Communities In South Australia Research Articles

Contributions of contamination sources to soil lead concentrations of a smelter-affected community in South Australia, Australia

Contributions of contamination sources to soil lead concentrations of a smelter-affected community in South Australia, Australia

“Gatekeeping Family Violence”: The Role of Religious and Community Leaders in the Afghan Migrant Community in South Australia

Community leaders in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia, particularly Afghan migrant communities, may play an important role in understanding and responding to family violence. This paper explores the role and perspectives of religious and community leaders in the Afghan community in South Australia in relation to preventing and responding to family violence. It is argued that these leaders play a pivotal role in their community as they can act as gatekeepers between their own and the Australian community. This paper concludes that it is imperative that governments and the legal system engage with CALD communities to better understand faith related factors such as the relevance of Islamic law and culture for Afghan Muslim communities in South Australia. At the same time, the education of the broader Australian and Afghan communities and their religious and community leaders in both Islamic law and the Australian legal system is a vital factor in combating and reducing family violence.

Ethnic Media, Diversity and Settlement: A Qualitative Study

This article examines the role of migrant media and communication in the long- and short-term settlement experiences of migrants through interviews with community leaders from seven migrant communities in South Australia. Bringing together literature on ethnic media and migrant settlement, multiple, interacting and overlapping forms of communication are incorporated into the analysis. These including traditional ethnic media, digital media and face-to-face communication. It is argued that the role of communication is best understood when migrants are taken as active ‘achievers and consumers’ who still face challenges to settlement. The results show the importance of migrant-controlled communication in providing a granular and tailored approach in which migrants are able to shape and determine the communication forms that best serve their needs. However, the paper also demonstrates the impact internal differences have on experiences of communication.

Exploring mental health clients' current medication knowledge, beliefs and experience with healthcare providers in the community in South Australia.

In Australia, mental illness has been recognised as a National Health Priority area, with the coronavirus pandemic adding a layer of urgency to the need to address the multiple health problems faced by clients with mental illnesses. Whilst much has been done in efforts to support these clients, little is known about their medication knowledge and experience with health professionals. The aim of the study was to explore the knowledge and beliefs of clients on the use of psychotropic medications and study their experiences with healthcare providers. Adult participants at a not-for-profit community-managed specialist mental health service provider in Adelaide, South Australia were recruited. Four focus group sessions were conducted between February 2020 and March 2021. All sessions were co-facilitated by a peer practitioner with lived experience. Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants (n= 27) reported that provision of medication education was inadequate and, in some cases, non-existent. There was an apparent lack of support for monitoring and managing common side effects, such as weight gain. Participants described not being involved in any decision-making processes and that establishing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with their healthcare providers was challenging. Perceived stigma remains a barrier in accessing healthcare. Despite participants regularly interacting with a range of healthcare providers, findings highlight key gaps in care, particularly medication education and establishing a therapeutic relationship with their healthcare providers. Future mental health reforms should consider the provision of additional medication education in community settings, such as at not-for-profit organisations. Moreover, healthcare providers should take a proactive approach in establishing therapeutic relationships.

Multicultural quality of life predictive effects on wellbeing: a cross-sectional study of a Muslim community in South Australia

ABSTRACT Muslim women (n = 39) and men (n = 59) in Adelaide, South Australia were surveyed using the ONS-UK Personal Wellbeing questions (PWB) and Multicultural Quality of Life Index (MQLI). Pearson product-moment correlational analysis, multiple regression analyses, and Hayes’s PROCESS modeling showed spiritual fulfillment-MQLI as the strongest predictor of life satisfaction-PWB, and of PWB overall. Physical wellbeing-MQLI was the greatest predictor of worthiness-PWB. For Muslim women, low spiritual fulfillment-MQLI was positively correlated with high anxiety-PWB. Muslim religiosity is not often integrated into policy and practice frameworks in Australia, which has implications for social work practice with Muslim minority communities, more so with Muslim women.

Strategies to Support Sustained Participant Engagement in an Oral Health Promotion Study for Indigenous Children and Their Families in Australia.

The health inequities of Indigenous peoples compared with non-Indigenous peoples are significant and long-standing across many countries. Colonisation and dispossession of land and culture has led to profound and devastating consequences on the health of Indigenous peoples. A lack of trust and cultural security of health services remains a barrier to participation in health care services. Similarly, engagement in research activities is also hindered by a history of unethical research practices. Creating partnerships between researchers and Indigenous communities is key in developing research studies that are culturally appropriate, acceptable and relevant to the needs of Indigenous peoples. Baby Teeth Talk was a randomised controlled trial conducted with Indigenous children and their mothers in South Australia that tested an intervention involving dental care, anticipatory guidance on oral health and dietary intake, and motivational interviewing. The study was developed in consultation and partnership with local Indigenous communities in South Australia and overseen by the study’s Aboriginal reference group. The recruitment and retention of participants in the study has been strong over numerous waves of follow-up. The purpose of this paper is to describe the strategies employed in the study that contributed to the successful and sustained engagement of the participants. These strategies included the establishment of an Aboriginal reference group, building relationships with organisations and community, flexibility of appointment scheduling and allocating adequate time, reimbursement for participant time, developing rapport with participants, encouraging participant self-determination, and adaptation of dietary data collection to better suit participants.

“Because the rules out there are different…”: a case study of pre-service teachers’ experiences in remote Australian Indigenous education

ABSTRACT Pre-service teachers are required to become reflective practitioners who can adapt their skills to a range of contexts and the diverse needs of learners. Many consider the practicum experience as critical to forming values and dispositions that are essential to a professional teacher identity. This article focuses on the experiences of five White pre-service teachers who volunteered to teach in remote Indigenous communities in South Australia, specifically the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, a desert environment in the far northwest of the state. As these pre-service teachers document their experiences, we draw upon Gee’s work on identity to gain insights into how they understand the “rules” of their context and their own positionality. Our research reveals the ways privilege can foster possibilities and constraints, which afford certain subject positions for these pre-service teachers. We focus specifically on a prominent theme in their narratives – “authenticity” concerning their conception of teaching and learning.

Optimal Planning of Remote Microgrids with Multi-Size Split-Diesel Generators

This paper proposes a multi-size Split-diesel generator (Split-DG) model with three different sizes of DGs and more switching configurations compared to the existing split-DG models. The proposed multi-size Split-DG system is examined for optimal sizing of remote microgrids with and without renewable-battery system. As a novel concept, multi-size Split-DG is used to reduce contamination, cost, and dumped power by using multiple small DGs to replace the single-size large DG. As another contribution of this study, a practical model is developed by considering the capacity degradation of components, spinning reserve, as well as DG’s and fuel tank’s constraints. The optimization problem is solved using a variable weighting particle swarm optimization (VW-PSO) algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed Split-DG systems, optimized by the developed VW-PSO, is verified by comparing the results with conventional single-size DG system and the system optimized by conventional PSO. While the formulated optimization problem is general and can be used for any remote microgrids, an aboriginal community in South Australia is examined in this study. For this purpose, realistic data of load and weather, as well as technical and economic data of components, are used. It is found that the Split-DG-PV-WT-BES system has the lowest electricity cost compared to the systems without BES, or without PV and WT.

Alcohol dependence in a community sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: harms, getting help and awareness of local treatments

BackgroundFew studies have examined links between current alcohol dependence and specific harms among Indigenous Australians. We investigated these associations as well as help seeking for drinking, awareness of local treatments and recommendations to help family or friends cut down or stop drinking in two Indigenous communities.MethodsA representative sample of Indigenous Australians was surveyed in one urban and one remote community in South Australia. Data were collected via the Grog Survey App. Participants were dependent if they reported two or more symptoms of alcohol dependence (ICD-11). Pearson chi-square tests were used to describe relationships between employment by gender, and dependence by awareness of medicines and local treatment options. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to predict the odds of dependent drinkers experiencing harms and getting help for drinking, controlling for age, gender, schooling and income.ResultsA total of 775 Indigenous Australians took part in the study. After controlling for confounders, dependent drinkers were nearly eight times more likely to report a harm and nearly three times more likely to get help for their drinking—compared with non-dependent drinkers. Participants recommended accessing local support from an Aboriginal alcohol and other drugs worker, or a detoxification/ rehabilitation service.Discussion and conclusionsMore support and funding is needed for Indigenous Australians to ensure local treatment options for dependent drinkers are readily available, appropriate and accessible. Involvement of local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander health professionals in delivery of care can help ensure that it is appropriate to an individual’s culture and context.

Population-based utility scores for HPV infection and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma among Indigenous Australians

BackgroundOropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is associated with high mortality. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a significant risk factor for OPSCC. Utilities are fundamental values representing the strength of individuals’ preferences for specific health-related outcomes. Our study aim was to work in partnership with Indigenous communities in South Australia to develop, pilot test and estimate utility scores for health states related to HPV, HPV vaccination, precursor OPSCC and its treatment, and early stage OPSCC among Indigenous Australians.MethodsDevelopment and pilot testing of hypothetical HPV and OPSCC health states, specifically through the lens of being Indigenous Australian, was conducted with an Indigenous Reference Group. Six health states were decided upon, with utility scores calculated using a two-stage standard gamble approach among a large convenience sample of Indigenous Australians aged 18+ years residing in South Australia. The rank, percentage of perfect health and utility score of each health state was summarised using means, and medians at 12 months and lifetime duration. Potential differences by age, sex and residential location were assessed using the Wilcox Rank Sum test.ResultsData from 1011 participants was obtained. The mean utility scores decreased with increasing severity of health states, ranging from 0.91–0.92 in ‘screened, cytology normal, HPV vaccination’ and ‘screened, HPV positive, endoscopy normal’, to less than 0.90 (ranging from 0.87–0.88) in lower grade conditions (oral warts and oral intraepithelial neoplasia) and less than 0.80 (ranging from 0.75–0.79) in ‘early stage throat cancer’. Higher utility scores were observed for ‘screened, cytology normal and HPV vaccination’ among younger participants (18–40 years), for ‘early stage invasive throat cancer’ among females, and for ‘oral intraepithelial neoplasia’ and ‘early stage invasive throat cancer’ among metropolitan-dwelling participants.ConclusionAmong a large sample of Indigenous Australians, utility for oral HPV infection and OPSCC decreased with severity of health states. Older participants, as well as males and those residing in non-metropolitan locations, had decreased utility for high-grade cytology and early invasive cancer states. Our findings are an important contribution to cost-utility and disease prevention strategies that seek to inform policies around reducing HPV infection and OPSCC among all Australians.

Sport and the LGBTIQ+ Community: A South Australian Study.

This is a paper based on research with the LGBTIQ+ community in South Australia, the likes of which has not been conducted previously in the state. The paper, which utilized both quantitative (n = 148) and qualitative (n = 31) research methods identifies the key issues that the LGBTIQ+ community face with respect to sporting involvement. There were a range of themes that emerged in relation to a variety of topics including homophobia, sexism and gender discrimination, gender roles and gender stereotypes. This paper provides data and discussion around this important part of the research, which has implications pertaining to sporting organizations and the LGBTIQ+ community.

Prevalence and correlates of alcohol dependence in an Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative sample: Using the Grog Survey App.

Little is known about the prevalence of current alcohol dependence in Indigenous Australian communities. Here we identify the frequency of reported symptoms, estimate the prevalence and describe the correlates of current alcohol dependence. A representative sample of Indigenous Australians (16+ years) was recruited from an urban and remote community in South Australia. Data were collected between July and October 2019 via a tablet computer-based application. Participants were likely dependent if they reported two or more dependence symptoms (ICD-11; in the last 12 -months), weekly or more frequently. Chi-square tests described the relationship between demographics, remoteness and alcohol dependence. Spearman correlations estimated the relationship between symptoms of dependence, consumption characteristics and demographics. A total of 775 Indigenous Australians participated. The most frequently reported symptoms were prioritising alcohol over other things and loss of control. Overall, 2.2% were likely dependent on alcohol (n= 17/775). Prevalence did not vary by remoteness. Participants who drank more and more frequently tended to report more frequent symptoms of dependence. In the urban site, men tended to report more frequent symptoms of dependence than women. Age, income and schooling were not linked to dependence. The prevalence of current alcohol dependence in this representative sample was similar to that of the general Australian and international estimates. Understanding risk factors for current alcohol dependence will be useful to inform the allocation of funding and support. Accurate estimates of the prevalence of current alcohol dependence are important to better identify specialist treatment needs.

\u201cIt is not an acceptable disease\u201d: A qualitative study of HIV-related stigma and discrimination and impacts on health\xa0and wellbeing for people from ethnically diverse backgrounds in Australia

BackgroundPeople from ethnically diverse backgrounds living with HIV are susceptible to adverse health and wellbeing outcomes, particularly as a consequence of HIV-related stigma and discrimination (HSD), though relatively little is known about experiences in Australia.MethodsThis paper reports on HSD in ethnically diverse communities in South Australia and impacts on health and wellbeing. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 10 individuals living with HIV from ethnically diverse backgrounds, 14 ethnically diverse community leaders, and 50 service providers. Data were analysed thematically.ResultsFindings indicated that HIV is a highly stigmatised condition in ethnically diverse communities due to fear of moral judgment and social isolation, and was experienced at the intersections of gender, sexual orientation, religion, culture, and immigration status. Experiences of HSD were damaging to health and wellbeing through non-disclosure, reduced social support, delayed testing, service access barriers, impacts on treatment adherence, and directly to mental health.ConclusionsActions addressing the impacts of HSD on people from ethnically diverse backgrounds are crucial.

Poor self-rated oral health associated with poorer general health among Indigenous Australians

BackgroundOral diseases negatively impact general health, affecting physical, psychological, social and emotional wellbeing, and ability to give back to community. The relationship between poor oral health, and general health and wellbeing among Indigenous Australians has not been documented. Working in partnership with seven Indigenous communities in South Australia, this study aimed to: 1) quantify self-rated oral health and health-related quality of life and; 2) investigate associations between poor self-rated oral health and general health among Indigenous Australian adults.MethodsData was collected from a large convenience sample of Indigenous Australians aged 18+ years from Feb 2018 to Jan 2019. General health-related quality of life, as the main outcome variable, was measured by calculating disutility scores with the five individual EQ-5D dimensions (EuroQol instrument: EQ-5D-5L), then classified as ‘no problem’ and ‘at least one problem’. Self-reported oral health, as the main explanatory, was dichotomised into ‘fair or poor’ and ‘excellent, very good or good’. Multivariable log-Poisson regression models were used to estimate associations between poor self-rated oral health and general health by calculating mean rate ratios (MRR) for disutility scores and prevalence ratios (PR) for individual dimensions, after adjusting for social-demographic characteristics and health-related behaviours.ResultsData were available for 1011 Indigenous South Australian adults. The prevalence of ‘fair or poor’ self-rated oral health was 33.5%. The mean utility score was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.81–0.83). Compared with those rating their oral health as ‘excellent or very good or good’, those who rated their oral health as ‘fair or poor’ had a mean disutility score that was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.1–2.2) times higher, and the prevalence of at least one problem ranged from 90 to 160% higher for individual EQ-5D dimensions.ConclusionsFair or poor self-rated oral health among Indigenous persons in South Australia was associated with poor general health as measured by EQ-5D-5L disutility. The relationship was especially evident with respect to mobility, self-care and anxiety/depression. The findings emphasise the importance of oral health as predictors of general health among Indigenous Australians.

The Reinvention of Sweden’s “Gothenburg System” in Rural Australia: The Community Hotels Movement

ABSTRACT In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a dozen small towns in rural South Australia began a unique social experiment: they imported an alcohol control model from Sweden designed to curb drunkenness, reform the pub and distribute profits for the benefit of the community. The innovative idea of local citizens owning and governing their hotel by committee, and doing away with the drive for personal profit, was an adaptation of the Swedish Gothenburg system. In Australia, it was put into practice in 1897 in the temperance town of Renmark on the River Murray, and other like-minded communities in South Australia followed suit over the next 50 years. This article tells the little-known history of these hotels and explains how and why ideas about the cooperative management of alcohol were found to be particularly compatible with the social and cultural history of South Australia. These Gothenburg experiments connected rural Australia with alcohol policies advancing the municipalisation and improvement of the public house and with progressive ideas of planned towns and garden cities that were being implemented in Sweden and Britain at the time.

Acceptability of the culturally adapted ASQ-TRAK developmental screening tool to caregivers of Aboriginal children.

The Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Talking about Raising Aboriginal Kids (ASQ-TRAK) culturally adapted developmental screening tool is widely used in Australian Aboriginal communities. However, there has been limited exploration of the tool's acceptability to caregivers. The aim of the study is to determine the acceptability of the ASQ-TRAK developmental screening tool to caregivers of Aboriginal children in urban, regional and remote South Australia. Caregivers of Aboriginal children completed a survey regarding acceptability of the ASQ-TRAK. Convenience samples of caregivers were invited to a telephone interview. Ninety-two caregivers completed the survey (96% response). Acceptability (92%) and caregiver satisfaction (73%) were high. Families perceived the screen as easy to use and understand, strengths-based and providing valuable information about their child's development. The ASQ-TRAK tool was highly acceptable to caregivers in Aboriginal communities in South Australia. The study highlights the importance of culturally safe practice and supports ASQ-TRAK implementation. Broader use and further evaluation of the ASQ-TRAK in Aboriginal communities needs consideration.

Hanging out in the city of tomorrow: a participatory approach to researching the importance of music and the arts in the lifeworlds of young people

ABSTRACT The satellite city of Elizabeth, located 30 km north of South Australia’s capital Adelaide, was established in the 1950s as an experiment in urban sociological planning, populated with new arrivals and hailed as the ‘City of Tomorrow’. By the 1970s, it had declined into one of the most disadvantaged communities in South Australia, with intergenerational unemployment, poverty and social dysfunction leading to disengagement and disenfranchisement of the current generation of young people living there. In 2007 the local council developed a community facility to attract young people into creative learning and expression through music and the performing arts. This was the council’s response to its shared responsibility for caring for the young people in its community and their personal, social and educational wellbeing. ‘Northern Sound System’ offers programs and resources for contemporary music composing, recording and performance. This article reports on the affordances of applying a youth participatory inquiry approach in a study in Elizabeth, to establish young people’s views on music and the creative arts in relation to their lifeworlds, in particular their interests, personal wellbeing and social interactions. Most young people reported music played a large part in maintaining a positive outlook. However, there were differences in how young men and women talked about the creative arts in their lives, which may have implications for the provision of programs and safe spaces for young people to ‘hang out’ and engage in creative pursuits.

‘That’s what they say in our language: one onion, all smell’: the impact of racism on the resettlement experiences of South Sudanese women in Australia

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the impact of negative media and political depictions of the South Sudanese community on the psychological health and well-being of women from the South Sudanese community in South Australia. Interviews revealed enduring experiences of racism and discrimination that had damaging effects on participants’ sense of identity, mental health, and hope for the future. Given the focus of media attention on South Sudanese youth, participants expressed considerable anxiety about their children and future generations. The ethical implications and moral obligations as well as the importance of participatory research methods when working with vulnerable populations are also discussed.

Does access to saltwater swimming pools reduce ear pathology and hearing loss in school children of remote arid zone aboriginal communities? A prospective 3-year cohort study.

To assess whether access to saltwater chlorinated swimming pools in remote Aboriginal communities is beneficial in reducing levels of middle ear disease and hearing loss in school children. A prospective 3-year cohort study of children in 10 remote Aboriginal communities in South Australia with (n=4) or without (n=6) swimming pools. Outback Australia. Eight hundred and thirteen school-age children residing in remote South Australia. Prevalence of open and closed middle ear disease and prevalence of hearing loss. About 2107 ear assessments were conducted during the study period. 70.7% of children in communities with pools failed a screening test of hearing compared with 68.6% of children in non-pool communities (P=0.637). 32.3% of children had chronic otitis media (COM). There was no difference between pool and non-pool communities in the frequency of either inactive (19.4% pool vs 22.6% non-pool; P=0.232) or active (19.8% pool vs 17.8% non-pool; P=0.383) COM. In children with bilateral intact tympanic membranes, 21.2% had unilateral and 20.6 had bilateral type B tympanograms. There was no difference between pool and non-pool communities in the frequency of type B tympanometry (P=0.465). Hearing loss associated with both open and closed middle ear disease remains highly prevalent in children living in remote Aboriginal communities in South Australia. Access to swimming pools in this population does not appear to significantly reduce these high levels of middle ear disease or associated hearing loss.

Understanding the information landscape of indigenous elders' knowledge and cultural practices

ABSTRACTThis visual presentation is a timely topic while celebrating the year of Indigenous languages and cultures. However, the continuing impact of colonization, displacement, and oppression still lingers. Cultural traditions, once central to all knowledge practices, have been suppressed or subjugated by Western hegemony. This paper aimed to qualitatively articulate the importance of understanding the information landscape of Indigenous Elders, their role in the community and the correlation of Indigenous knowledge and health informatics. The informatic nature of Elders' knowledge was mapped and guided by two Indigenous Elders from the Ngarrindjeri community in South Australia. Video interviews were transcribed and coded using the Xmind mapping software. Limitations on articulating the knowledge map in its entirety were expected. Research implications will provide excellent opportunities for future research in both cultural, digital and health informatics.