Pandemic health messaging for Indigenous peoples during COVID-19

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are identified as a key population for COVID-19 prevention and response. 

However, there are concerns that messaging and preventative actions concerning COVID-19 are waning and will continue to decline, and community members will be become desensitised to new information.

Given there will be a need to have communication strategies for years to come, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use social media readily to access health related information, the challenge remains how to develop consistent, enduring, meaningful and reinforced messaging about risk and response processes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to address both complacency and mistrust.

Using survey research methods to reach 600-1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, this study will investigate how COVID-19 messages (including vaccines) are received by communities, and meaningful ways to ensure communication is enduring and impactful over a longer period. 

Research findings will provide insight into the effectiveness of health messages and mediums used to communicate such messages to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during a pandemic or similar health crisis.

Funding

Paul Ramsay Foundation, through the APPRISE CRE Collaboration ($79,000).