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McCarthy S, Pitt H, Benjamin K, Stafford J, Keric D, Arnot G, Thomas S. The role of alcohol consumption in the lives of older Australian women: qualitative insights and an agenda for further research, policy and practice. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:2715. [PMID: 39369192 PMCID: PMC11453004 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20083-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption presents a threat to the health and wellbeing of women. The alcohol industry often pushes back at global efforts to prioritise the prevention of alcohol harms to women. Qualitative researchers have investigated how younger and midlife women conceptualise their alcohol consumption, but there is very limited research relating to older women (those 60 years and over). METHODS Using data collected from an online qualitative survey, this paper explored the factors that influence how older Australian women drinkers (n = 144. 60-88 years) conceptualised the role of alcohol in their lives. The study used a 'Big Q' reflexive approach to thematic analysis, drawing upon sociological theories of risk and symbolic interactionism to construct four themes from the data. RESULTS First, alcohol consumption was viewed by participants as an accepted and normalised social activity, that was part of Australian culture. Second, alcohol played a role for some participants as a way to cope with life changes (such as retirement), as well as managing stressful or challenging life circumstances (such as loneliness). Third, alcohol was part of the routines and rituals of everyday life for some women. For example, women discussed the consumption of wine with their evening meal as an important part of the structure of their day. Fourth, participants had clear personal expectancies about what it meant to be a 'responsible drinker'. They had clear narratives about personal control and moral obligation, which in some cases created a reduced perception of their own risk of alcohol-caused harm. CONCLUSIONS This research provides a starting point for future public health research examining the factors that may shape older women's alcohol consumption beliefs and practices. Public health activities should consider the unique needs and potential vulnerabilities of older women drinkers, and how these may be potentially exploited by the alcohol industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone McCarthy
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Hannah Pitt
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Kelli Benjamin
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | | | - Danica Keric
- Cancer Council Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Grace Arnot
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Samantha Thomas
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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2
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Lyons AC, Kersey K, Emslie C, Dimova E, Burrows A. Digital alcohol marketing and gender: A narrative synthesis. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024; 43:1361-1387. [PMID: 38648191 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
ISSUES Alcohol marketing on social media platforms is pervasive and effective, reaching wide audiences and allowing interaction with users. We know little about the gendered nature of digital alcohol marketing, including how women and men are portrayed, how different genders respond and implications for gender relations. This review aimed to identify how males, females and other genders are targeted and represented in digital alcohol marketing, and how they are encouraged to engage with digital alcohol marketing content. APPROACH A narrative synthesis approach was employed. Academic literature and research reports were searched for studies on digital alcohol marketing published within the previous 10 years with a range of methods and designs. We reviewed the studies, extracted data relevant to gender and synthesised findings thematically. KEY FINDINGS The review included 17 articles and 7 reports with a range of designs and methods, including content analyses of digital material, interviews, focus groups and surveys. Our analysis identified three conceptual themes that captured many of the gendered results, namely: (i) leveraging a diversity of idealised femininities; (ii) amplifying hegemonic masculinity; and (iii) infiltrating everyday gendered life. IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION Alcohol marketing on social media is highly gendered and is designed to embed itself into everyday life in agile ways that reinforce traditional and evolving gendered stereotypes, activities, lifestyles and roles. Gendered engagement strategies are widely used to link alcohol to everyday gendered activities and identities to encourage alcohol purchase and consumption. This marketing normalises alcohol consumption and reproduces harmful gender norms and stereotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia C Lyons
- Centre for Addiction Research, Department of Social and Community Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kate Kersey
- Centre for Addiction Research, Department of Social and Community Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Carol Emslie
- Research Centre for Health, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Dimova
- Research Centre for Health, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Annamae Burrows
- Research Centre for Health, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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3
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Ford KJ, Burns RJ. Associations Between Divorce Histories and Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Middle Aged and Older Adults. Subst Use Misuse 2024; 59:1999-2007. [PMID: 39155508 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2392519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Background: Unhealthy alcohol use has been considered a coping strategy related to stressful and traumatic life events such as relationship loss. Yet, the effects of marital status on health behaviors are generally studied cross-sectionally or over one transition. We explored associations between the frequency and quantity of alcohol use with the number of episodes and duration of separation/divorce events across adulthood among English adults in mid to later life. Methods: This study used life history data from wave 3 (2006/07) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging to compute marital sequences based on marital status at each year of age from 18 years of 6,355 adults aged 50-80 years. These sequences were used to compute the portion of adulthood spent separated/divorced and the number of episodes of divorce. These variables were used as predictors in logistic regressions predicting unhealthy alcohol use, while also controlling for current marital status. Results: We found that the number of episodes of separation/divorce increased the odds of drinking ≥5 days/week and binge drinking (≥6 drinks/occasion for women; ≥8 drinks/occasion for men), whereas the portion of adulthood spent divorced was not associated with drinking frequency or binge drinking. Some nuances by gender were also noted. Conclusions: Recurrent transitions into separation/divorce over adulthood appears to increase risk of unhealthy alcohol use in mid to later life beyond the risks associated with current marital status.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel J Burns
- Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
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4
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Foley K, Ward PR, Lunnay B. Gendered pleasures, risks and policies: Using a logic of candidacy to explore paradoxical roles of alcohol as a good/poor health behaviour for Australian women early during the pandemic. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 130:104510. [PMID: 39106586 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Drinking alcohol facilitates pleasure for women while also elevating disease risk. Symbolic expectations of what alcohol 'does in' life per lay insight (relax, identity-work, connect) sit in tension with scientific realities about what alcohol 'does to' women's bodies (elevate chronic disease risks such as breast cancer). Policy must work amidst - and despite - these paradoxes to reduce harm(s) to women by attending to the gendered and emergent configurations of both realities. This paper applies a logic of candidacy to explore women's alcohol consumption and pleasure through candidacies of wellness in addition to risk through candidacies of disease (e.g. breast cancer). Using qualitative data collected via 56 interviews with Australian women (n = 48) during early pandemic countermeasures, we explore how risk perceptions attached to alcohol (like breast cancer) co-exist with use-values of alcohol in daily life and elucidate alcohol's paradoxical role in women's heuristics of good/poor health behaviours. Women were aged 25-64 years, experienced varying life circumstances (per a multidimensional measure of social class including economic, social and cultural capital) and living conditions (i.e. partnered/single, un/employed, children/no children). We collated coding structures from data within both projects; used deductive inferences to understand alcohol's paradoxical role in candidacies of wellness and disease; abductively explored women's prioritisation of co-existing candidacies during the pandemic; and retroductively theorised prioritisations per evolving pandemic-inflected constructions of alcohol-related gendered risk/s and pleasure/s. Our analysis illuminates the ways alcohol was configured as a pleasure and form of wellness in relation to stress, productivity and respectability. It also demonstrates how gender was relationally enacted amidst the priorities, discourses and materialities enfolding women's lives during the pandemic. We consider the impact of policy regulation of aggressive alcohol marketing and banal availability of alcohol in pandemic environments and outline gender-responsive, multi-level policy options to reduce alcohol harms to women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Foley
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, 88 Wakefield Street Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Paul R Ward
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, 88 Wakefield Street Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
| | - Belinda Lunnay
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, 88 Wakefield Street Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia
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5
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Davies EL, Bennett J, Matheson L, Brett J, Watson E. Shouldn't We Know This Already? UK Women's Views About Communicating the Link Between Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Breast Cancer. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024; 39:1866-1876. [PMID: 37592450 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2023.2245208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol is a causal factor in about 10% of breast cancer (BCa) cases, but awareness of this link is low. This study explored how to raise awareness and inform the development of an intervention using the COM-B model (capability, opportunity, motivation, behavior) framework. Eight online focus groups were conducted with 36 participants (6 expert stakeholders,and 30 women aged 40-65). Participants reflected on a package of information about alcohol and BCa and discussed how to impart this information and encourage women to reduce drinking. Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts was undertaken. Three themes were identified: understanding ineffective messaging; transitions and challenges; and message acceptability. Current health information about alcohol was perceived as judgmental and BCa was put down to chance. Mid-life consisted of many challenges that could lead to increased consumption, but menopause transition may be a key moment for alcohol reduction. Barriers and enablers to communicating risk information and encouraging alcohol reduction were mapped onto the COM-B model. Psychological capability (relating to knowledge), social opportunity (in the form of social pressure) and automatic motivation (relating to drinking to cope) were barriers to behavior change. These will be targeted in an alcohol reduction intervention. It is important to tailor information to women's experiences, taking into account the social benefits of drinking, and encourage the development of healthy coping strategies. Acceptable intervention messages may include personal stories, clear statistics, and suggest healthy alternatives to drinking. It is vital that messaging does not appear judgmental or patronizing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Davies
- The Centre for Psychological Research, Oxford Brookes University
| | - Julie Bennett
- The Centre for Psychological Research, Oxford Brookes University
| | - Lauren Matheson
- Oxford Institute of Applied Health Research (OxInAHR), Oxford Brookes University
| | - Jo Brett
- Oxford Institute of Applied Health Research (OxInAHR), Oxford Brookes University
| | - Eila Watson
- Oxford Institute of Applied Health Research (OxInAHR), Oxford Brookes University
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Wen W, Li H, Lauffer M, Hu D, Zhang Z, Lin H, Wang Y, Leidinger M, Luo J. Sex-specific effects of alcohol on neurobehavioral performance and endoplasmic reticulum stress: an analysis using neuron-specific MANF deficient mice. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1407576. [PMID: 39130640 PMCID: PMC11310019 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1407576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol exposure can cause neurobehavioral deficits and structural alterations in the brain. Emerging research evidence suggests that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays an important role in alcohol-induced neurotoxicity. Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is an ER stress inducible protein and is responsible to maintain ER homeostasis. MANF is highly expressed in both the developing and mature brain. We have previously shown that MANF deficiency exacerbated alcohol induced neurodegeneration and ER stress in the developing brain. However, little is known regarding the role of MANF in alcohol induced neuronal damage in the adult brain. In this study, we used a neuron-specific MANF knockout (KO) mouse model to investigate the effect of MANF deficiency on acute binge alcohol exposure-induced neurobehavioral deficits and ER stress. Adult male and female MANF KO mice and littermate controls received daily alcohol gavage (5 g/kg) for 10 days and then subjected to a battery of neurobehavioral tests including rotarods, balance beam, DigiGait, open field, elevated plus maze, Barnes maze, and three-chamber sociability task. Female MANF KO animals were more susceptible to alcohol-induced body weight loss. Alcohol exposure did not affect motor function, however female but not male MANF KO mice exhibited an increased locomotor activity in open field test. Learning and memory was not significantly impaired, but it was altered by MANF deficiency in females while it was affected by alcohol treatment in males. Both alcohol-exposed male and female MANF KO mice displayed increased sociability. Alcohol induced the expression of ER chaperones GRP78 and GRP94 and altered the levels of several unfolded protein response (UPR) and neuroinflammation markers in MANF KO mice in a sex-specific manner. The expression of MANF interacting proteins neuroplastin, PDIA1, and PDIA6 was increased in MANF KO mice, and was further induced by alcohol. In conclusion, alcohol exposure and neuronal MANF deficiency interacted to alter neurobehavioral outcomes, ER homeostasis and neuroinflammation in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wen
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Marisol Lauffer
- Neural Circuits and Behavior Core, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Di Hu
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Zuohui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Hong Lin
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Yongchao Wang
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Mariah Leidinger
- Comparative Pathology Laboratory, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Jia Luo
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
- Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, United States
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Thomeer MB, Ross C, Reczek R, Hossain M. Women's childbearing histories and their alcohol use at midlife. J Women Aging 2024; 36:123-138. [PMID: 37811657 PMCID: PMC10922455 DOI: 10.1080/08952841.2023.2266961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
There has been increased alcohol use among mid-life women in recent decades. Given the association between alcohol use and childbearing earlier in life and the centrality of childbearing for other aspects of mid-life women's health, we examined how multiple components of childbearing histories were associated with mid-life alcohol use. Our analysis included 3,826 women from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79). We estimated how nine components of childbearing were associated with women's alcohol use at age 50. We investigated these components independently and also created six childbearing profiles using Mixed-Mode Latent Class Analysis (MM-LCA). The most alcohol was consumed by women without any childbirths, with older ages at first birth, with low parity, and with the same or fewer births than expected. Women with older ages at first and last birth and more childbirths were less likely to abstain from alcohol compared to women with younger ages at first and last birth and fewer childbirths. Our MM-LCA demonstrated that women with multiple childbirths over a long period of time consumed the least alcohol compared to other groups. Binge drinking at mid-life was generally not associated with childbearing histories in our models. In summary, childbearing histories mattered for women's drinking behaviors at mid-life. Given that an increasing number of women do not have children, the age at first birth continues to trend older, and parity is decreasing, we may expect mid-life women's alcohol use to continue to increase in line with these observed fertility trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mieke Beth Thomeer
- Department of Sociology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Clifford Ross
- Department of Sociology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Rin Reczek
- Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Monir Hossain
- Department of Sociology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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8
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Hill EM, Mazurek ME. Wine-Mom Culture, Alcohol Use, and Drinking Motives: A Descriptive Study and Cross-Cultural Exploration of American and British Mothers. Subst Use Misuse 2024; 59:439-449. [PMID: 38066682 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2275572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Objective: "Wine-mom" culture, which promotes the idea that women should use alcohol to cope with the stressors of parenting, is pervasive in modern society, yet remains an under-researched variable in the context of women's alcohol use. The present investigation was a descriptive study and cross-cultural exploration (United States vs. United Kingdom) of the association between wine-mom culture (perceptions of wine-mom culture and related behaviors) and various alcohol-related outcomes, parenting experiences, and drinking motives. Methods: This study included 233 American and 233 British mothers recruited through Prolific. Participants completed the study questions/questionnaires in Qualtrics; they completed nine items measuring their perceptions of and engagement with wine-mom culture, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Parental Stress Scale, and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised, along with questions about their alcohol use and parenting experiences. Results: Our results indicated that although American mothers were more familiar with wine-mom culture than British mothers, the correlations observed were similar for both groups. Some of the wine-mom culture variables were associated with problematic alcohol use and parenting stress. Additionally, wine-mom culture-related behaviors had moderate to strong positive correlations with drinking to cope motives. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that future research should examine the role of wine-mom culture in the perception that alcohol can-or should-be used as a form of self-medication. Other future directions and considerations for this area of study are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Hill
- Department of Psychology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, USA
| | - Madeline E Mazurek
- Department of Psychology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, USA
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9
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Miller M, Kuntsche S, Kuntsche E, Cook M, Wright CJC. Strategies to support midlife women to reduce their alcohol consumption: an Australian study using human-centred design. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:daad175. [PMID: 38128081 PMCID: PMC10735253 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is causally associated with long-term health-related consequences, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, and short-term harms, such as accidents and injuries. Alcohol consumption has increased among midlife women (aged 40-65) over the last two decades in high-income countries. This study aimed to centre women's voices by using co-design methodologies to investigate what women identify as strategies that could assist them and other women their age to reduce their alcohol consumption. Human-centred design workshops were undertaken with 39 women, and conventional qualitative content analysis was used to analyse information from written workshop materials to develop categories in the data and count their occurrence. Six categories, or strategies, emerged, listed here from most to least represented: 'Participate in alternative activities to drinking alcohol', 'Track alcohol consumption and set goals', 'Seek support from family and friends', 'Drink alcohol-free beverages', 'Reduce supply of alcohol in the home' and 'Seek professional support'. Our findings identify strategies that are realistic and feasible to midlife women; our sample, however, likely reflects a more affluent subsection of this group, and as such, any focus on individual-level strategies must be complemented by policies that increase equitable access to healthcare and act on the social and commercial determinants of health. An intersectional approach to alcohol and other drug research is required to examine how the interplay of gender and other markers of social identities shape alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Miller
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Sandra Kuntsche
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emmanuel Kuntsche
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Megan Cook
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
| | - Cassandra J C Wright
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
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10
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Pitt H, McCarthy S, Keric D, Arnot G, Marko S, Martino F, Stafford J, Thomas S. The symbolic consumption processes associated with 'low-calorie' and 'low-sugar' alcohol products and Australian women. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:daad184. [PMID: 38158741 PMCID: PMC10757065 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The influence of commercial actors, practices and processes on the health and wellbeing of women is still not well understood. The alcohol industry has developed a range of products to appeal to new 'health conscious' markets, such as 'low-calorie' and 'low-sugar' products. While these products may have specific appeal for women, there has been little in-depth research that has sought to understand how women conceptualize these products and the range of symbolic meanings that women associate with these products. An online qualitatively led survey was conducted with n = 497 Australian women who had consumed alcohol in the last year. Questions related to the reasons for and influences on alcohol use, the purchasing of 'low-calorie' or 'low-sugar' products and the influence that these products might have on women's alcohol use. Data were interpreted using reflexive thematic analysis. Women consumed alcohol to relax, cope with everyday stressors and because of the alignment with social practices and social connection. Women perceived that these products provided a healthier alternative to traditional alcohol products and that they aligned with women's values relating to weight and the thin ideal. Some women were concerned that these products could increase alcohol consumption by reducing the perceptions of risk associated with alcohol. Policy consideration is needed to address how product claims and attributes may influence population groups' interpretations of the risks and benefits of these alcohol products, including the illusion that these products have protective potential and are better for overall health and wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Pitt
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Simone McCarthy
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Danica Keric
- Cancer Council Western Australia, Level 1/420 Bagot Road, Subiaco, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Grace Arnot
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Sarah Marko
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Florentine Martino
- Faculty of Health, GLOBE, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Julia Stafford
- Cancer Council Western Australia, Level 1/420 Bagot Road, Subiaco, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Samantha Thomas
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
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11
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Willman A, Harkness J, McDonnell K, Palermo M, Macnaughton R. The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21440. [PMID: 38027780 PMCID: PMC10651435 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In Australia, midlife women are experiencing increasing levels of risky drinking behaviours and alcohol-related harms. This is despite the general population trend of decreasing alcohol consumption overall. In light of these diverging trends, this research explores the role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women from their own perspective. Methods Six semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 47 women aged 35-59 years of age. Residents from the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia were recruited, as this group of women appear to be experiencing heightened alcohol-related harms, with an alcohol-related hospitalisation rate 40 % higher than the NSW state average in 2017-18. Results Midlife women described the practical utility of drinking as a habit to relieve stress and escape trauma, as well as an effective method for creating and strengthening social connections within the parenthood life stage. Participants also described the act of moderation as a potent trigger for peer pressure and discussed the individual's tendency to prioritise the short term relieving effects of drinking, despite awareness of the long term health risks. Conclusion Findings around the pro-social role of alcohol as a woman and a parent should be explicitly considered when designing 'swap it' population health messages. Furthermore, the marked social penalty of moderation and tendency to discount long term health risks should also be factored into health promotion messages which seek to utilise moderation as a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm for midlife women.
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Batchelor S, Lunnay B, Macdonald S, Ward PR. Extending the sociology of candidacy: Bourdieu's relational social class and mid-life women's perceptions of alcohol-related breast cancer risk. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2023; 45:1502-1522. [PMID: 37056162 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol is a modifiable breast cancer risk, increasing risk in a dose-dependent manner. Mid-life women (aged 45-64 years) consume alcohol at higher rates than younger women and this, combined with age, make them a high-risk group for breast cancer. This critical public health problem has a seemingly obvious solution (reduce drinking); however, women do not necessarily know alcohol causes breast cancer, and if they do, reducing consumption is not always possible, or desirable. To innovate public health responses, we employ an interpretative sociological framework 'candidacy' to understand women's perspectives on breast cancer risk relative to alcohol consumption and their social class. Drawing on 50 interviews with Australian mid-life women, our findings reveal the socio-structural determinants of 'candidacy', that mean modifying alcohol consumption for breast cancer prevention is impacted by social class. Utilising Bourdieu's relational capitals, our interpretations show how social class shapes women's ascriptions and enactments of breast cancer candidacy. We offer an important theoretical extension to 'candidacy' by demonstrating more or less fluidity in women's assessment of breast cancer risk according to their agency to adopt breast cancer prevention messages. Understanding the social class possibilities and limitations in women's perceptions of breast cancer risk provides a new opportunity to reduce inequities in breast cancer incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Batchelor
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Adelaide Campus, Torrens University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Belinda Lunnay
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Adelaide Campus, Torrens University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Sara Macdonald
- General Practice and Primary Care, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul R Ward
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Adelaide Campus, Torrens University, Adelaide, Australia
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Vicario S, Buykx P, Peacock M, Hardie I, De Freitas L, Bissell P, Meier PS. Women's alcohol consumption in the early parenting period and influences of socio-demographic and domestic circumstances: A scoping review and narrative synthesis. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023; 42:1165-1194. [PMID: 36974380 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
ISSUES Numerous studies have explored alcohol consumption in pregnancy, but less is known about women's drinking in the early parenting period (EPP, 0-5 years after childbirth). We synthesise research related to three questions: (i) How are women's drinking patterns and trajectories associated with socio-demographic and domestic circumstances?; (ii) What theoretical approaches are used to explain changes in consumption?; (iii) What meanings have been given to mothers' drinking? APPROACH Three databases (Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-PsycINFO and CINAHL) were systematically searched. Citation tracking was conducted in Web of Science Citation Index and Google Scholar. Eligible papers explored mothers' alcohol consumption during the EPP, focusing on general population rather than clinical samples. Studies were critically appraised and their characteristics, methods and key findings extracted. Thematic narrative synthesis of findings was conducted. KEY FINDINGS Fourteen quantitative and six qualitative studies were identified. The (sub)samples ranged from n = 77,137 to n = 21 women. Mothers' consumption levels were associated with older age, being White and employed, not being in a partnered relationship, higher education and income. Three theoretical approaches were employed to explain these consumption differences: social role, role deprivation, social practice theories. By drinking alcohol, mothers expressed numerous aspects of their identity (e.g., autonomous women and responsible mothers). IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION Alcohol-related interventions and policies should consider demographic and cultural transformations of motherhood (e.g., delayed motherhood, changes in family structures). Mothers' drinking should be contextualised carefully in relation to socio-economic circumstances and gender inequalities in unpaid labour. The focus on peer-reviewed academic papers in English language may limit the evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Vicario
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Centre for Health and Services Studies, Centre for Care, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Penny Buykx
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Science, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Marian Peacock
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Faculty of Health Social Care and Medicine, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
| | - Iain Hardie
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Paul Bissell
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Petra Sylvia Meier
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Patrick ME, Terry-McElrath YM, Peterson SJ, Birditt KS. Age- and Sex-Varying Associations Between Depressive Symptoms and Substance Use from Modal Ages 35 to 55 in a National Sample of U.S. Adults. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2023; 24:852-862. [PMID: 36680652 PMCID: PMC9862220 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-023-01491-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
It is important to examine normative age-related change in substance use risk factors across the lifespan, with research focusing on middle adulthood particularly needed. The current study examined time-varying associations between depressive symptoms and alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use from modal ages 35 to 55 in a national sample of US adults, overall and by sex. Data were obtained from 11,147 individuals in the longitudinal Monitoring the Future study. Participants were in 12th grade (modal age 18) in 1976-1982 and (for the data reported in this study) were surveyed again at modal ages 35 (in 1993-1999), 40, 45, 50, and 55 (in 2013-2019). Weighted time-varying effect modeling was used to examine age-related change in associations among depressive symptoms, any and heavy use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Across midlife, greater depressive symptoms were associated with decreased odds of any alcohol use during the 40 s and 50 s, but with increased odds of binge drinking from ages 35-40, and-at most ages-any and pack + cigarette use and any and frequent marijuana use. The association between depressive symptoms and substance use was generally similar for men and women. Results highlight the increased risk for binge drinking, smoking, and marijuana with higher levels of depressive symptoms and underscore the importance of screening and interventions for depressive symptoms and substance use in midlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Patrick
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St., PO Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106-1248, USA.
| | - Yvonne M Terry-McElrath
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St., PO Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106-1248, USA
| | - Sarah J Peterson
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St., PO Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106-1248, USA
| | - Kira S Birditt
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St., PO Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106-1248, USA
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15
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Hanson JD, Harris A, Gilbertson RJ, Charboneau M, O'Leary M. Feasibility and Acceptability of Using Ecological Momentary Assessment to Evaluate Alcohol Use with American Indian Women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6071. [PMID: 37372658 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20126071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ecological momentary assessments (EMA) are one way to collect timely and accurate alcohol use data, as they involve signaling participants via cell phones to report on daily behaviors in real-time and in a participant's natural environment. EMA has never been used with American Indian populations to evaluate alcohol consumption. The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of EMA for American Indian women. METHODS Eligible participants were American Indian women between the ages of 18 and 44 who were not pregnant and had consumed more than one drink within the past month. All participants received a TracFone and weekly automated messages. Self-reported measures of daily quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, alcohol type, and context were assessed once per week for four weeks. Baseline measurements also included the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R) and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL). RESULTS Fifteen participants were enrolled in the study. All but one participant completed all data collection time points, and drinking patterns were consistent across the study period. A total of 420 records were completed across 86 drinking days and 334 non-drinking days. Participants reported drinking an average of 5.7 days over the 30-day period and typically consumed 3.99 drinks per drinking occasion. Sixty-six percent of participants met gender-specific cut-points for heavy episodic drinking, with an average of 2.46 binge drinking occasions across the four week study period. CONCLUSIONS This proof-of-concept project showed that EMA was both feasible and acceptable for collecting alcohol data from American Indian women. Additional studies are necessary to fully implement EMA with American Indian women to better understand the drinking motives, contexts, patterns, and risk factors in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica D Hanson
- Department of Applied Human Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, 1216 Ordean Court, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Amy Harris
- Department of Applied Human Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, 1216 Ordean Court, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Rebecca J Gilbertson
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Duluth, 1216 Ordean Court, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Megan Charboneau
- Missouri Breaks Industries Research Inc, 118 Willow Street, Eagle Butte, SD 57625, USA
| | - Marcia O'Leary
- Missouri Breaks Industries Research Inc, 118 Willow Street, Eagle Butte, SD 57625, USA
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16
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Lunnay B, Seymour J, Foley K, Musolino C, Ward PR. Through the wine glass: How biographical midlife transitions and women's affective interpretations interact with alcohol consumption. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 117:104046. [PMID: 37207408 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women during midlife are consuming larger quantities of alcohol than any other age group of women and any other generation of midlife women previously. This is concerning given alcohol related-health risks coalesce with age-related health risks for women, in particular, breast cancer. METHODS In-depth interviews with 50 Australian midlife women (aged 45-64) from different social classes explored women's personal accounts of midlife transitions and their descriptions of the role of alcohol in navigating these life experiences; both daily occurrences as well as significant moments in the life course. RESULTS Our findings point to the complex, confusing and co-existing biographical transitions women experience during midlife (generational, embodied/physiological and material changes) that sharpen a role for alcohol in women's lives and are nuanced by social class (volumes of social, economic and cultural capital). We pay close attention to women's affective interpretations of these transitions and ways alcohol is used to feel robust in navigating daily life or easing their prospective futures. Critically, for women living with limited access to capital, and who could not 'measure up' to social ideals by comparison with the achievements and trajectories of other midlife women, alcohol reconciled their disappointment. Our exploration shows how the social class conditions that shape how women make sense of their transitions through midlife might be differently shaped to enable different options forreducing drinking. CONCLUSIONS Policy must address the social and emotional concerns women experience through midlife transitions that give alcohol a worthwhile place in their lives. A first step might be responding to the absence of community and leisure spaces for midlife women especially those that do not integrate alcohol, with benefits including addressing loneliness, isolation and feeling invisible, and enabling positive constructions of midlife identities. Structural barriers to participation and feelings of worth must be removed for women who lack social, cultural and economic resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Lunnay
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University of Australia, Adelaide Campus, 88 Wakefield St, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia.
| | - Jessica Seymour
- Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Kristen Foley
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University of Australia, Adelaide Campus, 88 Wakefield St, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
| | - Connie Musolino
- Stretton Health Equity, Stretton Institute, School of Social Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Australia
| | - Paul R Ward
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University of Australia, Adelaide Campus, 88 Wakefield St, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
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17
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Lyons AC, Young J, Blake D, Evans P, Stephens C. Home drinking practices among middle-class adults in midlife during the COVID-19 pandemic: Material ubiquity, automatic routines and embodied states. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023. [PMID: 36757806 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Harmful drinking is increasing among mid-life adults. Using social practice theory, this research investigated the knowledge, actions, materials, places and temporalities that comprise home drinking practices among middle-class adults (40-65 years) in Aotearoa New Zealand during 2021-2022 and post the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. METHODS Nine friendship groups (N = 45; 26 females, 19 males from various life stages and ethnicities) discussed their drinking practices. A subset of 10 participants (8 female, 2 male) shared digital content (photos, screenshots) about alcohol and drinking over 2 weeks, which they subsequently discussed in an individual interview. Group and interview transcripts were thematically analysed using the digital content to inform the analysis. RESULTS Three themes were identified around home drinking practices, namely: (i) alcohol objects as everywhere, embedded throughout spaces and places in the home; (ii) drinking practices as habitual, automatic and conditioned to mundane everyday domestic chores, routines and times; and (iii) drinking practices intentionally used by participants to achieve desired embodied states to manage feelings linked to domestic and everyday routines. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Alcohol was normalised and everywhere within the homes of these midlife adults. Alcohol-related objects and products had their own agency, being entangled with domestic routines and activities, affecting drinking in both automatic and intentional ways. Developing alcohol policy that would change its ubiquitous and ordinary status, and the 'automatic' nature of many drinking practices, is needed. This includes restricting marketing and availability to disrupt the acceptability and normalisation of alcohol in the everyday domestic lives of adults at midlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia C Lyons
- Centre for Addiction Research, Department of Social and Community Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,School of Health, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Jessica Young
- School of Health, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Denise Blake
- School of Health, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Penny Evans
- School of Health, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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Kersey K, Hutton F, Lyons AC. Women, alcohol consumption and health promotion: the value of a critical realist approach. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:6974794. [PMID: 36617295 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daac177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on women's drinking occurs in largely disparate disciplines-including public health, health promotion, psychology, sociology, and cultural studies-and draws on differing philosophical understandings and theoretical frameworks. Tensions between the aims and paradigmatic underpinnings of this research (across and within disciplines) have meant that knowledge and insight can be frequently disciplinary-specific and somewhat siloed. However, in line with the social and economic determinants of the health model, alcohol research needs approaches that can explore how multiple gender-related factors-biological, psycho-social, material, and socio-cultural-combine to produce certain drinking behaviours, pleasures and potential harms. We argue that critical realism as a philosophical underpinning to research can accommodate this broader conceptualization, enabling researchers to draw on multiple perspectives to better understand women's drinking. We illustrate the benefit of this approach by presenting a critical realist theoretical framework for understanding women's drinking that outlines interrelationships between the psychoactive properties of alcohol, the role of embodied individual characteristics and the material, institutional and socio-cultural contexts in which women live. This approach can underpin and foster inter-disciplinary research collaboration to inform more nuanced health promotion practices and policies to reduce alcohol-related harm in a wide range of women across societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Kersey
- School of Health, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Campus, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Fiona Hutton
- Institute of Criminology, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn Campus, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Antonia C Lyons
- Department of Social and Community Health; Centre for Addiction Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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19
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Lunnay B, Foley K, Meyer SB, Miller ER, Warin M, Wilson C, Olver IN, Batchelor S, Thomas JA, Ward PR. 'I have a healthy relationship with alcohol': Australian midlife women, alcohol consumption and social class. Health Promot Int 2022; 37:6674367. [PMID: 36000531 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daac097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption by Australian women during midlife has been increasing. Health promotion efforts to reduce alcohol consumption in order to reduce alcohol-related disease risk compete with the social contexts and value of alcohol in women's lives. This paper draws on 50 qualitative interviews with midlife women (45-64 years of age) from different social classes living in South Australia in order to gain an understanding of how and why women might justify their relationships with alcohol. Social class shaped and characterized the different types of relationships with alcohol available to women, structuring their logic for consuming alcohol and their ability to consider reducing (or 'breaking up with') alcohol. We identified more agentic relationships with alcohol in the narratives of affluent women. We identified a tendency for less control over alcohol-related decisions in the narratives of women with less privileged life chances, suggesting greater challenges in changing drinking patterns. If classed differences are not attended to in health promotion efforts, this might mitigate the effectiveness of alcohol risk messaging to women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Lunnay
- Research Centre of Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kristen Foley
- Research Centre of Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Samantha B Meyer
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Megan Warin
- School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Carlene Wilson
- School of Psychology and Public Health and the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre at Austin Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ian N Olver
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Samantha Batchelor
- Research Centre of Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jessica A Thomas
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Paul R Ward
- Research Centre of Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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20
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Caluzzi G, Wright C, Kuntsche E, Stewart SH, Kuntsche S. Double shifts, double trouble: Alcohol as a problematic panacea for working mothers. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 104:103699. [PMID: 35460991 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption among midlife women has become an area of research focus. We suggest it is important to examine the social roles that many midlife women take on - specifically working mothers. Working mothers balance both employment and the unequal burden of caring/domestic duties, leading to 'double shifts' of paid and unpaid labor. This creates unique stresses that may impact their drinking. This is particularly important as a growing number of mothers re-enter the workforce after childbirth. In this commentary, we suggest that working mothers' drinking tends to be overlooked or even endorsed as a means of managing the gendered stresses they face - stresses which have been exacerbated during the pandemic. We highlight the dearth of literature focusing on the drinking patterns, practices, and motives of working mothers and argue that gendered expectations placed on working mothers may be an increasingly important social determinant of health among this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Caluzzi
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Cassandra Wright
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia; Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emmanuel Kuntsche
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sherry H Stewart
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology & Neuroscience/Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Sandra Kuntsche
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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21
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Ward PR, Foley K, Meyer SB, Wilson C, Warin M, Batchelor S, Olver IN, Thomas JA, Miller E, Lunnay B. Place of alcohol in the 'wellness toolkits' of midlife women in different social classes: A qualitative study in South Australia. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2022; 44:488-507. [PMID: 35119118 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we explore how women in different social classes had differential access to resources and services to enhance their 'wellness'-resulting in classed roles in alcohol consumption. We analyse data from a qualitative study on alcohol by midlife women in South Australia and employ the analogy of a 'toolkit' in order to understand the structural patterning of 'wellness tools'. Bourdieu's relational model of class guides our exploration of women's inequitable opportunities for wellness. Higher social class women had 'choices' facilitated by bulging wellness toolkits, such as yoga, exercise and healthy eating regimens-alcohol consumption was not essential to promoting 'wellness' and did not have an important place in their toolkits. Middle-class women had less well-stocked toolkits and consumed alcohol in a 'compensation approach' with other wellness tools. Alcohol consumption received positive recognition and was a legitimised form of enjoyment, fun and socialising, which needed counterbalancing with healthy activities. Working-class women had sparse toolkits-other than alcohol-which was a tool for dealing with life's difficulties. Their focus was less on 'promoting wellness' and more on 'managing challenging circumstances'. Our social class-based analysis is nestled within the sociology of consumption and sociological critiques of the wellness industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R Ward
- Centre for Research on Health Policy, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kristen Foley
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Samantha B Meyer
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carlene Wilson
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Megan Warin
- School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Samantha Batchelor
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ian N Olver
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jessica A Thomas
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Emma Miller
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Belinda Lunnay
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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22
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Alcohol Abuse and Insomnia Disorder: Focus on a Group of Night and Day Workers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413196. [PMID: 34948807 PMCID: PMC8706686 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The sleep-wake cycle plays a fundamental role in maintaining the physiological balance of our body. Its alteration favours the genesis of several organic alterations and diseases including sleep disorders and the consumption of several substances of abuse. It has been reported that the work activity, especially that carried out during the night, is able to influence the sleep-wake cycle, promoting the development of insomnia, which, in turn, would subject the worker to a stressful condition such as to encourage adverse behaviour such as the use/abuse of psychotropic substances. Based on the above premises, the aim of our research was to evaluate, in night workers: (i) the pattern of consumption of alcoholic beverages; (ii) the presence of insomnia; and (iii) the possible correlation between alcohol consumption and insomnia disorder. We used the AUDIT-C test (the abbreviated version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and the Insomnia Severity Index to assess alcohol consumption and insomnia disorder, respectively. All questionnaires were completed by workers of both sexes belonging to different types of work activities, exclusively day or night. The results of our research show a higher propensity of night workers to consume alcoholic beverages than those who work during daytime hours, often in binge-drinking mode. In addition, an increase in the amount of alcohol consumed was found to be related to insomnia disorder, especially in night workers. This study provides further awareness of the importance of the negative impact of alcohol consumption on sleep quality in night workers.
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