Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Promoting Fit Bodies, Healthy Eating And Physical Activity Among Indigenous Australian Men: A Study Protocol, Lina A. Ricciardelli, David Mellor, Marita P. Mccabe, Alexander J. Mussap, David J. Hallford, Matthew Tyler

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Background: Overall the physical health of Indigenous men is among the worst in Australia. Research has indicated that modifiable lifestyle factors, such as poor nutrition and physical inactivity, appear to contribute strongly to these poor health conditions. To effectively develop and implement strategies to improve the health of Australia’s Indigenous peoples, a greater understanding is needed of how Indigenous men perceive health, and how they view and care for their bodies. Further, a more systematic understanding of how sociocultural factors affect their health attitudes and behaviours is needed. This article presents the study protocol of a community- based investigation into …

Risk And Protective Factors Associated With Gambling Consequences For Indigenous Australians In North Queensland, Helen M. Breen

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The purpose of this paper was to examine risk and protective factors associated with the consequences of card gambling and commercial gambling for Indigenous Australians in north Queensland. With Indigenous Elders’ approval and using qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 60 Indigenous and 48 non- Indigenous Australians in three north Queensland sites. Risk factors associated with both card and commercial gambling consequences were found to be poverty and a reluctance to seek gambling help, while for card gambling only, generational influences was a risk factor. In contrast, protective factors for both card and commercial gambling consequences were reported as …

Social And Emotional Outcomes Of Australian Children From Indigenous And Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds, Naomi Priest, Jennifer Baxter, Linda Hayes

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objectives: 1) profile the living environments and 2) examine the social and emotional outcomes of Australian children from Indigenous and cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds at school entry. Method: Secondary analysis of cross- sectional data collected in Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=4,735). Child mental-health outcomes were measured using parent report of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: Significant differences in family and neighbourhood characteristics, including parental income, maternal education, maternal parenting quality and neighbourhood safety, were found in children of Indigenous and CALD backgrounds compared to the reference group of Australian-born, English-speaking children. …

Socioeconomic Disparities In Physical Health Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Children In Western Australia, Carrington C.J. Sheperd, Jianghong Li, Stephen R. Zubrick

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective. Few empirical studies have specifically examined the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and health in Indigenous populations of Australia. We sought to provide insights into the nature of this relationship by examining socio-economic disparities in physical health outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Western Australia.

Design. We used a diverse set of health and SES indicators from a representative survey conducted in 2000􏰣2002 on the health and development of 5289 Indigenous children aged 0􏰣17 years in Western Australia. Analysis was conducted using multivariate logistic regression within a multilevel framework. Results. After controlling for age and sex, …

Access To General Practitioner Services Amongst Underserved Australians: A Microsimulation Study, Deborah J. Schofield, Rupendra N. Shrestha, Emily J. Callander

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Background: One group often identified as having low socioeconomic status, those living in remote or rural areas, are often recognised as bearing an unequal burden of illness in society. This paper aims to examine equity of utilisation of general practitioner services in Australia.

Methods: Using the 2005 National Health Survey undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a microsimulation model was developed to determine the distribution of GP services that would occur if all Australians had equal utilisation of health services relative to need.

Results: It was estimated that those who are unemployed would experience a 19% increase in GP …

Addressing Alcohol Use In Community Sports Clubs: Attitudes Of Club Representatives, Luke Wolfenden, Melanie Kingsland, Bosco Rowland, Vanessa Kennedy, John Wiggers

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Children And Adolescent Exposure To Alcohol Advertising During Bathurst 1000, Sondra L. Davoren, Craig A. Sinclair

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Do Indigenous Australians Age Prematurely? The Implications Of Life Expectancy And Health Conditions Of Older Indigenous People For Health And Aged Care Policy, Philippa R. Cotter, John R. Condon, Tony Barnes, Ian P.S. Anderson, Leonard R. Smith, Teresa Cunningham

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective. To assess whether Indigenous Australians age prematurely compared with other Australians, as implied by Australian Government aged care policy, which uses age 50 years and over for population-based planning for Indigenous people compared with 70 years for non-indigenous people.

Methods. Cross-sectional analysis of aged care assessment, hospital and health survey data comparing Indigenous and non-indigenous age-specific prevalence of health conditions. Analysis of life tables for Indigenous and non-indigenous populations comparing life expectancy at different ages.

Results. At age 63 for women and age 65 for men, Indigenous people had the same life expectancy as non-indigenous people at age 70. …

Healthy Lifestyle Programs For Physical Activity And Nutrition, N.A.

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Management Of Type 2 Diabetes, Susan Harch, David Reeve, Carole Reeve

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: This article describes the evaluation of a new model of partnership care using an audit cycle.

Results: Statistically significant improvements in foot examination, body mass index, urine albumin creatinine ratio, total cholesterol, triglycerides and visual acuity measurements were observed. Significant increases in the proportion of patients achieving cholesterol and triglycerides therapeutic targets occurred. Most other outcome indicators demonstrated a nonsignificant improvement, which may be due to the short time interval in the audit for potential change.

Conclusion: A dedicated chronic disease team and a clinical information system to coordinate culturally appropriate, multidisciplinary chronic disease care enables effective management of …

Sleep And Academic Performance In Indigenous Australian Children From A Remote Community: An Exploratory Studyjpc_2059 122, Patrick Cooper, Mark Kohler, Sarah Blunden

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Aim: Disruptions to sleep in childhood are associated with poor behaviour and deficits in academic performance and executive function. Although academic performance of indigenous children from remote communities in Australia is documented as well below that of non- indigenous children, the extent of sleep disruption and its contribution to academic performance among this population has not been assessed. This pilot study aimed to objectively assess the sleep of remote indigenous children and the association between sleep disruption and both academic performance and executive function.

Method: Twenty-one children from a remote Australian indigenous community aged 6–13 years wore actigraphy for two …

Using First Nations Children's Perceptions Of Food And Activity To Inform An Obesity Prevention Strategy, Ashlee-Ann E. Pigford, Noreen D. Willows, Nicholas L. Holt, Amanda S. Newton, Geoff D.C. Ball

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of The Coping Power Program In A Mexican-American Sample: Distinctive Cultural Considerations, Susan L. O'Donnell, Diomaris E. Jurecska, Robert Dyer

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This study responds to the challenges associated with delivering culturally sensitive and evidence-based treatment (EBT) to at-risk children. Current research supports group interventions based on the Coping Power Program (CPP) curriculum as EBT for improving the frequency of positive behaviors in children and adolescents. However, the effectiveness of the CPP in a Mexican-American sample has not been explored to date. This study investigated the effectiveness of the CPP delivered as a preventative intervention to Mexican-American adoles- cents in a rural school setting. A major emphasis is put on cultural sensitivity when working with this population. Cultural sensitivity is expressed by …

New Zealand’S Bold Strategy For Reducing Health Disparities, N.A.

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Indigenous Beliefs About Biomedical And Bush Medicine Treatment Efficacy For Indigenous Cancer Patients: A Review Of The Literature, K. D. Schaik, S. C. Thompson

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Background: Australia’s Indigenous people suffer from higher cancer mortality than non-Indigenous Australians, a discrepancy partly caused by differences in beliefs about treatment efficacy between Indigenous patients and their non-Indigenous healthcare providers. This paper critically reviews the literature associated with Indigenous beliefs about cancer treatment, both ‘bush medicine’ and biomedical, in order to provide recommendations to healthcare providers about accommodating Indigenous beliefs when treating cancer.

Methods: A search was undertaken of peer-reviewed journal papers using electronic databases and citation snowballing. Papers were selected for inclusion based upon relevance to themes that addressed the research questions. Results: Literature suggests that Indigenous beliefs …

Counting The Cost: Estimating The Number Of Deaths Among Recently Released Prisoners In Australia, Stuart A. Kinner, David B. Preen, Azar Kariminia, Tony Butler, Jessica Y. Andrews, Mark Stoové, Matthew Law

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To estimate the number of deaths among people released from prison in Australia in the 2007–08 financial year, within 4 weeks and 1 year of release. Design, participants and setting: Application of crude mortality rates for ex-prisoners (obtained from two independent, state-based record-linkage studies [New South Wales and Western Australia]) to a national estimate of the number and characteristics of people released from prison in 2007–08. Main outcome measures: Estimated number of deaths among adults released from Australian prisons in 2007–08, within 4 weeks and 1 year of release, classified by age, sex, Indigenous status and cause of death. …

Health Initiatives By Indigenous People In Australia, Stephanie Clark

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Health Conditions And Health-Policy Innovations In Brazil: The Way Forward, Cesar G. Victoria, Mauricio L. Barreto, Maria Do Carmo, Carlos A. Monteiro, Maria Ines Schmidt, Jairnilson Paim, Francisco I. Bastos, Celia Almeida, Ligia Bahia, Claudia Travassos, Michael Reichenheim, Fernando C. Barros

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Cultural Authenticity And Recovery Maintenance In A Rural First Nation Community, Aimee Nygaard

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This study explored a rural, First Nation understanding of factors, particularly the role of culture, supporting recovery maintenance from problem substance use. A cross- sectional, qualitative research design and community-based methodology were used. Participants included 20 members of a rural Canadian community self-identifying as recovering, or recovered, problem substance users, and those with professional experience with First Nations recovery. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews gathered in-depth accounts of the recovery experience examined through a thematic analysis. Culture emerged as a contested concept, and was viewed along a spectrum from detrimental, to somewhat helpful to very beneficial in the recovery process. Community change …

Using The Commons To Facilitate Health Communication, Anna Liebzeit, Karen Adams, Mat Jakobi

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Exploring Relationships Between Racism, Housing And Child Illness In Remote Indigenous Communities, Naomi Priest, Yin Paradies, Matthew Stevens, Ross Bailie

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Background Although racism is increasingly acknowledged as a determinant of health, few studies have examined the relationship between racism, housing and child health outcomes. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Housing Improvement and Child Health study collected in ten remote indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, Australia were analysed using hierarchical logistic regression. Carer and householder self-reported racism was measured using a single item and child illness was measured using a carer report of common childhood illnesses. A range of confounders, moderators and mediators were considered, including socio-demographic and household composition, psychosocial measures for carers and householders, community environment, and health-related …

Cancer Incidence And Mortality In Indigenous Australians In Queensland, 1997–2006, Suzanne P. Moore, Peter K. O'Rourke, Kylie-Ann Mallitt, Gail Garvey, Adèle C. Green, Michael D. Coory, Patricia C. Valery

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: To examine cancer incidence and mortality in Indigenous Queenslanders. Design, setting and patients: Assessment of indirectly standardised incidence and mortality ratios for Indigenous Australians in Queensland diagnosed with cancer from 1997 to 2006, compared with the total Queensland population. Main outcome measures: Standardised incidence and mortality ratios. Results: Compared with the total Queensland population, Indigenous Queenslanders had a lower overall incidence of cancer (standardised incidence ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.75–0.82), but a higher incidence of some of the more fatal cancer types. Overall cancer mortality was higher (standardised mortality ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.28–1.45) and similar to rates for …

A Mi'kmaq First Nation Cosmology: Investigating The Practice Of Contemporary Aboriginal Traditional Medicine In Dialogue With Counselling – Toward An Indigenous Therapeutics, Kisiku Sa'qawei Paq'tism Randolph Bowers

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This paper explores from a Mi’kmaq and Aboriginal standpoint foundational knowledge in Indigenous therapeutics. Based on an eco-social-psycho-spiritual way of working, the article proposes Indigenous cultural models that open a window to a rich cultural repository of meanings associated with Indigenous cosmology, ontology and epistemology. The three layers of meaning, theory and practice within the symbolic ‘Medicine Lodge’ or ‘Place of The Dreaming’ give rise to ways of working that are deeply integrative and wholistic. These forms of Indigenous theory and practice have much to offer the counselling and complimentary health professions.

The Prevalence And Causes Of Vision Loss In Indigenous Australians: The National Indigenous Eye Health Survey, Hugh R. Taylor, Jing Xie, Sarah Fox, Ross A. Dunn, Anna-Lena Arnold, Jill E. Keeffe

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Aim: To determine the prevalence and causes of vision loss in Indigenous Australians. Design, setting and participants: A national, stratified, random cluster sample was drawn from 30 communities across Australia that each included about 300 Indigenous people of all ages. A sample of non-Indigenous adults aged 􏱄 40 years was also tested at several remote sites for comparison. Participants were examined using a standardised protocol that included a questionnaire (self-administered or completed with the help of field staff), visual acuity (VA) testing on presentation and after correction, visual field testing, trachoma grading, and fundus and lens photography. The data were …

Birthweight And Natural Deaths In A Remote Australian Aboriginal Community, Wendy E. Hoy, Jennifer L. Nicol

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objectives: To describe associations between birthweight and infant, child and early adult mortality from natural causes in a remote Australian Aboriginal community against a background of rapidly changing mortality due to better health services. Design, participants and setting: Cohort study of 995 people with recorded birthweights who were born between 1956 and 1985 to an Aboriginal mother in a remote Australian Aboriginal community. Participants were followed through to the end of 2006. Main outcome measures: Rates of natural deaths of infants (aged 0 to < 1 year), children (aged 1 to < 15 years) and adults (aged 15 to < 37 years), compared by birth intervals (1956–1965, 1966–1975 and 1976–1985 for infants and children, and 1956–1962 and 1963–1969 for adults) and by birthweight. Results: Birthweights were low, but increased over time. Deaths among infants and children decreased dramatically over time, but deaths among adults did not. Lower birthweights were associated with higher mortality. Adjusted for birth interval, hazard ratios for deaths among infants, children and adults born at weights below their group birthweight medians were 2.30 (95% CI, 1.13–4.70) ), 1.78 (95% CI, 1.03–3.07) and 3.49 (95% CI, 1.50–8.09), respectively. The associations were significant individually for deaths associated with diarrhoea in infants, with cardiovascular and renal disease in adults, and marginally significant for deaths from pulmonary causes in children and adults. Conclusion: The striking improvements in infant and child survival over time must be applauded. We confirmed a predisposing effect of lower birthweights on deaths in infants and children, and showed, for the first time, an association between lower birthweights and deaths in adults. Together, these factors are probably contributing to the current epidemic of chronic disease in Aboriginal people, an effect that will persist for decades. Similar phenomena are probably operating in developing countries.

Hiv Testing Experiences Of Aboriginal Youth In Canada: Service Implications, Catherine Worthington, Randy Jackson, Judy Mill, Tracey Prentice, Ted Myers, Susan Sommerfeldt

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The objective of this study was to explore HIV testing experiences and service views of Canadian Aboriginal youth in order to provide information for HIV testing services. An exploratory, mixed-method, community-based research design was used for this study. Findings reported here are from 210 survey participants who had experienced an HIV test. Youth were recruited through 11 Aboriginal organizations across Canada, including AIDS service organizations, health centers, community organizations, and friendship centers. Youth who had tested for HIV ranged in age from 15 to 30 years of age (20% were B20), and came from First Nations (75%), Me ́ tis …

A Four-Stage Method For Developing Early Interventions For Alcohol Among Aboriginal Adolescents, Christopher J. Mushquash, Brian D. Mcleod, Sherry H. Stewart

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This paper details a four-stage methodology for developing early alcohol interventions for at-risk Aboriginal youth. Stage 1 was an integrative approach to Aboriginal education that upholds Aboriginal traditional wisdom supporting respectful relationships to the Creator, to the land and to each other. Stage 2 used quantitative methods to investigate associations between personality risk factors and risky drinking motives. Stage 3 used qualitative interviews to further understand the contexts and circumstances surrounding drinking behaviour within a larger cultural context. Stage 3 involved tailoring personality- matched, motive-specific brief interventions to meet at-risk adolescents’ needs. Stage 4 involved an efficacy test of the …

Children With Fasd- Related Disabilities Receiving Services From Child Welfare Agencies In Manitoba, Don Fuchs, Linda Burnside, Sheila Marchenski, Andria Mudry

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a serious social and health problem for the child welfare, health and education systems in North America and other parts of the world. This article describes the population of children in care of the child welfare system in Manitoba. Also this article will highlight the relevance of these research findings to aboriginal populations in Canada and its implications for international aboriginal/ indigenous groups. Finally, the implications for policy, practice are discussed and the article puts forward some directions for further research.

Viewing Violence, Mental Illness And Addiction Through A Wise Practices Lens, Cynthia C. Wesley-Esquimaux, Andrew Snowball

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The progressive approaches First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities use to address health and wellness concerns are rarely written about or acknowledged in a positive manner. This paper speaks to a concept introduced through the Canadian Aboriginal Aids Network (CAAN) entitled “wise practices”. CAAN saw a wise practices model as more useful and inclusive of Aboriginal community practice and knowledge exchange than the current “best practice” model. In addition, wise practices acknowledge and express the notion of “Changing the Face of Aboriginal Canada”, a metaphor frequently used by the senior author of this paper, as a long overdue vehicle for …

Victims Of Violence Among Indigenous Mothers Living With Dependent Children, Kyllie Cripps, Catherine M. Bennett, Lyle C. Gurrin, David M. Studdert

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: Toidentifyindividualandhouseholdfactorsassociatedwithviolenceamong Australian Indigenous women with dependent children. Design and participants: Univariate and multivariable analysis of data from the 2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, stratified by area.

Main outcome measure: Self-reported experience of being a victim of violence in the previous year. Results: OneinfourIndigenouswomenlivingwithdependentchildrenyoungerthan 15 years reported being victims of violence in the previous year; this corresponds to an estimated 24 221 Indigenous mothers (95% CI, 21 507–26 935) nationwide. Violence was more prevalent in regional areas and cities than remote areas. In remote areas, mothers who had been removed from their natural families during childhood …