Yorga Moorditj Koort: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's perspectives about heart health on Noongar Boodjar.

Authors

Elia Bidgood, Cathy Garlett, Richard Chenhall, Amie Bingham, Francine Eades, Emily Banks, Melinda J Carrington, Grace Joshy, Sandra Eades, Tabassum Rahman

Published in

Health promotion international. Volume 41. Issue 4. Jul 01, 2026.

Abstract

In Australia, despite overall declines in cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women develop heart disease earlier and experience more than twice the rate of related morbidity and mortality compared with non-Indigenous women. This study explores Aboriginal women's understandings of the factors that shape their heart health and lived experiences of CVD. We spoke with 28 Aboriginal women aged ≥18 years-15 semistructured interviews and two yarning circles with an additional 13 Aboriginal women-with/without pre-existing CVD, and 10 healthcare professionals (HCPs) working with Aboriginal communities in the Perth metropolitan region, between May 2024 and April 2025. Data were analysed thematically using a combination of inductive and deductive strategies. Five major themes emerged from the data: (i) understanding heart health and CVD, (i) experiences of living with and seeking care for CVD, (iii) caregiving responsibilities and cardiovascular health, (iv) achieving a healthy heart, and (v) culturally grounded approach to ways moving forward. Participants' accounts revealed how caregiving dynamics, together with systemic constraints and life circumstances, influenced efforts to build and sustain Aboriginal women's heart health. Aboriginal women emphasized the importance of holistic, community- and Aboriginal-led approaches to strengthen heart health-related care and their overall wellbeing. Incorporating the perspectives of Aboriginal women and HCPs is essential to addressing the disproportionate burden of CVD among Aboriginal women. Limited access to heart health-related information and the structural issues impacting Aboriginal women's lives on a daily basis underscore the urgent need for tailored, targeted, and community-driven strategies to improve their cardiovascular health.

PMID:
42441940
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Jul 2026.

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