Hypertension In Australia

As a people, our rate of chronic disease is still 2.5 times higher than that of other Australians, and Indigenous people in this country die 15 to 20 years younger than those in mainstream Australia. More than half of

It is well studied by health authorities that the current health statistics of the Indigenous population today are clearly reflected on their health status, due to the impacts of the colonisation process. The relating problems associated with this have resulted in destructive families and communities. It is unquestionable that Indigenous Australians were adapted to the environment in which people lived and had control on every feature of their life during the colonisation period. According to ‘The Deplorable State of Aboriginal Ill Health, Chapter 1’ (2014), studies that show that numerous infectious diseases; such as, smallpox and the flu, were not present in the pre-invasion period. It is also shown that lifestyle diseases such as high BP, diabetes and heart diseases were not known to exist.

Aboriginal health standards are so low today that all most half aboriginal men and a third of the women die before they are 45. Aboriginal people can expect to live 20 years less than non-indigenous Australians. Aboriginals generally suffer from more health problem and are more likely to suffer from diabetes, liver disease and glaucoma. The causes of their poor health and low life expectancy are poverty, poor nutrition, poor housing, dispossession of their traditional land, low education level, high unemployment, drug and substance use, unsafe sex, limited health care and diseases.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the major health problem that most of the countries are facing today and one of such countries is Australia. It is estimated that about 1 million of Australian population is affected by cardiovascular diseases and is among the leading cause of death in Australia ("Department of Health | Cardiovascular disease", 2016). It is also observed that the Aboriginal population of Australia is more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than other Australians ("Department of Health | Cardiovascular disease", 2016). In order to examine the health issue such as cardiovascular disease among Aboriginal men and women using social

As health professionals, we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. This is why we need to explore in further detail what events could have created such inequities in Aboriginal health. Other details that we should consider are the historical and cultural factors such as, ‘terra nullius’, dispossession and social

The introduction to the western/European way of living, loss of ancestral land, intolerance and the economic disadvantages that Indigenous Australians suffer fuels socially related conditions within their communities such as substance abuse, violence, increased degrees of infectious diseases and chronic diseases etc. culminating in higher mortality rates than non-Indigenous Australians (Duckett & Willcox, 2011, p. 34-35). Stephens, Porter, Nettleton and Willis (2006) state that “infectious disease burden persists for Indigenous communities with high rates of diseases such as tuberculosis, and inequality also exists in the prevalence of chronic disease, including diabetes and heart disease” (p.2022). Statistics show mortality for most age groups of the

There has been some major improvement in the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people in the past years, there is still some health issues that remain a problem in the indigenous community which still increase the percentage of mortality and morbidity among the group. As of June 30, 2011, there was an estimated 669,900 Indigenous people across Australia which represent the 3% of total Australian population, where the majority of indigenous Australian live in metropolitan or regional and 8% lives in remote areas of Australia according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013). The death rates for indigenous population are much higher compare to non-indigenous population across all age group and largest contributory cause of death are circulatory diseases (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2011).

“The status of Indigenous health in contemporary Australia is a result of historic factors as well as contemporary socio-economic issues” (Hampton & Toombs, 2013, p. 1).

Marmot, M. (2011). Social determinants and the health of Indigenous Australians. Med J Aust, 194(10),

This paper will examine the healthcare of Indigenous Australian peoples compared to non-indigenous Australians. The life expectancy gaps between the two are a cause for alarm when statistics show Indigenous Australian peoples die on average 17 years earlier than non-indigenous Australians (Dick 2017). This paper will examine the social determinants of health to explore these factors and what interventions are in place to improve health status and life expectancy gaps for equality. The Federal Government has seen the implementation of the Northern Territory Intervention and the Closing the Gap Initiative. This essay will examine these two strategies and discuss the effectiveness of both policies. It will explain the differences, similarities and look at the success so far to

As health professionals, we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. This is why we need to explore in further detail what events could have created such inequities in Aboriginal health. Other details that we should consider are the historical and cultural factors such as, ‘terra nullius’, dispossession and social

What might explain these statistics, or at least serve as correlations, are the determinants of health. If the reader is not familiar with the determinants of health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) provides an explanation of them. In essence, these health determinants are factors that have significant impact upon one’s health. The main determinants for health are: socioeconomic status, where the rich and upper classes tend to be healthier; education, where low education is linked to stress, lower self-esteem and poorer health choices; environment, where purer air, cleaner water, healthier workplaces and better housing contribute to being healthier; health services, where access to services and proper equipment all contribute to health; as well as gender, genetics, culture and social behaviour (WHO, 2016). As there are so health determinants, where essays can be written on one alone, it is not within the scope of this essay to critically analyse each determinant for Indigenous Australians. With this in mind, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2014) documents an extensive list of data for Indigenous health, most of which discusses issues which are out-of-scope for this analysis. What is relevant, however, is outlined next. Across the board, in 2011, the Indigenous population was younger than the non-Indigenous population due to high fertility and mortality rates with those

Socioeconomic factors are associated with education, employment, and income, and each, has a substantial influence on the health of Indigenous Australians. Education, which is inaccessible for many Indigenous people, allows for the greater knowledge of health issues, and the increased understanding of both protective behaviors and risk factors. It is a known fact that with a lack of education or one that is poor, there is a increased risk that there will be less employment opportunities – ultimately leading to little or no income. Hence, the vicious poverty cycle is born. Education enables

My current research Project focuses on improving physical, social, and psychological health among the indigenous Australians. With active participation in this project i understand indigenous health issues and the causes of morbidity and mortality in indigenous Australians as compared to other Australians. It is important to consider culturally appropriate assessment and intervention focused on indigenous health and well-being. While doing this project i provided emotional support and encourage them to achieve better health outcomes. The regular communication with indigenous Australians I understood the barriers they perceive and opportunities available to them.

The concern of social issue in this study is the disproportionate burden of chronic kidney disease in Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suffer considerably higher rates of chronic kidney disease than the non-Indigenous population in which 11% of those getting treatment for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are Indigenous people. On the other hand, the population of Indigenous Australians is only around 3% of the total population in Australia (Anderson, Cunningham, Devitt, & Cass, 2013; Anderson, Devitt, Cunningham, Preece, & Cass, 2008). Therefore, such condition indicates a serious public health problem due to several barriers that affect Indigenous people’s response towards ESKD and its treatments. Living in remote area with poor health facilities creates a constraint for Aboriginal people to receive equitable treatments while renal specialist, renal transplantation and dialysis services tend to be allocated in the urban area (Cass, Cunningham, Snelling, Wang, & Hoy, 2004; Preston-Thomas, Cass, & O 'Rourke, 2007). Patients with ESKD have to attend dialysis treatment three times a week. Hence, Indigenous people who come from a remote area must leave their community to get dialysis medication. Coming from low socio-economic status and education level, Indigenous people also have to face some difficulties to engage with the treatment services. Effective communication between Indigenous people and health providers during the treatment process might