Ernesta Sofija

• Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Health Promotion at Griffith University

As the global aging population grows and societal structures evolve, the need for meaningful intergenerational connections becomes increasingly important. Intergenerational practice (IGP) bridges this gap by fostering mutually beneficial interactions between generations. Nature-based IGP is an emerging approach, promoting connections not only betwe...

Having access to food is a human entitlement and one of the essential goals of the sustainable development agenda. Despite growing concern about the impact of slow‐onset disasters on food security, most interventions have primarily targeted sudden‐onset disasters. As such, there has been limited attention to understanding the effectiveness of adapt...

This study of 18–24-year-old young adults (YAs) in Australia who use, or used to use, nicotine vape products (NVPs) sought to explore their experiences when attempting to quit vaping to understand the barriers and identify facilitators of cessation. We analysed data from a survey (n = 532) of 422 YAs who vape and 110 YAs who used to vape, as well a...

Short-term study abroad (STSA) experiences are an increasingly popular strategy used by universities to develop global citizenship in students. Global citizenship is particularly important for emerging health professionals with many health challenges of the 21st century being of global importance. Yet, evidence on the effectiveness of STSA is incon...

Introduction Australian young adults (YA) report difficulties in quitting vaping. This study sought to understand what a vaping cessation program should look like from the perspective of current and former vapers, and professionals/experts involved in this health space, to inform the development of a conceptual model. Aims and Methods Data collect...

TikTok is a hugely popular social media platform that has become an important space for individuals, especially youth, to express their attitudes and feelings toward issues. This study seeks to understand the narrative surrounding mental health and illness on TikTok, including the proportion of stigmatizing or trivializing content. A content analys...

Background COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among young adults in Australia is still poorly understood. Young adults aged 25–34 years have been identified as a population subgroup where COVID-19 vaccine-hesitant views are highly prevalent. Objective Exploring the attitudes, thoughts, feelings and social environments affecting the decision to have or not...

Introduction Young adults (YA) are attempting to quit vaping, with many accessing smoking cessation programs with a lack of reported efficacy, highlighting the need for targeted vaping cessation support. Young people report seeing health professionals (HPs) as potential sources of support in the quitting process. Additionally, the current changing...

Homelessness is a significant social problem internationally and some people who are homeless rely on their companion animal for comfort and support. It is unknown what attitudes Australian communities have regarding people who are homeless and have a companion animal. This study aims to explore public attitudes and knowledge about the issues homel...

Nature play can significantly benefit children’s development, health and well-being, however, limited literatureon the considerations needed to deliver such programs for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) com-munities exists. Co-design methods in health promotion program design are gaining popularity, yet practicalguidance is lacking. Usi...

There has been an increasing number of papers which explore the representation of mental health on social media using various social media platforms and methodologies. It is timely to review methodologies employed in this growing body of research in order to understand their strengths and weaknesses. This systematic literature review provides a com...

Slow‐onset disasters, a neglected climatic event, affect the agricultural sector in Southeast Asia and threaten regional food security. Improving food security in slow‐onset disasters requires policy development by both regional and national governments. Despite this articulated need, very little research on the national and regional food security...

This article presents findings from a cross-disciplinary, international project that seeks to understand the importance of music-making for young people (aged 18–35 years) as a source of well-being during the COVID-19 crisis. A key objective of the project is to evaluate whether music-making has contributed in palpable ways to young people’s indivi...

Many children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds may be deprived of play due to histories of conflict, stigma and language barriers. Creative and play-based interventions have the potential to protect against known risk factors through the improvement of critical developmental skills and overall wellbeing. Creative and pl...

This study examined how Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs help explain the intention to quit e-cigarettes in young Australian adults aged 18–24 years to inform vaping cessation programs. A cross-sectional survey of young adult vapers (n = 422) between March and the end of May 2023 examined personal, environmental, and behavioural factors of...

Background Demographics and comorbidities associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) severity differs between subpopulations and should be determined to aid future pandemic planning and preparedness. Aim To describe the demographics and comorbidities of patients diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) i...

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of Queensland, Australia, had relative success in containing viral transmission, presenting a unique case for potential insights into effective crisis management. Limited research exists into the communication style and effectiveness of Chief Health Officers (CHOs) throughout pandemic scenar...

Queensland experienced relatively low case numbers during the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. This may be due to timely, stringent policies, yet there is currently no research evaluating this link, despite the state government playing such a primary role in the pandemic response. This ecological study used a cross‐se...

Background Safe, accessible, and inclusive abortion care and pregnancy options counselling are essential components of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Research has documented LGBTIQA+ people are as likely, or more than likely, as the general population to experience an abortion in their lifetime yet face significant barriers to accessing...

The so-called ‘new music industry’ has signalled many changes in the way that musicians approach music-making as a career and source of livelihood. A particularly salient feature of this has been a reduced emphasis on recorded output as a means of making money from music and a focus instead on live performance. This sea change was famously marked b...

Research that examines lived experience and how emerging adults seek to create wellbeing in their daily lives through nature is limited. This paper addresses this gap by providing unique insights into how emerging adults perceive and experience nature as a beneficial resource for their wellbeing. Data were collected using photo-elicitation intervie...

Clinical relevance Children in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often do not access follow-up eye care services when referred from vision screenings; whether this is due to lack of availability is not known. This paper highlights the need for vision and eye care for vulnerable children with practicing clinical optometrists well placed to...

Increasing numbers of young adults in Australia are choosing to abstain from alcohol. Research demonstrates young adults encounter difficulties when choosing to abstain in settings where alcohol consumption is common or expected. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of abstainers aged 18–24 years to understand if the acceptance of...

Cancer is a leading cause of premature death and disability in Samoa. Recognizing the importance of symptom awareness and early detection, the Samoa Cancer Society (SCS) developed the 'Vave' (quickly) campaign as the first multi-media cancer awareness campaign in Samoa. The campaign adopted a three-pronged community engagement approach including ma...

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased levels of stress and alcohol consumption. This study examined the effect of resilience on the relationship between stress and changes in alcohol consumption in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. A cross-sectional survey of 502 adults in Queensland, Australia (mean age = 45.68 (16.61)), fou...

Sharing lived-experience of mental ill-health is increasingly recognised as a promising youth mental health intervention. batyr is a preventative mental health organization that trains young people to share their story of mental ill-health safely through a speaker development program. This qualitative study aimed to understand how the role of batyr...

While interest in wellbeing has grown immensely among practitioners and researchers across various disciplines, there is limited understanding of how lay people, particularly emerging adults, conceptualise and experience wellbeing. Exploring the lived experiences of wellbeing can offer insight into the context within which emerging adults understan...

Leadership and communication capabilities of federal leaders during crises are imperative to support and guide citizens’ behaviors and emotions. We examine crisis communication delivered by the Australian Prime Minister (PM), Scott Morrison during the COVID-19 pandemic. Communication delivered over seven months starting from the first reported case...

Given the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly uncertain socio-economic conditions, cultural practice remains a stable canvas upon which young people draw the most agency and exercise a sense of freedom. This article reports on an international research collaboration, drawing on the voices of 77 young musicians from...

Introduction: Cancer is a leading cause of death in Samoa. Cultural beliefs shape attitudes towards disease and disease prevention in Pacific countries, and are a barrier to engaging in cancer screening services. Methods: A survey of 205 Samoan adults conducted as part of the evaluation of the first cancer awareness campaign implemented in Samoa...

It is increasingly recognised that strategies to treat or prevent mental illness alone do not guarantee a mentally healthy population. Emerging adults have been identified as a particularly vulnerable population when it comes to mental health concerns. While mental illnesses are carefully monitored and researched, less is known about mental wellbei...

Emerging adulthood is a transitional life stage with increased probability of risky and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours that are known to have strong links with premature mortality and morbidity. Wellbeing, as a positive subjective experience, is identified as a factor that encourages self-care and may steer individuals away from risky lifestyle beh...

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

We evaluate methods to calculate the economic value of protected areas derived from the improved mental health of visitors. A conservative global estimate using quality-adjusted life years, a standard measure in health economics, is US$6 trillion p.a. This is an order of magnitude greater than the global value of protected area tourism, and two to...

Background: Given the growing concerns for emerging adult wellbeing, there is a need to better understand how this population group interpret, experience and seek to create wellbeing through nature. This paper aims to address this gap and provide unique insight on how emerging adults perceive and experience nature as a beneficial resource to their...

Background and context: Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Samoa. Early detection increases the likelihood of successful treatment; however, in Samoa, cancer patients often present late, when treatment options are limited and often reduced to receiving palliative care. Low levels of health literacy in relation to cancer causation, r...

Background: Homelessness is a persistent social issue with diverse impacts reaching far beyond individuals. Strategies and research concerning homelessness and health have largely focused on the risk factors and weaknesses of individuals. Such preoccupation has meant the potential strengths and resources within individuals, and so-called strength-...