Welcome to the Socioeconomic Inequalities SIG’s November newsletter, where we put the spotlight on the research efforts of our dedicated members. We invite you to take a moment to explore, share, and connect with the work of members of the SIG. Thank you for being part of this journey!

As champions of social justice, addressing socioeconomic inequalities is an essential ingredient for societal progress. Creating a fair and equitable society not only promotes social cohesion and harmony but it can also lead to a peaceful society. There are many compelling reasons as to why we need a more concerted and collective effort to make a difference. To this end, we invite you to share with us your learnings and experiences in addressing this very important matter.

“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality exist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” Nelson Mandela

We would like to thank Laurel Curran and Maureen Ashe for their work. We wish you both the very best in your future endeavors.

We would like to welcome the new member of the Socioeconomic SIG leadership team, Chien Ju Ting, who is going to reinforce our newsletters team.

Chien is an early-career researcher who completed her PhD in 2021. Her PhD was related to Indigenous language revitalization and language policy analysis. She thrives on cross-disciplinary research. She grew up in Taiwan and moved to New Zealand in 2004. She is a Research Fellow at the Auckland University of Technology, The School of Sport and Recreation. She hopes to have the opportunity to catch up with the wider ISBNPA community next year.

At our business meeting held on October 18th, the SIG members were asked to reflect on this question: What are the current big questions on socioeconomic inequalities for you?

This is what our SIG members told us:

Our SIG members raised an important topic that challenges our often-unquestioned methods of portraying individuals in less fortunate societal positions. It is crucial to question how we frame these issues and consider the potential impact of our framing on the outcomes. To further explore this, we are contemplating the establishment of a mentorship program. If you are interested in being a mentor or a mentee in the areas of writing positioning, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

XChange 2023

XChange 2023, the annual online meeting hosted by ISBNPA! This exciting event took place on October 12th at 1800 UTC and spanned over six hours. With a packed schedule featuring over 50 captivating presentations and two engaging round-table discussions, this was great.

The XChange presented a remarkable opportunity to reconnect with colleagues from the Uppsala ISBNPA2023 meeting and to expand attendees' professional network.

ISBNPA 2024 Call for Abstracts and Symposia is Open

ISBNPA leader team is already preparing for the in-person meeting scheduled for May 20-23, 2024, in Omaha, US.

The central theme of this conference is "Policies, Systems, and Environments Towards Health Equity." We are in the process of curating an exceptional lineup of keynote speakers who will delve into this important topic.

Participate in the ISBNPA 2024 conference by submitting your best research. The deadline for regular abstract submissions is December 4th, 2023.

To learn more about the call for abstracts and to submit your research, visit the [Call for Abstracts – ISBNPA ].

ISBNPA2024 Research Hub

If you're considering organizing a research meeting close to the ISBNPA2024 date, we can assist you in finding a suitable venue, arranging catering, and handling other logistics. Reach out to us at the ISBNPA Research Hub.

Promotion of physical activity (PA) in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people in New Zealand

Chien is currently preparing for research relating to the promotion of physical activity (PA) in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people in New Zealand. Tailoring PA programmes for individuals from CALD backgrounds poses challenges, resulting in concerns in sustaining participation among this demographic. This study uses a critical discourse studies (CDS) approach to explore the discursive elements in this setting, uncovering the power dynamic and the underlying ideological obstacles for CALD to participate in PA. One of the expected outcomes of this research is a language guide that supports fitness instructors to communicate with CALD. 

Flinders Assistant for Memory Enhancement (FAME)

FAME is a tablet-based platform with assistive mobile tools developed by a team of researchers from Flinders University to deliver IT-based digital health interventions to older adults wishing to counteract mild memory loss. The platform provides a means of engagement to encourage persistent usage and prolonged adherence to the onboard interventions. FAME was trialed by community dwelling older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment in Adelaide Australia in a 2-phase pilot program. In phase I (n=60) FAME delivered brain training interventions and in phase II (n=63), FAME delivered brain training and physical activity interventions. Both interventions were delivered using study iPads for 12-weeks. FAME development and trial was inspired by the living laboratory methodology; to iteratively develop an eventual stable product based on real-life settings.

One key finding of the overall project is the lack of accessibility and utilization of digital health technology-based interventions in older adults based on an individuals’ economic status, social status, and cultural background creating socioeconomic inequalities or digital divide. To this end, FAME is now embarking on cultural adaptation to address barriers intrinsic to culture and language in digital health initiatives. The first project will be commencing in Athens, Greece. The FAME team invites international collaborators interested in similar cultural adaptation. Please contact Lua Perimal-Lewis on lua.perimal-lewis@flinders.edu.au for further information.

EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS PhD EXPERIENCES

In this topic we would like to create a space where Early-Stage Researchers show their experience regarding their PhD, their work topic and what they expect from the future.

Please let us know about your PhD students and give us the opportunity to know their work! Please send an email to: Chair and Co-Chair sonia.vladimira@ulusofona.pt; lene.seidler@sydney.edu.au or our Newsletters leadership team lua.perimal-lewis@flinders.edu.au; chien.ting@aut.ac.nz; doridily@gmail.com.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Nejatinamini S, Campbell DJT, Godley J, Minaker LM, Sajobi T, McCormack G, Olstad DL. The contribution of modifiable risk factors to socioeconomic inequities in cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality: a nationally representative population-based cohort study. Preventive Medicine 171:107497, 2023.

Aktary ML, Dunn S, Sajobi T, O’Hara H, Leblanc P, McCormack G, Caron-Roy S, Ball K, Lee YY, Nejatinamini S, Reimer RA, Pan B, Minaker L, Raine KD, Godley J, Downs S, Nykiforuk CIJ, Olstad DL. Impact of a farmers' market healthy food subsidy on the diet quality of adults with low incomes in British Columbia, Canada: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 117:766-776, 2023.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

WHO: ASPA conference is hosted by the Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity (ASPA) and Sport and Exercise Science NZ (SESNZ)

TITLE: Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity (ASPA) conference

WHEN: The ASPA conference will take place on 27-28 November 2023, and the SESNZ conference will follow on 28-29 November 2023 (you can book both or just one)

WHERE: Wellington, New Zealand.  Victoria University of Wellington 

WEBSITE: https://aspactivity.org/conference/aspa-2023-conference/

We invite you to our next free webinar:

Exploring the impact of mother kitchen recipe talk on Maternal anaemia and malnourish child among Tribes of Andhra Pradesh, India: a prospective cohort study

When: December 15, 2023, 2000 UTC

Learn more [HERE]

Are you passionate about Socioeconomic Inequalities in Digital Health?

Socioeconomic inequalities in Digital Health can have significant implications for healthcare outcomes. Access to digital health tools and resources can impact an individual's ability to manage their health, access medical information, and receive healthcare services.

One of our SIG members is inviting like-minded researchers to collaborate on research projects addressing socioeconomic inequalities in digital health amongst adolescent and ageing populations.

Please contact Lua Perimal-Lewis on lua.perimal-lewis@flinders.edu.au to start a conversation.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Success stories

Do you have any success stories that demonstrate the positive impact of addressing socioeconomic inequalities? We would like to hear from you! Please contact our social media and newsletters team leaders:  (Social Media: sjliew.epi@gmail.com;salma.musaad@bcm.edu;

Newsletters: lua.perimal-lewis@flinders.edu.au; chien.ting@aut.ac.nz; doridily@gmail.com).

Webinars

Would you like to share your experiences and expertise in an online webinar? We would like to hear from you! Please contact us by sending an email to:  sonia.vladimira@ulusofona.pt; lene.seidler@sydney.edu.au (Chair and Co-Chair)

SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES

Do you have new publications or announcements you would like to share on

our Twitter account or on our next newsletter? Please contact our social media and newsletters team leaders. (Social Media: sjliew.epi@gmail.com;salma.musaad@bcm.edu;

Newsletters: lua.perimal-lewis@flinders.edu.au; chien.ting@aut.ac.nz; doridily@gmail.com).

SHARING OUR NEWSLETTER

Feel free to encourage your colleagues to sign up for our SIG

newsletter!

Contributors to this edition:

Lua Perimal-Lewis; Sónia V. Correia; Chien Ting;

Doris Akosua Tay