A new app has been developed to support mothers in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to improve health outcomes for both them and their babies.
The app, called Growin’ Up Healthy Babies was created in response to the concerning inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous mothers and children.
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, especially those in remote areas, face limited access to healthcare services. Cultural and literacy barriers can also affect care.
Collaborating to close the gap
Thanks to funding from The Hospital Research Foundation Group, researchers from Flinders University have developed the app to close this gap.
Led by Professor of Public Health, Professor Billie Bonevski, the team collaborated with Aboriginal health services in New South Wales. The interstate team developed a similar app for their local Indigenous communities.
“We worked with NSW team to co-design an app that provided health information for mothers and children up to five years old,” Prof Bonevski said.
“The app then needed to be adapted to suit the cultural context of South Australian Indigenous women.”
Prof Bonevski’s research was conducted under the guidance of an Aboriginal Governance Reference Group. The group included senior Aboriginal women, health service providers and researchers.
“We conducted interviews with 20 Aboriginal women in SA to understand what changes were needed to make the app culturally appropriate and relevant,” Prof Bonevski said.
“Once the changes were implemented, we returned to the women with the new SA version. The group then tested its cultural appropriateness and useability.”
Future plans
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Looking ahead, the team plans to conduct a large-scale trial of the app. They will focus on improving mothers’ social and emotional wellbeing, health literacy, and being able to self-manage their health.
Growin’ Up Healthy Babies is now available for download on the Apple and Android App store! Aboriginal mothers can now access culturally tailored health support right at their fingertips.
