Don't Follow the Smoke-Listening to the Tobacco Experiences and Attitudes of Urban Aboriginal Adolescents in the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH).

Preventing smoking among young Aboriginal people is important for reducing health inequities. Multiple factors were associated with adolescent smoking in the SEARCH baseline survey (2009-12) and discussed in a follow-up qualitative study that aimed to inform prevention programs. Twelve yarning circles were facilitated by Aboriginal research staff at two NSW sites in 2019 with 32 existing SEARCH participants aged 12-28 (17 female, 15 male). Open discussion around tobacco was followed by a card sorting activity, prioritising risk and protective factors and program ideas. The age of initiation varied by generation. Older participants had established smoking in their early adolescence, whereas the current younger teens had little exposure. Some smoking commenced around high school (from Year 7), and social smoking increased at age 18. Mental and physical health, smoke-free spaces and strong connections to family, community and culture promoted non-smoking. The key themes were (1) drawing strength from culture and community; (2) how the smoking environment shapes attitudes and intentions; (3) non-smoking as a sign of good physical, social and emotional wellbeing; and (4) the importance of individual empowerment and engagement for being smoke-free. Programs promoting good mental health and strengthening cultural and community connections were identified as a priority for prevention.

Delivering health programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: Carer and staff views on what's important.

BACKGROUND: The lack of evidence on the priorities of carers and their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children undermines decisions to improve participant experiences and engagement. AIMS: This study describes carer and staff perspectives on the aspects of health services delivery that are important to carers and children. METHODS: Nineteen carers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and 17 staff who work at child health programs across two urban Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) and affiliate organisations in New South Wales, Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. We used thematic analysis to analyse the data. RESULTS: We identified five themes: valuing relational communication (building trust by keeping relationships at the centre, empowered to optimise child's development, feeling heard and known); confidence in provider's clinical and interpersonal skills (certain that the health issue will be resolved, engaging with the child to allay fears, facilitating timely health care); finding comfort and security in community embedded services (safety and acceptance in the familiar, strengthening child's connection to culture); support to access and navigate health services (accessible information appropriately presented, easy and flexible scheduling, easing the shame of financial hardship); sustaining service use (fulfilling expectations for service standards, demonstrating commitment through ongoing programs, clarity of benefits). CONCLUSIONS: Carers and staff reported that approaches to communication, the content of that communication, how access is facilitated and the service environment managed influences their decisions to interact with health services. With these data decision-makers can better focus resources to improve experiences with their services.