'Hero to Healing' drink driving program for Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland

• Published in: Health promotion journal of Australia Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 74 - 79
• Main Authors: Fitts, Michelle S., Palk, Gavan R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 150 Oxford Street, Collingwood, 3066, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia CSIRO Publishing 01.04.2016; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians; Aboriginal Australians; Accidents, Traffic - prevention & control; Adult; Aged; Alcohol; Alcohol Drinking - ethnology; Alcohol Drinking - prevention & control; Alcohol related; Alcohol use; Alcoholism; Alcohols; Amendments; Anger management; Antisocial personality disorder; Australian people; Automobile industry; Cannabis; Cognitive therapy; Communities; Community; Community health services; Content analysis; Crashes; Driving; Driving ability; Drunk driving; Drunkenness; Evaluation; Female; Focus Groups; Group research; Healing; Health promotion; Health Promotion - organization & administration; Health Services, Indigenous - organization & administration; Humans; Indigenous peoples; Injuries; Injury prevention; Interviews as Topic; Kinship; Lifestyles; Male; Management; Marijuana; Middle Aged; Mortality; Native peoples; Oceanic Ancestry Group; Older people; Prevention; program acceptability; Program Evaluation; Protective factors; Qualitative analysis; Qualitative research; Queensland; Reinforcement; Relatives; Risk; Risk factors; Semistructured interviews; Skills; Studies; Traffic safety; Australia
• ISSN: 1036-1073; 2201-1617
• DOI: 10.1071/HE15069

Issue addressed: Alcohol-related road crashes are a leading cause of the injury burden experienced by Indigenous Australians. Existing drink driving programs are primarily designed for the mainstream population. The 'Hero to Healing' program was specifically developed with Indigenous communities and is underpinned by the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA). This paper reports on the formative evaluation of the program from delivery in two Far North Queensland communities. Methods: Focus groups and semistructured interviews were conducted with drink driver participants (n = 17) and other Elders and community members (n = 8) after each program. Qualitative content analysis was used to categorise the transcripts. Results: The CRA appealed to participants because of its flexible nature and encouragement of rearranging lifestyle factors, without specific focus on alcohol use. Participants readily identified with the social and peer-related risk and protective factors discussed. Cofacilitation of the program with Elders was identified as a key aspect of the program. More in-depth discussion about cannabis and driving, anger management skills and relationship issues are recommended. Conclusions: Participants' recognition of content reinforced earlier project results, particularly the use of kinship pressure to motivate younger family members to drink drive. Study findings suggest that the principles of the CRA are useful; however, some amendments to the CRA components and program content were necessary.