The Current Health Status of Aboriginal Australian Population - Essay Example

?Running Head: Nursing The Current Health Status of Aboriginal Australian Populations A Report Introduction It is widely known, according to Morrissey (2003), that the “health status of Indigenous Australians is greatly inferior to that of the non-Indigenous population and that this is most clearly demonstrated by their much shorter life expectancy” (as cited in Carpenter & Tait, 2009, 29). Aboriginal Australians, more particularly, endure more infirmities, are more prone to suffer from disability or impairment and poor wellbeing, and, consequently, will die much earlier than non-Aboriginal Australians (Carpenter & Tait, 2009). According to Connor-Fleming and Parker (2001), Aboriginal Australians also have higher rates of infant mortality and higher prevalence of death from violent, poisoning, accident, and, currently, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. It has constantly been emphasized that the poor health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians is brought about by economic and social factors such as higher unemployment levels, poor nutrition and sanitation, congested housing, lack of access to education, and poverty. As a result, it has been proposed that the additional health risks of obesity, diabetes, and substance misuse make mortality rates among Aboriginal Australians significantly higher than that of the overall non-Aboriginal Australian population (Lawrence & Worsley, 2007). This paper discusses the factors that contribute to the current health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians, factors that increase the prevalence of diabetes, and potential community-focused solution. Contributing Factors to the Current Health of Australian Aboriginal People As stated in the National Aboriginal Health Strategy Working Party report, “health to Aboriginal peoples is a matter of determining all aspects of their life, including control over the physical environment, of dignity, of community self-esteem, and of justice. It is not merely a matter of the provision of doctors, hospitals, medicines or the absence of disease and incapacity” (Connor-Fleming & Parker, 2001, 210). Customarily, in Indigenous communities there was no term or word for ‘health’ as recognized by non-Indigenous people, and it would not be easy for Aborigines to view ‘health’ as part of their existence (Eagar & Garrett, 2001). This traditional belief is one of the major determinants of Aboriginal health. Health advocates engaged in programs for Aboriginal communities should be sensitive to this culturally oriented perception of health. Apparently, the Aboriginal perception of health should shape the context for any program supporting Aboriginal health. Second contributing factor is social disadvantage. It is well documented that social disadvantage has the ability to endanger individual health and wellbeing. The connection between poor health and social disadvantage is demonstrated in the health condition of Aboriginal people (Larkin, 2006). As revealed in the National Health Strategy Research paper No. 1, and substantiated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Health and Welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples research in 1999, there have been several improvements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders on wider social determinants, especially education (Connor-Fleming & Parker, 2001, 210). Nevertheless, according to Larkin (2006), on determinants of housing, economic standing, and employment status, these people were below Australian standards. Several scholars, like Thomson (1991) and Couzos and Murray (1999), claim that considerable economic and social disadvantage, political subjugation, and a history of cultural displacement and bigotry lead to seriously poor health and wellbeing for Aboriginal Australians. Matthews (1992) argued that a diverse paradigm that recognizes both the medical and social aspects of poor health is important. Where social circumstances are most unfavorable, the necessity for useful healthcare initiatives is greatest. A great deal of the Aboriginal health status is linked to poverty, unemployment, resettlement from customary lands, and cultural breakdown (Eagar & Garrett, 2001). These weakening circumstances work against developments in health and should be dealt with alongside healthcare initiatives. Factors that Increase the Occurrence of Diabetes Illnesses that arise more often in the Indigenous populace than in the non-Indigenous populace are diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, and particular contagious diseases like influenza and tuberculosis (Larkin, 2006). High incidence of diabetes has also been revealed in several Aboriginal populations. Couzos and Murray (1999) compared diabetes prevalence in Aboriginal populations and in other populations and reported that the frequency of diabetic renal conditions among Aboriginal populations is ten times the Australian average. According to UBM Medica Australia (2003), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals who are at least aged 35 are more prone to type 2 diabetes than most non-Aboriginal Australians. Although the precise numbers remain unknown, it is approximated that the frequency of type 2 diabetes in Indigenous populations is roughly 2-4 times that of non-Aboriginal populations (UBM Medica Australia, 2003). Obviously, diabetes is a serious health dilemma and a worsening one. Currently, with fewer Indigenous populations living a traditional, healthy way of life, and more being introduced to a modernized way of life, with diets abundant in sugar and fat, substance use, and an inactive lifestyle, their healthy metabolism in the past may currently be working against them (Mcknight, 2002). The biological structure that allowed Indigenous populations to thrive when food supply was inadequate may currently be a major weakness, causing obesity, diabetes, and related conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure (Carson et al., 2007). Aside from this change in lifestyle, there are other factors contributing to growing diabetes prevalence among Aboriginal populations in Australia. Diabetic Aboriginal people are always dealing with problems bringing about stress and coping with these problems dominate one’s own wellbeing and health. Stressors involve psychological, economic, emotional, spiritual, environmental, social, or cultural factors (Littlefield & Dudgeon, 2010). According to Larkin (2006), studies confirm that Aboriginal people are twice as prone as non-Aboriginal people to experience high to extremely high degrees of psychological problem. Meanwhile, laws were ratified that had an unfavorable effect on the cultural and social foundation of the Aboriginal society. The outcome of this has been transmitted from generation to generation and has been ineffectively addressed (Anderson & Whyte, 2006). The result has been an upsurge of trauma and stress that until now prevails within Aboriginal communities. Community-Focused Solutions The necessity for tailored intervention plans put into effect by Aboriginal health advocates was reported in the 1989 National Aboriginal Health Strategy: Aborigines have to take part in the planning and execution of health initiatives, even with cultural and language diversities (Connor-Fleming & Parker, 2001). Content strategies and models of supporting education programs and any supplementary literature should consider Aboriginal cultural and environmental and learning styles diversities. This is especially vital in view of the diverse perceptions of ‘health’ that Aboriginal people have vis-a-vis non-Aboriginal people. Solutions and changes in lifestyle have to be led by the communities. One strategy is the importance of communities ‘seeing’ their community as a vigorous and strong community. Later programs and solutions can be carried out through the teamwork of community advocates and Health Workers (Bambrick, 2003). The Health Worker serves a vital function in community-focused solutions. In 1997, the National Health and Medical Research Council suggested several approaches for health advocate growth in health service and health promotion management (Connor-Fleming & Parker, 2001). Efforts have been initiated to enhance the nutritional status and dietary practices of Aboriginal populations through nutrition education initiatives, often without much achievement. Critics claim that initiatives like these are put into practice by non-Indigenous people with poor knowledge of the practices of food acquisition, preparation, and allocation that take place from daily (Connor-Fleming & Parker, 2001). The participation of community members and health advocates in the planning of health promotion initiative is important. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, medication of type 2 diabetes is similar to that for non-Aboriginal people with the same illness: blood glucose regulation, insulin treatments, and changes in lifestyle (UBM Medica Australia, 2003). Apparently, the effective management and prevention of diabetes in the communities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander includes a broader picture, wherein political involvement and social and economic factors all contribute to the issue. Nevertheless, since a modernized way of life is a major contributing factor to the increase in the prevalence of diabetes, findings have demonstrated that using the favorable qualities of the traditional way of life can contribute to the improvement of health of diabetic people, and may aid in the prevention of diabetes in people at risk. For instance, an investigation of ten Indigenous diabetic people and four ‘normal’ subjects confirmed that a number of weeks of adopting a traditional way of life (e.g. with high-fiber, low-fat diet, and regular exercise) some metabolic defects related to diabetes had recovered (UBM Medica Australia, 2003). For instance, individuals in the study displayed healthy amount of fat in the blood, and enhanced amount of insulin and fasting glucose (UBM Medica Australia, 2003). Although it is not sensible for large numbers of people to conform to a traditional Indigenous way of life, the rules stay valid for all people, whether they are from a non-Aboriginal or Aboriginal community: implement a high-fiber, low-fat dietary plan, sustain a normal weight to aid in the improvement of metabolism, and maintain regular physical exercise. Conclusions Health services and programs that are directed by Aboriginal Australian communities are especially vital for providing or fostering sensitive and culturally correct service provision. These services or programs are more capable to promote independence and self-sufficiency; be consolidated with other professional and health programs to promote transfer and integrated care; deliver mental, emotional, and social health care; be liable to the communities; engage members of the communities in the planning, implementation, and assessment of services and programs; be resilient in response to the requirements and demands of the communities; and be culturally appropriate. References n.a. (2003). Diabetes in Aboriginal Australians. UBM Medica Australia, http://www.mydr.com.au/diabetes/diabetes-in-aboriginal-australians Anderson, I. & Whyte, J.D. (2006). Australian Federalism and Aboriginal Health. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 2006(2), 5+ Bambrick, H. (2003). Child Growth and Type 2 Diabetes in a Queensland Aboriginal Community. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 2003(2), 93. Carpenter, B. & Tait, G. (2009). Health, Death and Indigenous Australians in the Coronial System. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 2009(1), 29+ Carson, C., Dunbar, T., Chenhall, R.D., & Bailie, R. (2007). Social Determinants of Indigenous Health. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. Couzos, S. & Murray, R. (1999). Aboriginal Primary Health Care: An Evidence-based Approach. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Connor-Fleming, M.L. & Parker, E. (2001). Health Promotion: Principles and Practice in the Australian Context. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. Eagar, K. & Garrett, P. (2001). Health Planning: Australian Perspectives. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. Larkin, S. (2006). Evidence-Based Policy Making in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 2006(2), 17+ Lawrence, M. & Worsley, T. (2007). Public Health Nutrition: From Principles to Practice. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. Littlefield, L. & Dudgeon, P. (2010). Australia’s First People: Their Social and Emotional Well-Being. UN Chronicle, 47(2), 39+ Matthews, J. (1992). The health of indigenous peoples. Medical Journal of Australia, 156(20), 575-7. Mcknight, D. (2002). From Hunting to Drinking: The Devastating Effects of Alcohol on an Australian Aboriginal Community. London: Routledge. Morrissey, M. (2003). The social determinants of Indigenous health: A research agenda. Health Sociology Review, 12(1), 31-44. Thomson, N. (1991). A review of aboriginal health status. In J. Reid and P. Trompf, The Health of Aboriginal Australia. Sydney: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Read More