Defining the Indefinable: Descriptors of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Cultures and their Links to Health and Wellbeing

This report was funded by the Lowitja Institute and is part of the development of Mayi Kuwayu: The National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing; a national longitudinal study exploring the relationship between Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander wellbeing and culture. This review was conducted to explore what cultural factors are important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and gain an understanding of how these factors relate to health and wellbeing. We examined the Australian literature as well as publications from countries that have experienced similar colonisation events; primarily Aotearoa (New Zealand), Canada and the United States. Our main findings from this synthesis determined six main domains used to describe culture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These domains were: Connection to Country; Cultural Beliefs and Knowledge; Language; Family, Kinship and Community; Expression and Cultural Continuity; and Self-determination and Leadership.The Lowitja Institute Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Cooperative Research Centre funded this review under project 16-SDH-05-03

Strengths-based approaches for quantitative data analysis: A case study using the australian Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children

In Australia and internationally, there are increasing calls for the use of strengths-based methodologies, to counter the dominant deficit discourse that pervades research, policy, and media relating to Indigenous health and wellbein

Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the relationship between reported racism and health and well-being for children and youth: a protocol

Introduction Racism is a critical determinant of health and health inequities for children and youth. This protocol aims to update the first systematic review conducted by Priest et al (2013), including a meta-analysis of findings. Based on previous empirical data, it is anticipated that child and youth health will be negatively impacted by racism. Findings from this review will provide updated evidence of effect sizes across outcomes and identify moderators and mediators of relationships between racism and health.Methods and analysis This systematic review and meta-analysis will include studies that examine associations between experiences of racism and racial discrimination with health outcomes of children and youth aged 0–24 years. Exposure measures include self-reported or proxy reported systemic, interpersonal and intrapersonal racism. Outcome measures include general health and well-being, physical health, mental health, biological markers, healthcare utilisation and health behaviours. A comprehensive search of studies from the earliest time available to October 2020 will be conducted. A random effects meta-analysis will examine the average effect of racism on a range of health outcomes. Study-level moderation will test the difference in effect sizes with regard to various sample and exposure characteristics. This review has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews.Ethics and dissemination This review will provide evidence for future research within the field and help to support policy and practice development. Results will be widely disseminated to both academic and non-academic audiences through peer-review publications, community summaries and presentations to research, policy, practice and community audiences.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020184055

Review of tobacco use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

The Review of tobacco use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples provides a comprehensive synthesis of key information on the use of tobacco among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The review provides the historical, social and cultural contexts; describes the extent of tobacco use in Australia; the health and social impacts in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities; the burden of disease and mortality; and other factors relating to tobacco use. It also includes details of the related policies and strategies and programs addressing tobacco use. The review has extensive appendices which include the search strategy used to find the relevant literature. This is the first review the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet has published which focuses specifically on tobacco use; which is a national priority in Australia

'The answers were there before white man come in': stories of strength and resilience for responding to violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities - Family Community Safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Study Report

In 2017, the Department of Social Services (DSS) commissioned The Australian National University to undertake the Family and Community Safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (FaCtS) Study. The study was designed to answer the overarching question: What would it take to effectively address family and community violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities? We sought to answer this question by gathering both qualitative and quantitative data from community members and service providers. Our findings are augmented by a literature review. From the outset, the study team recognised that research leadership by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was fundamental to generating meaningful data. We believed that this would lead to findings valuable for informing actions by communities, service providers and the government that will be effective in reducing the incidence and impacts of violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities. To that end, the FaCtS Study is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led and governed study which privileges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, cultures and knowledge. It makes a significant contribution to the currently limited evidence available to inform communities, policymakers and service providers about effectively supporting those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, families and communities who experience and are exposed to family and community violence. We present implications for action and solutions that emerged through interviews, focus groups and surveys with community members and service providersThis report was commisioned by ANU College of Health & Medicin