"Dinner's ready!" A qualitative exploration of the food domain across the lifecourse.

The influence of the childhood food domain on adult food-related practices is only partially understood. Through an interpretive study using in-depth life-story interviewing and narrative analysis, we aimed to discover how preferences and perceptions relating to the food domain become embodied during childhood, and once embodied, how these influence practices in adulthood. We observed distinct 'food mood' pathways seemingly anchored in childhood memories about dinnertime. One pathway led to food philosophies participants perceived to be beneficial for their health and wellbeing, whilst another led to perceptions of food as a chore and bore they would rather ignore. Parental attitudes were very important to the food domain of childhood, as this is now recalled through life-story narratives. Our findings suggest a positive relationship with the food domain needs to be fostered during childhood for the long-term protection and promotion of health and wellbeing in adulthood.

Childhood neighbourhoods as third places: Developing durable skills and preferences that enhance wellbeing in adulthood.

UNLABELLED: Study purpose The social environment is an important new area in neighbourhoods and health research that complements existing research on the built environment and household characteristics. Through a narrative analysis of the life-stories of 16 women we explored the influence of the neighbourhood social environment on social wellbeing. PRINCIPAL RESULTS: In order for adults to capitalise on local health-enhancing social opportunities they require particular social skills and preferences. We found one way the attainment of those skills and preferences comes about is through the experience of the childhood neighbourhood as a third place, with preferences and practices being carried forward to adulthood, influencing wellbeing through different modes of neighbourly engagement. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: The experience of the childhood neighbourhood as a third place provided the opportunity for establishing a durable, taken-for-granted template of how to do 'neighbourhood'. Without such a template, the benefits to well-being associated with local social connections are difficult to access in adulthood.

A wicked problem: early childhood safety in the dynamic, interactive environment of home.

Young children being injured at home is a perennial problem. When parents of young children and family workers discussed what influenced parents' perceptions and responses to child injury risk at home, both "upstream" and "downstream" causal factors were identified. Among the former, complex and interactive facets of society and contemporary living emerged as potentially critical features. The "wicked problems" model arose from the need to find resolutions for complex problems in multidimensional environments and it proved a useful analogy for child injury. Designing dynamic strategies to provide resolutions to childhood injury, may address our over-dependence on 'tame solutions' that only deal with physical cause-and-effect relationships and which cannot address the complex interactive contexts in which young children are often injured.

Addressing patient alcohol use: a view from general practice.

INTRODUCTION: General practitioners (GPs) have the potential to promote alcohol harm minimisation via discussion of alcohol use with patients, but knowledge of GPs' current practice and attitudes on this matter is limited. Our aim was to assess GPs' current practice and attitudes towards discussing alcohol use with their patients. METHODS: This qualitative study involved semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 19 GPs by a group of medical students in primary care practices in Wellington, New Zealand. FINDINGS: Despite agreement amongst GPs about the importance of their role in alcohol harm minimisation, alcohol was not often raised in patient consultations. GPs' usual practice included referral to drug and alcohol services and advice. GPs were also aware of national drinking guidelines and alcohol screening tools, but in practice these were rarely utilised. Key barriers to discussing alcohol use included its societal 'taboo' nature, time constraints, and perceptions of patient dishonesty. CONCLUSION: In this study there is a fundamental mismatch between the health community's expectations of GPs to discuss alcohol with patients and the reality. Potential solutions to the most commonly identified barriers include screening outside the GP consultation, incorporating screening tools into existing software used by GPs, exploring with GPs the social stigma associated with alcohol misuse, and framing alcohol misuse as a health issue. As it is unclear if these approaches will change GP practice, there remains scope for the development and pilot testing of potential solutions identified in this research, together with an assessment of their efficacy in reducing hazardous alcohol consumption.

Improving health and energy efficiency through community-based housing interventions.

OBJECTIVES: Houses designed for one climate and cultural group may not be appropriate for other places and people. Our aim is to find cost-effective ways to improve the characteristics of older homes, ill-fitted for New Zealand's climate, in order to improve the occupants' health. METHOD: We have carried out two community randomised trials, in partnership with local communities, which have focused on retrofitted insulation and more effective heating and have two other studies under way, one which focuses on electricity vouchers and the other on housing hazard remediation. RESULTS: The Housing, Insulation and Health Study showed that insulating 1,350 houses, built before insulation was required, improved the occupants' health and well being as well as household energy efficiency. In the Housing, Heating and Health Study we investigated the impact of installing more effective heating in insulated houses for 409 households, where there was a child with doctor-diagnosed asthma. Again, the study showed significant results in the intervention group; indoor temperatures increased and levels of NO(2) were halved. Children reported less poor health, lower levels of asthma symptoms and sleep disturbances by wheeze and dry cough. Children also had fewer days off school. CONCLUSION: Improving the energy efficiency of older housing leads to health improvements and energy efficiency improvements. Multidisciplinary studies of housing interventions can create compelling evidence to support policies for sustainable housing developments which improve health.