Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Urban Location and Health

Fran Baum, Michael Bentley, Laura Winslow

This project, funded by the NH&MRC, is being conducted by the Department of Public Health by a team consisting of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous public health researchers. This project involves working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in different urban locations across Adelaide to look at ways to best promote healthy neighbourhoods. The project seeks to gather information about where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live and how this influences health.

In order to gain a range of perspectives from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people living in different parts of Adelaide, the project will specifically focus on five postcode-based areas in Port Adelaide, Burnside-Prospect, Playford and Onkaparinga.

The project has three major research aims

• To investigate the determinants of locational differences in health as they relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Adelaide.
• To explore the dynamics of the production of health inequities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the five post-code areas.
• To contribute to culturally safe policy development designed to reduce health inequities within urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

It is hoped that the outcomes of this project will provide:

• Improved knowledge of the underlying social and economic determinants of health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Better understanding of the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in suburban Australia, especially in regard to experiences of racism and the ways in which these experiences affect health.
• Knowledge to improve the quality and content of policies and programs that seek to improve Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health.
• Development of the skills, knowledge and competence of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander researchers.

Gilbert Gallaher is the project manager with Michelle Ah Matt as Administrative Assistant. Laura Winslow finished in August 2006 as a Research Assistant. Interviews are completed and a series of community and policy workshops will be held in 2008, with project completion due in August 2008.