Fletcher Richard, Hammond Craig, Faulkner Darren, Turner Nicole, Shipley Lisa, Read Donna, Gwynn Josephine
Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Hunter New England Local Health District, Tara Lodge, 72 Watt Street, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia.
Aust J Prim Health. 2017 Sep;23(4):329-334. doi: 10.1071/PY16151.
Young Aboriginal fathers face social and emotional challenges in the transition to fatherhood, yet culturally appropriate support mechanisms are lacking. Peer mentoring to develop online- and mobile phone-based resources and support may be a viable approach to successfully engage these young men. This feasibility study engaged two trusted Aboriginal mentors and researchers to partner with one regional and two rural Aboriginal communities in New South Wales, Australia. Early in the research process, 20 young Aboriginal fathers were recruited as co-investigators. These fathers were integral in the development of web-based resources and testing of mobile phone-based text messaging and mood-tracking programs tailored to provide fathering and mental health support. Overwhelmingly positive feedback from evaluations reinforced community pride in and ownership of the outcomes. The young men's involvement was instrumental in not only developing culturally appropriate support, but also in building their capacity as role models for other fathers in the community. The positive results from this feasibility study support the adoption of participatory approaches in the development of resources for Aboriginal communities.
年轻的原住民父亲在向父亲角色转变的过程中面临着社会和情感挑战，但缺乏符合文化习俗的支持机制。通过同伴指导来开发基于网络和手机的资源及支持，可能是成功吸引这些年轻男性的可行方法。这项可行性研究邀请了两位值得信赖的原住民导师和研究人员，与澳大利亚新南威尔士州的一个地区性和两个农村原住民社区合作。在研究过程早期，招募了20位年轻的原住民父亲作为共同研究者。这些父亲在开发网络资源以及测试为提供育儿和心理健康支持而量身定制的手机短信和情绪跟踪程序方面发挥了不可或缺的作用。评估中压倒性的积极反馈增强了社区对这些成果的自豪感和主人翁意识。这些年轻男性的参与不仅有助于开发符合文化习俗的支持，还有助于增强他们作为社区中其他父亲榜样的能力。这项可行性研究的积极结果支持在为原住民社区开发资源时采用参与式方法。
