Indigenous Australians at increased risk of COVID-19 due to existing health and socioeconomic inequities

Yashadhana, Aryati; Pollard-Wharton, Nellie; Zwi, Anthony B.; Biles, Brett

doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2020.100007

Cited by 58 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Before COVID‐19, Aboriginal people faced health disadvantages and inequitable access to health care. Any decrease in health care access for Aboriginal people through missed, delayed or avoided health care may lead to further adverse health outcomes and inequities 1,4,8 …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The indirect impacts of COVID‐19 on Aboriginal communities across New South Wales

Follent

Paulson

Orcher

et al. 2021

Medical Journal of Australia

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confidence: 99%

The indirect impacts of COVID‐19 on Aboriginal communities across New South Wales

Follent

Paulson

Orcher

et al. 2021

Medical Journal of Australia

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“…Several studies highlight the social and environmental inequities associated with existing health conditions, including food insecurity; poor access to water, sanitation and health services; and lack of adequate housing to support larger family groups, which increases COVID-19 risk [ 5 , 8 , 21 ]. Compounding these issues are the glaring inequities in affordable access to digital technologies necessary to enhance mental health and SEWB [ 35 , 36 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While Australia appears to have avoided the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains the looming threat of a second (and in some states a third) wave of infections and associated deaths as well as associated disabilities referred to as ‘long COVID’ [ 2 , 3 ]. In addition, in the wake of the prolonged first wave, there are fears that unemployment levels, financial uncertainty and mental health issues including anxiety, depression and self-harm will increase in communities around Australia, along with indirect effects on physical health [ 4 , 5 ]. The emerging global evidence highlights that the burden of COVID-19 is not equally shared among population groups within countries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That is, there are interacting biological (COVID-19, comorbid health conditions) and social factors (poverty, poor housing, etc.) that create serious and enduring multiplicative, compound effects [ 5 , 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is especially relevant in the Australian context, where a range of distal social determinants that form part of a complex colonial legacy have contributed significantly to these adverse circumstances and issues for Indigenous peoples. These determinants include unequal access to health services, education and employment, and persistent experiences of institutional and interpersonal racism [ 5 , 9 , 10 ], as well as a failure to recognise Indigenous sovereignty within the constitution. These political and social processes of colonisation have resulted in forms of historical trauma that have been transmitted through individuals, families and communities over generations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Connection to... Addressing Digital Inequities in Supporting the Well-Being of Young Indigenous Australians in the Wake of COVID-19

Walker

Usher

Jackson

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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(1) Background: This article examines whether connection to digital technologies helps connect young Indigenous people in Australia to culture, community and country to support good mental health and well-being and protect against indirect and potentially long-term effects of COVID-19. (2) Method: We reviewed literature published between February and November 2020 and policy responses related to digital strategies. We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, government policy websites and key Indigenous literature sources, identifying 3460 articles. Of these, 30 articles and 26 policy documents were included and analysed to identify existing and expected mental health outcomes among Indigenous young people associated with COVID-19 and more broadly. (3) Results: There are inequities in affordable access to digital technologies. Only 63% of Indigenous people have access to internet at home. Digital technologies and social media contribute to strong cultural identity, enhance connections to community and country and improve mental health and social and emotional well-being outcomes. (4) Discussion: Access to digital technologies can facilitate healing and cultural continuity, self-determination and empowerment for young people to thrive, not just survive, in the future. (5) Conclusion: More targeted policies and funding is urgently needed to promote digital technologies to enhance Indigenous young people’s access to mental health and well-being services, maintain cultural connections and evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives using Indigenous well-being indicators.

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Responding to COVID‐19: How group model building can assist the health and well‐being of urban Indigenous communities in Australia

Fredericks,

Bradfield,

McAvoy

et al. 2023

Aust J Social Issues

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In this paper, we discuss a rapid‐fire study involving Indigenous and non‐Indigenous stakeholders from the urban Indigenous health sector who collaborated to produce an “Urban COVID‐19 Systems Map.” The map outlines the behaviours, actions and responses that stakeholders identified as mitigating or exacerbating COVID‐19 risks in urban Indigenous communities. Data were collected and analysed during the height of the pandemic in 2021. We begin by introducing the characteristics of system thinking—the methodology that informed our research—and consider its use in Indigenous health research more broadly. We then outline our utilisation of system thinking and discuss how it was applied to the three workshops. System thinking contributes to collaboration and collective debate amongst stakeholders and aims to produce holistic understandings of complex problems, such as pandemics. This article provides a reflective overview of the benefits and challenges of applying system thinking in Indigenous health research whilst also sharing some of the research findings. We argue that centralising the voices of stakeholders, particularly Indigenous stakeholders, is critical to developing and implementing effective and culturally appropriate responses to pandemics and is equally as important to the preparedness for future pandemics.

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Indigenous Australians at increased risk of COVID-19 due to existing health and socioeconomic inequities

Cited by 58 publications

References 6 publications

The indirect impacts of COVID‐19 on Aboriginal communities across New South Wales

The indirect impacts of COVID‐19 on Aboriginal communities across New South Wales

Connection to... Addressing Digital Inequities in Supporting the Well-Being of Young Indigenous Australians in the Wake of COVID-19

Responding to COVID‐19: How group model building can assist the health and well‐being of urban Indigenous communities in Australia

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