COMPARING MODELS OF HEALTHCARE TO ENSURE ALL CHILDREN ARE BORN HEALTHY AND STRONG

Abstract

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Peoples – hereafter referred to by their collective term Indigenous Australians – are disproportionately impacted by socio-economic and health problems compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Despite evidence of the gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in numerous indicators and the implementation of government policies to address these gaps, over time little has been achieved to improve the situation for Indigenous Australians. This can partly be attributed to a lack of understanding about the causes of and solutions to the disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Within the field of health, Indigenous Australians not only have worse outcomes compared to their non-Indigenous Australian counterparts but also other indigenous peoples around the world. This is due to Indigenous Australians having much lower life expectancies but much higher mortalities – including higher rates of maternal and child mortality. The literature highlights the importance of culturally appropriate care and Indigenous-specific health services to improve Indigenous Australians’ maternal and child health outcomes. In theory, Indigenous-Specific Primary Health Care Services (ISPHCS) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) are more suited to treat the needs of Indigenous Australians and are thus more valued by Indigenous Australians, resulting in higher uptake of these services and therefore improving their health outcomes. However, there are only small-scale, localised studies with evidence of these services having better clinical outcomes. This thesis, therefore, uses the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) to identify whether Indigenous Australians have better maternal and child health outcomes when they utilise Aboriginal Health Services (AHSs) as opposed to Mainstream Health Services (MHSs). The results indicate that Indigenous Australians do not have better clinical outcomes when they utilise AHSs as opposed to MHSs. As such, further research needs to be undertaken to understand why some indigenous-specific services have better clinical outcomes for indigenous peoples whilst others do not. Such research is necessary to ensure these culturally appropriate services are providing care that can materialise into the best possible improvements in Indigenous Australians’ health.