Sustaining an Aboriginal wellbeing program: Informing health promotion practice and policy

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Indigenous Studies
• Sociology

Background:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' holistic wellbeing concepts are underrepresented in health promotion.
• Existing health promotion discourse often fails to adequately capture Indigenous wellbeing frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the sustaining factors of an Aboriginal wellbeing program.
• To inform critical reflection and reorientation of health promotion practice and policy.
• To empower Aboriginal wellbeing approaches.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative, strengths-based research approach involving Aboriginal and non-Indigenous researchers.
• Data collection through individual yarning sessions with program participants and staff (n=15).
• Co-development of interpretations through collaborative yarning sessions (n=9).

Main Results:

• Five core lifeworld qualities sustain Aboriginal wellbeing programs: love, connection, respect, culture, and belonging.
• These qualities are relational and communicative, involving identity, power, and self-determination.
• The qualities facilitate culturally responsive interactions among participants, coordinators, and health service providers.

Conclusions:

• A lifeworld approach, centered on these five qualities, empowers Aboriginal self-determination and leadership.
• This approach embeds cultural determinants of health within wellbeing programs.
• Health service providers and policymakers can utilize lifeworld approaches to guide culturally responsive practice and policy for Aboriginal health.