PUBH6000: Factors Affecting Indigenous Public Health
PUBH6000: Social, Behavioural and Cultural Factors in Public health
Assessment 2: Essay: Health Inequities between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians
Length: 1500 Words
Learning Outcomes: This assessment addresses the following learning outcomes:
- Analyse the impact of social, environmental and behavioural factors on the health of different populations
- Analyse population health outcomes and the major social, economic, political and cultural forces that contribute to health inequalities
- Analyse health outcomes in Indigenous populations
- Apply theoretical frameworks to develop effective health promotion interventions
- Demonstrate clear and assertive communication across a range of settings and situations.
Background:
Indigenous Australians experience significant health disadvantages as compared with nonIndigenous Australians, including a substantial gap in life expectancy and higher rates of chronic disease. Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) are a model for the delivery of holistic Primary Health Care (PHC) to Indigenous Australians. Evidence suggests that ACCHSs offer significant advantages over mainstream PHC in regard to accessibility and quality of care for Indigenous Australians (see Panaretto, Wenitong, Button & Ring, 2014).
Instructions:
In 1500 words, answer the following questions:
Part 1
- What are the social, economic and political forces contributing to health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous Australians?
Part 2
- What are the key features of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) as a model of PHC delivery?
- What role can ACCHSs play in reducing health inequities between Indigenous and nonIndigenous Australians?
- What are the barriers that might prevent ACCHSs in reducing health inequities between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians?
Guidelines for completing the task
This task can be addressed by including two sections in the body of your assessment. Part 1 focuses on the evidence relating to the social, economic and political forces or determinants that drive health inequities between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians.
Part 2 focuses on the role of ACCHSs in reducing health inequities. This includes providing an overview of ACCHSs and their key features as a model of PHC delivery, and the ways in which they can or cannot contribute towards reducing health inequities.
See the template that follows for more information on how to complete this assessment.
Assessment 2: PUBH6000
Essay: Health Inequities between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians
Template
Introduction
Provide a short introduction which gives the reader an overview of the whole assignment. Briefly introduce the public health problem (health inequities between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians). Explain that your essay will provide an overview of forces contributing to these inequities. Furthermore, state that your essay will discuss the role of Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Services (ACCHSs) in addressing the health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous Australians.
Part 1: Social, economic, political forces contributing to health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous Australians.
In this section, provide an overview of significant factors that contribute towards the health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous Australians. In this section you should consider the social, economic, cultural and political determinants of Indigenous health. You should consider the role of colonisation in this section and discuss some of the ways this has impacted on the health of Indigenous Australians. If you focus on behavioural risk factors, the broader social, economic and cultural contexts of Indigenous.
Australians’ lives must also be considered. Support your arguments with evidence from references, both from grey literature sources such as the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and peer reviewed academic literature.
Part 2: The role of ACCHS in reducing health inequities
In this section, provide a description of ACCHSs and an overview of key features of this model of PHC. You should provide a brief definition of an ACCHS here: resources from the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) will assist. You should also provide some background about how ACCHSs developed in an Australian context and why they are necessary for Indigenous Australians.
This section should proceed to discuss the role of ACCHSs in reducing health inequities.
Here, you should provide an overview of research which has identified benefits of ACCHSs for Indigenous Australians. Support your analysis with evidence from references, both from peer review and credible grey literature. In your analysis of this issue, consider how ACCHSs contribute towards better health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, and whether these improved outcomes mean that ACCHSs can contribute towards reducing health inequities.
Finally, this section should consider the barriers for ACCHSs in reducing health inequities. Consider the forces that you discussed in part 1, and refer to them again when analysing the extent to which ACCHSs might be able to address them. Key issues to consider here might be: the limitations for health services on taking action to address a range of broad ‘upstream’ determinants of health, and the role of Government funding for ACCHSs.
Conclusion
Provide a brief conclusion which does not introduce any new information, but ‘ties the assessment together’. It should provide a recap of the information discussed in regard to health inequities between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians and the determinants of this. It should also give a short overview of the benefits of ACCHSs as a model of PHC delivery for Indigenous Australians, and the limitations faced by ACCHSs in being able to reduce health inequities.
General Points
Please use sub headings for sections 1 and 2 as per this assessment brief. Introduction and conclusion do not need subheadings.
Appropriate scholarly sources include peer review journal articles, subject readings, academic books and book chapters and publications from reputable grey literature sources. Reports from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) are likely to be particularly useful, as well as other Australian Government sources and publications from reputable NGOs such VicHealth. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also an important source of publications.
Please look for publications from these sources such as reports, rather than relying only upon information available on their webpages.
Please cite at least 10‐12 scholarly sources for this assessment.
References:
Panaretto, K., Wenitong, M., Button, S & Ring, Ian. (2014). Aboriginal community controlled health services: Leading the way in primary care. The Medical journal of Australia. 200. 64952. Retrieved: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2014/200/11/aboriginal‐communitycontrolled‐health‐services‐leading‐way‐primary‐care.
Useful resources:
- NACCHO website: https://www.naccho.org.au/
- Australian Indigenous health infonet: https://healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports‐data/health‐welfare‐overview/indigenoushealth‐welfare/overview
Assessment Criteria
- Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of health inequities between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians and the determinants of these inequities. This understanding is well linked to relevant literature (40%)
- Provides a comprehensive and informed analysis of ACCHSs, including the role they play in delivery of health care to Indigenous Australians and how they may or may not contribute to reduction of health inequities between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Australians. This analysis is well linked to relevant literature (40%)
- General Assessment Criteria (20%) Assessment fulfills general academic standards, including:
- Provide an introduction and conclusion
- Complies with academic standards of writing, including legibility, clarity, accurate spelling, presentation and grammar.
- Uses appropriate APA 6 style for citing and referencing research
- Upholds standards of academic integrity, as demonstrated by acceptable report from text‐matching software (e.g Safe Assign).