4,000 parents and carers also revealed that 92% felt they knew how to advise their child on staying safe online, but less than half (42%) had agreed guidelines on what they do when using the internet.

To mark Safer Internet Day, O2 and the NSPCC have created a new online family agreement for parents and children to fill-in and sign together to help encourage more regular conversations about internet safety.

The agreement provides families with the opportunity to make a joint pledge on things both parents and children will do when online.

O2 and the NSPCC also offer free online resources in the form of Net Aware, a website which explains the social networks, apps or games that children are using most frequently.

Laura Randall, Associate Head of Child Safety Online and Innovation at the NSPCC, said: “Children and young people are becoming increasingly aware of the risks they face when going online and the vital role their parents or carers can play in ensuring they stay safe.

“As a result, parents and carers need to take the initiative and set up regular conversations with their child about their online life, with our family agreement being a great way to kick things off.

“To ensure they are as well informed as possible parents and carers can also access free tools like Net Aware, where they can learn about the latest games, apps and social networks their children are using.”

Nicola Green, Corporate Affairs Director at O2 said: “The digital world is an amazing place but it’s important that as parents we have regular conversations with our children so they’re aware how to safely navigate any potential dangers online.

“As a mum, I know it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start, which is why for Safer Internet Day this year we’ve created a family agreement, available in-store and to download online for free, as a handy tool for parents to explore what their children like doing online and agree to set some guidelines.”

As well as the family agreement, the partnership have developed a booklet offering the latest practical and simple tips on the risks children might face when using the internet, and advice about what parents can do to keep their child safe.

The booklet is now available in more than 450 O2 stores nationwide.

‘Clear link’ between meditation and stress reduction

New collaborative research at Queen’s University Belfast and Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia aims to better understand the link between meditation and improved mental health outcomes.

Despite the growing popularity of meditation practice around the world to address a number of health issues, there is limited evidence to support this.

While stress is common among everyone at some point, persistent stress can eventually contribute to disease and mental illness. The endocrine system is particularly important in the management of stress but the functioning of the endocrine system and wellbeing have been scarcely investigated.

The research team reviewed a large number of previous studies and analysed how meditation impacted a number of hormones related to stress. The study, now published in Cell Press, found a connection between meditation, the endocrine system and health and wellbeing.

Dr Chantal Ski, Author and Reader in Cardiovascular Health at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Through the comprehensive literature review, we found that there is a clear link between meditation and stress reduction.

“We focused on studies that analysed how meditation affected the endocrine system and a number of interconnected systems that regulate stress such as the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal (HPA), the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Thyroid (HPT) axis and the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone (RAA) system.”

Dr Michaela Pascoe, Lead and Corresponding Author on the research and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Health and Sport at Victoria University, Melbourne said: “This work shows that meditation influences the regulation of the HPA axis, which may reduce stress levels.

“Another key finding was linked with the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Thyroid (HPT) axis, which determines and regulates thyroid hormone production and is particularly associated with depression and anxiety. The findings indicate that meditation and yoga influenced the HPA axis to a varying degree.

“The Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone (RAA) System regulates blood pressure, electrolytes and fluid balance. Although the scope of research is currently limited, it seems that meditation may also influence the RAA system, corresponding with improved well-being and changes in hormonal stress.”

Meditation is becoming increasingly popular, with over a quarter of UK adults practising meditation as a therapy. A recent study in the US cited a threefold increase in the practice over the last five years.

Dr Ski added: “Increased knowledge of the interrelationships between the endocrine system and meditation will lead to identification of specific meditation practices that are of most benefit to the health and wellbeing of various population.

“Given the multitude and severity of health issues related to persistent stress, it is paramount that more research is carried out in this area to help inform effective future healthcare policies among different groups as this could only lead to huge health benefits as well as financial benefits with more effective treatments in place.”

Dr Pascoe concluded: “Most studies to date have explored the effect of meditation practice on the HPA axis and much more research is needed to examine other aspects of the endocrine system.

“Whilst it is intriguing that various meditation practices appear to induce changes in endocrine function and consequently be associated with improvements in mental health, the underlying associations and mechanisms that might operate are unclear, though likely involve psychological, physiological, and neurological processes.”

Family Nurse Partnerships celebrate tenth anniversary

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme celebrated it’s 10th birthday last week with special guest Nicola Sturgeon.

The First Minister, who initially helped launch the programme in Scotland ten years ago, attended the event in the Edinburgh Corn Exchange to meet many of the mothers and staff who she first met back then.

The First Minister said: “The Family Nurse Partnership is really close to my heart. We know that for any woman becoming a mum is a life changing experience but for young, first time, mums it can present particular challenges and the whole point of the Family Nursing Partnership is about helping young mums to overcome those challenges.

“It really helps mums and dads to give their children the best start in life and in my opinion it’s probably the best investment we can make as a society.”

FNP focuses on helping young, first time, mothers and their families to provide responsive, sensitive and positive parenting. It also helps them to develop self-efficacy to both identify and achieve their future goals.

Laura Wilson, 26, from Edinburgh, who was one of the first mothers to join the programme back in 2010 said: “Pam, my first Family Nurse, was willing to let me take things at my own pace and encouraged me to bond with the baby.

“Shortly after Caitlin was born I changed Family Nurses to Trudy, but honestly she was so nice and couldn’t have done a better job.

“She helped me to have the confidence to get out of an unhealthy relationship, which allowed me to be happier and to be a better parent.

“She also saw potential in me to help other parents in the community to breast feed. I received training and that allowed me to apply for my first job in the NHS as a clinical support worker and I’ve been there for six years now and I’m currently studying towards a HNC in care.”

In 2010 NHS Lothian became the first health board to provide this service in Scotland. In March 2015, Nicola Sturgeon announced Edinburgh city (as part of NHS Lothian) had been formally recognised as the first city in the world to have achieved delivery of a concurrent FNP service to all eligible clients. Since then the service has expanded to cover all of Lothian.

Val Alexander, the original FNP Supervisor for NHS Lothian, said: “Our first clients showed us that they wanted to become the best mums they could be for their children. Last night they evidenced that they had achieved their goal.  The first children of FNP now age 8-9 years presented as happy, confident and inspiring to all who attended.”

The programme was first developed 40 years ago in the United States of America by Professor David Olds and the University of Colorado. It has shown to improve pregnancy and health behaviours, reduce child abuse and neglect, increase maternal employment and economic self-sufficiency and reduce closely spaced subsequent pregnancies.

Since the initial introduction in Scotland the programme has continued to grow; for example the service was initially offered to mothers 19 years of age and younger where now it supports mothers from 21 years of age and younger. From 2015 NHS Lothian has supported NHS Borders to implement the FNP programme and in 2019 similar arrangements were put in place to include NHS Dumfries & Galloway.

Dorothy-Ann Timoney, FNP Supervisor, said: “We remain proud of our FNP programme in Lothian and as we strengthen and focus on quality improvement for our service we continue to value the ongoing feedback from the staff, clients and their families.”

Just the ticket!

ScotRail All-Aboard for MND Scotland 

The ScotRail Alliance has announced it will be continuing its journey to a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), by supporting charity MND Scotland for another two years. 

The partnership, which was set to end in March 2020, has been a huge success, with staff and customers raising £255,000 since 2017, smashing their target of £150,000. 

Going above and beyond for the past three years, funds have been raised through staff fundraising, customer donations and gifts in kind, such as advertising on trains and in stations. 

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This may cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink or breathe unaided. 

MND Scotland provides vital support to families affected by MND when they need it the most, and fund ground-breaking research into a cure. 

Last month the charity announced a £1.5million investment into the UK’s biggest MND drug trial. Funds raised through the ScotRail Alliance – a partnership between ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland have contributed to this monumental step towards finding a cure for the disease and giving people living with MND hope. 

Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we will be continuing our work with MND Scotland over the next two years.

“MND Scotland is an incredible charity doing extraordinary work right across our country, and the recent drug trials show just how valuable our fundraising efforts can be.

 “I’m really proud of our people and customers who have helped to raise more than £250,000 for this great cause so far, and I’m looking forward to raising even more over the next two years.”

 Iain McWhirter, MND Scotland’s Head of Fundraising, said: “We are delighted that the ScotRail Alliance are going to be joining us on our journey to a cure for another two years. 

“We have been blown away by the support we have received, from staff jumping out planes and organising coffee mornings, to customers donating across the country, and advertising which has helped raise awareness with commuters throughout Scotland. 

“Thanks to the generosity of supporters like this we have been able to fund the most comprehensive MND drug trial in a generation. This trial will be open to almost every person with MND in Scotland and we hope will lead to finding effective treatments and ultimately a cure for MND.”

Free Training Opportunity: Getting the Balance Right: Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

This course provides participants with the information, confidence and tools to support their client group to put healthy eating and physical activity recommendations into practice to improve health and wellbeing. 

WHERE AND WHEN

Tuesday, 17 March: 09:30 – 16:30

Chancellors Building

Seminar Room 1

Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, EH16 4SA

WHAT

Participants will have the opportunity to: 

·        Gain an understanding of the policy context relating to food and health, physical activity and mental wellbeing 

·        Gain an understanding of current eating and physical activity patterns in Scotland. 

·        Increase understanding of the definitions, key messages around food & health, physical activity and the links to mental wellbeing. 

·        Increase awareness of barriers to healthy eating and physical activity & raise awareness of behaviour change. 

·        Understand risk factors and benefits associated with healthy eating and physical inactivity 

·        Be aware of national and local initiatives and resources for promoting healthy eating, physical activity and mental wellbeing 

·        Reflect on learning and how it will inform professional practice. 

This course is provided free of charge by NHS Lothian Health Promotion Service. 

Book your place through Eventbrite HERE

John Brennan | Senior Health Promotion Specialist (Physical Activity) | NHS Lothian Health Promotion Service | R4008 Canaan Park  Astley Ainslie Hospital 133 Grange Loan Edinburgh EH9 2HL |  ( 0131 537 9419 È07776 225 778

Genius Brewing donate £10,000 to Doddie charity

Genius Brewing have presented Doddie Weir OBE with £10,000 for the My Name5 Doddie Foundation at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

Genius Brewing are official fundraising partners with the My Name5 Doddie Foundation. The company’s #5p4Dodde pledge donates 5p from every can of their Gen!us Craft Lager.

Genius Brewing’s Jason Clarke said: “Doddie has transformed the profile of MND and raised over £5m to help current and future sufferers. Genius Brewing is proud to support such an inspiring cause.”