Lukaszyk Caroline, Coombes Julieann, Turner Norma Jean, Hillmann Elizabeth, Keay Lisa, Tiedemann Anne, Sherrington Cathie, Ivers Rebecca
The George Institute for Global Health, PO Box M201, Missenden Road, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia.
Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
BMC Public Health. 2017 Aug 1;18(1):77. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4628-6.
Fall related injury is an emerging issue for older Indigenous people worldwide, yet few targeted fall prevention programs are currently available for Indigenous populations. In order to inform the development of a new Aboriginal-specific fall prevention program in Australia, we conducted community consultation with older Aboriginal people to identify perceptions and beliefs about falls, and to identify desired program elements.
Yarning Circles were held with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 45 years and over. Each Yarning Circle was facilitated by an Aboriginal researcher who incorporated six indicative questions into each discussion. Questions explored the impact of falls on Yarning Circle participants, their current use of fall prevention services and investigated Yarning Circle participant's preferences regarding the design and mode of delivery of a fall prevention program.
A total of 76 older Aboriginal people participated in ten Yarning Circles across six sites in the state of New South Wales. Participants associated falls with physical disability, a loss of emotional well-being and loss of connection to family and community. Many participants did not use existing fall prevention services due to a lack of availability in their area, having no referral provided by their GP and/or being unaware of fall prevention programs in general. Program elements identified as important by participants were that it be Aboriginal-specific, group-based, and on-going, with the flexibility to be tailored to specific communities, with free transport provided to and from the program.
Older Aboriginal people reported falls to be a priority health issue, with a significant impact on their health and well-being. Few older Aboriginal people accessed prevention programs, suggesting there is an important need for targeted Aboriginal-specific programs. A number of important program elements were identified which if incorporated into prevention programs, may help to address the rising burden of falls.
跌倒相关伤害是全球老年原住民群体中一个新出现的问题，但目前针对原住民群体的针对性跌倒预防项目很少。为了为澳大利亚一项新的针对原住民的跌倒预防项目的开发提供信息，我们与老年原住民进行了社区咨询，以确定他们对跌倒的看法和信念，并确定所需的项目要素。
与45岁及以上的原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民举行了围坐交流活动。每次围坐交流活动由一名原住民研究人员主持，他在每次讨论中纳入了六个指示性问题。这些问题探讨了跌倒对围坐交流活动参与者的影响、他们目前对跌倒预防服务的使用情况，并调查了围坐交流活动参与者对跌倒预防项目设计和实施方式的偏好。
共有76名老年原住民参与了新南威尔士州六个地点的十次围坐交流活动。参与者将跌倒与身体残疾、情绪健康受损以及与家庭和社区联系的丧失联系起来。许多参与者没有使用现有的跌倒预防服务，原因是他们所在地区缺乏此类服务、没有全科医生的转诊以及/或者总体上不了解跌倒预防项目。参与者认为重要的项目要素包括：该项目应是针对原住民的、基于群体的且持续进行的，具有根据特定社区进行量身定制的灵活性，并提供往返项目地点的免费交通。
老年原住民报告称跌倒为一个优先的健康问题，对他们的健康和幸福有重大影响。很少有老年原住民能够获得预防项目，这表明迫切需要有针对性的、针对原住民的项目。确定了一些重要的项目要素，如果将其纳入预防项目，可能有助于应对不断上升的跌倒负担。
