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This study seeks to assess the health, social and economic outcomes associated with rough sleeping among women and compare those outcomes with those of (1) men sleeping rough, and (2) women experiencing other forms of homelessness (such as being housed in temporary supported accommodation due to family and domestic violence). The paper analyses survey data using the Vulnerability Index‐Service Prioritization Decision Analysis Tool (VI‐SPDAT) collected from 2735 women experiencing homelessness and 3124 men sleeping rough in Australian cities from 2010 to 2017. We find that women sleeping rough report poorer physical and mental health outcomes and greater problematic drug and or alcohol use relative to both men sleeping rough and women experiencing other types of homelessness (all p < 0.5). Women sleeping rough report significantly higher levels of crisis service utilisation (Β = 17.9, SE = 3.9, p < 0.001) and interactions with police in the previous 6 months (Β = 1.9, SE = 0.3, p < 0.001) than women experiencing homelessness not sleeping rough. Women sleeping rough also report greater healthcare utilisation, and, therefore, healthcare costs, than women experiencing homelessness not sleeping rough and men sleeping rough (all p < 0.05). From a policy perspective, the evidence presented in this paper supports a social determinants approach that moves from addressing symptoms of poor health outcomes associated with homelessness to preventing and ending homelessness with a particular focus on the life trajectories of women. Integrated services and homelessness strategies need to be developed through a gender lens, providing women sleeping rough with tailored permanent housing with wrap‐around supportive housing to address poor health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong First Nations health workforce is necessary to meet community needs, health rights, and health equity. This paper reports the findings from a national survey of Australia's First Nations people employed in health services to identify enablers and barriers to career development, including variations by geographic location and organisation type. A cross-sectional online survey was undertaken across professions, roles, and jurisdictions. The survey was developed collaboratively by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal academics and Aboriginal leaders. To recruit participants, the survey was promoted by key professional organisations, First Nations peak bodies and affiliates, and national forums. In addition to descriptive statistics, logistic regression was used to identify predictors of satisfaction with career development and whether this varied by geographic location or organisation type. Of the 332 participants currently employed in health services, 50% worked in regional and remote areas and 15% in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) with the remainder in government and private health services. All enablers identified were associated with satisfaction with career development and did not vary by location or organisation type. "Racism from colleagues" and "lack of cultural awareness," "not feeling supported by their manager," "not having role models or mentors," and "inflexible human resource policies" predicted lower satisfaction with career development only for those employed in government/other services. First Nations people leading career development were strongly supported. The implications for all workplaces are that offering even a few career development opportunities, together with supporting leadership by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, can make a major difference to satisfaction and retention. Concurrently, attention should be given to building managerial cultural capabilities and skills in supporting First Nations' staff career development, building cultural safety, providing formal mentors and addressing discriminatory and inflexible human resources policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID‐19 pandemic and its associated social and physical distancing restrictions may have had a severe impact on health. In the present study, we investigate the changes in physical, social and mental health, as well as the health literacy of Australians subsequent to the onset of COVID‐19 pandemic, and examine the influence of loneliness on these health‐related factors. Using a retrospective cross‐sectional study design, 607 Australian adults completed a self‐report online survey which assessed their health‐related factors before and after onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic (data collected between June 2020 to November 2020). Australians reported statistically significant increase in a number of (poorer) health‐related factors (e.g., weight gain, sleeping difficulties, poor somatic health, higher loneliness, more issues navigating the healthcare system) post onset of COVID‐19 pandemic. Further, after adjusting for covariates, higher loneliness during pandemic predicted poorer health‐related outcomes (e.g., more somatic health complaints, poorer quality of diet, poorer social support for health). The COVID‐19 pandemic and its associated social and physical distancing restrictions may have contributed towards poorer health‐related factors among Australian adults. Further, increased loneliness during the pandemic may have further worsened physical health and health literacy outcomes among Australians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food and nutrition insecurity occurs when healthy and safe food cannot be obtained by socially acceptable means and arises as a result of complex interactions between socioeconomic and demographic determinants. These factors contribute to discrepancies in health and well‐being between men and women and may also explain differential rates of food insecurity. The objectives of this cross‐sectional study were to investigate the intersection between gender, education, nutrition knowledge and food security status within a high‐income country context. Australian adults over 16 years of age who identified as having primary responsibility for food in their household were recruited via social media and a panel. Respondents completed a self‐administered survey that included sociodemographic data, nutrition‐related knowledge and food security status. Food security was measured using the Australian Household Food and Nutrition Security Scale an adapted version of the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey. Among the 1010 survey respondents, household food insecurity (HFI) was highly prevalent (43% were food insecure, with 26% of these severely food insecure). Gender may affect associations between education, nutrition knowledge and HFI. Education was significantly associated with HFI among women but not among men. Conversely, nutrition knowledge was significantly inversely associated with food security among men but not among women. Differences in determinants of HFI exist between men and women, and programs aimed at addressing food insecurity may be more effective if tailored accordingly to account for the social and demographic factors associated with HFI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]