Problem Gambling Among Australian Male Prisoners: Lifetime Prevalence, Help-Seeking, and Association With Incarceration and Aboriginality

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 3447-3459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben J. Riley ◽  
Amii Larsen ◽  
Malcolm Battersby ◽  
Peter Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Lifetime Prevalence ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Gambling Problem ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Male Prisoners

Prisoners represent a group containing the highest problem gambling (PG) rate found in any population. PG is of particular concern among Indigenous Australians. Little data exist concerning PG rates among Indigenous Australian prisoners. The present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by examining the lifetime prevalence of PG among male prisoners, whilst identifying prisoners of Aboriginal background. The EIGHT Gambling Screen (Early Intervention Gambling Health Test) was administered to 296 prisoners across three male prisons in South Australia. Previous help-seeking behaviour and forms of gambling were also examined. Sixty percent of prisoners indicated a lifetime prevalence of PG with 18% reporting they were incarcerated due to offending relating to their gambling problem. Indigenous Australian prisoners indicated a significantly higher prevalence of PG (75%) than non-Indigenous prisoners (57%) and reported less than half the rate of help-seeking. Given the high levels of PG and overall low rates of help-seeking among prisoners, prisons may provide an important opportunity to engage this high-risk population with effective treatment programs, in particular culturally appropriate targeted interventions for Australian Indigenous prisoners.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander utilisation of the Quitline service for smoking cessation in South Australia

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Cosh ◽  
Lauren Maksimovic ◽  
Kerry Ettridge ◽  
David Copley ◽  
Jacqueline A. Bowden
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Smoking Prevalence ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Australian Population ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Smoking Addiction

Smoking prevalence among Indigenous Australians far exceeds that of non-Indigenous Australians and is considered the greatest contributor to burden of disease for Indigenous Australians. The Quitline is a primary intervention for facilitating smoking cessation and, given the health implications of tobacco use, maximising its effectiveness for Indigenous Australians is imperative. However, the utilisation and effectiveness of this service within the Indigenous Australian population has not been examined. This study explores the utilisation of the South Australian Quitline by smokers identifying as Indigenous Australian. Quitline counsellors collected data regarding demographic characteristics, and smoking and quitting behaviour from Quitline callers in 2010. Results indicated that the proportion of Indigenous and non-Indigenous smokers who registered for the service was comparable. Demographic variables and smoking addiction at time of registration with the Quitline were similar for Indigenous and non-Indigenous callers. However, results indicated that Indigenous callers received significantly fewer callbacks than non-Indigenous callers and were significantly less likely to set a quit date. Significantly fewer Indigenous callers reported that they were still successfully quit at 3 months. Thus, Indigenous Australian callers may be less engaged with the Quitline and further research is required exploring whether the service could be tailored to make it more engaging for Indigenous Australians who smoke.

Perceptions of Gambling in Tamil and Chinese Communities in Australia: The Role of Saving Face in Perpetuating Gambling Stigma and Hindering Help Seeking

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Radermacher ◽  
Marissa Dickins ◽  
Christopher Anderson ◽  
Susan Feldman
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Gambling Problem ◽  
Limited Evidence ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Saving Face

Despite Australia being a multicultural country, there is limited evidence regarding ethnic perspectives about gambling, problem gambling, and associated help seeking. The aim of this paper is to examine the role and nature of stigma in relation to gambling, in particular its association with the concept of saving face. Interview data were thematically analysed from a study investigating the attitudes and experiences of gambling among ethnic minority communities (Tamil and Chinese) in Melbourne, Victoria. By using two well-established frameworks for understanding stigma, we examine the extent to which gambling is stigmatized within these two communities. The desire to save face (a form of stigma management) significantly influences what is said about gambling and the reluctance of individuals to seek help should it become problematic. Thresholds for stigmatized behaviour appear to differ between the communities studied, as well as from what is known about the Anglo-Celtic majority. Understanding this heterogeneity may be important for informing more effective, tailored interventions.Bien que l’Australie soit un pays multiculturel, il existe peu de données probantes sur les perspectives ethniques du jeu, le jeu problématique et la demande d’aide connexe. L’objectif du présent article est d’examiner le rôle et la nature du stigmate associé au jeu, en particulier son lien avec le concept de sauver la face. Les données d’entrevues réalisées dans le cadre d’une étude sur les attitudes et les expériences de jeu de membres de communautés ethniques minoritaires (tamiles et chinoises) à Melbourne, en Australie, ont été analysées par thème. À l’aide de deux cadres de travail reconnus pour la compréhension du stigmate, nous avons examiné la mesure dans laquelle le jeu est stigmatisé dans ces deux communautés. Le désir de sauver la face (qui est une forme de gestion du stigmate) a une grande incidence sur ce qui est dit sur le jeu et sur la réticence à demander de l’aide lorsque le jeu devient problématique. Le seuil de stigmatisation du comportement semble être différent dans les deux communautés étudiées, ainsi que de ce que l’on sait du stigmate dans la communauté majoritaire anglo-celte. Comprendre cette hétérogénéité pourrait aider à élaborer des interventions personnalisées plus efficaces.

Perceptions of Gambling in Tamil and Chinese Communities in Australia: The Role of Saving Face in Perpetuating Gambling Stigma and Hindering Help Seeking

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Radermacher ◽  
Marissa Dickins ◽  
Christopher Anderson ◽  
Susan Feldman
Keyword(s):  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Gambling Problem ◽  
Limited Evidence ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Saving Face

Despite Australia being a multicultural country, there is limited evidence regarding ethnic perspectives about gambling, problem gambling, and associated help seeking. The aim of this paper is to examine the role and nature of stigma in relation to gambling, in particular its association with the concept of saving face. Interview data were thematically analysed from a study investigating the attitudes and experiences of gambling among ethnic minority communities (Tamil and Chinese) in Melbourne, Victoria. By using two well-established frameworks for understanding stigma, we examine the extent to which gambling is stigmatized within these two communities. The desire to save face (a form of stigma management) significantly influences what is said about gambling and the reluctance of individuals to seek help should it become problematic. Thresholds for stigmatized behaviour appear to differ between the communities studied, as well as from what is known about the Anglo-Celtic majority. Understanding this heterogeneity may be important for informing more effective, tailored interventions.Bien que l’Australie soit un pays multiculturel, il existe peu de données probantes sur les perspectives ethniques du jeu, le jeu problématique et la demande d’aide connexe. L’objectif du présent article est d’examiner le rôle et la nature du stigmate associé au jeu, en particulier son lien avec le concept de sauver la face. Les données d’entrevues réalisées dans le cadre d’une étude sur les attitudes et les expériences de jeu de membres de communautés ethniques minoritaires (tamiles et chinoises) à Melbourne, en Australie, ont été analysées par thème. À l’aide de deux cadres de travail reconnus pour la compréhension du stigmate, nous avons examiné la mesure dans laquelle le jeu est stigmatisé dans ces deux communautés. Le désir de sauver la face (qui est une forme de gestion du stigmate) a une grande incidence sur ce qui est dit sur le jeu et sur la réticence à demander de l’aide lorsque le jeu devient problématique. Le seuil de stigmatisation du comportement semble être différent dans les deux communautés étudiées, ainsi que de ce que l’on sait du stigmate dans la communauté majoritaire anglo-celte. Comprendre cette hétérogénéité pourrait aider à élaborer des interventions personnalisées plus efficaces.

scholarly journals Songlines: Preserving cultural heritage through architecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sheldon Carr
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Flinders Ranges ◽  
Mnemonic Devices ◽  
Dynamic Landscape ◽  
Tribal Region

<p>In indigenous Australian culture, the ‘Songlines’ represent the routes across the landscape followed by the original ‘creator-beings’ of the ‘Dreaming’. The ‘Songlines’ describe the locations of mountains, waterholes, ravines, and other landscape features that were ‘created’ by the movements and interactions of the creator-beings. Throughout Australia’s vast history, the indigenous peoples have recited the Songlines as oral narratives for the next generation, while also using the Songlines to navigate across vast tracts of wilderness. But with the departure of a disenfranchised younger generation of indigenous Australians to cities and government settlements, the Songlines are at risk of being forgotten.  Songlines are not merely navigation devices. They act as mnemonics that define cultural values, indigenous laws and ancestral heritage. Stories of the ‘Dreaming’ acknowledge the past, present and future. As such, they are capable of re-engaging Indigenous Australians with a sense of place, heritage,and values, that are so menaingful to there culture and religion.  The sites for this design-led investigation are located in Arkaroola Sanctuary, Vulkanatha /Gammon Ranges and Ikara-Flinders Ranges - located in South Australia. This vast expanse of land is associated with the indigenous people known as the Adnyamathanha. The principal aim of this investigation is to conceive a series of collaborative architectural shelters that are designed and positioned in ways that can help reawaken, expose, and define characteristics of ‘Songlines’ for future generations.  The architecture will act as a reminder of cultural values, while serving as a framing device to reveal the dynamic landscape features that form the Adnyamathanha’s traditional Songlines. This is to safeguard knowledge, and re-awaken awareness of ‘Songlines’ for younger indigenous peoples who have left their homeland and tribal region. The architectural shelters, as points of pause along the Songlines, act as mnemonic devices that help keep alive a vibrant and fundamental sense of cultural identity and place. The architectural interventions seek to diffuse boundaries between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous cultures – given the current integrated context of Australia.</p>

scholarly journals Songlines: Preserving cultural heritage through architecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sheldon Carr
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Flinders Ranges ◽  
Mnemonic Devices ◽  
Dynamic Landscape ◽  
Tribal Region

<p>In indigenous Australian culture, the ‘Songlines’ represent the routes across the landscape followed by the original ‘creator-beings’ of the ‘Dreaming’. The ‘Songlines’ describe the locations of mountains, waterholes, ravines, and other landscape features that were ‘created’ by the movements and interactions of the creator-beings. Throughout Australia’s vast history, the indigenous peoples have recited the Songlines as oral narratives for the next generation, while also using the Songlines to navigate across vast tracts of wilderness. But with the departure of a disenfranchised younger generation of indigenous Australians to cities and government settlements, the Songlines are at risk of being forgotten.  Songlines are not merely navigation devices. They act as mnemonics that define cultural values, indigenous laws and ancestral heritage. Stories of the ‘Dreaming’ acknowledge the past, present and future. As such, they are capable of re-engaging Indigenous Australians with a sense of place, heritage,and values, that are so menaingful to there culture and religion.  The sites for this design-led investigation are located in Arkaroola Sanctuary, Vulkanatha /Gammon Ranges and Ikara-Flinders Ranges - located in South Australia. This vast expanse of land is associated with the indigenous people known as the Adnyamathanha. The principal aim of this investigation is to conceive a series of collaborative architectural shelters that are designed and positioned in ways that can help reawaken, expose, and define characteristics of ‘Songlines’ for future generations.  The architecture will act as a reminder of cultural values, while serving as a framing device to reveal the dynamic landscape features that form the Adnyamathanha’s traditional Songlines. This is to safeguard knowledge, and re-awaken awareness of ‘Songlines’ for younger indigenous peoples who have left their homeland and tribal region. The architectural shelters, as points of pause along the Songlines, act as mnemonic devices that help keep alive a vibrant and fundamental sense of cultural identity and place. The architectural interventions seek to diffuse boundaries between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous cultures – given the current integrated context of Australia.</p>

scholarly journals Characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Smokers Exposed to Anti-smoking Marketing in South Australia

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Trigg ◽  
Damien Shen ◽  
Julia Morris ◽  
Jason Blunt
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Smoking Behaviour ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Media Campaigns ◽  
Torres Strait

Background: Smoking is disproportionately prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian peoples, with 39% of Indigenous Australians aged over 15 years smoking daily. Efforts to reduce this high prevalence include culturally focused media campaigns, designed using community consultation, highlighting the need to determine how such health messaging is received by smokers. This study aimed to examine Indigenous Australian smokers&rsquo; reactions to a culturally focused anti-smoking mass media campaign&mdash;'Give up Smokes&rsquo;. Methods: Intercept surveying across health services and events used recorded demographics, smoking status, quit attempts, smoking health effects, anti-smoking campaign recall, social support, and campaign reactions. Participants rated campaign images in five domains: 1) whether it made them stop and think; 2) personal relevance; 3) believability of design and message; 4) prompting concern about smoking; and 5) motivation towards quitting. Cluster analysis was used to segment smoker types. Results: Smoking health effects knowledge was high, and did not differ by quit readiness, attempts, or social support. Cessation support access was higher among those with greater readiness to quit. Social smoking behaviour and confidence to support others quitting did not significantly differ between participants, however importance of others quitting did. Quit readiness, attempts, and social support were associated with reaction to campaign design, but not message recall. Four types of smokers were described, using smoking characteristics, who differed in campaign message reactions. Conclusions: Strategies using campaign-exposed smoker characteristics to inform culturally focused health promotion are discussed in relation to four identified types of smokers.

scholarly journals Occurrence and timely management of problems requiring prompt intervention among Indigenous compared with non-Indigenous Australian palliative care patients: a multijurisdictional cohort study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e042268
Author(s):  
John A Woods ◽  
Judith M Katzenellenbogen ◽  
Kevin Murray ◽  
Claire E Johnson ◽  
Sandra C Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Survival Models ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Specialist Palliative Care ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Phase Duration ◽  
Core Element ◽  
Similar Frequency

ObjectivesAnticipation and prompt relief of symptoms among patients with a life-limiting illness is a core element of palliative care. Indigenous Australians commonly encounter cultural barriers in healthcare that may impair outcomes. The Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration collects patient care data for the purposes of continuous quality improvement and benchmarking, with each recorded care episode divided into phases that reflect a patient’s condition. We aimed to investigate differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients in the occurrence and duration of ‘unstable’ phases (which indicate unanticipated deterioration in a patient’s condition or circumstances), and determine attainment of the relevant benchmark (resolution of unstable phases in ≤3 days in 90% of cases) for both groups.DesignCohort study.SettingAustralia-wide hospital-based and community-based specialist palliative care (1 January 2010 to 30 June 2015).Participants139 556 (1502 Indigenous and 138 054 non-Indigenous) adult patients.Outcome measuresIndigenous and non-Indigenous patients were compared on (1) the risk of a phase being categorised as unstable, (2) the duration of unstable phases, and (3) the risk of unstable phases being prolonged (>3 days). Crude and adjusted estimates were produced from three-level robust Poisson regression and complementary log-log discrete time survival models.ResultsUnstable phases occurred with similar frequency overall among Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients (adjusted relative risks 1.06; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.11; not significant after correction for multiple comparisons). The duration and risk of prolongation of unstable phases were similar in both patient groups, with no significant differences evident among subgroups. The benchmark was not met for either Indigenous or non-Indigenous patients (unstable phase duration >3 days in 24.3% vs 25.5%; p=0.398).ConclusionsDespite well-documented shortcomings of healthcare for Indigenous Australians, there is no clear evidence of greater occurrence or prolongation of unanticipated problems among Indigenous patients accessing specialist palliative care services in hospital or the community.

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