A Multilevel Study Of Socioeconomic Position And Physical Activity: Environmental And Individual-level Determinants
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$429,000.00
Summary
Regular physical activity offers many health benefits, whereas inadequate activity is a leading cause of premature death and disability and a major contributor to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are least likely to be physically active, and they experience higher rates of death and morbidity for conditions directly linked to inactivity. Currently, our understanding of why socioeconomic groups differ in their physical activity is limited ....Regular physical activity offers many health benefits, whereas inadequate activity is a leading cause of premature death and disability and a major contributor to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are least likely to be physically active, and they experience higher rates of death and morbidity for conditions directly linked to inactivity. Currently, our understanding of why socioeconomic groups differ in their physical activity is limited, and very little research has investigated this issue. This study will investigate why socioeconomic groups differ in their physical activity, by examining the influence of neighbourhood and individual-level factors. Neighbourhood factors include people's access to recreational facilities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, golf clubs, gyms, local parks, walking and bicycle paths; prices for entry to recreational facilities and opening hours; physical characteristics of the neighbourhood including public transport, presence of footpaths and street lighting, speed limits on local streets, availability of local services such as shops and schools, and; aesthetic characteristics, such as the presence and size of parks and green spaces, and traffic density. Individual factors include personal enjoyment, knowledge, confidence, type of occupation and hours worked, family responsibilities, age, health status, and whether other family member or friends engage in physical activity. A major aim of the study is to determine whether environmental or individual factors are more important in influencing participation in physical activity. The study will produce new knowledge to inform future public health strategies directed at increasing physical activity among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, and these will have the potential to reduce socioeconomic health inequalities, as well as contribute to an overall reduction of the disease burden attributable to chronic conditions.Read moreRead less
Determinants Of Area-level Inequalities In Colorectal Cancer Survival: A Multilevel Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,191.00
Summary
Survival times for people diagnosed with colorectal cancer depend on where people live; typically lower in rural and socio-economically disadvantaged areas. However we know very little about why these inequalities exist. This study, the first of its type in Australia, examines how much of the survival inequalities are due to the characteristics of individuals, and how much is due to the characteristics of the area itself. This will increase our capacity to intervene to reduce these inequalities
A Multi-level Study Of Socioeconomic Status And Healthy Food Purchasing Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$173,492.00
Summary
Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have the highest rates of death and ill-health for diet-related diseases (eg. coronary heart disease, some cancers). Our understanding of the dietary practices which may contribute to these outcomes, however, is limited. This project focuses on this issue by examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and food purchasing behaviour. Studies investigating this relationship have found that disadvantaged social groups are least likely to purchase fo ....Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have the highest rates of death and ill-health for diet-related diseases (eg. coronary heart disease, some cancers). Our understanding of the dietary practices which may contribute to these outcomes, however, is limited. This project focuses on this issue by examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and food purchasing behaviour. Studies investigating this relationship have found that disadvantaged social groups are least likely to purchase foods which are important for long-term health. The reasons for this association, however, remain unclear. Research into the general determinants of food purchasing behaviour shows that food choices are influenced by the intra-personal characteristics of individuals (eg. knowledge and beliefs), interactions between individuals sharing the same context (eg. relations between parents and children), economic and material factors (eg. income, access to a car) and features of the wider physical environment (eg. availability of healthy food and public transport). What is clear from this evidence, is that food choice is influenced by factors which operate at multiple levels. This project aims to collect data simultaneously from each level, and determine whether (and to what extent) factors operating at each level differentially influence the food purchasing behaviours of socioeconomic groups. This study (i) will contribute to our understanding of why socioeconomic groups differ in their health status, (ii) is consistent with the goals and recommendations of numerous government reports, each of which calls for a a reduction in health inequalities, (iii) represents a methodological advance on previous research, and (iv) will generate the information necessary to develop innovative and appropriately targeted health promotion and health education campaigns.Read moreRead less
Explaining Social Inequality In Population Oral Health Using A Multilevel Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$103,500.00
Summary
Our preliminary research demonstrated a social gradient in the oral health of Australian adults. Adults who occupy higher positions on the social hierarchy experienced less disease and symptom experience, enhanced quality of life, and better self-rated oral health. Not only were associations made between social position and oral health, but a range of other factors such as personal control, social support, stress, life satisfaction, and workplace and childhood social environments were also assoc ....Our preliminary research demonstrated a social gradient in the oral health of Australian adults. Adults who occupy higher positions on the social hierarchy experienced less disease and symptom experience, enhanced quality of life, and better self-rated oral health. Not only were associations made between social position and oral health, but a range of other factors such as personal control, social support, stress, life satisfaction, and workplace and childhood social environments were also associated with oral wellness. This work is new Australian research and is yet to be published. In an expansion of this project, we move from describing oral health inequalities and identifying their social determinants to provide a better understanding of pathways to population oral health. In doing so we shift the focus from the individual to the social context in which individuals live. We suggest that characteristics of social environments contribute independently to the variation in oral health outcomes accounted for by the characteristics of the residents themselves. In particular, we seek to demonstrate that social cohesion (the social integration, trust, and reciprocity within an area) influences conditions linked to oral health. Previous research has demonstrated variation in health according to area. Such studies are able to demonstrate a clustering of health, but are not able to distinguish whether observed social patterns in health reflect characteristics of residents or some feature of the area itself. Such conclusions require multilevel statistical models designed to separate individual effects from contextual effects while simultaneously examining interactions between both levels. Oral health is ideally suited as a proxy for general health because of the ubiquity of dental diseases, the broad utilisation of dental services within the population, and the shared risk factors between oral disease and a wide range chronic health conditions.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational Transmission Of Health Inequalities: Effects Of Work Conditions On Parent Resources And Child Health
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$482,385.00
Summary
The connection between socioeconomic inequalities and health is well documented in nations such as Australia. Research also shows that health inequalities persist from generation to generation. This project extends understanding of health inequalities by investigating whether work conditions contribute to health transmission from parents to children. Work conditions vary by class and occupation and have changed markedly over the last decade. They exert a direct effect on parents' health, and inf ....The connection between socioeconomic inequalities and health is well documented in nations such as Australia. Research also shows that health inequalities persist from generation to generation. This project extends understanding of health inequalities by investigating whether work conditions contribute to health transmission from parents to children. Work conditions vary by class and occupation and have changed markedly over the last decade. They exert a direct effect on parents' health, and influence resources like income, time, energy and attention that parents can invest in their children, thereby influencing children's health and well-being. In this study, we expand models of parent work and child health to include 1) working conditions (rather than employment versus unemployment); 2) collection of data on father's as well as mother's employment; and 3) investigation of the link between working conditions and parental resources as a route by which health inequalities can be transmitted across generations. Findings will contribute to the basis for interventions to improve children's health and development.Read moreRead less
Contextual And Composition Determinants Of Urban Health Inequities: An Indigenous Perspective
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,317.00
Summary
This research studies the life experiences of Indigenous Australians living in suburban Australia. The project is exploring whether the characteristics of suburbs have an effect on residents' health, regardless of the make up of the resident population. In particular, this research is examining whether this locational impact is any different for Indigenous people compared to non-Indigenous people. It will specifically take into account the impact of social and economic factors on health. More pa ....This research studies the life experiences of Indigenous Australians living in suburban Australia. The project is exploring whether the characteristics of suburbs have an effect on residents' health, regardless of the make up of the resident population. In particular, this research is examining whether this locational impact is any different for Indigenous people compared to non-Indigenous people. It will specifically take into account the impact of social and economic factors on health. More particularly, the research will consider how Indigenous people's patterns of social interaction, trust and reciprocity - elements of social capital - affect their perceived health status. The research will examine the extent to which people are able to use their social networks to gain access to benefits such as assistance in daily life, access to jobs or to people with influence in ways that directly or indirectly contribute to improved health within the Indigenous population. The impact of racism on health will also be considered. The research will be conducted in two high income and three low income suburbs in Adelaide in order to allow comparisons between the suburbs and between Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents in each. Information will be collected from detailed interviews, a face-to-face survey and observation of the social environment, services and facilities available in the case study suburbs. The final stage of the research will engage policy makers and program planners to determine the implications of the research for their work. The research findings are designed to be used by policy makers and practitioners when they devise interventions aimed at improving health status and outcomes in Indigenous communities.Read moreRead less
Urban Locational Disadvantage And Health: Compositional And Contextual Determinants
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$608,050.00
Summary
Research has shown that where you live can affect your health, with poorer areas tending to have lower levels of health. Relationships have also been found between an individual's income and their health. It is not clear, however, which has the greatest influence on health difference - characteristics of the areas themselves or the type of people living in the area. Recent research has suggested that the levels of social capital (that is, links between people, the amount of voluntary community a ....Research has shown that where you live can affect your health, with poorer areas tending to have lower levels of health. Relationships have also been found between an individual's income and their health. It is not clear, however, which has the greatest influence on health difference - characteristics of the areas themselves or the type of people living in the area. Recent research has suggested that the levels of social capital (that is, links between people, the amount of voluntary community activity, and the degree to which people trust others and civic institutions) has a significant impact on health. The nature of physical environments also has an impact on peoples' lives. The study will examine how the communities in which people live influence their health and will consider both aspects of the physical and social environments of areas, and their demographic composition. The research is in three stages. The first stage involves a telephone survey of residents of metropolitan Adelaide and includes questions about social capital, area of residence and health. Existing information about areas, such as crime rates, availability of services and air and water pollution, will be collected. The second stage involves detailed case studies of four suburbs in Adelaide, two of which are more affluent than average and two of which are poorer than average. These case studies will: catalogue the facilities available; survey a random sample of residents about their health, their participation in community activities and their perceptions of their area; talk about these issues in detail with residents in each area; and assess the quality of the physical environment. In the third stage, the findings of the research will be discussed with community members and key policy makers in state and local government to determine how communities can be best structured so that they support individuals' health status.Read moreRead less