DSpace Collection:

Examining the impact of decriminalisation on sex workers in Victoria, Australia: Results from an online survey

2025-06-28T03:40:29Z

Title: Examining the impact of decriminalisation on sex workers in Victoria, Australia: Results from an online survey Authors: Phillips, Tiffany R.; Fairley, Christopher K.; Pony, Mish; O’Hara, Dylan; Maddaford, Kate; Mercury, Finn Abstract: Abstract Objective: This survey aimed to examine the impact of decriminalisation on rates of sex worker’s condom use with clients, and sexually transmissible infection/blood-borne virus (STI/BBV) testing. Methods: An anonymous, mixed-methods, online survey among sex workers in Victoria, Australia (December 2022-April 2023). This survey asked about changes in condom use and STI/BBV testing following decriminalisation. Results: 101 participants were included in the study. Median age of participants was 29 years (IQR: 25-33), the majority of participants spoke English (97; 96.0%) and had worked in sex work for at least a year (87; 87.0%). Following decriminalisation, the majority of participants reported no change to condom use for giving oral sex (81/92; 88.0%), receiving oral sex (79/87; 90.8%), receptive vaginal sex (73/80; 91.3%), insertive vaginal sex (37/41; 90.2%), receptive anal sex (45/50; 90.0%) or insertive anal sex (37/42; 88.1%). Most participants did not change their testing frequency for STI/BBV (60/99; 60.6%). Free text responses included positive, neutral and fearful aspects of decriminalisation. Conclusion: The majority of sex workers maintained high rates of condom use and regular sexual health testing following the decriminalisation of sex work in Victoria. Implications for Public Health: These findings suggest that decriminalisation may not negatively affect sex practices or STI testing, supporting policy changes to reduce stigma and enhance health access for sex workers. Key words: transactional sex, human rights, women, labor rights, occupational health and safety, sex legislation

Vape shops on the way to school: Geographical analysis of the proximity of specialist vape retailers to New Zealand schools

2025-06-28T03:37:55Z

Title: Vape shops on the way to school: Geographical analysis of the proximity of specialist vape retailers to New Zealand schools Authors: Payinda, Ronan; Soo Chung, Eun; Colbert, Jessie; ExeteR, Daniel; Bullen, Chris Abstract: Abstract Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the proximity of existing specialist vape retailers to schools in New Zealand. Methods: Specialist vape retailers were mapped, and accessibility to them from schools was calculated across New Zealand. Results: Thirteen percent of New Zealand’s schools have at least one specialist vape retailer within 300 m. Forty-four percent of New Zealand’s schools have at least one specialist vape retailer within 1 km. This means that almost half of schools had a specialist vape retailer within a 10- minute walking distance. Conclusions: There is a high density of specialist vape retailers around New Zealand schools, where children are likely to see the stores and window displays on their journey to and from school. Implications for Public Health: Vaping products have a wide accessibility to many school students in New Zealand. The high exposure to specialist vape retailers on the way to and from school needs to be regulated to minimise youth uptake of vaping. Key words: e-cigarette, e-cigarette retail outlet, vape shop, specialist vape retailer, schools, youth

Small-area geographical variation in the prevalence of diabetes amongst Australian youth aged <20 years in 2021

2025-06-28T03:29:33Z

Title: Small-area geographical variation in the prevalence of diabetes amongst Australian youth aged <20 years in 2021 Authors: Cameron, Ewan; Zhang, Song; Haynes, Aveni; Gething, Peter W. Abstract: Abstract Objectives: To characterise small-area geographical variation in the prevalence of diabetes in Australian youth. Methods: A combined statistical reconstruction and small-area estimation algorithm was applied to privacy-modulated data from the 2021 Australian Census. The census instrument and reconstruction accuracy was examined by comparisons against a hospital-based register and community register. Diabetes prevalence maps were created from the small-area estimates. Results: The median and interquartile range of estimated diabetes prevalence by small-area unit under our geospatial smoothing model were 1.76 [1.49–1.97] cases per 1000 population for those aged 0–14 years and 5.2 [4.4–5.9] cases per 1000 population for those aged 15–19 years old. Concentrations of elevated prevalence were identified in the vicinities of regional towns across South-East Queensland, regional New South Wales and regional Victoria. Across each of Australia’s five largest cities a gradient of decreasing youth diabetes prevalence from the outer suburbs to the urban centre was identified. Conclusion: Diabetes burden is systematically higher among rural and peri-urban resident youth in Australia compared with their urban counterparts. Implications for Public Health: Hotspots of prevalence in regional areas deserve attention from public health authorities. Key words: diabetes mellitus, type 1—juvenile-onset diabetes, epidemiologic factors, spatial regression

Australian Primary Health Care guidelines for childhood growth, health, and development in the early years: A scoping review

2025-06-28T03:25:15Z

Title: Australian Primary Health Care guidelines for childhood growth, health, and development in the early years: A scoping review Authors: Dutch, Dimity; Bell, Lucinda; Hunter, Sarah C.; Johnson, Brittany J.; Denney-Wilson, Elizabeth; Golley, Rebecca K. Abstract: Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to identify and synthesise recommendations for growth monitoring, health behaviour screening, and health promotion advice within current Australian documents that guide Primary Health Care practitioners to support childhood growth, health, and development in the early years. Methods: Documents were identified using Google Advanced Search and targeted website searching. An iterative inductive and deductive content analysis was conducted and contextualised using the 5W (who, what, when, where, why) + 1H (how) framework. Results: All included documents (n = 18) recommended growth monitoring. Recommendations to screen and promote child health behaviours (diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, or sleep) were fragmented and provided limited guidance on how to screen and promote child health behaviours in practice. Conclusions: Documents recognised the importance of screening and promoting child health behaviours in Primary Health Care; however, comprehensive recommendations were limited. Practical tools and resources are needed to enable Primary Health Care practitioners to conduct effective and appropriate screening and health promotion and across all four health behaviour domains. Implications for Public Health: There is opportunity for guidelines to recommend and integrate health behaviour screening tools into routine PHC practice to better support children’s growth, health, and development in the early years. Key words: screening, monitoring, growth monitoring, health behaviours, health promotion, primary health care