HBS107 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Tom Calma, Social Class, Binge Drinking
HBS107 Week Four
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Health
It is widely acknowledged that a gap exists between the health and well-being of Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians (Australian Indigenous
Health Infonet 2016; Keleher & MacDougall 2016). In order to continue to close this gap, it is
important to not only understand and address the underlying social (as well as biological
and environmental) determinants but also recognise the influence of culture, including
connection to country and the history of being forced from traditional lands and away from
family . This week we focus on exploring these determinants and how they shape the health
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
CORE CONCEPTS:
• Identify the determinants of health for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples.
• Consider the historical events in Australia and their effects on Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples' health.
• Describe the importance of community and cultural sensitivities.
• Describe rural and regional barriers to health.
CORE CONCEPT NUMBER ONE:
"The first inhabitants of Australia; a person who is of aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
decent; identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; and is accepted as an
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person by the community in which they live' -
FACTS:
• Approximately 744,956 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were living in
Australia in 2016. NSW had the largest number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people. The NT had the highest percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people in its population. Indigenous people made up 3.1% of the total Australian
population.
• In 2011, 90% of Indigenous people identified as Aboriginal, 6% identified as Torres
Strait Islander and 4% identified as both.
• An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male born in 2010-2012 is likely to live to 69
years, about 10 years less than a non-Indigenous male (who could expect to live to 80
years).
• An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander female born in 2010-2012 is likely to live to 74
years which is almost 10 years less than a non-Indigenous female (who is likely to live
to 83 years).
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is much younger overall than the
non-Indigenous population. In 2016, more than 1/3 of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people were 65 years or older, compared with 15% of non-Indigenous people.
• Burden of disease on Indigenous Australians is 2.5 times to that of total Australian
population.
• Low birth weight babies and infant mortality rates are higher in remote Indigenous
communities.
• Poor diet contributes to about 19% of Indigenous health problems.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• The leading causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in
NSW, QLD, WA, SA and the NT in 2015 were:
o Coronary Heart Disease
o Diabetes
o Chronic lower respiratory disease
o Lung and related cancers
RISK FACTORS BY BEHAVIOUR:
• Tobacco
o 39% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over were
daily smokers (more than double the rate of non-Indigenous Australians). Males
were more likely than females to be daily smokers (42% compared with 36%),
and people in remote areas were more likely than those in non-remote areas to
smoke on a daily basis (47% compared with 37%).
• High body mass
• Physical inactivity
• High blood cholesterol
• Alcohol
o In 2008, around one in six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15
years and over (17%) drank at chronic risky/high risk levels. Binge drinking is
more common in males than females. Chronic/risky alcohol consumption is
associated with a range of other health implications including violence,
depression, incarceration, smoking and illicit drug use.
• High blood pressure
• Low fruit and vegetable intake
• Illicit drugs
• Partner violence
• Child sexual abuse and neglect
o Accurate statistics about the incidence of child abuse and other family violence in
Aboriginal communities is limited. However, based on the evidence we do have,
we know that the occurrence of violence in Indigenous communities and among
Indigenous people "is disproportionately high in comparison to the rates of the
same types of violence in the Australian population as a whole" -
• Poverty is the number one risk factor for racial discrimination.
CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN THESE HEALTH DISCREPENCIES IS IMPORTANT:
• History and colonisation has impacted the health of Indigenous Australians.
• Indigenous Australians may have a different understanding of what a health system or
model looks like based on their history and culture.
• Building community capacity is critical to closing the gap in health discrepancies. This
means that Indigenous people and Indigenous communities need to be empowered to
develop and sustain healthy communities. This approach sees better health outcomes.
• The Lowitja Institute puts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' knowledge and
cultural understanding at the heart of the research process and outcomes.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
