Indigenous Health and Culture

Running head: INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND CULTURE
INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND CULTURE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND CULTURE
Q1. The social determinants of health are the factors that affect the health of a person in
accordance with the socio-economic structure. The social determinants of health are as follows:
 Social gradient
 Stress
 Early life
 Social exclusion
 Work
 Unemployment
 Social support
 Addictions
 Food
 Transport
All the above mentioned factors are the causes that affect the health condition of a person. In
case of Luke an Indigenous person who is the first of his community to take education from the
University. He found it difficult in the University as he was alone from his community and there
is no other Indigenous person in the University campus. In this case the social determinant is the
social exclusion and stress from others in the University campus that affected his mental health.
On the other hand his father who passed away from diabetes was affected by the social gradient,
unemployment and stress among the community as well. These factors are the primary and
crucial factors in the mental and physical illness of Luke and his father. The social structure and
the economic structure of the Indigenous communities should be considered for the health care
for the community people. Luke is the first person from his family to enter the University thus he
could not be able to share his problems to anyone in the University which also leads to stress.

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INDIGENOUS HEALTH AND CULTURE
The factor of the communication gap also affects the mental health that is another factor which
can be stated as the social determinant of health.
Q2. The effect of colonization is the factor that can be stated as the cause of poor health service
provision to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Indigenous people have been
colonized by the European dominant population and the disparities they included in the society
were historically the cause of the trauma of the Aboriginal people. The social and racial
discrimination of the Indigenous people by the non-Indigenous ones are the causes of their
suffering. The social discrimination and the dominance of the European group of people are the
factors that affect the health care provision for the Torres Strait Islander and the Aboriginal
people of Australia. In order to provide culturally safe health care it is needed to consider the
historical factor of the social discrimination and exclusion as well. The health care system should
be changed to being responsive to cultural morals and lifestyle habits, self reflection and
understanding other cultures, acceptance one’s beliefs and culture, no dominance over another
safety is determined by the recipient not practitioner, involving cultural literacy, and attention to
languages. These factors should be included for the cultural safety in health care of Luke and his
community as well. The most important factor is to treat him equally like others in the society
and also listening to his problems. The cultural safety resides in the aspect of health equity and
equal behavior to the people of the Indigenous people and trying to understand their position in
the society and help them according to their needs.
Q3. Luke is a person who originated from the Indigenous cultural and he is the first person from
his community opting in the University for education. This situation highlights the factor of the
socio-economic structure of Luke’s community and it is very poor to provide proper education to
the young generation of the community. It has also been highlighted that the factor of being the