Determinants

The health and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is influenced by many factors including socioeconomic factors (for example, education, employment, income), environmental factors (for example, housing, overcrowding and passive smoking) and behavioural factors (for example, smoking tobacco, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet and, drug use) [29647]. Biomedical and psychological factors also influence health and wellbeing. The intergenerational trauma experienced as a result of the forcible removal of children from their families (Stolen Generations) is one example of this [19042].

Conditions experienced before birth and during infancy also play a major role in influencing health throughout a person’s life [29647]. Therefore strategies that focus on maternal and child health will potentially have a greater impact on the health of individuals throughout their lives.