Effects of new and old media on young children’s language acquisition, development, and early literacy : findings from a longitudinal study of Australian children

The current generation of young children has been described as “digital natives”, having been born into a ubiquitous digital media environment. They are envisaged as educationally independent of the guided interaction provided by “digital immigrants”: parents and teachers. This paper uses data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) to study children’s (aged 0-8 years) development of vocabulary and traditional literacy; access to digital devices; parental mediation practices; the child’s use of digital devices as recorded in time-diaries and, finally, the association between patterns of media use and family contexts on children’s learning. The analysis shows the importance of the parental context framing media use in acquisition of vocabulary, and suggests that computer (but not games) use is associated with more developed language skills. Independently of these factors raw exposure to television is not harmful to learning.

Perceptions of fruit and vegetable dietary guidelines among Australian young adults

Aim:  Regular consumption of fruit and vegetables has been associated with a decreased risk of a number of chronic diseases. An appropriate level of knowledge is important to successfully adhere to the dietary guidelines for eating fruit and vegetables. However, there is little research about the level of knowledge that young adults have about fruit and vegetable consumption. The current study aimed to investigate the recall and understanding of Australian dietary guidelines, food product and serving size knowledge in a population of young adults. Methods:  One hundred and six undergraduate students completed online questionnaires regarding (1) knowledge of dietary recommendations; (2) knowledge of serving size information; and (3) foods that could be included as part of fruit and vegetable intake. Results:  The results showed that the sample had significant knowledge gaps in all three areas. Approximately half (54%) of participants correctly reported the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables, the majority were not able to correctly report serving sizes (correct responses were 30–61%) and were not able to identify all ingredients from a recipe that counted towards fruit and vegetable intake. Conclusions:  Past interventions have not tended to focus on the fruit and vegetable knowledge, or behaviours, of Australian young adults. On the basis of findings from this study, it appears that more work is needed to develop messages to effectively target this important group.

Cannabis use and related harms in the transition to young adulthood: a longitudinal study of Australian secondary school students

The current study documents the changing rates of cannabis use, misuse and cannabis-related social harms among Australian adolescents as they grow into young adulthood. It utilised data from a longitudinal study of young people at ages 15, 16, 17, and 19. The rates of cannabis use were found to increase as participants aged; past year use increased from 7.5% at age 15 to 29.8% at age 19. Further, at ages 17 and 19, cannabis use was more prevalent among males than females. Among those who reported cannabis use, the rates of cannabis-related harms were low to moderate, and did not increase with age in the same manner as rates of cannabis use. The most prevalent self-reported cannabis-related harm was anxiety/depression; affecting between 20–30% of the cannabis users at each age. These findings may assist in understanding the extent of cannabis-related problems among youth, and in planning relevant services.

Gender differences in beliefs about condom use among young, heterosexual Australian adults

Objective: To investigate gender differences in beliefs about condom use among young, sexually active, heterosexual Australian adults. Design: Cross-sectional survey of 1,113 adults aged 18–26 years. Setting: Higher education institutions across New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. Method: Participants were recruited during higher-education orientation activities and asked to complete an anonymous survey. The survey captured beliefs about condom use and demographic data. Results: Although males were more likely than females to agree that their partners endorsed the consistent use of condoms, they were less likely to agree that their friends would support consistent condom usage. Males were also more likely to believe that condoms reduce sexual pleasure and give the impression that they are sexually promiscuous. Conclusion: Normalizing the purchase of condoms, repositioning condoms as erotic stimuli, and creating a supportive peer environment using peer-to-peer communication tools may bring about more positive perceptions regarding consistent condom use. Gender-specific safe sex campaigns should also be developed to address the different pattern of condom beliefs held by males and females.

Culture and sex education : the acquisition of sexual knowledge for a group of Vietnamese Australian young women

This paper explores how a group of Vietnamese Australian young women acquire knowledge of sexual issues, and the impact the traditional Vietnamese culture has on the acquisition of this knowledge. It is based on a qualitative study that examined the factors which shape the sexual behaviour of Vietnamese Australian young women living in Australia. A Grounded Theory methodology was employed in this investigation, and involved in-depth interviews with 15 Vietnamese Australian young women aged 18-25 years, who reside in Victoria, Australia. The findings illustrated three key elements involved in the acquisition of knowledge of sexual issues: 'Accepting parental silence', 'Exploring sources of knowledge' and 'Needing culturally targeted information'. The young women desired discussion about sexual issues but accepted that cultural 'barriers' were formidable. Their desire conflicted with the traditional familial norm of 'silence' regarding sexual matters. Consequently, knowledge was sought outside the home, specifically from peers and the media. The importance of culturally appropriate and adequate sexual discussions for Vietnamese Australian young people was stressed, so that informed decisions could be made about their sexual lives. It is imperative for young people to have adequate and appropriate sexual education so that informed and safe sexual choices can be made. For young people from diverse cultural backgrounds, this education must be culturally appropriate and accessible, taking into consideration cultural mores regarding gender and sexual matters, as well as current beliefs in the 'mainstream' youth culture.

Factors associated with service use for young adolescents with mental health problems: findings from an Australian longitudinal study

The objective of the study wasto identify factors associated with use of services for adolescent mental health problems in an Australian community-based sample. Logistic regression analysis was conducted on data collected from 636 parents and their adolescent child to identify individual and family variables predicting parent report of service use for mental health problems in the adolescent 12 months later. The services most reported by parents to have been accessed were schoolbased ones. Multivariate analysis found that the following were associated with service use 12 months later: the adolescent being female, parent report of peer problems and hyperactivity, single-parent household, the parent being Australian born, and prior service use by the adolescent. Parental overcontrol was associated with reducedlikelihood of service use at followup. No association was found between service use at follow-up and parent gender, socioeconomic status, number of siblings, parent psychopathology, family social connectedness, and prior service use by the parent. No association was also found for family environment factors, parental attachment, or for the adolescent’s emotional competence or use of social support. The results indicate that families provide a potential target for interventions aimed at increasing use of professional services for adolescent mental health problems.

Psychosocial factors impacting on life transitions among young adults with type 2 diabetes : an Australian - Danish qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) prevalence is increasing rapidly worldwide with a significant increase in young adults. There is limited information about psychosocial and service needs of this group. AIM: To explore similarities and differences in how psychosocial factors impact on Australian and Danish young adults with T2DM and to identify unmet support needs during life transitions. METHOD: A qualitative approach was adopted using thematic content analysis of 26 in-depth semi-structured interviews. An inductive descriptive content analysis was undertaken using a comparative coding system. FINDINGS: Eligible participants were from Australia (12) and Denmark (14), aged 19-42 years who had T2DM for more than 10 months. In general, they reported diabetes management was difficult during transitions and diabetes self-care routines had to change to accommodate life changes. The underpinning sense of 'uncertainty' initiated by life transitions caused guilt that often resulted in low self-worth, anxiety and depression, which in turn had a negative impact on social and professional relationships. The participants emphasised the importance of connectedness to social networks, particularly with T2DM peers, and the need for flexible access to health professionals, age-specific tailored support and lower costs for Australians. Australian participants were more concerned than Danish participants about the cost associated with diabetes care and their ability to stay employed; hence, they were reluctant to disclose diabetes at work. CONCLUSION: T2DM had a similar impact on life transitions of Australian and Danish young adults with T2DM, suggesting health care needs to encompass managing life transitions. Participants had to cope with uncertainty and the impact of people's responses to diabetes, particularly at work and in relationships. Health professionals are urged to integrate these factors in care plans and education, which must be individualised and focus on the psychosocial aspects that operate during life transitions.