ORCID Profile
0000-0001-6696-816X
Current Organisation
The University of Newcastle
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In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Gender Specific Studies | Historical Studies | Public Health and Health Services | Health and Community Services | Rural Sociology | Social Theory | Health Promotion | Historical Studies not elsewhere classified |
Expanding Knowledge through Studies of Human Society | Injury control | Understanding Australia's Past | Health and support services not elsewhere classified | Conserving Collections and Movable Cultural Heritage | Substance abuse | Behaviour and health
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-1998
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-01-2007
Abstract: To examine women's weight control practices and their effectiveness in preventing weight gain. Retrospective cohort study of weight control practices and 2-year weight change among mid-age women participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). 11,589 Australian women (aged 47-52 years). The prevalence and types of self-reported weight control practices used were assessed by a nine-item instrument. Two-year weight change was self-reported and adjusted for baseline body mass index (BMI) and other potential confounders. Seventy-four per cent of the cohort (N=8556) reported actively trying to control their weight. Dietary modification was used more frequently than exercise. Two-thirds of the weight-controlling women used a combination of practices, the two most common being 'decreased food quantity, cut down on fats/sugars and exercise' (32%, baseline BMI 25.87(0.10)), and 'decreased food quantity and cut down on fats/sugars without exercise' (15.6%, baseline BMI 27.04(0.14)). Potentially health-damaging practices (smoking, laxatives, fasting) were relatively uncommon, at 7.9%. Only one combination of practices (decreased food quantity, cut down on fats/sugars, use of a commercial weight loss programme and exercise) prevented mean weight gain (-0.03 kg), whereas the mean (s.d.) weight of the cohort increased (+1.19(4.78)) over the 2-year period. The majority of mid-age women attempting weight control used practices consistent with public health messages. Despite their efforts, the group was mostly unsuccessful in preventing weight gain. Public health authorities and health practitioners may need to make more quantitative recommendations and emphasize the importance of balancing physical activity with dietary intake to achieve successful weight control for women at this life stage.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 18-10-2011
Abstract: This research examines the procedural and substantive legitimacy of the Australian capital city wine show system as a cultural consecration project. The analysis is based on the ratings of 5654 wines by judges at four capital city wine shows in 2007. Large wineries are more likely to enter wines into these competitions than small wineries. In general, there is a moderate degree of agreement between judges in terms of the medals awarded to wines entered into multiple competitions. Disagreement among the judges was most pronounced in the distinctions between different medal classes and much less pronounced between wines that received medals and those that did not. The analysis confirms that wines that won medals, especially gold and silver, commanded higher release prices than other wines. The results generally confirm the legitimacy of the capital city wine show system as a means of assigning symbolic as well as economic value to premium wines.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2001
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 08-1996
DOI: 10.1111/J.1467-954X.1996.TB00440.X
Abstract: This article reports the findings of focus group research on Australian women who have engaged in dieting practices to lose weight. There have been few qualitative sociological studies on dieting, despite it being a common practice among western women. From the empirical data in this study three distinct themes emerged: women participate in the perpetuation and reinforcement of the thin ideal women clearly trade-off health in the pursuit of dieting to lose weight and the dominant discourse of the thin ideal is not only mediated in various ways, but is also contested by a reverse discourse of size acceptance. A sociology of food and the body enables the discourses in the area of dieting women to be deconstructed, offering an insight into the gendered context of food, which has implications for the sociology of health and illness.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-2001
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2003
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2004
Abstract: To mark the 40th anniversary of the Australian Sociological Association (TASA), a survey on the Most Influential Books in Australian Sociology (MIBAS) was conducted. In this article we discuss the MIBAS process, its findings, and provide some reflections on the top 10 most influential books. We also situate the MIBAS survey among other attempts to compile lists of the most influential books in the discipline of sociology, and discuss the benefits and limits of such endeavours. We argue that the MIBAS exercise was useful not only as a commemorative device, but as an opportunity to reflect on the breadth and influence of Australian sociological scholarship.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.APPET.2011.02.009
Abstract: The prevalence of obesity and weight gain is higher in the working class, but we know little about class differences in practices used to control weight. This study examined associations between self-reported measures of social class (upper, middle, or working class), weight control practices, and weight among a cohort of 11,589 mid-aged women (aged 47-52) participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). A multivariate model tested whether mean weight change over a two-year period differed by social class after adjusting for area of residence, age, education, baseline BMI, and smoking. Working-class women gained significantly more weight at 1.27 (0.07) kg (95% CI: 1.12-1.42) over 2 years, compared with middle/upper-class women at 1.01 (0.07) kg (95% CI: 0.88-1.15). They were significantly more likely to use potentially harmful weight control practices than middle/upper-class women (8.9%) (Chi-squared test=30.65, p<0.0001), and less likely to meet physical activity recommendations. The study provides longitudinal evidence from a nationally representative s le of women that social class is related to weight gain, and to certain weight control practices. The findings have implications for the development of weight gain prevention programs for socially disadvantaged groups.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 17-08-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-05-2019
DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2018.1462821
Abstract: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions targeting alcohol consumption, drug use and smoking for college/university students. College/University students. Studies were eligible if: (1)included students attending universities/colleges (2)implemented in a university/college setting (3)aimed to improve at least one of the following behaviors: alcohol and/or drug use and/or smoking (4)were RCTs. The effect of the interventions on behaviors was determined by the percentage of studies that reported an effect. Due to the heterogeneity of outcomes meta-analysis was not conducted. 88 studies met criteria. University-based interventions were effective for reducing alcohol-related outcomes (drinking patterns, BAC, consequences, problem drinking). Inconsistent findings for drug and smoking were observed. University-based interventions have the potential to improve health for students. While there is a breadth of research examining the efficacy of interventions to reduce alcohol consumption, further research is needed to determine the best approach for addressing smoking and drug use among students.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 08-1999
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-1999
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2018
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 08-1998
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-06-2018
DOI: 10.1111/BJHP.12319
Abstract: The culture of 'risk-related alcohol use' has been identified as an intrinsic part of university life for many students, especially those in residential colleges in English-speaking countries. While the prevailing approach to managing drinking in these countries is harm minimization, little is known about students' uptake of these practices or the relationship of them to students' type of residence. To examine the ways in which type of residence may impact alcohol-related harm minimization practices among university students. A qualitative research design using focus group methodology informed all aspects of the study. University students (N = 70) aged 18-24 years and differentiated by their type of residence were recruited from universities in Australia. Nineteen audio-recorded focus groups were conducted. Systematic qualitative analysis was used to identify the main themes. Students reported risk-related alcohol use and alcohol-related harms as either consumers or having witnessed others' consumption through three main themes: (1) The pervasiveness of alcohol use and harms (2) Perceived safety and physical spaces and (3) Gender-based alcohol-related harms. Harm minimization practices were talked about in terms of four themes: (1) Policy ineffectiveness (2) Pre-drinking planning (3) Friends look after friends and (4) Help-seeking as a covert activity. Alcohol use by university students occurs with limited knowledge of harm minimization policies or practices. Students do engage in ad hoc harm minimization practices usually developed during their first year at university through specific 'drinking cultures' that are constituted by various factors including their type of residence. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Previous research has strongly indicated that university students' heavy alcohol consumption is linked with social and environmental factors such as marketing alcohol, low cost, availability, 'wet' environments, and shared accommodation. However, little is known about what, if any, alcohol-related harm minimization practices students employ and if type of residence has an impact on these practices. What does this study add? This study is one of the first to examine alcohol-related harm minimization practices among university students and type of residence demonstrating the impact of social environments on drinking and related practices. Regardless of type of residence, university students were either not aware of university and residential college alcohol policies or found them unclear. Students do engage in ad hoc harm minimization practices usually developed during their first year at university through specific 'drinking cultures' that are constituted by various factors including the type of residence. Two practical recommendations are made in this study to develop alcohol-related harm minimization related to university students.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-1999
Publisher: Unpublished
Date: 2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-11-2016
DOI: 10.1071/HE16063
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-05-2015
Abstract: The literature on alcohol consumption among university and residential college students in Australia and comparable countries shows a high incidence of heavy and/or frequent drinking. In this article, we report the findings from a study on alcohol consumption among undergraduate university students living in residential colleges in Australia. The aim of the study was to examine residents’ alcohol use as part of a broader set of institutional practices in higher education that are constructed as central to the student experience. The data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews with 29 students from seven residential colleges. We found that inclusion of alcohol in many students’ social and extracurricular activities while residing in college is associated with heavy and/or frequent drinking. We suggest that the use of alcohol among students is shaped by the colleges’ institutional micro-processes, leading to a tension between college managements’ aim to foster alcohol citizenship and students’ liberty to engage in frequent and/or heavy drinking.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-1996
Abstract: The social construction of overweight has meant that dieting is an experience of being a woman in Western society. Health promotion fails to counteract the cult of slimness and reinforces medicalized notions of the "problem" of overweight, legitimizing unnecessary dieting practices. The limitations of the health promotion approach are examined through medicalization and healthism critiques. The negative consequences for women of dieting to control weight are highlighted in this article through the concepts of gendered food and gendered bodies. The issue of gender and dieting is used here to illustrate the need for interdisciplinary and qualitative approaches to the study of food and nutrition practices, before intervening to change those practices. An examination of the social implications of health promotion in the area of weight control exposes the need for a moratorium on such strategies until a database of qualitative research is established through sociological studies on food and nutrition.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-2003
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2004
Abstract: This article provides a brief overview of Stephen Crook’s scholarly and professional work as a prelude to the articles by Malcolm Waters and Jan Pakulski and Bruce Tranter. His scholarly work particularly focused on the theorization of social differentiation and social order in studies of everyday life. Through the critical appraisal of postmodernist approaches, he developed his own post-foundational radicalist approach that transcended the determinism of unitary meta-narratives, but also avoided relativistic and atheoretical descriptions of the plurality of ‘the everyday’. Yet the everyday relevance of sociological practice was a defining feature of Steve’sweltanschauung, epitomized in his professional service and role as a public intellectual.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-01-2014
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2004
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 11-10-2011
Abstract: The Slow Food movement promotes itself as supporting ethical modes of food production and consumption. This article reports on research that investigated the representations of the movement in the Australian print media, exploring the discourses relating to Slow Food and examining whether the media exposure is positively or negatively framed. A content and discourse analysis was undertaken of articles on Slow Food over a three-month period. The analysis aimed to provide a contextual basis for how Slow Food is perceived, the messages it conveys, and the activities it undertakes. Major themes arising from the data were ‘conviviality’ (social pleasures of sharing ‘good food’), ‘localism’ (social, health and environmental benefits of local produce), and ‘romanticism’ (of idyllic rural lifestyles as an antidote to the time-poverty of urban life). The findings shed light on the role played by the print media in reproducing and creating public understandings of the Slow Food movement.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 1997
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-2015
DOI: 10.4278/AJHP.130619-LIT-313
Abstract: Evaluate the literature on interventions targeting tertiary education staff within colleges and universities for improvements in health behaviors such as physical activity, dietary intake, and weight loss. One online database, Medline, was searched for literature published between January 1970 and February 2013. All quantitative study designs, including but not limited to randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, nonrandomized experimental trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies, were eligible. Data extraction was performed by one reviewer using a standardized form developed by the researchers. Extraction was checked for accuracy and consistency by a second reviewer. Data in relation to the above objective were extracted and described in a narrative synthesis. Seventeen studies were identified that focused on staff within the tertiary education setting. The review yielded overall positive results with 13 reporting significant health-related improvements. Weight loss, physical activity and fitness, and/or nutrition were the focus in more than half (n = 9) of the studies. This appears to be the first review to examine health interventions for tertiary education staff. There is scope to enhance cross-disciplinary collaboration in the development and implementation of a “Healthy University” settings–based approach to health promotion in tertiary education workplaces. Universities or colleges could serve as a research platform to evaluate such intervention strategies.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-09-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-1970
DOI: 10.1111/J.1467-9566.2005.00472.X
Abstract: This paper draws on qualitative case-study research to discuss the impact of managerialism on the work organisation of public sector health professionals in Australia. The case studies included 71 semi-structured interviews with a broad range of public sector health professionals (predominantly nursing and allied health professionals, with some doctors and managers). The data are used to examine the implications of managerialism for the organisation of professional (public) bureaucracies. The findings show that while health professionals were able to exert their agency to influence managerial processes, the incorporation of managerial strategies into professional practice placed constraints upon professional autonomy. The impact of managerialism on professional bureaucracies is examined using the neo-Weberian framework of hyper-rationality, an ideal type derived from a combination of four forms of rationality identified in Weber's work: practical, formal, substantive and theoretical rationality. Applied to the social organisation of health-care work, this paper critically examines the utility of the hyper-rationality ideal type, noting its limitations and the insights it provides in conceptualising the impact of managerialism on professional (public) bureaucracies.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.APPET.2015.04.066
Abstract: This paper examines the motives and experiences of attendees at a Slow Food festival to gain an understanding of how people engage with ethical consumer projects. Slow Food is a global social movement aimed at promoting food that is regionally, ethically, and sustainably produced, and convivially consumed. The movement uses culinary tourist events, such as food festivals and farmers' markets, to promote its philosophy and attract new members. There have been no empirical studies of ethical consumption using a Slow Food event as a case study. This study uses an ethnographic approach and a framework of virtue ethics to explore the views of people attending a major Slow Food festival in the city of Melbourne, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in situ with 33 participants (19 consumers and 14 stallholders) to discover their rationales for attending the festival, and their perspectives on ethical consumption. Transcripts were coded and thematically analysed, resulting in three themes reflecting varying degrees of public virtues (altruistic motivations) and private virtues (personal wellbeing): the quest for virtuous lifestyles through ethical consumption, the importance of co-production, and the challenges of putting ethical consumer projects like Slow Food into daily practice. The findings reveal the manner in which virtue ethics affects foodways and highlights the contingent and challenging nature of practising ethical eating.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-09-2015
Start Date: 03-2015
End Date: 03-2018
Amount: $170,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 09-2010
End Date: 12-2015
Amount: $253,338.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity