Interplay wellbeing framework: a collaborative methodology ‘bringing together stories and numbers’ to quantify Aboriginal cultural values in remote Australia

Abstract

BackgroundWellbeing has been difficult to understand, measure and strengthen for Aboriginal people in remote Australia. Part of the challenge has been genuinely involving community members and incorporating their values and priorities into assessment and policy. Taking a ‘shared space’ collaborative approach between remote Aboriginal communities, governments and scientists, we merged Aboriginal knowledge with western science – by bringing together stories and numbers. This research aims to statistically validate the holistic Interplay Wellbeing Framework and Survey that bring together Aboriginal-identified priorities of culture, empowerment and community with government priorities including education, employment and health.MethodQuantitative survey data were collected from a cohort of 842 Aboriginal people aged 15-34 years, recruited from four different Aboriginal communities in remote Australia. Aboriginal community researchers designed and administered the survey.ResultsStructural equation modeling showed good fit statistics (χ/df = 2.69, CFI = 0.95 and RMSEA = 0.045) confirming the holistic nature of the Interplay Wellbeing Framework. The strongest direct impacts on wellbeing were ‘social and emotional wellbeing’ (r = 0.23; p < 0.001), ‘English literacy and numeracy’ (r = 0.15; p < 0.001), ‘Aboriginal literacy’ (r = 0.14; p < 0.001), ‘substances’ (lack thereof; r = 0.13; p = 0.003), ‘work’ (r = 0.12; p = 0.02) and ‘community’ (r = 0.08; p = 0.05). Correlation analyses suggested cultural factors have indirect impacts on wellbeing, such as through Aboriginal literacy. All cultural variables correlated highly with each other, and with empowerment and community. Empowerment also correlated highly with all education and work variables. ‘Substances’ (lack thereof) was linked with positive outcomes across culture, education and work. Specific interrelationships will be explored in detail separately.ConclusionThe Interplay Wellbeing Framework and Survey were statistically validated as a collaborative approach to assessing wellbeing that is inclusive of other cultural worldviews, values and practices. New community-derived social and cultural indicators were established, contributing valuable insight to psychometric assessment across cultures. These analyses confirm that culture, empowerment and community play key roles in the interplay with education, employment and health, as part of a holistic and quantifiable system of wellbeing. This research supports the holistic concept of wellbeing confirming that everything is interrelated and needs to be considered at the ‘whole of system’ level in policy approaches.

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“…As such, the final survey questions reflected in-depth discussions between Aboriginal community researchers, with their knowledge of everyday scenarios faced by people in remote communities, and scientists, with their knowledge about how to represent these scenarios in statistically sound survey questions. The framework has been statistically validated as a collaborative or holistic approach to assessing wellbeing (Cairney et al, 2017 Figure 2.…”

“…The survey was designed to collect subjective quantitative data against the Interplay Wellbeing Framework in order to build an evidence base (numbers story) to inform policy and practice. The development of the Interplay Survey involved a comprehensive review of all measurement tools related to wellbeing or any of its subcomponents that have previously been developed and validated (both scientifically and culturally) for use with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Cairney et al, 2017). Secondly, all questions and strategies used in comparable research were reviewed, including the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC, n.d.; also see Biddle, 2001), the West Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey (Zubrick et al, 2005), A case study approach was undertaken and four communities (3 located in the Northern Territory and 1 in Western Australia) were engaged in the project.…”

“…From the foundation of this framework, a rigorous process was undertaken to develop a survey tool with cultural and scientific validity (Cairney et al, 2015(Cairney et al, , 2017. The survey was designed to collect subjective quantitative data against the Interplay Wellbeing Framework in order to build an evidence base (numbers story) to inform policy and practice.…”

“…The Interplay Project (Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation [CRC-REP], n.d.a) therefore aims to drive positive policy change and program delivery for the benefit of Aboriginal communities, particularly those residing in remote Australia (Cairney, Abbott & Yamaguchi 2015;Cairney, Abbott, Quinn, Yamaguchi, Wilson, & Wakerman 2017). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in remote Australia are often distinct from those in more urban and regional settings.…”

Injury prevention through employment as a priority for wellbeing among Aboriginal people in remote Australia

“…This report draws on the need for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to lead policy development to enhance wellbeing . Discussion that was unanticipated by the researchers described opportunities to prevent interpersonal violence and its injury and criminal justice repercussions, within a research program focussed on the development of a multi‐faceted approach to wellbeing in remote Australia.…”