Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, Jan 14, 2016
While the term 'binge drinking' has no definitive definition, it is commonly used in lay ... more While the term 'binge drinking' has no definitive definition, it is commonly used in lay conversation and mass media communication campaigns. It is important to understand how the general population interprets the term, and their positive and negative perceptions of this behaviour. A convenience sample of 549 participants from two Australian towns completed a survey on perceptions of binge drinking; 221 adolescents, 104 parents of adolescents and 224 adult community members. Across all three groups, binge drinking was defined using broad descriptors; few respondents referred to specific consumption levels and those who did varied widely in the quantities specified. The majority of respondents described binge drinking negatively and, in most cases, more negatively for adolescents than adults. However, both adult groups perceived binge drinking to be more enjoyable and pleasant for adolescents than for adults, and more enjoyable and pleasant than adolescents did themselves. Th...
This chapter contains sections titled: IntroductionContributions from the POST Array to Marine Sc... more This chapter contains sections titled: IntroductionContributions from the POST Array to Marine ScienceInterdisciplinary Studies as a Model for Future Research: Sockeye SalmonSummary and New DirectionsSummaryAcknowledgmentsReferencesIntroductionContributions from the POST Array to Marine ScienceInterdisciplinary Studies as a Model for Future Research: Sockeye SalmonSummary and New DirectionsSummaryAcknowledgmentsReferences
Reductions in underage drinking will only come about from changes in the social and cultural envi... more Reductions in underage drinking will only come about from changes in the social and cultural environment. Despite decades of messages discouraging parental supply, parents perceive social norms supportive of allowing children to consume alcohol in 'safe' environments. Twelve focus groups conducted in a regional community in NSW, Australia; four with parents of teenagers (n = 27; 70 % female) and eight with adolescents (n = 47; 55 % female). Participants were recruited using local media. Groups explored knowledge and attitudes and around alcohol consumption by, and parental supply of alcohol to, underage teenagers; and discussed materials from previous campaigns targeting adolescents and parents. Parents and adolescents perceived teen drinking to be a common behaviour within the community, but applied moral judgements to these behaviours. Younger adolescents expressed more negative views of teen drinkers and parents who supply alcohol than older adolescents. Adolescents and parents perceived those who 'provide alcohol' (other families) as bad parents, and those who 'teach responsible drinking' (themselves) as good people. Both groups expressed a preference for high-fear, victim-blaming messages that targeted 'those people' whose behaviours are problematic. In developing and testing interventions to address underage drinking, it is essential to ensure the target audience perceive themselves to be the target audience. If we do not have a shared understanding of underage 'drinking' and parental 'provision', such messages will continue to be perceived by parents who are trying to do the 'right' thing as targeting a different behaviour and tacitly supporting their decision to provide their children with alcohol.
ABSTRACT NOAA is leading the development of integrated ecosystem assessments (IEAs) throughout th... more ABSTRACT NOAA is leading the development of integrated ecosystem assessments (IEAs) throughout the United States as part of an ongoing move toward ecosystem-based management of marine and coastal resources. One aspect of the IEA process emphasizes the development of ecosystem indicators - quantitative biological, chemical, physical, social, or economic measurements that serve as proxies of natural and socio-economic system conditions. As such, they provide a means to judge change in ecosystem attributes relative to management objectives and ecosystem risk. We use an established framework (Levin et al. 2009) to systematically evaluate and organize potential indicators of ecosystem health for the CCLME, for this presentation focusing on indicators associated with two attributes of ecosystem “health”: community composition (e.g., species diversity, functional group biomass) and energetics/material flow (e.g., carbon cycling, primary production). We identified 79 potential indicators from the peer-reviewed science literature and evaluated their potential to fulfill three categories of criteria: primary (essential information for providing scientifically useful guidance), data (measurement and availability of this information), and other (important non-scientific information). We outline the evaluation steps, scoring, and considerations used to select the final suite of 6 proposed indicators: Zooplankton species biomass anomalies, Taxonomic distinctness (average and variation), Top predator biomass, Seabird annual reproductive output, Chlorophyll a, and Inorganic nutrient levels. We emphasize that this indicator suite is preliminary and will likely evolve as 1. more data becomes available and 2. other formal criteria are instituted to quantify the quality of the science supporting each indicator during the evaluation process.
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Papers, Feb 1, 2008
To quantify the extent and nature of healthy eating messages Australian consumers are currently e... more To quantify the extent and nature of healthy eating messages Australian consumers are currently exposed through magazine advertising. Analysis of healthy eating messages in advertisements found in the top 30 Australian magazines between January and June 2005 was conducted. Advertisements were analysed and classified by source, subject, food category, food type, food occasion, type of claim and disease type. A total of 1,040 advertisements were identified which contained a healthy eating message; after removing duplicates, 390 advertisements were analysed. Culinary and women's magazines contained the greatest number of healthy eating messages. The most frequently occurring food category utilising a health message in an advertisement was dairy and dairy substitutes (71/390), closely followed by fruit and fruit juice (70/390). Overall, 31 advertisements referred to a specific disease, health problem, or risk factor and the most commonly mentioned were heart disease/heart-attack (12) cancer (seven) and diabetes (five). Majority of healthy eating messages currently advertised are by manufacturers, double that of retailers, with non-commercial sources representing only 2%. Processed foods were the most commonly advertised food form which contained a healthy eating message, this is of concern given the generally low nutritional value of these foods. Overall, there are a large number of advertisements in Australian magazines that contain healthy eating messages that may have the potential to communicate to consumers that there are health benefits associated with the consumption of certain foods. Future research to assess the accuracy of the information in such advertisements, and to examine consumer interpretations of these health message are important.
Spatio-temporal patterns of species abundance influence the strength of trophic interactions, whi... more Spatio-temporal patterns of species abundance influence the strength of trophic interactions, while movement of individuals helps determine those patterns of abundance. Thus, understanding movement is a basis for quantifying interactions within a food web. In Puget Sound, Washington, USA, the North Pacific spiny dogfish Squalus suckleyi is an abundant top predator with a diverse, generalist diet. Coastal dogfish populations make seasonal north−south migrations, but populations in inland waters are thought to be more resident. In this study, we combined acoustic telemetry and bioenergetics modeling to determine patterns of movement and to quantify seasonal variation in the predatory impact of dogfish in Puget Sound. All tagged dogfish migrated out of Puget Sound in the winter and were absent until the following summer. Individuals that returned to Puget Sound in subsequent years showed consistent timing and duration of residence across years, but these metrics varied across individuals. Incorporating movement data into the bioenergetics model resulted in a 70% decrease in the predatory impact of dogfish in the winter and a 30% decrease in the summer, compared to a year-round resident Puget Sound population. Incorporating metrics of movement into food web or ecosystem models will increase our understanding of species interactions and will improve our ability to predict changes in food web dynamics under various environmental and management scenarios.
Asthma affects more than two million Australians, and of growing concern for the Australian healt... more Asthma affects more than two million Australians, and of growing concern for the Australian health system is asthma in the over 65+ age group. Between 1997 and 2001, 61% of all deaths attributable to asthma occurred in people aged over 65 and mortality in this group remains higher than the rate for all other groups. An investigation of older Australians' perceptions of asthma prevalence and impact was conducted in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Eight focus groups with the target audience were conducted to explore their attitudes, knowledge and skills with regard to asthma symptoms, prevalence, diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with a broad range of health professionals to ascertain their opinion of the target audience's asthma knowledge and understanding. Results indicate that these older Australians are unaware of the prevalence and severity of asthma in their age group, have limited understanding of symptoms and treatments, and associate the condition with children. Health professionals reported that older people minimise respiratory symptoms as a natural part of ageing. Qualitative analysis using the Health Belief Model, suggests that heightened knowledge and awareness is necessary to bring about voluntary behaviour change in order to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity in the 65+ age group.
Page 1. LEVIN PS: Empirical movement model for sixgill sharks 1 UNCORRECTED PROOF An empirical mo... more Page 1. LEVIN PS: Empirical movement model for sixgill sharks 1 UNCORRECTED PROOF An empirical movement model for sixgill sharks in Puget Sound: Combining observed and unobserved behavior Phillip S. LEVIN * , Peter ...
We explored young people and parents&... more We explored young people and parents' views on adolescent drinking and safety in the locations where drinking may occur. Focus groups with adolescents and parents showed that many believed adolescent drinking and drunkenness is normative. Younger adolescents had more negative views of adolescent drinkers than their older peers. Adolescent drinking occurred in private settings and parents made decisions about allowing their adolescent children to attend social events based on the level of safety attributed to the location. If adolescent drinking was likely then home was the preferred location as it provided scope for risk minimisation. Positive portrayals of non-drinking adolescents and information to assist parents' decision-making are needed.
American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, Jan 30, 2015
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis is an interstitial lung disease that develops following repeated exp... more Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis is an interstitial lung disease that develops following repeated exposure to inhaled environmental antigens. The disease results in alveolitis, granuloma formation and progresses to a chronic form associated with fibrosis; a greater understanding of the immunopathogenic mechanisms leading to chronic HP is needed. We used the Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula (SR) mouse model of HP to determine the extent to which a switch to a Th2 type response is associated with chronic HP. Exposure of WT and tlr2/9(-/-) mice to SR for 14 weeks resulted in a neutrophilic and lymphocytic alveolitis that was not dependent on Toll like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 9. Long-term exposure of WT mice to SR resulted in a significant increase in collagen deposition, protein leakage and IL-1α accompanied by a decrease in quasi-static compliance and total lung capacity compared to unexposed mice. This was associated with an increase in IL-17 but not IL-4 production or recruitment of Th2 ce...
Asthma affects more than two million Australians, and of growing concern for the Australian healt... more Asthma affects more than two million Australians, and of growing concern for the Australian health system is asthma in the over 65+ age group. Between 1997 and 2001, 61% of all deaths attributable to asthma occurred in people aged over 65 and mortality in this group remains higher than the rate for all other groups. An investigation of older Australians' perceptions of asthma prevalence and impact was conducted in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Eight focus groups with the target audience were conducted to explore their attitudes, knowledge and skills with regard to asthma symptoms, prevalence, diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with a broad range of health professionals to ascertain their opinion of the target audience's asthma knowledge and understanding. Results indicate that these older Australians are unaware of the prevalence and severity of asthma in their age group, have limited understanding of symptoms and treatments, and associate the condition with children. Health professionals reported that older people minimise respiratory symptoms as a natural part of ageing. Qualitative analysis using the Health Belief Model, suggests that heightened knowledge and awareness is necessary to bring about voluntary behaviour change in order to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity in the 65+ age group.
Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, Jan 14, 2016
While the term 'binge drinking' has no definitive definition, it is commonly used in lay ... more While the term 'binge drinking' has no definitive definition, it is commonly used in lay conversation and mass media communication campaigns. It is important to understand how the general population interprets the term, and their positive and negative perceptions of this behaviour. A convenience sample of 549 participants from two Australian towns completed a survey on perceptions of binge drinking; 221 adolescents, 104 parents of adolescents and 224 adult community members. Across all three groups, binge drinking was defined using broad descriptors; few respondents referred to specific consumption levels and those who did varied widely in the quantities specified. The majority of respondents described binge drinking negatively and, in most cases, more negatively for adolescents than adults. However, both adult groups perceived binge drinking to be more enjoyable and pleasant for adolescents than for adults, and more enjoyable and pleasant than adolescents did themselves. Th...
This chapter contains sections titled: IntroductionContributions from the POST Array to Marine Sc... more This chapter contains sections titled: IntroductionContributions from the POST Array to Marine ScienceInterdisciplinary Studies as a Model for Future Research: Sockeye SalmonSummary and New DirectionsSummaryAcknowledgmentsReferencesIntroductionContributions from the POST Array to Marine ScienceInterdisciplinary Studies as a Model for Future Research: Sockeye SalmonSummary and New DirectionsSummaryAcknowledgmentsReferences
Reductions in underage drinking will only come about from changes in the social and cultural envi... more Reductions in underage drinking will only come about from changes in the social and cultural environment. Despite decades of messages discouraging parental supply, parents perceive social norms supportive of allowing children to consume alcohol in 'safe' environments. Twelve focus groups conducted in a regional community in NSW, Australia; four with parents of teenagers (n = 27; 70 % female) and eight with adolescents (n = 47; 55 % female). Participants were recruited using local media. Groups explored knowledge and attitudes and around alcohol consumption by, and parental supply of alcohol to, underage teenagers; and discussed materials from previous campaigns targeting adolescents and parents. Parents and adolescents perceived teen drinking to be a common behaviour within the community, but applied moral judgements to these behaviours. Younger adolescents expressed more negative views of teen drinkers and parents who supply alcohol than older adolescents. Adolescents and parents perceived those who 'provide alcohol' (other families) as bad parents, and those who 'teach responsible drinking' (themselves) as good people. Both groups expressed a preference for high-fear, victim-blaming messages that targeted 'those people' whose behaviours are problematic. In developing and testing interventions to address underage drinking, it is essential to ensure the target audience perceive themselves to be the target audience. If we do not have a shared understanding of underage 'drinking' and parental 'provision', such messages will continue to be perceived by parents who are trying to do the 'right' thing as targeting a different behaviour and tacitly supporting their decision to provide their children with alcohol.
ABSTRACT NOAA is leading the development of integrated ecosystem assessments (IEAs) throughout th... more ABSTRACT NOAA is leading the development of integrated ecosystem assessments (IEAs) throughout the United States as part of an ongoing move toward ecosystem-based management of marine and coastal resources. One aspect of the IEA process emphasizes the development of ecosystem indicators - quantitative biological, chemical, physical, social, or economic measurements that serve as proxies of natural and socio-economic system conditions. As such, they provide a means to judge change in ecosystem attributes relative to management objectives and ecosystem risk. We use an established framework (Levin et al. 2009) to systematically evaluate and organize potential indicators of ecosystem health for the CCLME, for this presentation focusing on indicators associated with two attributes of ecosystem “health”: community composition (e.g., species diversity, functional group biomass) and energetics/material flow (e.g., carbon cycling, primary production). We identified 79 potential indicators from the peer-reviewed science literature and evaluated their potential to fulfill three categories of criteria: primary (essential information for providing scientifically useful guidance), data (measurement and availability of this information), and other (important non-scientific information). We outline the evaluation steps, scoring, and considerations used to select the final suite of 6 proposed indicators: Zooplankton species biomass anomalies, Taxonomic distinctness (average and variation), Top predator biomass, Seabird annual reproductive output, Chlorophyll a, and Inorganic nutrient levels. We emphasize that this indicator suite is preliminary and will likely evolve as 1. more data becomes available and 2. other formal criteria are instituted to quantify the quality of the science supporting each indicator during the evaluation process.
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Papers, Feb 1, 2008
To quantify the extent and nature of healthy eating messages Australian consumers are currently e... more To quantify the extent and nature of healthy eating messages Australian consumers are currently exposed through magazine advertising. Analysis of healthy eating messages in advertisements found in the top 30 Australian magazines between January and June 2005 was conducted. Advertisements were analysed and classified by source, subject, food category, food type, food occasion, type of claim and disease type. A total of 1,040 advertisements were identified which contained a healthy eating message; after removing duplicates, 390 advertisements were analysed. Culinary and women's magazines contained the greatest number of healthy eating messages. The most frequently occurring food category utilising a health message in an advertisement was dairy and dairy substitutes (71/390), closely followed by fruit and fruit juice (70/390). Overall, 31 advertisements referred to a specific disease, health problem, or risk factor and the most commonly mentioned were heart disease/heart-attack (12) cancer (seven) and diabetes (five). Majority of healthy eating messages currently advertised are by manufacturers, double that of retailers, with non-commercial sources representing only 2%. Processed foods were the most commonly advertised food form which contained a healthy eating message, this is of concern given the generally low nutritional value of these foods. Overall, there are a large number of advertisements in Australian magazines that contain healthy eating messages that may have the potential to communicate to consumers that there are health benefits associated with the consumption of certain foods. Future research to assess the accuracy of the information in such advertisements, and to examine consumer interpretations of these health message are important.
Spatio-temporal patterns of species abundance influence the strength of trophic interactions, whi... more Spatio-temporal patterns of species abundance influence the strength of trophic interactions, while movement of individuals helps determine those patterns of abundance. Thus, understanding movement is a basis for quantifying interactions within a food web. In Puget Sound, Washington, USA, the North Pacific spiny dogfish Squalus suckleyi is an abundant top predator with a diverse, generalist diet. Coastal dogfish populations make seasonal north−south migrations, but populations in inland waters are thought to be more resident. In this study, we combined acoustic telemetry and bioenergetics modeling to determine patterns of movement and to quantify seasonal variation in the predatory impact of dogfish in Puget Sound. All tagged dogfish migrated out of Puget Sound in the winter and were absent until the following summer. Individuals that returned to Puget Sound in subsequent years showed consistent timing and duration of residence across years, but these metrics varied across individuals. Incorporating movement data into the bioenergetics model resulted in a 70% decrease in the predatory impact of dogfish in the winter and a 30% decrease in the summer, compared to a year-round resident Puget Sound population. Incorporating metrics of movement into food web or ecosystem models will increase our understanding of species interactions and will improve our ability to predict changes in food web dynamics under various environmental and management scenarios.
Asthma affects more than two million Australians, and of growing concern for the Australian healt... more Asthma affects more than two million Australians, and of growing concern for the Australian health system is asthma in the over 65+ age group. Between 1997 and 2001, 61% of all deaths attributable to asthma occurred in people aged over 65 and mortality in this group remains higher than the rate for all other groups. An investigation of older Australians' perceptions of asthma prevalence and impact was conducted in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Eight focus groups with the target audience were conducted to explore their attitudes, knowledge and skills with regard to asthma symptoms, prevalence, diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with a broad range of health professionals to ascertain their opinion of the target audience's asthma knowledge and understanding. Results indicate that these older Australians are unaware of the prevalence and severity of asthma in their age group, have limited understanding of symptoms and treatments, and associate the condition with children. Health professionals reported that older people minimise respiratory symptoms as a natural part of ageing. Qualitative analysis using the Health Belief Model, suggests that heightened knowledge and awareness is necessary to bring about voluntary behaviour change in order to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity in the 65+ age group.
Page 1. LEVIN PS: Empirical movement model for sixgill sharks 1 UNCORRECTED PROOF An empirical mo... more Page 1. LEVIN PS: Empirical movement model for sixgill sharks 1 UNCORRECTED PROOF An empirical movement model for sixgill sharks in Puget Sound: Combining observed and unobserved behavior Phillip S. LEVIN * , Peter ...
We explored young people and parents&... more We explored young people and parents' views on adolescent drinking and safety in the locations where drinking may occur. Focus groups with adolescents and parents showed that many believed adolescent drinking and drunkenness is normative. Younger adolescents had more negative views of adolescent drinkers than their older peers. Adolescent drinking occurred in private settings and parents made decisions about allowing their adolescent children to attend social events based on the level of safety attributed to the location. If adolescent drinking was likely then home was the preferred location as it provided scope for risk minimisation. Positive portrayals of non-drinking adolescents and information to assist parents' decision-making are needed.
American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, Jan 30, 2015
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis is an interstitial lung disease that develops following repeated exp... more Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis is an interstitial lung disease that develops following repeated exposure to inhaled environmental antigens. The disease results in alveolitis, granuloma formation and progresses to a chronic form associated with fibrosis; a greater understanding of the immunopathogenic mechanisms leading to chronic HP is needed. We used the Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula (SR) mouse model of HP to determine the extent to which a switch to a Th2 type response is associated with chronic HP. Exposure of WT and tlr2/9(-/-) mice to SR for 14 weeks resulted in a neutrophilic and lymphocytic alveolitis that was not dependent on Toll like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 9. Long-term exposure of WT mice to SR resulted in a significant increase in collagen deposition, protein leakage and IL-1α accompanied by a decrease in quasi-static compliance and total lung capacity compared to unexposed mice. This was associated with an increase in IL-17 but not IL-4 production or recruitment of Th2 ce...
Asthma affects more than two million Australians, and of growing concern for the Australian healt... more Asthma affects more than two million Australians, and of growing concern for the Australian health system is asthma in the over 65+ age group. Between 1997 and 2001, 61% of all deaths attributable to asthma occurred in people aged over 65 and mortality in this group remains higher than the rate for all other groups. An investigation of older Australians' perceptions of asthma prevalence and impact was conducted in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Eight focus groups with the target audience were conducted to explore their attitudes, knowledge and skills with regard to asthma symptoms, prevalence, diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with a broad range of health professionals to ascertain their opinion of the target audience's asthma knowledge and understanding. Results indicate that these older Australians are unaware of the prevalence and severity of asthma in their age group, have limited understanding of symptoms and treatments, and associate the condition with children. Health professionals reported that older people minimise respiratory symptoms as a natural part of ageing. Qualitative analysis using the Health Belief Model, suggests that heightened knowledge and awareness is necessary to bring about voluntary behaviour change in order to reduce asthma mortality and morbidity in the 65+ age group.
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