BackgroundAlcohol-related harm is a major global health issue, and controls on alcohol marketing are one intervention utilized by governments. This study investigated the use of Google Street View (GSV) as a novel research method for collecting alcohol-related data in the urban environment.MethodsThe efficacy of GSV and on-street observation by observer teams was compared by surveying 400 m stretches of 12 streets in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Data on alcohol sale, alcohol-related advertising, health promotion materials, regulatory information and visible alcohol consumption were collected.ResultsA total of 403 retailers with evidence of alcohol sales and 1161 items of alcohol-related communication were identified in on-street observation. Of the latter, 1028 items (89 %) were for alcohol marketing and 133 (11 %) were for alcohol-related health promotion and alcohol regulation. GSV was found to be a less sensitive tool than on-street observation with only 50 % of the alcohol venues identified and 52 % of the venue-associated brand marketing identified. A high degree of inter-observer reliability was generally found between pairs of observers e.g., for the detection of alcohol retail venues the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.78 to 0.98) for on-street observation and 0.85 (95 % CI: 0.49 to 0.96) for using GSV.ConclusionsGSV does not seem suitable for the comprehensive study of the influences on alcohol consumption in the urban streetscape. However, it may still have value for large, static objects in the environment and be more time efficient than traditional on-street observation measures, especially when used to collect data across a wide geographical area. Furthermore, GSV might become a more useful research tool in settings with better image quality (such as more ‘footpath views’) and with more regularly updated GSV imagery.

Background Complementary medicines and therapies (CMT) are recommended in osteoarthritis (OA) treatment guidelines; however, there are few studies on CMT use in the community. The present study explored the use and perceptions of CMT for OA management in a New Zealand population. Methods Nineteen middle‐ to older‐aged adults with hip or knee OA, recruited from a public hospital research database, engaged in focus groups exploring CMT knowledge, factors influencing CMT use, and the role of medical professionals in the decision‐making process. Participants were organized into four groups, further to explore the impact of age or OA duration on CMT use. Results Thematic analysis resulted in five themes, consistent across all groups: participants' perceptions of CMT; reasons for taking CMT; reasons for not taking CMT; sources and credibility of CMT information; and medical professionals' role in CMT use. Participants indicated a range of CMT use, yet were unclear what defined a product as ‘CMT’. CMT use was influenced by symptom severity, previous experiences of themselves or trusted others, and perceived CMT effectiveness. General practitioners were identified as participants' preferred source of CMT information, owing to both their professional knowledge and lack of commercial gain from promoting CMT use. Conclusion Participants supported CMT for OA management, based on evidence and/or experience of effectiveness. Proactive general practitioner dialogue and subsidized CMT products recommended as part of a clinical treatment plan would encourage further CMT uptake. Additionally, the development of standardized CMT terminology would facilitate patient–doctor communication regarding CMT use and promote inter‐professional dialogue regarding multidisciplinary patient treatment.