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Study Information Sheet

Project Title: Youth, Addictions & Risks Research in The Queensland Night-time Entertainment Districts (GU ref no: 2022/281).

 

Participation is Voluntary

If you are reading this information sheet, then chances are that you were invited to take part in this research project.  Please read this Participation Information carefully.  Feel free to ask any questions about any information in the document via email to research@NED-Research.com

Participation in this research project was, and is, voluntary. If you do not wish to take part you are not obliged to do so. You must be at least 16 years old to participate in the survey. If you decide to take part and later change your mind, you are free to withdraw from the project at any stage and have any data obtained from you removed from our records. As this research is completely anonymous, we can only remove your data if you email us with your participant ID (on the back of the business card we would have given you) and the day and approximate time we interviewed you.

Purpose and Background

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of alcohol on people in the Night-Time Entertainment District (NED).

There are two broad studies being conducted as part of this research:

Study 1:

Having published our research on preloading alcohol before entry to Qld NEDs it has become apparent that we (the scientific collective) know very little about how people learn to preload, cultural factors in early preloading behaviours and family and peer influences in early drinking behaviours. This study will offer breathalysing to people entering, moving around in and leaving the Qld NEDs. We will ask participants to complete a very brief survey on an iPad asking about: their first preloading experiences; who bought (and still buys) them alcohol; peer influences on preloading; educational background correlates of preloading; family attitudes toward consuming alcohol; experience of domestic violence; and drug and alcohol taking behaviours.

Study 2:

This will follow-on from our earlier research: “Can I Buy You a Drink” - Alcohol Intoxication, Risky Sexual Behaviour and Self-Regulation in Night-Time Entertainment Districts. In that research we found a worrying trend for females to be less likely to use condoms than men and to engage in more risky behaviours. We wish to check this effect and look at other risky behaviours such as: general 'hook-ups'; sexual protection; vaccinations; gambling and gaming (generally and computer gaming). We also want to look at experiences of violence / domestic violence during a night out.

These studies measure individuals’ Blood approximated Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) throughout the night in the NED.  A stratified sample of people in Queensland NEDs are being offered the questionnaire and provided with free breathalysing. The questionnaire initially assesses people’s demographics and then goes into either study 1 (preloading influences – family and peers) or study 2 (risk taking behaviours and addictions). Individuals who complete the survey are then breathalysed and informed of their BrAC.

This research will be eventually written-up for a project report and for a published article and may also form the basis of a student’s postgraduate thesis (e.g., Honours, Masters, or PhD thesis). The data we obtain may also be collapsed into other data sets to obtain a ‘rolling average’ of intoxication in NEDs and may form part of publications and reports that focus on issues other than the two studies listed here. However, all data is obtained anonymously and confidentiality is maintained.

Possible Benefits

We hope the knowledge gained from this study will assist clinical practice and public education. In particular, we would like the outcomes of this research to inform better programmes inside NEDs (and public advertising) to reduce risk of harms on a night out.

However, we do not envisage any personal benefits you may experience yourself, over and above having the experience of being a research participant and being told your Blood Alcohol Concentration level.

Possible Risks

This research is completely anonymous and we do not foresee any personal risks attached to taking part. However, some of the questions are personal in nature and some people may find them confronting. These include questions which cover sexual preferences and gender preferences, and drug taking and gambling behaviours. We also encourage people to complete these questions confidentially, not informing their friends of their answers while completing.

Privacy, Confidentiality and Disclosure of Information

All participants will be identified only by a research number so that you can withdraw consent at a later date and so we can link your answers across the night. All questionnaires will be kept on a locked computer at Griffith University or held on a secure Canadian server – both in an anonymous fashion (as we take no identifying information from you). Raw data will be in the form of an Excel spreadsheet and will be kept for a minimum of 10 years since collection.

Further Information or Any Problems

If any of the material in the questionnaires or the alcohol or drug testing raised any issues of concern for you, you are welcome to discuss them with the researchers. Likewise, if you require further information or have questions about the project, feel free to contact us via NED-Research.com. You can also obtain and access a plain language summary of the research results via email request.

Griffith University conducts research in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. If participants have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of the research project, they should contact the Manager, Research Ethics on 07 3735 4375 or email at research-ethics@griffith.edu.au

Contact Numbers for Assistance (should you require any):

• Queensland Health's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) 24-hour Information Service: 1800 177 833; http://www.health.qld.gov.au/atod/
• The Gender Service, Metro North Hospital & Health Service: 1300 364 938
• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Australian Psychological Society (for referral): 1800 333 49
• Metro North Sexual Health and HIV Service (270 Roma Street, Brisbane City; 3837 5611)
• Gambling Help Queensland: 1800 858 858
• 24-hour Domestic Violence Helplines:
  • DVConnect – Womensline: 1800 811 811
  • DVConnect – Mensline: 1800 600 636
  • 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

Completion of this survey will be taken as your consent to participate in the research.

Research Updates!

29/07/22 - Data collection begins in Qld, Australia.

20/05/22 - Ethics approval received.

12/05/22 - Ethical review received.

04/22 - Ethics submitted.