Prof Timothy Skinner, Prof Isabelle Skinner, Prof Marilynne Kirshbaum & Dr Jim Lee ·...

EHSE SPG| 14 March 2016 | Slide 1

School of Psychological and Clinical Sciences

Prevalence of Short and Disturbed Sleep in Aboriginal

Australians and Impact on Physical and Social and

Emotional Well-Being

Prof Timothy Skinner, Prof Isabelle Skinner, Prof

Marilynne Kirshbaum & Dr Jim Lee

Prevalence of Short and Disturbed Sleep in Aboriginal Australians and Impact on Physical

and Social and Emotional Well-Being

Team• Timothy Skinner – Health Psychologist, CDU

• Marilynne Krishbaum – Nurse, CDU

• Jim Lee – Sport & Exercise Scientist, CDU

• Ruth Wallace - Aboriginal Research Capacity / Methodologies

• Alan Cass – Consultant Physician, Menzies

• Isabelle Skinner – Remote Health Service Manager Menzies/CDU

• Romola Bucks – Neuropsychologist, UWA

• Peter Eastwood – Respiratory & Sleep Physiologist, UWA

• Geoff Barker – Architect, PM+D ARCHITECTS

Trudy, Anne & Shirley Hayes

Ganthalha Enterprises Pty Ltd

Team continues

Theory

• Poor Quality Sleep (short and disturbed) is predictive and thought to be a causative agent in the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions

• Poor Quality Sleep is more common in low socio-economic groups and minority groups (African and Latino) in US.

• Poor Quality Sleep has been shown to meditate the relationship between socio-economic and ethnic minority and higher morbidity in the US

Also

• Poor quality sleep is associated with :-– Poorer psycho-social well-being

– Poorer cognitive (executive functioning)

– Poorer educational attainment

• Poor quality sleep is caused by – Poor quality housing

– Overcrowded housing

– Psychological morbidity

– Exposure to racial discrimination

– Bereavement

• There is no published data on sleep quality of Aboriginal Australians.

• Plenty of anecdotal evidence that Aboriginal Australians have poorer quality sleep that non-Aboriginal Australians.

Therefore

• Could poor sleep quality account for some of the health disparities experienced by Aboriginal Australians

Therefore we sought to • Develop a methodology for assessing quality of sleep for

Aboriginal Australians that is scientifically robust and culturally appropriate and acceptable

• Conduct a pilot study to assess sleep quality objectively and subjectively in an Aboriginal Community

Onslow, WA

• Remote community with mixed Aboriginal Australian and non-Aboriginal Australian community

• Diversity in living circumstances amongst Aboriginal Australian community

• Long term relationship with the community

• Community interested in understanding why they have poorer health

What we have done

Onslow

Two team meetings with the Aboriginal Community and EldersMeetings with all local health service providers and school

• Developed a multidisciplinary research collaborative

• Methodology for research established with support from community secured

• Established service provision options for identified needs (e.g. OSA)

• Additional funding secured to complete empirical data collection in 2016

• One PhD student to work on the project, 2nd ?

What we have achieved

What next