A qualitative study exploring what it means to be healthy for young Indigenous Australians and the role of social media in influencing health behaviour

Abstract

Indigenous health outcomes are sought after by governments and communities as a priority. 1,2 In Australia, existing evidence suggests strategies to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter referred to as Indigenous) people must address underlying determinants of health. 3 This includes conceptualising health as biopsychosocial, spiritual and cultural wellbeing, being culturally safe 4 and being led by -or in partnership with and providing back to -the community. 4,5 Yet, a gap remains in the evidence of effective strategies for Indigenous communities.Young Indigenous people, aged 17-24 are an important subgroup of the Indigenous community. Early adulthood has been described as a critical period of development where lifelong habitual behaviours are solidified and opportunities for engagement in society are optimal 6 yet the evidence base for what is effective for health behaviour change for young Indigenous Australians,particularly involving social media sites like Facebook, -is limited. 7 With the increasing use of Web 2.0 (websites that facilitate a more

Where Do Online Games Fit into the Health Behaviour Ecology of Emerging Adults: A Scoping Review

“…Some literature reviews were also included, as well as grey literature ( n = 3; 2.7%) [ 39 , 40 , 41 ]. For empirical studies, the study populations ranged from n = 18 [ 42 ] to n = 33,097 [ 43 ] and included a range of ages from 13 to 69. Whilst the research question focused on EAs aged 18–25, results identified multiple definitions of the age range for EAs, as well as studies that intersected or included the 18–25 age group.…”

“…Uijtdewilligen et al [ 75 ] hinted at cultural differences in the research population but did not study cultural influences directly. Conversely, Walker et al’s study into the health of Indigenous Australian EAs took a direct approach at understanding the cultural influences that impacted Indigenous Australians’ health [ 42 ]. There is further opportunity to explore the role that cultural norms continue to play in EAs’ behaviours, especially through the shift between parental/family and peer influences during this life stage.…”

Facilitators and Barriers to Physical Activity and Sport Participation Experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Adults: A Mixed Method Review

“…The studies took place across all Australian states and territories, with six studies taking place across multiple states and territories [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 40 , 41 ]. Eight took place solely in Queensland (Qld) [ 32 , 36 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ], two in Victoria [ 38 , 48 ], two in New South Wales (NSW) [ 49 , 50 ], three in the Northern Territory (NT) [ 18 , 35 , 51 ], three in Western Australia (WA) [ 34 , 37 , 52 ], one in South Australia (SA) [ 39 ], and one in Tasmania (Tas) [ 53 ]. One study did not report a location [ 54 ].…”

“…One study did not report a location [ 54 ]. Nine studies took place in multiple geographic contexts [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 37 , 40 , 41 , 48 , 50 ]. Nine took place solely in urban settings [ 32 , 34 , 38 , 39 , 42 , 44 , 45 , 49 , 53 ], two in rural/regional settings [ 46 , 47 ] and seven in remote settings [ 18 , 35 , 36 , 43 , 51 , 52 , 54 ].…”

“…There were 21 qualitative studies [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 54 ] and six mixed-method studies [ 18 , 36 , 39 , 49 , 50 , 53 ], although only the qualitative data included facilitators and barriers in four of those studies. Most studies were cross-sectional, with only two longitudinal studies [ 32 , 50 ].…”