Health and Wellbeing of Australian Indigenous People

2262 Words5 Pages

Since 1788, when the white people first came to Australia, Australian Indigenous people have experienced systematically debases Indigenous culture and people. Due to that reason Indigenous people have profound effects on health and emotional wellbeing (Dudgeon 2010, p. 38). As per Parker (2010, p. 5) Diabetes, renal failure, cardiovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease figure prominently in Aboriginal and Torrens state Islander health issues. As mentioned above there are so many factors included social and emotional issues affecting Aboriginal and Torrens state Islander health. The major four factors I would like to discuss here are as follows: 1. Uncontrolled Diabetes 2. Cardiovascular Disease 3. Renal disease 4. Substance Misuse and Related Harms Uncontrolled Diabetes: Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute (2012, p. 2) stated that Australian Aboriginal and Torrens state Islander people are 3 times more likely to suffer from Diabetes as compared to the Non Indigenous Australian. Overweight and obesity are the leading contributing factors to the uncontrolled Diabetes among Indigenous Australian’s. As per Harrison (2012, p. 449) Lack of physical activity, diet and having impaired glucose regulation contribute to the overweight and obesity. Increase in body weight can leads body to the Insulin resistance. In 2008- 2009 diabetes rapidly increasing among Indigenous adults as 37 percent of adults were overweight and 25 percent were obese. Diabetes is a chronic disease which can leads to so many other complications so it is vitally important to control all the contributing factors to prevent it and to promote healthy life style. Diabetes type 1 is more common in younger people between the age of 15-24 and Type 2 Diabetes i... ... middle of paper ... ...ient Education, Patient Education Institute, viewed 15 May 2014, < http://ww2.patient-ducation.com/main.asp?p=aboutus&s=bope&fs=aboutus&mode=FULL>. Stumpers S, Thomson N (2013) Review of kidney disease among Indigenous people, Australian Indigenous Health Info Net Viewed 14 may 2014, . The Association of UK Dieticians 2012, Hypertension, The British Dietician Association, viewed on 10 May 2014, < https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/hypertension.pdf>. Wilkes, E, Gray, D, Saggesr, S, Casey, W & Stearne, A 2010, ‘Substance Misuse and Mental Health among Aboriginal Australian’, in N Purdie, P Dudgeon & R Walker (eds), Working Together: Aboriginal and Torrens Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice, Commonwealth of Australia, Australia, pp. 117-134.

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