scholarly journals Health and wellbeing outcomes of programs for Indigenous Australians that include strategies to enable the expression of cultural identities: a systematic review

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah MacLean ◽  
Rebecca Ritte ◽  
Alister Thorpe ◽  
Shaun Ewen ◽  
Kerry Arabena
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Cultural Identities ◽  
Randomised Control Trial ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Intervention Component ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Positive Direction ◽  
Health And Wellbeing

Indigenous people have long maintained that strong cultural identities are critical to health and wellbeing. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine whether interventions that entail strategies to enable expression of cultural identities for Australian Indigenous peoples are associated with measurable improvements in health and wellbeing. Peer-reviewed articles that reported quantitatively expressed health and wellbeing outcomes involving Indigenous Australian participants only were included. The cultural intervention component was defined and assessed by Indigenous researchers on the team. A narrative analysis was conducted. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42015027387). Thirteen articles describing eleven studies were identified, including one randomised control trial (RCT), one cluster RCT and two studies with non-randomised controls. Other studies reported on case series or cross-sectional studies. All except two studies described multiple intervention strategies. Eight studies showed significant improvement in at least one psychosocial, behavioural or clinical measure, with two showing a positive direction of effect and one showing no improvement. Publication bias may discourage researchers to report negative findings of these interventions. Although studies vary in quality, this review provides evidence that interventions that include opportunities for expression of cultural identities can have beneficial effects for Australian Indigenous peoples.

scholarly journals The diagnostic accuracy of the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA) tool: a systematic review

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne M Dyer ◽  
Kate Laver ◽  
Margeret Friel ◽  
Craig Whitehead ◽  
Maria Crotty
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽  
In Series ◽  
Similar Accuracy

Objectives: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of evidence for the accuracy of the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA) tool in supporting the diagnosis of dementia in Indigenous Australian populations. Methods: Cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy studies of the KICA with an appropriate reference standard published to November 2015 were included. Comparison to an alternative cognitive assessment tool was required in non-remote populations. Case control analyses were excluded. Results: Four studies were included: one of the KICA-Cog and KICA-Carer, one of the KICA Screen, and two of the modified-KICA. All tools developed for remote populations had a sensitivity of ≥76% and a specificity of ≥71% for the diagnosis of dementia. The KICA-Cog and KICA-Carer conducted in series had the highest sensitivity and specificity (91% and 94% respectively). In an urban and regional population, the mKICA had similar accuracy to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (AUC 0.93, 95% CI 0.88–0.99 vs 0.94, 95% CI 0.89–0.99). Key risk of bias limitations related to lack of pre-determined cut-points and population selection methods. Conclusion: The use of the KICA in remote Indigenous Australians may assist in timely diagnosis of dementia in this population. Using the KICA-Cog and KICA-Carer in series may maximise specificity, decreasing false positive results without compromising sensitivity.

Applying a Midwifery Lens to Indigenous Health Care Delivery: The Contribution of Campus Learning and Rural Placements to Effecting Systemic Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 179-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalie D. Thackrah ◽  
Sandra C. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Health Professional ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Systemic Change ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Positive Direction ◽  
Health Professional Training

Study background Increasing cultural safety in health settings is essential to address stark health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Respect for cultural knowledge, better communication, and recognition of racism as a determinant of health are required for improved service delivery. How this knowledge is acquired in health professional training and translated to clinical settings is poorly understood. Purpose Impacts of an innovative Indigenous health unit and remote clinical placements on knowledge acquisition and attitude change were explored among midwifery students to inform cultural competency initiatives in health professional training. Methods A multiphased, mixed methods research design used surveys, observations, and interviews. Qualitative analysis was strengthened through triangulation with quantitative data. Results A unit conceived with substantial Indigenous Australian input and which privileged these voices enhanced knowledge and shifted attitudes in a positive direction; however, immediate gains diminished over time. Remote placements had a profound effect on student learning. Exposure to Indigenous Australians in classrooms and communities, and the self-reflection generated, helped dispel stereotypes and challenge assumptions based on limited cultural knowledge and contact. Conclusion Optimization of receptivity to Indigenous Australian content and opportunities for remote placements contributed to students’ developing cultural capabilities with implications for all health professional training. Whether this heightened awareness is enough to address institutional racism identified in health service delivery remains unanswered. The focus must include those established health practitioners and administrators who influence organizational culture if real systemic change is to occur. Given appropriate on-going support, graduates can play a vital role in expediting this process.

scholarly journals Interventions to improve health literacy among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Nash ◽  
Amit Arora
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
Improve Health

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.

scholarly journals Slow Food Terra Madre: A Novel Pathway to Achieving Indigenous Australian Food Sovereignty?

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-34
Author(s):  
Zuzanna Kruk-Buchowska
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
International Level ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Slow Food ◽  
Food Cultures

The aim of this paper is to analyse the participation of Indigenous Australians in Slow Food International’s 2018 Salone del Gusto-Terra Madre meeting in Turin, Italy. Slow Food is a global grassroots organisation created to promote local food cultures and traditions, and the organisation’s Terra Madre network highlights the urgent need to pro- tect the food-production systems of Indigenous peoples, valuing their holistic approach and recognising them as custodians of biodiversity. By creating a platform for Indigenous peoples to meet and discuss their challenges and ideas, and by putting Indigenous knowl- edges and stewardship of the environment at the centre of discussions about tackling glob- al environmental challenges, the organisation encourages its Indigenous members to work toward food sovereignty in their respective countries as well as on an international level.

scholarly journals Songlines: Preserving cultural heritage through architecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sheldon Carr
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Flinders Ranges ◽  
Mnemonic Devices ◽  
Dynamic Landscape ◽  
Tribal Region

<p>In indigenous Australian culture, the ‘Songlines’ represent the routes across the landscape followed by the original ‘creator-beings’ of the ‘Dreaming’. The ‘Songlines’ describe the locations of mountains, waterholes, ravines, and other landscape features that were ‘created’ by the movements and interactions of the creator-beings. Throughout Australia’s vast history, the indigenous peoples have recited the Songlines as oral narratives for the next generation, while also using the Songlines to navigate across vast tracts of wilderness. But with the departure of a disenfranchised younger generation of indigenous Australians to cities and government settlements, the Songlines are at risk of being forgotten.  Songlines are not merely navigation devices. They act as mnemonics that define cultural values, indigenous laws and ancestral heritage. Stories of the ‘Dreaming’ acknowledge the past, present and future. As such, they are capable of re-engaging Indigenous Australians with a sense of place, heritage,and values, that are so menaingful to there culture and religion.  The sites for this design-led investigation are located in Arkaroola Sanctuary, Vulkanatha /Gammon Ranges and Ikara-Flinders Ranges - located in South Australia. This vast expanse of land is associated with the indigenous people known as the Adnyamathanha. The principal aim of this investigation is to conceive a series of collaborative architectural shelters that are designed and positioned in ways that can help reawaken, expose, and define characteristics of ‘Songlines’ for future generations.  The architecture will act as a reminder of cultural values, while serving as a framing device to reveal the dynamic landscape features that form the Adnyamathanha’s traditional Songlines. This is to safeguard knowledge, and re-awaken awareness of ‘Songlines’ for younger indigenous peoples who have left their homeland and tribal region. The architectural shelters, as points of pause along the Songlines, act as mnemonic devices that help keep alive a vibrant and fundamental sense of cultural identity and place. The architectural interventions seek to diffuse boundaries between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous cultures – given the current integrated context of Australia.</p>

scholarly journals Songlines: Preserving cultural heritage through architecture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sheldon Carr
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Flinders Ranges ◽  
Mnemonic Devices ◽  
Dynamic Landscape ◽  
Tribal Region

<p>In indigenous Australian culture, the ‘Songlines’ represent the routes across the landscape followed by the original ‘creator-beings’ of the ‘Dreaming’. The ‘Songlines’ describe the locations of mountains, waterholes, ravines, and other landscape features that were ‘created’ by the movements and interactions of the creator-beings. Throughout Australia’s vast history, the indigenous peoples have recited the Songlines as oral narratives for the next generation, while also using the Songlines to navigate across vast tracts of wilderness. But with the departure of a disenfranchised younger generation of indigenous Australians to cities and government settlements, the Songlines are at risk of being forgotten.  Songlines are not merely navigation devices. They act as mnemonics that define cultural values, indigenous laws and ancestral heritage. Stories of the ‘Dreaming’ acknowledge the past, present and future. As such, they are capable of re-engaging Indigenous Australians with a sense of place, heritage,and values, that are so menaingful to there culture and religion.  The sites for this design-led investigation are located in Arkaroola Sanctuary, Vulkanatha /Gammon Ranges and Ikara-Flinders Ranges - located in South Australia. This vast expanse of land is associated with the indigenous people known as the Adnyamathanha. The principal aim of this investigation is to conceive a series of collaborative architectural shelters that are designed and positioned in ways that can help reawaken, expose, and define characteristics of ‘Songlines’ for future generations.  The architecture will act as a reminder of cultural values, while serving as a framing device to reveal the dynamic landscape features that form the Adnyamathanha’s traditional Songlines. This is to safeguard knowledge, and re-awaken awareness of ‘Songlines’ for younger indigenous peoples who have left their homeland and tribal region. The architectural shelters, as points of pause along the Songlines, act as mnemonic devices that help keep alive a vibrant and fundamental sense of cultural identity and place. The architectural interventions seek to diffuse boundaries between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous cultures – given the current integrated context of Australia.</p>

scholarly journals The Portrayal of Indigenous Health in Selected Australian Media

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa J Stoneham ◽  
Jodie Goodman ◽  
Mike Daube
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Indigenous Health ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Media Portrayal ◽  
The Media ◽  
Deaths In Custody ◽  
Negative Subject

It is acknowledged that health outcomes for Australian Indigenous peoples are lower than those of non-Indigenous Australians. Research suggests negative media in relation to Indigenous Australians perpetuates racist stereotypes among the wider population and impacts on the health of Indigenous Australians. This study examined the media portrayal of Indigenous Australian public health issues in selected media over a twelve month period and found that, overwhelmingly, the articles were negative in their portrayal of Indigenous health. A total of 74 percent of the coverage of Australian Indigenous related articles were negative, 15 percent were positive, and 11 percent were neutral. The most common negative subject descriptors related to alcohol, child abuse, petrol sniffing, violence, suicide, deaths in custody, and crime.

scholarly journals Australian Policy Regarding the Indigenous Population (End of the XIXth Century – the First Third of the XXth Century)

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
T. Perga
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Indigenous Population ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Lost Generation ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Mixed Marriages ◽  
Australian Continent ◽  
Aboriginal Children

An analysis of Australia’s governmental policy towards indigenous peoples has been done. The negative consequences of the colonization of the Australian continent have been revealed, in particular, a significant reduction in the number of aborigines due to the spread of alcohol and epidemics, the seizure of their territories. It is concluded that the colonization of Australia was based on the idea of the hierarchy of human society, the superiority and inferiority of different races and groups of people, and accordingly - the supremacy of European culture and civilization. It is demonstrated in the creation of reservations for aborigines and the adoption of legislation aimed at segregating the country's white and colored populations and assimilating certain indigenous peoples into European society, primarily children from mixed marriages. It has been proven that, considering the aborigines an endangered people and seeking to protect them from themselves, Europeans saw the way to their salvation in miscegenation - interracial marriages and the isolation of aboriginal children from their parents. This policy has been pursued since the end of the XIX century by the 1970s and had disrupted cultural and family ties and destroyed aboriginal communities, although government circles positioned it as a policy of caring for indigenous Australians. As a result, the generation of aborigines taken from their parents and raised in boarding schools or families of white Europeans has been dubbed the “lost generation”. The activity of A.O. Neville who for more than two decades held the position of chief defender of the aborigines in Western Australia and in fact became the ideologist of the aborigines’ assimilation policy has been analyzed. He substantiated the idea of the biological absorption of the indigenous Australian race as a key condition for its preservation and extremely harshly implemented the policy of separating Aboriginal children from their parents. It is concluded that the policy towards the indigenous population of Australia in the late XIX – first third of the XX century was based on the principle of discrimination on racial grounds.

Cannabis-associated arteritis

VASA ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grotenhermen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Cardiovascular Effects ◽  
Causative Factor ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Thromboangiitis Obliterans ◽  
Pathological Features ◽  
Scientific Support ◽  
Clinical And Pathological Features

Background: To investigate the hypothesis that cases of arteritis similar to thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO) and associated with the use of cannabis were caused by cannabis or THC (dronabinol), or that cannabis use is a co-factor of TAO. Patients and methods: A systematic review on case reports and the literature on so-called cannabis arteritis, TAO, and cardiovascular effects of cannabinoids was conducted. Results: Fifteen reports with 57 cases of an arteritis associated with the use of cannabis and two additional case series of TAO, in which some patients also used cannabis, were identified. Clinical and pathological features of cannabis-associated arteritis do not differ from TAO and the major risk factor of TAO, tobacco use, was present in most, if not in all of these cases. The proposed pathophysiological mechanisms for the development of an arteritis by cannabis use are not substantiated. Conclusions: The hypothesis of cannabis being a causative factor or co-factor of TAO or an arteritis similar to TAO is not supported by the available evidence. The use of the term “cannabis arteritis” should be avoided until or unless more convincing scientific support is forthcoming.

Dental Implant Placement in Patients with a History of Medications Related to Osteonecrosis of the Jaws: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judd Sher ◽  
Kate Kirkham-Ali ◽  
Denny Luo ◽  
Catherine Miller ◽  
Dileep Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Drug Therapy ◽  
Dental Implant ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Bisphosphonate Treatment ◽  
Implant Placement ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of

The present systematic review evaluates the safety of placing dental implants in patients with a history of antiresorptive or antiangiogenic drug therapy. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, Web of Science, and OpenGrey databases were used to search for clinical studies (English only) to July 16, 2019. Study quality was assessed regarding randomization, allocation sequence concealment, blinding, incomplete outcome data, selective outcome reporting, and other biases using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for case series. A broad search strategy resulted in the identification of 7542 studies. There were 28 studies reporting on bisphosphonates (5 cohort, 6 case control, and 17 case series) and one study reporting on denosumab (case series) that met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. The quality assessment revealed an overall moderate quality of evidence among the studies. Results demonstrated that patients with a history of bisphosphonate treatment for osteoporosis are not at increased risk of implant failure in terms of osseointegration. However, all patients with a history of bisphosphonate treatment, whether taken orally for osteoporosis or intravenously for malignancy, appear to be at risk of ‘implant surgery-triggered’ MRONJ. In contrast, the risk of MRONJ in patients treated with denosumab for osteoporosis was found to be negligible. In conclusion, general and specialist dentists should exercise caution when planning dental implant therapy in patients with a history of bisphosphonate and denosumab drug therapy. Importantly, all patients with a history of bisphosphonates are at risk of MRONJ, necessitating this to be included in the informed consent obtained prior to implant placement. The James Cook University College of Medicine and Dentistry Honours program and the Australian Dental Research Foundation Colin Cormie Grant were the primary sources of funding for this systematic review.

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