Health, Culture, and Wellbeing: Indigenous Australians' Perspective

This report investigates the critical factors influencing the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians, emphasizing the interplay of cultural, social, and economic determinants. It highlights the significance of cultural practices, kinship networks, and the role of elders in promoting healthy behaviors. The report addresses the negative impacts of cultural losses, including language and clanship, and their implications for health outcomes. It also explores the challenges posed by racism, violence, and limited access to healthcare and education. Furthermore, it outlines government initiatives and services aimed at improving health outcomes and strengthening Indigenous communities, such as the Australian Department of Health's programs and the Queensland government's Welfare Reform program. The report underscores the need for culturally appropriate and inclusive health services to address the unique challenges faced by Indigenous Australians and promote healthy aging.

Important factors for this population to feel they can ‘Age well’.
Culture is addressed as an essential factor to an indigenous viewpoint
on life hence substantially factors could influence health behaviour. In
specifically, culture is significant influences such as larger family
network and kinship group was persuaded as dominant on health
behaviour1.
Interactions to family with kinship networks were entailed to have a
positive impact on the health behaviour of people. Along with this,
elder and respected individual performed as role models within
community, offering examples as well as, assisting for healthy
behaviour. Indigenous individuals supported a sociable and sharing
lifestyle. Concerning economic condition, desire to share and be
sociable promoted the act like sharing cigarettes that were relatively
cheap as compared to meal cost as well as, can be contributed in spite
of too much financial position. Sharing smoking developed a sense of
friendship between the Indigenous Australian2.
Several references were developed to continue racism concerning
indigenous individuals in the nation of Western Australia. Furthermore
constant availability of methodological racism on the systematic and
interpersonal levels was belied to attract decisions about health
behaviour. In addition, racism was a restriction to access healthy
selections and education of health. The intimate social connection that
occurs in such a condition could have a favourable impact on
psychological factors. Moreover, it is identified that indigenous culture
could strongly empower as well as, competency for developing forces in
communities of Indigenous4.
HEALTHY AGEING
HEALTH
Indigenous health systems are intimated associated with health-related to
ecosystem both spiritual as well as, physical. When experiment is ruined,
indigenous Australians are unconcerned through it as well as, their
competency to obtain these necessities failures5.
CULTURAL LOSSES
● Insufficient language
In the context of Indigenous Australians that highly depends on oral
interaction in each concept of life, it could be devastating. Cultural practices,
legal structures, as well as, sharing of conventional understanding are all
inseparably associated with particular language about community. Without
it, community could break down8.
● Inadequate clanship
Because of the loss of cultural dispersion as well as, cultural practices, family
ties failure. Its outcomes in loss of distinctiveness as well as, logic of
belonging9.
● Lack of traditional knowledge
It can sustain the societies as well as, contributing to science, medicine, and
technology7.
Services and initiatives are in place to address these
challenges
The Australian government department of health is
engaged for delivery of premium quality, inclusive as
well as, culturally feasible significant health services
for Indigenous Australians. Moreover, department of
Indigenous Australians facilitates a range of services
to support the strengthening as well as, growing
Indigenous Australians businesses in Queensland.
The department has a significant role in the foremost
Welfare Reform program of Queensland4. It assists
individuals and families for enhancing their lives
through re-development of social norms as well as,
re-building of local regulation related to Indigenous
Australians living in Welfare Reform societies7. The
government champion initiative facilitates a chance
for Chief Executives of Queensland Government
agencies to perform together with identified
communities concerning enhancing life results for
Indigenous Australians in a cooperative partnership6.
References
1. Ashman AM, Collins CE, Weatherall LJ, Keogh L, Brown LJ, Rollo ME, Smith R, Rae KM.
Dietary intakes and anthropometric measures of Indigenous Australian women and
their infants in the Gomeroi gaaynggal cohort. Journal of developmental origins of
health and disease. 2016 Oct;7(5):481-97.
2. Dahlberg EE, Hamilton SJ, Hamid F, Thompson SC. Indigenous Australians perceptions’
of physical activity: a qualitative systematic review. International journal of
environmental research and public health. 2018 Jul;15(7):1492.
3. Faulkner D, Hammond C, Nisbet L, Fletcher R. How do young aboriginal fathers in
Australia ‘stay on track’?–Perspectives on the support networks of aboriginal fathers.
Journal of Family Studies. 2018 Oct 25:1-4.
4. Ferguson L, Epp GB, Wuttunee K, Dunn M, McHugh TL, Humbert ML. ‘It’s more than
just performing well in your sport. It’s also about being healthy physically, mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually’: Indigenous women athletes’ meanings and experiences
of flourishing in sport. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise, and Health. 2019 Jan
1;11(1):1-9.
5. Ketheesan S, Rinaudo M, Berger M, Wenitong M, Juster RP, McEwen BS, Sarnyai Z.
Stress, Allostatic Load and Mental Health in Indigenous Australians. Stress. 2020 Feb
18(just-accepted):1-26.
6. Macniven R, Elwell M, Ride K, Bauman A, Richards J. A snapshot of physical activity
programs targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. Health
Promotion Journal of Australia. 2017 Dec;28(3):185-206.
7. Ralph S, Ryan K. Addressing the mental health gap in working with indigenous youth:
Some considerations for non Indigenous psychologists working with Indigenous‐
youth. Australian Psychologist. 2017 Aug;52(4):288-98.
8. Roberts K, Cannon J, Atkinson D, Brown A, Maguire G, Remenyi B, Wheaton G,
Geelhoed E, Carapetis JR. Echocardiographic screening for rheumatic heart disease in
indigenous Australian children: A cost-utility analysis. Journal of the American Heart
Association. 2017 Mar 2;6(3):e004515.
9. Waterworth P, Dimmock J, Pescud M, Braham R, Rosenberg M. Factors affecting
indigenous west Australians’ health behavior: Indigenous perspectives. Qualitative
Health Research. 2016 Jan;26(1):55-68.
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Unique challenges faced by this population (physical and physiological health)
Indigenous Australians are less possible for achieving high school, have higher rates of the drug
as well as, consumption of alcohol and domestic violence along with, on average live ten years
less than their non-indigenous complements. Some different Indigenous Australian are still
unable for living on their land as well as, struggling for upholding the diverse languages as well
as, cultures of hundreds of distinct groups and nations3.
VIOLENCE
Indigenous Australian is killed and beaten at the time of evictions and to threaten them into
providing their privileges. Their homes are scorched as well as, their possessions are devastated.
Violence is highly predominant in the relocation conditions in which, Indigenous Australians are
required for competing the incomplete resources. Along with this, Indigenous women as well as,
children are more possible to be raped as compared to other groups due to their beneath
human position in leading culture6.