Agreements as a mechanism for community participation in health policy: Understanding process and evaluating effectiveness. Improving the health of Indigenous people requires health policy that is inclusive and proactive rather than crisis driven. Formal agreements outline responsibilities and accountabilities in a shared framework that respects the rights of the parties involved. This project will evaluate the quality and effectiveness of agreements in Indigenous health by assessing their abil ....Agreements as a mechanism for community participation in health policy: Understanding process and evaluating effectiveness. Improving the health of Indigenous people requires health policy that is inclusive and proactive rather than crisis driven. Formal agreements outline responsibilities and accountabilities in a shared framework that respects the rights of the parties involved. This project will evaluate the quality and effectiveness of agreements in Indigenous health by assessing their ability to change the way governments and communities work together to improve health. The project will help ensure that future agreements reflect shared solutions for improving the health of Indigenous people in a respectful and effective way. It will also determine whether agreements work to bring community and government together to reduce inequalities in health.Read moreRead less
Indigenous birth and family: Pathways, places and professionals. The research complements the National Research Priority Goal A Healthy Start to Life and the National Agenda for Early Childhood. These emphasise pregnancy through to five years as critical for later social competence and physical wellbeing. Maternal and infant mortality and morbidity are significantly worse for Indigenous Australians, predisposing them to poorer health and social wellbeing as children and adults, reducing life po ....Indigenous birth and family: Pathways, places and professionals. The research complements the National Research Priority Goal A Healthy Start to Life and the National Agenda for Early Childhood. These emphasise pregnancy through to five years as critical for later social competence and physical wellbeing. Maternal and infant mortality and morbidity are significantly worse for Indigenous Australians, predisposing them to poorer health and social wellbeing as children and adults, reducing life potential and adding costs. This solution-focused research conducted with Aboriginal and health service partners, is theoretically innovative while pragmatic, as we seek to inform reform of services in urban and remote NT communities and learn lessons applicable nationally.Read moreRead less
What Is A Culturally Appropriate Mental Health Service For Aboriginal People?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$296,516.00
Summary
This project aims to develop an Aboriginal model of care and a sustainable and culturally safe framework for evaluating the delivery of mental health services to Aboriginal people living with a serious mental illness in an urban setting. Outcomes from this project, because of their transferability, will add significantly to the theoretical and methodological body of knowledge on the delivery of health services to Indigenous people, in WA, Australia and internationally.
Unequal futures: A critical investigation of regional and sociocultural variations in teenage pregnancy. The overarching aim of this project is to investigate geographical and sociocultural variations in teenage pregnancy in Australia, encompassing the over-representation of young Indigenous teenage mothers. It considers the implications of these differences for government policy.
The project aims to:
- define the parameters of teenage pregnancy
- map the complex social context in whic ....Unequal futures: A critical investigation of regional and sociocultural variations in teenage pregnancy. The overarching aim of this project is to investigate geographical and sociocultural variations in teenage pregnancy in Australia, encompassing the over-representation of young Indigenous teenage mothers. It considers the implications of these differences for government policy.
The project aims to:
- define the parameters of teenage pregnancy
- map the complex social context in which to understand teenage pregnancy
- identify the information, support, and services most likely to ensure that young women have options for pregnancy and motherhood which maximise their health and wellbeing
- identify factors which account for unintentional teenage pregnancy and strategies for prevention or amelioration.
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The Policy Response To Indigenous Petrol Sniffing - And How To Improve It
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$105,770.00
Summary
Petrol sniffing is a form of volatile substance misuse that occurs in some Aboriginal communities in Australia, as well as some Indigenous communities in the US, Canada and NZ. Although the practice is restricted to small numbers of young people, chronic sniffing leads to serious (and sometimes irreversible) harm to the health of sniffers. It also exacerbates inter-generational problems in families and, through its association with unsafe sex and property offences, creates problems for communiti ....Petrol sniffing is a form of volatile substance misuse that occurs in some Aboriginal communities in Australia, as well as some Indigenous communities in the US, Canada and NZ. Although the practice is restricted to small numbers of young people, chronic sniffing leads to serious (and sometimes irreversible) harm to the health of sniffers. It also exacerbates inter-generational problems in families and, through its association with unsafe sex and property offences, creates problems for communities disproportionate to its prevalence. Throughout 1980s and 1990s, commonwealth and state-territory governments made a number of attempts to formulate and implement a coordinated policy response to the prevention and treatment of petrol sniffing. Although some of these initiatives generated short term funding for innovative programs, they have not given rise to sustained evidence-based policies, or even to an accumulation of knowledge upon which funding decisions might be based. Programs continue to be funded on an ad hoc basis; few are evaluated, and there is little evidence that findings from evaluations inform ongoing policy decision-making. The primary purpose of this project is to determine why this should be so, and to identify practicable changes that could reasonably be expected to lead both to the accumulation of knowledge about effective interventions, and to the formulation of sustainable, evidence-based policies and programs. The project utilises a policy analysis methodology to examine a number of case studies of attempts by various governments to respond to Indigenous petrol sniffing. Data will be collected from examination of documentary sources and interviews with key informants. The focus of the project is on the policy-making process, rather than on petrol sniffing itself. The findings will be used to make recommendations designed to improve the capacity of governments to respond more effectively, and thereby to reduce the harm caused by petrol sniffing.Read moreRead less
Building Mental Wealth: Improving Mental Health For Better Health Outcomes Among
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,509,816.00
Summary
Mental health issues impact on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians who do not always engage with mainstream mental health services. This project will build the capacity of a critical mass of Indigenous and non Indigenous researchers who will engage, collaborate and work with Indigenous communities, clinicians and health providers to develop a sustainable culturally appropriate mental health policy and service model including adjunctive services to chronic disease management.
Survival mixture modelling with random effects in public health. This interdisciplinary research aims to develop innovative methods and deliver effective tools for analysing non-standard survival data. Significance of the work lies in its novelty and the breadth of its practical applications. Evaluation of health outcomes has important implications in cancer prevention and control, hospital strategic planning, and post-stroke care management. The unique opportunity to examine long-term predictor ....Survival mixture modelling with random effects in public health. This interdisciplinary research aims to develop innovative methods and deliver effective tools for analysing non-standard survival data. Significance of the work lies in its novelty and the breadth of its practical applications. Evaluation of health outcomes has important implications in cancer prevention and control, hospital strategic planning, and post-stroke care management. The unique opportunity to examine long-term predictors of morbidity and mortality in a well-documented Aboriginal population will enhance the understanding of existing inequities in Aboriginal health. Demographic and lifestyle information related to the outcomes is pertinent to the development of policy and health promotion appropriate to Aboriginal communities.Read moreRead less
Predictive Models And Interventions For Coronary Heart Disease In Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$203,125.00
Summary
The main causes of heart disease in western countries are smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However, in indigenous populations, other factors may be more important. We propose to look at these conventional risk factors and others like diabetes, blood clotting disorders and inflammation to see which are best for predicting heart attack in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people . We will also examine the effect of heart disease prevention programs run by communities, to see ....The main causes of heart disease in western countries are smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However, in indigenous populations, other factors may be more important. We propose to look at these conventional risk factors and others like diabetes, blood clotting disorders and inflammation to see which are best for predicting heart attack in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people . We will also examine the effect of heart disease prevention programs run by communities, to see if they can improve these risk factors. Finally, we will use this information to produce educational materials and clinical tools for health services.Read moreRead less