The effect of social support on the health of Indigenous Australians in a metropolitan community

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2014-10, Vol.119, p.139-146
• Main Authors: Waterworth, Pippa, Rosenberg, Michael, Braham, Rebecca, Pescud, Melanie, Dimmock, James
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aboriginal Australians; Adult; Australia; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical outcomes; Community-Based Participatory Research; Female; Health; Health Behavior - ethnology; Health care; Health Problems; Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Indigenous Australians; Indigenous Populations; Kinship; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Native peoples; Participatory Action Research; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - ethnology; Personal health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Qualitative Methods; Qualitative Research; Social Networks; Social relations; Social sciences; Social Support; Socioeconomic Factors; Western Australia
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.08.035

The factors driving the disparity in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians continue to be poorly understood. Despite this, studies confirm that social connections are a very important part of Indigenous life, and it is likely these connections play an important role in influencing health outcomes among this population. Examining the support provided by social connections in relation to health behaviour may assist our understanding of health outcomes among Indigenous Australians. The current study is focused on exploring Indigenous participants' impressions of their social network and social support using Participatory Action Research methodology and qualitative methods. The objective was to identify the influence of social support on the health outcomes of Indigenous people within a Western Australian metropolitan community. Seventeen members of the community were interviewed during the study. The participants had extensive social networks that mainly comprised members of their kinship group. The consequences of this social network included: (1) the positive effects of social support from bonded relationships; (2) the negative effects of social support produced by over-obligation and unidirectional support involving bonded relationships; (3) limited or inadequate social support caused by withdrawal from bonded relationships; (4) lack of social support from bridging relationships; and (5) a strong desire for connection and a sense of belonging. •Large social networks predominantly including bonded relationships within kinship group.•The positive effects of social support from bonded relationships.•The negative effects from over-obligation via large numbers of bonded relationships.•Unidirectional support increasing the detrimental effects caused by over-obligation.•Limited or inadequate social support caused by withdrawal from bonded relationships.