Investigators
- Professor Asha Bowen (lead)
- Dr Rachel Burgess (lead)
- Dr Bernadette Ricciardo
- Professor Donna Cross
- Aunty Dale Tilbrook
- Uncle (Dr) Noel Nannup
- Ms Carol Michie
- Dr Heather-Lynn Kessaris
- Dr Ingrid Amgarth-Duff
- Dr Hannah Mary Milroy Thomas
- Ms Jacinta Walton
- Dr Tracy McRae
- Stephanie Enkel
Research team members
- Taleah Ugle – Aboriginal Research Assistant
Aboriginal Community Steering Group
- Natasha Kickett
- Larissa Jones
- Annette Garlett
- Joanne Hill
- Sally Smith
- Delys Walton
- Kristy Jetta
Project description
In Noongar* language, Moorditj Marp translates to strong skin. Co-designed and in collaboration with community members, the impacts of this project will directly benefit families by building awareness, empowering decision-making, and improving confidence around the recognition and management of skin conditions for Aboriginal children. This will be achieved through three main objectives:
- A robust evaluation of the community-driven children’s storybook, Kaal Tackles Eczema to help us better understand the strengths and effectiveness of co-designed culturally relevant health promotion resources. This project is currently recruiting – to find out more about who can participate and what is involved please visit Moorditj Marp (Strong Skin) Storybook Evaluation Project.
- Translation and application of the evaluation learnings into the co-design of a suite of healthy skin storybooks on other common childhood skin conditions, including skin sores, tinea (ringworm), scabies, headlice and sun smart behaviours.
- Development a set of recommendations in partnership with the ACCHOs, Aboriginal Community Steering Group members, Elder researchers and researchers for the future development of culturally inclusive and age-appropriate health promotion resources. The recommendations will reflect the learnings from this practice-based health promotion research as well as those from other health promotion initiatives, developed with and for Aboriginal children and their families.
*Noongar at the Aboriginal Australian of the South West corner of Western Australia.
Plain language summary
The Moorditj Marp (Strong Skin) storybook project will undertake a robust evaluation of the Aboriginal community-created Kaal Tackles Eczema, to generate new knowledge about the strengths and impact of community-created culturally relevant health promotion resources. These findings will be translated into the co-design, development, and dissemination of new storybooks on other high priority skin conditions, and a set of easily accessible recommendations to improve future culturally relevant health promotion research and practice with Aboriginal families and communities in WA.
Funders of the project
- Medical Research Future Fund
Ethics
This project is ethically approved by the Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (Reference 1340)
External collaborators
- Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service
- South West Aboriginal Medical Service
- Perth Children’s Hospital
- Cancer Council WA
- Fiona Stanley Hospital