Policy liaison home               Other summaries

The summaries in this section are a selection of policy relevant public health reviews.  For a complete list of public health reviews and for more information about the role of the Cochrane Collaboration in the area of public health, please visit the Cochrane Health Promotion and Public Health Field website. (http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/cochrane/welcome/index.htm)

These summaries are based on new and updated systematic reviews published between Issue 2 2005 - Issue 10 2010 of The Cochrane Library. The summaries are produced by the Australasian Cochrane Centre for staff in the Department of Health and Ageing. They must be read in conjunction with the full review when making decisions.  The authors' conclusions are summarised using standardised language and a coding system, but have not been reinterpreted. 

Each summary is based on a single review and includes:

1. A summary of the reviewers' conclusions for each intervention.  
2. A list of the research gaps: where the reviewers have systematically identified that we cannot answer a question from existing clinical trials.
3. A direct link from the title to the abstract so you can access more information quickly.
4. Bibliographical details and a link to The Cochrane Library so you can search for the full review.

Each intervention is coded using the following key: 

W	The reviewers have concluded that the intervention works
DW	The reviewers have concluded that the intervention does not work
R	The reviewers have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support or refute this intervention, so more research is required

• Amantadine and rimantadine for influenza A in adults
• Antibiotics for preventing meningococcal infections
• Antidepressants for smoking cessation
• Bicycle helmet legislation for the uptake of helmet use and prevention of head injuries
• Biomedical risk assessment as an aid for smoking cessation
• Cannabinoid type 1 receptor antagonists (rimonabant) for smoking cessation
• Chitosan for overweight or obesity
• Clonidine for smoking cessation
• Competitions and incentives for smoking cessation
• Conjugate vaccines for preventing meningococcal C meningitis and septicaemia
• Double gloving to reduce surgical cross-infection
• Exercise for overweight or obesity
• Family-based programmes for preventing smoking by children and adolescents
• Group behaviour therapy programmes for smoking cessation
• Individual behavioral counseling for smoking cessation
• Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers who work for the elderly
• Influenza vaccine for children and adults with bronchiectasis
• Influenza vaccines for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Injectable vaccines for preventing pneumococcal infection in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Interventions for preventing obesity in children
• Interventions for promoting smoking cessation during pregnancy
• Interventions for smokeless tobacco use cessation
• Interventions for waterpipe smoking cessation
• Interventions implemented through sporting organisations for increasing participation in sport
• Intragastric balloon for obesity
• Lobeline for smoking cessation
• Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for overweight and obesity
• Mass media interventions for smoking cessation in adults
• Opioid antagonists for smoking cessation
• Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults
• Nicobrevin for smoking cessation
• Nicotine receptor partial agonists for smoking cessation
• Non-legislative interventions for the promotion of cycle helmet wearing by children
• Policy interventions implemented through sporting organisations for promoting healthy behaviour change
• Psychological interventions for overweight or obesity
• Rimonabant for overweight or obesity
• School-based programmes for preventing smoking
• Self-help interventions for smoking cessation
• Silver acetate for smoking cessation
• Telephone counselling for smoking cessation
• Tobacco cessation interventions for young people
• Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children
• Weight reduction for the primary prevention of stroke in adults with overweight or obesity