Exploring Indigenous Community Conceptions of Parent Wellbeing: A Qualitative Analysis

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Studies
• Community Health
• Parenting Research

Background:

• Non-Indigenous perspectives may not align with Indigenous family structures and values in parent support programs.
• Tailored interventions require a deeper understanding of Indigenous parents' wellbeing and its determinants.
• Community-based participatory action research is vital for culturally relevant program design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore Indigenous parents' and carers' conceptions of wellbeing.
• To identify risk and protective factors influencing Indigenous parent wellbeing.
• To inform the design of culturally appropriate parent support programs for Indigenous communities.

Main Methods:

• Community-based participatory action research approach.
• Semi-structured focus groups and in-depth interviews with 20 Indigenous parents and carers.
• Thematic analysis using theory-driven and interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Main Results:

• Eleven themes emerged across child, parent, and context domains.
• Key factors include child education, respect, routine, parent role modeling, self-regulation, and community connections.
• Three overarching themes—connection to culture, Country, and spirituality—intersected all domains.

Conclusions:

• Indigenous parent wellbeing is holistically linked to children's wellbeing, community context, and personal indicators.
• Culturally informed approaches are necessary for effective parent support programs.
• Recognizing the interconnectedness of wellbeing factors is key to optimal program design and implementation.