Suboptimal uptake and placement of a mandatory alcohol pregnancy warning label in Australia.

Background: Mandatory pregnancy warning labels are an important public health measure to signal the harms of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Ensuring these labels are salient is critical to enhancing their effectiveness. On 31 July 2020, Australia mandated that alcoholic beverages labelled from 1 August 2023 display a pregnancy warning label.

The role of alcohol consumption in the lives of older Australian women: qualitative insights and an agenda for further research, policy and practice.

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).

The symbolic consumption processes associated with 'low-calorie' and 'low-sugar' alcohol products and Australian women.

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.

Trends in and factors associated with parental provision of alcohol to minors in Western Australia, 2013-2019.

Introduction: Some parents provide alcohol to their underage children, despite a range of negative outcomes being associated with this practice. The present study aimed to assess factors associated with and changes in parental provision behaviours from 2013 to 2019 in Western Australia.

Methods: Annual cross-sectional online surveys were conducted (total n = 2635).

Evaluation outcomes of an alcohol and pregnancy campaign targeting multiple audiences.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mass media campaign alerting the public to the potential harms of alcohol to unborn babies and to inform future intervention efforts.

Method: An online survey was administered to 889 adult Western Australians. The survey assessed demographic characteristics, typical alcohol use, recognition and perceptions of the campaign, and behavioural changes resulting from campaign exposure.

Do different actors submit different evidence to alcohol advertising policy consultations?

Introduction: This study examined the extent to which industry and non-industry actors draw from the same (vs. different) bodies of peer-reviewed evidence in submissions to alcohol advertising policy consultations.

Methods: Submissions (n = 71) to two Australian public consultations about alcohol advertising policy were classified as submitted by industry or non-industry actors.

Alcohol brands' use of age-restriction controls on Facebook and Instagram in Australia.

Objectives: Since 2017, the self-regulatory alcohol advertising system in Australia has required alcohol marketers to activate age-restriction controls on social networking sites to prevent access to children. With no monitoring mechanisms, the level of compliance with this requirement is unknown. We aimed to identify the extent to which the dominant alcohol companies in Australia have activated age-restriction controls on their official brand accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

An evaluation of the evidence submitted to Australian alcohol advertising policy consultations.

Background: Industry self-regulation is the dominant approach to managing alcohol advertising in Australia and many other countries. There is a need to explore the barriers to government adoption of more effective regulatory approaches. This study examined relevance and quality features of evidence cited by industry and non-industry actors in their submissions to Australian alcohol advertising policy consultations.

Health halo or genuine product development: Are better-for-you alcohol products actually healthier?

Issue Addressed: Alcoholic products marketed as better-for-you is an emerging trend in Australia that has received limited research attention to date. This study aimed to examine the nutrient profiles of alcoholic products marketed as better-for-you that are available in the Australian market.

Methods: We extracted the details of alcoholic product announcements published on the Drinks Trade website in 2019 and 2020 containing at least one keyword used to promote better-for-you products.

Public opinion of alcohol industry corporate political activities.

Objectives: This study explores Australian public awareness and attitudes towards political donations from the alcohol industry and the 'revolving door' of politicians into industry or lobbyist positions.

Methods: Data were collected via a nationwide online panel.

Results: In total, n=1,044 participants completed the survey.

Effects of a Digital Mental Health Program on Perceived Stress in Adolescents Aged 13-17 Years: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Stress is an important transdiagnostic risk factor in adolescence and predicts a host of physical and psychological problems in adolescence and adulthood. Adolescence is also a developmental stage in which people may be more sensitive or reactive to stress. Indeed, research has shown that adolescents report high levels of stress, particularly when enrolled in school.

The Impact of a Digital Intervention (Happify) on Loneliness During COVID-19: Qualitative Focus Group.

Background: Loneliness is a growing area of concern, attracting attention as a public health concern due to its association with a variety of psychological and physical health problems. However, interventions targeting loneliness are less common than interventions for other mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, and existing interventions focus primarily on building social skills and increasing opportunities for social interaction despite research suggesting these techniques are not the most effective. Furthermore, although there is an increasing need for scalable and convenient interventions, digital interventions for loneliness are even less common.

Are Australian regulatory codes adequate in scope to protect youth from alcohol advertising?

Issue Addressed: Exposure to alcohol advertising has been found to be associated with more positive attitudes toward alcohol and heavier drinking among youth. Appropriate regulation of alcohol advertising is thus crucial for reducing use among members of this population group. To assist policy makers in their alcohol control efforts, this study explored the scope of Australian alcohol advertising codes and the extent to which they address issues relating to youth exposure.

Industry Actor Use of Research Evidence: Critical Analysis of Australian Alcohol Policy Submissions.

Objective: Governments' limited adoption of evidence-based policies to reduce alcohol-related harm has been partly attributed to alcohol industry influence. A better understanding of industry political strategy may help protect public policy against vested interests. We examined how industry actors used scientific evidence in their submissions to government alcohol policy consultations.

Alcohol industry arguments for putting profit before health in the midst of a pandemic: The Western Australian experience.

In an effort to limit the impact of alcohol on the Western Australian (WA) health system during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the WA Government introduced temporary restrictions on takeaway alcohol purchases for several weeks in March and April 2020. In response, alcohol industry representatives encouraged the WA Government to remove the restrictions and replace them with a voluntary alcohol industry initiative. We looked at alcohol industry representatives' comments in media and online publications during this period.

Immediate and Long-Term Effects of an 8-Week Digital Mental Health Intervention on Adults With Poorly Managed Type 2 Diabetes: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Diabetes is a leading cause of years of life lost and accounts for approximately one-fourth of health care dollars spent in the United States. Many of these costs are related to poor medication adherence and lack of self-care behaviors and are thus preventable. Depression, which is more prevalent among people with diabetes than in the general population, predicts poorer management of one's diabetes, whereas positive affect predicts engaging in more positive health behaviors.

Get Them Laughing to Get Them Drinking: An Analysis of Alcohol Advertising Themes Across Multiple Media in Australia.

Objective: Efforts to develop and implement effective advertising regulations require a comprehensive understanding of alcohol promotion techniques used across a rapidly growing range of media platforms. The aim of this study was to analyze themes commonly used in alcohol ads in order to identify commonalities and differences by media type and the implications for existing regulatory frameworks.

Method: In total, 628 Australian alcohol advertisements were coded according to media used for dissemination and themes known to be attractive to children and young people or problematic in other ways (humor, sport, mateship/friendship, manliness, value for money, buying in bulk, partying, sexual attraction, and adrenaline activities).

Alcohol advertisement characteristics that increase the likelihood of code breaches.

Background: Exposure to alcohol advertising is associated with adverse outcomes among youth. Alcohol advertising codes attempt to ensure that alcohol promotion meets community standards, especially in relation to minimising the exposure of children and young people. The aim of the present study was to assess the characteristics of Australian alcohol advertisements that breach the Alcohol Advertising Review Board's (AARB) Code, with a particular focus on provisions relating to youth exposure.

The Effects of a Digital Well-Being Intervention on Patients With Chronic Conditions: Observational Study.

Background: Chronic conditions account for 75% of health care costs, and the impact of chronic illness is expected to grow over time. Although subjective well-being predicts better health outcomes, people with chronic conditions tend to report lower well-being. Improving well-being might mitigate costs associated with chronic illness; however, existing interventions can be difficult to access and draw from a single theoretical approach.

Proliferation of 'healthy' alcohol products in Australia: implications for policy.

Objectives: The Australian alcohol industry has observed that increased health consciousness among consumers is a threat to industry revenue, but also an opportunity for innovation and growth within the sector.

Methods: This paper examines how the alcohol industry has responded to a perceived increase in health consciousness among consumers, considers policy implications and provides recommendations to address supposedly healthier alcohol products. We collected examples of new product developments and monitored alcohol industry publications for information on key trends and comments from alcohol company executives to inform the paper.

Regulation of alcohol marketing in Australia: A critical review of the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme's new Placement Rules.

Introduction And Aims: Rules concerning the placement of alcohol advertisements (Placement Rules) were added to the industry-managed Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme in November 2017. This study aimed to critically review the Placement Rules and evaluate their ability to effectively regulate the placement of alcohol marketing and provide safeguards for young people in Australia.

Design And Methods: An established framework for evaluating the design of an effective self-regulatory system was applied to the substantive content of the Placement Rules and associated regulatory processes.