Longevity and indigenous health

We set out to examine the meaning of Aboriginal Ageing in relation to adverse health outcomes for Aboriginal people, research in Aboriginal Health and longevity in the Aboriginal community. A markedly delayed demographic transition in patterns of infectious diseases and the rise of fatal systemic diseases, comparable to disadvantaged third world communities, is responsible for early mortality and high disability rates in Aboriginal Communities where statistics are available and Aboriginality is identified. At the same time, the Aboriginal population is entering a third demographic transition with infant mortality falling and the Aboriginal population increasing in absolute numbers, as well as growing younger, rather than ageing or becoming “prematurely aged”. Aboriginal people are likely to be “healthy survivors” rather than suffer “premature ageing”, with survival rates for the over 75s comparable to those in non-indigenous people. Their needs are for a better quality of independent living and better care within their own communities for age related disorders of cognition and mobility. The research focus needs to be on parents, children and young people. Medical paradigms used in non-indigenous research, e.g. organ system disease rates (heart disease, lung disease, dia-betes, cancer) are useful in measuring adverse health outcomes in Aboriginal populations (and in measuring equal access to mainstream health services); however they are poor and late targets for Aboriginal Health research. Public health research needs to address social and cultural issues relevant to maternal and infant health, family and child health, education at all levels, employment, nutrition and housing