Indigenous health initiatives - Unit 3 AOS 2

Question 1

why is Indigenous health targeted

Answer 1

• Indigenous Australians do not experience the same levels of health and wellbeing as the rest of the population
• they have more risk factors such as tobacco smoking and alcohol use.
• they have significant differences in health status including overall lower life expectancy and higher rates of mortality associated with diseases such as CVD and type 2 diabetes.
• this group has significant potential to experience improvements in health and wellbeing

Question 2

Closing the Gap initiative

Answer 2

• The Council of Australian Governments (COAG), which includes federal, state/territory and local government representatives along with Indigenous leaders, committed to ‘closing the gap’.
• This involves working together to achieve equality in health status and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non Indigenous Australians by 2030.

Question 3

targets of the closing the Gap initiative

Answer 3

• targets relate to relate to improving health outcomes, educational attainment, employment and housing, reducing incarceration, out-of-home care, violence and suicide, and promoting legal rights
• to close the life expectancy gap within a generation
• to halve the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five within a decade
• to ensure access to early childhood education for all Indigenous four year olds in remote communities within five years
• to halve the gap in reading, writing, and numeracy achievements for children within a decade
• to halve the gap for Indigenous students in year 12 attainment rates by 2020
• to halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a decade

Question 4

Fitzroy stars

Answer 4

• The Fitzroy Stars football and Netball club was formed in the 1970s as a preventative health program for Indigenous Australians.
• It addresses the significant health issue of lifestyle diseases by nurturing a culture that promotes a healthy lifestyle, such as regularly exercising and eating well.
• It is culturally appropriate as the team was chaired by Alf Bamblett and is coached by Dean Rioli, who are both Indigenous and are thus aware of the cultural background of the Indigenous players.

Question 5

Fitzroy stars and the Ottawa charter

Answer 5

• build healthy public policy - this club has rules in place to make the club an alcohol and drug free. The club has also been supported financially by Vic health to ensure they have suitable playing and socialising places.
• creates supportive environments - by providing a safe meeting place place for Indigenous people to socialise and participate in sport. This provides a supportive environment where individuals can exercise and have access to health forums to improve their health outcomes.
• strengthens community action - families and community members are jointly engaged in sustaining the club for the common goal of promoting Indigenous physical activity.
  in 2008, VicHealth, Oxfam, and the Aboriginal Advancement League collaborated to rebuild the club. To this day, the club is running strongly, with many workers and volunteers ensuring that the club is sustained and continues to grow.
• develop personal skills - Members of the club are supported in seeking employment or education opportunities. The club promotes nutrition, fitness and self-esteem, offering skills and knowledge for Indigenous people to improve their health and wellbeing.
• reorient health services - The club engages with health professionals weekly to run a range of sessions relating to preventative healthcare, such as the importance of quitting smoking and exercising regularly. The are also a drug and alcohol free club which, helping to prevent lifestyle diseases.

Question 6

Fitzroy stars improving health and wellbeing

Answer 6

• culturally appropriate - improves physical health and wellbeing
• provides a space for Indigenous people to participate in exercise, helping them to maintain a healthy body weight, thus improving their physical H+W
• runs weekly preventative healthcare sessions relating to nutrition and smoking, preventing the risk of developing lifestyle related conditions such as cardiovascular disease, improving physical H+W
• provides a space for community members to socialise and build relationships, improving social H+W
• it offers pathways to education and employment, helping to create a sense of belonging, promoting spiritual health and wellbeing.

Question 7

feedin’ the mob

Answer 7

• a nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle program for Indigenous Australians in the city of Whittlesea.
• It is funded by the Vic government and supported by the local council

Question 8

Feedin’ the Mob reflecting the Ottawa charter

Answer 8

• build healthy public policy - funded by the Federal Government and supported by local council. This commitment to funding represents building healthy public policy.
• create supportive environments - it uses elders and members of the indigenous community to be involved in the program, creating a culturally appropriate environment. it provides advice, support and guidance, all through a family focus, so children can participate.
• strengthen community action - Feedin’ the Mob strengthens community action by encouraging the community to be involved in activities that draw on local culture. They encourage people to be involved in improving their health e.g. sms reminders
• develop personal skills - teaching the benefits of healthy eating and lifestyle. This gives them the knowledge and skills to be able to make better and informed decisions about their health.
• reorient health services - It reorients health services by providing information on the benefits of healthy eating and exercise. The aim of this is to improve life expectancy and reduce chronic illness such as type 2 diabetes, through prevention.

Question 9

feedin’ the mob impact on health and wellbeing

Answer 9

• provides a community garden and cooking classes, providing a space for individuals to develop relationships, improving their social H+W
• it draws on local culture and involves elderly from the community, providing a culturally appropriate environment, improving physical H+W
• it focusses on nutrition and healthy eating, helping to prevent lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes, promoting physical H+W

Question 10

evaluating initiatives

Answer 10

• cultural appropriateness - the program should be delivered in a culturally appropriate way and be designed in a way that caters to the needs of Indigenous people. e.g. such as using and training Indigenous personal to
• funding - most initiatives require financial support to ensure they are implemented appropriately
• improvements in health and wellbeing - effective initiatives will conduct their own research to determine its level of success
• reflecting action areas -
• number of participants taking part