Why is it important?:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long sought health outcomes encompassing the physical, social, cultural and emotional elements of life. This includes the ability to live proudly and freely as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Functioning is about the things people achieve or experience, consistent with their account of wellbeing. The conversion of capabilities into functioning is influenced by the values and personal features of individuals, families and communities and by the environment in which they live. Hence it is likely that different cultures will give greater or lesser priority to different aspects of functioning (Office of Aboriginal Health et al. 2004).To develop a picture of family and community functioning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' perspectives, workshops drawing together participants from across Australia were held in 2008 and 2010. Participants at the workshops described the various elements of family and community life essential for high levels of functioning. The workshops identified a number of key themes and weighted these functionings according to their relative value. In 2010 there were six themes identified by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants and these have been used to analyse and present available data.
Participants were drawn from a number of jurisdictions and settings so the themes they identified appear to reflect widely held views among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Independently of these workshops a review of relevant research has supported the association between the functionings identified by the workshops and the achievement of health and wellbeing.Top of page
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have sought, and continue to seek, a quality of life where racism ceases to be a barrier. Racism in any of its institutional, interpersonal and internalised settings can deter people from achieving their full capabilities (Ziersch et al. 2011).
Findings:
Outlined below is a description of each of the six themes and the key findings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, using data from the 2008 NATSISS:Connectedness to country, land, and history; culture and identity
- Being connected to country, land, family and spirit
- Strong and positive social networks with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Strong sense of identity and being part of a collective
- Sharing; giving and receiving; trust; love; looking out for others
- 72% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 years and over recognised their homelands.
- 62% identified with a clan or language group, up from 54% in 2002.
- 89% 'feel able to have a say with family and friends' some, most or all or the time. This is associated with excellent or very good self-assessed health status and low to moderate levels of psychological distress.
- 94% had contact with family or friends outside the household at least once per week.
- 75% had friends to confide in.
- 51% provided support to relatives outside the household.
- 63% had attended a cultural event in the last 12 months.
Resilience
Top of page- Coping with the internal and external world
- Power to control options and choices
- Ability to proceed in public without shame
- Optimising what you have
- Challenge injustice and racism, stand up when required
- Cope well with difference, flexibility, accommodating
- Ability to walk in two worlds
- Engaged in decision-making
- External social contacts
- 69% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 years and over reported that they did not avoid situations due to past discrimination.
- 80% agreed that their doctor could be trusted and 69% agreed that the local school could be trusted.
- 89% felt they were able to find general support from outside the household.
- 56% had provided support to someone outside their household in the last four weeks.
- 89% had participated in sport, social or community activities in the three months prior to the survey.
- 54% in non-remote areas knew someone in an organisation they would feel comfortable contacting.
- 44% of employed people said work allowed them to fulfil cultural responsibilities.
Leadership
- Strong elders in family and community, both male and female
- Role models, both male and female
- Strong direction, vision
- The 'rock', someone who has time to listen and advise
- 42% of children aged 3–14 years had spent time with an Indigenous leader or Elder in the last week. In remote areas this increased to 63%.
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Having a role, structure and routine
- Having a role for self: participation, contributing through paid and unpaid roles
- Capabilities and skills derived through social structures and experience through non-formal education
- Knowing boundaries and acceptable behaviours
- Sense of place—knowing your place in family and society
- Being valued and acknowledged
- Disciplined
- 78% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had lived in only one dwelling in the last 12 months. This was associated with low to moderate levels of psychological distress and being employed.
- 73% were in households that had not experienced cash flow problems in the last 12 months.
- 86% were in households in which there had been no days without money for basic living expenses in the last two weeks.
- Most children aged 0–14 years (94%) had participated in informal learning activities with their main carer.
Feeling safe
- Lack of physical and lateral violence
- Safe places
- Emotional security
- Cultural competency
- Relationships that can sustain disagreement
- 75% had not experienced physical and/or threatened violence in the last 12 months.
- 80% felt safe at home alone after dark. This was associated with excellent or very good self-assessed health and low to moderate levels of psychological distress.
- In the five years prior to the survey, 97% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had not been incarcerated (91% had never been incarcerated in their lifetime).
Vitality
The final theme, Vitality, covers community infrastructure, access to services, education, health, income and employment.Data from the 2008 NATSISS show:
- half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 15 years and over had no disability or long-term health condition.
- 68% of those aged 15 years and over had experienced low/moderate levels of psychological distress in the four weeks before the survey.
- 76% of children aged 0–14 years did not have problems sleeping.
- 74% of children aged 4–14 years spent at least 60 minutes every day being physically active.
- 74% of people aged 15 years and over said they can easily get to places as needed. This was associated with feeling able to have a say with family and friends in the community and providing support to relatives.
- Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were seeking to improve their knowledge, skills and qualifications, with 41% of those aged 15 years and over (who were not currently studying) intending to study in the future.
- Education was the main purpose of Internet use for children (54%), while 30% of those aged 5 years and over reported using the Internet for education or study.
Implications:
Community functioning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be assessed within a framework that reflects their own values. Community functioning scores present a national quantitative measure of functioning and suggest differences between remoteness, sex, age groups, and states and territories. Policy makers need to listen carefully to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples when assessing community functioning and the approaches that will enhance functioningTop of pageFigure 51—Community functioning score by remoteness, proportions, Indigenous Australians aged 0-14 years, 2008
Source: ABS and AIHW analysis of NATSISS 2008
Figure 52—Community functioning score by remoteness, proportions, Indigenous Australians aged 15 years and over, 2008
Source: ABS and AIHW analysis of NATSISS 2008
Top of pageTable 13—Selected variables contributing to community functioning among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, 2008 and 2002
Connectedness to family land and history, culture, identity
Community functioning theme and associated variables | 2008 Number | 2008(a) % | 2002(a) % |
---|---|---|---|
Recognises homelands | 234,383 | 72 | 70 |
Speaks an Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander language | 62,629 | 19 | 21 |
Attended Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural event in last 12 months | 205,674 | 63 | 68 |
Identifies with clan group or language group | 203,106 | 62 | 54 |
Feels able to have a say with family and friends some, most or all of the time | 292,375 | 89 | ![]() |
Feels able to have a say within community on important issues some, most and all of the time | 157,312 | 48 | ![]() |
Contact with family or friends outside household at least once per week | 307,515 | 94 | ![]() |
Has friends can confide in | 246,649 | 75 | ![]() |
Able to get support in time of crisis from outside household—from family member | 261,506 | 80 | ![]() |
Provides support to relatives outside household | 166,892 | 51 | ![]() |
(a)Unless otherwise indicated percentages are of the estimated total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 years and over. Where another population is indicated, this has been used to calculate the percentage.
Source: ABS and AIHW analysis of NATSISS 2002 and 2008
Top of pageResilience
Community functioning theme and associated variables | 2008 Number | 2008(a) % | 2002(a) % |
---|---|---|---|
Did not feel discriminated against in last 12 months | 237,812 | 73 | ![]() |
Did not avoid situations due to past discrimination | 225,507 | 69 | ![]() |
Can visit homelands | 146,017 | 45 | 46 |
Involvement with Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander organisation | 59,516 | 18 | 26 |
Work allows for cultural responsibilities to be met (employed persons) | 75,028 | 44 | 22 |
Household member(s) used strategies to meet basic living expenses in last 12 months | 119,147 | 36 | 49 |
No community problems reported | 84,327 | 26 | 25 |
Community problems reported, but less than three types | 73,788 | 23 | 29 |
Theft not reported as a neighbourhood/community problem | 192,535 | 59 | 57 |
Alcohol not reported as a neighbourhood/community problem | 192,138 | 59 | 67 |
Illegal drugs not reported as a neighbourhood/community problem | 208,039 | 64 | 68 |
Family violence not reported as a neighbourhood/community problem | 245,938 | 75 | 79 |
Assault not reported as a neighbourhood/community problem | 253,009 | 77 | 80 |
Sexual assault not reported as a neighbourhood/community problem | 288,926 | 88 | 92 |
Total persons who reported a community problem | 232,592 | 71 | 74 |
Agrees that most people can be trusted | 118,975 | 36 | ![]() |
Agrees that their doctor can be trusted | 260,777 | 80 | ![]() |
Agrees that the hospital can be trusted | 204,189 | 62 | ![]() |
Agrees that police in the local area can be trusted | 170,317 | 52 | ![]() |
Agrees that police outside the local area can be trusted | 133,362 | 41 | ![]() |
Agrees that the local school can be trusted | 224,734 | 69 | ![]() |
Knows someone in organisation that is comfortable contacting (non-remote areas) | 132,011 | 54 | ![]() |
Felt able to find general support from outside the household | 291,459 | 89 | ![]() |
Provided support to someone outside household in last 4 weeks | 184,537 | 56 | ![]() |
Participated in sport/social/community activities in last 3 months | 289,381 | 89 | ![]() |
Recreational or cultural group | 46,263 | 14 | ![]() |
Community or special interest group activities | 42,274 | 13 | ![]() |
Church or religious activities | 49,393 | 15 | 24 |
Watched Indigenous TV | 177,695 | 54 | ![]() |
Listened to Indigenous radio | 85,682 | 26 | ![]() |
(a)Unless otherwise indicated percentages are of the estimated total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 years and over. Where another population is indicated, this has been used to calculate the percentage.
Source: ABS and AIHW analysis of NATSISS 2002 and 2008
Top of pageLeadership
Community functioning theme and associated variables | 2008 Number | 2008(a) % | 2002(a) % |
---|---|---|---|
Child spent time with an Indigenous leader or elder in last week (3-14 years) | 65,035 | 42 | ![]() |
Encouragement from elders and council would help child to complete Year 12 (2-14 years) | 7,504 | 5 | ![]() |
Encouragement from elders and council would help child in secondary school to complete Year 12 (15-19 years) | 3,251 | 5 | ![]() |
Structure and routine/having a role | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Can communicate with English speakers without difficulty (Indigenous language is main language spoken at home) | 27,179 | 72 | ![]() |
Has lived in only one dwelling for the past year or longer | 255,157 | 78 | 69 |
Child involved in informal learning activities with carer in last week (0-14 years) | 180,736 | 94 | ![]() |
(a)Unless otherwise indicated percentages are of the estimated total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 years and over. Where another population is indicated, this has been used to calculate the percentage.
Source: ABS and AIHW analysis of NATSISS 2002 and 2008
Top of pageFeeling Safe
Community functioning theme and associated variables | 2008 Number | 2008(a) % | 2002(a) % |
---|---|---|---|
Felt safe at home alone during the day | 305,892 | 94 | ![]() |
Felt safe at home alone after dark | 261,414 | 80 | ![]() |
Felt safe walking alone in local area after dark | 172,047 | 53 | ![]() |
Not a victim of physical or threatened violence in the last 12 months | 246,372 | 75 | 76 |
Indigenous culture taught at school | 87,833 | 53 | ![]() |
Was taught Indigenous culture at school or as part of further studies | 148,592 | 45 | ![]() |
Learnt about own Indigenous clan/language | 55,947 | 17 | ![]() |
Child neither bullied nor treated unfairly at school because Indigenous | 112,159 | 81 | ![]() |
Not incarcerated in the last 5 years | 316,033 | 97 | 93 |
Never incarcerated | 297,030 | 91 | ![]() |
(a)Unless otherwise indicated percentages are of the estimated total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 years and over. Where another population is indicated, this has been used to calculate the percentage.
Source: ABS and AIHW analysis of NATSISS 2002 and 2008
Top of pageVitality
Community functioning theme and associated variables | 2008 Number | 2008(a) % | 2002(a) % |
---|---|---|---|
Self-assessed health status excellent or very good | 143,004 | 44 | 44 |
Has no disability or long-term health condition | 164,157 | 50 | 64 |
Does not have an education restriction due to disability (15-64 years) | 143,701 | 46 | ![]() |
Does not have an employment restriction due to disability (15-64 years) | 126,681 | 41 | ![]() |
Low/ moderate level of psychological distress (5-11 K5 score) | 221,717 | 68 | ![]() |
Employed (persons aged 15-64 years in the labour force) | 167,416 | 54 | ![]() |
Year 12 highest year of school completed (excluding secondary school students) | 66,220 | 22 | 18 |
Has a non-school qualification (25-64 years) | 83,257 | 40 | 32 |
Living in a dwelling that has no major structural problems (all ages) | 370,606 | 71 | 60 |
Household members used telephone(s) in last month | 317,203 | 97 | ![]() |
Used computer in last 12 months | 218,006 | 67 | 56 |
Used Internet in last 12 months | 192,852 | 59 | 41 |
Has access to motor vehicles whenever needed | 215,689 | 66 | 55 |
Can easily get to places needed | 241,481 | 74 | 70 |
Equivalised gross household income is within the 3rd quintile or above (persons in households with all income reported) | 74,628 | 29 | 25 |
Total persons aged 15 years and over | 327,101 | 100 | ![]() |
(a)Unless otherwise indicated percentages are of the estimated total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 years and over. Where another population is indicated, this has been used to calculate the percentage.
Source: ABS and AIHW analysis of NATSISS 2002 and 2008
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