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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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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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Habtemariam S, Hery CM, Zhang X, Yu M, Mays D, Adeyanju T, Bernardo B, Paskett ED. Association between sociodemographics and change in alcohol or tobacco use behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304111. [PMID: 38820378 PMCID: PMC11142573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the association between various sociodemographic factors with alcohol and tobacco use behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Participants from Ohio and Indiana were asked to participate in the 'Impact of COVID-19 on the Cancer Continuum Consortium' study (N = 32,989) from June-November 2020. Those who completed the survey and responded to key study questions were included (n = 5,374). Participants were asked about the frequency and type of alcohol and tobacco product used. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to determine factors associated with the impact of COVID-19 on change in alcohol and/or tobacco use. RESULTS Mean age was 57 years old, 68% were female, 90% non-Hispanic white, 75% married, and 31% lived in rural counties. Out of 5,374 participants, 53% used alcohol-only (n = 2,833), 5% used tobacco-only (n = 255), 7% used both alcohol and tobacco (n = 395), and 35% used neither alcohol nor tobacco (n = 1,891). Urban county of residence (vs. rural) was associated with an increase in alcohol-use (p = 0.0001), change in alcohol products (p = 0.023), and an increase in tobacco use (p = 0.05). Among alcohol-only users, those who were younger (OR = 0.97), female (OR = 1.58), married (OR = 1.69), of high socioeconomic status (OR = 1.99), residing in urban counties (OR = 1.65), and had elevated financial (OR = 1.06) and employment concerns (OR = 1.28) were significantly more likely to report increased alcohol-use. Similarly, among tobacco users, those who were younger (OR = 0.97), female (OR = 2.79), married (OR = 2.16) or divorced (OR = 2.83), and had higher levels of neighborhood disadvantage (OR = 2.19) were significantly more likely to report increased tobacco-use. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest targeted intervention and prevention strategies for young, female participants with elevated financial and employment concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic are necessary to mitigate risks associated with higher odds of alcohol and tobacco use. Our findings on alcohol and tobacco use may be a result of the unique social and economic influence of the pandemic on women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selam Habtemariam
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Chloe M. Hery
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Xiaochen Zhang
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Mengda Yu
- Division of Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Darren Mays
- The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Toyin Adeyanju
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | | | - Electra D. Paskett
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
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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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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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Lupton D, Lewis S. Australians' experiences of COVID-19 during the early months of the crisis: A qualitative interview study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1092322. [PMID: 36908481 PMCID: PMC9995885 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1092322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 crisis has wrought major changes to people's lives across the globe since the beginning of the outbreak in early 2020. The "Australians' Experiences of COVID-19" qualitative descriptive study was established to explore how Australians from different geographical areas and social groups experienced the COVID-19 crisis. Methods Three sets of semi-structured interviews, each with a diverse group of 40 adults across Australia, were completed between 2020 and 2022. This article reports findings from the first set of interviews, conducted by telephone in mid-2020. Results The participants discussed their experiences of living through this period, which was characterized by strong public health measures to contain the spread of COVID, including a national lockdown and border closures. Interview fieldnotes and verbatim transcripts were used to conduct an interpretive thematic analysis. The analysis is structured around the following five themes covering the quotidian and affective aspects of participants' lives in the early months of the COVID crisis: "disruption to routines;" "habituating to preventive measures;" "social isolation and loneliness;" "changes to work and education;" and "little change to life." A sixth theme concerns how participants responded to our question about what they imagined their lives would be like after the pandemic: "imagining post-COVID life." Discussion The crisis affected participants' experience of daily life variously according to such factors as their social circumstances and obligations as well as their histories of illness, making visible some of the unequal social and economic effects of the pandemic across different genders, ages, localities and socioeconomic groups. Our participants fell into three roughly equal groups: (i) those who found the lockdown and associated restrictions very difficult; (ii) those who reported feeling barely affected by these conditions; and (iii) those who found benefits to the "slowing down" of life during this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Lupton
- Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health, Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Sophie Lewis
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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Ward PR, Foley K, Meyer SB, Wilson C, Warin M, Miller ER, Olver I, Thomas JA, Batchelor S, Lunnay B. How does social class shape women's alcohol stockpiling during COVID-19?: A qualitative study in South Australia during the 2020 lockdown. SSM. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH 2022; 2:100080. [PMID: 35449523 PMCID: PMC8996446 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul R Ward
- Centre for Health Policy Research, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kristen Foley
- Centre for Health Policy Research, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Samantha B Meyer
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of 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, South Australia, Australia
| | - Emma R Miller
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ian 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
| | - Samantha Batchelor
- Centre for Health Policy Research, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Belinda Lunnay
- Centre for Health Policy Research, Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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He TB, Tu CC, Bai X. Impact of social support on college students' anxiety due to COVID-19 isolation: Mediating roles of perceived risk and resilience in the postpandemic period. Front Psychol 2022; 13:948214. [PMID: 36507038 PMCID: PMC9731109 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.948214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Because of the outbreak of COVID-19, several colleges and universities in Xi'an, China, implemented quarantine measures and closed their gates, which increased anxiety among the students. Methods The Perceived Social Support Scale, Perceived Risk of COVID-19 Pandemic Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale were used for measurements. SPSS26 and AMOS26 (IBM SPSS AMOS Statistics, New York, United States) were used for data analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the data from the 2,251 respondents and the hypothetical model. Results The students' perceived social support was discovered to have had a significant negative effect on anxiety. The students' perceived COVID-19 risk and resilience played significant mediating roles in the relationship between social support and anxiety. Discussion When college students feel social support and have resilience, they can reduce anxiety during the epidemic stage. Therefore, education administrators and parents should help college students to identify the current situation of the epidemic environment, enrich relevant knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tai Bo He
- Education Science College, Weinan Normal University, Weinan, China
- International College, Krirk University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chia Ching Tu
- International College, Krirk University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Xue Bai
- International College, Krirk University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Foreign Language Middle School, Xinzhou Teachers University, Xinzhou, China
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Lunnay B, Nicholls E, Pennay A, MacLean S, Wilson C, Meyer SB, Foley K, Warin M, Olver I, Ward PR. Sober Curiosity: A Qualitative Study Exploring Women's Preparedness to Reduce Alcohol by Social Class. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192214788. [PMID: 36429505 PMCID: PMC9690974 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urgent action is required to identify socially acceptable alcohol reduction options for heavy-drinking midlife Australian women. This study represents innovation in public health research to explore how current trends in popular wellness culture toward 'sober curiosity' (i.e., an interest in what reducing alcohol consumption would or could be like) and normalising non-drinking could increase women's preparedness to reduce alcohol consumption. METHODS Qualitative interviews were undertaken with 27 midlife Australian women (aged 45-64) living in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney in different social class groups (working, middle and affluent-class) to explore their perceptions of sober curiosity. RESULTS Women were unequally distributed across social-classes and accordingly the social-class analysis considered proportionally the volume of data at particular codes. Regardless, social-class patterns in women's preparedness to reduce alcohol consumption were generated through data analysis. Affluent women's preparedness to reduce alcohol consumption stemmed from a desire for self-regulation and to retain control; middle-class women's preparedness to reduce alcohol was part of performing civility and respectability and working-class women's preparedness to reduce alcohol was highly challenging. Options are provided for alcohol reduction targeting the social contexts of consumption (the things that lead midlife women to feel prepared to reduce drinking) according to levels of disadvantage. CONCLUSION Our findings reinstate the importance of recognising social class in public health disease prevention; validating that socially determined factors which shape daily living also shape health outcomes and this results in inequities for women in the lowest class positions to reduce alcohol and related risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Lunnay
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Emily Nicholls
- Department of Sociology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Amy Pennay
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3000, Australia
| | - Sarah MacLean
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3000, Australia
| | - Carlene Wilson
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park 5042, Australia
| | - Samantha B. Meyer
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Kristen Foley
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Megan Warin
- Fay Gale Centre for Research
on Gender, School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Ian Olver
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Paul R. Ward
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing, Torrens University, Adelaide 5000, Australia
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Searby A, Burr D, Redley B. Alcohol guideline awareness and beliefs among Australian nurses: A mixed-methods study. Collegian 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colegn.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Gallassi AD, Nakano EY, de Miranda KG, dos Santos JE, da Silva Rodrigues D, de Oliveira FM. The Increased Alcohol and Marijuana Use Associated with the Quality of Life and Psychosocial Aspects: a Study During the Covid-19 Pandemic in a Brazilian University Community. Int J Ment Health Addict 2022; 22:1-21. [PMID: 36311914 PMCID: PMC9589603 DOI: 10.1007/s11469-022-00937-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The primary practice adopted to reduce Covid-19 contamination is social distancing (SD). SD had significant consequences on alcohol/drug use, quality of life, and psychosocial aspects. In the university community specifically, SD produces a collective traumatic event with changes in the work routine by the suspension of presence. This study aims to identify and analyze the associations of increased alcohol and marijuana consumption on the quality of life and psychosocial aspects of the university community (students, professors, and technical and administrative staff) at a Brazilian public university during SD due to Covid-19 pandemic. This descriptive and cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire to obtain information from 2790 university community participants. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22. The analysis included descriptive associations performed using Spearman's correlation coefficient and p < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. The participants' majority was 62% female, 95.4% students, 73% were 17-25 years old, 33.4% had income between 1 and 3 minimum wage, and 48% of the university community "totally adhered to SD." The increased alcohol consumption during SD was associated with a worsening in quality of life (p = 0.001), health satisfaction (p = 0.015), the meaning of life (p = 0.040), ability to concentrate (p = 0.001), satisfaction with yourself (p = 0.029), and frequency of negative feelings (p = 0.001); in contrast, increased alcohol use improved satisfaction with peer support (p = 0.042), as well as increased marijuana use improved satisfaction with sex life (p < 0.001). The increased alcohol use was higher in women (30.5%) than in men (26.7%) and was negatively associated with more quality of life and psychosocial aspects among women than men. Students were the segment that presented the highest frequency of associations with increased alcohol and/or marijuana use in the three domains analyzed. This study innovated by associating increased alcohol and/or marijuana use with worsening quality of life and psychosocial aspects rather than evaluating them apart. Future studies must identify whether this association between increased alcohol use, mainly, and the worsening quality of life and psychosocial aspects during the SD period is maintained or improved with the return to face-to-face activities at the university, with particular attention to women and students. Psychologists and other mental health professionals should be called upon to develop interventions to meet emerging mental health needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Donatti Gallassi
- Post-Graduation Program of Sciences and Health Technology (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências e Tecnologias em Saúde), Faculdade de Ceilândia (FCE), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Centro Metropolitano 1, Conjunto A, Ceilândia Sul, Brasília, DF ZIP 72220-900 Brazil
- Center of Drugs and Associated Vulnerabilities (Centro de Referência Sobre Drogas e Vulnerabilidades Associadas), FCE, UnB, Centro Metropolitano 1, Conjunto A, Ceilândia Sul, Brasília, DF ZIP 72220-900 Brazil
| | - Eduardo Yoshio Nakano
- Statistical Department (Departamento de Estatística), UnB, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Prédio CIC/EST, DF ZIP 70910-900 Brasília, Brazil
| | - Kleverson Gomes de Miranda
- Post-Graduation Program of Sciences and Health Technology (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências e Tecnologias em Saúde), Faculdade de Ceilândia (FCE), Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Centro Metropolitano 1, Conjunto A, Ceilândia Sul, Brasília, DF ZIP 72220-900 Brazil
| | - Josenaide Engracia dos Santos
- Undergraduate Program in Occupation Therapy (Curso de Graduação em Terapia Ocupacional), FCE, UnB, Centro Metropolitano 1, Conjunto A, Ceilândia Sul, Brasília, DF ZIP 72220-900 Brazil
- Directorate of Health Care of the University Community (Diretoria de Atenção à Saúde da Comunidade Universitária - DASU), UnB, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, DF ZIP 70910-900 Brazil
| | - Daniela da Silva Rodrigues
- Undergraduate Program in Occupation Therapy (Curso de Graduação em Terapia Ocupacional), FCE, UnB, Centro Metropolitano 1, Conjunto A, Ceilândia Sul, Brasília, DF ZIP 72220-900 Brazil
| | - Flávia Mazitelli de Oliveira
- Undergraduate Program in Occupation Therapy (Curso de Graduação em Terapia Ocupacional), FCE, UnB, Centro Metropolitano 1, Conjunto A, Ceilândia Sul, Brasília, DF ZIP 72220-900 Brazil
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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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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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Fitzgerald N, Manca F, Uny I, Martin JG, O'Donnell R, Ford A, Begley A, Stead M, Lewsey J. Lockdown and licensed premises: COVID-19 lessons for alcohol policy. Drug Alcohol Rev 2021; 41:533-545. [PMID: 34904313 PMCID: PMC9300075 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The COVID‐19 pandemic necessitated unprecedented changes in alcohol availability, including closures, curfews and restrictions. We draw on new data from three UK studies exploring these issues to identify implications for premises licensing and wider policy. Methods (i) Semi‐structured interviews (n = 17) with licensing stakeholders in Scotland and England reporting how COVID‐19 has reshaped local licensing and alcohol‐related harms; (ii) semi‐structured interviews (n = 15) with ambulance clinicians reporting experiences with alcohol during the pandemic; and (iii) descriptive and time series analyses of alcohol‐related ambulance callouts in Scotland before and during the first UK lockdown (1 January 2019 to 30 June 2020). Results COVID‐19 restrictions (closures, curfews) affected on‐trade premises only and licensing stakeholders highlighted the relaxation of some laws (e.g. on takeaway alcohol) and a rise in home drinking as having long‐term risks for public health. Ambulance clinicians described a welcome break from pre‐pandemic mass public intoxication and huge reductions in alcohol‐related callouts at night‐time. They also highlighted potential long‐term risks of increased home drinking. The national lockdown was associated with an absolute fall of 2.14 percentage points [95% confidence interval (CI) −3.54, −0.74; P = 0.003] in alcohol‐related callouts as a percentage of total callouts, followed by a daily increase of +0.03% (95% CI 0.010, 0.05; P = 0.004). Discussion and Conclusions COVID‐19 gave rise to both restrictions on premises and relaxations of licensing, with initial reductions in alcohol‐related ambulance callouts, a rise in home drinking and diverse impacts on businesses. Policies which may protect on‐trade businesses, while reshaping the night‐time economy away from alcohol‐related harms, could offer a ‘win–win’ for policymakers and health advocates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niamh Fitzgerald
- Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.,SPECTRUM Consortium, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Francesco Manca
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Isabelle Uny
- Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Jack Gregor Martin
- Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Rachel O'Donnell
- Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Allison Ford
- Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Amelie Begley
- Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Martine Stead
- Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Jim Lewsey
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Batchelor S, Miller ER, Lunnay B, Macdonald S, Ward PR. Revisiting Candidacy: What Might It Offer Cancer Prevention? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph181910157. [PMID: 34639459 PMCID: PMC8508007 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The notion of candidacy emerged three decades ago through Davison and colleagues’ exploration of people’s understanding of the causes of coronary heart disease. Candidacy was a mechanism to estimate one’s own or others risk of disease informed by their lay epidemiology. It could predict who would develop illness or explain why someone succumbed to it. Candidacy’s predictive ability, however, was fallible, and it was from this perspective that the public’s reticence to adhere to prevention messages could be explained, as ultimately anybody could be ‘at-risk’. This work continues to resonate in health research, with over 700 citations of Davison’s Candidacy paper. Less explored however, is the candidacy framework in its entirety in other illness spheres, where prevention efforts could potentially impact health outcomes. This paper revisits the candidacy framework to reconsider it use within prevention. In doing so, candidacy within coronary heart disease, suicide prevention, diabetes, and cancer will be examined, and key components of candidacy and how people negotiate their candidacy within differing disease contexts will be uncovered. The applicability of candidacy to address modifiable breast cancer risk factors or cancer prevention more broadly will be considered, as will the implications for public health policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Batchelor
- Discipline of Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, Australia; (S.B.); (E.R.M.); (B.L.)
| | - Emma R. Miller
- Discipline of Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, Australia; (S.B.); (E.R.M.); (B.L.)
| | - Belinda Lunnay
- Discipline of Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, Australia; (S.B.); (E.R.M.); (B.L.)
| | - Sara Macdonald
- General Practice and Primary Care, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK;
| | - Paul R. Ward
- Discipline of Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, Australia; (S.B.); (E.R.M.); (B.L.)
- Correspondence:
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16
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How Are the Links between Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer Portrayed in Australian Newspapers?: A Paired Thematic and Framing Media Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18147657. [PMID: 34300108 PMCID: PMC8304242 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A dose-dependent relationship between alcohol consumption and increased breast cancer risk is well established, even at low levels of consumption. Australian women in midlife (45–64 years) are at highest lifetime risk for developing breast cancer but demonstrate low awareness of this link. We explore women’s exposure to messages about alcohol and breast cancer in Australian print media in the period 2002–2018. Methods: Paired thematic and framing analyses were undertaken of Australian print media from three time-defined subsamples: 2002–2004, 2009–2011, and 2016–2018. Results: Five key themes arose from the thematic framing analysis: Ascribing Blame, Individual Responsibility, Cultural Entrenchment, False Equilibrium, and Recognition of Population Impact. The framing analysis showed that the alcohol–breast cancer link was predominantly framed as a behavioural concern, neglecting medical and societal frames. Discussion: We explore the representations of the alcohol and breast cancer risk relationship. We found their portrayal to be conflicting and unbalanced at times and tended to emphasise individual choice and responsibility in modifying health behaviours. We argue that key stakeholders including government, public health, and media should accept shared responsibility for increasing awareness of the alcohol–breast cancer link and invite media advocates to assist with brokering correct public health information.
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Miller ER, Olver IN, Wilson CJ, Lunnay B, Meyer SB, Foley K, Thomas JA, Toson B, Ward PR. COVID-19, Alcohol Consumption and Stockpiling Practises in Midlife Women: Repeat Surveys During Lockdown in Australia and the United Kingdom. Front Public Health 2021; 9:642950. [PMID: 34277533 PMCID: PMC8278199 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.642950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: This project examined the impact of COVID-19 and associated restrictions on alcohol practises (consumption and stockpiling), and perceptions of health risk among women in midlife (those aged 45–64 years). Methods: We collected online survey data from 2,437 midlife women in the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia in May 2020, recruited using a commercial panel, in the early days of mandated COVID-19 related restrictions in both countries. Participants were surveyed again (N = 1,377) in July 2020, at a time when COVID-19 restrictions were beginning to ease. The surveys included the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test—Consumption (AUDIT-C) and questions alcohol stockpiling. Analysis involved a range of univariate and multivariate techniques examining the impact of demographic variables and negative affect on consumption and acquisition outcomes. Results: In both surveys (May and July), UK women scored higher than Australian women on the AUDIT-C, and residence in the UK was found to independently predict stockpiling of alcohol (RR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.91). Developing depression between surveys (RR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.04) and reporting pessimism (RR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.81), and fear/anxiety (RR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.70) at the beginning of the study period also predicted stockpiling by the end of the lockdown. Having a tertiary education was protective for alcohol stockpiling at each time point (RR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.87). Conclusions: COVID-19 was associated with increases in risky alcohol practises that were predicted by negative emotional responses to the pandemic. Anxiety, pessimism and depression predicted stockpiling behaviour in UK and Australian women despite the many demographic and contextual differences between the two cohorts. Given our findings and the findings of others that mental health issues developed or were exacerbated during lockdown and may continue long after that time, urgent action is required to address a potential future pandemic of alcohol-related harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma R Miller
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ian N Olver
- School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Carlene J Wilson
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre, Austin Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Belinda Lunnay
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Samantha B Meyer
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Ontario, ON, Canada
| | - Kristen Foley
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jessica A Thomas
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Barbara Toson
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Paul R Ward
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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