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Australians spend the equivalent of 18 days every two years in the bathroom.

No prizes for guessing that for most of it they're sitting but in the spirit of multitasking, perhaps it's also worth asking what else people do during their toilet time.

The Cancer Council at least thinks so. Its survey of more than a thousand older Australians concerning their pooing habits found a quarter take their phones with them.

Of these, nearly half (45 per cent) admit using their device to scroll social media, while four in 10 read the news.

Some 23 per cent also send and receive texts while doing their business and another 23 per cent play games.

The nation's bathroom activities are the focus of this year's bowel cancer screening campaign, with home-testing numbers disappointingly down and 50- to 74-year-olds being urged to 'Get2It'.

The Cancer Council reckons 35 minutes a day in the smallest room in the house is more than enough for those eligible to do the test sent to them free in the mail every two years and potentially save their lives.

Screening rates for the second-biggest cancer killer sit at 43.5 per cent but with a fifth of Australians insisting bathroom time is about maintaining good health, that's not good enough, says CEO Tanya Buchanan.

"Countless lives can be saved if eligible Australians, especially those in their 50s swapped out time spent scrolling on their phones while on the loo, with bowel screening time," she said.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says if the screening rate can be permanently raised to 60 per cent, around 84,000 lives could be saved by 2040.

"Screen time is a feature of modern life and we want screening time to come just as naturally, so why not use your next bathroom stop to complete the test or add a reminder to your calendar," he said.

Research shows placing test kits in the bathroom straight away and setting reminders on phones are worth doing.

Former NRL stars Petero Civoniceva and Geoff Toovey and commentator Andrew Voss have also been enlisted to help spread the word.

The latter says the cause is close to his and his family's heart.

"It really hits home for me because I've seen first-hand how devastating bowel cancer can be after my grandmother was diagnosed ... late in the piece before sadly passing away," Voss said.

"Early diagnosis could save your life."

Testing kits are quick and hygienic to complete at home and return in the post.

© AAP 2022

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Watching a child take a tumble or endure a painful jab of a needle can be distressing for any parent.

But while the natural urge is to rush to their aid, teaching kids resilience about managing their own pain can be just as valuable as they grow.

A new study from the University of South Australia has found parents and caregivers play a critical role in shaping how children react to and manage their pain.

"Whether it's falling from a bike or dealing with the often-dreaded vaccinations, everyday pain experiences are opportunities for parents to promote positive pain-related beliefs and behaviours," according to lead researcher Dr Sarah Wallwork.

"In children, pain can be influenced by their emotions - for example, fear, hunger or tiredness can exacerbate symptoms even though this is not pain itself.

"Teaching children that they can have some control over their pain ... empowers them to actively engage with their own pain management."

A young child might be given a wet cloth or a bandaid, then told the injury is now protected and it is safe to move on a play, Dr Wallwork says.

"For an older child, the process can be more involved but the key is to demonstrate that the child is the healer and they that are actively involved in the healing process."

The study asked experts in child health, psychology, development and resilience - as well as parents and educators - what they believed promoted recovery and resilience after minor pains or injury in children aged between two and seven.

The cohort agreed - with 80 per cent consensus - the five most important messages were: teaching the child about pain being the body's alarm system; validating the child's pain without making a fuss; reassuring the child that the pain will pass; supporting their emotions while encouraging them to regulate them; and encouraging them to get involved in their own recovery, for example fetching their own bandaid.

In Australia, as many as one in four children and one in five adults experience chronic pain.

Teaching children about the relationship between injury, pain and recovery may go some way to improving those statistics, researchers hope.

"By helping children learn about pain when they are young, we're hoping to promote lifelong 'helpful' pain behaviours that will actively encourage recovery and prevent future pain problems," Dr Wallwork said.

© AAP 2022

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Splendour In The Grass attendees are being urged to be look out for meningococcal disease symptoms following the death of a Sydney man with the disease who was at the NSW music festival.

NSW Health said it had been notified of two cases in people who attended the Byron music festival from July 21 to 24.

It urged anyone with symptoms - which can include fever, neck stiffness, joint pain, a rash of red-purple spots or bruises, nausea and a dislike of bright lights - to contact a doctor immediately.

Health authorities on Thursday said a Sydney man in his 40s with the disease had died.

There have been 15 cases of meningococcal disease reported in the state this year.

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A husband and wife celebrating more than five decades of marriage have been killed in a lightning strike outside the White House.

Two others remained hospitalised with life-threatening injuries.

James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, of Janesville, Wisconsin, died of their injuries after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park, located directly outside the White House complex, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

The two other people, a man and a woman, were in critical condition after Thursday night's lightning strike, the police department said.

Their identities were not immediately released.

Authorities did not reveal how the people were injured, other than to say they were critically hurt in the lightning strike.

The Muellers were on a trip to Washington DC to celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary, according to their niece Michelle McNett.

Officers with the Secret Service and the US Park Police witnessed the lightning strike on Thursday night and ran over to render first aid, officials said.

Emergency medical crews were called to the scene just before 7pm and had transported all of the victims to the hospital with "critical, life-threatening injures," fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said.

© AP 2022