Pneumococcus in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: The role of Aboriginal health workers and implications for nursing practice

The aim of this study was to explore whether oral health was an important consideration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women during pregnancy, whether oral health could be promoted by Aboriginal health staff, and strategies that would be appropriate to use in a new model of care. A qualitative descriptive methodology underpinned the study. All participants in this study identified as Aboriginal, with no Torres Strait Islander participants, and were from New South Wales, Australia. The interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. From the data, two themes were constructed. The first theme identified that oral health was not always the first priority for participants as poor accessibility alongside other competing commitments were challenges to accessing oral health services. The second theme highlighted how relationships with personal networks and healthcare providers were essential and could be used to support maternal oral health during pregnancy. Effective strategies to promote oral health during pregnancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women should involve key stakeholders and health care providers, like Aboriginal Health Workers, to facilitate culturally safe support and tailored oral health advice.

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What constitutes ‘support’ for the role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child health workforce?

Australian Health Review ◽

10.1071/ah11079 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 112 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Karen Watson ◽

Jeanine Young ◽

Margaret Barnes

Keyword(s):

Child Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Cultural Awareness ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Health Workers ◽

Overall Acceptability ◽

Torres Strait ◽

Use Of Health Services ◽

Torres Strait Islander Health

As well as providing primary health care services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers are known to significantly contribute to the overall acceptability, access and use of health services through their role of cultural brokerage in the communities within which they work. As such they are uniquely positioned to positively influence health improvements for this vulnerable population. This study sought to identify key areas that both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health professionals working within Indigenous communities felt were important in providing support for their roles. This group of workers require support within their roles particularly in relation to cultural awareness and capability, resource provision, educational opportunities, collaboration with colleagues and peers, and professional mentorship. What is known about the topic? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers are known to significantly contribute to the overall acceptability, access and use of health services in the communities within which they work. As such they are uniquely positioned to positively influence health improvements for this population. What does this paper add? Through consultation with a sample of Indigenous child health workers and child health workers key areas necessary to provide support for the individuals working in these roles have been identified. What are the implications for practitioners? The findings from this study will inform policy and program development in order to more comprehensively support health workers in the community and contribute towards workforce development and satisfaction, recruitment and retention.

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Aboriginal Health Workers Promoting Oral Health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women during Pregnancy: Development and Pilot Testing of the Grinnin’ Up Mums & Bubs Program

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18189576 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (18) ◽

pp. 9576

Author(s):

Ariana Kong ◽

Michelle Dickson ◽

Lucie Ramjan ◽

Mariana S. Sousa ◽

Nathan Jones ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Health Workers ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Model Of Care ◽

Dental Services ◽

Level Of Satisfaction ◽

Torres Strait ◽

High Level

Background: this study aimed to develop and pilot test the model of care, Grinnin’ Up Mums & Bubs, to train Aboriginal Health Workers to promote oral health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women. Methods: Participatory Action Research was employed to develop the different components of the model (oral health promotion resources, training workshop, and a culturally safe referral pathway to dental services). The model was piloted (pre-post), using an embedded mixed-methods design, to determine the acceptability, satisfaction, and any recommendations made by seven Aboriginal Health Workers at an antenatal service in Western Sydney, Australia. Results: there was a high level of satisfaction with the components of the model of care among the participants, who believed that the model could be integrated into practice. The training showed some improvement in oral health knowledge and confidence. The participants recommended strategies for discussing oral health with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women, and changes in public health dental policy to ensure that all women would be able to access affordable dental services through the referral pathway. Conclusion: the findings suggest a high level of satisfaction with the model of care among the Aboriginal Health Workers. Further evaluation is needed to confirm the short and long-term impact of the model.

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Aboriginal Health Workers promoting oral health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women during pregnancy: Development and pilot testing of the Grinnin’ Up Mums & Bubs program

10.21203/rs.3.rs-774215/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ariana Kong ◽

Michelle Dickson ◽

Lucie Ramjan ◽

Mariana S. Sousa ◽

Nathan Jones ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Health Workers ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Model Of Care ◽

Dental Services ◽

Level Of Satisfaction ◽

Torres Strait ◽

High Level

Abstract Background: This study aimed to develop and pilot test the model of care, Grinnin’ Up Mums and Bubs, to train Aboriginal Health Workers to promote oral health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women. Methods: Participatory Action Research was employed to develop the different components of the model (oral health promotion resources, training workshop, and a culturally safe referral pathway to dental services). The model was piloted (pre-post) using an embedded mixed-methods design with seven Aboriginal Health Workers at an antenatal service in Western Sydney, Australia. Results: There was a high level of satisfaction with the components of the model of care among the participants, who believed that the model could be integrated into practice. The training showed some improvement in oral health knowledge and confidence. The participants recommended strategies for discussing oral health with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women, and changes in public health dental policy to ensure that all women would be able to access affordable dental services through the referral pathway. Conclusion: The findings suggest a high level of satisfaction with the model of care among the Aboriginal Health Workers. Further evaluation is needed to confirm the short and long-term impact of the model.

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Making space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community health workers in health promotion

Health Promotion International ◽

10.1093/heapro/daz035 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 562-574

Author(s):

Kathleen P Conte ◽

Josephine Gwynn ◽

Nicole Turner ◽

Claudia Koller ◽

Karen E Gillham

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Community Health ◽

Community Health Workers ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Aboriginal People ◽

Health Workers ◽

Health Care Systems ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Global Literature ◽

Torres Strait

Abstract Despite a clear need, ‘closing the gap’ in health disparities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities (hereafter, respectfully referred to as Aboriginal) continues to be challenging for western health care systems. Globally, community health workers (CHWs) have proven effective in empowering communities and improving culturally appropriate health services. The global literature on CHWs reflects a lack of differentiation between the types of roles these workers carry out. This in turn impedes evidence syntheses informing how different roles contribute to improving health outcomes. Indigenous CHW roles in Australia are largely operationalized by Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs)—a role situated primarily within the clinical health system. In this commentary, we consider whether the focus on creating professional AHW roles, although important, has taken attention away from the benefits of other types of CHW roles particularly in community-based health promotion. We draw on the global literature to illustrate the need for an Aboriginal CHW role in health promotion; one that is distinct from, but complementary to, that of AHWs in clinical settings. We provide examples of barriers encountered in developing such a role based on our experiences of employing Aboriginal health promoters to deliver evidence-based programmes in rural and remote communities. We aim to draw attention to the systemic and institutional barriers that persist in denying innovative employment and engagement opportunities for Aboriginal people in health.

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Considering the Impact of Social Media on Contemporary Improvement of Australian Aboriginal Health: Scoping Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.11573 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Troy Walker ◽

Claire Palermo ◽

Karen Klassen

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Aboriginal People ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Health Messages ◽

Community Control ◽

Torres Strait Islander People ◽

Australian Aboriginal ◽

Torres Strait

BACKGROUND Social media may have a significant role in influencing the present and future health implications among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, yet there has been no review of the role of social media in improving health. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the extent of health initiatives using social media that aimed to improve the health of Australian Aboriginal communities. METHODS A scoping review was conducted by systematically searching databases CINAHL Plus; PubMed; Scopus; Web of Science, and Ovid MEDLINE in June 2017 using the terms and their synonyms “Aboriginal” and “Social media.” In addition, reference lists of included studies and the Indigenous HealthInfonet gray literature were searched. Key information about the social media intervention and its impacts on health were extracted and data synthesized using narrative summaries. RESULTS Five papers met inclusion criteria. All included studies were published in the past 5 years and involved urban, rural, and remote Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged 12-60 years. No studies reported objective impacts on health. Three papers found that social media provided greater space for sharing health messages in a 2-way exchange. The negative portrayal of Aboriginal people and negative health impacts of social media were described in 2 papers. CONCLUSIONS Social media may be a useful strategy to provide health messages and sharing of content among Aboriginal people, but objective impacts on health remain unknown. More research is necessary on social media as a way to connect, communicate, and improve Aboriginal health with particular emphasis on community control, self-empowerment, and decolonization.

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Building an Indigenous-Led Evidence Base for Smoking Cessation Care among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women during Pregnancy and Beyond: Research Protocol for the Which Way? Project

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18031342 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 1342

Author(s):

Michelle Bovill ◽

Catherine Chamberlain ◽

Jessica Bennett ◽

Hayley Longbottom ◽

Shanell Bacon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smoking Cessation ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Research Process ◽

Local Health ◽

Research Protocol ◽

Smoking During Pregnancy ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Online Social Media ◽

Torres Strait

Strong and healthy futures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people requires engagement in meaningful decision making which is supported by evidence-based approaches. While a significant number of research publications state the research is co-designed, few describe the research process in relation to Indigenous ethical values. Improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies is crucial to the continuation of the oldest living culture in the world. Developing meaningful supports to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers to quit smoking during pregnancy is paramount to addressing a range of health and wellbeing outcomes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have called for non-pharmacological approaches to smoking cessation during pregnancy. We describe a culturally responsive research protocol that has been co-designed and is co-owned with urban and regional Aboriginal communities in New South Wales. The project has been developed in line with the AH&MRC’s (Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council) updated guidelines for ethical research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Ethics approvals have been granted by AH&MRC #14541662 University of Newcastle HREC H-2020-0092 and the Local Health District ethics committee 2020/ETH02095. Results will be disseminated through peer reviewed articles, community reports, infographics, and online social media content.

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Poverty and mental health in Aboriginal Australia

Psychiatric Bulletin ◽

10.1192/pb.23.6.364 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 364-366 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jonathan Laugharne

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Torres Strait Islander ◽

Aboriginal People ◽

Central Africa ◽

Aboriginal Health ◽

Aboriginal Australians ◽

Death Rates ◽

The World ◽

Torres Strait

When the Australian Governor General, Sir William Deane, referred in a speech in 1996 to the “appalling problems relating to Aboriginal health” he was not exaggerating. The Australia Bureau of Statistics report on The Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (McLennan & Madden, 1997) outlines the following statistics. The life expectancy for Aboriginal Australians is 15 to 20 years lower than for non-Aboriginal Australians, and is lower than for most countries of the world with the exception of central Africa and India. Aboriginal babies are two to three times more likely to be of lower birth weight and two to four times more likely to die at birth than non-Aboriginal babies. Hospitalisation rates are two to three times higher for Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal Australians. Death rates from infectious diseases are 15 times higher among Aboriginal Australians than non-Aboriginal Australians. Rates for heart disease, diabetes, injury and respiratory diseases are also all higher among Aboriginals – and so the list goes on. It is fair to say that Aboriginal people have higher rates for almost every type of illness for which statistics are currently recorded.

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