Personal Discomfort in Australian Aborigines

Abstract

The question is asked whether Aboriginal Australians are the happy, healthy people many European Australians perceive them to be. 294 Aboriginal adults belonging to four ethnic subgroups on Mornington Island in the north of Australia completed a modified Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaire. Reported discomfort was high, especially among the more economically-deprived and the immigrant. The female excess of complaints was notable; age effects were prominent only on items concerning bodily function. There were five peaks of discomfort, evidenced by respiratory and musculoskeletal complaints and symptoms of exhaustion, inadequacy and irritability. A 20-item questionnaire for trans-cultural use is presented.