Managing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data for Public Health Research

Abstract

Good quality data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are needed to assess the effectiveness of programs and interventions, and to evaluate policies that are designed to improve the status of, and service delivery to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  Due to the lack of longitudinal data it is difficult to gain knowledge on the specific causes or consequences of changes in indigenous outcomes.  Variables such as name, date of birth and address variables for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders may be subject to more variation and be less consistently reported among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians than among other Australians.  Improving the collection and management of key identifying variables for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are key to providing more quality information on this population group.