Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being
December 2023
Purpose: Those travelling overseas for work or leisure including male expatriates, longer-term and frequent travellers (ELoFTs) may be at heightened risk for a range of health and wellbeing issues. Social support may mediate this risk. However, from a public health perspective, little is written about how ELoFTs access health information and support and the role of their social networks in facilitating health and wellbeing outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMigrant health-seeking behaviour is understood to be influenced by transnationalism. This paper explores how transnationalism influences health seeking behaviour among Indonesian women living in Perth, Western Australia. Using a participatory action research approach, we conducted five focus groups with 21 women from Indonesia living in Perth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMen who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (waria) in Indonesia experience stigma and discrimination. The prevalence of stigma and discrimination experienced by 416 MSM and waria living in Bali, Indonesia and associations with socio-demographic characteristics are described. High levels of stigma were reported by 50.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMuch stigma-related research focuses on marginalized populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people. The importance of research in this area is widely recognized, however methodologies and measures vary between studies. This scoping review will collate existing information about how stigma-related research has been conducted in low/middle income countries (LMICs) within the Asia Pacific region, and will compare research designs, sampling frameworks, and measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
October 2022
This paper explores the intersections of migration, gender, and sexual health with Indonesian women living in Perth, Western Australia. The study was part of a larger participatory action research project to co-design an intervention to increase HIV testing in migrant Indonesian women. Unstructured interviews were conducted with adult Indonesian women ( = 10) on their experiences of migration and sexual health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth Promot J Austr
February 2023
Issue Addressed: E-cigarettes are of growing concern. We aimed to determine the location and characteristics of retail shops selling e-cigarette products in Perth, Western Australia.
Methods: Two phase study: (i) identifying all e-cigarette retailers in the Greater Capital City Statistical Area of Perth; (ii) audit at the point-of-sale to assess products, promotions and shop characteristics (n = 41).
The capacity to engage in research, evaluation and evidence-informed decision-making supports effective public health policy and practice. Little is known about partnership-based approaches that aim to build capacity across a system or how to evaluate them. This study examines the impacts of a research and evaluation capacity building partnership called the Western Australian Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Applied Research and Evaluation Network (hereafter, SiREN).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Public health policy and practice is strengthened by the application of quality evidence to decision making. However, there is limited understanding of how initiatives that support the generation and use of evidence in public health are operationalised. This study examines factors that support the internal functioning of a partnership, the Western Australian Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Applied Research and Evaluation Network (SiREN).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSince the global onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, the disease has significantly impacted mental health. This impact is likely to be further exacerbated for groups who were already marginalized. This paper shares results from a broader study of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people in Bali, Indonesia and includes a focus on psychological distress and happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic; applying sociodemographic and epidemiological characteristics as potential mediators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite the recognized health and economic benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, few Australian infants are exclusively breastfed beyond 5 months of age. Social support for breastfeeding, in particular the support of an infant's father, has been identified as a crucial element for successful breastfeeding.
Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various father-focused breastfeeding interventions in terms of key infant feeding outcomes.
Migrant health has been identified as one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century. Migration experiences are influenced by gender and gender norms and have important implications for the sexual health of migrant women. This systematic review explored socioecological factors influencing sexual health experiences and health outcomes of migrant Asian women living in "Western" high-income countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In Australia, there is no Federal legislation that directly applies to e-cigarettes, instead, several existing laws relating to poisons, therapeutic goods and tobacco control apply. Across all Australian States and Territories, it is illegal to sell nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, however, users can legally import nicotine-containing vaporisers through the Personal Importation Scheme. Western Australia differs from other Australian States and Territories in that products which resemble tobacco products are banned, effectively prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood production is affected by climate change, and, in turn, food production is responsible for 20-30% of greenhouse gases. The food system must increase output as the population increases and must meet nutrition and health needs while simultaneously assisting in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Good nutrition is important for combatting infection, reducing child mortality, and controlling obesity and chronic disease throughout the life course.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth literacy is considered by some as a determinant of health. Research suggests that different levels of health literacy may be associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge and behaviour, including willingness to test. This study assessed the health literacy demands of existing Australia HIV prevention resources available online using a health literacy assessment and content analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
November 2020
Human health and wellbeing and the health of the biosphere are inextricably linked. The state of Earth's life-support systems, including freshwater, oceans, land, biodiversity, atmosphere, and climate, affect human health. At the same time, human activities are adversely affecting natural systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Public Health Surveill
November 2020
Background: The sale of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) containing nicotine is prohibited in all Australian states and territories; yet, the growing availability and convenience of the internet enable the promotion and exposure of e-cigarettes across countries. Social media's increasing pervasiveness has provided a powerful avenue to market products and influence social norms and risk behaviors. At present, there is no evidence of how e-cigarettes and vaping are promoted on social media in Australia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vaping is a relatively new practice, and therefore its symbolic meanings and social practices are yet to be fully understood, especially within Australia where the practice is strictly regulated. This study aimed to examine vapers motivations for use, reinforcing influences, and association with the vaper subculture.
Methods: Working from a constructivist epistemology and a symbolic interaction framework, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 37 current (89%) and former (11%) adult vapers, 70% male, mean age of 32.
JMIR Public Health Surveill
October 2020
Background: As the majority of Twitter content is publicly available, the platform has become a rich data source for public health surveillance, providing insights into emergent phenomena, such as vaping. Although there is a growing body of literature that has examined the content of vaping-related tweets, less is known about the people who generate and disseminate these messages and the role of e-cigarette advocates in the promotion of these devices.
Objective: This study aimed to identify key conversation trends and patterns over time, and discern the core voices, message frames, and sentiment surrounding e-cigarette discussions on Twitter.
There has been a growing number of sexual health and blood-borne virus (SHBBV) surveys specifically administered to migrant populations. The purpose of this scoping review is to collate available information about how SHBBV surveys have been administered in migrant populations and the effect that mode of administration has on data quality, reliability and other practical considerations, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisaster recovery is a complex and multidimensional process that is affected by the physical environment, social and economic conditions, and institutional strength and integrity. However, there is a lack of understanding as to why some communities recover quicker than others after experiencing the same disaster event. What are the critical factors needed for optimal disaster recovery and what factors predispose communities or individuals to poor disaster recovery? This article presents a literature-generated integrated pathways model of disaster recovery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ocean provides resources key to human health and well-being, including food, oxygen, livelihoods, blue spaces, and medicines. The global threat to these resources posed by accelerating ocean acidification is becoming increasingly evident as the world's oceans absorb carbon dioxide emissions. While ocean acidification was initially perceived as a threat only to the marine realm, here we argue that it is also an emerging human health issue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIssued Addressed: There is increasing evidence that exposure to traffic-related air pollution is related to childhood respiratory symptoms. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of an anti-idling behavioural intervention targeting parents at primary schools.
Methods: Based on two focus group discussions with parents, a low-intensity 4-week anti-idling intervention was developed, comprising onsite signage, four newsletters, and two fact sheets.
Good nutrition in the first "1000 days," including breastfeeding and appropriate complementary foods, prepares for a healthy childhood and adult life, also contributes to the prevention of the double burden of malnutrition. Exclusive breastfeeding provides all required nutrients until an infant is around 6 months of age when complementary foods are needed. A literature review was undertaken of complementary foods in the Asia Pacific region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Along with physical benefits, community-based sport provides opportunities to enhance connectedness, an important protective factor of social and emotional health. However, young Australians participating in sport have been found to drink alcohol at higher levels than their non-sporting peers, and many clubs serve unhealthy food and beverages. This study explored the association between the dependent variable, level of alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C) and connectedness to club and other health behaviours among young people aged 18-30 years who play club sport in Western Australia.
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