Landmark Study to Provide Data on the Health Benefits of Connection to Country

Across Australia, it’s increasingly understood that caring for country and connections to identity, culture and land provides important benefits for the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Pilot studies in Victoria and Central Australia have demonstrated that better connections to country vastly improved the mental health of its Aboriginal participants.

Aboriginal people across this land have held the world’s oldest continuing cultures. The strength of cultures is different across Australia – a result of Australia’s history – yet studies repeatedly show that strong culture is vital to health and wellbeing.

However, there is a lack of evidence and data that shows how and why this may be so.

Mayi Kuwayu Health Survey

On Thursday 15 November 2018, 20,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were mailed a copy of the Mayi Kuwayu Health Survey, a landmark study examining the health benefits of Indigenous connection to country, cultural practices, spirituality, language use and other factors.

A further 180,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will be mailed a copy by the end of January 2019.

A team of researchers, led by the Australian National University, will then follow participants for up to 50 years.

“For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, this concept is intuitive,” said the study leader, Assoc Prof Ray Lovett. “We know that if we maintain a connection to our country, to our languages, to strong family and kinship networks, that is good for us, but we need the data.”

All Indigenous people over 16 who are registered with Medicare will receive a copy, or will be eligible to fill the survey out online. The survey will create an evidence base for creation of better policies and programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The study has been created by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, its name taken from the Wongaibon (Ngiyampaa) language and means to follow people over time.

Access to the data

Individuals and organisations can request access to data from the Mayi Kuwayu Study after baseline data collection is complete. The approval process is governed by the Mayi Kuwayu Study Governance Committee. In addition, the Mayi Kuwayu Study can run data analysis for organisations at a consultancy rate, subject to Governance Committee approval.

Contact mkstudy@anu.edu.au for details and download the information sheet here.