A project that aims to close the data gaps in cardiovascular health among First Nations people is among 67 projects Australia-wide to receive funding from the Heart Foundation to drive discoveries in prevention of heart disease, and in the treatment and care of people living with it.
Dr Ingrid Stacey, a research fellow in the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Centre at The University of Western Australia's School of Population and Global Health and research affiliate with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, has been awarded $151,000, which will be matched by UWA, to undertake two years postdoctoral research.
Cardiovascular disease is the largest contributor to the life expectancy gap experienced by First Nations people, with the onset of disease often occurring decades earlier than for the non-Indigenous Australian population.
Public health management relies on good quality evidence, however, current information about First Nations heart health contains some gaps. Existing data sources often undercount cases or contain information that doesn't align well with community priorities.
Dr Stacey's research will be conducted in partnership with First Nations academics and communities and is critical to informing First Nations-led programs.
Her project, "Heart health measures to guide policy and practice for First Nations peoples: time to close the data gaps", will generate the evidence of what works to promote heart health and prevent disease.
Dr Stacey said her research built partnerships and used advanced statistical methods to address data gaps so that First Nations communities had the evidence they needed to experience good cardiovascular health.
"One of the questions I'm investigating is, what are the health benefits associated with being notified as part of a rheumatic heart disease register, which will help us improve continuous care for people with rheumatic heart disease," she said.
"A different question is, can we measure chronic coronary disease? This will help us look at health service use and inform new models of care."
The next steps involve talking to community members and research partners, according to Dr Stacey.
