A Moveable Beast: Subjective Influence of Human-Animal Relationships on Risk Perception, and Risk Behaviour during Bushfire Threat

This article examines how human-animal connections influence risk perception and behaviour in companion animal guardians exposed to bushfire threat in Australia. Although the objective role of psychological bonds with companion animals is well accepted by researchers, subjective interpretations of these bonds by animal guardians are relatively underexamined in this context. We argue that the ways in which connections with pets and other animals are represented influences different forms of safety-risk perception and behaviour when managing animals’ safety in the face of disaster threat. Thematic analysis of 21 semi-structured interviews with South Australian residents in bushfire-affected areas supported the role of the human-animal bond in shaping risk perception, and influencing engagement in risk-behaviour. Influential factors included animals’ “life value,” “relative versus absolute” risk framing, the “constellation of bonds,” and “action paralysis” when facing threat. Implications for future research in decision-making and risk propensities of animal guardians facing disaster threat alongside their pets are then discussed

Correction to: Cluster identification, selection, and description in Cluster randomized crossover trials: the PREP-IT trials

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article

Adding 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy to postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of short-course versus no androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised controlled trial

Background Previous evidence indicates that adjuvant, short-course androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improves metastasis-free survival when given with primary radiotherapy for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the value of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy is unclear. Methods RADICALS-HD was an international randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of ADT used in combination with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to radiotherapy alone (no ADT) or radiotherapy with 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT), using monthly subcutaneous gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue injections, daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as distant metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. Standard survival analysis methods were used, accounting for randomisation stratification factors. The trial had 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 80% to 86% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·67). Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00541047. Findings Between Nov 22, 2007, and June 29, 2015, 1480 patients (median age 66 years [IQR 61–69]) were randomly assigned to receive no ADT (n=737) or short-course ADT (n=743) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 121 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 9·0 years (IQR 7·1–10·1), metastasis-free survival events were reported for 268 participants (142 in the no ADT group and 126 in the short-course ADT group; HR 0·886 [95% CI 0·688–1·140], p=0·35). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 79·2% (95% CI 75·4–82·5) in the no ADT group and 80·4% (76·6–83·6) in the short-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 121 (17%) of 737 participants in the no ADT group and 100 (14%) of 743 in the short-course ADT group (p=0·15), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Metastatic disease is uncommon following postoperative bed radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Adding 6 months of ADT to this radiotherapy did not improve metastasis-free survival compared with no ADT. These findings do not support the use of short-course ADT with postoperative radiotherapy in this patient population

Duration of androgen deprivation therapy with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of long-course versus short-course androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised trial

Background Previous evidence supports androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with primary radiotherapy as initial treatment for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the use and optimal duration of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy remains uncertain. Methods RADICALS-HD was a randomised controlled trial of ADT duration within the RADICALS protocol. Here, we report on the comparison of short-course versus long-course ADT. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after previous radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to add 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT) or 24 months of ADT (long-course ADT) to radiotherapy, using subcutaneous gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue (monthly in the short-course ADT group and 3-monthly in the long-course ADT group), daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. The comparison had more than 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 75% to 81% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·72). Standard time-to-event analyses were used. Analyses followed intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT00541047 . Findings Between Jan 30, 2008, and July 7, 2015, 1523 patients (median age 65 years, IQR 60–69) were randomly assigned to receive short-course ADT (n=761) or long-course ADT (n=762) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 138 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 8·9 years (7·0–10·0), 313 metastasis-free survival events were reported overall (174 in the short-course ADT group and 139 in the long-course ADT group; HR 0·773 [95% CI 0·612–0·975]; p=0·029). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 71·9% (95% CI 67·6–75·7) in the short-course ADT group and 78·1% (74·2–81·5) in the long-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 105 (14%) of 753 participants in the short-course ADT group and 142 (19%) of 757 participants in the long-course ADT group (p=0·025), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Compared with adding 6 months of ADT, adding 24 months of ADT improved metastasis-free survival in people receiving postoperative radiotherapy. For individuals who can accept the additional duration of adverse effects, long-course ADT should be offered with postoperative radiotherapy. Funding Cancer Research UK, UK Research and Innovation (formerly Medical Research Council), and Canadian Cancer Society

Australian householders' psychological preparedness for potential natural hazard threats: An exploration of contributing factors

Reynolds, AC ORCiD: 0000-0001-9534-8699© 2019 Considerable attention has been given by researchers to householders' material, or physical, preparedness for impact of a severe natural hazard. Somewhat less attention has been paid to psychological preparedness for such an event. This paper first reviews conceptual formulations of psychological preparedness for disasters, and self-report measures of the construct. Previous research findings about correlates of psychological preparedness are discussed. We report findings from a survey of 1253 Australian households. Scores on two psychological preparedness subscales (Knowledge and management, Anticipation and awareness) were correlated with scores on a measure of material preparedness. For both women and men, seven factors were found to be associated with both psychological and material preparedness: (a) information awareness about psychological preparedness, (b) previous emergency services training or experience, (c) previous experience of natural hazard threat, (d) higher mindfulness scores, (e) higher active engagement coping style scores, (f) low stress scores, and (g) low depression scores. It was concluded that important issues remain to be addressed about how householder psychological preparedness for disasters is best conceptualised, measured, and modified

Out on a limb: Applying the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance model to examine injury-linked factors among light rail drivers

Bowditch, LM ORCiD: 0000-0002-2783-0595; Naweed, A ORCiD: 0000-0002-5534-4295Work-related injuries and musculoskeletal disorders are a workplace problem within and across organisations, particularly in rail, where they tend to be treated as non-significant and localised health issues. While physical ergonomics and interface-design issues invariably contribute to the incidence of such injuries, contemporary socio-technical systems theories suggest that wider system factors and complex interrelationships between them may also play a role. The Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model was applied to identify, map and examine injury-linked factors in light rail vehicle (i.e. tram) drivers. Two connected studies were undertaken in a mixed methods research design involving direct (e.g. interviews, observations) and indirect (e.g. cross-sectional surveys) methods of data capture within an Australian light rail organisation. Analysis of data and triangulation of findings revealed that impacts to work-related musculoskeletal disorders are not only local and physical, but psychosocial and distal, such as in driving behaviours engendered by knowledge and levels of interpersonal support received. Application of the PEOP model enabled determination of the complexity around the systems factors contributing to driver injury in the context of rail driving and identification of specific strategies and implications for policy, education and practice. This paper presents the first use of the PEOP model to examine and better understand work-related injuries and musculoskeletal disorders in the rail industry and provides an adaptation of the model as a template for future use in rail and to assist in the understanding of complex injury scenarios within a socio-technical systems approach. © 2020 The Author

Community and agency perspectives on community mental/emotional disaster risk and preparedness: A qualitative community and agency study

Reynolds, AC ORCiD: 0000-0001-9534-8699Psychological preparedness – the ability to manage the body’s stress response during a disaster experience – can help people make better decisions in rapidly changing conditions. Without it, even the best physical plans and preparations can go awry. Despite its importance, there is little consensus on the best terms, formats and content for enhancing this type of preparedness. We spoke with residents of the Bundaberg region and emergency and disaster service personnel to understand what works, when and why for increasing psychological preparedness. We asked residents to provide feedback on 3 currently available brochures/websites on psychological preparedness from the Red Cross, the Queensland Government and the Australian Psychological Society. In brief, what did residents and agency personnel say about engaging people and increasing their self-efficacy in psychological preparedness

Capturing community experiences : South Australian bushfires January 2014

Lightning strikes in January 2014 caused a number of significant bushfire events in South Australia that continued into February. Fires in and around Eden Valley, Bangor and Rockleigh provided an opportunity to conduct research into the bushfire risk perceptions, decision‐making processes and behaviour of residents across three very different fire events involving a rapid‐onset fire (Eden Valley), a long campaign fire (Bangor), and repeat fire incidents (Rockleigh). During April and May 2014, 171 residents in affected communities were interviewed and 606 South Australians participated in a complementary online (statewide) survey. Approximately one in two (49%) survey respondents considered their residential area to have been impacted by fire, and almost one in five (17%) indicated that they were directly impacted by the fires, and one in five (20%) experienced fire threat without property damage. The aim of the research was to inform SA Country Fire Service about community members’ experiences of bushfires in South Australia, with particular attention to a range of research questions grouped under the three themes discussed below. The nature of the study has allowed us to provide observations and insights on each one of these themes. However, it should be noted that cause and effect relationships between the factors should not be inferred. [Summary continued in report

How three South Australian communities responded to the 2014 bushfires

This Hazard Note summarises results from research commissioned by the South Australia Country Fire Service (CFS) following three very different bushfires in early 2014: a rapid-onset fire, a long-campaign fire, and repeat fire incidents. The study investigated bushfire risk perceptions, decision-making processes and the behaviour of residents affected by these fires. Findings showed regardless of the nature of the fire, many residents may have been dangerously late in leaving their homes. Ten percent of interviewees had a written fire plan to guide their decision making. In each of the three interview sites, the percentage of those who ultimately chose to leave as a whole household was approximately double that for the intention to do so. Regarding communication strategies, the results reinforce similar research from other states in finding that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to warning and informing the community during fires is not appropriate