Dr Josephine Gwynn

© La Trobe University 2017. 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.

© 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Background: Pregnancy can be a stressful time for many women. There is ample evidence of numerous physical and mental health inequities for Indigenous Australians. For those Indigenous women who are pregnant, it is established that there is a higher incidence of poor physical perinatal outcomes when compared with non-Indigenous Australians. However, little evidence exists that examines stressful events and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in pregnant women who are members of this community. Aims: To quantify the rates of stressful events and PTSD symptoms in pregnant Indigenous women. Methods: One hundred and fifty rural and remote Indigenous women were invited to complete a survey during each trimester of their pregnancy. The survey measures were the stressful life events and the Impact of Events Scale. Results: Extremely high rates of PTSD symptoms were reported by participants. Approximately 40% of this group exhibited PTSD symptoms during their pregnancy with mean score 33.38 (SD¿=¿14.37) significantly higher than a study of European victims of crisis, including terrorism attacks (20.6, SD¿=¿18.5). Conclusions: The extreme levels of PTSD symptoms found in the women participating in this study are likely to result in negative implications for both mother and infant. An urgent response must be mounted at government, health, community development and research levels to address these findings. Immediate attention needs to focus on the development of interventions to address the¿high¿levels of PTSD symptoms that pregnant Australian Indigenous women¿experience.

© 2017 The Authors Objective: To provide an overview of published research on the dietary intake of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Methods: Peer-reviewed literature from 1990 to October 2016 was searched to identify studies that measured the dietary intake of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Study quality was assessed using a purposely devised quality appraisal tool. Meta-analysis was not possible due to the heterogeneity in dietary intake assessment methods. A narrative synthesis of study findings, where key themes were compared and contrasted was completed. Results: Twenty-five articles from twenty studies with outcome measures related to dietary intake were included. Dietary intake was assessed by electronic store sales, store turnover method, 24-hour dietary recall, food frequency questionnaire and short questions. Consistent findings were low reported intakes of fruit and vegetables and high intakes of total sugar and energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and beverages. Conclusions: While differences between studies and study quality limit the generalisability of the findings, most studies suggest that the diets of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are inadequate. Implications for public health: A more concerted approach to understanding dietary patterns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is required to inform policy and practice to improve diet and nutrition.