Indigenous Australians and Pacific Islanders have faced numerous health challenges due to historical factors like colonization introducing new diseases, and more recently due to difficulties accessing appropriate healthcare services. Some key health issues include higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health problems. Both groups experience similar barriers like language and cultural differences, but Indigenous Australians face additional issues of racism, discrimination, and the legacy of policies like the Stolen Generations. Improving health requires culturally-sensitive care, education to increase health literacy, and addressing social determinants like employment and housing.

1. Indigenous Australians and
Pacific Islanders
By Carley, Lyn, Nerida, Edie and Gabby

2. HISTORICAL FACTORS THAT HAVE IMPACTED
UPON THE HEALTH OF INDIGENOUS
AUSTRALIANS
Indigenous people
generally experienced
better health.
They didn’t suffer from
diseases such as influenza
and tuberculosis.
BEFORE COLONISATION

3. Land, language, law and lore of the Indigenous
were affected.
New diseases were introduced, i.e. small pox.
Resulted in depopulation.
DURING COLONISATION

4. Stolen generation.
Experience barriers when accessing health care,
due to racism or feeling unwanted.
Segregation and integration.
Physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing
affected negatively.
AFTER COLONISATION

5. Indigenous life expectancy is approx. 17 years
lower than non-Indigenous people within Australia.
Two times more infant deaths.
Five times more likely to be teenage mothers.
Two times more likely to smoke cigarettes.
In 2006, 45% of Aboriginals over the age of 15
were unemployed (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2008).
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/statistical-overview-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples-australia-social
(T.Dune, personal communication, March 5th, 2014)
STATISTICS

6. When the body has insufficient amounts of glucose.
Diabetes and high sugar were more common in remote areas (1 in 11) than
in urban areas (1 in 20).
HEALTH NEEDS OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
Diabetes
A group of diseases that affect the heart and circulatory system
(heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure).
Such as coronary heart diseases, hypertensive diseases, strokes
and rheumatic heart diseases.
Cardiovascular disease
Similar causes for both
Unhealthy diet, no exercise, obesity, smoking and alcohol
consumption, poor housing environment and poor hygiene.

7. CLINICAL/PROFESSIONAL SKILLS REQUIRED
TO MEET THESE NEEDS
DIABETES CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Client empowerment
Effective health plans
Appoint expert diabetes mentors
Technology and research
Support
Provide medicine/medical needs
•Reduce alcohol use
•Hygiene
•Nutrition and dieting plans/guides: From
2004-05, NATSIHS found that most Indigenous people
ate fruit (86%) and vegetables (95%) everyday, due to its
availability and cost in non-remote areas
Physical activity guides/routines
Reduce tobacco use: There has been a
reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked daily by
Indigenous people between 1994 and 2008; two out of
three Indigenous current daily smokers has tried to quit
in the pervious years

8. EXPERIENCES OF INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
WHEN USING HEALTH SERVICES
Culture shock
Language barriers
Non-verbal barriers
WHAT ARE THE EXPERIENCES?

9. “Real life problem with real life consequences”
Being admitted to hospital, unaware of the type of medical treatment the
patient was to receive.
Receiving medical treatment without consent.
Being mistaken for other hospital patients and receiving inappropriate
treatment.
Being returned home with a serious condition.
Patients undergoing treatment at odds with their cultural beliefs.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE
EXPERIENCES IN HEALTH SERVICES?

10. Aboriginals described
mainstream health
services as not
welcoming, sites of
discrimination and can
be isolating...
ABORIGINAL STORIES OF
EXPERIENCE

11. HEALTH NEEDS OF PACIFIC
ISLANDERS
Assessments from five Pacific Islander communities:
M ori, Samoan, Papua New Guineanā and Fijian
(indigenous Fijian and Fiji Indian).
Main health needs include: psychological and
mental health (stress, depression, suicide) and
diabetes (physical activity, dietary behaviours,
obesity).
Other health needs: coronary heart disease, cancer,
cardiovascular disease

12. DIABETES STATS
The prevalence of diabetes or high
blood sugar in 1997 and 1998 was 5%
for people born in the South Pacific.
The rate of hospitalisations for diabetes
complications in 1995-96 to 1999-00
was statistically higher at over five times
the rate for Australian-born people.
The incidence of insulin-treated diabetes
in 1999-2001 was higher for females
born in the South Pacific and New
Zealand, than for the Australian-born
females, but no differences were
observed for males.
Diabetes-related mortality rates in 1997-
2000 and hospitalisation rates in 1999-00
for immigrants from the South Pacific
were higher than those for the Australian-
born population.

13. HEALTH NEEDS OF PACIFIC
ISLANDERS
Assessments from five Pacific Islander communities:
M ori, Samoan, Papua New Guineanā and Fijian
(indigenous Fijian and Fiji Indian).
Main health needs include: psychological and
mental health (stress, depression, suicide) and
diabetes (physical activity, dietary behaviours,
obesity).
Other health needs: coronary heart disease, cancer,
cardiovascular disease

14. SPECIFIC, RELEVANT AND DIVERSE EXPEREICNES
OF PACIFIC ISLANDER PEOPLES WHEN ACCESSING
HEALTH SERVICES
Low health literacy - lack of knowledge of health issues and
available health services
Lack of culturally tailored health promotion -
Australian methods of health care “pushed” upon them. Lack of
understanding or acceptance of traditional healing methods.
Communication barriers - difficulty in understanding medical
terminology and jargon. Health service professionals unable to guarantee
comprehension.
Economic barriers - general cost of healthcare. Lower average
weekly income than Australian-born (Census, 2006).

15. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE
HEALTH EXPERIENCES OF INDIGENOUS
AUSTRALIANS AND CALD AUSTRALIANS
SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES
Language
Non-verbal communication -
staring, where to look
Communication - low health
literacy
Family in decision making
process/distances needed to travel
- need to be close to family at all
times
Economic
More media attention focused on
health outcomes of A&TSI - Pacific
Islanders seen as more of a
minority
Cultural tailored health promotion
Discrimination

16. OUR STRATEGY
As a group we are establishing a community
centre within areas highly populated by
Aboriginals.
Our purpose is to improve health through
raising awareness and educating both the
community and Aboriginal peoples.
Our four professions include sport and
exercise science, podiatry, health promotion
and theraputic recreation.

17. STRATEGY CONT.
Our holistic strategy identifies the
interdependent determinants of health that
can be improved to overcome Indigenous
disadvantage, while also being applicable for
use with our CALD group, Pacific Islanders.
- achieves this by focusing on each specific
community involved.
The main feature of our strategy is the notion
of interconnectedness and autonomy.

18. OUR AIM
Our strategy aims to work in association with the
“Closing the Gap” campaign, with the intention of
heping to reach the following CTG targets:
‣ Closing the life expectancy gap within the decade
‣ Halve the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five within a
decade
‣ Halve the gap for Indigenous students in year 12 attainment rates
‣ Halve the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-
Indigenous Australians within a decade

19. REFERENCES
Australian Human Rights Commission. (2008). A statistical overview of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia: Social justice report 2008. Retrieved from
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/statistical-overview-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples-australia-social
Australian Indigenous Health Info Net. (15th May 2012) Summary of australian indigenous
health. Australian Government Department of Health. Retrieved March 17, 2014, from http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-facts/summary#fnl-23
Cortis, N., Sawrikar, P. & Muir, K. (2008). Participation in sport and recreation by culturally
and linguistically diverse women. Retrieved March 25th, 2014, from https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/Report8_08_CALD_Women_in_sport.pdf
Dunbar, T. (2011. Aboriginal people’s experiences of health and family services in the
Northern Territory. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies, 4(2), 1-15. Retrieved from
http://www.isrn.qut.edu.au/publications/internationaljournal/documents/Final_Dunbar_IJCIS.pdf
Henry, B., Houston, S. & Mooney, G. (2004). Institutional racism in Australian healthcare:
A plea for decency. Fairness and compassion are the basis for improving Aboriginal health, 180(10), 517-520. Retrieved from
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2004/180/10/institutional-racism-australian-healthcare-plea-decency
Muecke, A., Lenthall, S. & Lindeman, M. (n.d.). Culture shock and healthcare workers in
remote Indigenous communities of Australia: What do we know and how can we measure it? Rural and Remote Health. Retrieved from http://www.rrh.org.au
Queensland Health. (2010). Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)
Queenslanders in physical activity: Findings of the CALD physical activity mapping project. Retrieved from
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/ph/documents/hpu/cald-pa-map-proj.pdf

20. REFERENCES CONT.
Queensland Health. (2011). The health of Queensland’s Fijian population 2009. Retrieved
from http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/health-data-fijian.pdf
Queensland Health. (2011). The health of Queensland’s Māori population 2009. Retrieved
from http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/health-data-maori.pdf
Queensland Health. (2011). The health of Queensland’s Papua New Guinean population
2009. Retrieved from http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/health-data-png.pdf
Queensland Health. (2011). The health of Queensland’s Samoan population 2009.
Retrieved from http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/health-data-samoan.pdf
Queensland Health. (2011). Queensland Health’s response to Pacific Islander and Māori
health needs assessment. Retrieved from http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/health_workers/qh-response-data.pdf
Rolls, M. & Johnson, M. (2010). Historical dictionary of Australian Aborigines. Retrieved
from http://lib.myilibrary.com/ProductDetail.aspx?id=297534
Throw, A.M. & Waters, A.M. (2005). Diabetes in culturally and linguistically diverse
Australians: Identification of communities at high risk. Retrieved March 25th, 2014, from
https://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442454961
Walton, S. (2001). Communication and cultural knowledge in Aboriginal health care.
Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, 1(1), 1-45. Retrieved from
http://www.lowitja.org.au/sites/default/files/docs/Communication_and_Cultural.pdf