The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia
Background: In Australia, midlife women are experiencing increasing levels of risky drinking behaviours and alcohol-related harms. This is despite the general population trend of decreasing alcohol consumption overall. In light of these diverging trends, this research explores the role of alcohol in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023086486 |
| _version_ | 1797429859334488064 |
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| author | Arlita Willman Jenna Harkness Kara McDonnell Melissa Palermo Rebecca Macnaughton |
| author_facet | Arlita Willman Jenna Harkness Kara McDonnell Melissa Palermo Rebecca Macnaughton |
| author_sort | Arlita Willman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: In Australia, midlife women are experiencing increasing levels of risky drinking behaviours and alcohol-related harms. This is despite the general population trend of decreasing alcohol consumption overall. In light of these diverging trends, this research explores the role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women from their own perspective. Methods: Six semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 47 women aged 35–59 years of age. Residents from the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia were recruited, as this group of women appear to be experiencing heightened alcohol-related harms, with an alcohol-related hospitalisation rate 40 % higher than the NSW state average in 2017–18. Results: Midlife women described the practical utility of drinking as a habit to relieve stress and escape trauma, as well as an effective method for creating and strengthening social connections within the parenthood life stage. Participants also described the act of moderation as a potent trigger for peer pressure and discussed the individual's tendency to prioritise the short term relieving effects of drinking, despite awareness of the long term health risks. Conclusion: Findings around the pro-social role of alcohol as a woman and a parent should be explicitly considered when designing ‘swap it’ population health messages. Furthermore, the marked social penalty of moderation and tendency to discount long term health risks should also be factored into health promotion messages which seek to utilise moderation as a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm for midlife women. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:19:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8f0aea5736f544cbbb7df80c4649b692 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:19:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-8f0aea5736f544cbbb7df80c4649b6922023-12-02T07:02:19ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-11-01911e21440The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, AustraliaArlita Willman0Jenna Harkness1Kara McDonnell2Melissa Palermo3Rebecca Macnaughton4Northern Sydney Local Health District, AustraliaCorresponding author.; Northern Sydney Local Health District, AustraliaNorthern Sydney Local Health District, AustraliaNorthern Sydney Local Health District, AustraliaNorthern Sydney Local Health District, AustraliaBackground: In Australia, midlife women are experiencing increasing levels of risky drinking behaviours and alcohol-related harms. This is despite the general population trend of decreasing alcohol consumption overall. In light of these diverging trends, this research explores the role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women from their own perspective. Methods: Six semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 47 women aged 35–59 years of age. Residents from the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia were recruited, as this group of women appear to be experiencing heightened alcohol-related harms, with an alcohol-related hospitalisation rate 40 % higher than the NSW state average in 2017–18. Results: Midlife women described the practical utility of drinking as a habit to relieve stress and escape trauma, as well as an effective method for creating and strengthening social connections within the parenthood life stage. Participants also described the act of moderation as a potent trigger for peer pressure and discussed the individual's tendency to prioritise the short term relieving effects of drinking, despite awareness of the long term health risks. Conclusion: Findings around the pro-social role of alcohol as a woman and a parent should be explicitly considered when designing ‘swap it’ population health messages. Furthermore, the marked social penalty of moderation and tendency to discount long term health risks should also be factored into health promotion messages which seek to utilise moderation as a strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm for midlife women.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023086486WomenAlcoholPopulation healthAlcohol consumptionDrinking motivations |
| spellingShingle | Arlita Willman Jenna Harkness Kara McDonnell Melissa Palermo Rebecca Macnaughton The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia Heliyon Women Alcohol Population health Alcohol consumption Drinking motivations |
| title | The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia |
| title_full | The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia |
| title_fullStr | The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia |
| title_short | The role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia |
| title_sort | role of alcohol in the lives of midlife women living on the northern beaches of sydney australia |
| topic | Women Alcohol Population health Alcohol consumption Drinking motivations |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023086486 |
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