Background: Measuring the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a critical factor in informing programs, policies and clinical decision-making that effectively support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. To date, only a handful of wellbeing measures have been developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with validation in discrete geographic or clinical populations. While valuable in specific settings, existing measures do not offer a nationally- and culturally-relevant measure of wellbeing. What Matters 2Adults is nearing completion of development of a nationally-relevant preference-based measure of wellbeing, which will facilitate accurate and culturally-grounded measurement of wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, for use in a variety of contexts, including cancer care.
Aims: This presentation describes What Matters 2Adults’ methods and findings, with particular focus on the qualitative phase.
Methods: What Matters 2Adults uses a three-phase, mixed-methods design, underpinned by an Indigenist research approach. Governance is provided by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group.
Results: To date, the study has included the views and preferences of 1625 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. An iterative and collaborative process of analysis resulted in a conceptual model of wellbeing, where family, community and culture emerged as central to wellbeing, which were interwoven by five components: belonging and connection; holistic health; purpose and control; dignity and respect; and basic needs. These findings informed the development of the final 32 strength-based items in the wellbeing measure. A survey to determine the scoring is currently underway.
Conclusions: Measures used to inform policy, practice and decision-making for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people must assess factors that are relevant and important to this population. What Matters 2Adults provides a valuable example of wellbeing measure development that is grounded in the views, experiences and values of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people.