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Culturally safe healthcare approaches are important to improve outcomes of Indigenous people. Non-Indigenous clinicians are often ill-prepared to provide such healthcare. The NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) especially for First Nations Children has been studying for several years how to improve clinical care for Indigenous children with respiratory disease in hospital, clinic, urban, rural and remote settings.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be removed at high rates from their families by child protection services, placing them at elevated risk of adverse long-term life outcomes. Cultural connection in out-of-home care is essential for mitigating the impacts of trauma from removal, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that cultural planning is rigorously undertaken. This article explores the provision of cultural plans in an era where out-of-home care services are outsourced by government, but where government holds onto the responsibility for developing cultural plans for children in care.
Skin health is widely recognised as being important for overall good health and well-being, yet the burden of skin infections in remote Aboriginal communities remains high. This project aimed to explore if virtual support for skin health could be a strategy to reduce community barriers to skin health engagement.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people aged 15-24 years of age often encounter challenges accessing and utilising primary health care (PHC). Providing health care responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people requires the active involvement of healthcare providers (HCPs), who play a central role in healthcare delivery. This study explored perspectives of HCPs working in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ATSICCHOs) on the factors that facilitate Aboriginal and Torres Strait young people accessing and utilising PHC services.
Sepsis is a significant cause of mortality for children in Australia, particularly affecting young children, those with pre-existing health conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. The transition from hospital to home can be challenging for survivors, often leaving long-term impacts unaddressed.
Youth-onset type 2 diabetes is an emerging condition impacting Indigenous populations worldwide. Schools have an important role in supporting students to manage their health. We undertook a qualitative study to (i) explore the lived experience of type 2 diabetes, diabetes management and support in school environments and (ii) co-design recommendations for age-appropriate, culturally safe school-based strategies and supports. Interviews and focus groups were undertaken with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, caregivers, health professionals and school-based staff. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth were involved in determining the research topic.
Rates of several vaccine preventable diseases, and associated hospitalisation, are higher among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children than non-Indigenous children. Western Australia has among the lowest childhood vaccine coverage in Australia, particularly among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children. Delayed vaccination is also more common in this population. This project aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake and timeliness among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children aged under five years in Boorloo (Perth).
This review aims to systematically identify contextual and mechanistic factors that contribute to the success or failure of implementing effective HCs in the prevention and early detection of chronic diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australian primary health care (PHC).
The Northern Territory and Far North Queensland have a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women birthing who experience hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. A multi-component health systems intervention to improve antenatal and postpartum care in these regions for women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy was implemented between 2016 and 2019.
Community Elders in Boorloo (Perth) identified early childhood education (ECE) as a priority area for Aboriginal children’s research. This is due to a lower number of Aboriginal children attending ECE programs compared to non-Aboriginal children. Attending ECE programs sets children up for school success and is an indicator for positive life outcomes in later life. Therefore, we sought to co-design and implement a program that encourages Aboriginal children and families to attend ECE programs, known as Moort Dandjoo Kaadadjiny.