Society, Culture & Health

Using social science theory and methods to understand the social and cultural determinants of health and how society produces the lived experience of health.

domain Department

Department of Health Economics Wellbeing and Society

About

The society, culture and health research group contributes new thinking using social science theory and methods to understand the social and cultural determinants of health and how society produces the lived experience of health. We seek to understand how health is experienced and produced within an ecological public health framework - adopting both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Much of our research incorporates a focus on health inequities - with a focus on inequities generated by gender, age, social roles (e.g. paid and unpaid work), evolving cultural practices, and both economic and non-economic resources (e.g. income, time, social support).

Projects and sub-themes include:

Addressing the Hour-glass Ceiling: New case for action on gender inequality
Work hours and health for construction workers
Work hours, working conditions, work attributes and effects on health
Working longer, working well, and keeping productive
MC2020 Partners Study - new parents’ health following smoke & bushfire events
Social singing to support the wellbeing of migrant and refugee mothers
The Great Disruption: Work, caregiving and health post COVID
Socio-cultural contributors to obesity in Australia and Thailand
The COVID-19 Clinical Response Review
The Relations Study: Women who use drugs and their children within the health and welfare system

Publications

Bennetts, S.K., Hokke, S., Crawford, S., Hackworth, N.J., Leach, L.S. Nguyen, C. Nicholson J.M. & Cooklin, A.R. (accepted 11^th December 2018). Using paid and free Facebook methods to recruit Australian parents to an online work-family survey: An evaluation. Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Brown R. Muller, T & Olsen, A. (2019). Australian women’s cervical cancer screening attendance as a function of screening barriers and facilitators. Social Science & Medicine 220, 396-402.

Alam M, Banwell C, Olsen A & Lokuge K (2019) Patients and doctors perception on utility of Telemedicine service for maternal and child healthcare in Bangladesh: a qualitative exploratory study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth (accepted).

Chun J, Olsen A, Taing MW, Clavarino A, Hollingworth S, Dwyer R, Middleton M & Nielsen S. (2019) How prepared are pharmacists to provide over-the-counter naloxone? The role of previous education and new training opportunities. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy (accepted)

Olsen A, Lawton B, Dwyer R, Taing MW, Chun J, Hollingworth S & Nielsen S. (2019) Why aren’t Australian pharmacists supplying naloxone? Findings from a qualitative study. International Journal of Drug Policy (accepted).

Zhao, Y, Richardson, A., Poyser, C., Butterworth, P., Strazdins, L., & Leach, L. (Accepted 10 April 2019). Shift work and mental health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health.

Sarma, H., Gerth-Guyette, E., Shakil, S.A., Alom, K.R., Abu-Haydar, E., D’Rozario, M., Tariqujjaman, M, Arifee, S. E., and Ahmed, T. “Evaluating the use of job aids and user instructions to improve adherence for the treatment of childhood pneumonia using amoxicillin dispersible tablets in a low-income setting: a mixed method study”. BMJ Open 2019;9:e024978. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024978.

Projects

Socio-economic and employment aspects and physical exercise, and impact of physical activity on body weight

This potential project investigates socio-economic and employment factors that affect health behaviours such as sleep, nutrition, and physical exercise, and impact of those factors on body weight. We also look at how these aspects influence gender inequality in health behaviours and health outcomes.

Status

Potential

People

Dr Tinh (Jimmy) Doan

Addressing the hour-glass ceiling: New case for action on gender equality

Using new theory and methods that bridge economics and population health, this project aims to model how the long hour labour market interacts with time outside of work, impacting health and locking in the gender wealth gap.

Status

Current

People

Dr Tinh (Jimmy) Doan

Conversations about life, health and safety: Social supports for young construction workers' health and safety

Supervisor-worker communication and supervisor support have been identified as critical determinants of young construction workers’ experience of injury and ill-health.

Status

Current

People

Dr Tinh (Jimmy) Doan

Early onset mental disorders and education disruption

This project examines how experiencing a mental disorder during the teenage years or early adulthood, impacts on the social and economic opportunities available over the lifecourse.