Impact of oral health on Australian urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families: a qualitative study

• Yarning circle
• Face-to-face interviews (for experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and their children)
• Qualitative study in Caboolture

This research is concerned with looking at the oral health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Within Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are thought to experience a disproportionate burden of poor oral heath compared to non-Indigenous children. The objective of the study was to explore 'from the perspective of urban, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and carers' the impact child oral health has on families. Methods utilized in this study were yarning circles and face-to-face interviews were used to document the experiences of parents of urban, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Knowledge is socially created by the participants and researcher and yarning methods were used for data collection
Yarning, a cultural method within Aboriginal culture
Collaborative process with participants, researchers and any family involved

• A multi-level and multidisciplinary approach to oral health promotion and education
• Oral health promotion embedded into the routine practices of those that work closely with urban Indigenous families on a more regular basis
• Oral health education in midwifery, nursing and medicine programs
• Sharing the responsibility of oral health advocacy across health disciplines

Themes emerged from what families and children had shared about their experiences and oral health:

"Relationship of themes" (pg. 4)•    Concerns by mothers and family about instilling good dental hygiene for children •    Competing health priorities over mental wellness and physical health •    Mistrust of the health care system as a whole (colonialism)•    Cost of oral health

More research is needed to understand the complexities of the family dynamic on oral health and how parents can be supported in sharing the responsibilities of oral health in all family situations.
Rearranging of health priorities and oral health potentially being overlooked. The perception of oral health as being a non-essential health priority

"As has been highlighted, the impact of oral health on urban Indigenous families can be attributed to a complex interplay of environmental and socio-ecological factors. Emotional, physical and financial well-being do not stand independently of each other, but are interconnected and largely co-dependent" (p. 8).

Aboriginal Health
Oral Health
Health Promotion
Health Equity
Health Policy