Racism and the Health of Indigenous Australians

Yin ParadiesOnemda Koori Health Unit & McCaughey

CentreUniversity of Melbourne

What is racism? Racism is the inequitable distribution of

opportunity, benefit or resources across ethnic/racial groups

Racism occurs through avoidable and unfair actions that : (i) further disadvantage minority ethnic/racial groups; or (ii) further advantage dominant ethnic/racial groups

Racism is expressed through attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, norms and practices and may be either intentional or unintentional

Internalised racism

Interpersonal racism

Systemic racism

Acceptance of attitudes, beliefs or ideologies about the inferiority of one’s own ethnic/racial group

Interactions between people that maintain and reproduce avoidable and unfair inequalities across ethnic/racial groups

Requirements, conditions, practices, policies or processes that maintain and reproduce avoidable and unfair inequalities across ethnic/racial groups

Believing that Indigenous people are naturally less intelligent than non-Indigenous people

Being racially abused when walking or driving in the street

Young Indigenous Victorians are 2-3 times more likely to be arrested and charged with an offence

Interpersonal Racism Against Indigenous

people

5000 respondents in the 2001 NSW/Qld Racism Survey and 4000 respondents in the 2006 Victorian Racism Survey were asked:

Would you be concerned if a close relative were to marry an Indigenous person?

28% in NSW/Qld and 25% in Vic expressed concern at such an occurrence

Systemic racism against Indigenous people

Although information on systemic racism is patchy at present, there is strong quantitative evidence of its existence in a number of settings including health, welfare, justice, housing and media

I will present brief findings from the health sector

The Health Sector Five studies have shown disparities in medical

care experienced by Indigenous patients

These studies found that Indigenous patients with the same characteristics as non-Indigenous patients were about a third less likely to receive appropriate medical care across all conditions (Cunningham 2002) as well as for lung cancer (Hall et al. 2004) and coronary procedures (Coory & Walsh 2005) in particular

Indigenous patients were only one-third as likely to receive kidney transplants (Cass et al. 2003)

Racism & ill-health Inequitable and reduced access to societal

resources required for health (e.g. employment, education, housing, medical care)

Inequitable exposure to risk factors associated with ill health (e.g. junk food, toxic substances, dangerous goods)

Stress and negative emotional/cognitive reactions which have negative impacts on mental health as well as affecting the immune, endocrine, cardiovascular and other physiological systems

Racism & ill-health Engagement in unhealthy activities

(e.g. smoking, alcohol and drug use)

Disengagement from healthy activities (e.g. sleep, exercise and taking medications)

Physical injury via racially motivated assault

Racism and Indigenous health

Racism has been associated with a range ofIndigenous health outcomes including:

poor general mental and physical health

stress, lack of control and psychological distress

anxiety, depression, suicide

increased alcohol, tobacco and drug use

Increasing empathyIncreasing empathy

Raising awarenessRaising awareness

Providing accurate information Providing accurate information

Recognising incompatible beliefs Recognising incompatible beliefs

Increasing personal accountabilityIncreasing personal accountability

Promoting positive social normsPromoting positive social norms

Breaking down barriers between groupsBreaking down barriers between groups

Themes for ActionThemes for Action

Actions to reduce discrimination Actions to reduce discrimination and support diversityand support diversity

AdvocacyAdvocacy

Community strengthening Community strengthening

Organisational development Organisational development

Legislative and policy reformLegislative and policy reform

Direct participation programs Direct participation programs

Communications and social marketingCommunications and social marketing

Research, monitoring and evaluationResearch, monitoring and evaluation

LEAD The LEAD Program is a multi-level,

multi-setting and multi-method intervention to reduce racism within the Victorian LGAs of Whittlesea and Shepparton from 2009-12

It is being funded and implemented through a consortium involving VicHealth, VEOHRC, CRCATSIH, beyondblue and DIaC

LEAD

LEAD aims to address racism against Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Muslim and Indigenous Australians in workplaces, retail and educational settings, sports/recreation, the media and local council

LEAD will include organisational development, diversity training, direct participation and social marketing strategies

LEAD will be evaluated using a pre-post with matched control design at the LGA level and within each setting

Questions

yinp@unimelb.edu.au