“Our Mothers Have Handed That to Us. Her Mother Has Handed That to Her”: Urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Yarning about Community Wellbeing, Healthy Pregnancies, and the Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

In Australia, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a largely hidden disability that is currently under-recognized, under-resourced, and under- or misdiagnosed. Unsurprisingly, efforts to prevent FASD in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are lacking. Further, mainstream approaches are not compatible with diverse and distinct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of approaching family, pregnancy, and parenting life. To support the creation of culturally appropriate urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander FASD prevention strategies, we sought to understand local perspectives, experiences, and priorities for supporting healthy and alcohol-free pregnancies. Using a narrative methodology, we undertook research yarns with eight female and two male community participants. Data were analyzed using a narrative, thematic analysis and guided by an Indigenist research practice of reflexive listening. Participant yarns provided important insights into local urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural, social, and structural determinants that support family and child health, alcohol-free pregnancies, and the prevention of FASD. The results provide critical guidance for Indigenizing and decolonizing FASD prevention strategies to support culturally safe, relevant, and strengths-based services. This approach has critical implications for all health and social professionals and can contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ justice, recovery, and healing from colonization.