Previous research has shown that cutting the prevalence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking would have a major impact on mortality rates within Australia's Indigenous populations, whose life expectancy on average is 17 years less than non-Indigenous Australians. It is estimated that smoking accounts for about three years of the life expectancy gap, but little is known about the effectiveness of tobacco control programs targeting Indigenous populations. This project is being undertaken as part of a Masters in Applied Science and aims to provide a conceptual framework for future research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking, as well as to provide information that can feed into policy design processes. The project complements the objectives of the 'National Indigenous Tobacco Control Research Roundtable' held in May 2008 by the Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Indigenous Tobacco Control (CEITC) and supported by the CRC for Aboriginal Healtlh.

Summary of Projected Outcomes:

The project's key aims are:

• To identify areas where research is needed to enable a successful existing policy already targeting the non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population to be adapted so that equivalent smoking-reduction outcomes can be achieved within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
• To build an understanding of how research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking differs from research into smoking within the general Australian population.
• To design a new social paradigm, derived from conceptual coherence of a new framework, theory, and model for Indigenous smoking disparity, to assist the Australian Indigenous Smoking Program/Policy.
  

Summary of Project Implementation:

The project's methodology involves a review of the literature on the prevalence of smoking within Indigenous communities both in Australia and overseas, and also draws on successful examples of smoking reduction policies implemented in overseas countries including New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Research evidence will be analysed using systematic review and a psychosocial framework adapted from the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health's framework on health inequality. The new conceptual framework is developed from the systematic review using Holton et al (2007) general research process for using Dubin's theory building model.

Holton EF, Lowe JS (2007). Toward a General Research Process for Using Dubin's Theory Building Model. Human Resource Development Review 6;3:297-320.

Timeline:

The project began in January 2008 and is due to be completed in October 2009.

Related Links and Publications:

The National Indigenous Tobacco Control Research Roundtable May 2008, Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Indigenous Tobacco Control (CEITC)

The National Indigenous Tobacco Control Research Roundtable Media Release

Article on the Project in the CRC for Aboriginal Health 2007-2008 Annual Report, page 39.

An abstract has been submitted to the Oceania Tobacco Control 2009 Conference, 7-9 October 2009, Darwin Convention Centre

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[Last updated 7.7.2009]