Binge Drinking and Young People of Campbelltown LGA, Incidence, Effect and Early Intervention - Report Example

Research Proposal Binge Drinking & Young People of Campbelltown LGA, Incidence, Effect & Early Intervention “Are young people of Campbelltown LGA receiving appropriate Information and Early Intervention with regards to the growing problem of Binge Drinking?” Name Institutional Affiliation Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 ABSTRACT 3 BACKGROUND 3 AIMS AND SIGNIFICANCE 5 FUNDING 6 OUTCOMES 6 RESEARCH PLAN 6 Methodology 6 Sampling 7 Data Analysis 8 Limitations 8 Timetable 8 Ethical concerns 9 Administration 9 Budget 10 About the researcher 11 References 12 Binge Drinking & Young People of Campbelltown LGA, Incidence, Effect & Early Intervention “Are young people of Campbelltown LGA receiving appropriate Information and Early Intervention with regards to the growing problem of Binge Drinking?” ABSTRACT Binge drinking prevalence is increasing and is highest among young Australians (Charles, Valenti &Miller, 2011) as the age at which Australians are having their first drink is getting lower (AMA, 2009). The Campbelltown Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) relates the challenges of alcohol consumption among young people with increasing number of drunk-driving offences, alcohol-related health problems, and binge drinking statistics (LocalGovernmentFocus, 2013) which shows highest proportion of regular-binge-drinkers to be young people. Studies have addressed binge-drinking in various settings and it is a community-wide problem that requires a community-wide response where young people should be supported to opt for responsible individual behaviour (www.drinkingnightmare.gov.au). This study will focus on incidence, effect and early prevention for young people in Campbelltown Local Government Area (LGA). The goals are i) to determine whether young people of Campbelltown LGA view Binge Drinking as an issue of special concern ii) to examine the effects binge drinking has on individuals, family and the community iii) to assess the strategies being used to prevent or reduce binge drinking and their outcomes, for the young people of Campbelltown. To achieve the goals of this research, both quantitative and qualitative approaches will be utilized. Analysis of results will apply suitable quantitative-methods for surveys, close-ended questionnaires and interviews, and qualitative approaches including grounded theory, triangulation, thematic analysis and coding. The outcomes of this study are expected to contribute to the efforts designed to bring about early-intervention-strategies providing knowledge, to prevent harmful effects of binge-drinking among the young people of Campbelltown. BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption among Australian populations is high (Wilson et al, 2010). Evidenced-based studies are presenting findings to show that consumption of large amounts of alcohol is an escalating problem especially among young Australians. Young Australians are now drinking alcohol as young as 14 years and a large proportion drink in a way that is risky for their health and that of others (AMA, 2009). A 2007 National-Drug-Strategy-Household-Survey showed that at least 20 percent of 14-19 year olds consume alcohol every week (www.drinkingnightmare.gov.au). There is no standard definition for binge drinking but the term is associated with high risk levels of alcohol-drinking leading to long-term risk and short-term harm (AMA, 2009). Charles, Valenti, and Miller (2011) refer to information from a study on the status of alcohol consumption for 31, 771 patients which showed that patients between age 18-24 years formed the largest proportion of regular binge-drinkers consuming at least six bottles of alcohol on an occasional basis. It is more probable that young people who drink to harmful levels, get into a fight, crime, or car accident, have unsafe sex and contract sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy, and perform poorly at school (Jenkins, 2011) and even die. In September 2007, 45 percent of assaults in NSW were alcohol-related. Young people 15-24 years of age account for 52 percent of all serious injuries related to alcohol and 32 percent of hospital admissions injuries are attributable to alcohol-related violence (www.drinkingnightmare.gov.au). Harmful drinking is high among young people because they are at a stage in life where they easily succumb to peer-pressure and popular-culture-influences, as well as undergoing complex developmental process(s) in their transition to adulthood (ABS, 2008). DrinkWise (2013) reported that parents of many young people are aware that their children face the risk of social-exclusion if they don’t drink with their peers. However, most families who have members with AOD issues are not accessing the right information and support leaving them isolated and confused. An ANCD phone survey revealed that many treatment providers in Australia lack the resources to avail direct services for family members with AOD challenges. In some cases, a parent(s) is also battling with AOD issues while some are less strict on their children’s AOD behaviours because they see it as a rite of passage to adulthood (ANCD, 2013). Jenkinson (2011) shares information from several experts calling for legal action to increase the drinking age to 21 years. DrinkWise (2013) feature recommends the need to understand the perspectives of young people regarding excessive drinking in order to come up with effective harm-reduction-strategies. The Australian government has put in place a national-strategy which is a preventive-health-task-force to deal with the binge-drinking epidemic among young Australians (drinkingnightmare.gov.au). The National-Binge-Drinking- Campaign (NBDC) is targeting harm reduction and behavioural change among 15-25 year olds with high-risk levels of binge-drinking (NBDC, 2009). Alcohol comes second only to tobacco in that drug-related hospitalization and death are preventable (knowwhentosaywhen.com). One of the health indicators for Campbelltown is risky alcohol consumption (Campbelltown- Health Profile, 2010). Campbelltown has one of the largest indigenous-populations in NSW (www.campbelltwon.nsw.gov.au) of which there is a higher number of young Aboriginal people compared to elderly Aboriginal population (Aboriginal Affairs, 2006). This is risky based on statistics of high binge-drinking among the young people hence early intervention is required. Although a lower percentage of Indigenous population consumes alcohol compared to the general Australian population, those who drink do so generally at higher levels (AMA, 2009). 17 percent of indigenous population binge-drink compared to 8 percent of non-indigenous populations (AIWH, 2008). Indigenous populations have a history of dispossession and alienation from their land and most are trapped in poor socioeconomic situations and stress/mental health issues which co-occur with AOD problems (NDS, 2009). Campbelltown Area scores 944.8 on SEIFA index of the disadvantage profiling it as a low socioeconomic status characterizing high levels of unemployment, low education, low income, and majority of jobs in unskilled occupations (Community-Profile-SEIFA -Disadvantage). Data from a 2007-08 National Health Survey shows that 16 percent of people dwelling in most disadvantaged locations were likely to have mental or behavioural challenges compared with 11 percent from least disadvantaged locations putting them at risk to poor health outcomes including emotional disorders and alcohol dependency (ABS, 2010). To date, very little research is available that maps the incidence of Binge-Drinking for young people in Campbelltown LGA, the effect this has on the young people involved, their families, and community, or information on the effectiveness and outcome of local intervention strategies applied to address the problem. AIMS AND SIGNIFICANCE The aim of this study is to explore the social interpretations of young people in Campbelltown LGA regarding the issue of Binge-drinking and its effects, while attempting to identify whether they are receiving appropriate information and early intervention with regards to the growing problem of binge-drinking. The findings of this study will add to the existing knowledge of research on the binge-drinking. The significance of the study is apparent by the fact that binge-drinking is an escalating problem in Australian’s young populations, and that intervention strategies are being sought to help minimize the effect of the problem at various levels. FUNDING The data collected through this research will support an increase in funding from local, state, and government funding institutions and enable the local providers to have a portion of the $50 million committed in 2010 by the government some of which is for the period 2013-14, as an expansion of the National Binge Drinking Strategy now under the Australian National Preventive Health Agency for steering the national capacity for change and innovation around preventive health policies and programs (ANPHA, 2012). In addition, $20,000 from the Ian Potter Foundation ‘Community Wellbeing Grant’ will be applied for to focus on these early prevention initiatives. OUTCOMES The outcomes expected of this study will reveal young people’s concerns or lack of, on the binge-drinking issue. It is expected that analysis and evaluation of the issue will highlight scarcity of information available, to help young people make informed choices in alcohol use. It will also highlight the lack of adequate intervention strategies with regards to the Campbelltown community profile. The findings are targeted to be published in Australia’s National Local Government Newspaper Online, Campbelltown City Council Online ‘News and Events’ section, Youth Action Policy Association (YAPA) bi-monthly newspaper, and Unleash Magazine, to highlight the gravity and danger of Binge-drinking. RESEARCH PLAN Methodology A combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches will be used for this study to gather knowledge on binge-drinking among young people Campbelltown LGA. The qualitative approach will extract information on binge drinking as given meaning by the participants for this study (Bryman, 2012). Quantitatively, cause-effect relationships will be tested (Alston & Bowles, 2003), for example, socioeconomic status-levels of alcohol-consumption relationships. A grounded theory approach will be used to uncover concepts emerging from participants’ views on binge-drinking and harm-minimization interventions in Campbelltown. Grounded theory is appropriate for this research as it reflects the depth and richness of qualitative researching while integrating the inherent strengths of quantitative methods such as rigor, logic, and systematic analysis (Walker & Myrick, 2006, p. 548). Sampling The sample will constitute of male and female participants between the ages of 12 and 24 limited to Campbelltown LGA. The participants will be selected from Campbelltown TAFE/College, local high schools, employment centres, youth refugees and youth centres (Headspace Campbelltown; Drum-Youth-Centre). It is anticipated that this selection will provide a broad range of participants with different backgrounds and experiences. The research targets a minimum of 10% indigenous youth and 10% culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) youth. There are an estimated 13,580 (12 to17years) and 15,552 (18 to 24years) equating to just over 29,000 youths in the relevant Youth age bracket for sampling, located in Campbelltown LGA. At least 20% from this are expected to participate in this research (Campbelltownhttp://profile.id.com.au/campbelltown/service-age-groups). Data collection methods Data collection will apply diverse methods as this research is multifaceted. Simple survey method will be used to extract information on whether service providers offered support and information on Binge-Drinking and to indicate or rank its effectiveness. The data will be identified by surveying local social service providers through online-surveys to determine the kind of interventions they suggest for young people affected by binge-drinking. To analyze the effect binge drinking has on the individual, family, and community, the research will be undertaken by a multidisciplinary team including a team of researchers, school counsellors, and staff from community youth centres with qualifications in mental health/AOD and interviewing young people on alcohol-related issues. Participants will not have to submit their name, but to provide their true age and residential suburb. This information will be treated in confidence and merged as a group statistic during the data analysis process. Data Analysis The principles of grounded theory will be applied in conducting data analysis which will start immediately as the data is collected because delaying the data analysis process can result to an overwhelming workload for the researcher. Grounded theory is systematic and will begin by labelling key points from the data collected with codewords extracted from the text. Coding is vital for making inquisitions and grounded theory approach provides constant comparisons of the emerging data until a theoretical saturation point is reached (Bryman, 2012). Open, axial, and selective coding methods (Healy, 2013) will be used leading to categorizing similar coded-text from which concepts, categories and themes forming basic units for theory development will be formed. Triangulation which is the mixing of approaches to get multiple perspectives on the data (Olsen, 2004) will be applied to improve the validity and reliability of data by controlling bias and establishing valid position. Limitations The availability and willingness of potential participants is a limitation for this research as a substantial proportion of participants are under the age of 18 years and require parental consent which may be denied or take a lot of time in the request process. On the positive side, it is expected that youth centres and educational institutions will be open to participation given the increasing concern on binge drinking among young people. Timetable Date Activity June 2013 Obtain ethics approvals Obtain project approval from sample groups schools youth centres employment agencies Obtain project approval from IP and CALD elders July 2013 Send and retrieve consent forms Send service provider online survey throughout service network August 2013 – January 2014 Begin surveys of young people Meet participants and services and conduct interviews January 2014 Interview transcriptions Merge data from surveys February 2014 – April 2014 Coding and data analysis May 2014 Write up findings June 2014 Present Research findings Ethical concerns A large proportion of participants are under the age of 18 years and their parents will have to be involved in seeking informed consent prior to participation. Anonymity and confidentiality of participants will be strictly observed. Participants will receive a letter explaining, the process and confidentiality of their information, as well as a consent form which must be returned to research-team. Due to the sensitive nature of the research, the multifaceted team assisting in the research process will be familiar and will observe and engage confidentiality policy. All Information/data will be locked away in a securely in a filing-cabinet. Administration Campbelltown Council ‘Strategic Youth Development Officer’ will co-ordinate and work alongside, and in conjunction with a qualified multidisciplinary team consisting of personnel from; Campbelltown’s ‘Headspace’, ‘Burnside’, Campbelltown-TAFE, and Local school staff, a Youth Mental Health and Alcohol and drugs (AOD) team, qualified to interact with and interview participants . Budget Researcher wages will be the main cost for this research although these costs are being reduced by involving existing school counsellors, mental health/AOD workers and youth centre staff with relevant qualifications. A full breakdown of estimated costs is outlined below. EXPENSES ESTIMATED COSTS Computers -laptop $600 Office Furniture/Equipment $200 Audit Fees $200 Fees & Permits $90 Health & Safety $80 General Insurance Premium $800 Internet $200 Legal Fees $350 Management / Administration Fee $3000 Postage & Freight $150 Printing & Stationery $500 Resources & Equipment Dictaphone $200 Electricity $230 Land $180 Water $70 Rent $500 Wages 1 Researcher Lvl 6 SCHADS Award $22,000 Telephone $250 Travel &Accommodation $400 TOTAL ESTIMATED COST $30,000 About the researcher I am a social welfare student undertaking Social Science- Social Welfare Undergraduate degree and I hope to contribute to the field of social work research in the future. I have studied Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) and worked at an AOD rehabilitation center, which has provided me with a good insight on the possible effects of ‘Binge-Drinking’ the lack of social awareness and knowledge on the topic. I am passionate to build on existing knowledge and understanding of Binge-Drinking’s, Social effects, Incidence, and Intervention strategies. I also consider Commissioning more Research on this topic as valuable, as it could lead to further policy decisions being made, concluding in more awareness and less incidence of Binge-drinking. References Aboriginal Affairs. Portrait of Campbelltown region, 2006: Partnership community compared with NSW. Alston, M., & Bowles, W. (2003). Research for Social Workers: An Introduction to Methods. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. AMA. (2009).Alcohol use and harms in Australia. AMA Information Paper, (pp. 1-6). Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008). Australian social trends, 2008: Risk taking by young people. ABS, Retrieved 19/05/2013 from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Chapter5002008 Australian Bureau of Statistics & Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2008). The health and welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2008 Cat. no. IHW 21, Canberra: AIHW. Australian National Council on Drugs/ANCD (2013). Families in need of support-25 February 2008. Retrieved 19/05/2013 from http://www.ancd.org.au/Media- releases/families-in-need-of-support25-february-2008.html Australian National Preventive Health Agency/ANPHA. (2012). Promoting a health Australia. Retrieved 19/05/2013 from http://anpha.gov.au/internet/anpha/publishing.nsf Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods. New York: Oxford University Press. Campbelltown (2013). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Retrieved 18/05/2013 from http://www.campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/AboriginalandTorresStraitIslander Campbelltown. (2010). Health profile 2010. NSW Gov. South Western Sydney Local Health District. Charles, J., Valenti, L., and Miller, G (2011). Binge drinking. Australian Family Physician, 40(4),569. Community Profile Seifa Disadvantage. Campbelltown City: Campbelltown city scores 944.8 on the SEIFA index of disadvantage. Retrieved 19/05/2013 from http://profile.id.com.au/campbelltown/seifa-disadvantage DrinkWise Australia. (2013). Accessed 19/05/2013 from http://www.drinkwise.org.au/ Drinking Nightmare. National binge drinking campaign: The national binge drinking strategy and other activity. Retrieved 18/05/2013 from http://www.drinkingnightmare.gov.au/internet/drinkingnightmare/publishing.nsf/Cont ent/B2D387C687D03FC9CA2574FD007CA91C/$File/Other%20activities_programs %20.pdf The Drum Youth resource Centre (Uniting Care – Burnside) Work with Young people 12-24, homeless or dealing with issues including drugs and alcohol issues. Retrieved 18/05/2013 from http://www.burnside.org.au/content/DRUM.pdf Headspace’ Campbelltown - Youth Reference Group and Clients. Retrieved 18/05/2013 from http://www.headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/headspace-campbelltown Healy, J. P. (2013). Research Methods. [Audio podcast].Charles Sturt University. Retrieved19/05/2013 from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/HCS204_201330_W_D/page/271e93c0-3c3e- 4d0f-805d-13bea087ed59 Jenkins, P. (2011). Too much, too young. Retrieved 19/05/2013 from http://www.younglife.org.au/articles.php?feature=028 Know when to say when. Retrieved 18/5/2013 from http://whentosaywhen.com.au/the- numbers-behind-what-we-drink-drinking-statistics/ Local Government Focus. (2013). Campbelltown youth know their limits. Australian National Local Government Newspaper Online. Retrieved 18/05/2013 http://lgfocus.com.au/editions/2007/august/campbelltown.shtml National Binge Drinking Campaign (NBDC) (2009). Evaluation Survey April 2009. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, (pp 1-249). National Drug Strategy (NDS) 2003-2009. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples complementary Action Plan 2003-2009. Available at http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Co ntent/545C92F95DF8C76ACA257162000DA780/$File/indigenous-summary.pdf Olsen, W. (2004). Triangulation in social research: Qualitative and quantitative methods can really be mixed. http://www.ccsr.ac.uk/staff/Triangulation.pdf . Walker, D. & Myrick, F. (2006). Grounded theory: An exploration of process and procedure. Qualitative Health Research, 16(4), pp. 547-559. Wilson, M., Stearne, A., Gray, D., & Saggers, S. (2010). The harmful use of alcohol amongst indigenous Australians. Australian Indigenous Health Reviews, no. 4 (pp. 1-19). Read More

A 2007 National-Drug-Strategy-Household-Survey showed that at least 20 percent of 14-19 year olds consume alcohol every week (www.drinkingnightmare.gov.au). There is no standard definition for binge drinking but the term is associated with high risk levels of alcohol-drinking leading to long-term risk and short-term harm (AMA, 2009). Charles, Valenti, and Miller (2011) refer to information from a study on the status of alcohol consumption for 31, 771 patients which showed that patients between age 18-24 years formed the largest proportion of regular binge-drinkers consuming at least six bottles of alcohol on an occasional basis.

It is more probable that young people who drink to harmful levels, get into a fight, crime, or car accident, have unsafe sex and contract sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy, and perform poorly at school (Jenkins, 2011) and even die. In September 2007, 45 percent of assaults in NSW were alcohol-related. Young people 15-24 years of age account for 52 percent of all serious injuries related to alcohol and 32 percent of hospital admissions injuries are attributable to alcohol-related violence (www.

drinkingnightmare.gov.au). Harmful drinking is high among young people because they are at a stage in life where they easily succumb to peer-pressure and popular-culture-influences, as well as undergoing complex developmental process(s) in their transition to adulthood (ABS, 2008). DrinkWise (2013) reported that parents of many young people are aware that their children face the risk of social-exclusion if they don’t drink with their peers. However, most families who have members with AOD issues are not accessing the right information and support leaving them isolated and confused.

An ANCD phone survey revealed that many treatment providers in Australia lack the resources to avail direct services for family members with AOD challenges. In some cases, a parent(s) is also battling with AOD issues while some are less strict on their children’s AOD behaviours because they see it as a rite of passage to adulthood (ANCD, 2013). Jenkinson (2011) shares information from several experts calling for legal action to increase the drinking age to 21 years. DrinkWise (2013) feature recommends the need to understand the perspectives of young people regarding excessive drinking in order to come up with effective harm-reduction-strategies.

The Australian government has put in place a national-strategy which is a preventive-health-task-force to deal with the binge-drinking epidemic among young Australians (drinkingnightmare.gov.au). The National-Binge-Drinking- Campaign (NBDC) is targeting harm reduction and behavioural change among 15-25 year olds with high-risk levels of binge-drinking (NBDC, 2009). Alcohol comes second only to tobacco in that drug-related hospitalization and death are preventable (knowwhentosaywhen.com). One of the health indicators for Campbelltown is risky alcohol consumption (Campbelltown- Health Profile, 2010).

Campbelltown has one of the largest indigenous-populations in NSW (www.campbelltwon.nsw.gov.au) of which there is a higher number of young Aboriginal people compared to elderly Aboriginal population (Aboriginal Affairs, 2006). This is risky based on statistics of high binge-drinking among the young people hence early intervention is required. Although a lower percentage of Indigenous population consumes alcohol compared to the general Australian population, those who drink do so generally at higher levels (AMA, 2009).

17 percent of indigenous population binge-drink compared to 8 percent of non-indigenous populations (AIWH, 2008). Indigenous populations have a history of dispossession and alienation from their land and most are trapped in poor socioeconomic situations and stress/mental health issues which co-occur with AOD problems (NDS, 2009). Campbelltown Area scores 944.8 on SEIFA index of the disadvantage profiling it as a low socioeconomic status characterizing high levels of unemployment, low education, low income, and majority of jobs in unskilled occupations (Community-Profile-SEIFA -Disadvantage).

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