Winner - Social Research/Public Policy Award: Listening to Community - Research and Evaluation for the National Indigenous Ear Health Campaign

THE BRIEFThe incidence of ear disease and hearing loss among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people(s) is significantly higher than among the general Australian population, particularly among children and young adults. Overall, the occurrence of middle ear disease is almost three times more common among Aboriginal and/orTorres Strait Islander people(s) than among the non-lndigenous population. Further, middle ear disease is the most common cause of hearing loss among Aboriginal and/orTorres Strait Islander people(s).The impact of middle ear disease on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities has negative effects across all ages. Middle ear disease is associated with impaired hearing, which can have serious implications for early childhood development, education and language and speech development. As part of the Australian Government's commitment to closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage, $58.3 million was allocated over four years (2009 to 2013) to improving eye and ear health services for Aboriginal and/orTorres Strait Islander people(s), and part of this funding was allocated to the National Indigenous Ear Health Campaign. The campaign, branded as Care for Kids' Ears, was launched in 2011 and is the first national campaign to address ear health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The overarching goal of the campaign was to increase awareness of ear disease and highlight the importance of seeking and following treatment to prevent hearing loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.The Cultural and Indigenous Research Centre Australia (CIRCA) worked with the then Department of Health and Ageing from 2010 to 2013 to conduct developmental research, several rounds of concept testing, and an evaluation, which all provided valuable insights that shaped the development, implementation, and ultimately the effectiveness of the National Indigenous Ear Health Campaign.KEY RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTSAcross the research, over 1000 Aboriginal and/orTorres Strait Islander parents and carers, health professionals, teachers and early childhood educators were consulted. Our considerable expertise and knowledge in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities was critical in achieving such a large sample, and delivering insights that directly shaped the campaign. The team included skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, and involved travelling to a diverse range of communities, including some remote communities that were six hours drive from the nearest airport, and we utilised every form of transport you can imagine. It required a high level of flexibility in order to juggle the need to work with and respect community priorities and community time, and meet the tight timeframes of the project. The success also depended on our extensive networks with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia, in order to engage so many community members in the research, as well as our practical, solutions-focused response to working in communities and responding to the challenges this sometimes presents.Most importantly, the success of the approach hinged on the skills of our research team in consulting sensitively and openly with Aboriginal and/orTorres Strait Islander parents and carers about what for many is a very sensitive issue, and the willingness and generosity of research participants to share their stories, insights and hopes with us. Sitting with a group of women (and we sat with many groups of women and men), surrounded by gorgeous and energetic children tucking into the food in the centre of the circle, and hearing their stories about how poor ear health has affected their family and the community more broadly, and listening to the challenges they face and the resilience they demonstrate was a privilege, and something that the research team and the Department valued and respected. In the end, the success boils down to the fact that the Department and the research team "listened hard" to what the community had to say, and were able to translate this into actionable insights that led to the development of an innovative and successful campaign. …