Self-determination in programmes of perinatal health for Aboriginal Communities: A systematic review

• Published in: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
• Main Authors: Kim Ann Beadman, Juanita Sherwood, Paul Gray, John McAloon
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2024
• Subjects: Aboriginal; Torres Strait Islander; First Nations; Indigenous Australian; perinatal; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anzjph.2024.100169; https://doaj.org/article/199717d8569140ee93d855fb37f4d63e

Objective: The importance of self-determination in restoring the wellbeing of Australian First Nations peoples is becoming understood. For thousands of years, Aboriginal women gave birth on Country and Grandmothers’ Lore and Women’s Business facilitated the survival of the oldest living civilisations on earth. Following colonisation, however, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practices of maternal and perinatal care were actively dismantled, and self-determination by Aboriginal people was destroyed. This had significant implications for the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their Cultures and practices. Methods: A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses–based systematic review of research about programmes of birthing and perinatal health care for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their children was undertaken. The review’s primary aim was to assess the Cultural context of programme development and delivery, its secondary aim was to assess the Cultural appropriateness of programme components. Electronic databases SCOPUS, PsycINFO, Medline, and CINAHL were searched for peer-reviewed studies published in English in Australia between 2000 and 2023. Results: Twenty-eight publications met inclusion criteria. Included studies were assessed for their methodological characteristics, birthing-support characteristics, perinatal care and continuity of care characteristics. Overall, programmes were limited in meeting the Cultural needs of women, children, and individual Communities. The role of Aboriginal Communities in identifying, delivering, and reviewing programmes was also limited. Conclusions: Findings articulate the importance of self-determination in maintaining strong Indigenous Cultures and informing the Culturally appropriate development and delivery of Culturally safe programmes of perinatal care for Aboriginal women, children, and Communities. Implications for Public Health: Programmes and services for use by Aboriginal and ...