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Racism and the Health
of Indigenous Australians
Yin Paradies
Onemda Koori Health Unit & McCaughey Centre
University of Melbourne
What is racism?

Racism is the inequitable distribution of
opportunity, benefit or resources across ethnic/racial
groups

Racism occurs through avoidable and unfair actions
that : (i) further disadvantage minority ethnic/racial
groups; or (ii) further advantage dominant
ethnic/racial groups

Racism is expressed through attitudes, beliefs,
behaviours, norms and practices and may be either
Internalised racism
Interpersonal racism Systemic racism
Acceptance of
attitudes, beliefs or
ideologies about the
inferiority of one’s own
ethnic/racial group
Interactions between
people that maintain
and reproduce
avoidable and unfair
inequalities across
ethnic/racial groups
Believing that Indigenous
people are naturally less
intelligent than nonIndigenous people
Being racially abused when Young Indigenous
walking or driving in the
Victorians are 2-3 times
street
more likely to be arrested
and charged with an offence
Requirements,
conditions, practices,
policies or processes
that maintain and
reproduce avoidable
and unfair inequalities
across ethnic/racial
groups
Interpersonal Racism Against
Indigenous people
 5000 respondents in the 2001 NSW/Qld Racism
Survey and 4000 respondents in the 2006 Victorian
Racism Survey were asked:
 Would you be concerned if a close relative were to
marry an Indigenous person?
 28% in NSW/Qld and 25% in Vic expressed
concern at such an occurrence
Systemic racism against
Indigenous people
 Although information on systemic racism is patchy
at present, there is strong quantitative evidence of
its existence in a number of settings including
health, welfare, justice, housing and media
 I will present brief findings from the health sector
The Health Sector

Five studies have shown disparities in medical care
experienced by Indigenous patients

These studies found that Indigenous patients with the same
characteristics as non-Indigenous patients were about a
third less likely to receive appropriate medical care across all
conditions (Cunningham 2002) as well as for lung cancer
(Hall et al. 2004) and coronary procedures (Coory & Walsh
2005) in particular

Indigenous patients were only one-third as likely to receive
kidney transplants (Cass et al. 2003)
Racism & ill-health

Inequitable and reduced access to societal resources
required for health (e.g. employment, education, housing,
medical care)

Inequitable exposure to risk factors associated with ill
health (e.g. junk food, toxic substances, dangerous goods)

Stress and negative emotional/cognitive reactions which
have negative impacts on mental health as well as
affecting the immune, endocrine, cardiovascular and
other physiological systems
Racism & ill-health

Engagement in unhealthy activities (e.g. smoking,
alcohol and drug use)

Disengagement from healthy activities (e.g. sleep,
exercise and taking medications)

Physical injury via racially motivated assault
Racism and Indigenous health
Racism has been associated with a range of
Indigenous health outcomes including:

poor general mental and physical health

stress, lack of control and psychological distress

anxiety, depression, suicide

increased alcohol, tobacco and drug use
Themes for Action
Increasing empathy
Raising awareness
Providing accurate information
Recognising incompatible beliefs
Increasing personal accountability
Promoting positive social norms
Breaking down barriers between groups
Actions to reduce discrimination
and support diversity
Advocacy
Community strengthening
Organisational development
Legislative and policy reform
Direct participation programs
Communications and social marketing
Research, monitoring and evaluation
LEAD

The LEAD Program is a multi-level, multi-setting
and multi-method intervention to reduce racism
within the Victorian LGAs of Whittlesea and
Shepparton from 2009-12

It is being funded and implemented through a
consortium involving VicHealth, VEOHRC,
CRCATSIH, beyondblue and DIaC
LEAD

LEAD aims to address racism against Asian, African,
Middle Eastern, Muslim and Indigenous Australians in
workplaces, retail and educational settings,
sports/recreation, the media and local council

LEAD will include organisational development, diversity
training, direct participation and social marketing
strategies

LEAD will be evaluated using a pre-post with matched
control design at the LGA level and within each setting
Questions
[email protected]