PURPOSE: To understand the experiences of Indigenous Australian women with chronic illnesses and disabilities and their views about a way forward in relation to partnerships in research and community-supported problem-solving. METHOD: Using a participatory action research framework, five Indigenous women participated in a group meeting and interviews with academic women researchers to discuss their health and disabilities in order to generate solutions that could address health disparities among Indigenous women. RESULTS: Five themes describe the experiences of these Indigenous women when considering their personal histories, interactions with formal service systems, and their aspirations for the future: (i) Ongoing influence of history, (ii) systemic lack of respect, (iii) social context of health, (iv) moving forward in positive ways, and (v) research partnerships as a way forward. The data raised critical questions about the role of research, including, 'Who has the right to tell the stories of the women?'. CONCLUSIONS: We show how a small research project conducted in collaboration with five Indigenous women developed into a significant research partnership and resulted in a better understanding of the issues that must be addressed by research in future. It is suggested that through such partnerships underserved women can best be served by research.
PURPOSE: To understand the experiences of Indigenous Australian women with chronic illnesses and disabilities and their views about a way forward in relation to partnerships in research and community-supported problem-solving. METHOD: Using a participatory action research framework, five Indigenous women participated in a group meeting and interviews with academic women researchers to discuss their health and disabilities in order to generate solutions that could address health disparities among Indigenous women. RESULTS: Five themes describe the experiences of these Indigenous women when considering their personal histories, interactions with formal service systems, and their aspirations for the future: (i) Ongoing influence of history, (ii) systemic lack of respect, (iii) social context of health, (iv) moving forward in positive ways, and (v) research partnerships as a way forward. The data raised critical questions about the role of research, including, 'Who has the right to tell the stories of the women?'. CONCLUSIONS: We show how a small research project conducted in collaboration with five Indigenous women developed into a significant research partnership and resulted in a better understanding of the issues that must be addressed by research in future. It is suggested that through such partnerships underserved women can best be served by research.
Authors: Patricia A L Cochran; Catherine A Marshall; Carmen Garcia-Downing; Elizabeth Kendall; Doris Cook; Laurie McCubbin; Reva Mariah S Gover Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2007-11-29 Impact factor: 9.308