Search

Autism disclosure can be a complicated decision that autistic people experience. Positive outcomes can include feelings of acceptance and support, but negative outcomes can include stigma and discrimination. Although a surge in research on this topic has led to more understanding around autism disclosure, the methodologies used may have limited who was contributing to the conversation and data. To overcome this, we analyzed 3 years (2020−2022) of social media data (Reddit and Twitter) as this was public information that did not rely on researcher data collection. Reflexive thematic analysis of 3121 posts led to the generation of four themes: People do not understand autism (with experiences related to employment, dating, healthcare and mental health), autistic people just want privacy and respect, autistic people can lead us forward and non-autistic people need to assume more responsibility. We discuss how autistic adults experience the impact of society's lack of understanding of autism on a daily basis whether they disclose or not, and that it is everybody's responsibility to challenge negative stereotypes and promote a more inclusive society. Autism disclosure – that is sharing their autism diagnosis or identity with a person or people – is a difficult decision for many autistic people. While telling people they are autistic can be positive and helpful, it can also create a lot of problems. What we have learnt is that disclosure is really complicated. Rather than asking research participants questions about what might happen, we looked at what people were saying on public social media posts (Reddit and Twitter) about what did happen. We used three years of posts that were related to autism disclosure from a wide range of adults (autistic and non-autistic). Four main ideas were created from our data, with the key finding being that society does not understand autism. This lack of understanding creates problems for autistic people in work, dating, healthcare and mental health. The remaining ideas were that autistic people should have privacy and be treated with respect, that autistic representation can help society and that non-autistic people need to do more to help autistic people. Our findings support that society needs to do more through autism advocacy, better media representation and more public role models. Increasing the accuracy of understanding of autism across society will mean that autistic people can feel safer to disclose if they want to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media depictions of autism have the potential to have either positive or detrimental impacts on the lives of autistic people. This systematic review aimed to examine (1) the accuracy and authenticity of fictional media portrayals of autism (Part A) and (2) the impact of viewing such portrayals on knowledge about autism and attitudes towards autistic people (Part B). Seventeen articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review: 14 for Part A and 3 for Part B, comprising five experimental studies. The media reviewed in Part A covered a 30-year period (1988–2017). Several stereotypical and unhelpful portrayals surfaced. Positive portrayals of autism highlighted strengths and reflected nuance. Overall, participants in the fiction conditions in Part B were significantly more likely to attribute positive traits to an autistic person than those in the control conditions, with medium effect sizes ranging from 0.57 to 0.73. There were no improvements in knowledge. Given the small number of studies included in this review, further evidence is needed to understand the conditions under which fictional media may be effective. There is also a need to develop measures that accurately and respectfully measure autistic people's experiences of community knowledge and attitudes. The way autism is represented in fictional media can impact people's views of autistic people. For example, representations may contribute to negative views of autistic people as being unusual or dangerous, or they may challenge stereotypes and instead highlight the strengths of autistic people. This work aimed to review previous research to understand how autistic people have been represented in fictional media (Part A). It also sought to understand whether viewing fictional portrayals of autism has an impact on people's knowledge of autism and attitudes towards autistic people (Part B). Of 14 studies that were included in Part A, several unhelpful and stereotypical portrayals of autism emerged. Positive portrayals were those that highlighted the strengths of autistic people and reflected nuance. There is a need for greater diversity in representation of autism in fictional media. For example, not all autistic people are white heterosexual males. Across the five studies included in Part B, there were no improvements in people's knowledge of autism after watching or reading a short segment from a fictional TV series or novel that depicts an autistic person. Although there was a significant improvement in people's attitudes towards autistic people, these findings do not provide a complete picture given the short length of the media exposure and small number of studies. Future studies should investigate how multiple exposures to the representation of autistic people in both fictional and non-fictional sources can affect people's understanding of autism. There is also a need to develop more accurate and respectful ways of measuring people's knowledge of, and attitudes towards, autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academia is underpinned by an apprenticeship model, with increasing recognition of the need for a 'cognitive apprenticeship' model in which the methods and strategies of academic success are learnt through participation in a community of inquiry. Autistic people face systemic barriers in academia, as in other professions, and these may be exacerbated by a model based on learning by observing and modelling. This study sought to obtain specific practical advice for autistic people considering a career in academia, from the perspective of those already working within the academy. Thirty-seven autistic academics provided written reflections on the advice they would give a young person considering a career in academia. Five key themes were generated from these reflections: know the role, find the right people, know (and value) yourself, remember well-being and proceed with caution but with passion. One of the recognised strengths of autistic people is their ability to absorb and retain large amounts of information; autistic children and adolescents are often described as 'little professors'. So, is the life of a university researcher or teacher the ideal career for an autistic person? In this study, 37 autistic people working in universities and colleges provide advice to young people considering a future career as an academic. They emphasise the importance of understanding the complexities and requirements of the role, understanding and valuing yourself and your strengths, and finding the right people to work with and learn from. They also discuss the importance of maintaining a balance between work and well-being, and between caution and passion. The life of an academic can be ideally suited to an autistic person, but it can also be very challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autistic people are under-represented in university student populations, but their numbers are growing, and the barriers to their inclusion are being recognised. Outside of the student body, autistic people in academia are often overlooked, although this is starting to change with the growth in inclusive autism research. However, they remain absent from the academic literature, despite the evident synergies between autistic strengths and academic careers. This study explored the perceptions of 37 autistic academics from various disciplines: what are the positives of working in academia for autistic people, and what are the negatives? Participants reported many positive aspects of an academic career, including the fit with the strengths, characteristics and motivations of autistic people. However, they also noted barriers and challenges – social, environmental and structural – many of which could be addressed by greater awareness and acceptance of autism. Given the considerable benefits that autistic teachers and researchers bring to higher education, there is a clear need for universities and colleges to implement changes to the physical and social environment to make academia more inclusive. Academia appears to provide an ideal career option for autistic people: the opportunity to lock ourselves away in an ivory tower and utilise our extensive knowledge of a very specific topic. We know autistic people are underrepresented in postsecondary education, and there is a growing body of research on how to make universities more inclusive. What is missing from the literature is the voices of autistic people who have survived the university experience and gone on to become university teachers and researchers. Increasing the visibility of autistics in academia, and exploring the barriers and facilitators they experience in an academic career, is important to raise the aspirations of future university students and graduates. This study included 37 autistic academics from various disciplines and countries, exploring their perceptions of the positive and negative aspects of being an autistic in academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Alcohol media literacy (AML) programs have achieved positive results for alcohol prevention; however, gender may moderate program effectiveness. This study investigated gender differences for an Australian AML intervention. Method. Fifth and sixth graders (N = 165), allocated to an intervention or wait-list control group, participated in an AML program. Student questionnaires were administered at three time points. Results. The intervention resulted in significantly higher media deconstruction skills but did not lead to less preference for branded merchandise or greater understanding of persuasive intent, and these effects did not differ by gender. Gender differences were present in social norms for drinking and alcohol expectancies. Conclusions. AML education likely has appeal and benefit to both genders as it connects with students’ lifeworlds. Social norms may be more difficult to shift for males due to a more ingrained drinking culture. Future research could explore contextual factors responsible for gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social marketing (CSM) is one of several initiatives companies can undertake to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility (CSR). While there are many motivations for CSR and CSM, all are linked to profit in some way, including promoting the reputation of the organization. While CSM is often seen as evidence of organizations making a contribution to their community, there are some industries whose CSM campaigns have drawn considerable controversy and criticism. This article discusses the role of the alcohol industry in developing and disseminating “responsible drinking” CSM activities. It discusses some of the problems identified with alcohol industry CSM campaigns—including evidence that industry education campaigns communicate ambiguous messages; improve public perceptions of the industry but do not discourage harmful or underage drinking; and divert attention from more effective approaches, such as controls on price and availability. The paper also addresses the issue of other CSM/CRM activities undertaken by the alcohol industry, such as encouraging consumers to purchase a brand by donating a proportion of the profits to health and social causes (including those that are exacerbated by alcohol consumption). It discusses the value of these activities for the industry and their potential negative impact on the health of the community. In summary, the evidence suggests that industry CSM and CRM activities protect the industry (from restrictive policies and declining sales) but may in fact be detrimental to the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently a limited understanding of adolescent sibling relationships where Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is present. This research gap remains despite preliminary findings suggesting that neurotypically developing (NTD) siblings undertake extra caregiving responsibilities and experience differential treatment from family members. Using a Family Systems approach, this qualitative study investigated NTD adolescent sisters’ roles and responsibilities for their younger adolescent brother with ASD from the perspectives of 11 family members (including NTD sisters, brothers with ASD, mothers, and fathers). Findings indicate the sisters undertook various caregiving roles and responsibilities, particularly at school, which had both positive and negative influences on the family system. Additionally, sisters perceived they undertook unfair household responsibilities, received reduced parental attention, and desired both distance from and engagement with their families. These perceptions varied amongst other family members. Implications of these findings and strategies for best supporting adolescent NTD siblings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family member with an autism spectrum disorder presents pervasive and bidirectional influences on the entire family system, suggesting a need for family-focused autism spectrum disorder research. While there has been increasing interest in this research area, family-focused autism spectrum disorder research can still be considered relatively recent, and there are limitations to the existing literature. The purpose of this article is to provide theoretical and methodological directions for future family-focused autism spectrum disorder research. In particular, this article proposes Family Systems approaches as a common theoretical framework for future family-focused autism spectrum disorder research by considering theoretical concepts such as Boundaries, Ambiguous Loss, Resilience and Traumatic Growth. We discuss reasons why these concepts are important to researching families living with autism spectrum disorder and provide recommendations for future research. The potential for research grounded in Family Systems approaches to influence clinical support services is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses a study "Do Australian adolescent female fake tan (sunless tan) users practice better sun-protection behaviours than non-users?," by Melinda Williams and colleagues. A study was made which revealed that fake tan use among Australian female adolescents was associated with decreased sun protection. These users experienced repeated sunburns, after controlling for skin type and thus, health education programmes were developed which targeted a new subgroup of adolescents.

Abstract: The Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula: Manufacturers’ and Importers’ Agreement prevents manufacturers and importers from advertising infant formula. However, toddler milks, which share brand identities with infant formula, are advertised freely; and recent research suggests consumers fail to distinguish between advertising for infant formula and for toddler milk. This study examined whether Australian parents recalled having seen advertisements for ‘formula’. Most respondents (66.8%) reported seeing an advertisement for infant formula, with those who had only seen non-retail advertising more than twice as likely to believe that they had seen such an advertisement as those who had only seen retail advertising. This suggests that toddler milk advertisements are functioning as defacto infant formula advertisements in Australia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Young Australians’ perceptions, and consumption, of alcohol-energy drinks were examined via a multi-method study conducted in late 2008. The study consisted of: 12 focus groups with 12- to 17-year-olds from metropolitan, regional and rural New South Wales (n =95); and a survey of 12- to 17-year-olds with data collected through schools, intercepts, and the Internet (n =1263). Alcohol-energy drinks were a popular product among adolescent participants, with similarity to soft drinks identified as a primary appeal, and they showed limited awareness of the potential harms from their consumption. Given the international evidence of harms associated with alcohol-energy drinks, those concerned with reducing alcohol-related harm amongst young people should advocate for restrictions on this product category. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports on a qualitative study designed to examine young drivers’ knowledge and attitudes regarding drug-driving, as the formative research for a potential drug-driving social marketing program in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Drug driving has been found to be associated with motor vehicle accidents, particularly among younger drivers. However, the potential for social marketing in this area has received little attention. This study found that young people were not aware of the effects of drugs on driving, formed their perceptions of risk (both of getting caught and of impaired driving) based on other people’s experiences, and felt that there were potential benefits to drug driving and substantial barriers to the alternative behaviours (such as using public transport). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

While Australian legislation does not currently require health warning labels on alcohol products, several medical and advocacy organizations have been campaigning for their mandatory inclusion. The current study examines the attitudes and opinions of university students (a particularly high-risk group) relating to these messages, and the likelihood of such labeling influencing personal behaviors, in order to establish whether the introduction of these labels is likely to be effective. Alcohol warning labels have the potential to influence behaviors of adolescents and young adults, especially if modifications are made to the content and format of these-suggestions are given in this article. Finally, results of this research indicate that such health messages must be integrated with other educational measures and strategies aiming to internalize alcohol risk information by changing beliefs and, ultimately, behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This research investigates Australian consumers’ understanding of healthy eating campaigns. A CATI survey was administered to 834 adults across Australia. Participants were asked about their own understanding of the term ‘healthy eating’, the credibility of different advertisers, who they believed should be responsible for healthy eating campaigns and who they trusted to do so. Results indicate that the majority of participants have a basic understanding of ‘healthy eating’. Non-government organisations were viewed as being the most credible and best placed to develop and run healthy eating campaigns; and participants believed there is a need for monitoring healthy eating campaigns for truthfulness and accuracy. Given the significance of overweight and obesity levels in Australia, a collaborative approach between the health industry, the commercial food industry and the media and advertising sectors is required in the development and delivery of improved healthy eating messages to encourage better (sustained) food choices and as a result, improved nutritional status of the community. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Social marketing has gained prominence among researchers and practitioners working in social issues. Campaigns labelled as social marketing are implemented worldwide by governments, nonprofit organizations, and private industry. However, there is evidence that the concepts and processes associated with these campaigns are misunderstood and not consistently applied. This article describes social marketing benchmark criteria and follows with an overview of a strategic process for social marketing, specifically: planning, research, campaign development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The main focus is the social marketing development process undertaken by the Alberta Health Services to plan and implement cancer prevention and cancer screening campaigns. Unique to this process is an internationally recognized panel of social marketing experts to review and provide consultation. Improvements in planning and implementing campaigns are outlined, including stakeholder engagement, use of audience-centred strategies, and endorsement of campaigns by management. The primary outcome of bringing together a clear and organized social marketing tool for cancer prevention and cancer screening in Alberta is the development, implementation, and evaluation of campaigns that follow a systematic best-practice process. The learnings from this process will have important implications provincially in Alberta, nationally in Canada, and worldwide for the advancement of the social marketing discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formative research was undertaken in the Illawarra region of New South Wales (south of Sydney, Australia) to identify local communication strategies to influence the help-seeking behavior of young people in relation to a new youth-focused general practice (or physician) led mental health service. Research with the target market (12-25years) revealed the need for a local campaign to address the stigma associated with the use of mental health services and the need to emphasize the central role of the general practitioner or physician to the service. The results also indicated that any overarching campaign should be complemented by segment-specific strategies which tailor not only communication variables and channels to reach different market segments, but also consider varying aspects of the product or service to reach a broad cross-section of the target group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction of the Australian Organ Donation Register, responsibility regarding organ donation decisions primarily rests with the individual. However, family members can be instrumental in facilitating or hindering the rate of organ donation by objecting to or confirming the individual's wishes. Attitudes and beliefs of family members have been shown to be a strong influence on people's intentions to donate. Numerous studies have also demonstrated that family communication about organ donation can improve the rate of organ donation. We surveyed 23 matched pairs of undergraduate university students and their parents and found that attitudes to organ donation were positive and that there was a tendency for these dyads to give concordant responses regarding attitudes, level of family communication, and intent to donate. These findings have implications for improving Australia's organ donation rate, and recommendations for messages promoting organ donation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The avian influenza A (A/H5N1) virus has attracted the attention of governments and health organizations throughout the world because of its pandemic potential. Despite the emerging nature of A/H5N1, there is limited research on public knowledge and perceptions of this disease. This study is based on a computer-assisted telephone interviewing survey conducted in May 2006 to determine the Australian public's knowledge of A/H5N1, their willingness to engage in preventive behaviors, and their acceptance of potential messages for communication campaigns. Awareness and concern about bird flu is low (lower than a recent survey of U.S. residents). There appears to be widespread support for bird flu control measures initiated by the federal government, although less agreement regarding personal protective behaviors. Our study and those examining the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic suggest that governments, including the Australian government, will encounter a number of significant communication challenges in the event of a bird flu outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Important decisions in the area of health are made by consumers every day. However, there has been insufficient attention to determining the best theoretical foundations on which promoting health should proceed. This article proposes that, in many cases, behavioral decision theory (BDT) is more useful than traditional economic utility theory for the marketing of health behaviors to the public. The article discusses some of the implications of BDT for health marketing, and reviews the findings of three pilot studies conducted to examine these implications. Study 1 examines the evaluation of multiple gains and multiple losses in the health domain; Study 2 examines the applicability of price-bundling concepts to gymnasium membership usage; and Study 3 examines the effect of time perspectives on health decisions. The implications of these findings for health marketing, and suggestions for future research, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot test a comprehensive measurement tool to quantify all aspects of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among cancer survivors. Data are from 81 cancer patients and survivors with a mean age of 62 years and 77.2% women. CAMwas used by 63% of the sample. The most common CAM was regular exercise (50%), meditation (48.5%), and fresh fruit and vegetable juices (38.8%). The main motivations for using CAM were to boost the immune system and enhance quality of life. More than 65% had told a doctor they were using CAM. Reported benefits included feeling better, having more energy, and providing a distraction. The main sources of information were support groups (61.5%), books (50%), and friends (45.3%). Few participants used CAM to cure the cancer, and they had realistic expectations about benefits they may receive from using CAM. Further studies are needed with larger sample sizes to confirm whether findings can be generalized to the broader population of cancer patients and survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article argues that recent advances in advertising theory developed in the commercial business context can be transferred effectively to the design of social marketing (specifically advertising) campaigns. It evaluates two current Australian campaigns, targeting teenagers' use of illicit drugs and teenagers' irresponsible use of alcohol. The two campaigns provide impressive evidence that advanced theory and concepts from commercial advertising can be applied effectively to social marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]