Socioeconomic Variation In Community Risk Profiles Associated With Health And Behaviour Problems In Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,700.00
Summary
Until recently, emotional and behavioural problems of adolescence have tended to be dismissed as part of the normal turbulence of adolescent development; however, attitudes to adolescent health and health promotion have changed quickly. Downward age-trends in tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use have made adolescents a major target for health promotion. The practical potential for adolescent mental health promotion has gained considerable ground and knowledge of the modifiable determinants of y ....Until recently, emotional and behavioural problems of adolescence have tended to be dismissed as part of the normal turbulence of adolescent development; however, attitudes to adolescent health and health promotion have changed quickly. Downward age-trends in tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use have made adolescents a major target for health promotion. The practical potential for adolescent mental health promotion has gained considerable ground and knowledge of the modifiable determinants of youth mental health problems has been progressed by a growing number of studies examining distal and proximal predictors in community samples. The project plans to comprehensively assess locally elevated risk factors and depressed protective factors predictive of a range of adolescent health and behaviour problems including substance abuse, obesity and depression in 30 communities across three Australian States. These communities will be selected from the entire socioeconomic spectrum to determine how the social context of our neighbourhoods may influence the health and behaviour of adolescents . Surveys of students in grade 6 and year 8 will be conducted. Each participating student will be weighed and measured and asked to complete a questionnaire that assesses a comprehensive range of community risk and protective factors.Read moreRead less
A Survey Of The Sexual Behaviour And Sexual Health Of Australian Prisoners
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$591,000.00
Summary
The Australian Study of Health and Relationships telephone survey recently reported on the sexual attitudes, knowledge, health and behaviour of over 19,000 Australians. One of the groups that was omitted from that survey was prisoners. Yet prisoners are a high-risk group for sexual ill health. Prisoners are mostly drawn from the most disadvantaged groups in society: they are more likely to be unemployed, they have less education and lower incomes than other Australians, and many suffer from mino ....The Australian Study of Health and Relationships telephone survey recently reported on the sexual attitudes, knowledge, health and behaviour of over 19,000 Australians. One of the groups that was omitted from that survey was prisoners. Yet prisoners are a high-risk group for sexual ill health. Prisoners are mostly drawn from the most disadvantaged groups in society: they are more likely to be unemployed, they have less education and lower incomes than other Australians, and many suffer from minor intellectual disabilities and-or mental illness. This proposed survey of inmates in Australian prisons will fill in this missing data. Prisoners are the forgotten population in many countries. Only a few surveys of prisoners' health have been performed. There are some surveys of sexual behaviour in particular prisons overseas, though most of them concentrate on HIV risks and do not explore the sexual lives of prisoners in the same way as the major national sex surveys in the US, the UK and France did for people living outside prison. Prison is itself a dangerous place for people's sexual health. In prison, much of the sex that occurs is not voluntary. Sexual assault in prisons can lead to serious physical injury as well as risk of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV-AIDS. Although some of these injuries can be sufficiently serious to require surgery, only a small proportion are reported to the authorities. Younger prisoners (aged 18-25) and those who are small, slightly built or gay, are at higher risk of being assaulted. This study will explore the factors surrounding sexual assault in prison and make recommendations for preventing it.Read moreRead less
A Life Course Approach To Understanding Oral Health Inequalities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$269,025.00
Summary
Preadolescent children in Australia have lower rates of dental decay than children in almost all other economically developed countries. This is not the case for Australian adults. In fact, Australian adults aged 35-44 years have higher rates of dental decay than adults of similar age in most other economically developed countries. Not only do Australian adults have comparatively poor oral health in the lead-up to midlife, but also socioeconomic inequalities in dental decay are more pronounced a ....Preadolescent children in Australia have lower rates of dental decay than children in almost all other economically developed countries. This is not the case for Australian adults. In fact, Australian adults aged 35-44 years have higher rates of dental decay than adults of similar age in most other economically developed countries. Not only do Australian adults have comparatively poor oral health in the lead-up to midlife, but also socioeconomic inequalities in dental decay are more pronounced at this stage of life than at any other stage before or after. This study proposes to look at how oral health in young adults in shaped by their experiences across childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. This approach is based on recent evidence that points to the importance to adult health of the early years of life. In this life course perspective, the poorer health of disadvantaged individuals is seen to result from ongoing and cumulative exposure to difficult and disadvantaged circumstances across their life course. This study will trace and follow up a cohort of almost 10, 000 South Australians for whom social, familial, economic and dental behavioural information was collected in 1991-92 when these individuals were aged from five to 15 years. Now aged from 19 to 29 years, these individuals will be invited to attend a dental examination and complete a survey that will provide information on health behaviours and life circumstances shown to be important determinants of general and oral health status. One purpose will be to explore reasons for the comparatively poorer oral health status of Australian adults. A second purpose will be to investigate the magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in oral disease at different life stages. The findings will add to the knowledge of the etiology of oral disease and open up opportunities to develop new methods of oral health promotion based on the understanding of accumulated risk across the life course.Read moreRead less