Ear and Hearing Problems among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

This essay discusses the ear and hearing problems among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, particularly the issue of poor ear and hearing health. It also covers the statistics, colonization, social determinants of health, cultural implications, and obstacles to addressing the health issue.

Running head: HEALTH ISSUE 1
Health Issue
Name of Author
Institution of Affiliation
Date of Submission

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Introduction
The health of hearing and other senses of the body is a major concern for the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (Bainbridge et al., 2015). Senses of the body
are very important because any damage of either of them may lead to increased risk of dying,
unhealthy weight loss, and problems with staying mentally sharp. Additionally, the damage may
cause overall worsening of wellbeing, difficulties in conducting daily activities, and difficulty in
staying physically active (Abbott et al., 2016). In this essay I have decided to talk about hearing
and ear problems as that is one of the major sense problems facing the Aboriginal people and it
will represent how the health issue has affected the Aboriginal people in regards to the sensory
probems.
The health issue
One of the main sense problems concerning the indigenous people is the issue with poor
ear and hearing health. Diseases related to the ear are categorized according to the area the
disorder appears. The main ear infection affecting the indigenous people is otitis media which
affects the middle ear. A person can suffer from otitis media either due to a bacterial or viral
infection or both. Additionally, the disease can also be caused by other sicknesses such as a cold.
Otitis media is very excruciating and at most times, causes harm to the eardrum (Azzopardi et
al., 2018). Moreover, it can also cause fluid leakage from the ear. This type of fluid leakage is
known as a runny ear. Furthermore, otitis media can also cause glue ear, which is experienced
when the fluids accumulate in the middle ear without affecting the eardrum. Both glue ear and
runny can lead to hearing loss. Additionally, if otitis media is not treated immediately, it may
lead to intermittent or continuous hearing impairment. This may lead to the risk of permanent
hearing loss (Azzopardi et al., 2018). Otitis media if untreated may lead to poor education

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outcomes, unemployment, poor language development, poor behavior, and social skills.
Indigenous babies can be affected by otitis media within weeks of after they are born while a
high percentage of indigenous children will be affected by the disease throughout their
developmental years, Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are affected by ear
infections mainly due to poverty, nutritional problems, and crowded housing conditions.
Moreover, other factors are poor access to health care, inadequate supply of clean water, and
proper sewerage systems.
Statistics of the health issue
According to statistics conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of
indigenous kids suffering from hearing impairments was almost three times the number of non-
indigenous kids. The percentage rate was 8.4% to 2.9% (Bainbridge et al., 2015). The research
was conducted on children aged 1 to 14. Out of the total people affected by hearing problems, a
third had otitis media. The research was carried out from 2014 to 2016. Moreover, the research
also showed that nearly 3700 indigenous people were hospitalized because of ear problems. The
rate of hospitalization of the disease was 7.4 per 1000 people for indigenous individuals
compared to 6.4 per 1000 people for non-indigenous individuals.
Colonization
The colonization of the Aboriginal people in Australia resulted in racism, inequity, and
the interference of the culture of Aboriginal people (Dudgeon et al., 2014). The main reason why
aboriginal people cannot forget about the past is that the negative impact of colonization is still
affecting the indigenous people each day, regularly in extreme ways. The statistics above are
mainly as a result of the remaining injustices of colonization (Fogarty et al., 2018). Colonization
led to the displacement, dispossession of land from aboriginal people, violence that begin at

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initial contact, and exploitation of their resources. The British colonial system was responsible
for the unpleasant behavior towards the aboriginal people. This was mainly because the British
did not comprehend, respect, and value the Aboriginal people in Australia (Fogarty et al., 2018).
In the worst scenarios, individuals of influence declined to accept Aboriginal people in Australia
as human beings so as to rationalize the inhumane acts of cruelty towards the indigenous
Australians. The British colonial attitudes towards the aboriginal persons in Australia set in
motion policies and events that are still having an effect on the Aboriginal people to date.
Moreover, British colonial attitudes towards the aboriginal persons in Australia also led
to the creation of institutions and systems that still have a negative impact on the aboriginal
people (Gee et al., 2014). This is despite the fact that the Aboriginal people have shown
determined efforts to try and overcome these sufferings. The economic and social effects of
invasion and control of aboriginal people in Australia has gradually increased over the years. The
situation was mainly intensified as a result of the policies and practices that have methodically
handicapped Aboriginal persons. In many ways, this has led to poverty, trauma, and other
various forms of impediments from generation to generation (Hewitt & Walter, 2014).
Therefore, the health issue regarding ear and hearing problems are as a result of the long-term
effects of inadequate opportunities to the Aboriginal people starting from the preceding
generations, such as inadequate education, poor nutrition, and inadequate health care systems.
Social determinants of health on the development and progression of the health issue
The social determinants of health are described as the conditions in which individuals
live, work, or are born at (Jongen et al., 2014). These conditions are affected by the dispersal of
resources and power at the local, national, and global levels. Many studies have suggested that
there is a close link between a person’s economic and social standing and their health status. The

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social determinants of health can have a significant effect on an individual’s risk of injury,
illness, and general health status. Additionally, the social determinants of health can affect a
person’s access to and contact with health and various related services. There are many social
determinants affecting the health of ear and hearing problems regarding the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Australians. The two main social determinants affecting the poor
conditions are housing and education (Markwick et al., 2014).
1. Housing
Housing research has proven that living in insecure, poor standard and expensive housing
are all related to poor health which relates to the ear and hearing problems the Aboriginal people
are experiencing (Markwick et al., 2014). In addition, the stress associated with problems in
accessing housing, overcrowding, and inadequate housing affordability, are all affecting the
health status of the aboriginal people.
2. Education
In spite of the fact that the difference in completion of education at all levels has lessened
between the Aboriginal individuals and non-Aboriginal persons, there is still a huge gap between
the two. The relationship between a good education and good health status of a person is well
known (McNiven, 2017). The link between education level and health status is that the greater
the level of education, the more opportunities a person has in accessing the health services and
also has a better understanding of the health issue and prevention methods. Therefore, due to
lack or inadequate education to the Aboriginal people, the ear and hearing problems have
progressed (McNiven, 2017).

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Cultural implications and obstacles to addressing the health issue.
To ascertain that health care services are available and accessible demands not only an
efficient financial and geographical health system but also cultural underpinning (Panaretto et al.,
2014). Cultural barriers in healthcare are identified by any obstacle that a person may incur, such
as varying medical practices and procedures, languages, or notions concerning sexuality and
gender. These barriers, which may cause major miscommunications among individuals of
different cultural background, are the principal cause of undesirable results of healthcare
amenities regarding the Aboriginal people (Short, 2016). These barriers have been a major cause
of unequal health among the indigenous people located in Australia. Studies have shown that the
various beliefs, faith, understanding and interpretation of values, identity and health are the key
causes of why the Aboriginal people are less than willing to interact with the mainstream
healthcare providers (Sibthorpe et al., 2017). The beliefs of the Aboriginal people are mainly
associated with delays in accessing free ear treatments, and follow-up hospital checkups.
Moreover, recent research showed that most Aboriginal people were more focused on
maintaining their everyday routines and adhering to their ancient culture rather than their
wellbeing. Therefore, cultural differences have played a major role in the progression of the ear
and hearing problems regarding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in
Australia.
Conclusion
The ear and hearing problem is one the significant sensory problems that have affected
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians since colonization and up to date.
Moreover, the cultural barriers in health have also impacted on the spread of the disease (Timms
et al., 2014). Furthermore, although the gap between the Aboriginal people and non-aboriginal

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people regarding health status has constantly decreased over the years, there is still a huge
difference which needs to be addressed.

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