Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men’s Groups for Heart Health Equity

Doctor Bryce Brickley, Flinders University

First Nations CVD Grant

Years funded: 2026 - 2028

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in very remote Australia experience the highest rates of heart disease nationally, yet culturally safe and accessible support remains limited. These health inequities stem from the legacy of colonisation, ongoing systemic disadvantages, social and political health determinants. In response, this project builds on strong community leadership, partnerships, and lived experience to advance heart health equity – aligned with the Heart Foundation’s Health for Every Heart 25-year vision.

This research has three interconnected aims: (1) to co-design a men’s group focused on heart health promotion in Milikapiti; (2) pilot and evaluate community-led cultural exchange initiatives between two men’s groups in Milikapiti and Nauiyu (both very remote communities in the Top End, Northern Territory); and (3) explore how men’s group participation shapes understandings of the links between heart health and social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB).

Our team applies Aboriginal Participatory Action Research (APAR) methodology, a strengths-based approach that prioritises community leadership, gender responsiveness, and two-way learning. An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander SEWB framework [Gee and colleagues (2014)], reframes conventional heart health risk factors (e.g., nutrition, physical activity, and primary healthcare use) within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldviews, including cultural, emotional, and relational contexts.

The research focus and approach responds to community priorities and expressed needs. It builds on the Nauiyu Men’s Group and Research Governance Group, established with support from our research team over the past three years. In Milikapiti, we will support the co-design of a new community-led men’s group and local Research Governance Group following consultation (April 2025). Research Governance Groups will oversee the research, supported by local Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (e.g., Mamulbuk, Green River Aboriginal Corporation, Jipungwayi, Mamanta). Activities will include group-based yarning/discussion, cultural exchanges, and photovoice storytelling. Data analysis will be thematic, using inductive and deductive approaches, guided by local knowledge systems.

This project will strengthen heart health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males in two very remote communities by improving SEWB, increasing engagement in preventive healthcare, and deepening understanding of the heart health-SEWB link. It will generate new evidence on the value of men’s groups and cultural exchange in heart health promotion. Local Governance Groups will inform translation/dissemination, which may include co-created resources owned by community, case study videos, academic publications and conference presentations. Informed by long-standing community and stakeholder partnerships, this project offers a potentially scalable, cost-effective model for advancing place-based heart health equity in remote settings.