Co-design approach to preventing cardiovascular disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women

Professor
Sandra Eades

Project Details

In Noongar language, Yorga Moorditj Koort means Women’s Solid Hearts. In this project, we will co-design and assess the feasibility of a tailored, culturally responsive, coordinated care package to improve cardiovascular health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) women. The development of this study is informed by the new Australian Guideline for Assessing and Managing Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk and evidence for randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies in high-income country settings. There exists a lack of sex-specific cardiovascular disease-related evidence due to the lower representation of women in clinical trials. This compounds the scenario even further where there is limited evidence on interventions effective in preventing CVD in Indigenous communities, including Aboriginal communities in Australia. Despite significant progress in Aboriginal health outcomes, there is inadequate culturally tailored cardiovascular disease risk management support. Aboriginal women are disproportionally affected by CVD compared to non-Aboriginal women. Cultural and family obligations and care responsibilities often put Aboriginal women in a more disadvantaged position than other Australians in maintaining good heart health, seeking care timely and adhering to treatment. We seek to address these critical health needs by drawing on our team expertise and community and institutional collaboration.