Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Public Health and Research Unit, The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Nutr Diet. 2018 Nov;75(5):448-456. doi: 10.1111/1747-0080.12407. Epub 2018 Feb 13.
A health workforce with the ability to practice with Aboriginal communities is crucial to bridge the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. This study aimed to explore the impact of university Aboriginal health placements on preparing dietetic graduates for practice with Aboriginal communities.
A mixed methods sequential explanatory design was used. A sample of 594 dietetic graduates was invited to complete a survey that identified Aboriginal health experiences and measured attitudes and self-confidence towards working in Aboriginal health using a five-point Likert scale. Participants were divided into placement versus no-placement groups and compared using chi-squared tests. Sixteen of 33 participants who had completed an Aboriginal health placement were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview to explore how placement influenced practice with Aboriginal communities. Interviews were analysed using content analysis.
A final sample of 120 participants showed that placement participants reported significantly higher self-confidence towards working in Aboriginal health compared with no-placement participants (No-placement = 35% agree, 36% neutral, 29% disagree; Placement = 74% agree, 11% neutral, 16% disagree; χ (2, 88) = 9.4; P = 0.01). Fifteen participants were interviewed. Interview data indicated that situated learning experiences, breaking down stereotypes, empathy through learning from Aboriginal people, and Aboriginal health role-models were key components of Aboriginal health placements in preparing dietetic graduates for practice with Aboriginal communities.
The results suggest that Aboriginal health placements may be an effective strategy for preparing dietetic graduates for practice with Aboriginal communities. The feasibility of placement or alternative curriculum content needs to be explored.
拥有与原住民社区合作的能力的卫生人力对缩小原住民和非原住民澳大利亚人之间的健康差距至关重要。本研究旨在探讨大学原住民健康实习对培养营养师毕业生与原住民社区合作的实践能力的影响。
采用混合方法序贯解释设计。邀请 594 名营养学毕业生参加一项调查，该调查确定了原住民健康体验，并使用五点李克特量表衡量对从事原住民健康工作的态度和自信心。参与者分为实习组和非实习组，并通过卡方检验进行比较。在完成原住民健康实习的 33 名参与者中，有 16 名受邀参加半结构化访谈，以探讨实习如何影响与原住民社区的合作实践。访谈采用内容分析法进行分析。
最终样本为 120 名参与者，结果表明，实习组报告的在原住民健康领域工作的自信心明显高于非实习组（非实习组：35%同意，36%中立，29%不同意；实习组：74%同意，11%中立，16%不同意；χ²（2,88）=9.4；P=0.01）。15 名参与者接受了访谈。访谈数据表明，实地学习经验、打破刻板印象、通过向原住民学习产生同理心以及原住民健康榜样是原住民健康实习在培养营养师毕业生与原住民社区合作方面的关键组成部分。
结果表明，原住民健康实习可能是培养营养师毕业生与原住民社区合作的有效策略。需要探讨实习或替代课程内容的可行性。
