Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander utilisation of the Quitline service for smoking cessation in South Australia

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Cosh ◽  
Lauren Maksimovic ◽  
Kerry Ettridge ◽  
David Copley ◽  
Jacqueline A. Bowden

Smoking prevalence among Indigenous Australians far exceeds that of non-Indigenous Australians and is considered the greatest contributor to burden of disease for Indigenous Australians. The Quitline is a primary intervention for facilitating smoking cessation and, given the health implications of tobacco use, maximising its effectiveness for Indigenous Australians is imperative. However, the utilisation and effectiveness of this service within the Indigenous Australian population has not been examined. This study explores the utilisation of the South Australian Quitline by smokers identifying as Indigenous Australian. Quitline counsellors collected data regarding demographic characteristics, and smoking and quitting behaviour from Quitline callers in 2010. Results indicated that the proportion of Indigenous and non-Indigenous smokers who registered for the service was comparable. Demographic variables and smoking addiction at time of registration with the Quitline were similar for Indigenous and non-Indigenous callers. However, results indicated that Indigenous callers received significantly fewer callbacks than non-Indigenous callers and were significantly less likely to set a quit date. Significantly fewer Indigenous callers reported that they were still successfully quit at 3 months. Thus, Indigenous Australian callers may be less engaged with the Quitline and further research is required exploring whether the service could be tailored to make it more engaging for Indigenous Australians who smoke.

Author(s):  
Joshua Trigg ◽  
Damien Shen ◽  
Julia Morris ◽  
Jason Blunt

Background: Smoking is disproportionately prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian peoples, with 39% of Indigenous Australians aged over 15 years smoking daily. Efforts to reduce this high prevalence include culturally focused media campaigns, designed using community consultation, highlighting the need to determine how such health messaging is received by smokers. This study aimed to examine Indigenous Australian smokers’ reactions to a culturally focused anti-smoking mass media campaign—'Give up Smokes’. Methods: Intercept surveying across health services and events used recorded demographics, smoking status, quit attempts, smoking health effects, anti-smoking campaign recall, social support, and campaign reactions. Participants rated campaign images in five domains: 1) whether it made them stop and think; 2) personal relevance; 3) believability of design and message; 4) prompting concern about smoking; and 5) motivation towards quitting. Cluster analysis was used to segment smoker types. Results: Smoking health effects knowledge was high, and did not differ by quit readiness, attempts, or social support. Cessation support access was higher among those with greater readiness to quit. Social smoking behaviour and confidence to support others quitting did not significantly differ between participants, however importance of others quitting did. Quit readiness, attempts, and social support were associated with reaction to campaign design, but not message recall. Four types of smokers were described, using smoking characteristics, who differed in campaign message reactions. Conclusions: Strategies using campaign-exposed smoker characteristics to inform culturally focused health promotion are discussed in relation to four identified types of smokers.


2004 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryann Bin-Sallik ◽  
Isabella Adams ◽  
Siva Ram Vemuri

AbstractThe Indigenous Australian population is not only considerably younger than the non-Indigenous population but is also on the rise. The challenge for many is to provide the kind of education that equips young Indigenous Australians with the necessary skills for managing their money. This challenge is further compounded, as the adult Indigenous population is not well versed in money management. This paper examines some of the strategies that are needed to improve Indigenous financial literacy in schools.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephane M Shepherd ◽  
Benjamin Spivak ◽  
Linda Joyce Ashford ◽  
Isabel Williams ◽  
Justin Trounson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background “Closing the Gap” is an Australian government strategy that was established to address the inequality in health and education outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Although some gains have been realised, progress has been ostensibly slow. One potential obstacle is the large number of Indigenous Australians in prison. Approximately 1 in 5 to 1 in 6 Indigenous Australian males are currently imprisoned or have previously been imprisoned. Recent work has also pointed to a widening socio-economic gap within the Indigenous population. Given the myriad social, wellbeing and environmental risk factors associated with justice-involvement, it is conceivable that incarceration may contribute to the increasing disparities found within the Indigenous population. This study aimed to explore the presence and extent of an ‘incarceration gap’ within the Indigenous population and to uncover which social factors characterise the disparity. Methods The study utilised data from the 2014-5 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS). A number of socio-economic, environmental and clinical factors were compared by life-time incarceration status. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between incarceration status and each of the comparison variables. Results Disparities were observed within the Indigenous Australian population across a number of important health and socio-economic markers by incarceration status - the most pronounced being for educational obtainment – year 10 completion (Never incarcerated 73%, Ever incarcerated 50%), labour force participation (Never incarcerated 56%, Ever incarcerated 26%) and drug/alcohol problems (Never incarcerated 7%, Ever incarcerated 29%). Never-incarcerated Indigenous males yielded aggregate proportions across numerous variables that approximated or matched general Australian population estimates. Conclusions There appears to be evidence for a substantial ‘incarceration gap’ within the Indigenous Australian population. It is evident that the national ‘closing the gap’ strategy necessitates contending with Indigenous over-incarceration.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephane M Shepherd ◽  
Benjamin Spivak ◽  
Linda Ashford ◽  
Isabel Williams ◽  
Justin Trounson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background “Closing the Gap” is an Australian government strategy that was established to address the inequality in health and education outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Although some gains have been realised, progress has been ostensibly slow. One potential obstacle is the large number of Indigenous Australians in prison. 1 in 5 to 1 in 6 Indigenous Australian males are currently imprisoned or have previously been imprisoned. Recent work has also pointed to a widening socio-economic gap within the Indigenous population. Given the myriad social, wellbeing and environmental risk factors associated with justice-involvement, it is conceivable that incarceration may contribute to the increasing disparities found within the Indigenous population. This study aimed to explore the presence and extent of an ‘incarceration gap’ within the Indigenous population and to uncover which social factors characterise the disparity. Methods The study utilised data from the 2014-5 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS). A number of socio-economic, environmental and clinical factors were compared by life-time incarceration status. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between incarceration status and each of the comparison variables. Results Disparities were observed within the Indigenous Australian population across a number of important health and socio-economic markers by incarceration status - the most pronounced being for educational obtainment, labour force participation and drug/alcohol problems. Never-incarcerated Indigenous males yielded aggregate proportions across numerous variables that approximated or matched general Australian population estimates. Conclusions There appears to be evidence for an ‘incarceration gap’ within the Indigenous Australian population. It is evident that the national ‘closing the gap’ strategy necessitates contending with Indigenous over-incarceration.


2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 3447-3459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben J. Riley ◽  
Amii Larsen ◽  
Malcolm Battersby ◽  
Peter Harvey

Prisoners represent a group containing the highest problem gambling (PG) rate found in any population. PG is of particular concern among Indigenous Australians. Little data exist concerning PG rates among Indigenous Australian prisoners. The present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by examining the lifetime prevalence of PG among male prisoners, whilst identifying prisoners of Aboriginal background. The EIGHT Gambling Screen (Early Intervention Gambling Health Test) was administered to 296 prisoners across three male prisons in South Australia. Previous help-seeking behaviour and forms of gambling were also examined. Sixty percent of prisoners indicated a lifetime prevalence of PG with 18% reporting they were incarcerated due to offending relating to their gambling problem. Indigenous Australian prisoners indicated a significantly higher prevalence of PG (75%) than non-Indigenous prisoners (57%) and reported less than half the rate of help-seeking. Given the high levels of PG and overall low rates of help-seeking among prisoners, prisons may provide an important opportunity to engage this high-risk population with effective treatment programs, in particular culturally appropriate targeted interventions for Australian Indigenous prisoners.


2012 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Mackinlay ◽  
Katelyn Barney

Indigenous Australian studies, also called Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, is an expanding discipline in universities across Australia (Nakata, 2004). As a discipline in its own right, Indigenous Australian studies plays an important role in teaching students about Australia's colonial history and benefits both non-Indigenous and Indigenous students by teaching them about Australia's rich and shared cultural heritage (Craven, 1999, pp. 23–25). Such teaching and learning seeks to actively discuss and deconstruct historical and contemporary entanglements between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and, in doing so, help build better working relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. As educators in this discipline, it is important for us to find pedagogical approaches which make space for these topics to be accessed, understood, discussed and engaged with in meaningful ways.


1996 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Lampert

The goals of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy (AEP), the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the broader implications of the High Court's Native Title decision place considerable pressure on the higher education system to move rapidly to achieve equity in access, participation and outcomes for Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians.


1997 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josephine Ryan

Even though Aboriginal people are from Australia it does not mean they speak the English language (non-Aboriginal tertiary student).Jo Lampert's (1996) research discussed in her articleIndigenous Australian perspectives in teaching at the University of Queenslandspeaks volumes about the challenges of attempting to make university curricula inclusive of Indigenous Australian perspectives. She documents the often ambivalent attitudes of academics towards opening up the curriculum to Indigenous Australians. The research discussed here seeks to add to our understanding of this process, focussing this time on the response of students to the introduction of Australian Indigenous perspectives into a single unit within a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching program. The impetus to reflect on the process came with the shock of reading student papers, written at the end of the unit, and finding that effective communication about the educational needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples did not seem to have taken place, making a closer analysis of the teaching/learning process imperative. This investigation will address questions abouthowuniversities can communicate effectively about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Nash ◽  
Amit Arora

Abstract Background Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to experience poorer health outcomes than other population groups. While data specific to Indigenous Australians are scarce, a known social health literacy gradient exists linking low health literacy and poor health outcomes within many minority populations. Improving health literacy among Indigenous Australians is an important way to support self-determination and autonomy in both individuals and communities, by enhancing knowledge and improving health outcomes. This review aims to rigorously examine the effectiveness of health literacy interventions targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Methods A systematic review across six databases (The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis and Web of Science) was performed for publications evaluating interventions to improve health literacy among Indigenous Australian adults using search terms identifying a range of related outcomes. Results Of 824 articles retrieved, a total of five studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. The included studies evaluated the implementation of workshops, structured exercise classes and the provision of discounted fruit and vegetables to improve nutrition, modify risk factors for chronic diseases, and improve oral health literacy. All interventions reported statistically significant improvement in at least one measured outcome. However, there was limited involvement of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in the research process and participant retention rates were sub-optimal. Conclusion There is limited evidence on interventions to improve health literacy in Indigenous Australian adults. Participation in interventions was often suboptimal and loss to follow-up was high. Future studies co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members are needed to improve health literacy in this population.


2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Gary David Lum

Times are changing. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Strategy 2005-2008 provides current commentary on the problems facing Australia?s Indigenous population. While the rates of sexually transmitted infections have always been higher in Indigenous Australians, there is some evidence of increasing rates of HIV infection. The rate of Chlamydia infection in non-Indigenous Australians has doubled between 1999 and 2003, while the rate of infection in some populations of Indigenous Australians has moved from 658 per 100 000 to 1140 per 100 000 population. Indigenous Australians are forty-times more likely to be infected with the gonococcus than non-Indigenous Australian men and women. It should not be surprising that Indigenous Australian rates of syphilis are unacceptably high at ~250 per 100 000 population and almost non-existent in the non-Indigenous population.


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