Marshall Catherine A, Kendall Elizabeth, Catalano Tara, Barnett Leda
Centre for National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine, Griffith University, Australia.
Disabil Rehabil. 2008;30(3):191-201. doi: 10.1080/09638280701532276.
To understand the experiences of Indigenous Australian women with chronic illnesses and disabilities and their views about a way forward in relation to partnerships in research and community-supported problem-solving.
Using a participatory action research framework, five Indigenous women participated in a group meeting and interviews with academic women researchers to discuss their health and disabilities in order to generate solutions that could address health disparities among Indigenous women.
Five themes describe the experiences of these Indigenous women when considering their personal histories, interactions with formal service systems, and their aspirations for the future: (i) Ongoing influence of history, (ii) systemic lack of respect, (iii) social context of health, (iv) moving forward in positive ways, and (v) research partnerships as a way forward. The data raised critical questions about the role of research, including, 'Who has the right to tell the stories of the women?'.
We show how a small research project conducted in collaboration with five Indigenous women developed into a significant research partnership and resulted in a better understanding of the issues that must be addressed by research in future. It is suggested that through such partnerships underserved women can best be served by research.
了解患有慢性疾病和残疾的澳大利亚原住民女性的经历，以及她们对研究合作和社区支持的问题解决方式的未来展望。
采用参与式行动研究框架，五名原住民女性参加了小组会议，并与女性学术研究人员进行了访谈，以讨论她们的健康和残疾状况，从而得出能够解决原住民女性健康差距问题的方案。
五个主题描述了这些原住民女性在回顾个人经历、与正式服务系统互动以及对未来期望时的体验：（i）历史的持续影响，（ii）系统性的缺乏尊重，（iii）健康的社会背景，（iv）以积极方式向前发展，（v）研究合作是前进的方向。数据引发了关于研究作用的关键问题，包括“谁有权讲述这些女性的故事？”
我们展示了一个与五名原住民女性合作开展的小型研究项目如何发展成为重要的研究合作关系，并使人们对未来研究必须解决的问题有了更深入的理解。建议通过此类合作关系，研究能够更好地服务于未得到充分服务的女性。
