Qualitative Research Proposal: STD Knowledge in Aboriginal Adults

This research proposal investigates the impact of knowledge about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) on the sexual health of Aboriginal adults in Australia. The study, employing a qualitative research approach, aims to explore the current knowledge levels regarding STDs within this comm...Read More

Running head: Qualitative research
IMPACT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF ABORIGINAL ADULTS
ABOUT STD ON THEIR SEXUAL HEALTH

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Executive summary
The research proposal is designed to explore the knowledge level of aborigines regarding
STD and its impact on sexual health. This research will be conducted in remote regions of
Australia containing aboriginal populations. This paper includes different latest literature
about this issue and methodological tools that will be used to conduct the research. Selection
methods of sample and elaboration of the sample population are also done in this proposal. A
personal reflection on the motivation behind choosing this topic is given along with ethical
considerations.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Background and problem statement...........................................................................................4
Research question.......................................................................................................................6
Design of the research................................................................................................................6
Population and sampling............................................................................................................7
Method of collecting and analyzing data...................................................................................7
Reflection...................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
Reference list............................................................................................................................10
Appendix 1...............................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander forms 3.3% of the total population of Australia.
A large number of people in this community gets infected by Sexually Transmitted Disease
(STD), who live in remote or very remote areas. Different STDs like HIV are diagnosed with
adult aboriginal people. The rate of HIV diagnosis per 100,000 people of this community is
5.9, which is more than that of non-aboriginal people. Among non-aboriginal people, the rate
is 3.7 (Creativespirits.info, 2020).
Inadequate knowledge and education is the main challenge that is impacting on sexual
health as many people are not properly educated. Many aboriginal people did not know how
to interact regarding this issue and what questions need to be asked. On the other hand, 80%
of the STI happens to aboriginal people who live in remote areas. Moreover, language is
another barrier that impacts on the knowledge level of aboriginal communities. In some of
the communities, there are many language groups. This impacts the communication process
between these people and the government.
This paper elaborates on the latest literature about the knowledge level of aborigines
regarding this health issue. Methodology, selection of participants and personal reflection are
also included in this study.
Background and problem statement
The enhancing number of cases of STD in Australian aboriginals is indicating the lack
of knowledge of this population about this matter. Sexual practices of this community need
to be improved for their wellbeing. Gunaratnam et al. (2019) have mentioned that it is
difficult to gather information about the knowledge of indigenous people due to several
barriers including cultural and language differences. However, the increasing rate of STD in

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this population is influencing researchers and the government of this country to investigate
this matter. 80% of the STD cases have been found in Aboriginal people from remote areas
of Australia (Creativespirits.info, 2020). This statistic is indicating that there is a lack of
knowledge about this matter in this community.
Previous investigations have revealed data about various kinds of sexually transmitted
diseases. A higher rate of HIV cases has been found in the last five years. In 2014, it has been
found that 22% of cases of Chlamydia has taken place in the remote indigenous community
in Australia (Afao.org.au, 2015). In terms of STD, gonorrhea, the indigenous population is
suffering more than non-indigenous people in this country. A report of 2014, is postulating
that about 71% of cases of gonorrhea have been found in aboriginals. However, relatively
fewer cases have been spotted in terms of this disease in the non-indigenous population
(MacPhail & McKay, 2017). Similarly, the rate of infectious syphilis is hiking over the
passage of time in the case of the aboriginal population more than common non-indigenous
Australians. According to Graham, O’Connor, Morgan, Chamberlain & Hocking (2017), lack
of awareness regarding sexual health and using protection while having sexual intercourse are
the reasons for the increasing rate of STD in aboriginals. Research required in this area to
identify potential solutions to address this disease.
The government of Australia and other NGOs have identified this issue and they are
providing their best effort to address it in an appropriate way. It has been found that a lack of
awareness about STD is impacting the sexual health of the aboriginal community. As
mentioned by Ward, Hengel, Ah Chee, Havnen, Boffa (2020), the only way of reducing this
impact is to increase awareness about STD among aboriginals. For example, Stay safe you
mob! is the campaign that has been initiated by the Government of Western Australia to raise
awareness about the method of protecting sexual health (Health.wa.gov.au, 2020). The key

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objectives of this campaign are to enhance awareness about the importance of having safe sex
and the availability of testing and treatment of STD.
English is the third or fourth language of this community and its fact is acting as a
barrier to assessing their knowledge about STD. On the other hand, Wand et al. (2017) have
stated that a lack of education is preventing this population from asking the right question to
the right people to enrich their knowledge about STD. Moreover, social stigma and
hesitation about going to a sexual health clinic is another reason for the poor sexual health of
this community.
Research question
What are the impacts of knowledge regarding STD on the sexual health of aboriginals and
how can awareness be raised about this matter?
Design of the research
A qualitative approach has been selected for this research project. This method helps
to take an interpretive approach to obtain an answer to the research question.
Phenomenological approach of qualitative research will be chosen for this research. This
approach is chosen because the research will focus on gathering information from
respondents about STD and measuring their knowledge level. In healthcare, a qualitative
research design helps to develop different new concepts (Saks & Allsop, 2012). Unlike
quantitative research, which is deductive in nature and analyzes different phenomena on the
basis of frequencies, qualitative research helps to find out the meaning of a subject through
the description. This research design helps to develop concepts that help in understanding a
phenomenon that emphasizes experience and views of the respondents (Watt, 2007).
Qualitative research method can be described as an action research design that uses

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observation and innovative methods like semi-structured interviews. This research design can
help to gain answers to the research question.
Population and sampling
The study population of this study will be aboriginal population from Australia for
measuring their knowledge about STDs and barriers in gaining knowledge. Five individuals
from different aboriginal communities will be selected for this research purpose. These
individuals will be selected from the southern part of the country as this part contains many
remote areas.
Face to face and in-depth interviews will be conducted in this research to gather data
regarding the research topic. Convenience sampling will be used in this research to collect
data. As opined by Creswell (2013), convenience sampling is a type of non-probability
sampling where the sample is chosen from a group, which is easy to contact. This type of
sampling is also known as availability sampling that is chosen here to select only those
individuals who are willing to participate. This can help to avoid any ethical issues.
The sample size in this study is five and the criteria for selecting samples are: they need to
live in the specified region for at least 10 years and have a record of STD in the family.
Method of collecting and analyzing data
It is important to select the appropriate method of collecting and analyzing the data to
get a reliable outcome. In this research, 10 open-ended questions are being designed for
collecting data to assess the level of knowledge of aboriginals about STD [Referred to
Appendix 1]. Questions have been designed based on the following specific areas,
a. Information about respondents
b. Knowledge about STD

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c. Availability of support from government and local healthcare organizations
Open-ended questions will be used to collect in-depth information that can help to
answer the research question. As mentioned by Isaacs (2014), this kind of questionnaire
allows respondents to share information based on their practical experiences. The researcher
will follow all the ethical guidelines while collecting data and respondents are allowed to
step-back whenever as per their choice. They will be informed about the purpose and process
of the study. After getting consent from the chosen respondents, the data will be collected.
From the collected data, significant statements will be analyzed in this case. The
researcher will not be biased when analyzing the data. As mentioned by Saks & Allsop
(2012), quotes gathered from open-ended questions will inform the researcher about the
experience faced by respondents in their lives. The statements of aboriginal respondents will
be analyzed to find out the difficulties of their lives regarding obtaining knowledge about
STD. On the other hand, analysis of the collected data will reveal the initiatives of the
government and local healthcare organizations to raise awareness about STD and protecting
the sexual health of indigenous people of Australia.
Reflection
The motivation behind this research is the growing concern about STDs among
aborigines in Australia. Recently, different news articles have been published, which shows
that STIs are increasingly common among these communities especially those who reside in
remote areas.
Different ethical issues will be considered while conducting research. This includes
collecting consent from the respondents, maintaining the security of the information provided
and others. Moreover, no personal questions will be asked to the respondents that can hurt

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their feelings or cultural sentiments. Different standard codes of research will be maintained
during the progression of the study.
Conclusion
This study focuses on aboriginal communities who reside in remote regions of
Australia and face different barriers due to improper knowledge about STDs. specific focus
will be given on the communities of remote regions who do not get ample chances to gain
information about these diseases. Although the government of the country has identified the
issue and formulated strategies to mitigate it, still there are some barriers. Qualitative
research will be conducted to gain detailed information about this issue and this research can
help to form strategies to improve their knowledge level. Thus, the rate of this disease can be
minimized in the future.

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Reference list
Afao.org.au. (2015). HIV and sexually transmissible infections among Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people: summary of the latest surveillance data. Retrieved on 26th
March 2020, from: https://www.afao.org.au/article/hiv-sexually-transmissible-
infections-among-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-people-summary-latest-
surveillance-data/
Creativespirits.info. (2020). Aboriginal sexual health. Retrieved on 26th march 2020, from:
https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/health/aboriginal-sexual-health
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing from five
approaches (3rd Eds).
Graham, S., O’Connor, C. C., Morgan, S., Chamberlain, C., & Hocking, J. (2017).
Prevalence of HIV among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a
systematic review and meta-analysis. Sexual health, 14(3), 201-207. Retrieved from:
http://www.publish.csiro.au/SH/SH16013
Gunaratnam, P., Schierhout, G., Brands, J., Maher, L., Bailie, R., Ward, J., ... & Donovan, B.
(2019). Qualitative perspectives on the sustainability of sexual health continuous
quality improvement in clinics serving remote Aboriginal communities in
Australia. BMJ open, 9(5), e026679. Retrieved from:
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/9/5/e026679.full.pdf
Health.wa.gov.au. (2020). Aboriginal sexual health campaign. Retrieved on 26th March 2020,
from: https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Campaign-Aboriginal-sexual-health
Isaacs, A. N. (2014). An overview of qualitative research methodology for public health
researchers. International Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 4(4). Retrieved
from:

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http://www.ijmedph.org/sites/default/files/IntJMedPublicHealth_2014_4_4_318_1440
55.pdf
MacPhail, C., & McKay, K. (2018). Social determinants in the sexual health of adolescent
Aboriginal Australians: a systematic review. Health & social care in the
community, 26(2), 131-146. Retrieved from:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/hsc.12355
Saks, M., & Allsop, J. (Eds.). (2012). Researching health: Qualitative, quantitative and
mixed methods. Sage.
Wand, H., Bryant, J., Pitts, M., Delaney-Thiele, D., Kaldor, J. M., Worth, H., & Ward, J.
(2017). Development of a risk algorithm to better target STI testing and treatment
among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Archives of sexual
behavior, 46(7), 2145-2156. Retrieved from:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-017-0958-9
Ward, J.S., Hengel, B., Ah Chee, D., Havnen, O., Boffa, J.D. (2020). Setting the record
straight: sexually transmissible infections and sexual abuse in Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander communities. The Medical Journal of Australia, 212(5), 205-207.
Retrieved from: https://www.mja.com.au/system/files/issues/212_05/mja250492.pdf
Watt, D. (2007). On becoming a qualitative researcher: the value of reflexivity. Qualitative
Report, 12(1), 82-101. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ800164.pdf

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Appendix 1
Information about respondents
1. What is your age?
2. For how many years you are living in this region?
3. Elaborate about the history of STD in your family or community?
Knowledge about SDT
1. What causes STD or STIs? What are the symptoms of STI?
2. Who is more likely to get infected with an STI, women or men? Why?
3. Is the transmission of STDs like HIV is possible through a mosquito bite, hugging or
shaking hands?
4. What protection can you take to avoid any STDs?
Availability of support from government and local healthcare organizations
1. Which infrastructure government has built, in your region to provide healthcare support?
2. Tell me something about government projects, which are designed to reduce STD?
3. Which types of initiatives are taken in your area to spread awareness about STD? How
often health checkups are done here?