scholarly journals Disability poverty and ageing in regional Australia: The impact of disability income reforms for indigenous Australians

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Soldatic
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Disability Income ◽  
Regional Australia ◽  
The Impact

COVID-19 and cancer: Strategic health promotion for indigenous Australians during a pandemic.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e24028-e24028
Author(s):  
Carolyn Der Vartanian ◽  
Vivienne Milch ◽  
Gail Garvey ◽  
Cleola Anderiesz ◽  
Jane Salisbury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Culturally Appropriate ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Australian Community ◽  
The Impact

e24028 Background: Given the impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous and ethnic minority populations observed globally, keeping COVID-19 out of vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous Australian) communities remains a priority. Compared to non-Indigenous Australians, Indigenous Australians experience disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes due to social disadvantage, increased cancer-related modifiable risk factors, poorer access to health services and lower participation in screening. During the pandemic, cancer-related investigations and treatment reduced significantly in Australia, leading to potential decreases in cancer diagnoses and consequences for future survival outcomes. Concerned about the risk of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 for Indigenous Australians, as well as worsening cancer outcomes, Cancer Australia undertook strategic health promotion initiatives, to inform and support optimal cancer care. Methods: In consultation with respected Indigenous colleagues to ensure cultural appropriateness of language and information, we published a dedicated webpage titled ‘ Cancer and COVID-19 – what it means for our Mob*’ with tailored information, advice, and links to key resources and support services for Indigenous Australians. We also released a video titled ‘ Act early for our Mob’s Health’, providing targeted, culturally appropriate, consumer-friendly information to encourage Indigenous Australians to see their doctor or Aboriginal Health Worker with symptoms that may be due to cancer. Results: The information hub has been well-received among the Indigenous Australian community, receiving over 3,200 visits, and the social media campaigns have received over 1.4 million impressions and 46,000 video views between mid-March 2020 to mid-February 2021. This campaign has supported proactivity among the Indigenous population in keeping their communities safe during the pandemic, maintaining a population rate of COVID-19 of less than one percent of all confirmed cases in Australia. Conclusions: Culturally appropriate information and resources developed through the process of co-design can help to influence positive health behaviour change in Indigenous populations. We predict that our strategic, multi-channel health promotion campaign is contributing to keeping the Indigenous Australian community safe and informed during the pandemic, with additional work needed to monitor cancer rates and outcomes and address the ongoing information needs of the community. *Mob is a colloquial term to identify a group of Indigenous Australians associated with a family or community from a certain place.

scholarly journals ‘Everyone knows grandma’. Pathways to gambling venues in regional Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1273-1282
Author(s):  
Amy Bestman ◽  
Samantha L Thomas ◽  
Melanie Randle ◽  
Hannah Pitt ◽  
Rebecca Cassidy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Perceptions Of Risk ◽  
Electronic Gambling ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Regional Australia ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In regional Australia, families (including children), attend community venues that contain gambling products, such as electronic gambling machines (EGMs), for a range of non-gambling reasons. However, there is a gap in research that seeks to understand how these venues may become embedded into family social practices. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and cultural capital, this paper aimed to explore factors that influence family decisions to attend venues and perceptions of risk associated with children’s exposure to gambling products. Face-to-face qualitative interviews were conducted with 31 parents who attended community gambling venues with their children, in New South Wales, Australia. Families attended venues for three key reasons, first because of the influence of others in their social networks, second for regular social activities and third because of structural factors such as a lack of alternative, affordable, family friendly environments in their local area. Despite recognizing the harm associated with EGMs, parents distanced themselves from EGM harm with all parents perceiving venues to be an appropriate space for families. Research in this study indicates that family social practices within venues affect perceptions of risk associated with community gambling venues. The impact of these practices on longer-term health requires more investigation by public health and health promotion researchers and practitioners. Health promotion initiatives should consider identifying alternative sources of support and/or developing alternative social spaces for families in regional communities that do not contain gambling products.

Disability Income Insurance: The Private Market and the Impact of Genetic Testing

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (S2) ◽  
pp. 40-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Christianson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Insurance Industry ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Disability Insurance ◽  
Insurance Market ◽  
Income Insurance ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Disability Income ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

This article discusses the disability insurance industry in order to provide context regarding the potential impact of genetic testing on disability insurance. It describes disability income insurance, exploring both the protection it offers and its main contract provisions. It goes on to describe the private insurance market and the differences between group and individual insurance, and concludes with implications of genetic testing with respect to the private disability insurance market. The individual disability income insurance market is theoretically of great interest as a matter of public policy since there is potential for unfair discrimination through genetic testing although this remains very unlikely as a matter of practice, however.It is more likely that a person will become disabled than die before age 65. The loss of income during a disability can be quite devastating. In contrast to the high risk and high impact of disability are the realities of the disability market.

Local content commitment and the link with indigenous economic development: a case study

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 500
Author(s):  
Michele Villa
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Local Content ◽  
Social And Economic Development ◽  
Social Licence To Operate ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

This extended abstract discusses local content opportunities in economic development for the Aboriginal community. Local content requirements have become a strategic community development consideration during the past few years. This abstract links the topics of local content commitments and indigenous economic development via leveraging relationships with indigenous contractors in Australia. The creation of indigenous businesses that strive to succeed in the market and compete with non-indigenous companies is key in developing sustainable working opportunities for indigenous Australians. Many oil and gas players have publicly committed to contribute to indigenous business participation offering contractual opportunities and designing capacity-building programs and initiatives. The market for indigenous contractors services is, therefore, rapidly growing and presents considerable opportunities for existing and new players providing services to the resources industry in Australia. The specific demand is driven by corporate social responsibility policies and by the limited capacity of suppliers to deliver what is required by large new and expansion projects in the resource (both mining/oil and gas) sectors in Australia to maintain their social licence to operate. We present the results of a survey about policies and practices of some of the leading oil and gas operators in Australia, highlighting best practices in indigenous business engagement. We also analyse (from interviews with indigenous enterprises) barriers and issues encountered so far in indigenous contracting. International examples about the impact that indigenous enterprises can have on local community social and economic development complement the survey. Note: the term indigenous as used in this extended abstract refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

‘Working Together’: An Intercultural Academic Leadership Programme to Build Health Science Educators’ Capacity to Teach Indigenous Health and Culture

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Durey ◽  
Kate Taylor ◽  
Dawn Bessarab ◽  
Marion Kickett ◽  
Sue Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Science Educators ◽  
The Impact

Progress has been slow in improving health disparities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians and other Australians. While reasons for this are complex, delivering healthcare respectful of cultural differences is one approach to improving Indigenous health outcomes. This paper presents and evaluates an intercultural academic leadership programme developed to support tertiary educators teaching Indigenous health and culture prepare interdisciplinary students to work respectfully and appropriately as health professionals with Indigenous peoples. The programme acknowledges the impact of colonisation on Indigenous Australians and draws on theories of the intercultural space to inform reflection and discussion on Indigenous/non-Indigenous relations and their impact on healthcare. Furthermore, the programme encourages establishing a community of practice as a resource for educators. Evaluation indicated participants’ confidence to teach Indigenous content increased following the programme. Participants felt more able to create intercultural, interdisciplinary and interactive learning spaces that were inclusive and safe for students from all cultures. Participants learned skills to effectively facilitate and encourage students to grapple with the complexity of the intercultural space, often tense, uncertain and risky, to enable new understandings and positions to emerge that could better prepare graduates to work in Indigenous health contexts.

scholarly journals Breast cancer management in Australian rural indigenous women: trends and challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 620
Author(s):  
Zackariah V. K. Clement
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Interpersonal Relationship ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Indigenous Women ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
Breast Cancer Management ◽  
Barriers And Challenges ◽  
Regional Australia

Cancer patients residing in Australian rural areas have a 7% higher mortality when compared to their counterparts in urban centres. Close to half of the indigenous Australians reside in regional and remote areas. Despite of the lower incidence rates among the indigenous women, and increase in overall breast screen participation indigenous women have lower participation rates when compared to non-indigenous women and the mortality from breast cancer is similar in both groups. Due to their relative the indigenous women with breast cancer living in the rural and regional Australia face several barriers and challenges. Although there is no perfect algorithm to address this problem, government should provide adequate specialist, allied health and support services to the patient’s rural and regional areas and this should not be any different to the services offered to their urban counterparts. A multidisciplinary approach should be taken to the management of breast cancer for all indigenous women in the rural areas. Outreach clinics and Tele-oncology can overcome some of the challenges of access. Health professionals should also be trained in culturally sensitive and effective communication strategies to improve interpersonal relationship, trust, compliance and overall patient outcomes.

scholarly journals Remote mental health clients prefer face-to-face consultations to telehealth during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 103985622110435
Author(s):  
Andrew James Amos ◽  
Jocelyn Middleton ◽  
Fergus W. Gardiner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Far North ◽  
Mental Health Clients ◽  
The Impact

Objective: To guide the efficient and effective provision of mental health services to clients in Central West and Far North Queensland, we surveyed preferences for face-to-face or in-person contact. Methods: A clinician-designed survey of contact preferences was offered to 248 clients of mental health services in Far North and Central West Queensland in mid-2020. With the onset of COVID-19, the survey was modified to measure the impact of the pandemic. Results: Just over half of the services’ clients participated in the survey (50.4%), of whom more were female (63.2%). Of the participants, 46.3% in Far North and 8.6% in Central West Queensland identified as Indigenous. Strong resistance to telehealth before the pandemic across groups (76%) was moderated during COVID-19 (42.4%), an effect that appeared likely to continue past the pandemic for Central West clients (34.5%). Far North clients indicated their telehealth reluctance would return after the pandemic (77.6%). Conclusions: Our results suggest that remote Australians strongly prefer in-person mental health care to telehealth. Although the COVID-19 pandemic increased acceptance of telehealth across regions while social distancing continued, there was evidence that Indigenous Australians were more likely to prefer in-person contact after the pandemic.

scholarly journals “We Are Not Stray Leaves Blowing About In The Wind”: Summing Up The Impact of Family Wellbeing Empowerment Research, 1998-2021

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirukshi Perera ◽  
Komla Tsey ◽  
Marion Heyeres ◽  
Mary Whiteside ◽  
Leslie Baird ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Impact ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Research Translation ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Scoping Reviews ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Social And Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Family Wellbeing

Abstract Background: An Aboriginal-developed empowerment and social and emotional wellbeing program, known as Family Wellbeing (FWB), has been found to strengthen the protective factors that help Indigenous Australians to deal with the devastating legacy of colonisation and intergenerational trauma. This article reviews the research that has accompanied the implementation of FWB over a 23 year period to assess the long-term impact of FWB research and the strengths and limitations of the impact data. This will inform more comprehensive monitoring of research impact.Methods: The study took a theory of change approach, following the steps of a research program logic, to assess impact. A mixed methods evaluation of publicly available research outputs was conducted. We analysed FWB participation data and research funding using descriptive statistics. We conducted systematic scoping reviews of: 1) nine evaluative studies to show reported social and emotional wellbeing benefits of FWB; and 2) seven FWB research translation-related resources to show impact of research outputs on further reach and uptake. Results: The investment of $2.3 million in research-related activities over 23 years resulted in a range of research outputs that evidenced social and emotional wellbeing benefits arising from participation in FWB. This evidence, in part, facilitated more demand for FWB. Overall the FWB program, and accompanying research, had a direct positive impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of approximately 7,500 participants.Conclusions: The study raised a range of issues relevant to demonstrating research impact in the context of Indigenous health research including the value of a logic model that is informed by Indigenous research principles; the need to take a longer-term incremental approach to building evidence when dealing with complex or messy social health interventions; and the importance of collecting evidence, especially from the point of view of end users, about the extent to which research influenced their decisions and actions regarding the program. This lesson, and the impact logic, highlight that researchers need to create appropriate databases from the beginning and collect data well beyond the life of the project, even though we acknowledge that such endeavours are rarely funded.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document