Browsing by Author "Anderson I.P."
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Item Indigenous participation in an informal national Indigenous health policy network.(2011-10-04) Lock M.J.; Thomas D.P.; Anderson I.P.; Pattison P.Objective. To determine and describe the features of Indigenous participation in an informal national Indigenous health policy network. Design. A questionnaire was administered during 200304. Through a snowball nomination process a total of 227 influential persons were identified. Of these, 173 received surveys of which 44 were returned, a return rate of 25%. Outcome measures. These data were analysed to detect the existence of network groups; measure the degree of group interconnectivity; and measure the characteristics of bonds between influential persons. Demographic information was used to characterise the network and its groups. Results. Indigenous people were integral to the network due to their high representation, their distribution throughout the 16 groups, and the interconnections between the groups. The network was demographically diverse and multiple relational variables were needed to characterise it. Indigenous and non-Indigenous people had strong ties in this network. Conclusion. Social network methods made visible an informal network where Indigenous and non-Indigenous people relate in a complex socio-political environment to influence national Indigenous health policy. What is known about the topic? The participation of Indigenous people is acknowledged as important in health, but there is criticism of the lack of real opportunities for Indigenous people to participate in national Indigenous health policy processes. What does this paper add? This research reveals the presence of an informal network of influential persons. It demonstrates a way to investigate the concept of participation through social network analytic techniques. It reveals that Indigenous people are fundamental to an informal network that influences national health policy processes. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners can become more aware of their place in informal networks of influence and of their capacity to exercise personal influence in national policy decisions based on advice drawn from their informal networks. © 2011 AHHA.Item Suicide ideation and attempt in a community cohort of urban Aboriginal youth: a cross-sectional study.(2014-03-13) Luke J.N.; Anderson I.P.; Gee G.J.; Thorpe R.; Rowley K.G.; Reilly R.E.; Thorpe A.; Stewart P.J.Background: There has been increasing attention over the last decade on the issue of Indigenous youth suicide. A number of studies have documented the high prevalence of suicide behavior and mortality in Australia and internationally. However, no studies have focused on documenting the correlates of suicide behavior for Indigenous youth in Australia. Aim(s): To examine the prevalence of suicide ideation and attempt and the associated factors for a community cohort of Koori (Aboriginal) youth. Method(s): Data were obtained from the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) Young People's Project (YPP), a community initiated cross-sectional data set. In 1997/1998, self-reported data were collected for 172 Koori youth aged 12-26 years living in Melbourne, Australia. The data were analyzed to assess the prevalence of current suicide ideation and lifetime suicide attempt. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to identify closely associated social, emotional, behavioral, and cultural variables at baseline and Cox regression modeling was then used to identify associations between PCA components and suicide ideation and attempt. Result(s): Ideation and attempt were reported at 23.3% and 24.4%, respectively. PCA yielded fi ve components: (1) emotional distress, (2) social distress A, (3) social distress B, (4) cultural connection, (5) behavioral. All were positively and independently associated with suicide ideation and attempt, while cultural connection showed a negative association. Conclusion(s): Suicide ideation and attempt were common in this cross-section of Indigenous youth with an unfavorable profi le for the emotional, social, cultural, and behavioral factors.