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This paper draws together critical learnings from diverse qualitative health research projects in Australia that sought to shift power and focus on the strengths and expertise of people with lived experience who are involved as co-researchers. These projects have included exploring and challenging identities, understanding experiences in treatment programs, critiquing and designing/re-designing services, and sharing experiences with the wider community in novel and innovative ways. Lived experiences included alcohol and other drug dependency, mental health, domestic, family or sexual violence, and living with HIV. This paper provides important learnings and actions about partnering with co-researchers with lived experience. In this paper we draw on a process of reflective discussions that occurred over six months with fortnightly online meetings between co-researchers, including co-authors with lived experience external to academia and university-based researchers, some of whom also have lived-experience that intersects with their research. From this, we distilled key learnings across seven themes: (1) the ethics of ethics, which highlights a need for constant reflection on the ethical issues in co-research; (2) recruiting co-researchers, which focuses on ensuring and integrating a diversity of voices; (3) creating safety for all, which must be a priority of engagement and support self-determination; (4) supporting different ways of partnering, which emphasises the need for diverse roles and ways to contribute on research teams; (5) capacity building and training, which requires ongoing evaluation of needs and tailored responses; (6) positioning, which highlights the need to transition from the idea of vulnerability to a strengths-based perspective of lived experience; and (7) power plays, reflecting the need to disrupt the dynamics and established hierarchies of privileging certain forms of knowledge and expertise. The paper includes recommendations for action against these seven themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide has a devasting and far-reaching effect on our communities. In developed countries, most people who die by suicide are male. Understanding men's mental health and what they experience in a suicidal state is key to preventing future attempts. Our paper explores how a group of 37 men in Australia describe the leadup to their suicidality. Underpinned by interpretive phenomenological analysis, interview transcripts were examined for phrases that the investigative team subjectively identified as profound. Our approach considered language and expression that evoke reactions to the sometimes contradictory nature of suicide. The process enabled our team to identify the emotions, rationales, and motivations for and against suicide that give rise to and arise during suicidal states. One man's source of strength may be another's cause of anguish, so any single, one-size-fits-all pathway to suicide prevention is unlikely to succeed, signaling the need for a tailored approach to suicide prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, at least one in every five women has experienced sexual violence since age 15. Research consistently links sexual violence with poor mental health, persisting long after the crisis period. Trauma-informed mental health support is therefore critical. This article draws on interviews with 29 women who had experienced sexual violence to understand their experiences accessing mental health services in Australia. Our findings suggest that, constrained by a biomedical model of care, mental health practitioners' understanding of trauma generally, and sexual violence particularly, may be lacking. Further, women struggle to navigate a "maze" of services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnographic practice in contentious and high-risk spaces raises important ethical and methodological questions. When working with grassroots activists who actively avoid forms of surveillance, the boundary between consensual observation and potentially harmful documentation becomes difficult to discern. This article aims not only to identify the gaps in qualitative research methodologies for scholars working with grassroots activists, but also to think of practical ways in which researchers should mitigate concerns both for participants and themselves. Based on fieldwork in Australia, the author explores the ethical, methodological, and emotional dilemmas of conducting research with activists as a militant ethnographer. The article argues that activist-centred project designs must consider the challenges between the researcher's mandate to collect data and their responsibility to uphold security culture both in and outside activist spaces. Reflexive research ethics, further, should be a part of ongoing research engagement to address the emotional tensions overlooked in standardized ethical protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population health data, collected worldwide in an effort to monitor mortality and morbidity of mothers and babies, namely, perinatal data, are mandated at a federal level within Australia. The data are used to monitor patterns in midwifery, obstetric and neonatal practice, health outcomes, used for research purposes, funding allocation and education. Accuracy in perinatal data is most often reported via quantitative validation studies of perinatal data collections both internationally and in Australia. These studies report varying levels of accuracy and suggest researchers need to be more aware of the quality of data they use. This article presents findings regarding issues of concern identified by midwives relating to their perceptions of how technology affects the accuracy of perinatal data records. Perinatal data records are perceived to be more complete when completed electronically. However, issues regarding system functionality, the inconsistent use of terminology, lack of data standards and the absence of clear, written records contribute to midwives’ perceptions of the negative influence of technology on the quality of perinatal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Providing integrated and evidence-based support to individuals and families following a diagnosis of dementia is essential in order to optimise their quality of life and assist them to live well. Memory clinics provide multidisciplinary services specialising in the assessment and post-diagnostic treatment of people with dementia. This study sought to identify current practices, barriers and facilitators to provision of postdiagnostic support and to obtain health professionals' opinion of ideal post-diagnostic support to be offered in Australian memory clinics. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional qualitative exploratory study. Data was collected from health professionals familiar with the process of diagnosis and post-diagnostic support through two expert panel meetings (n = 22). In addition, 5 focus groups (n = 22) were conducted including health professionals who are employed in Australian memory clinics. Data was collected between October 2020 and November 2021. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken. Results: Seven themes and three subthemes were identified under the three topics: Current Practices, Barriers and Facilitators, and Desirable Support. Themes relating to Current Practices were: Tailored Communication and feedback about diagnosis; Prescription of medications and follow-up; and Referrals to health and community services. Themes relating to Barriers and Facilitators were: The structure of the current system; Lack of funding; Lack of resources; Call for government investment. Themes relating to Desirable support were: A key/single point of support; Cognitive interventions; and Counselling and education. Conclusion: Post-diagnostic support in Australian memory clinics focused primarily on ensuring people understood their diagnosis, information about postdiagnostic support was provided, and dementia medications were prescribed. There were notable differences in practices in metropolitan compared to regional areas. A key concern was the need for increased funding, particularly to support the establishment of a single point of contact to facilitate continuity of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, food is acknowledged as a primary focus for addressing challenges facing cities. City councils create and support food-related policies or strategies to enhance healthy and sustainable environments, and multiple food practitioners engage closely with these initiatives. However, the visibility of educational aspects of food within governments, policy development, public spaces, or across society is limited. There is a lack of evidence about how pedagogical frameworks can inform these initiatives. This study aims to develop a draft food pedagogies framework, whose application can inform food initiatives beyond the classroom to increase adults' awareness of, engagement with and empowered action relating to food, with the goal to advance societal health and sustainability. A qualitative approach included semi-structured interviews with 39 experienced food leaders from diverse food-related fields in Australia. Using thematic analysis, five key themes to assist adults learn about food in everyday life settings were identified: (1) Making use of (in)formal pedagogical spaces in communities; (2) Encouraging interactions with a range of people related to food; (3) Creating enjoyable and practical experiences as part of daily lives; (4) Developing supportive and transparent systems that reflect communities' needs; and (5) Utilizing broader social issues. A proposed framework, based on the five themes and existing theoretical frameworks, can be used to inform policy makers and diverse food practitioners to develop urban food strategies that aim to create food-centred changes within urban settings toward societal health and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly seen as an imperative for sustainable business and there is a growing literature on the effect of CSR on corporate reputation. Despite this, a pall of ambiguity and uncertainty remains around what CSR means and how it should be practiced. This paper offers a unique addition to the body of literature to date by revealing that CSR is an emerging industry in Australia, which is in the process of developing its own reputation as a set of business practices. The paper is based on exploratory qualitative research using a case study methodology. Interviews were conducted with key actors within the industry to investigate shared understandings of what CSR means, perceptions of CSR practice and of the industry as a whole, and who is involved in shaping these perceptions. The research revealed that the CSR industry in Australia is in its early stages of development and is therefore in need of increased internal cooperation if it is to develop a strong reputation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Telehealth has been widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this article examines challenges faced by telephone interpreters in working with healthcare providers in the context of the Australian healthcare system. Based on one-on-one interviews with 67 healthcare interpreters in Australia, it explores various elements which affect communication processes in telephone interpreting and interpreters' views on healthcare providers' abilities to collaborate with interpreters. Data analysis indicates that telephone interpreting is often affected by a lack of briefing, poor acoustics and the absence of visual cues. While these factors pose significant challenges to telephone interpreters, a provider's tendency to see interpreters as 'translation machines' was perceived as a deeper underlying problem by the interpreters. The mechanistic approaches to interpreting among healthcare providers pose barriers to interpreter–provider collaboration and exacerbate communication problems caused by the external elements in telephone-interpreted encounters. The article calls for urgent need to raise awareness of interpreting among healthcare providers as a key to ensuring desirable health outcomes for patients from minority backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender roles and gender stereotypes are culturally and socially constructed. Previous studies suggested that the Afghan community is a male-dominated and conservative society, where men are more visible in social activities, and women remain responsible mainly for household tasks. This research aimed to show Afghan women' perceptions of gender roles and the possibilities for and barriers in Australian society to change those roles after their settlement in Australia. The study involved semi-structured interviews with 21 Afghan women who had been living in Australia between 6 months and 10 years. The interviews were conducted face to face or by telephone, in either Farsi (Persian) or English. An inductive thematic analysis was used to explore the data and build themes. Afghan women were aware of gender roles, patriarchy, and gender inequality, and they hoped to address those issues now as they live in a society that offers more freedom to women. Moving to Australia had enhanced women's possibilities, self-confidence and skills and inspired many to go beyond traditional stereotypes and seek out options previously denied to them on the basis of their gender. However, their attempts at realising gender equality often met with the disapproval of their family or the wider Afghan community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic and family violence (DFV) has been described as a "national emergency" in Australia, with a suite of policies and interventions introduced over the past decade to better support women and their children. Within these frameworks, young people have been identified as agents of change for primary prevention; however, little is known about their attitudes and knowledge of DFV. This scoping review thus sought to establish the attitudes and knowledge of DFV held by young people (under 25 years old) in Australia. Nine international databases were searched, yielding 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The studies were quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods in design, with the findings demonstrating that young Australians have good knowledge about DFV. However, the review also indicates problematic areas around young people's understanding of the harms of DFV with many continuing to hold victim-blaming attitudes. In addition, much of the existing research is survey-based in nature, there is no strong uniformity across the studies, nor is there an engaged approach to research design. Moreover, the current measures used in research are not sufficient to gauge where young people gain knowledge about DFV, nor do they explain under what conditions attitudes change or what are the medium- and long-term effects of DFV prevention work. We therefore contend that future research ought to be interdisciplinary and intersectional in nature and collaborate with a range of young people in order to understand their full potential as agents of social change and primary prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Home-based dementia care is common in the Chinese-Australian community. However, dementia education programs for Chinese-Australians in the language of their choice are scarce. The World Health Organization has developed iSupport for Dementia, an online education program for informal caregivers. Cultural adaptation of the program for Chinese-Australian caregivers is an opportunity to address this gap in caregiver support. Aim: The aims of the study were (1) to understand stakeholders' perspectives on the cultural and linguistic appropriateness of the Chinese iSupport for Dementia content and design and (2) to explore factors affecting the future implementation of the Chinese iSupport program in Australia. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was applied to address the aims of the study. Focus group discussions with Chinese-Australian caregivers and community aged care workers were conducted to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Results: In total, six focus groups were conducted with 18 Chinese-Australian caregivers and 17 care workers. Six themes were identified and described as follows: (1) appropriateness of the Chinese iSupport content; (2) acceptability of the online Chinese iSupport design; (3) motivations to engage in the iSupport program; (4) desire to interact with peers and professional facilitators; (5) concerns about program accessibility; and (6) the need to extend the iSupport program to care workers. Conclusions: Engagement with Chinese-Australian caregivers and care workers will inform further revisions of the Chinese iSupport program contents to ensure the program is culturally congruent to Chinese-Australian caregivers. Factors affecting the implementation of the program identified in the study will be considered in the intervention phase of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines place-based philanthropy in public ancillary funds (PubAFs) in Australia. While PubAFs vary greatly in their purposes, stakeholders, and operating models, place emerges as a strong element of foundations' perceived identity, strategic focus, and grantmaking. This article advances the understanding of philanthropic giving by investigating and identifying the perceptions of place by PubAF managers and trustees, contributing to a novel and valuable "insiders" perspective on PubAFs. Drawing on Agnew's three elements of place, namely location, locale, and sense of place, key findings highlight PubAFs' ties to place in multiple contexts and dimensions. This qualitative study contributes to understandings of the ways in which place shapes and defines giving by public foundations, overlaps and interacts with foundations' mission and strategy, and affects philanthropic impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 may threaten the already poor mental health outcomes of Australian gay and bisexual men and cut ties to important social/sexual networks and community. Qualitative research into the experiences of gay and bisexual men during COVID-19 regulations is currently sparse. We report on 489 responses to a qualitative free-text question asking Australian gay and bisexual men about the impacts of COVID-19 during April 2020. Issues pertinent to gay and bisexual men include lost ties to gay and bisexual social/sexual communities, spaces, and activities, which can reduce a sense of belonging to important sexual identity spaces, as well as significant mental well-being vulnerabilities. Reminiscing the collective response to HIV/AIDS, findings reinforce the value of gay and bisexual community organizations, spaces, and networks as supports for gay and bisexual men and emphasize the need for delivering mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family violence is a serious public health issue with significant health consequences for women and children. Enhanced Maternal and Child Health nurses (EMCH) in Victoria, Australia, work with women experiencing family violence; however, scholarly examination of the clinical work of nurses has not occurred. This qualitative study explored how EMCH nurses work with women experiencing abuse, describing the personal and professional challenges for nurses undertaking family violence work. Twenty-five nurses participated in semi-structured interviews. Using interpretive description methodology has enabled an insight into nurses' family violence work. Threads of practice identified included (1) Validating/Reframing; (2) Non-judgmental support/Safeguarding and (3) Following/Leading. The nurses highlighted the diversity of experience for women experiencing abuse and nurses' roles in family violence nurse practice. The research contributes to understanding how EMCH nurses traverse threads of practice to support women experiencing family violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) is historically understood as the technical skills required for a person with visual impairment to move independently and safely through their environment. O&M instruction was originally positioned as a way to progress the rehabilitation of US veterans blinded in World War II. Since then, the long white cane has been synonymous with visual impairment, blindness, and the discipline of O&M. To this day, the attainment of long-cane skills and route travel persists as a major component of O&M practice and research. This pervasive quantitative conception of O&M instruction promotes attitudes, perspectives, and interests that impede a shared commitment to studying and improving the fundamentals of O&M. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with three Queensland primary school students with visual impairment, a parent, teacher, and a panel of Australian O&M specialists the sub-culture of O&M is illuminated. Results indicate a lack of general awareness of the impact of Visual Impairment and of O&M, and shed light on the authentic learning experiences of the three students with visual impairment. To better understand the influence of visual impairment on independent travel and subsequently the tenets of O&M learning and teaching, it is necessary to challenge the conventional way of telling the story of O&M. The importance of changing preconceived ideas and values of O&M is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a context of ongoing colonization and dispossession in Australia, many Aboriginal people live with experiences of health research that is done "on" rather than "with" or "by" them. Recognizing the agency of young people and contributing to Aboriginal self-determination and community control of research, we used a peer research methodology involving Aboriginal young people as researchers, advisors, and participants in a qualitative sexual health study in one remote setting in the Northern Territory, Australia. We document the methodology, while critically reflecting on its benefits and limitations as a decolonizing method. Findings confirm the importance of enabling Aboriginal young people to play a central role in research with other young people about their own sexual health. Future priorities include developing more enduring forms of coinvestigation with Aboriginal young people beyond data collection during single studies, and support for young researchers to gain formal qualifications to enhance future employability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 33% of those with bipolar disorder (BD) have a comorbid eating disorder (ED). However, the trajectory of these conditions has received little research attention. Nine participants who met criteria for BD and an ED participated in qualitative interviews exploring experiences of illness onset, the interaction of these conditions, and service provision. Almost all participants in the sample reported minimal to no screening of ED problems, despite their health professionals' frequent discussion of obesity. Findings suggested that ED features were diverse and evolved over time. Mania and depression were connected to ED features such as overeating and restricting, but this differed between and within participants. Most participants disclosed historic trauma which they considered central to their mental health concerns. This clinical group appears to be underserviced. Clinicians and researchers should routinely screen for ED features when treating and diagnosing BD to inform their physical and mental health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study is conducted via focus groups with 47 Australian public service interpreters to investigate their responses to vicarious trauma (VT) in their practice, the influence of culture, and their views on how to maintain mental well-being. While participant interpreters employ various strategies to deal with traumatic client content and other work stressors, cultural inhibitors are found to prevent some from sharing their emotional vulnerability or seeking professional help. They indicated that they want to be treated with respect and as part of the professional team, rather than a machine or a shadow. Professional development is needed to clarify the limits of confidentiality, explain trauma and its vicarious possibilities, and to establish interpreters' professional entitlement to briefing and debriefing. Stakeholders including educators, professional associations, interpreting agencies, and other professions and institutional users of interpreting services should work respectfully and collaboratively to prevent and help interpreters recover from VT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in using simulation in qualitative research outside evaluation of educational-based activities. To examine how data from simulation has been generated and used in qualitative research, we conducted a scoping review of research topics and data collection and analysis processes reported in qualitative research using simulation in the research method. Of the 665 articles that involved qualitative inquiry, 46 involved simulation in research independent from simulation-based education. Phenomena explored included communication and clinical decision-making during routine care and at highly sensitive times, such as the end of life, as well as the experiences when providing care in a variety of settings and patients, individually and within teams. Our findings highlight that simulation can be used for analysis of phenomena that are difficult for researchers to gain access to firsthand, and we discuss features for consideration when using simulation in qualitative health research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how young women experience pornography is a modern imperative in promoting sexual health. There has been, until now, no Australian research exploring what pornography means to women in relation to sexual pleasure. We conducted in-depth interviews with 27 women from around Australia. A thematic analysis of their accounts, supported by narrative theory, revealed that pornography both enhanced and interfered with pleasure. Women described pornography's contributions to the enhancement of pleasure through solo pleasure, shared viewing with partners, discovering new sexual preferences, and reassurance about body appearance. Pornography was constructed as interfering with pleasure through its misrepresentation (of bodies, sexual acts, and expression of pleasure), women's concern for actors' wellbeing, and its disruption of intimacy. Accounts were consistent with women's place in a culture that subordinates female pleasure to male pleasure. It was evident in women's accounts that pornography plays complex, dynamic roles in the production of pleasure, acting in the domains of physiology, psychology, relationships, ethics, society, and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproductive coercion is understood as behavior interfering with a woman's reproductive autonomy. It is usually perpetrated by a male partner, and sometimes by other family members. Reproductive coercion encompasses violence, threats, or coercion to force a woman to become or remain pregnant, or to terminate a pregnancy. To date, few studies have focused on this topic, particularly using qualitative methods. In this article, we aim to explore how Australian health practitioners understand and perceive reproductive coercion. We conducted semistructured interviews with health practitioners from an Australian public hospital, and the resulting data were analyzed thematically. Overall, reproductive coercion was described as complex and hidden. There were diverse understandings around its parameters and scope, which were shaped by the participants' disciplines and paradigms. Our findings point toward a need for greater clarity around reproductive coercion and how it sits within a broader framework of violence against women, to facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborative responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people living with dementia eventually lose the capacity to make their own decisions and will rely on another person – a surrogate decision maker – to make decisions on their behalf. It is important – especially with the increasing prevalence of dementia – that the role of surrogate decision maker is understood and supported. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 34 surrogate decision makers of persons living with dementia in Australia. Face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted over six months in 2014. Five themes were identified: becoming the only – or main – surrogate decision maker; growing into the role of surrogate decision maker; dealing with the stress of making decisions; having to challenge healthcare professionals; and getting support – or not – from family members. An overarching construct tying the themes together is the description of the participants' experience as being on a difficult and unpredictable journey. Healthcare professionals can provide support by acting as empathic guides on this journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although in vitro fertilization (IVF) has offered hope to those struggling with infertility, it has also had some unintended consequences, including the fate of embryos that may be “surplus” to requirement following IVF treatment. The number of embryos in storage across the world is high, creating a dilemma for patients who need to make disposal decisions, as well as presenting an administrative and practical dilemma for clinics. Research has suggested that patients’ views of the status of their embryo/s may affect their disposal decisions, and yet the nature of the links between views of the embryo and decisions to either donate or discard remain unclear. In this article, we engage in a discursive analysis of literature on disposal decisions. We discuss the range of ways in which embryos may be constructed, and demonstrate how these discourses make available or constrain particular action possibilities, and offer particular subject positions for patients. The analysis highlights the complexity of the relationship between embryo status and decision making, and may assist clinicians in supporting and guiding patients’ decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore how young women encounter and counter discourses of smoking-related stigma. Twenty-seven young Australian women, smokers and ex-smokers, took part in interviews. A sub-sample of 18 participants took photographs to document their smoking experience, and took part in a second interview. Data were analyzed through Foucauldian discourse analysis. Four discourses were identified: “smoking as stigmatized,” “the smoking double standard,” “smoking as lower class,” and “smokers as bad mothers.” The women negotiated stigma in a variety of ways, shifting between agreeing, disagreeing, challenging, and displacing stigma onto “other” smokers. These experiences and negotiations of smoking-related stigma were shaped by intersecting identities, including gender, cultural background, social class, and mothering, which at times, compounded levels of stigmatization. It is concluded that tobacco control measures should consider the negative implications of smoking-related stigma, and the potential for women to experience compounding levels of stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoice and photo-elicitation are two common methods of participant photography used in health research. Although participatory photography has many benefits, this critical reflection provides fellow researchers with insights into the methodological and ethical challenges faced when using such methods. In this article, we critically reflect on two studies that used participatory photography in different cultural contexts. The first study used photo-elicitation to investigate mothers’ experiences of infant settling in central Vietnam. The second study used photovoice to explore pregnant embodiment in Australia. Following a discussion of the literature and a detailed overview of the two studies, we examine the methodological challenges in using participant photography before, during and after each study. This is followed by a discussion of ethical concerns that arose in relation to the burden of participation, confidentiality, consent, and the photographing of families and children. To conclude, we highlight implications for using participatory photography in other settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are disproportionately higher and inconsistently distributed rates of recorded suicides in rural areas. Patterns of rural suicide are well documented, but they remain poorly understood. Geographic variations in physical and mental health can be understood through the combination of compositional, contextual, and collective factors pertaining to particular places. The aim of this study was to explore the role of “place” contributing to suicide rates in rural communities. Seventeen mental health professionals participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Principles of grounded theory were used to guide the analysis. Compositional themes were demographics and perceived mental health issues; contextual themes were physical environment, employment, housing, and mental health services; and collective themes were town identity, community values, social cohesion, perceptions of safety, and attitudes to mental illness. It is proposed that connectedness may be the underlying mechanism by which compositional, contextual, and collective factors influence mental health and well-being in rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The objective of this study is to examine the experiences of informal carers in terms of how their time spent caring is related to worry. Is worry about a care recipient a care practice, and if so, to what extent it can be understood temporally? Methods Classical phenomenology underpinned this study. Three qualitative studies of people living with chronic illness in Australia were conducted between 2009 and 2013. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Phenomenological thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. Results Twenty-five informal carers participated. The findings pivot around three interconnected themes: time, worry and cost. Worry was identified as a temporally bound unseen cost to carers that informs carer identity irrespective of culture, ethnicity, or social status. Discussion Worry is a practice that most carers report engaging in and it is one that comes with a temporal cost—it keeps people busy looking after the needs of others during the day and it keeps some people awake when they would rather be sleeping. Worry takes time and effort, it informs people’s construction of their own sense of self, motivates acts of care, and informs carers’ imaginings of what their future and that of their loved one(s) may entail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we discuss the sexual health knowledge and needs among young Muslim women living in Melbourne, Australia. Eleven young Muslim women were individually interviewed about issues relating to sexual health knowledge and needs, access to sexual health services, and their experiences of balancing their lives in relation to sexual health. Findings revealed a marked influence of religion and culture on sexual health of young Muslim women. They often faced challenges balancing Muslim culture, Australian culture, and Islamic religion. Our findings have implications for health services in a multicultural society. They could be used to promote culturally sensitive sexual health services for young Muslim women in Australia and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study conducted to explore the understanding of palliative care by healthcare professionals caring for patients with advanced cancer. Topics discussed include understanding related to palliative care, implications for optimal patient care in all areas of health provision, understandings related to palliative care services.

Background: Australia and Sweden have similar immunisation rates. However, during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic the uptake of immunisation was 60% in Sweden and 18% in Australia. During pandemics, perceptions of risk are largely formed by media communication which may influence the public’s response. Aim: The study aimed to compare the differences in how the media framed the 2009 H1N1 pandemic message and the associated public perceptions of risk as expressed through the uptake of vaccinations in Australia and Sweden. Methods: A qualitative content analysis was conducted on 81 articles from the Australian and Swedish print media: 45 and 36, respectively. Results: The risk of H1N1 was communicated similarly in Australia and Sweden. However, major differences were found in how the Australian and Swedish media framed the pandemic in terms of responsibility, self-efficacy, and uncertainty. In Australia, responsibility was predominantly reported negatively, blaming various organisations for a lack of information, compared to Sweden where responsibility was placed on the community to help protect public health. Furthermore, there was limited self-efficacy measures reported in the Australian media compared to Sweden and Sweden’s media was more transparent about the uncertainties of the pandemic. Conclusions: This study affirms the association between the framing of health messages in the media and the public’s perception of risk and related behaviour. Governments need to actively incorporate the media into pandemic communication planning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study reports on gender perceptions of work–life balance based upon a qualitative study carried out among 437 full-time working men (N=245) and women (N=192) in the Australian workforce in 2008. The participants were randomly selected from a wide range of occupations, and their perceptions of: (a) non-work issues; (b) work–life conflicts; (c) organisational support for WLB; (d) desired WLB options; and (e) management treatment were investigated. Findings indicate significant gender differences in all areas studied. As this research provides a holistic view of the different gender perceptions of WLB, the findings have important implications for mobilising workplace support for men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the homeownership aspirations and plans of two groups of young Australian adults defined by their class position as ‘disadvantaged’ and ‘middle class’. We draw on Bauman’s idea of liquid modernity and ‘liquid life’ to frame our analysis. Despite being under less pressure to adopt socially prescribed adult transitions that applied to previous generations – a steady job, marriage, family and a house in the suburbs – young adults from both middle-class and disadvantaged backgrounds aspire to homeownership. In spite of an apparent multitude of choices and an increased emphasis on individual agency, the articulations of their aspirations and plans to achieve it, in the context of the uncertainties of ‘liquid life’, are strongly influenced by their class position, defined primarily through family background and education. The article uses qualitative data drawn from two projects conducted in Melbourne, Australia, 2007–2010. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article explores the tendency among heterosexual men with HIV in Australia to declare their sexual identity in a way that is otherwise atypical among heterosexuals. This apparent need to articulate heterosexuality tends to create a sense of discomfort within the local HIV sector, partly because it seems curiously anomalous, and partly because, on the face of it, it lends itself to a perception of homophobia. The author seeks to examine this phenomenon more closely in order to identify and unpack the meanings surrounding it. In doing so, the author draws on qualitative interviews with heterosexual men with HIV and on her long-term collaboration with an HIV health promotion service for heterosexuals living with HIV. The author argues that, to understand these men’s compulsion to name their sexual identity, we need to understand the intersections between the cultural force of heteronormativity and the profoundly homosexual history of the HIV epidemic in Australia, which brings into sharp focus the “undoing” and “doing” of heterosexual masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author draws on an Australian study using multiple qualitative methods to investigate truth telling in aged care. Thematic analysis of data from five nursing homes involving 23 personal care assistants revealed participants' role understanding as influencing their perceptions about truth telling in practice. Five themes emerged: role as the happy comfort carer, division of labor, division of disclosure, role tension and frustration, and managing the division of disclosure. Role emphasis on comfort and happiness and a dominant perception that telling the truth can cause harm mean that disclosure will be withheld, edited, or partial. Participants' role understanding divides labor and disclosure responsibility between the personal carer and registered nurse. Personal caters' strategies for managing the division of disclosure include game playing, obfuscation, lying (denial), and the use of nonverbals. These perceptions about personal carer role, information sharing, and truth telling are paramount for understanding and improving nursing home eldercare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]