Using Aboriginal research to inform policy and practice in Aboriginal health development

The Interplay Project

Team: Sheree Cairney (team leader), Tammy Abbott, Jessica Yamaguchi, Eva McRae-Williams, Byron Wilson (PhD student), Rosalie Schultz (PhD Student), Stephen Quinn, John Wakerman, Lyn Allen.

Presenter: Rosalie Schultz

Hypotheses

1. For Aboriginal people in remote Australia, strong attachment to culture,

especially through involvement in land management enhances health

and wellbeing.

2. Health services are more effective in enhancing health and wellbeing

when provided with awareness of broader aspects of Aboriginal people’s

lives.

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Closing the Gap

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Life Expectancy Gap

4 Prime Minister’s Closing the Gap Report 2017

Aboriginal health

• “Not just the physical well-being of the individual but the social, emotional, and cultural well-being of the whole Community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being, thereby bringing about the total wellbeing of the community.

• It is a whole of life view and it also includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life.”

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Interplay project: Wellbeing Framework

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Health vs headlines: Interplay Wellbeing Survey

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0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

Normal activities Work or study Energy levels Socialising

Percent of respondents (n=841) who reported that health problems interfered with different activities in the last few weeks

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Most of the time

Interplay Wellbeing survey, Wave 1, July 2014 to May 2015

Health vs headlines: Interplay Wellbeing Survey

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0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

10Best it

could be

9 8Prettygood

7 6Above

average

5Below

average

4 3Quite poor

2 1Worst itcould be

Percent of respondents reporting current levels of wellbeing (n= 841)

Interplay Wellbeing survey, Wave 1, July 2014 to May 2015

Health related determinants of wellbeing from Interplay Wellbeing survey

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcseKPoS9-A

Interplay Project | Miliwanga Sandy Wurrben | Health

Primary health care: WHO Alma-Ata Declaration 1978

• Essential health care, based on practical, scientifically sound, socially acceptable methods and technology, made available in the community

• Provides for basic needs beyond clinical health services

• Addresses community’s economic, socio-cultural and political needs

• Promotes individual, community self-reliance and self-determination

• Makes use of available local and national resources

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