Recent data in Australia shows risky drinking among women aged 18-24 is rising from 35% in 2019 to 40% in 2022-2023. Risky drinking is defined by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) as having more than 4 standard drinks on any one day and/or more than 10 standard drinks per week. We need ...
Alcohol and Drug Foundation
Inspiring change: Empowering young women to embrace healthier habits
GOAL
$20,000
Australia > National / Multi-state > Metro and Regional
Field of Interest
- Health/wellbeing and medical research
Target Population
- Women and girls
- Young people (6-25)
Alcohol and Drug Foundation
The ADF was founded in 1959 by Colonel Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop to help war veterans suffering from alcohol dependence to escape from the trauma of war. Today, we continue to evolve our programs, in line with changing community needs.
Australia is a unique, diverse society. We use evidence-based research to ensure we are addressing the issues confronting Australia, and Australians.
We are a world-leading knowledge hub for alcohol and drug use, harm and prevention.
We work directly with grassroots groups to:
- Inspire positive change;
- Understand stigma associated with alcohol and other drug use; and
- Strengthen harm prevention strategies for everyone.
We keep priority issues on the political and public agendas, advocating for policy reforms and keeping a high-profile presence through the media and our strategic partnerships.
The ADF delivers impactful, evidence and place-based harm prevention programs.
Our Good Sports program (https://goodsports.com.au), supports and inspires 12,000 community sporting clubs to set up a better environment for players, volunteers, supporters and officials. It helps clubs tackle tricky topics such as alcohol, drugs, smoking, mental health and safe transport.
Our Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) program (https://community.adf.org.au) supports communities to reduce harms from alcohol and other drugs in their local area. No community is the same and we know that locally led responses are the most effective when it comes to addressing the challenges of alcohol and other drugs.
We exist because we know we can live a life that is unlimited by alcohol and drug harm.
Project Summary
Recent data in Australia shows risky drinking among women aged 18-24 is rising from 35% in 2019 to 40% in 2022-2023. Risky drinking is defined by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) as having more than 4 standard drinks on any one day and/or more than 10 standard drinks per week.
We need urgent action to reverse this trend:
– Risky alcohol use can cause serious health problems. These include breast cancer, reproductive health issues, increased risk of assault, mental health disorders, and chronic conditions like liver disease.
– Early intervention is more effective in preventing long-term harms. Habits formed in early adulthood can last, making early intervention vital for healthier lifestyles.
– Young adults are especially susceptible to peer pressure and social norms that encourage substance use. Public health efforts to address these norms and pressures work best when tailored to the target group. For young women, this means creating relatable strategies that address their unique triggers and pressures.
– Reducing alcohol by women aged 18-24 can lower their risk of gender-based violence, enhancing personal safety, judgment, and control in risky situations.
We’ve recently completed research on why young women drink and what would motivate them to change. We will build on this research to develop key messages for use in communication that effectively resonates with women aged 18 to 24 and supports them to reduce their use of alcohol and risks of alcohol related harm.
Project Outcomes
We want to reduce the proportion of women aged 18-24 consuming alcohol at risky levels (reported in future National Drugs Strategy Household Surveys).
We can achieve this by developing a values-based message guide to understand what messages will empower young women to embrace healthier options based on their attitudes and beliefs. This is a new approach that taps into young women's deeply held values to motivate concern and action.
We will:
1. Partner with Common Cause Australia, experts in values-based messaging, to further build on our research to develop messages for effectively motivating young women to reflect on their drinking. This will include analysis of media and social media discourse, and interviews with experts in alcohol-related behaviour change and young women from various social and economic backgrounds.
2. Use the research to develop and test messages with young women to identify the most persuasive messaging to change their attitudes and behaviour.
3. Develop a message guide that translates this research into action, including the most effective messages for influencing young women.
4. Use the message guide to supercharge our marketing campaigns and resources to help young women to reduce their risky drinking.
5. Share our message guide with our industry partners and Local Drug Action Teams (https://community.adf.org.au/) comprising 1,219 organisations in 280 communities across Australia.
Project deliverables:
1 - Discourse analysis report
2 - Focus group report
3 - Dial test report
4 - Message guide
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $180,000
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Alcohol and Drug Foundation | $80,000 |
| Other funding sources | $80,000 |
| Funding gap | $20,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Discourse analysis report | $20,000 |
| Focus groups and report | $30,000 |
| Dial testing and report | $30,000 |
| Message guide development | $80,000 |
| Project management | $20,000 |
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