1. |
- MacLean, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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Affordances of home drinking in accounts from light and heavy drinkers
- 2022
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In: Social Science and Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0277-9536 .- 1873-5347. ; 296
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Home drinking contributes substantially to health harms associated with alcohol consumption. Drawing on practice theory and new materialism, we argue that drinking is a social practice that allows particular sets of effects, or affordances, when it takes place in a person's home. Qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone with 40 Australian adult home drinkers, of whom 20 drank at a level designated as low risk and 20 at a level which exposed them to a higher likelihood of harm. Our analyses identified four substantive affordances of home drinking practice. The first two concern transformations of home life. Home drinking allowed both celebration and smoothing of dissatisfaction with domestic relationships. Through producing subtly different affective states at home compared to in other locations, drinking practice rendered domestic settings home-like: as places of comfort and respite. The second two affordances of home drinking concern how home as a place acts in the co-constitution of drinking patterns. This entailed routinising alcohol consumption alongside other home-based practices and loosening constraints on intoxication. Importantly for our argument, each of these operated with greater intensity for participants who drank at a heavier level than for those who drank more moderately. For example, heavy drinkers expressed a greater imperative to alter relationships and affective states at home and emphasised how being at home produced opportunities for, and removed obstacles to, heavy drinking. We show that home drinking is patterned with other activities and entwined in domestic wellbeing and the emergence of home as a space of privacy, autonomy and relaxation for Australians in our study sample. Understanding home drinking as deeply embedded in the constitution of contemporary western domestic life helps to explain heavy alcohol consumption in these settings. It also supports the need for targeted public health responses such as restrictions on home delivery of alcohol.
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2. |
- MacLean, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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Drinking alcohol at home feels different from drinking in public places : a qualitative study of midlife Australians
- 2024
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In: Health and Place. - 1353-8292 .- 1873-2054. ; 86, s. 103179-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper shows how drinking in one's own home affords different affective experiences to drinking in public settings such as bars, pubs and restaurants. A thematic analysis of interviews with 40 Australians aged 30-65 identified three main variations in alcohol-associated feelings, sensations and urges. Alcohol was used at home to decelerate, but in contrast, people were enlivened when drinking in public venues. Drinking in public generated a sense of vigilance and greater requirement to self-monitor than usually felt necessary at home. For some, drinking at home seemed more habitual; governed by urges rather than intentionality, than drinking outside it did. Policy and interventions that target drinking in the home should be prioritised, such as those focussed on off-premise pricing and availability.
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3. |
- Mugavin, Janette, et al.
(author)
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Adult low-risk drinkers and abstainers are not the same
- 2020
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In: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 20:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundAlcohol consumption, even at low-levels, can not be guaranteed as safe or risk free. Specifically, the 2009 Australian National Health and Medical Research Council drinking guidelines recommend that adults should not drink more than two standard drinks on any day on average, and no more than four drinks on a single occasion. Nearly 40% of Australians aged 12years and older drink alcohol but don't exceed these recommended limits, yet adult low-risk drinkers have been largely overlooked in Australian alcohol survey research, where they are usually grouped with abstainers. This paper examines the socio-demographic profile of low-risk drinking adults (18+ years old), compared to those who abstain.MethodsData from the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey were used. In the past 12months, 4796 Australians had not consumed alcohol and 8734 had consumed alcohol at low-risk levels, accounting for both average volume and episodic drinking (hereafter low-risk).ResultsMultivariate logistic regression results indicated that low-risk drinkers were more likely to be older, married, Australian-born, and reside in a less disadvantaged neighbourhood compared with abstainers. There was no significant difference by sex between low-risk drinkers and abstainers.ConclusionsThe socio-demographic profile of low-risk drinkers differed from that of abstainers. Combining low-risk drinkers and abstainers into a single group, which is often the practice in survey research, may mask important differences. The study may support improved targeting of health promotion initiatives that encourage low-risk drinkers not to increase consumption or, in view of increasing evidence that low-risk drinking is not risk free, to move towards abstinence.
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4. |
- Mugavin, Janette, et al.
(author)
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How do people drink alcohol at a low-risk level?
- 2023
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In: Health Sociology Review. - 1446-1242 .- 1839-3551. ; 32:3, s. 311-326
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reducing the risks associated with drinking is an ongoing public health goal. Approximately two-fifths of Australian adults consume alcohol within low-risk guidelines, yet little is known about their drinking patterns or practices. In this paper, we use social practice theory to consider low-risk drinking at home as a routinised social practice with material, meaning and competence dimensions. We analysed open-text survey responses from 252 Australian adults (30–65, 89% female) who were considered low-risk drinkers. A low-risk drinking occasion was typically closely linked to other practices such as eating dinner or connecting with family or friends. Drinking alcohol, even in small amounts, was associated with enjoyment. Being attuned to bodily sensations and applying some self-imposed rules were competencies that allowed low-risk drinkers to avoid intoxication. Low-risk drinking practices entail some elements that can inform health promotion, including encouraging efforts to limit drinking to times of the day (e.g. during meals) and to attend to bodily feelings of sufficiency. The study also shows how low-risk drinking is entangled with gendered and age-related norms about drinking, and facilitated by rarely being in ‘intoxigenic’ environments. These factors are imbricated with individual decisions in our respondents’ capacity to consume alcohol moderately.
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5. |
- Mugavin, Janette, et al.
(author)
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Strategies associated with low-risk drinking : a population-based study
- 2018
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In: Australian and New Zealand journal of public health. - : Elsevier BV. - 1326-0200 .- 1753-6405. ; 42:3, s. 315-320
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To examine the relative frequency of use of seven strategies to moderate drinking (SMD) among low-risk and risky drinkers.Methods: Cross-sectional data from the 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey was used. The analytical sample included 11,462 Australians aged 18-64 who had consumed alcohol in the previous year. Logistic regression was used.Results: Analyses indicated a curvilinear relationship between use of SMD and alcohol consumption. Across the seven SMD, constant use of a strategy, compared with never using a strategy, was associated with low-risk drinking. Never using a strategy, compared with using one rarely, was also associated with low-risk drinking. When used occasionally, strategies that implied less alcohol consumed per hour (e.g. refuse unwanted drinks) increased the likelihood of low-risk drinking, whereas less direct strategies (e.g. counting drinks) increased the likelihood of risky drinking.Conclusions: Adult Australians who drink at low levels use a range of strategies to moderate their alcohol consumption. Overall, consistent use of one or more SMD was associated with low-risk drinking patterns.Implications: Public health responses to risky drinking may be enhanced by promoting the consistent use of SMD as a way to reduce overall alcohol consumption.
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6. |
- Mugavin, Janette, et al.
(author)
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Subgroups of adults who drink alcohol at low-risk levels : Diverse drinking patterns and demography
- 2020
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In: Drug and Alcohol Review. - : Wiley. - 0959-5236 .- 1465-3362. ; 39:7, s. 975-983
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction. A significant minority of Australians drink within the 2009 national guidelines. Despite encouragement of low-risk drinking as opposed to consumption patterns associated with greater harm, little is known about the drinking patterns of this group. This paper identifies subgroups of low-risk drinkers and their distinguishable characteristics. Methods. Data were sourced from the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, specifically 8492 adults (18+) who consumed 1-730 Australian standard drinks (ASD; 10 g ethanol) in the past year, and never 5+ ASD on a single occasion. Cluster analysis enabled identification of subgroups from drinking variables. Drinking patterns, socio-demographic characteristics, drinking context and alcohol-related perceptions of subgroups were examined. Results. Three subgroups were identified.Special occasion drinkers(64.6%) drank low to moderate amounts very infrequently.Regular moderates(19.6%) andRegular sippers(15.8%) drank 5-6 days a week on average, with the average number of ASD per day 1.2 and 0.5, respectively.Special occasion drinkerstended to be younger than members of more regular drinking subgroups. Perceptions of regular alcohol use also differed betweenSpecial occasion drinkersand members of the other subgroups. Discussion. Alcohol consumption patterns among low-risk drinkers are not homogeneous. Younger drinkers who consume at low-risk levels are more likely to report infrequent consumption than moderate regular consumption. A better understanding of low-risk drinkers may help increase the prominence and acceptability of this type of drinking, challenge the normativity of heavier drinking norms and help target campaigns as new information emerges on health risks associated with low-level drinking.
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7. |
- Wilkinson, Claire, et al.
(author)
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Addiction research centres and the nurturing of creativity : The Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR), Melbourne
- 2018
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In: Addiction. - : Wiley. - 0965-2140 .- 1360-0443. ; 113:3, s. 568-574
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Established in 2006, the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR) is Australia's only research centre with a primary focus on alcohol policy. CAPR has four main areas of research: alcohol policy impacts; alcohol policy formation and regulatory processes involved in implementing alcohol policies; patterns and trends in drinking and alcohol problems in the population; and the influence of drinking norms, cultural practices and social contexts, particularly in interaction with alcohol policies. In this paper, we give examples of key publications in each area. During the past decade, the number of staff employed at CAPR has increased steadily and now hovers at approximately 10. CAPR has supported the development of independent researchers who collaborate on a number of international projects, such as the Alcohol's Harm to Others study which is now replicated in approximately 30 countries. CAPR receives core funding from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, and staff have been highly successful in securing additional competitive research funding. In 2016, CAPR moved to a new institutional setting at La Trobe University and celebrated 10 years of operation.
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8. |
- Ameen, Carly, et al.
(author)
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Specialized sledge dogs accompanied Inuit dispersal across the North American Arctic
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 286:1916
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Domestic dogs have been central to life in the North American Arctic for millennia. The ancestors of the Inuit were the first to introduce the widespread usage of dog sledge transportation technology to the Americas, but whether the Inuit adopted local Palaeo-Inuit dogs or introduced a new dog population to the region remains unknown. To test these hypotheses, we generated mitochondrial DNA and geometric morphometric data of skull and dental elements from a total of 922 North American Arctic dogs and wolves spanning over 4500 years. Our analyses revealed that dogs from Inuit sites dating from 2000 BP possess morphological and genetic signatures that distinguish them from earlier Palaeo-Inuit dogs, and identified a novel mitochondrial clade in eastern Siberia and Alaska. The genetic legacy of these Inuit dogs survives today in modern Arctic sledge dogs despite phenotypic differences between archaeological and modern Arctic dogs. Together, our data reveal that Inuit dogs derive from a secondary pre-contact migration of dogs distinct from Palaeo-Inuit dogs, and probably aided the Inuit expansion across the North American Arctic beginning around 1000 BP.
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9. |
- Caluzzi, Gabriel, et al.
(author)
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‘90 per cent of the time when I have had a drink in my hand I’m on my phone as well’ : A cross-national analysis of communications technologies and drinking practices among young people
- 2023
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In: New Media and Society. - : SAGE Publications. - 1461-4448 .- 1461-7315.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Greater use of communication technologies among young people, including mobile phones, social media and communication apps, has coincided with declines in youth alcohol use in many high-income countries. However, little research has unpacked how drinking as a practice within interconnected routines and interactions may be changing alongside these technologies. Drawing on qualitative interviews about drinking with young people aged 16–23 across three similar studies in Australia, the United Kingdom and Sweden, we identify how communication technologies may afford reduced or increased drinking. They may reduce drinking by producing new online contexts, forms of intimacy and competing activities. They may increase drinking by re-organising drinking occasions, rituals and contexts. And they may increase or reduce drinking by enabling greater fluidity and interaction between diverse practices. These countervailing dynamics have likely contributed to shifting drinking patterns and practices for young people that may be obscured beneath the population-level decline in youth drinking.
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10. |
- Jacobs, Alan M., et al.
(author)
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The Qualitative Transparency Deliberations : Insights and Implications
- 2021
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In: Perspectives on Politics. - 1537-5927 .- 1541-0986. ; 19:1, s. 171-208
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent years, a variety of efforts have been made in political science to enable, encourage, or require scholars to be more open and explicit about the bases of their empirical claims and, in turn, make those claims more readily evaluable by others. While qualitative scholars have long taken an interest in making their research open, reflexive, and systematic, the recent push for overarching transparency norms and requirements has provoked serious concern within qualitative research communities and raised fundamental questions about the meaning, value, costs, and intellectual relevance of transparency for qualitative inquiry. In this Perspectives Reflection, we crystallize the central findings of a three-year deliberative process-the Qualitative Transparency Deliberations (QTD)-involving hundreds of political scientists in a broad discussion of these issues. Following an overview of the process and the key insights that emerged, we present summaries of the QTD Working Groups' final reports. Drawing on a series of public, online conversations that unfolded at www.qualtd.net, the reports unpack transparency's promise, practicalities, risks, and limitations in relation to different qualitative methodologies, forms of evidence, and research contexts. Taken as a whole, these reports-the full versions of which can be found in the Supplementary Materials-offer practical guidance to scholars designing and implementing qualitative research, and to editors, reviewers, and funders seeking to develop criteria of evaluation that are appropriate-as understood by relevant research communities-to the forms of inquiry being assessed. We dedicate this Reflection to the memory of our coauthor and QTD working group leader Kendra Koivu.(1)
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