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Assessment Two

Disparities in Health Indicators among Indigenous and Non-indigenous Australian Women

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Edith Cowan University

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Date submitted
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Disparities in Health Indicators among Indigenous and Non-indigenous Australian Women

Introduction

One of the foundations of universal healthcare is ensuring that everyone has the best
health outcomes in multiple areas. However, disparities in care access and provision result in
uneven trends across different populations. This matter is notable in Australia when comparing
the health outcomes among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. A review of these
disparities in three important health indicators- breast cancer, maternity mortality, and anxiety
(mental health) show a problem in the access to quality healthcare among Indigenous
Australians.

The purpose of this essay is to essay evaluate the disparities among Indigenous and non-
Indigenous Australian women across three health indicators. They are breast cancer, maternal
mortality, and anxiety (mental health). Besides, the essay will discuss each topic under their
respective headings. It will provide information on access to treatment, the burden of disease,
and/or mortalities associated with each. Such a discussion would help ascertain the extent of the
disparities between these two groups, showcasing the disadvantages facing Indigenous women in
their pursuit of healthcare.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a significant issue affecting Australian women. However, medical

advances have made it possible to treat it effectively when discovered on time. Therefore, a
critical part of addressing this issue is medical screening, which can allow practitioners to
identify any occurrences and intervene to stop their exacerbation. Nonetheless, this condition is
still problematic, with Cancer Australia (2023) noting that it is the third leading cause of cancer
death in the country. The source reports 3,110 fatalities in 2020 among women with the condition
and projects that the number would rise to 3,178. However, the pattern is even more worrisome
when considering that specific populations are affected worse than others. Specifically, the NCCI
(2022) found that Indigenous communities experience higher age-standardized mortalities from
breast cancer than non-Indigenous women. Therefore, while breast cancer is problematic for all
women in the country, it has a notably higher impact on Indigenous women.
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This disparity pattern stems from variations in critical healthcare aspects related to cancer
diagnosis and treatment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian women. According o
Tapia et al. (2019), Indigenous women are less likely to access timely screening, making it
harder to get a diagnosis on time. Given that early-stage cancers are more treatable, this failure to
get diagnosed increases the chances of mortality. Hence, Banham et al. (2019) ascertain that
Indigenous women are more likely to get a diagnosis in later stages than non-Indigenous women.
This matter stems from strained access to knowledge and resources on cancer screening, making
it harder to get timely treatment. The issue worsens when financial factors make it harder to
afford quality healthcare, reducing recovery rates while increasing mortality among Indigenous
women. Such disparities showcase substantial problems in access to care among Indigenous
women.

Maternity Mortality

Maternal mortality is also another important indicator of women’s health in society. It

highlights the efficiency of perinatal care, which impacts the survival of the child and the mother.
Thus, it is unsurprising that this matter receives substantial attention and is an important
determinant of healthcare quality. In addition, disparities associated with this issue strongly
indicate failures in healthcare provision among specific communities. According to AIHW
(2022), the maternal mortality rate in Australia was 5.5 deaths in 100,000 women in 2020. This
trend is quite encouraging, considering how much better it is than the global trends. UNICEF
(2022) observes that the worldwide maternal mortality rate was 223 deaths in 1000,000 live
births in 2022. However, while Australian trends are significantly better than global patterns,
there are concerns over the local disparities. Such differences in a critical health indicator are
concerning.

This trend in high maternal mortality rates among Indigenous women stems from
multiple factors undermining access to quality care. The AIHW (2022) observes that the
maternal death rates among non-indigenous women were 5.3 compared to 16.4 per 100,000 live
births among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Thus, their rates are more than thrice
among these Indigenous communities. Sivertsen et al. (2020) associate this trend with strained
access to timely and quality care. In addition, the authors note that these communities experience
a lack of continuity of care, poor coordination of care, and undermined communication, which
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also follows higher anxiety rates about visiting healthcare facilities and low adherence to
appointments. These forces pool to create a substantially higher maternal mortality rate among
Aboriginal communities than among non-indigenous women.

Anxiety (Mental Health)

The prevalence of anxiety also serves as an essential health indicator related to mental
health. According to AIHW (2023), mental distress is common among Australians, with women
being more susceptible than men (26% against 14%). Another disparity was between Indigenous
and non-Indigenous women. Ogilvie et al. (2021) acknowledge that psychological issues like
anxiety are more common among Indigenous than non-Indigenous communities. This
observation extends to Indigenous women, given their higher prevalence of the problem than
their male counterparts. This health disparity denotes issues with quality of life and other factors
like economic opportunities and access to care, which affect an individual’s psychological well-
being, with Indigenous women being at a greater risk than non-Indigenous women.

Conclusion

Health disparities among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women reflect societal and
healthcare issues undermining access to timely and quality care. This study explored how this
pattern manifested in the prevalence of breast cancer mortalities, maternal mortality, and anxiety
cases among these two groups. It was found that Indigenous communities were substantially
disadvantaged. Essentially, there was a higher incidence rate for all three among this community
than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Thus, it seems relevant to adjust healthcare services to
address this disparity. For instance, improving access to educational material and reducing
challenges with accessing care can ensure more Indigenous women get optimal treatment.
However, until then, it is essential to draw attention to this disparity.

(967 words with references, headings, and title but not title page)
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Reflection

A review of the healthcare disparities among Indigenous and non-indigenous

communities revealed a significant shortcoming in pursuing universal healthcare. This exercise
offered me a chance to consider these trends, improving my understanding of one of the most
significant issues affecting healthcare in Australia. I believe the topic is essential and requires
substantial attention from the government and multiple stakeholders in healthcare. Hence, I
would attempt to contribute to the solution in my capacity by insisting on eliminating any bias in
healthcare provision and promoting advocacy for equal access to care. I understand that my work
only covered three topics. However, I think the problem spans further, hinting at an underlying
issue in healthcare nationwide.

Secondly, the chance to research the matter helped improve my skills in compiling and
documenting information. For instance, I explored different types of resources and their
association with each topic. I learned to look for appropriate sources, validate their arguments,
and use them within the text. In addition, I had a chance to practice my knowledge of and skills
in APA paper formats. For instance, I knew how to reference each material according to the
convention’s reference section guidelines and how to cite them within the text. Thus, I believe
these insights would be helpful as I continue my studies, ensuring I can organize my content
optimally. I hope to encounter other paper formats.

(229 words including title)

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References:

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2022). Maternal deaths.

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/maternal-deaths-australia

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2023). Mental health.

https://www.aihw.gov.au/mental-health/overview/mental-illness

Banham, D., Roder, D., Keefe, D., Farshid, G., Eckert, M., Howard, N., ... & CanDAD

Aboriginal Community Reference Group and other CanDAD investigators. (2019).

Disparities in breast screening, stage at diagnosis, cancer treatment and the subsequent

risk of cancer death: a retrospective, matched cohort of aboriginal and non-aboriginal

women with breast cancer. BMC Health Services Research, 19, 1-11. DOI:

10.1186/s12913-019-4147-5

Cancer Australia. (2023). Breast cancer in Australia statistics.

https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/cancer-types/breast-cancer/statistics#:~:text=It%20is

%20estimated%20that%20it%20will%20remain%20the%20fifth%20most,36%20males

%20and%203%2C178%20females).

National Cancer Control Indicators (NCCI). (2022). Cancer mortality.

https://ncci.canceraustralia.gov.au/outcomes/cancer-mortality/cancer-mortality

Ogilvie, J. M., Tzoumakis, S., Allard, T., Thompson, C., Kisely, S., & Stewart, A. (2021).

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders for Indigenous Australians: a population-based birth

cohort study. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 30, e21.

DOI:/10.1017/S204579602100010X
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Sivertsen, N., Anikeeva, O., Deverix, J., & Grant, J. (2020). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

family access to continuity of health care services in the first 1000 days of life: a

systematic review of the literature. BMC health services research, 20(1), 1-9. DOI:

10.1186/s12913-020-05673-w

Tapia, K. A., Garvey, G., McEntee, M. F., Rickard, M., Lydiard, L., & Brennan, P. C. (2019).

Breast screening attendance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in the

Northern Territory of Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public

Health, 43(4), 334-339. DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.12917

UNICEF. (2022). Maternal mortality. https://data.unicef.org/topic/maternal-health/maternal-

mortality/#:~:text=Maternal%20mortality%20refers%20to%20deaths,to%20UN%20inter

%2Dagency%20estimates.